Original air date: November 21, 1988
The Enterprise is on its way to pick up some virulent specimens of various pathogens, for which the newly-minted Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge has designed a biohazard containment module. Dr. Crusher has left for a post with Starfleet Medical, and the new Chief Medical Officer, Katherine Pulaski, has failed to report to Captain Picard on schedule, opting to visit with Counselor Deanna Troi in the ship's lounge, Ten-Forward, instead. Picard is preparing to chew Pulaski out for this when Troi makes a startling announcement: she is pregnant.
The senior officers gather to discuss the development. Riker is both surprised and annoyed, and says, "I don't want to sound indelicate, but who's the father?" It turns out something that Deanna can only describe as a "presence" entered her body and took up residence in her womb. It's the fastest progressing pregnancy Dr. Pulaski has ever seen; the fetus is apparently twelve weeks along after eleven hours. Worf thinks whatever's growing inside Counselor Troi is probably a threat to the ship and suggests abortion, while Data thinks they should study it. The Counselor shuts them all up with, "Do what you have to in order to protect the ship, but know this. I'm going to have this baby."
Before the Enterprise commences loading its extremely dangerous cargo, Dr. Pulaski and Data catalog the specimens together. Pulaski calls Data "Dah-tuh" and Data informs her his name is pronounced "Day-tuh". When she asks what the difference is, he replies that one is his name, the other is not. Pulaski also remarks that the pathogens are a result of some "eager beaver at play." Data doesn't understand, so Pulaski explains that some scientist used genetic engineering just to see how bad bad could get. They inform the Captain that if the most innocuous of the pathogens gets loose, it'll destroy all life on the Enterprise in a matter of hours.
Meanwhile Troi has her baby that same day, and reports no pain during delivery. It's a boy! He is named Ian, after Troi's father. Picard decides to visit the child at Troi's quarters a while later and the boy has the appearance of a toddler. He tells the astonished Captain, "Don't worry, everything will be alright."
Later, Ian has the appearance of a preteen, and when Picard asks him why he's there, he responds that it's dinnertime. Picard says, "No, why are you on this ship?" and Ian responds that he's not ready to reveal that yet.
La Forge starts noticing that some of the pathogens are starting to multiply for some reason, which they should not be. If they continue to multiply, they will burst through containment.
Ian tells Troi that he has to leave now, or it will be very bad for everyone. He then gets really sick and dies. Troi is saddened, but after Ian passes away, the body disappears and a sparkly ball of light floats up and settles in Deanna's cupped hands. She says he was curious about them and wanted to learn more about them. It turns out the entity was giving off some energy that was encouraging the pathogens to grow, and that he left in order to save them.
This episode provides examples of:
- Answer Cut: The crew is listing possible sources of the radiation that's causing the pathogens to grow. After rejecting two possibilities, Dr. Pulaski says that something on board must be the cause. Cut to Ian, being tucked into bed.
- Artistic License – Biology: By some unexplained magical energy phlebotinum, Troi's pregnancy progresses over the course of a few days with no negative side effects. She gives birth with no pain, and all traces of her pregnancy vanish after a day. As Pulaski says, if she were to examine Troi at this point, she wouldn't even be able to tell Troi had ever been pregnant.
- Artistic License – Chemistry: Data claims that "certain cyanoacrylates" can act as a source of radiation, thus accelerating the spread of the plasma plague. In Layman's Terms, cyanoacrylates are super glue.
- Dead Guy Junior: Troi names Ian after her dead father.
- Energy Being: The ball of purplish white light that impregnates Troi.
- Epic Tracking Shot: The first scene begins with a tracking shot that highlights all the changes in the existing cast since the first season: Worf has a new uniform, Riker has a beard, and Wesley has a grey Star Fleet uniform of sorts. The next scene establishes Geordi as the new Chief Engineer, the other change.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- The first thing Dr. Pulaski does is not report for duty. She's in the bar at the time. As Worf says, "Not the best way to meet your captain." When Picard arrives to dress her down, however, she cuts him off and tells him to sit down and listen to the medical issue she's handling. Pulaski is thus established as a headstrong and irreverent doctor who is nonetheless serious about her duties. Over the rest of the episode, she repeatedly treats Data as a machine rather than a person, one of her other main character features.
- In her conversation with Wesley, Guinan establishes herself as a wise confidant and mentor figure. Wesley makes some comments about her background, establishing that she's very old, though her exact age and history remain vague.
- Everything Fades: Ian dissolves into sparkles after he dies, then reconstitutes himself into his original Spark Fairy form.
- Express Delivery: Troi's pregnancy goes from conception to birth in less than two days.
- Expy: A Chief Medical Officer who argues with the emotionless Bridge officer, and hates transporters. These are both traits of the original Star Trek doctor, McCoy.
- First Injury Reaction: When Ian reaches into some boiling hot soup, he's surprised that it hurts since he's never felt pain before as a Spark Fairy.
- Future Society, Present Values: Some 21st-century viewers are surprised at Dr. Pulaski commenting that in her experience, the father is usually present for the birth, since this suggests some pretty traditional ideas about family structure. In fact, her comment was progressive for its time, since it was fairly new in the US in real life that fathers would be allowed to be present for the birth at all.
- Good Girls Avoid Abortion: Worf suggests abortion due to the unusual nature of Troi's pregnancy as a possible threat to the ship, but Troi adamantly refuses.
- Heroic Suicide: Ian wills himself to death in short order once he realizes that he is the source of the danger to the Enterprise.
- I Choose to Stay: Wesley Crusher is supposed to return to Starfleet with his mother after the end of the current mission. However, after some ruminating and a talk with Guinan, Wesley asks Picard for permission to remain onboard the Enterprise instead. After some thought and negotiating who will help supervise Wesley's needs between the crew, Picard accepts.
- Ignored Epiphany: When Pulaski mispronounces Data's name and he corrects her, she speculates that Data taking umbrage at the mispronunciation is an emotional response. Throughout the series, Data displays wonder, confusion and surprise (among other things), which are all emotions. But Pulaski is the only character who ever makes this point, and she never mentions it again after this episode.
- Mythology Gag: The classroom Ian visits has the letters of the Latin alphabet on the wall—in the original series' title font.
- Opposite-Sex Clone: Ian is basically this to Troi—no other DNA besides hers is detected in his genome.
- Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Ian has a vastly accelerated development cycle, going from conception to a lad of 10 in three days.
- Pronouncing My Name for You: Pulaski pronounces Data's name as "dah-tuh", causing him to correct her. She asks what the difference is, and he replies, "One is my name. The other is not."
- Put on a Bus: Dr. Crusher has left for a post as head of Starfleet Medical. Wesley is supposed to join her soon, but decides that he would rather stay.
- Rank Up:
- Geordi was promoted to full lieutenant along with becoming Chief Engineer.
- While Wesley is still an honorary ensign, he's now been giving a uniform with a communicator, making him more of a standard crew member.
- Remember the New Guy?: Guinan and Ten-Forward make their debuts in this episode. Guinan seems to be a relatively new addition to the crew, though Ten-Forward has apparently always been there.
- Sense Freak: The day-care teacher notes that Ian loves to touch and examine things; he has a ball playing with and cuddling a litter of puppies. Later, Ian burns himself on his soup just to experience pain.
- Spark Fairy: The Energy Being that becomes Ian is a purplish white flying speck of light.
