The Chase
Captain Picard gets a visit from Professor Galen, his elderly archaeology teacher. Galen is working on something big and wants Picard's help. Picard is tempted but can't abandon the Enterprise for months or possibly years to help out Galen. The old archaeologist departs disappointed in Picard.
Galen hasn't traveled far when his shuttlecraft is attacked. The Enterprise rushes in to help but Galen has sustained serious injuries and dies soon afterwards. Picard examines the datafiles aboard the shuttle and determines that Galen was working on something very important. He has the Enterprise divert off its planned course and digs further into Galen's work.
The first attempts to decode Galen's research is unsuccessful but the investigation eventually leads Picard and the Enterprise to Loren III in the Kurlan system. Their they encounter first Cardassians and then Klingons who are also there in search of something.
The Cardassians want them to leave. The Klingons aren't much more welcoming. Picard sits down and talks to the Cardassian and Klingon commanders. He talks them into sharing what they have found. When they put the pieces together they realize that they are still missing some information.
They feed what they have into the computer and it projects where to find the missing piece of the puzzle. It leads them all to Vilmor II. Picard, Doctor Crusher, and the Klingon Commander beam down and start looking for the missing puzzle piece. They are still looking when they are joined by the Cardassians and a group of Romulans.
The Klingons, Cardassians, and Romulans are all hoping that the missing puzzle piece will lead them to great power which can be harnessed as a weapon but ultimately it only leads them to reveal that all the humanoid races have a common ancestor.
Thoughts
The part of Professor Galen was played by Norman Lloyd. It is his only appearance in any of the Star Trek series. He was an associate producer of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) from 1957 to 1962 and for one season of Tales of the Unexpected. He also appeared in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), Night Gallery, The Twilight Zone (1985).
The part of the Klingon commander was played by John Cothran. This is his first and only appearance in The Next Generation but he also appeared in episodes of Deep Space Nine and Enterprise playing other characters.
The part of the Cardassian commander was played by Linda Thorson. I saw her earlier this year in an episode of Moonlighting, 3.03 Symphony in Knocked Flat.
The part of the Romulan Commander was played by Maurice Roëves. I saw him recently in Doctor Who (1963) 21.06.04 The Caves of Androzani. He played the part of the mercenary Stotz in that story.
I really enjoyed this episode. The ending reminded me a bit of another episode, 5.25 The Inner Light. Some of it felt rushed but on the whole this was very good. There was enough here to expand it out into a two-part story or a movie with bigger parts for the guest stars and the other regular members of the cast.
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