Season 4 is taking a pretty serious nose dive from the high standards set by season 3. This episode isn't awful, but I swear if I have to hear Troi tell Picard one more time what a great parent he would make and that he wouldn't understand because he isn't a parent I will take 5 points off the score. Any episode that is about Picard having do deal with a child is going to be not great so I am not sure why they didn't stop making them. It is like one of the writers is a nagging relative who won't shut up that he doesn't have kids. The actor playing the boy isn't awful, but this script isn't a gift to anyone.
The Enterprise picks up a distress signal from a small Telarian ship and despite knowing they are often booby trapped Riker beams over when fading life signs are detected. They find it is crewed by 5 boys, 4 Telarian, and one Human. They are all injured to various degrees but all survive with treatment on the Enterprise. But they aren't exactly fitting in as they constantly drone loudly and refuse to be touched. The human child is named Jono has suffered numerous injuries growing up and will only respond to captain Picard. Despite it being a terrible idea he ends up staying with Picard who is pressured into being a surrogate father by Troi who is just the worst this episode.
They eventually figure out that he is the child of two Starfleet officers killed in a Telarian attack and his grandmother is an admiral. But they keep ignoring that he wants to go home. Eventually the Telarian ship arrives and the captain demands they return his son. Picard refuses and the Telarian says it will be war if he isn't returned. Picard tries to convince him to be human with racket ball and ice cream but eventually Picard ignores Crusher and Troi and sends the boy back to his father.
Review: This episode is so preachy only to discover it was wrong in the last minute and fix everything. It feels like after TBOBW TNG just kinda lost momentum and decided it need to have more small stories. But if so, make them good stories like Family. I am taking a point off for Troi in this episode.
2 out of 10
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