Star trek the next generation the dauphin
Stardate: 42568.8
Original Air Date: February 20, 1989
Writer: Scott Rubenstein, Leonard Mlodinow
Director: Rob Bowman
“Do not be fooled by her looks. The body is just a shell.”
The Enterprise-D is approaching Klavdia III and, when the ship has exited warp, Geordi is making some routine adjustments to the deuterium control conduit which will take several hours. Wesley Crusher helps him acquire an SCM model three from ship stores but he soon grows distracted. Meanwhile, as the Enterprise enters standard orbit around Klavdia III, the crew notices the planet is hardly an inviting place, even for a research establishment. Another planet facing civil war (Daled IV) had sent their future leader here 16 years ago for safe refuge. It is now the Enterprise’s mission to transport this young leader –the future hope of Daled IV— in the hopes that she can end the civil war.
When they arrive, Klavdia III’s troposphere distorts communications. After Worf cleans it up, an old woman named Anya confirms that the Enterprise may beam aboard both she and the 16-year-old head of state, Salia of Daled IV. When Anya and Salia arrive, Salia shows curiosity about all the technology on the
I know what you mean, Wesley. Mädchen Amick is very beautiful. Oh wait, he was talking about Salia. Nevermind.
When I settled down to watch this episode my initial reaction was "Oh joy, a Wesley centric episode." But, to be perfectly honest, 'The Dauphin' didn't turn out to be as bad as I feared it would be. It has Shelley Johnston for a start. Oh, Mädchen Amick, I can't hate any episode that has you as a guest star, even if your role is a tiny one.
The big problem with this episode is that nothing much actually happens. The Enterprise is tasked with escorting Salia, the new ruler of Daled IV, back home so she can help bring peace to her planet. Despite Anya's worries, no one seems to want to do Salia any harm so I don't see why an entire starship is needed to escort her. Do they not have civilian transport services in the 24th century? Is Starfleet nothing more than a glorified taxi service? Can you rent them out for sweet sixteen parties?
With no external threat of any kind, the entire episode is devoted to the romance between Wesley and Salia, and what a dull, unconvincing and rushed romance it is. There
‘THE DAUPHIN’ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
I retain this ‘Star Trek: TNG’ episode very well from Season 2. This is the episode where Wesley Crusher falls in care for for the first time. It’s a pretty sweet episode and it’s decently well-written here.
In this episode, the Enterprise picks up the beautiful Salia, who is to be the future ruler and dauphin (hence the title) of Daled IV. They select her up from her earth of exile as well as her governess Anya.
Once on board, Wesley meets Salia and instantly becomes smitten with her. During the episode, Wesley plucks up the courage to see Salia and entertain her during her trip on board the Enterprise.
I really like how this episode depicts Wesley falling in admire for the first time. He’s clearly never been in cherish before and he wants to impress Salia when he’s on the Enterprise, saying that she’s ‘perfect’.
Jaime Hubbard as Salia is clearly keen on Wesley too, since she strikes a amiable connection instantly once she meets him. She even asks Captain Picard who the young lad she met was upon her arrival.
In the first half of the episode, W
DATA: Sir, we are approaching Klavdia Three.
PICARD: Take us to impulse power.
GIBSON: (a young lady in Wesley's seat) Aye, sir. Impulse power.
[Engineering]
LAFORGE: Bridge, this is Engineering.
PICARD [OC]: Yes, Lieutenant.
LAFORGE: Now that we're out of warp, I'd like to use this time to make some routine adjustments on the deuterium control conduit. We're overdue.
[Bridge]
PICARD: How much time will these adjustments require, Lieutenant?
LAFORGE [OC]: A couple of hours, sir.
RIKER: Proceed, Lieutenant La Forge. Standard orbit, Ensign.
[Engineering]
LAFORGE: Wes, I'm going to need an SCM model three, from ship's stores. Can you handle that?
WESLEY: Right away.
LAFORGE: All right.
[Bridge]
(The planet on the viewscreen is a pale mustard colour)
PICARD: Magnify, Mister Worf. Hardly an inviting planet, even for a research establishment.
TROI: I would have thought the inhabitants of Daled Four would send a future leader to a more hospitable environment.
WORF: For some, security is more important than comfort.
TROI: Yes, but sixteen years.
WORF: Captain, we're being hailed.
PICARD: Hailing frequencies, Mister Worf.
WORF:
Written by John Edward Betancourt
A question that oddly enough, found its way into the storytelling fabric of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Which is, the perfect platform to ponder upon notions such as these. After all, space travel, and the quest to better mankind, and interspecies mingling are everyday things in this franchise, and combining those elements with notions of love, made ‘Th