Suddenly Human

DVD, TNG S4 (Suddenly Human)

The strong start to the Fourth Season continues. This time it's Picard's inhibitions regarding parenting that come to the fore, only this time, unlike the early seasons with Wesley, it's not supposed to be amusing. The Captain's inner workings show themselves a little through the incident with this human teen that has grown up as a Talarian, it seems Picard's desire to join Starfleet was the only thing that he put his mind to growing up, in the same manner as that other great Enterprise Captain, James T.

I had forgotten the resolution and whether Jono returned to his human relatives or to the only life he'd known. It was a surprise, the decision Picard comes to, but perhaps good will come out of it in the future. Jono could grow up to be an important Talarian warrior, and with his brief brush with humans perhaps he'll retain some of that culture in his mind so that one day more understanding and peace could be forged between them and the Federation. I don't usually say this, but it could have done with an officious authority figure to be aboard telling Picard he had to return the boy to his family, so that there would be a greater emphasis on the unexpected route the Captain takes, with this figure realising they were wrong. Instead it mostly happens internally in his head.

Raquetball, the sport O'Brien and Bashir later enjoyed, makes its debut here, and there's some continuity with the images of Jono's parents - his Father sports an old-fashioned Season 1 'TNG' uniform so we know they were in use at least fourteen years ago. Keeping a dagger in a room with an uncooperative member of an aggressive warrior race may not have been a prudent move on Picard's part, it could very easily have cost him his new heart (from Season 2), but I doubt it was something he didn't think about, but more likely preferred to trust Jono, only the boy was too messed up to keep from using it. Data's memory banks must be degrading as I'm sure he had the same conversation about types of humour with Guinan back in Season 2 as he does with Riker in this episode. Maybe it was Dr. Soong's recent tinkering.

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