TNG: Homeward

         I knew that Insurrection was based on a TNG episode, but I am pretty sure this is the first time I have seen the episode since I saw the film. And damn, of all the TNG episodes to adapt into a full length movie, this is not the one I would have picked. The addition of the stretchy faced dudes really didn't help the movie either. This episode dives into Worf's childhood among humans in a way we haven't seen before since it features his estranged brother. And unlike the first few seasons of writing for Worf, this time when he protests against his brothers actions you are like, "yeah, you tell him Worf!" 
         We begin with the Enterprise answering a distress signal from a Federation observing post on a primitive planet. Worf's adopted brother Nikolai is stationed there so when they arrive and find the atmosphere disappearing Worf asks to be the one sent down to check on things. He finds Nikolai has sheltered the people of the village he was studying into caves sheltered by a deflector shield. Worf is outraged that he would violate the prime directive like this and beams Nikolai back to the Enterprise. Picard refuses to help so they all watch as the atmosphere disappears killing the entire population. (A quick aside, this is at least the third different interpretation of the Prime Directive since TOS and it is by far the most obnoxious. How is it damaging a culture to do something other than just watch them all die of a preventable cause?) 
         But Nikolai has been busy and somehow secretly beamed the people into the holodeck in a copy of the caves on the surface. He plans to relocate them to a more habitable planet and now for whatever reason Picard is totally on board. Worf has to do some covering for Nikolai when the holodeck starts failing but it seems to be working pretty well. Crusher and Data locate a suitable planet and the ship is on their way. But since the holodeck is having problems one of the villagers escapes into the Enterprise and is psychologically devastated by what he finds. Worf is upset when he learns that not only has his brother married one of the villagers, she is having his child.
         The villager who escaped is given a choice of returning to his people with this crazy knowledge or remaining on the Enterprise which kinda begs the question why they didn't at least consider this before they left them all to die? The holodeck starts to fail more spectacularly but fortunately they have arrived at the new planet and are beamed down. Worf makes up with his brother who apparently gets to stay with the villagers rather than facing the consequences of his actions and the escaped villager commits suicide. 

         Review: The prime directive has always been one of the weaker points in Trek so far and this episode shows why. If it were an actual rule that was followed consistently that would be one thing, but even in this episode it seems to mean different things from scene to scene. This is a classic midseason weak episode.

4 out of 10