The Child
- Episode aired Nov 21, 1988
- TV-PG
- 45m
Deanna is impregnated by an unknown alien life-form, and Dr. Katherine Pulaski joins the Enterprise as the ship's new Chief Medical Officer.Deanna is impregnated by an unknown alien life-form, and Dr. Katherine Pulaski joins the Enterprise as the ship's new Chief Medical Officer.Deanna is impregnated by an unknown alien life-form, and Dr. Katherine Pulaski joins the Enterprise as the ship's new Chief Medical Officer.
- Enterprise Computer
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Crewman Martinez
- (uncredited)
- Operations Division Officer
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
The second season kicked off with this fairly routine episode that at least manages to feel like proper TNG - La Forge is now Chief Engineer, Worf is no longer a redshirt and we finally get Ten Forward and Guinan. But the story feels like reheated leftovers that has an intriguing premise but poor execution. And Dr Pulaski, the Enterprise's new on-board doctor, is as wooden as a stake and no replacement for Dr Crusher. And of course, Wesley has a subplot we don't care about because he always does. Fine but perfectly skippable.
I know I'm hardly an expert on stars, but I'm pretty sure they're really really hot. Toasty even. I bet launching this thing into a STAR, would pretty much take care of the darn thing and save the galaxy as we know it. Couldn't the writers come up with some REAL jeopardy, add a little to the story to make it sound REALLY bad?
I enjoyed seeing Whoopee on here, a BIG fan of the original series.
The B plot about Wesley Crusher -- particularly the introduction of Guinan -- is fairly good. It provides a good bridge to keep Crusher even though his mom left the ship while providing some good life lessons.
On the plus side, we get Pulaski - a no-nonsense doctor with a healthy distrust of technology. I've always preferred her to holier-than-thou Beverly. The 'crisis of the week' is clever and ties nicely into the b-plot. With only one security main character and a chief of engineering main character the show works much better. Though they do kinda undermine this efficiency by basically hiring another counsellor (Guinan).
There are two highlights. First we have the scene where the camera is focussed on Troi while a bunch of men discuss aborting her baby in the background. Oof. And Worf promising to tuck in Wesley is one of less than a handful of times TNG has made me laugh out loud on this rewatch. :-)
Did you know
- TriviaGates McFadden was fired at the end of Season 1 and then rehired for Season 3.
- GoofsOn the computer screen which continues the history of the mysteriously mutating virus, the word "growth" is erroneously repeated. ("...with growth GROWTH proceeding exponentially.")
- Quotes
Dr. Kate Pulaski: Dah-ta, look at this.
Lt. Commander Data: [looking slightly confused] 'Day-ta'.
Dr. Kate Pulaski: What?
Lt. Commander Data: My name. It is pronounced 'Day-ta'.
Dr. Kate Pulaski: Oh?
Lt. Commander Data: You called me "Dah-ta".
Dr. Kate Pulaski: [laughing] What's the difference?
Lt. Commander Data: One is my name. The other is not.
Dr. Kate Pulaski: Is this possible?
[stands up and begins to run a scan on Data]
Dr. Kate Pulaski: With all of your neuro nets and heuristics? Is there some combination of circuits that make up a network for bruised feelings? Possible?
Lt. Commander Data: [Data smiles at the idea]
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next (1988)
- SoundtracksStar Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage
Details
- Runtime
- 45m
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1