2x01 The Child - Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode Guide

Star Trek: The Next Generation

- Episode 02x01

Episode: 02x01
Title: The Child
Type: Regular Episode
Production Code: 127
First Aired: Nov. 21, 1988

Season 2 » Episode #01 - The Child

Star Trek: The Next Generation - 02x01 The Child

Summary: Stardate 42073.1 After the Enterprise's new medical doctor is brought aboard, the vessel and her crew head to the Rachellis Star System to retrieve collected samples of an unknown plasma plague that has broken out there. The Enterprise must deliver them to a science station in order for a cure to be found. As they begin their journey to the star system, a mysterious beacon of light enters the ship.

Who appeared in this episode?

Guest Stars:

Captain Jean-Luc Picard	played by Patrick Stewart
Lieutenant Geordi La Forge	played by LeVar Burton
Counselor Deanna Troi	played by Marina Sirtis
Lt. Commander Data	played by Brent Spiner
Wesley Crusher	played by Wil Wheaton
Doctor Pulaski	played by Diana Muldaur
Lt. Cmdr. Hester Dealt	played by Seymour Cassel
Ian Andrew Troi	played by R.J. Williams
Miss Gladstone	played by Dawn Arnemann

	Season 2 / Episode 1: - The Child Commander William T. Riker: Who will tuck him in at night? Wesley Crusher: [embarrassed] Come on, Commander! Lieutenant Worf: [somewhat reluctant] I will accept that responsibility. Counselor Deanna Troi: Well, we know he'll get his sleep.
	Season 2 / Episode 1: - The Child Captain Jean-Luc Picard: On board only a few hours and she's already found Ten-Forward!

[More Quotes]

MISTAKES/GOOFS

PLOT: When the plasma begins to grow there is a great deal of hand-wringing about what to do, but it could simply have been beamed into a nearby star and destroyed.
CONT: In The Neutral Zone, Picard told the thawed humans that the challenge of life in the 24th Century was "...to improve yourself and to enrich yourself." But Medical Trustee Hesterdel is in charge of deadly plagues, which hardly enriches anybody's life.
CONT: When Picard and Wesley are in the turbolift Wesley's arms are at his sides. But when they disembark, his arms are folded.
FACT: When briefing the senior staff on Deanna's pregnancy, Pulaski claims that Deanna's unborn child is identical to her in every way. If that were truly the case, the child would be female instead of male.
FAKE: Wesley gazes out the window in Ten-Forward during one scene. A slow pan on the outside of the ship ends up showing us Wesley. The shot shows the stars reflecting on the outer surface of the window and - inside the ship - Wesley's concerned face. The next shot shows us Wesley's back, the windows, and beyond them an almost complete image of the planet. But the planet wasn't reflecting in the window in the shot from outside. Besides that, Ten-Forward is in the very front of the ship. To see most of the planet through the window, Enterprise would have to be pointing toward the planet, not orbiting it.

TRIVIA

Marina Sirtis's fake pregnancy stomach was mainly filled with birdseed.
Wesley Crusher is seen in uniform for the first time, having graduated to the role of Starfleet cadet.
In one scene, Dr. Pulaski pronounces Data's name as "dat-uh" instead of the proper "day-tah" (to which Data corrects her). Prior to the debut of the series pilot, Data's name was originally to be pronounced "dat-uh", before it was changed to the current format. Other such original character traits prior to the changes include Capt. Picard's first name to be Julien, Riker's name to be spelled "Ryker", and Wesley Crusher was to be Leslie Crusher, Dr. Crusher's daughter.
This was Marina Sirtis' least-favorite episode.
This episode was one of two unused stories for Gene Roddenberry's abortive "Star Trek: Phase II" TV series. The second story was titled "Devil's Due."