This TNG episode even has outfits that would have fit in just fine in TOS! Also, another shore leave planet? At least this one has a lot less Alice in Wonderland references. Actually, this episode is a pretty decent transition from a TOS style story to a more complex style of storytelling that will appear many times in TNG. Wesley manages to have a fairly major role without being the absolute worst and that is something too. However the godlike ship/entity floating over the planet is straight out of TOS.
The crew is weary from a mission to establish a colony on a new planet and stops by a solar system that is occupied and uncontacted. Since the prime directive seems to mean whatever it needs to mean this week to make the episode work this week it means they are cool to go down and have sex with the aliens so long as they don't interfere with their system of laws or something? Even though it is apparently a planet of free sex Picard decides to send Wesley down with the away team to see if it is suitable for children. While the adults flirt and get massages and stuff Wesley plays with the other kids. Back on the ship they have detected a dimensional disturbance or something which when they hail partially materializes as a strange looking ship. It sends a bubble probe thing into the ship and it asks Picard what they are doing there. It doesn't seem happy they planted a colony near this world. It then interfaces with Data who collapses.
Back on the planets surface Tasha learns that they only have one rule which is don't go into the forbidden zones, and the penalty for violation is death. So of course Wesley crashes into one and is confronted by the authorities. They call up for the captain and he beams down. The natives are understandably pissed their rules are being violated and give Wesley until sunset. Picard beams one of the women up with him and she bows down before her god when she sees the vessel near the Enterprise. The ship starts charging at them until Picard beams her back down. Dr. Crusher is pissed Picard won't just beam Wesley up but Picard talks to Data who has recovered and learns that if the alien ship sees them breaking their own rules it might attack.
Picard beams back down and tells the natives he is taking Wesley and they can't stop him. But the alien vessel can and it blocks the transporter from working. Picard gives a speech about how rules need exceptions to be just and the alien lets them beam back up. Apparently this didn't violate the prime directive too badly since I am pretty sure Picard will still be captain in the next episode.
Review: Some of the parts at the beginning where they are being greeted on the planet while they still think it is perfect and pretty annoying, but it pays off well in the end. This one could have used maybe one more rewrite in the first act, but overall it is a well told story. It does leave some unanswered questions, but that is ok. too.
6 out of 10
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