History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E22HalfALife

Turns out Timicin's society practices [[MercyKill ritual euthanasia]], [[DeadlyEuphemism dubbed "Resolution"]], upon reaching the age of 60 (which Timicin is rapidly approaching). Lwaxana is appalled by this practice, even as Timicin defends its merits (preventing the old from becoming a burden to the young, or from losing their dignity due to old-age ailments); she is further infuriated when Picard cites the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]] and refuses to intervene (which, if it applies, means the ''Enterprise'' shouldn't be helping their planet at all; funny how the Prime Directive constantly fluctuates so that it allows and disallows exactly what the plot requires).

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: The people of Kaelon II view it as immoral for the elderly to expect their children to take care of them when they're feeble.
* DownerEnding: Despite now wanting to live and doubting the tradition of the Resolution, Timicin is forced by his people to commit suicide, with his daughter in particular shaming him into it. To add insult to injury, his work is thrown away and his people nearly kill the Enterprise crew for even considering giving him asylum, which can't be good for interstellar relations. With him dead it's also heavily implied his planet is doomed, as he was the only one who had sufficient knowledge of the dying sun to fix the issue in due time.
* GoneHorriblyRight: Timicin's 'star re-igniting' device actually works. The problem is, it doesn't know when to '''stop'''.

The Federation is offering assistance to Kaelon II, an alien world whose sun is slowly going out; one of the inhabitants, one Dr. Timicin, believes he has developed a method to [[SolarCPR "stoke" the sun]], so to speak, and the ''Enterprise'' is to assist in testing the device. As Captain Picard is heading to the transporter room to welcome Timicin aboard, he is desparately trying to duck, dodge and hide from Lwaxana Troi, which works about as well as you'd expect (c'mon, hide? from a '''telepath'''?). So Lwaxana pops up out of nowhere, and does her usual shtick of bugging, bothering and annoying Picard all the way to the transporter room... until Dr. Timicin beams up, and Picard is able to fob the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E19Manhunt still man-crazy]] Lwaxana off on him.

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: "Counselor Deanna Troi, personal log: Stardate 44805.3... ''My mother is on board.''"

* TakeThat, blending in a little franchise SelfDeprecation: The angry speech Timicin's daughter gives Lwaxana ("How dare you question my beliefs?") could be seen as a knockback against all the times [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Kirk and Company]] visited some backwater world, told the inhabitants in a [[KirkSummation nutshell]] that their belief system sucked, then destroyed the lynchpin of their society and flew off into the sunset after telling them how much better off they were for it. Not forgetting, of course, that Kirk usually did this because his ship and/or crew were in peril; but the attitude was always there.

->"Counselor Deanna Troi, personal log: Stardate 44805.3... [[HilarityEnsues My mother is on board]]."

The Federation is offering assistance to Kaelon II, an alien world whose sun is slowly going out; one of the inhabitants, one Dr. Timicin, believes he has developed a method to "stoke" the sun, so to speak, and Enterprise is to assist in testing the device. As Captain Picard is heading to the transporter room to welcome Timicin aboard, he is desparately trying to duck, dodge and hide from Lwaxana Troi, which works about as well as you'd expect (c'mon, hide? from a '''telepath'''?). So Lwaxana pops up out of nowhere, and does her usual shtick of bugging, bothering and annoying Picard all the way to the transporter room... until Dr. Timicin beams up, and Picard is able to fob the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E19Manhunt still man-crazy]] Lwaxana off on him.

Timicin's experiment for rekindling his sun involves launching a modified torpedo into the star. Fortunately for all involved, there just happens to be an uninhabited star system right over there, whose star is in the same state of decay, where they can test the device. On the way to this system, Lwaxana continues to perform her PluckyComicRelief duties by [[WhatDoesThisButtonDo being her usual pain in the arse self]] to everyone, including Timicin, though the latter starts to warm up to her rather quickly. Anyway, they reach the test system and Timicin's device is deployed. It initially shows promise: The dying star's internal combustion does indeed increase. And increase. [[GoneHorriblyRight And increase, and increase and increase]], until they finally have to get the hell out as the star reaches critical mass and [[StarKilling goes supernova.]]

Turns out Timicin's society practices [[MercyKill ritual euthanasia]], [[DeadlyEuphemism dubbed "Resolution"]], upon reaching the age of 60 (which Timicin is rapidly approaching). Lwaxana is appalled by this practice, even as Timicin defends its merits (preventing the old from becoming a burden to the young, or from losing their dignity due to old-age ailments); she is further infuriated when Picard cites the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]] and refuses to intervene (which, if it applies, means the Enterprise shouldn't be helping their planet at all; funny how the Prime Directive constantly fluctuates so that it allows and disallows exactly what the plot requires).

But the final straw comes when Timicin's own daughter beams up and pleads with him to go through with his Resolution, even shooting Lwaxana a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech "Reason You Suck" Speech]] for her presumptuous presumption that her anti-euthanasia beliefs are just automatically and inherently superior. Timicin's resolve caves in like so much card house, and he returns home to [[AttendingYourOwnFuneral attend to his funeral]]. Lwaxana, though still unhappy by the whole thing, ultimately relents, and in the end insists on attending the Resolution ceremony with him as a "loved one".

!!This episode features the following tropes:
* AlienNonInterferenceClause: Discussed.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Lwaxana and Timicin debate the merits of mid-life euthanasia as compared to growing old and dying naturally; and although Timicin does go through with it in the end, the episode paints neither him nor Lwaxana as explicitly right or wrong (his daughter's objection to Lwaxana is more about her self-righteous attitude).

* CerebusRollercoaster: This episode marks the first time Lwaxana is shown in a truly dramatic tone, departing from her usual role as PluckyComicRelief. Her next appearance, in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E20CostOfLiving "Cost Of Living"]], will see her return to her familiar comic hijinx (albeit including some semi-serious CharacterDevelopment), and then escalating the drama with her final TNG episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E6DarkPage "Dark Page"]].
* DeadlyEuphemism: "Resolution". Downplayed in that the term is more about the celebration held in the person's honor than about the actual euthanasia that immediately follows.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Timicin seeks asylum on the Enterprise when he realizes he could find a way to correct his experiments if only he had a few more years. The asylum, and his resolve, prove fleeting.

* LargeHam: David Ogden Stiers is mostly reserved as Timicin, but he has his moments.
* MercyKill: "Resolution", upon reaching age 60. According to Timicin, the practice is to prevent people from becoming old, feeble, helpless, and a burden to others, allowing them to die with a measure of dignity and with their faculties intact. Of course that last point (intact faculties) is exactly why Lwaxana objects to the whole thing.
* NobodyEverComplainedBefore: The Kaelons ritualistically kill themselves on their 60th birthdays, and they seem shocked and baffled when one of their own refuses to do so (because he needs more time in order save the whole planet — also, he'd fallen in love with Lwaxana). Apparently none of their 60-year-olds had ever had any qualms about dying before.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Timicin does not look any close to 60 (Creator/DavidOgdenStiers was 48 at the time). Of course, it's possible that Kaelonians age differently from humans.
* TheSilentBob: Lampshaded by [=LaForge=]:

'''[=LaForge=]''': How could he?
* TakeThat, blending in a little franchise SelfDeprecation: The angry speech Timicin's daughter gives Lwaxana ("How dare you question my beliefs?") could be seen as a knockback against all the times [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Kirk And Company]] visited some backwater world, told the inhabitants in a [[KirkSummation nutshell]] that their belief system sucked, then destroyed the lynchpin of their society and flew off into the sunset after telling them how much better off they were for it. Not forgetting, of course, that Kirk usually did this because his ship and/or crew were in peril; but the attitude was always there.
* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend]]: As usual, YMMV; but Lwaxana is notably more glamorous than the rotund and awkward Timicin.

* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: "Madam, please! That is a [[OhCrap photon launch initiator]]!" We'll just ignore, for the sake of the gag (and because it hasn't happened yet), that the episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E11HeroWorship "Hero Worship"]] firmly establishes that the control panels will not operate if the 'operator' doesn't have proper clearance. [[FridgeBrilliance Unless Worf installed that feature in anticipation of her next visit.]]

* OlderThanTheyLook: Timicin does not look any close to 60 (David Ogden Stiers was 48 at the time). Of course, it's possible that Kaelonians age differently from humans.

Turns out Timicin's society practices [[MercyKill ritual euthanasia]], [[DeadlyEuphemism dubbed "Resolution"]], upon reaching the age of 60 (which Timicin is rapidly approaching). Lwaxana is appalled by this practice, even as Timicin defends its merits (preventing the old from becoming a burden to the young, or from losing their dignity due to old-age ailments); she is further infuriated when Picard cites the [[AlienNoninterferenceClause Prime Directive]] and refuses to intervene (which, if it applies, means the Enterprise shouldn't be helping their planet at all; funny how the Prime Directive constantly fluctuates so that it allows and disallows exactly what the plot requires).

* AlienNoninterferenceClause: Discussed.

The Federation is offering assistance to Kaelon II, an alien world whose sun is slowly going out; one of the inhabitants, one Dr. Timicin, believes he has developed a method to "stoke" the sun, so to speak, and Enterprise is to assist in testing the device. As Captain Picard is heading to the transporter room to welcome Timicin aboard, he is desparately trying to duck, dodge and hide from Mrs. Troi, which works about as well as you'd expect (c'mon, hide? from a '''telepath'''?). So Mrs. Troi pops up out of nowhere, and does her usual shtick of bugging, bothering and annoying Picard all the way to the transporter room... until Dr. Timicin beams up, and Picard is able to fob the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E19Manhunt still man-crazy]] Mrs. Troi off on him.

Timicin's experiment for rekindling his sun involves launching a modified torpedo into the star. Fortunately for all involved, there just happens to be an uninhabited star system right over there, whose star is in the same state of decay, where they can test the device. On the way to this system, Mrs. Troi continues to perform her PluckyComicRelief duties by [[WhatDoesThisButtonDo being her usual pain in the arse self]] to everyone, including Timicin, though the latter starts to warm up to her rather quickly. Anyway, they reach the test system and Timicin's device is deployed. It initially shows promise: The dying star's internal combustion does indeed increase. And increase. [[GoneHorriblyRight And increase, and increase and increase]], until they finally have to get the hell out as the star reaches critical mass and [[StarKilling goes supernova.]]

The experiment, Timicin's life's work, is a failure. Mrs. Troi goes to him to try to offer consolation, but it turns out there's more to his depression than the experiment. Specifically, she tries to assure him that he still has plenty of time in life, both for his experiments and for their still-blossoming relationship. Timicin, however, reveals that he actually does not have that time: "You see, I'm going home... to die."

Turns out Timicin's society practices [[MercyKill ritual euthanasia]], [[DeadlyEuphemism dubbed "Resolution"]], upon reaching the age of 60 (which Timicin is rapidly approaching). Mrs. Troi is appalled by this practice, even as Timicin defends its merits (preventing the old from becoming a burden to the young, or from losing their dignity due to old-age ailments); she is further infuriated when Picard cites the [[AlienNoninterferenceClause Prime Directive]] and refuses to intervene (which, if it applies, means the Enterprise shouldn't be helping their planet at all; funny how the Prime Directive constantly fluctuates so that it allows and disallows exactly what the plot requires).

Meanwhile, Timicin has been re-examining his experiment notes and begins to see how he could address the problems therein, but because of his impending euthanasia he doesn't have the time to do so. If only he could put off his Resolution for a while... Timicin goes to Picard and officially requests asylum, believing he can work out his experiment's flaws and then go home to die in peace. While this action pleases Mrs. Troi, Timicin's government is less than thrilled and actually dispatches warships to retrieve the 'rogue' scientist. Wow, I guess Major Winchester really '''was''' worth some serious crap. Making matters worse for Timicin is that, as long as he stays in his self-imposed exile, his government keeps him locked out of his own work, refusing to let him communicate any new findings on how to correct the experiment (adding salt to the wound, Timicin does indeed find some things he could fix, but his government simply will not listen).

But the final straw comes when Timicin's own daughter beams up and pleads with him to go through with his Resolution, even shooting Mrs. Troi a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech "Reason You Suck" Speech]] for her presumptuous presumption that her anti-euthanasia beliefs are just automatically and inherently superior. Timicin's resolve caves in like so much card house, and he returns home to [[AttendingYourOwnFuneral attend to his funeral]]. Mrs. Troi, though still unhappy by the whole thing, ultimately relents, and in the end insists on attending the Resolution ceremony with him as a "loved one".

-->'''Mrs. Troi:''' Well, it's '''your''' Prime Directive. '''NOT''' MINE!

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Lwaxana and Timicin debate the merits of mid-life euthanasia as compared to growing old and dying naturally; and although Timicin does go through with it in the end, the episode paints neither him nor Lwaxana as explicitly right or wrong (his daughter's objection to Mrs. Troi is more about her self-righteous attitude).
* BreakTheHaughty: Seems to be this episode's raison d'etre. At one point Mrs. Troi bursts into tears (something she apparently hasn't done since her husband Ian died); at the end, when she elects to observe Timicin's Resolution, she exhibits uncharacteristic humility, contritely asking Picard for permission to go and promising not to cause trouble.
* CerebusRollercoaster: This episode marks the first time Mrs. Troi is shown in a truly dramatic tone, departing from her usual role as PluckyComicRelief. Her next appearance, in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E20CostOfLiving "Cost Of Living"]], will see her return to her familiar comic hijinx (albeit including some semi-serious CharacterDevelopment), and then escalating the drama with her final TNG episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E6DarkPage "Dark Page"]].

* HintDropping: At one point Mrs. Troi, in her own words, [[ComplimentFishing "fishes for a compliment"]] from Timicin. Played with in that he probably knows what she was doing, but he's in a funk and not in much mood to talk.

* MercyKill: "Resolution", upon reaching age 60. According to Timicin, the practice is to prevent people from becoming old, feeble, helpless, and a burden to others, allowing them to die with a measure of dignity and with their faculties intact. Of course that last point (intact faculties) is exactly why Mrs. Troi objects to the whole thing.
* NobodyEverComplainedBefore: The Kaelons ritualistically kill themselves on their 60th birthdays, and they seem shocked and baffled when one of their own refuses to do so so (because he needs more time in order save the whole planet — also, he'd fallen in love with Lwaxana). Apparently none of their 60-year-olds had ever had any qualms about dying before.

-->'''Mrs. Troi:''' That's my valet, Mr. Homn. He doesn't say much.\\

* TakeThat, blending in a little franchise SelfDeprecation: The angry speech Timicin's daughter gives Mrs. Troi ("How dare you question my beliefs?") could be seen as a knockback against all the times [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Kirk And Company]] visited some backwater world, told the inhabitants in a [[KirkSummation nutshell]] that their belief system sucked, then destroyed the lynchpin of their society and flew off into the sunset after telling them how much better off they were for it. Not forgetting, of course, that Kirk usually did this because his ship and/or crew were in peril; but the attitude was always there.
* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend]]: As usual, YMMV; but Mrs. Troi is notably more glamorous than the rotund and awkward Timicin.

[floatboxright:
Series: Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration\\
Episode: Season 4, Episode 22\\
Title: Half A Life\\
Previous: The Drumhead\\
Next: The Host\\
Recapper: Tropers/{{Scooter007}}]

The Federation is offering assistance to an alien world whose sun is slowly going out; one of the inhabitants, one Dr. Timicin, believes he has developed a method to "stoke" the sun, so to speak, and Enterprise is to assist in testing the device. As Captain Picard is heading to the transporter room to welcome Timicin aboard, he is desparately trying to duck, dodge and hide from Mrs. Troi, which works about as well as you'd expect (c'mon, hide? from a '''telepath'''?). So Mrs. Troi pops up out of nowhere, and does her usual shtick of bugging, bothering and annoying Picard all the way to the transporter room... until Dr. Timicin beams up, and Picard is able to fob the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E19Manhunt still man-crazy]] Mrs. Troi off on him.

* NobodyEverComplainedBefore: The Timicin ritualistically kill themselves on their 60th birthdays, and they seem shocked and baffled when one of their own refuses to do so so (because he needs more time in order save the whole planet — also, he'd fallen in love with Lwaxana). Apparently none of their 60-year-olds had ever had any qualms about dying before.
** Except that if someone does complain, the Timicin shut them out of society and refuse to acknowledge their existence... meaning it may happen fairly often, but since society refuses to acknowledge the dissenters, they ''act'' like it never happens.

* HintDropping: At one point Mrs. Troi, in her own words, [[ComplimentFishing "fishes for a compliment"] from Timicin. Played with in that he probably knows what she was doing, but he's in a funk and not in much mood to talk.

* HintDropping: At one point Mrs. Troi, in her own words, 'fishes for a compliment' from Timicin. Played with in that he probably knows what she was doing, but he's in a funk and not in much mood to talk.

* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: "Madam, please! That is a [[OhCrap photon launch initiator]]!" We'll just ignore, for the sake of the gag (and because it hasn't happened yet), that the episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E11HeroWorship "Hero Worship"]] firmly establishes that the control panels will not operate if the 'operator' doesn't have proper clearance. [[FridgeBrilliance Unless Worf installed that feature in anticipation of her next visit.]]
* YouLookFamiliar: Michelle Forbes, who plays Timicin's daughter, would later return to assay the semi-regular role of [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E3EnsignRo Ensign Ro]].

* ActorAllusion: A display screen features the number "4077", the number of the medical unit in ''Series/{{MASH}}''.

* YouLookFamiliar: Michelle Forbes, who plays Timicin's daughter, would later return to assay the semi-regular role of [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E3EnsignRo Ensign Ro]].

* NobodyEverComplainedBefore The Timicin ritualistically kill themselves on their 60th birthdays, and they seem shocked and baffled when one of their own refuses to do so so (because he needs more time in order save the whole planet — also, he'd fallen in love with Lwaxana). Apparently none of their 60-year-olds had ever had any qualms about dying before.

Timicin's experiment for rekindling his sun involves launching a modified torpedo into the star. Fortunately for all involved, there just happens to be an uninhabited star system right over there, whose star is in the same state of decay, where they can test the device. On the way to this system, Mrs. Troi continues to perform her PluckyComicRelief duties by [[WhatDoesThisButtonDo being her usual pain in the arse self]] to everyone, including Timicin, though the latter starts to warm up to her rather quickly. Anyway, they reach the test system and Timicin's device is deployed. It initially shows promise: The dying star's internal combustion does indeed increase. And increase. [[GoneHorriblyRight And increase, and increase and increase]], until they finally have to get the hellout as the star reaches critical mass and goes supernova.

* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: "Madam, please! That is a [[OhCrap photon launch initiator]]!" We'll just ignore, for the sake of the gag (and because it hasn't happened yet), that the episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E11HeroWorship "Hero Worship"]] firmly establishes that the control panels will not operate if the 'operator' doesn't have proper clearance.