Conspiracy
Captain Picard is summoned to a secret meeting by Captain Walker Keel, an old friend. He is warned not to tell anyone about the meeting. Picard has the Enterprise divert from its current mission and head to Dytallix. Picard beams down by himself and meets with Keel and two other captains, Tryla Scott and Rixx. They warn him that something is amiss and to keep his eyes and not tell anyone about the meeting.
The Enterprise finds, soon after Picard returns to the ship, debris that they identify as being the remains of the Horatio, Captain Walker's ship. Captain Picard decides to break his silence and tell Riker and the others about what he learned on Dytallix. Combining Keel's warning with the results of Lieutenant Commander Data's analysis of recent Starfleet orders leads Picard to decide that they must return to Earth.
The Enterprise is welcomed back to Earth. Picard beams down to Starfleet headquarters. Riker is scheduled to join him but stays aboard the Enterprise for a little while to show Admiral Quinn around. It quickly becomes clear that something is wrong with Admiral Quinn. He beats up and knocks out Riker, Geordi, and Worf. He isn't subdued until Doctor Crusher shoots him with a phaser set on kill.
Doctor Crusher finds out that there is some sort of creature that has attached itself to Admiral Quinn's brain. Picard tries contacting the Enterprise and gets Doctor Crusher instead of Commander Riker. She tells him about what's going on. He plays innocent until the alien life forms that are controlling the Starfleet admirals with whom he is meeting show their hand.
Thoughts
This is the only episode that Captain Keel appeared in but as revealed in this episode he, Jack Crusher, and Picard were all old friends. Admiral Quinn and Lieutenant Commander Remick appeared in one episode prior to this one: 1.18 (Coming of Age).
It's a little unclear to me why or how the creatures that had been ingested made the humans resistant to phasers set on stun.
This episode got really gross towards the end. There's definitely shades of the critters from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in this episode. I can't recall ever seeing anything quite so visually gross in an episode of TNG or any other Star Trek series.
This was an excellent episode. It doesn't feel like your run of the mill episode. It ends on something of an ambiguous note. There is some indication that there might be more of the critters on their way to Earth. The creatures don't make a return appearance in The Next Generation.
08/26/25 - 22:00
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