There’s a habit of hating on the first season of The Next Generation. We get it. There’s plenty to hate about it. But this episode very well might be the exception. It’s not perfect, and certainly has an air of pre-pubescent awkwardness known for this era of Star Trek.
But the writing is competent and firm in its structure. The visual effects are the best the show ever saw, which holds true even in the movies. And there’s lots of Wesley. And let’s not forget Harry the calculus hater.
And what is it with eight-year-olds studying calculus on the Enterprise? Any time there’s a kid roaming around they’re always banging on about having to study their calculus, a subject this podcaster never studied and doesn’t really understand. It’s a curious theme the writers of TNG perpetuated throughout the show.
Is it that all children are studying calculus in the future? That children are somehow “smarter” or perhaps society optimized the teaching curriculum where calculus is presented much earlier? Or is it that the flagship of the Federation recruits not only the best officers but the best children as well?
On to the plot.
Synopsis of “When the Bough Breaks”:
A planet that was able to cloak itself for thousands of years suddenly reappears and reaches out to the Enterprise with an unusual request.
The Enterprise has been following bread crumbs to ostensibly an empty part of the galaxy, and the captain invokes the mythical planet of Aldea. Only a smattering of the bridge crew knows what Aldea is, but it turns out to be real in a few minutes. Picard gets all atwitter and won’t shut up about it.
Aldea magically appears and an alien race that looks suspiciously human not dressed up like an alien pops up on the viewscreen. Long story short, the Aldeans are infertile and steal the Enterprise children, hoping to trade them for the technology of which they have very little knowledge. Then the Enterprise fixes everything and the Aldeans realize the error of their ways.
In spite of the virtues of this episode, it lacks any teeth. There’s no dark consequence looming in the distance considering the high stakes of the plot. Why not add a little edge to the outcome, making it a tad more interesting? We spitball a few alternate endings that accomplish just that. Tune in.
