4.06 Legacy

Rating: 2.5

Two Federation colonists are forced to crash their escape pod on Turkana 4, homeworld of deceased crewman Tasha Yar, where two gangs fight for control. When one gang, the Alliance, takes the two hostage, the rival gang, the Coalition, offer help in the form of Tasha’s sister, Ishara.

Comments

With the reset button about to be pressed, it’s easy to see where this story is going. To help the plot along, the entire crew is willing to ignore all arguments and accept Ishara at face value. More interesting is the subtle exploration of Data’s humanity. Only we are privy to how much Data can feel.

This episode was written by Joe Menosky, who would go on to write some of the best episodes of NextGen and VOY, includingDarmok (NextGen), tinker, tenor, doctor, spy (VOY), and muse (VOY).

To date, the very beautiful Beth Toussaint has continued to get small roles in movies and make guest appearances on TV shows, but she missed out on playing Linda Hamilton’s twin sister ;).

Nits

After Riker endangers both the landing party and himself by going off alone to rescue Ishara, Picard admonishes him for letting his emotions cloud his judgement. Yet just as Will is about to leave, Picard, says, "Well done." I was totally confused about whether or not Picard was pleased or displeased.

Memorable Moments

•    The pan from the blinking red alarm light to Riker’s upturned face

Quotable Quotes

Ishara: You don’t believe I’m Tasha’s sister.
Picard: We have considered the possibility.
Ishara: You can sample my DNA, if you’d like.
Crusher: Yes, we will.