Plot Your Course!


 

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season Five Episode Summaries

Redemption, Part 2
Darmok
Ensign Ro
Silicon Avatar
Disaster
The Game
Unification, Part 1
Unification, Part 2
A Matter of Time
New Ground
Hero Worship
Violations
The Masterpiece Society
Conundrum
Power Play
Ethics
The Outcast
Cause and Effect
The First Duty
Cost of Living
The Perfect Mate
Imaginary Friend
I, Borg
The Next Phase
The Inner Light
Time's Arrow, Part 1

REGULAR CAST:
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Patrick Stewart
Commander Will Riker: Jonathan Frakes
Counselor Deanna Troi: Marina Sirtis
Dr. Beverly Crusher: Gates McFadden
Commander Data: Brent Spiner
Lt. Tasha Yar: Denise Crosby
Lt. Worf: Michael Dorn
Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge: LeVar Burton
Wesley Crusher: Wil Wheaton
Guinan: Whoopi Goldberg (joins in season 2)
Miles O’Brien: Colm Meaney
Dr. Katherine Pulaski: Diana Muldaur (joins for season 2)
Ensign Ro: Michelle Forbes (joins in season 5)

Redemption, Part 2
GUEST STARS:
Cmdr. Sela: Denise Crosby
Cmdr. Kurn: Tony Todd
Lursa: Barbara March
B'Etor: Gwynyth Walsh
Toral: J.D. Cullum
Gowron: Robert O'Reilly
Captain Larg: Michael G. Hagerty
Admiral Shanthi: Fran Bennett
General Movar: Nicholas Kepros
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hobson: Timothy Carhart
Kulge: Jordan Lund
Ensign Craig: Clifton Jones

Picard suspects the Romulans are stirring up the civil war that threatens the Federation-Klingon alliance, and convinces the Federation to impose a blockade against the Romulan Empire.
Darmok
GUEST STARS:
Captain Darmok: Paul Winfield
Tamarian First Officer: Richard James

The Enterprise makes contact with the Tamarians, whose language is incomprehensible to humans -- but the two groups are forced to find a way to communicate when Picard and the Tamarian captain unite to defend themselves against an angry creature.
Ensign Ro
GUEST STARS:
Keeve Falor: Scott Marlowe
Gul Dolak: Frank Collison
Orta: Jeffrey Hayenga
Transporter Technician Collins: Harley Venton
Barber Mot: Ken Thorley
Admiral Kennelly: Cliff Potts

While investigating a terrorist attack on the Solarian planet, Captain Picard uncovers evidence of a conspiracy to wipe out the Bajorans, and exposes the dastardly deed with the help of a new officer, Ensign Ro.
Silicon Avatar
GUEST STARS:
Dr. Kila Marr: Ellen Geer
Carmen Davila: Susan Diol

During a survey mission on Melona IV, the Enterprise is approached by the Crystalline Entity, a life form responsible for numerous deaths. While Picard attempts to communicate with the entity, an Enterprise scientist insists that it should be destroyed. The scientist is seeking revenge on the entity for the death of her son on Omicron Theta, Data's home planet. Although initially hostile to Data -- accusing him of luring the entity to Melona IV as Lore had done on Omicron Theta -- Marr bonds with the android after realizing that his program comtains the memories of Omicron Theta's inhabitants, including those of her son.
Disaster
GUEST STARS:
Keiko O'Brien: Rosalind Chao
Marissa: Erika Flores
Jay Gordon: John Christian Graas
Patterson: Max Supera
Ensign Mandel: Cameron Arnett
Lieutenant Monroe: Jana Marie Hupp

The Enterprise is caught in the path of a rare natural phenomenon, which severely damages the ship and leaves Troi in command on the bridge, Picard trapped in a turbolift with three children, and O'Brien's wife about to give birth in Ten-Forward.
The Game
GUEST STARS:
Wesley Crusher: Wil Wheaton
Ensign Robin Lefler: Ashley Judd
Etana Jol: Katherine Moffat
Nurse Alyssa Ogawa: Patti Yasutake
Ensign: Diane M. Hurley

When Wesley returns to the Enterprise on a vacation from Starfleet Academy, he finds the entire crew has become addicted to an electronic mind game which tampers with an individual's ability to reason. Wesley and Ensign Lefler are left to discover how the game works, what its purpose is, and to stop the crew's addiction.
Unification, Part 1
GUEST STARS:
Sarek: Mark Lenard
Perrin: Joanna Miles
Captain K'Vada: Stephen D. Root
Klim Dokachin: Graham Jarvis
Senator Pardek: Malachi Throne
Procounsul Neral: Norman Large
B'iJik: Erick Avari
Admiral Brackett: Karen Hensel
Soup Woman: Mimi Cozzens
Spock: Leonard Nimoy

After learning that the Vulcan ambassador Mr. Spock has traveled to Romulus for a secret meeting with the Romulan Senator, Picard and Data follow -- disguised as Romulans -- to determine his intentions.
Unification, Part 2
GUEST STARS:
Spock: Leonard Nimoy
Cmdr. Sela: Denise Crosby
Captain K'Vada: Stephen D. Root
Senator Pardek: Malachi Throne
Procounsul Neral: Norman Large
Omag: William Bastiani
D'Tan: Vidal Peterson
Amarie: Harriet Leider

Picard and Data locate Spock, who reveals the reason for his journey to Romulus -- an attempt to unify the Romulans and the Vulcans -- but his efforts are thwarted with the discovery of a Romulan plot to invade Vulcan.
A Matter of Time
GUEST STARS:
Berlingoff Rasmussen: Matt Frewer
Dr. Hal Moseley: Stefan Gierasch
Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin
Female Scientist: Shay Garner

While on a mercy mission to the Penthara IV planet, which has been stuck by a massive asteroid, the Enterprise is visited by a man "from the future." It is discovered, however, that Rasmussen is really from the past, and when Data realizes this, he is kidnapped as Rasmussen attempts to return with his treasures to his own time.
New Ground
GUEST STARS:
Alexander: Brian Bonsall
Helena Rozhenko: Georgia Brown
Dr. Ja'Dar: Richard McGonagle
Kyle: Jennifer Edwards
Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin

As the Enterprise makes its way to Bilana III to test a new propulsion system, Worf's son, Alexander, arrives on the Enterprise -- intending to stay permanently.
Hero Worship
GUEST STARS:
Timothy: Joshua Harris
Transporter Chief: Harley Venton
Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin
Teacher: Steven Einspahr

After rescuing a tramatized young boy from the wreckage of a research vessel, the Enterprise crew strives to discover what caused the destruction of the small ship.
Violations
GUEST STARS:
Keiko O'Brien: Rosalind Chao
Jev: Ben Lemon
Tarmin: David Sage
Dr. Martin: Rick Fitts
Inad: Eve Brenner
Lt. Cmdr. Jack Crusher: Doug Wert
Crewman Davis: Craig Benton

As the Enterprise escorts a group of telepathic Ullians to Kaldra IV planet, crew members begin to lapse into comas, which are seemingly caused by the delegation of telepathic aliens.
The Masterpiece Society
GUEST STARS:
Aaron Conor: John Synder
Hannah Bates: Dey Young
Martin Benbeck: Ron Canada
Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin

A stellar core fragment threatens to destroy a genetically engineered human colony on an otherwise deserted planet. The crew of the Enterprise attempts to avert the natural disaster, without realizing that their assistance could be just as damaging.
Conundrum
GUEST STARS:
Cmdr. Kieran MacDuff: Erich Anderson
Kristin: Liz Vassey
Crewman: Erick Weiss

After being scanned by an alien ship, the Enterprise crew members lose their memories and find they have a new officer on board, one who insists they are at war. Since they have no memories, the crew must also try to determine who did what before: Worf is the new captain, Picard becomes a navigator, Data is a comical bartender, and Riker and Ro share a mutual attraction.
Power Play
GUEST STARS:
Keiko O'Brien: Rosalind Chao
Transporter Technician: Ryan Reid

After investigating a subspace distress signal coming from an uninhabited moon, Troi, Data, and O'Brien stage a violent takeover on the bridge and force Picard to change the direction of the Enterprise.
Ethics
GUEST STARS:
Dr. Toby Russell: Caroline Kava
Alexander: Brian Bonsall
Nurse Alyssa Ogawa: Patti Yasutake

Dr. Crusher calls in a neurogeneticist after Worf is paralyzed in an accident, but she begins to regret the decision after Dr. Russell suggests experimental surgery that could cost Worf his life.
The Outcast
GUEST STARS:
Soren: Melinda Culea
Krite: Callan White
Noor: Megan Cole

While working together to locate a missing shuttlecraft, Riker and a J'naii member become attracted to each other, despite the fact that a relationship is prohibited because the androgynous J'naii race prohibits male-female relationships.
Cause and Effect
GUEST STARS:
Nurse Alyssa Ogawa: Patti Yasutake
Captain Morgan Bateman: Kelsey Grammer

The Enterprise is caught in a time warp while charting the unexplored region known as the Typhon Expanse, inducing dizziness and déjà vu in the crew, and causing the Enterprise to collide repeatedly with another ship.
The First Duty
GUEST STARS:
Wesley Crusher: Wil Wheaton
Cadet First Class Nicholas Locarno: Robert Duncan McNeill
Boothby: Ray Walston
Lt. Cmdr. Albert: Ed Lauter
Captain Satelk: Richard Fancy
Supt. Admiral Brand: Jacqueline Brookes
Cadet Second Class Jean Hajar: Walker Brandt
Cadet Second Class Sito: Shannon Fill

Wesley becomes involved in a coverup during the investigation of an in-flight accident which destroyed five Starfleet Academy ships and caused the death of his friend Joshua Albert. Wesley comes of age when he realizes that loyalty to the truth -- which is the first duty of a Starfleet officer, Picard reminds him -- is worth more than friendship, leading him to testify against his squadron after Josh's death during an ill-fated attempt at a banned flight manuever.
Cost of Living
GUEST STARS:
Lwaxana Troi: Majel Barrett
Mr. Homn: Carel Struycken
Campio: Tony Jay
Young Man: David Oliver
Juggler: Albie Selznick
Erko: Patrick Cronin
Young Woman: Tracey D'Arcy
Poet: George Edie
First Learner: Christopher Halste

After the Enterprise destroys an asteroid, a cloud of parasitic particles begins to destroy the ship's hull. Meanwhile, Lwaxana Troi, Deanna's impossible mother, arrives on board with startling news for Troi: She plans to marry a man she has never met. Lwaxana befriends Alexander and teaches him about having fun with life, while Alexander in turn gives her a new perspective on her life, causing her to show up at her wedding in traditional Betazoid style: nude; her future husband flees in panic.
The Perfect Mate
GUEST STARS:
Kamala: Famke Janssen
Briam: Tim O'Connor
Par Lenor: Max Grodénchik
Alrik: Mickey Cottrell
Qol: Michael Snyder
Transporter Chief Hubbell: April Grace

A Ceremony of Reconciliation is scheduled to take place on the Starship Enterprise, but the peace process between the Kriosians and the Valtese is jeopardized when the troublesome Ferengi try to steal the peace offering.
Imaginary Friend
GUEST STARS:
Isabella: Shay Astar
Ensign Daniel Sutter: Jeff Allin
Clara Sutter: Noley Thornton
Alexander: Brian Bonsall
Nurse Alyssa Ogawa: Patti Yasutake
Ensign Felton: Sheila Franklin

A little girl's imaginary friend comes to life and threatens the ship and crew when the Enterprise enters a region of space containing a strange energy form.
I, Borg
GUEST STARS:
Hugh: Jonathan Del Arco

The Enterprise discovers an injured adolescent Borg whose life Dr. Crusher saves, and whom Geordi befriends and names Hugh. Although exhibiting human qualities, the crew is divided over the Borg and many reactions to his presence is unfavorable. Picard is forced to make a critical decision: Should Hugh be destroyed or returned to the collective which would expose the Federation to future risk?
The Next Phase
GUEST STARS:
Mirok: Thomas Kopache
Varel: Susanna Thompson
Transporter Chief Brossmer: Shelby Leverington
Parem: Brian Cousins
Ensign McDowell: Kenneth Meseroll

After the Enterprise offers assistance to a Romulan science ship in distress, LaForge and Ro disappear during transport between the ships, and are assumed dead. Data searches for an appropriate memorial service for the two officers and comes across many different cultural traditions: for Worf, an honorable death is cause to celebrate, whereas Ro (or the Bajorans) would prefer the two-hour Bajoran death chant. But the winning service is Riker's idea for a Mardi Gras-style wake, which Geordi and Ro are able to attend and eventually be discovered.
The Inner Light
GUEST STARS:
Eline: Margot Rose
Batai: Richard Riehle
Administrator: Scott Jaeck
Meribor: Jennifer Nash
Nurse Alyssa Ogawa: Patti Yasutake
Young Batai: Daniel Stewart

Picard is struck by a primitive alien probe which renders him unconscience, and awakens to find himself on the planet Kataan, living the simple life of an iron weaver on the drought-stricken planet. As Kamin, Picard has a wife, a loving relationship with his children, and a life-long -- but ultimately futile -- mission to save the planet from drought. As Kamin nears the end of his own life, the significance of the probe becomes clear: It was launched by the long-dead Kataanians to record their story, and Picard was used as the witness through whom that story might be told. Having lived Kataan's demise through Kamin's eyes, Picard awakens on the Enterprise 25 minutes later a changed man -- with Kamin's flute and the memories of that lifetime to carry forward. This episode won a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
Time's Arrow, Part 1
GUEST STARS:
The Enterprise travels to Earth to investigate archeological evidence of aliens living on the planet as early as the 19th century. When they uncover a very unusual artifact -- Data's head -- the Away Team transports itself to the late 1890's San Francisco to investigate, where they promptly meet Mark Twain, a young writer named Jack London, and Guinan as a wealthy socialite who doesn't recognize them.


Next Season
Previous Season
Back to Episode Summaries Index