Unnatural Selection

DVD, TNG S2 (Unnatural Selection)

Slow even for a TNG episode, it nevertheless has something about it that makes it watchable. A good old 3D chess set may be one of the clues that this owes a little to the Original Series. In Season One we had a direct sequel to Kirk's era, with the crew facing the disease they originally encountered in 'The Naked Time', and this one seems to be a kind of sequel to 'The Deadly Years', though you could say an aging episode is what all sci-fi or fantasy shows have to do at some point! There're more links to the older series too, with a ship, the USS Lantree, looking like the Reliant from 'Star Trek II', and the tale of genetically-bred superior humans - did they not learn anything from 'Enterprise' and it's Augments, or from Khan and his warriors? We also get to see them using the remote access codes to stop the Lantree's engines and activate the viewscreen, just as Khan deactivated the Enterprise's shields remotely.

I especially liked the medical scanner Pulaski uses to examine the dead bridge crew remotely. What makes the episode more watchable is the interactions of her and Picard, who have never quite hit it off. By the end of this episode they've come to an understanding of some kind, though perhaps not in words, but a subtle appreciation for the other, which is nice to see. What is also nice to see is Chief O'Brien (he's named for the first time!), who gets his first proper episode, in other words he has more than one line and is actually part of the story, taking his familiar role as Transporter Chief, just as Lieutenant Kyle was a familiar face at that position on the Original Series. O'Brien even gets to sit in on the conference in the briefing room.

There were a couple of little niggles - Troi says to Picard that Pulaski is the most dedicated physician she's ever known, but what about Dr. Crusher, you'd think she would have some loyalty to her friend, but maybe it was the writers sticking the boot in subconciously, or worse, they'd forgotten all about her (or Troi has, which comes to the same thing!). When Data picks up one of Pulaski's hairs from her quarters he notes that it has a follicle, but how can he know that as he's holding both ends?

The episode isn't one of the best of the season, but it has that quality that stops you dropping off to sleep even though there's not a lot of energy, and most of the characters are integrated well. The old warning about interfering with natural genetics is at the forefront, plus it ends with quite a sad moment as the Enterprise solemnly destroys the infected Lantree.

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