New Generation Episodes - Season 5

by Jonathan Burt (JEB2@vaxa.york.ac.uk) & Edward J. Lord   2 December 1991
Original Ideas (well almost original) Jonathan Burt.
Produced by John Nathan Turner (JNT, former Doctor producer)

Season Five of 'Star Trek - The New Generation'

 

 

5:01 BORGEORDI

As the Borg rip apart the Enterprise, the officers rack their brains for a solution. Finally Commander Picard suggests that they beam over giant Geordi from his isolation in a corridor to see what he can do. When he gets there, giant Geordi literally rips apart the Borg ship and defeats them. In being beamed back, he is reduced to normality for the first time since
"Geordis" and is surrounded by congratulatory crew mates.

5:02 RO, RO, RO YOUR BOAT

Ensign Ro has been watching old logs of the Enterprise NCC1701/A. She is influenced by James T. Kirk's rendition of Row, Row, Row Your Boat Gently Down the Stream in the events about Sybok and decides to steal the Enterprise D to enact her own scene thus. Her singing is so bad that Captain Picard is forced to evacuate the bridge as Ro warps off. Luckily Ensign Yo is able to withstand the frequency and she seizes Ro, although Yo dies in the attempt. It transpires that Ro was gripped by a mysterious power.

 

5:03 LA FORGE'S LOCKS

Geordi is enjoying normality again when he is struck by a mysterious radiation which makes his hair grow. It is uncontrollable and Geordi is inconsolable at looking like a Space Hippy.

5:04 BLACK AND WHITE MINISTREL

A mystery disease strikes the Enterprise in which the crews' skin color begins to change. Picard traces it back to Guinan who is contaminating the crew with her own illness - in "Clues" she is seen to have white legs, and this disorder has become contagious.

 

5:05 ANGEL TWO

Returning to the Angel system, the Enterprise visits the second world. This planet is dominated entirely by lustful men, who promptly kidnap all the women from the ship. The male crew are forced to beam down under the command of an enraged Commander Data to indulge in hand to hand combat to retrieve their mates.

5:06 DUSTBIN

A quiet episode following Worf's reorganization of rubbish procedures on the Enterprise. Still being only three foot tall, he gets mangled after falling into the disposal chute, but his wife, Dr Selarkeleyr, is able to save him.

 

5:07 QBED ROOT

Q reappears and whisks the Enterprise back to the mysterious dark planet. Riker and an uncomfortable Picard realize that Q is creating the Banana race on the planet below, but he has a firm-voiced accomplice, who orders Q to transport the Bananas to the Banana Republic in order to disguise his own identity. JNT: "A delicious mystery is building up - who really created the Bananas and why? And how can he command Q?"

5:08 TIN HAT

Tam Elbrom, alias Amster the Ferengi Prime, returns to the Enterprise. Due to some amazing new powers, he is able to cause subsidence in the ship's ceiling and Admiral Riker is forced to order everyone to wear tin hats to combat this evil.

 

5:09 THE LANDING

While warping back to Starbase 645 for ceiling repairs, the Enterprise is attacked by vengeful Ferengi. Further damage, Riker is forced to land the entire ship on the Banana Republic, but it proves to be a slippery operation.

5:10 HUMDRUM EXISTENCE

Mr Hum returns, having substituted himself for Mr Hom.He hates Worf and Geordi for capturing him four years earlier, so Hum attacks the small Worf and beats him up easily. However, luckily, Geordi is able to use his manipulative hair to trip Hum up and Riker court martials Hum for being a traitor to Betazoid.

 

5:11 SWEET SIXTEEN

Riker is frustrated when Troi leaves him for a Vulcan. Solace is at hand, however, from Guinan's new barmaid, 16 year old Busty. Riker gets on with the job in hand, but is further frustrated when Picard has to reprimand him for conduct unbecoming an Admiral.

5:12 VENGEANCE OF THE FERENGI

Geordi's father Scotty comes aboard to pay his long haired son a visit. Amongst other things he reveals that Uhura was the mother of Geordi and that he knew of the Ferengi 80 years ago but was dissuaded from mentioning it by a shadowy figure whose voice suggested a Shakespearean background. The Ferengi turn up to take revenge on Scotty for a past crime against the Ferengi race and in the resulting crossfire, Scotty dies, but not before he can whisper to Riker "Picard - Ferengi - Bananas" with his last breath. (JNT: "Stunning revelations abound in this episode. How could Scotty have known about the Ferengi, and who was the shadowy figure?")

 

5:13 VASH PROMISES

Vash visits and is extremely upset to find Picard has married Dr Beverly Picard. She fights with Beverly, but the Dr manages to get the upper hand by stabbing Vash with a tranquilizer.

5:14 APPLICATION OF DOOM

The Romulans make a concerted effort to break up the Federation by smuggling someone on board the Enterprise. The chosen man, Pro-consul Hemlock, is so convincing a human that he passes the interviews with ease. He is given a job as ship's chef.

 

5:15 THE INFILTRATOR

Hemlock starts to poison Riker's food, and Worf realizes what is going on. He is too small to stop Hemlock, however, but Picard phasers the Romulan in time to save the Enterprise. However a Warbird decloaks and cripples the Enterprise with an amazing new weapon ...

5:16 SKELETON IN THE CUPBOARD

The Enterprise crew are suffering from leukemia after the Romulan attack with a radiation weapon. They desperately need a bone graft so Riker hails a passing Skull ship and after some problems the Skulls supply the necessary bone material to save the crew.

 

5:17 SINGING A SOONG

Dr Soong wasn't killed by Lor in "Brothers" but instead it is revealed Data helped him to an escape pod. Now Soong returns, singing
"The whole Universe knows I'm indestructible." Lor takes over the Enterprise, but Soong sings at such a high frequency that Lor crumbles into nothingness. (JNT: A fantastic continuity episode. Viewers will delight in Brent's three fold performance - I love the way which we've already used the idea in episode three of this season!! Great continuity!)

5:18 THE DEADLY STATUE

Riker moulds some Banzite material into a Statue, which of course comes alive. As it rampages around the Enterprise, Ferengi and Romulan ships once more decloak and demand its surrender. (JNT: This story has many similarities with the Dr Who classic "Silly Nemesis".I am very glad to reuse some of the ideas here again!)

 

5:19 MELLOW YELLOW

Political bust-up on the Banana Republic. Rebel Bananas attempt to overthrow the regime who appeal to Captain Picard for help. But oddly, Picard is loath to assist and switches Data off for suggesting otherwise.

5:20 CHOCKY

Deanna's love for chocolate comes close to costing her her life when she swallows a portion of Banzite expanding chocolate. She is about to explode when Picard miraculously heals her and beats up Riker for asking how he did it.

 

5:21 MILES APART

In a horrific accident, Lt Cmdr O'Brien's limbs and head are blown off, but he seems oddly un bothered. Beverly cannot reconstruct him, but her husband Picard mysteriously can. Picard glues Beverly's mouth together in Ten Forward when she is about to reveal this miracle.

5:22 KLINGFILM

The Tholians are now the film makers of the Universe and they want to make a documentary about the Klingons. The only surviving Emperor willing to talk to them is Worf (see "Home Alone") but he is too small and the Tholians cannot be bothered to build a miniature set. Picard magically restores Worf to full size to resolve the dilemma, and excuses himself by pretending to be a film buff.

 

5:23 THE CUTTING EDGE

Geordi's hair is running amok but Picard provides a pair of Banzite scissors with which Geordi can control his hair within bounds. Picard hypnotizes Geordi to stop him telling the barber, Mr Mott, about the magical scissors.

5:24 WILL HE STAY OR WILL HE GO?

Admiral Riker is recalled to Starfleet Command where he is offered a job to control the growing space piracy problem. He agonizes over whether to depart, but eventually leaves the Enterprise.

 

5:25 SUDDENLY HUMAN, AGAIN

Data is tapping a power source provided by a mysterious shadowy assistant. Data succeeds in creating a machine which turns machines into living matter - the toaster becomes intolerable after such treatment. Data turns it on himself and becomes at last a human. He announces he is to be called Jock McData, and is now a Scottish Jew. The shadowy figure vanishes ... (JNT: I decided Data was very stereotyped as an android, so I have fulfilled his wish to be human!)

5:26 Qs and As

In an absolutely stunning season climax, Q returns to the Enterprise and kidnaps Picard. Taking him to a planet of volcanoes, Q taunts Picard to escape without losing his temper - for every fit of fury causes a tremendous explosion of lava killing some inhabitants. Meanwhile Commander McData is adjusting to humanity. Another Q turns up to offer assistance if McData will hammer a nail up his nose ... On the planet, Picard is winning! He eventually banishes Q and he himself flies off, claiming to be P of the P continuum, an older and wiser continuum than that of the Q. It was P who created the Banana race, dissuaded Scotty from mentioning Ferengis and created the omnipotent Banzite materials. The crew is stunned as P goes into orbit round a sun. (JNT: At last! The culmination of all I have been working for! I disliked the Picard character, whom I felt to be too authoritative, and now the truth about Picard has been revealed, there is no point in keeping him on. This sets up an excellent new season, with McData now captain, and no P in control!)