4.16 Galaxy's Child

Rating: 2.5

The Enterprise investigates – and is attacked – by an unusual craft-shaped creature living in space. Unfortunately, a defensive phaser blast kills it. Meanwhile, Geordi is visited by the woman of his dreams: Enterprise engine designer Leah Brahms. Geordi has studied her and even created her in the holodeck previously to help solve a problem in a crisis situation (see the episode Booby Trap). However, the real woman isn’t exactly what he was expecting.

Comments

The A-story of Geordi and Leah is handled poorly. Geordi says all the wrong things and is seriously creepy. He certainly is stupid when it comes to women, but it seems out of character, because his people skills are usually quite good. I have a lot of respect for the writers of this show, but they should stay away from trying to write about these types of relationships. I found it a little unbelievable that cold, aloof, unfriendly Leah could not only change so suddenly, but that the catalyst for her change would be seeing that Geordi has created what she believed was a holographic sexual fantasy image of her!

The B-story is much more interesting – a first contact, an assisted alien birth, and complications when the ‘child’ imprints on the Enterprise, attaches itself, and begins draining energy.

Ensign Rager (Lanai Chapman) again appeared with Whoopie Goldberg (Guinan) in the 2001 movie Rat Race.

Nits

When Leah is counting down the energy levels, she says, "Oh-Five-Oh. Oh-f-Three-Oh." It sounds like she was going to count sequentially, saying, "Oh-Four-Oh", but then caught herself and did the line the way it was written in the script.

Memorable Moments

•    Close-ups of Leah’s icicle-style earrings

Quotable Quotes

"I’ve been…studying her schematics!"
- Geordi, trying to sound innocent to Guinan regarding his intentions and knowledge of Leah Brahms

Troi: It’s feeding off the energy of the Enterprise as it would from its mother.
Worf: What action should we take, sir?
Picard: None, Lieutenant. None at all.

"I’m with you every day, Geordi. Every time you look at this engine, you’re looking at me. Every time you touch it, it’s me."
– Leah Brahms talks dirty to Geordi (this footage was originally used in the episode Booby Trap)