I watched TNG religiously during its original airing so I am pretty sure I have seen this episode before, but I have no memory of it. That said it was a pretty solid episode. Focusing one of the main story threads on Data and the other on Picard is a hard move to argue with as well. The Sheliak don't appear all that inhuman, but they work as a mysterious threat never the less. By far my favorite moment in the episode is when Picard has the Sheliak representative on the ropes diplomatically and while waiting to respond to their hail he checks the Enterprise dedication plague for dust.
The episode opens with Picard and Dr. Crusher preparing to listen to Data's first concert performance in Ten Forward. Data preapologizes for his unfeeling performance but they both insist they want to see it any way. However just as they are beginning Picard is summoned to the bridge, there is a message from the Sheliak, a powerful race that hasn't been heard from in over a century. On the bridge he learns they are broadcasting a recorded messaged demanding the removal of a human colony from a planet in their domain they wish to colonize. The Federation doesn't know of a colony there and in face the place is filled with deadly radiation. However when they investigate they find the Sheliak claim accurate, there are humans on the surface and transporters are inoperative.
Since the radiation is so deadly Data agrees to take a shuttle to the surface. He is greeted by the human colonists and taken to their leader who is less than pleased with the idea of leaving. It turns out they got lost on the way and barely survived the radiation, but somehow thrived and there are over 15,000 of them. Picard isn't pleased and insists Data prepare them for evacuation while he negotiates for time with the Sheliak who will be arriving in three days with the intention of wiping out all life on the planet prior to colonization. Data's efforts aren't going well and even with the help of a lady scientist he is unable to convince more than a few colonists. Eventually the leader knocks him out with an electric blast that of course doesn't actually hurt Data.
Picard manages to get the Sheliak talking, but they refuse to delay by even a little. Back on the planet Data takes matters into his own hands and rigs up a phaser to work on the radiation. He uses it to knock out some colonists and blast their water supply. He explains the Sheliak have even more power weapons and will just kill all the colonists from orbit. This is a convincing display and they agree to leave, but there still isn't time! Picard finally finds a loop hole in the treaty and gets the Sheliak to agree to arbitration, with a race of aliens currently in hibernation. Knowing they have been tricked they agree to the three week delay the Federation needs to get to colonists out.
Review: This episode is the same story as Insurrection basically, but it actually works and isn't totally dumb. The central focus on two of the strong characters/actors helps a lot as well and we are starting to see Data turn even more into the deep character he is known for later in the show. Even Troi manages to be useful in this one telling Picard he will need to be extra precise with the Sheliak allowing him to out negotiate them in the end.
8 out of 10
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