7.19 Genesis

Rating: 2.5

A wayward torpedo is pursued by Picard and Data in a shuttlecraft, while back on the Enterprise, Nurse Ogawa and Data’s cat, Spot, are both expectant mothers. Stranger still, Worf’s temper flares, Troi is freezing, Riker is groggy, Geordi is weak. When Worf attacks and bites Troi, it becomes obvious that some kind of viral infection may be loose on the ship.

Comments

This episode was written by Brannon Braga and directed by Gates McFadden.

Later, Braga would pen the VOY episodethreshold, using a similar concept.

The episode is aided considerably by having Data and Picard nominated to make us believe that this could really happen.

When Picard is examining the warp core, and a disfigured Barclay jumps up from below, it was the first time ever I jumped out of my skin in fear while watching NextGen.

Nits

Only on Star Trek would a humanoid (Troi) change into a lizard but keep their entire uniform on! Makes it a lot easier for the censors, anyway.

Data claims that the crew is de-evolving by using old DNA stored on introns. While it is true that introns are contained within cells, they are actually sections of RNA, and there is no evidence (at least in 2006) that they contain any residual genetic information from an earlier point in our evolution.

Data and Picard have a small disagreement about what to call the fluid in the womb of mammals. Data calls it ‘amnionic’ fluid, but Picard calls it ‘amniotic’, as do most dictionaries.

Memorable Moments

•    Worf bites Troi and blinds Crusher with a venomous spray from his mouth, but that is topped by Troi as an amphibian

•    Picard’s raised eyebrows when Data identifies the specific hominid into which Riker has evolved

•    Most of Picard and Data’s scenes of discovery when they re-board the ship after the catastrophe

Quotable Quotes

"Captain, I believe the crew is de-evolving."
- Data

Data: I feel I must inform you, sir…you have also been infected by the Intron virus.
Picard: How long before I begin to change?
Data: According to my calculations, within the next twelve hours, you will begin to exhibit the first signs of your eventual transformation.
Picard: And what will that be?
Data: I believe you will also de-evolve into an earlier form of primate, possibly similar to a lemur or pygmy marmoset.