Line #18 Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E15YesterdaysEnterprise


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yesterdays_enterprise_hd_072.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Tasha! You're ''alive!'']]
3
4	->''"Military log, combat date 43625.2. While investigating an unusual radiation anomaly, the Enterprise has encountered what could almost be called a ghost from its own past – the Enterprise-C, the immediate predecessor to this battleship..."''
5	-->--'''Captain Picard'''... but not [[AlternateTimeline the one]] [[BadFuture we know.]]
6
7	'''Original air date:''' February 19, 1990
8
9	Guinan is introducing Worf to the wonders of prune juice when the ''Enterprise'' comes upon some sort of space-time disturbance. Suddenly, a ship emerges--the damaged USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-'''C'''), displaced 22 years in time. And it has survivors.
10
11	Panning back to the bridge of the ''Enterprise''-D, things are... different. The lighting is darker, the design a bit more sinister, the uniforms are more militaristic, everyone is armed, Wesley is a full member of Starfleet, and ''Tasha Yar'' is standing at the tactical station! Deanna is nowhere to be found, but Worf's absence is easily explained: the Federation has been at war with the Klingons for over 20 years, a war which they are now on the brink of losing. They desperately need any ship they can get, and the ''Enterprise''-C, though badly damaged, looks repairable.
12
13	They bring the survivors on board, including the moderately injured Captain Garrett. She tells Picard and Dr. Crusher that they had been responding to a distress call from a Klingon outpost at Narendra III when they were set upon by four Romulan Warbirds and were moments from destruction when they fell into the rift. Picard laments that a Federation rescue of a Klingon base might have tipped Federation-Klingon relations toward peace and averted some 20 years of war.
14
15	Alone of the crew of the ''Enterprise'', Guinan's BizarreAlienSenses lead her to pick up on the shift in the timeline, though she cannot fully comprehend it; she just knows that ''something'' is ''off''. She talks to Picard about it, but isn't able to give him anything more definite than that this isn't what's supposed to be happening, and she implores him to send the ''Enterprise''-C back through the rift to where it belongs. Picard balks at sending 125 people into certain death based only on a few cryptic remarks. Guinan begs him to think of the stakes: saving the lives of 40 billion casualties of war.
16
17	Meanwhile, Tasha has been liaising with the acting second in command of the ''Enterprise''-C, Lieutenant Junior Grade Richard Castillo, trying to get the older vessel combat-ready once more. The pair quickly develop some chemistry, but the disconcerting looks that Guinan keeps throwing at Tasha distract them a bit from their budding romance.
18
19	Picard commits to sending the ''Enterprise''-C back to the past based on Guinan's intuition. Crusher and Geordi are incredulous that Guinan could know what she claims, but Data suspects that her species has a perception that goes beyond linear time. Riker, meanwhile, questions the logic of such the act, arguing that the ''Enterprise''-C has no possible way of saving Narendra III and the only thing it would really accomplish is sending the crew to their deaths, but Data points out that the Klingons have an awful lot of respect for people who die in battle, and dying in the defense of the Klingon outpost would likely be seen as a very honorable act.
20
21	Picard speaks to Captain Garrett about his decision. Garrett would rather fight in the "here and now" than return to a lost cause, but Picard confesses that she'd be facing a losing battle either way: the Federation is mere months from surrender. Just one starship is not going make any impact in the present, but 22 years ago, one ship could stop the war before it starts.
22
23	Garrett agrees to return to her own time and begins preparations for a suicidal last stand. But before they can leave, the two ships are suddenly attacked by a passing Klingon Bird-of-Prey on a scouting mission. The ''Enterprise''-C sustains some damage in the fight, resulting in Garrett getting killed by a piece of shrapnel, leaving Castillo in command. Castillo makes preparations to carry out the mission in her stead, and he and Tasha share a tender goodbye. Before the ship can depart, however, Tasha confronts Guinan about the looks, having apparently surmised that her fate in the alternate timeline is a dark one. Guinan admits that in the "correct" timeline, [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E22SkinOfEvil she died horribly and pointlessly]]. With this news, Tasha decides to transfer to the ''Enterprise''-C and take her chances with the Romulans, where at least her death might make a difference. This couldn't possibly have any consequences down the road at all.
24
25	These alternate-timeline Klingons aren't going away, though, and as the ''Enterprise''-C limps back towards the rift, three Birds-of-Prey attack. The ''Enterprise''-D devotes itself wholly to defending its doomed predecessor, suffering major damage. Riker is killed in an explosion, and the Klingons demand the surrender of the ship. "That'll be the day," scoffs Picard, and he leaps into the tactical station to continues fighting to the very last. The Klingon ships batter away at the now-helpless ''Enterprise''-D, and with a warp core breach imminent, it looks like the end for both ships. Just as the ''Enterprise''-D is about to be destroyed, the ''Enterprise''-C makes it into the rift...
26
27	...and everything returns to normal. Picard stands on the bridge in the exact spot he was before the change in timeline. He asks for a report. Worf, back once again in his usual spot, reports that his sensor readings fluctuated and what appeared to be a ship has now vanished. Data reports the anomaly is closing in on itself. Just as Picard orders Wesley to plot a new course, Guinan calls up over the intercom and asks if everything is all right. Surprised by her call, Picard answers somewhat bemused that everything is fine on the bridge, and asks her if there is something wrong. Guinan, glancing at a well-lit, happy Ten-Forward, says that nothing is wrong and apologizes if she bothered them. She then sits down to ask Geordi about Tasha Yar.
28	----
29	!!Tropes in this episode include:
30	* {{Ambadassador}}: The ''Enterprise''-C is ''Ambassador''-class, and she and her crew are willing to give four Romulan warbirds a serious fight, even with it being a HeroicSacrifice to strengthen the peace between TheFederation and the Klingon Empire.
31	* AnyoneCanDie: The best thing about an AlternateTimeline episode. Captain Garrett and Riker are both killed by ExplodingInstrumentation, and planned deaths of more of the bridge crew were cut for time.
32	* AsYouKnow: Somewhat averted when Riker says to Picard "If we lose antimatter containment--" and Picard cuts him off. Picard is well aware of what that means. Possibly justified in the heat of the moment, and Riker's Executive Officer role may well technically require him to interpret for the Captain statements from the Chief Engineer no matter how obvious to the Captain, considering the seriousness of the statement.
33	* BackstoryInvader: Lampshaded; all the other crew remember Tasha as having been with them all along, but Guinan, who joined the ship after Tasha died, can't remember her previously existing, or at least feels that she shouldn't still exist.
34	* BadPresent: From the perspective of the main characters. As usual, it's a BadFuture from the POV of the ''Enterprise''-C crew.
35	* BadassBoast: From Picard in the alternate timeline: "Let's make sure history never forgets ... the name ... ''Enterprise''."
36	* BoomHeadshot: The means of Captain Garrett's demise on the ''Enterprise''-C bridge; some ExplosiveInstrumentation sends a shard of shrapnel right into her forehead, and she DiesWideOpen, leaving Lt. Castillo in charge.
37	* ButterflyOfDoom: The premise of the episode; the ''Enterprise''-C turns out to be a very important cog in history indeed. Without a HeroicSacrifice on the part of a Federation ship in defense of a Klingon outpost, and instead the apparent cowardice of the ''Enterprise''-C in vanishing from the fight, negotiations between the two sides break down into a 22-year war.
38	* CallBack: Worf's spiel about human females being too fragile for [[InsistentTerminology "companionship"]] is a call back to a nearly identical conversation he had back in the first season episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E7Justice Justice]]", there with Commander Riker, but here with Guinan. It would be playfully revisited again later on in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''.
39	* CannedOrdersOverLoudspeaker: Heard when Guinan turns to find that Ten Forward has turned into a soldiers mess.
40	-->''Now hear this. Fleet formation briefing in main war room at fifteen hundred hours. Doctor Joshua Kim, report to Cetacean Ops. Ensign Thomas, please report to the Combat Information Center. Ensign Thomas to the CIC.''
41	* CaptainsLog: Picard gives his usual voiceover, but in the alternate timeline he's recording a "military log" and using "combat dates" rather than Stardates.
42	* ContinuityNod: In the alternate timeline, there's an intercom call for "Dr. Selar," the Vulcan member of Dr. Crusher's sickbay staff last seen in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E6TheSchizoidMan The Schizoid Man]]."
43	* CostumeEvolution: As one of many signs something is wrong, the Starfleet uniforms have a higher black collar, black cuffs on the sleeves and a white belt with the Starfleet insignia on it.
44	* CoolStarship:
45	** The ''Ambassador''-class ''Enterprise''-C. Notable in that the ''Ambassador'' only made three other appearances in the franchise and it remains an extremely popular ship in the fandom.
46	** The ''K'vort''-class battlecruiser. Basically a classic Bird-of-Prey on steroids, and powerful enough to give two ''Enterprise''s some serious trouble.
47	* TheChainsOfCommanding: It's subtle, but alternate timeline Picard has just a few deeper wrinkles than he does normally, showing the stress of being a warship captain in such a long war.
48	* CriticalStaffingShortage: Riker points out that if the ''Enterprise''-C goes back, Lt. Castillo will have "limited support from Ops, no Tactical support, reduced staff in Engineering ..." before Castillo cuts him off.
49	* DefiantToTheEnd:
50	** Picard, given the order to surrender to the Klingons, spits out a FacingTheBulletsOneLiner, vaults over the Tactical rail to man Riker's empty station, and continues attempting to fire the phasers as the bridge catches fire around him.
51	** The surviving ''Enterprise''-C crew go on to embody this trope offscreen when they return to 2344, fighting the Romulans over Narendra III until the ship is destroyed and they're all either killed or taken prisoner.
52	* DramaticIrony: In the alternate timeline, Geordi talks to Crusher, after the briefing to send the ''Enterprise''-C back, about how they have no way of knowing whether any of them are even alive in the original timeline. Tasha is behind them as they walk. The audience knows that Tasha is ''not'' alive in the original timeline. Geordi's words obviously stick with Tasha and spur her to ask Guinan about her fate.
53	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: The ''Enterprise''-C is destroyed in defense of a Klingon colony, despite the Federation and the Klingon Empire being hostile to one another at the time. In doing so they prove to the [[ProudWarriorRace Klingons]] that valor and integrity are core parts of TheFederation's ideals, leading the two governments to reconcile and become TrueCompanions, preventing a war that would have lasted ''22 years'' and saving ''40 billion lives''. Never forget the name ''Enterprise'' indeed.
54	* DynamicAkimbo: Picard puts his hands on his hips on the Bridge. Perhaps he got the habit from [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Captain Janeway]] in this timeline?
55	* ExpendableAlternateUniverse: Discussed.
56	-->'''Guinan:''' I can't explain it to myself so I can't explain it to you. I only know that I'm right.\
57	'''Picard:''' Who is to say that this history is any less proper than the other?\
58	'''Guinan:''' I suppose I am.\
59	'''Picard:''' Not good enough, dammit! ''Not good enough!'' I will not ask them to die!\
60	'''Guinan:''' Forty billion people have ''already'' died! This war is not supposed to be ''happening''! You've got to send those people back to correct this!
61	* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: The ''Enterprise''-D is crippled, with no chance of winning the battle. The Klingons order the ''Enterprise'' to surrender.
62	-->'''Captain Picard:''' That'll be the day.
63	* FixFic: Denise Crosby left the series unexpectedly while the first season was being filmed, which meant Tasha Yar had to be written out. Yar's demise in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E22SkinOfEvil Skin of Evil]]" was intentionally written as abrupt and pointless to highlight life's cruel realities, but it didn't sit well with fans. When Crosby returned for this episode, the writers got a chance to give her a more heroic death.
64	* HeroicSacrifice:
65	** The original fate of the ''Enterprise''-C, fighting four Romulan warbirds in defense of a Klingon colony before the Klingons and Federation were allies. Giving their lives in a doomed attempt to answer the colony's distress call was (as Data pointed out) an act of courage and honor so impressive that it made the Klingon Empire reconsider their decades of hostility towards the Federation.
66	** The fate of the {{bad future}}'s ''Enterprise''-D. To help the ''Enterprise''-C reach the time portal, she and her crew stand between them and three Klingon battle cruisers.
67	* HoldTheLine: The ''Enterprise''-D has to hold off three Klingon Birds of Prey long enough for the ''Enterprise''-C to re-enter the temporal rift and reset history. Similarly, the ''Enterprise''-C has to last long enough in the Battle of Narendra III to prove to the Klingons that the Federation can become TrueCompanions.
68	* InSpiteOfANail:
69	** With the storyline of ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' coming out a year later, and the destruction of Praxis in 2293 happening before the point of divergence of the normal timeline and the BadFuture, in theory the Klingon Empire should have been crippled at this point and in no way able to fight a sustained conflict against the United Federation of Planets, and certainly not one where the Klingons are winning so much that Starfleet is considering surrendering. It's possible that the Khitomer Accords led to the Federation helping the Klingon Empire back up on their feet before relations degraded again to the point of war when the attack on Narendra III happened, making it an unwitting case of NiceJobBreakingItHero.
70	** Given that the premise involves the prior twenty years of history to be drastically different, with the Federation entangled in a decades-long war, it's highly improbable that any of the original crew would have ended up on the ''Enterprise''-D, and especially unlikely that more than one or at most two would have. Instead, with the exception of Worf's swap with Yar (due to the Klingon war), and Troi's absence, everyone else is not only stationed on the same exact ship, but also in their exact same senior staff positions.
71	** It also seems very unlikely the overall design of the ''Enterprise''-D's exterior would look the same, with all the very large windows, etc., since in the normal timeline, the -D was much like a luxury ship, whereas in the BadFuture, there would be a need for much more armour and fewer weak spots. Contrast her with the ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Defiant]]'' and the ''[[Film/StarTrekFirstContact Enterprise]]''-E, which were both designed to be much more combat-oriented in the face of the Borg and Dominion threats. Of course, the simple answer is that the producers didn't want to make a whole new ''Enterprise''-D model for part of a single episode.
72	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: When Tasha decides that she wants a death that will count for something, it's easy to see it as acknowledging the FixFic nature of the scene in giving the character a more heroic exit than the "senseless" death the writers originally gave her.
73	* LittleNo: Guinan says this when the NegativeSpaceWedgie appears, a few minutes before the timeline is altered.
74	* MarsWantsChocolate: Klingons want prune juice. After all, it is a warrior's drink.
75	* MildlyMilitary: The fact that this trope is {{averted}} is one of the earliest indicators to the audience that something is off. All of the crew carry phasers aboard the ship, the lighting is dimmed for a darker mood, the ramp leading to the back of the bridge has been replaced with steps, there are fewer chairs on the Bridge for officers to lounge in ([[NumberTwo Riker]] now stands behind the railing instead of sitting at the Captain's side), the replicators produce standardized military rations, the ship doesn't have a counselor on the bridge--Troi doesn't appear in the Bad Future at all--and the ''Enterprise'' is even [[InsistentTerminology repeatedly referred to]] as a "battleship" instead of a "starship". The ''Enterprise''-C, meanwhile, is referred to as a cruiser. Even the uniforms are slightly different, now having a [[HighCollarOfDoom closed collar to make the final frontier just that little bit less friendly]].
76	* MundaneMadeAwesome: Worf is quite taken by prune juice and proclaims it "a warrior's drink!"
77	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Guinan senses that something's wrong when the NegativeSpaceWedgie first appears, and it gets worse when the timeline changes. It also flares up whenever she's near Tasha, since the latter's supposed to be dead.
78	* MythologyGag: According to Ronald D. Moore, Worf's fondness for prune juice was inspired by John M. Ford's ''[[Literature/TheFinalReflection The Final Reflection]]''. Ford's pre-TNG take on the Klingons, among other things, had established that they ''loved'' fruit juices. Moore adored that little world-building detail and decided to incorporate it into the script and formally canonize it.
79	* TheNeedsOfTheMany: The ''Enterprise''-C must return to prevent a war which kills ''billions''. Though they know they will likely die, their deaths will prevent a long and costly war.
80	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Since the alternate-reality Enterprise-D is a warship above all else, Troi is nowhere to be seen. If she is on the ship, she's apparently not seen as necessary on the bridge and consigned to a less prominent role.
81	* NegativeSpaceWedgie: Apparently caused or exacerbated by all the weapons discharges during the Battle of Narendra III.
82	* NoTimeToExplain: Riker resorts to this because he doesn't want to mess with the timeline by explaining to Captain Garrett they're from the future. Garrett orders him to explain ''now''.
83	* OhCrap: La Forge delivers a well-warranted one. Doubly warranted if you consider that the ''Enterprise'''s plasma coolant is [[BodyHorror horrifically corrosive]] to organic matter.
84	-->'''La Forge:''' Coolant leak! Bridge, we've got a coolant leak in the engine core! I can't shut it down; I estimate two minutes until a ''warp core breach!''
85	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: The stress of a twenty-year war is shown in Picard's abrupt manner and his terse interaction with Riker.
86	* OneWayTrip: After discussing things with Picard, Garret and then Castillo agree to take ''Enterprise''-C back into a confrontation they would likely die in if it means averting a war today.
87	* OutOfFocus: Given that there's not much use for a ship's counselor on the bridge of a war ship, Troi is completely absent from the bulk of the episode, She's only appears in the two short bridge scenes on the "regular" ''Enterprise''--one before and one after the main plot of the episode--and has no dialogue. Worf makes up for his general absence by getting focus in the first and final scenes.
88	* RedAlert: Picard orders a "Battle Alert -- Condition Yellow" when told there are Klingons in the area, though the trope is played straight when the Klingons arrive.
89	* ResetButtonSuicideMission: The ''Enterprise''-D sacrifices itself to cover the return of the ''Enterprise''-C back to its original time in order to prevent the alternate timeline it emerged into from occurring.
90	* RippleEffectIndicator: Worf arrives on the bridge, and announces something strange on sensors. Time Ripple ensues, and we cut to Tasha Yar (having died previously on the show) on the bridge in Worf's place. Once the timeline is restored, Worf is back where he should be.
91	* RippleEffectProofMemory: Guinan only, and [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] at that; she doesn't seem to know ''exactly'' what's wrong with the timeline ("I know it's the same bridge; I also know it's ''wrong''!"), but she has a good idea of how to fix it. It also seems to apply to Guinan just being there in general, as she quickly notices that she doesn't really logically belong on the ship now or have a real purpose working on it. All of the civilian Ten-Forward staff are gone except for her, and her job at just seems to be replicating generic ration packs and handing them out -- something everyone could easily do for themselves -- yet she is still on board regardless. Perhaps Picard felt her advice was indispensable, which it definitely proves to be in solving the episode's central problem of what to do with the ''Enterprise''-C and her crew.
92	* SacrificialLion: One for each space battle shown, [[BoomHeadshot Captain Garrett]] and [[SlashedThroat Commander Riker]]. Even then, they both fall victim to flying debris from ExplosiveInstrumentation.
93	* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: The ''Enterprise''-C's mission. The crew of the ''Enterprise''-D set forth to help them and protect them until they can go back.
94	* ShoutOut: When the attacking Klingons order the Enterprise to surrender and prepare to be boarded:
95	-->'''Picard:''' [[Film/TheSearchers "That'll be the day."]]
96	* SubterfugeJudo: A small instance: When she is rescued from the ''Enterprise''-C, Captain Garrett is taken to sickbay to be treated. She notices how advanced it is, even for a starbase. Dr. Crusher tries to calm her down with her bedside manner, but Garrett insists on an explanation, forcing Picard to reveal that the ''Enterprise-C'' crew have traveled 22 years into the future.
97	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: This episode is the origin of Worf's passion for prune juice, which he describes as "a warrior's drink." The trope continues into ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''.
98	* WhamLine:
99	** Yar reading off the registry data in the final line of the cold open:
100	--->'''Yar:''' It's clearing now, Captain. Definitely a Federation starship. Accessing registry. [...] NCC-1701-C.
101	--->[''Picard and Riker turn to stare at Yar, who looks up to stare at the main viewscreen'']
102	--->'''Yar:''' ... U.S.S. ''Enterprise''.
103	** Picard's summation of the ongoing war:
104	--->'''Picard:''' The war is going very badly for the Federation; far worse than is generally known. Starfleet Command believes defeat is inevitable. Within six months, we may have no choice but to surrender.
105	* WhamShot: Tasha Yar? Alive? Okay, something weird is going on here.
106	* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Inverted. If the ''Enterprise''-D is successful in helping the ''Enterprise''-C return to their time, the crew of the ''Enterprise''-D will have no idea what they did and what it meant for the Federation. They still do it, because it's the right thing to do. Although, back in the fixed timeline, Guinan knows and later tells Picard.
107	* WithAllDueRespect: Riker to Picard in regards to sending the ''Enterprise''-C back through time to correct the past that altered the present.
108	-->'''Riker:''' With all due respect, sir, you'd be asking 125 people to die a meaningless death.
109	* YouAreInCommandNow: Lt. Castillo, the only remaining bridge officer, takes command of the ''Enterprise''-C after Captain Garrett is killed.
110	* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Picard's relationship with Guinan is strong enough for him to listen to what she's saying, but it doesn't help that Guinan only has her GutFeeling that things are wrong.
111	* YouShallNotPass:
112	** The ''Enterprise''-D's HeroicSacrifice to allow the ''Enterprise''-C to get back to her own time.
113	--->'''Captain Picard:''' Attention all hands. [[AsYouKnow As you know]], we could outrun the Klingon vessels. But we must protect the ''Enterprise''-C until she enters the temporal rift. [[LetsGetDangerous And we must succeed.]] Let's make sure history never forgets ... the name ... ''Enterprise''. Picard out.
114	** And of course, once the timeline is restored, the final fate of the ''Enterprise''-C, destroyed after taking on four Romulan warbirds in defense of a Klingon colony. Never forget the name ''Enterprise'', indeed.
115	----

Context Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E15YesterdaysEnterprise