The Hunted

The Angosians are applying for membership in the Federation and so the Enterprise is approaching their planet. However, an escaped prisoner escapes and the Enterprise is asked to help capture him. The guy turns out to be EXTREMELY tricky and it's obvious he's not just some ordinary being. When captured by the Enterprise, they soon learn that he's undergone a lot of bio- engineering in order to make him the perfect soldier. Interestingly, they soon learn that the man hadn't actually committed crimes but was a soldier who has deliberately been made into this dangerous being. And, instead of trying to deprogram the man, the Angosians simply have banished him and their other soldiers to a penal colony!

Like many episodes of "Star Trek", this one is obviously intended as a parallel to today. It's obvious that it's intended as a lesson about PTSD and society's need to fix these broken warriors. It does have a great point to make and is very effective overall. One of the better season two episodes.

I loved this episode... Kept us guessing and the resolution was true to Starfleet and Picard. Teaching a little lesson. Always good to get back to basics. Deanna Troi used as she should be without any special attraction added to her talents.

This was a Super Annoying Episode because of the inablity of the "Supposedly" Trained Enterprise security members to take down one man.

Also, the writers, AGAIN, made the Bridge Team Powerless and Inept. Unable to stop this lone guy or even catch him with all of their advance technology.

Just a plain dumb episode!

A problem recognized long ago in earth's history. A nation mobilizes for war and wins. Now what do we do with these suddenly unemployed soldiers?

The planet Angosia with its prime minister James Cromwell is applying for membership and they've sent Captain Jean-Luc Picard to look the place over. While doing so Jeff McCarthy escapes from a lunar penal colony. The Enterprise with some bit of doing subdues him and he's held in there security cell to get his story.

McCarthy gives a lot of mixed signals to Counselor Troi. He's a cultivated but violence can spring from him in an instant. His fighting skills are enhanced, programmed right into his DNA. He's a super soldier no doubt.

The best example in earth history is the Roman Empire who when they reached their zenith did not know what to do with all their trained fighting men except maybe make them gladiators. The USA had a GI Bill of Rights which is the best answer humankind has devised. The Angosians weren't that clever.

It's a good episode and you can only imagine the report Patrick Stewart gives the Federation.

While assessing the viability of a colony on Angosha III for Federation membership, a violent and cunning prisoner escapes from a maximum security facility. After eventually being captured by the Enterprise, the prisoner's dangerous nature soon becomes apparent which gives Picard some pause for thought.

Another action-orientated episode with McCarthy's super soldier proving to be a fantastic presence in the show. But instead of mindless phaser fire for the sake of it, the show makes some powerful points about the psychological effects of serving in the military and the mistreatment many veterans face when they return. It's full of drama, suspense, new areas of the ship we hadn't seen before and oh yes, lots of phasers! Great stuff!