‘UNNATURAL SELECTION’ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Okay, this is one of those ‘Star Trek: TNG’ episodes that’s pretty average. It’s not an awful episode by any means, but it’s not a very action-packed episode since this one deals with genetics and a disease.
In this episode, the Enterprise responds to a distress call from the starship, Lantree. Upon arrival however, they find the Lantree adrift in space and all the crewmembers aboard to be aged to death.
Curious, the Enterprise leaves the Lantree in quarantine and head off for the Darwin Genetic Research Station on Gagarin IV. This was the Lantree’s last port of call, according to the starship logs.
Getting in touch with the Darwin Genetic Research Station, the Enterprise team learns the research team is creating some new forms of life. These happen to be called ‘genetically engineered children’.
But apparently the research team is aging to death whilst doing their work at the station. Dr. Pulaski is determined to help out, before she too succumbs to the effects of the rapid aging disease process.
I’m not going to deny this. There are a number of influences from ‘Original Series’ episodes of ‘Star Trek’ in this ‘TNG’ episode. If you’re a fan of ‘The Original Series’, you know what I am talking about.
The first thing that put me in mind of this episode is ‘The Deadly Years’ from ‘The Original Series’. This is apparent when Dr. Pulaski ages to death after being diseased and gets to look like ‘Bones’. 😀
There’s also the genetics theme featured in this episode, which is something that featured in ‘Space Seed’ with Khan. I’m not a fan of genetics, despite this being used in sci-fi terms like ‘Star Trek’ itself.
I was hoping that this ‘TNG’ episode would be like ‘The Deadly Years’ itself, especially with Pulaski being aged to death. But this fell flat for me, as it doesn’t have the tense impact it should’ve had.
But this episode does give Diana Muldaur as Dr. Pulaski to shine. We get to see how dedicated to her work Pulaski is, even though she can sometimes be stern and be at loggerheads with Captain Picard.
The interaction between Pulaski and Picard was interesting to see in this. I think it’s clear that Picard isn’t keen on Pulaski as the chief medical officer. Who could blame him, as I also want Beverly back?
It was interesting and a surprise to discover for Picard when he learns from J. Patrick McNamara as Captain Taggart that Dr. Pulaski admired him. It is something I would not expect to notice in Pulaski.
During the episode, Pulaski is determined to find out what’s wrong with the research team as Patricia Smith as Dr. Sara Kingsley requests for help. Pulaski uses a shuttle craft to discover answers.
Pulaski has Data accompanying her when they go into the shuttle craft and take the 12-year old genetically engineering human with them. This is after they transported the human from Gagarin IV.
Just to go off on a tangent here, the genetically engineered ‘children’ don’t look like children at all. They appear grown-up to me. Wouldn’t it make sense to have them appear as proper children here?
There’s also another thing about these ‘children’ that’s peculiar. They happen to be telepathic. Not sure how they come to be telepathic and telekinetic in the episode, as it is not fully explored in this.
Pulaski gets infected with the aging disease once she comes into contact with the 12-year old man (oh I’m sorry – child) on the shuttle-craft. It happens out of nowhere and is unexpected for Pulaski.
Colm Meaney appears as Chief O’Brien in this episode. This is where O’Brien comes into his own as a proper crewmember aboard the Enterprise. I liked how he had an active role for this ‘TNG’ episode.
O’Brien gets to take part in briefings with Captain Picard and the others as well as add his contributions as a transporter chief. This is only the beginning as more for Chief O’Brien would come.
I like how the story ends with Picard and the others saving Pulaski and restoring her to normal using her DNA from her hairbrush. Picard and Pulaski hug each other once she returns to her normal self.
‘Unnatural Selection’ is an okay episode from the ‘TNG’ series. It isn’t a standout favourite, but it does shine on Pulaski’s character and is remembered for her aging like Bones in ‘The Original Series’.
‘Unnatural Selection’ (TNG) rating – 5/10
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