Star Trek: The Next Generation 5.17

The Outcast

The crew of the Enterprise assists the J'Naii in locating a shuttlecraft that seems to have vanished. Commander Riker works closely with Soren a J'Naii scientist. The J'Naii are an androgynous, humanoid race. Soren has lots of questions for Riker about human sexuality, while they are working on locating the missing shuttlecraft. They discover that it is trapped within a null space. Together, in one of the Enterprise's shuttlecraft, Riker and Soren chart what can be perceived of the dimensions of the null space.

Soren tells Riker about what life is like on J'Naii. Soren explains that she is different, considered to be deviant by other J'Naii. Soren has a leaning toward being female. That makes Soren deviant. Soren fears what would happen if other J'Naii found out. Soren also admits to being attracted to Riker.

Riker and Soren breach the null space on one of their subsequent trips in the Enterprise shuttlecraft. They locate and rescue the two J'Naii aboard the formerly missing shuttlecraft. Everyone makes back to the Enterprise in one piece. There is a celebration afterwards on the surface of J'Naii. Soren shows Riker some of the plants and while they are in a nearby garden they kiss.

Soren is arrested and put on trial. Riker interferes with the trial and tries to take the blame for what happened but Soren won't let him. Soren explains their feelings to the judge. The court sentences Soren to treatment to correct their (perceived) deficiencies. Riker pleads with the court but his entreaties fall on deaf ears.

Riker makes one last attempt to rescue Soren but it seems that it is too late by the time he gets there. Soren insists that what was done to them, corrective surgery, was the right thing to do.

Thoughts

All of the regular cast of the show are in this episode but the focus is mainly on the working and personal relationships between Riker and Soren. 

The way that Soren is treated in this episode 

The message of this episode can be interpreted very narrowly as an LGBT story but I think it can also be interpreted much more broadly as a story about someone who resists group think. 

I watched this episode once before, in 2015. I didn't make any notes at the time. I don't have a clear recollection of what I thought of it then but I must imagine that my reaction was probably similar to the one I had this time around. I found it to be extremely good and very moving. I had not watched the first couple seasons of The Orville back then. I can't help but see parallels between this episode and some of the Moclan story lines in that show.

Notes

Melinda Culea played the part of Soren. This is the only episode of this show in which she appeared. The only thing in which she appeared that I have seen is the A-Team. She played the part of Amy Amanda Allen, a member of the A-Team in 24 of the first 25 episodes of the series.

Callan White played the part of Noor, the J'Naii judge. This is the only episode of this show in which she appeared but she also appeared in two episodes of Deep Space Nine, playing a different character.

This is the eighth of 11 episodes of this show that Robert Scheerer directed. He also directed episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager.