Theme Month: "With Special Guest Star ..., Part I"

Episodes with familiar faces and big names.

Episode: "Message in a Bottle" - VOY, 414

Airdate: January 21, 1998

Teleplay by Lisa Klink; Directed by Nancy Malone

Brief summary: "Seven of Nine finds an abandoned subspace relay network that has the ability to send a message, or in this case The Doctor, to a Starfleet ship detected in the Alpha Quadrant."

Background: Lisa Klink was a story editor for VOY during part of its run. She is credited with fourteen episodes (and one DS9). She also worked on Star Trek: The Experience, Earth: Final Conflict, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Roswell, and Hercules. The story for this episode is credited to a Rick Williams who has no other credits listed online.

Nancy Malone was an actor, producer, and director. She has two VOY episodes to her name, but she also directed episodes of Dynasty, Cagney & Lacey, Touched by an Angel, Dawson's Creek, and Judging Amy. As an actor, she appeared in Route 66, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, The Andy Griffith Show, The Rockford Files, and more. In 1976, she was the first female VP of TV at 20th Century Fox.

Guest cast: Andy Dick is a comedian best known for his hard-partyin' and tabloid-worthy exploits. He starred in the sitcom NewsRadio, plus he's had appearances in The Ben Stiller Show, Cable Guy, Dude Where's My Car?, Zoolander, Old School, and many more. He also roasted William Shatner at his Comedy Central roast.

Judson Scott is best known to Trek fans as Joachim, Khan's lieutenant in Star Trek II, despite the fact that he didn't get an onscreen credit. This was due to a SNAFU with his agent and his own misunderstanding that "waiving credit" meant he'd be listed in the end credits instead of the beginning credits (his name appeared in neither). Scott also appeared in an episode of TNG, plus the shows V and The Colbys, as well as the movie Blade.

Valerie Wildman is a character actor who appeared in Splash!, St. Elsewhere, Matt Houston, The A-Team, My Sister Sam, Hunter, Hardball, Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch Nights, Chicago Hope, My Blue Heaven, and Mars Attacks!

Tiny Ron (Hirogen) is best known as the nagus' body man Maihar'du in seven episodes of DS9. The seven-foot tall actor featured in The Rocketeer, Ace Ventura, Road House, The Naked Gun, and many more.

Tony Sears was an art department coordinator on VOY who appeared in two episodes of the series. He acted in episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, and Judging Amy. He has also worked as a casting director and a director of multiple stage productions.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Message_in_a_Bottle_(episode)

As decided by you, this is the ...

Next Theme Month:

"Body Swap, Part I": episodes which see our character's consciousnesses supplanted by others.

• "Return to Tomorrow" - TOS, 222
• "The Schizoid Man" - TNG, 206
• "Dramatis Personae" - DS9, 118
• "Warlord" - VOY, 310

Theme Month: "With Special Guest Star ..., Part I"

Episodes with familiar faces and big names.

Episode: "Resistance" - VOY, 212

Airdate: November 27, 1995

Teleplay by Lisa Klink; Directed by Winrich Kolbe

Brief summary: "In order to free her imprisoned crewmembers, Captain Janeway accepts the help of a delusional resistance fighter."

Background: Lisa Klink was a story editor for VOY during part of its run. She is credited with fourteen episodes (and one DS9). She also worked on Star Trek: The Experience, Earth: Final Conflict, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Roswell, and Hercules. The story for this episode was pitched by prolific Trek novel writers Michael Jan Friedman and Kevin J. Ryan.

Winrich Kolbe directed 48 episodes of Star Trek across TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT. Before Trek, Kolbe directed episodes of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, among many more.

Guest cast: Joel Grey is a legend of the stage best known for his portrayal of the Master of Ceremonies in Broadway's Cabaret and its 1972 film adaptation. He's also had roles in Chicago and Wicked. He's had many appearances on both the big and small screen, beginning with The Colgate Comedy Hour in 1950. He appeared in The Jackie Gleason Show, The Outer Limits, Touched by an Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Oz, Alias, and many more. (He's also Jennifer Grey's father.)

Glenn Morshower is a character actor best known for his role as Agent Pierce on the TV series 24, as well as his appearances in the Transformers movies, The West Wing, CSI, Friday Night Lights, Air Force One, Under Siege, Quantum Leap, Baywatch, Alias, Crossing Jordan, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, and many, many more. He also appeared in two TNG episodes, Generations, and one episode of ENT.

Alan Scarfe previously appeared in two episodes of TNG. He's had roles in dozens of well-known TV series and films, including Lethal Weapon 3, Iron Eagle II, seaQuest DSV, Tour of Duty, Tales from the Darkside, Viper, MacGyver, Stargate: Atlantis, and more.

Tom Todoroff is an actor, acting coach, producer and director. He appeared on All My Children, Leap of Faith, Cobb, Tin Cup, Turbulence, Hollywood Homicide, Lois & Clark, Arliss, and more.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Resistance_(episode)

Upcoming episodes in this Theme Month ...

• "Message in a Bottle" - VOY, 414

#r/LowerDecks ...

... your home for discussion on the animated comedy as it begins its final season on Thursday, Oct. 24!

With nods to every corner of the franchise -- the more obscure, the better -- Star Trek: Lower Decks has wormed its way into fans' hearts just like Ceti eels worm their way into ears. Yes, there is consternation that Paramount+ is ending the show while it's still going strong, but there are ten more episodes of churro-flavored goodness to enjoy. May your bananas remain hot and may the Cerritos keep on trekkin'.

Other active subs in our network:

r/StrangeNewWorlds (third season coming in 2025)

r/TrekAcademy (for the upcoming Starfleet Academy series)

r/StarTrekS31 (for the upcoming Michelle Yeoh movie)

r/StarTrekProdigy (hoping for a season three)

r/StarTrekDiscovery

r/StarTrekPicard

r/StarTrekLegacy

Theme Month: "With Special Guest Star ..., Part I"

Episodes with familiar faces and big names.

Episodes: "The Homecoming/The Circle/The Siege" - DS9, 201/202/203

Airdates: September 26, October 3 and 10, 1993

Teleplay by Ira Steven Behr, Peter Allan Fields, Michael Piller; Directed by Winrich Kolbe and Corey Allen

Brief summary: "Kira rescues a Bajoran Resistance hero from a Cardassian labor camp; an extremist group calls for all non-Bajorans to leave Bajor. | Sisko and Odo work to reveal the real force behind the Circle's coup. | Sisko tries to prevent the Circle from taking the station; Kira and Dax take proof that the Cardassians are the real force that is arming the Circle to the Bajoran government."

Background: Originally beginning as a story pitched to TNG, the trilogy grew from a directive that the writers craft a tale that could only be told on DS9. The initial story of a reluctant Bajoran leader became the story of a mistaken leader, a la The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Ira Steven Behr started in Trek as a writer on TNG before coming to DS9 as a writer and producer. He became showrunner in season three and penned (or co-penned) 53 episodes of that series. After DS9, Behr worked on multiple shows, including The 4400, Dark Angel, Alphas, and so on.

Peter Allan Fields was a script consultant and story editor for a portion of TNG's run and a producer on DS9 for some of its run. He is credited with three episodes of TNG; ten of DS9. Outside of Trek, he worked on The Man from UNCLE, McCloud, The Six Million Dollar Man, Knight Rider, Jake and the Fatman, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Michael Piller is credited with writing 38 episodes of TNG, DS9, and VOY, plus Star Trek: Insurrection. He led the TNG writers' room beginning with the third season and later co-created DS9 with Rick Berman; he and Berman then co-created VOY with Jeri Taylor.

Winrich Kolbe directed 48 episodes of Star Trek across TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT. Before Trek, Kolbe directed episodes of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, among many more.

Corey Allen directed a total of nine episodes of both TNG and DS9. He had a lengthy career in television directing, including episodes of classics such as Mannix, Hawaii Five-O, Barnaby Jones, Police Woman, Dallas, Lou Grant, The Rockford Files, T.J. Hooker, Hill Street Blues, Murder She Wrote, and many more.

Guest cast: Frank Langella is a Tony Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated actor. He may best be remembered for his role as Dracula on Broadway in the '70s and its 1979 feature film adaptation. He also received acclaim for portraying Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon and its 2008 film adaptation. He has also played Sherlock Holmes, Skeletor, Leonardo da Vinci, John Wilkes Booth, and many more. He took the part on DS9 because his children were fans. He didn't want to be credited for the role and some DS9 actors begrudged him this, believing the cachet of his name would have been beneficial to the show so early in its run.

Louise Fletcher, Kai Winn Adami, earned an Academy Award for her role as Nurse Ratched in 1975's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. (Of the many actors involved with Trek since the beginning, she is only one of two to have won an Oscar; Michelle Yeoh is the other.) Fletcher appeared as Winn in fourteen episodes of DS9.

Richard Beymer (Li Nalas) is best known as the star of West Side Story and for his appearances on Twin Peaks. He has a lengthy résumé across four decades of film and TV, with roles in The Diary of Anne Frank, The Virginian, Moonlighting, Paper Dolls, The X-Files, and more.

Steven Weber (Day) was a star of the then-popular NBC sitcom Wings. He also appeared as JFK in The Kennedys of Massachusetts, plus roles on As the World Turns, The Shining (TV movie), Single White Female, Leaving Las Vegas, NCIS: New Orleans, and 13 Reasons Why.

Stephen Macht (Krim) is a character actor with roles in Knots Landing, Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Highlander, The Monster Squad, Walker Texas Ranger, The Practice, Castle, Suits, and more.

Bruce Gray also appeared in an episode of TNG as Adm. Chekote, and in ENT as Surak. He appeared in Babylon 5, Queer as Folk, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Starship Troopers.

Philip Anglim only appeared as Vedek Bareil Antos in eight episodes of DS9. He is best known for his role as the titular Elephant Man as seen on Broadway in the '70s and a TV movie adaptation. He also appeared in The Thorn Birds and Dallas.

Michael Bell has had a lengthy career as a voice actor, voicing characters in Super Friends, The Smurfs, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Voltron, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, and many more. He previously appeared in TNG's debut episode and lent his voice to several Trek video games.

Max Grodénchik appeared as Rom in 34 episodes of DS9 and LD. He had three other roles in both TNG and DS9, and played a Trill ensign in deleted scenes from Insurrection. Outside of Trek, he appeared in Night Court, Tales from the Crypt, Sliders, The Drew Carey Show, Barton Fink, The Rocketeer, Apollo 13, Bruce Almighty, Six Feet Under, and more.

Marc Alaimo played Gul Dukat in 33 episodes of DS9, plus he played four other characters in episodes of TNG. He has had a lengthy career in both TV and film with roles in Barnaby Jones, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, CHiPs, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, TJ Hooker, The A-Team, Hunter, Quantum Leap, The Last Starfight, The Dead Pool, and Total Recall.

Aron Eisenberg portrayed Nog in 45 episodes of DS9 and he played a Kazon in an episode of VOY. He had roles in Amityville 4, Puppet Master III, The Liar's Club, Brave New World, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, The Secret World of Alex Mack, and more.

Rosalind Chao appeared as Keiko O'Brien in eight episodes of TNG and nineteen episodes of DS9. Beginning with 1970's Here's Lucy, Chao has had a lengthy career in film and TV, appearing in classics like MASH, Diff'rent Strokes, Falcon Crest, Six Feet Under, The Joy Luck Club, and more.

Hana Hatae played Molly O'Brien in eleven episodes of DS9, but she originated the role in TNG's "Rascals."

John Fleck (Cardassian overseer) is better known to fans as Silik, the Suliban leader he played seven times in ENT. He played four other aliens in TNG, DS9 and VOY. He was also one of the "NEA Four," a group of artists who had their grants revoked in 1990 and fought all the way to the US Supreme Court.

Leslie Beavis appeared as Rionoj in three episodes of DS9. She is a character actor with loads of credits, including roles on Alien Nation, V, Matlock, Hardcastle & McCormick, MacGyver, Dallas, and others.

Mike Genovese (Zef'no) is a character actor who previously appeared in TNG's "The Big Goodbye." He had recurring roles on multiple series, including Falcon Crest, The Flash, and ER.

Tom Burt (Markalian) is a stand-in and background actor who also had roles on My Name Is Earl, 24, and many more.

This was the last television role for Eric Server (Bajoran officer). His first was in Mission: Impossible twenty years earlier. He also appeared in The Incredible Hulk, Hill Street Blues, and TJ Hooker. Plus, he was the voice of Dr. Theopolis on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century's first season.

Anthony Guidera (Cardassian officer) has a few TV appearances to his name as well as appearances in an impressive selection of films: The Godfather Part III, Species, The Rock, Armageddon, and more.

Paul Nakauchi (freighter captain) was primarily a stage actor, but he's enjoyed success as a voice actor in various Batman animated series and video games.

Katrina Carlson (Bajoran officer) is a singer with only one other acting role in the film Special Delivery, for which she also sang two songs.

George Colucci is a background actor and stunt coordinator who appeared in dozens of episodes of TNG, DS9, and VOY. He has performed stunt work in many more TV shows and movies throughout his career, beginning in 1989 and continuing all the way until today.

Chuck Borden is a stunt and background performer who appeared in dozens of episodes of Trek across TNG, DS9, and VOY. He has continued to work in stunts ever since.

Mitchell Danton was a stunt performer who appeared in several episodes of TNG, DS9, and VOY. After his stunt career, he became an editor, working on shows like Beverly Hills 90210, American Idol, Dawson's Creek, Survivor, and more.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Homecoming_(episode) https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Circle_(episode) https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Siege_(episode)

Upcoming episodes in this Theme Month ...

• "Resistance" - VOY, 212
• "Message in a Bottle" - VOY, 414

Theme Month: "With Special Guest Star ..., Part I"

Episodes with familiar faces and big names.

Episode: "Half a Life" - TNG, 422

Airdate: May 6, 1991

Teleplay by Peter Allan Fields; Directed by Les Landau

Brief summary: "Lwaxana Troi causes trouble when she finds out that a scientist she has fallen in love with is due to commit ritual suicide."

Background: Peter Allan Fields was a script consultant and story editor for a portion of TNG's run and a producer on DS9 for some of its run. He is credited with three episodes of TNG; ten of DS9. Outside of Trek, he worked on The Man from UNCLE, McCloud, The Six Million Dollar Man, Knight Rider, Jake and the Fatman, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Les Landau was a first assistant director during TNG's first season, and later was credited with directing 21 episodes of TNG, fourteen of DS9, nine of VOY, and one of ENT. Outside of the franchise, he worked on Dynasty, TJ Hooker, seaQuest DSV, Lois & Clark, Sliders, JAG, and more.

Guest cast: David Ogden Stiers is best known for playing Major Winchester on the massively successful TV series, MASH. He also appeared in the feature films Oh God!, Better Off Dead, The Man with One Red Shoe, and Doc Hollywood. On TV, he appeared in the North and South miniseries, as well as the shows Stargate: Atlantis and Dead Zone. His vocal talents were frequently used in Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Lilo & Stitch, and the Myst video game series.

Majel Barrett appeared as Christine Chapel in 36 TOS and TAS episodes and films, as Lwaxana Troi nine times, as fourteen different characters in TAS, and as the voice of Starfleet computers in nearly 250 episodes and films.

Michelle Forbes' appearance here was instrumental to her casting as Ensign Ro. Ro appeared in only eight episodes of TNG (and one of PIC). Her character was originally going to be Sisko's first officer on DS9, but Forbes balked at committing to a full-time role. Pre-Trek, she appeared on the soap Guiding Light and the primetime drama Father Dowling Mysteries. Post-Trek, she was briefly a regular on Homicide: Life on the Street and appeared in movies like Escape from LA and shows like Battlestar Galactica.

Terrence E. McNally appeared on multiple series in the '70s and '80s, including The Amazing Spider-Man, Hotel, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, LA Law, and Perfect Strangers.

Carel Struyken appeared as Mr. Homn in five episodes of TNG, plus he appeared as the Spectre in VOY's "The Thaw." His enormous stature (7 feet; 2.13 meters) led to his casting as Lurch in three Addams Family movies, plus appearances in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, The Witches of Eastwick, Hunter, St. Elsewhere, Twin Peaks, Babylon 5, and many more.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Half_a_Life_(episode)

Upcoming episodes in this Theme Month ...

• "The Homecoming/The Circle/The Siege" - DS9, 201/202/203
• "Resistance" - VOY, 212
• "Message in a Bottle" - VOY, 414

Theme Month: "With Special Guest Star ..., Part I"

Episodes with familiar faces and big names.

Episode: "Friday's Child" - TOS, 203

Airdate: December 1, 1967

Teleplay by D.C. Fontana; Directed by Joseph Pevney

Brief summary: "The Enterprise becomes involved in a local power struggle on planet Capella IV, where the Klingons want mining rights."

Background: D.C. Fontana served as a story editor and writer on both TOS and TAS with an impact on dozens of episodes, but a total of 17 Trek episodes are credited directly to her, from TOS through DS9. Outside of the franchise, she contributed scripts to The Six Million Dollar Man, Logan's Run, Babylon 5, Earth: Final Conflict, and several video games.

Joseph Pevney directed fourteen episodes of TOS. In the 1940s, he entered the entertainment world as an actor. He was later embroiled in scandals relating to the "Red Scare" and the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in the '50s, though his career escaped any long-term damage. He went on to direct more than twenty feature films and dozens of episodes of classic TV spanning two decades, including Fantasy Island, Bewitched, The Munsters, Bonanza, The Rockford Files, and more.

Guest cast: Julie Newmar is an actress, singer, and dancer best known to the masses as Catwoman on two seasons of the '60s Batman TV series. She worked for decades on the stage, including on Broadway, and she appeared in dozens of TV shows and films, including The Phil Silvers Show, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, The Monkees, Melrose Place, and more. She also appeared in the 1992 George Michael music video for "Too Funky" and in the 1996 movie that bears her name, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

Tige Andrews played the Klingon, known as Kras in the end credits and script. He starred in The Mod Squad, Mister Roberts, Quincy ME, Kojak, Vega$, and many more shows and films.

Michael Dante (Maab) is a character with credits across multiple shows and films, including Sugarfoot (remember Sugarfoot?), The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Perry Mason, Get Smart, Knots Landing, The Fall Guy, and more.

Cal Bolder (Keel) was an actor and author who appeared in the classic bad movie Jessie James Meets the Daughter of Frankenstein, as well as '60s shows like The Man from UNCLE, The Girl from UNCLE, Honey West, and Bonanza.

Ben Gage (Akaar) was primarily a singer and voice artist, but he appeared in about a dozen shows and films spread out across three decades. The Donna Reed Show, Maverick, F-Troop, Batman, The Lucy Show, Police Woman, and others.

Kirk Raymone (Duur) later appeared in the episode "The Cloud Minders," plus the films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Coming Home.

Robert Balver (Grant), despite dying in this episode, appears in two third season episodes as Enterprise crewmen. He previously appeared as a colonist in "Operation -- Annihilate!" He would go on to be a stunt performer in multiple TOS episodes, but also The Motion Picture and DS9. Outside of the franchise, he appeared as actor and/or stunt actor in Earthquake, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Road House, Space Jam, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, Kojak, Kung Fu, and many others. He was also an episodic television director and worked on episodes of The A-Team, Hardcastle & McCormick, Riptide, Dragnet, Jake and the Fatman, Father Dowling Mysteries, Renegade, and more.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Friday's_Child_(episode)

Upcoming episodes in this Theme Month ...

• "Half a Life" - TNG, 422
• "The Homecoming/The Circle/The Siege" - DS9, 201/202/203
• "Resistance" - VOY, 212
• "Message in a Bottle" - VOY, 414

It's time to choose a theme for the month of November! It's up to you to do so. Simply upvote the "distinguished" comment below (the ones posted by me) to cast your vote for the Theme Month you'd like to see.

Here are the options:

• "Body Swap, Part I": episodes which see our character's consciousnesses supplanted by others.

• "Faith of the Trek, Part I" - episodes wherein we deal with gods and/or their followers.

• "Star-Crossed Love, Part I" - our heroes fall in love but the relationships are not destined to last.

• "Whodunit?, Part I" - episodes that see our crew tackling a mystery.

The winning theme will be the one with the most upvotes in the last week of this month. Meanwhile, feel free to speculate on which episodes may be included in the comments.

Thank you!

Theme Month: "Ripped from the Headlines, Part I"

Episodes inspired by or based upon then-current or historical events.

Episode: "Sleeping Dogs" - ENT, 114

Airdate: January 30, 2002

Teleplay by Fred Dekker; Directed by Les Landau

Brief summary: "While exploring a gas giant, Enterprise finds the wreck of a Klingon scout vessel sinking into the atmosphere."

Background: This story was inspired by the real-life Kursk Submarine Disaster, a Russian submarine that sank in 2000. While the would-be survivors slowly suffocated, the Russian government refused any outside assistance.

Fred Dekker was a consulting producer during ENT's first season with co-writing credits on two other episodes. Outside of Trek, he wrote the story for the 1986 horror film House and went on to write and direct Night of the Creeps, The Monster Squad, and RoboCop 3.

Les Landau directed 59 episodes of the "Berman Era" of Trek series, but this was his only ENT episode. Outside of Trek, he directed episodes of seaQuest DSV, Beverly Hills 90210, Lois & Clark, Sliders, JAG, and more.

Guest cast: Michelle Bonilla (Bu'kaH) had recurring roles on both ER and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. She also appeared in episodes of Beverly Hills 90210, Murder One, Sisters, Seinfeld, The Pretender, 24, and more.

Vaughn Armstrong appeared in fourteen episodes of ENT as Admiral Forrest, but here, he plays the Klingon captain because the original actor was unable to finish filming the role. Armstrong holds the record for playing the most characters in Star Trek (yes, besting even Jeffrey Combs). He has had an extensive career outside of Trek for over thirty years: Lou Grant, Wonder Woman, The Philadelphia Experiment, Simon & Simon, The Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Cheers, Quantum Leap, Melrose Place, Baywatch Nights, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG, CSI, Mad Men, and many more.

Michael Braveheart (Klingon bridge officer) was a regular background actor and stand-in on TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT, plus he appeared in two of the TNG features. Outside of the franchise, he appeared in films like The Doors and Always, as well as TV shows like Cheers and Cagney & Lacey.

Richard Bishop (Klingon engineer) was a background actor on both VOY and *ENT.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sleeping_Dogs_(episode)

As decided by you, this is the ...

Next Theme Month:

"With Special Guest Star ..., Part I": episodes with familiar faces and big names.

• "Friday's Child" - TOS, 203
• "Half a Life" - TNG, 422
• "The Homecoming/The Circle/ The Siege" - DS9, 201/202/203
• "Resistance" - VOY, 212
• "Message in a Bottle" - VOY, 414

Theme Month: "Ripped from the Headlines, Part I"

Episodes inspired by or based upon then-current or historical events.

Episode: "The High Ground" - TNG, 312

Airdate: January 29, 1990

Teleplay by Melinda Snodgrass; Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont

Brief summary: "Doctor Crusher is captured by terrorists who want to involve the Federation in their struggle for freedom."

Background: Originally, the story was conceived as more of an American Revolution allegory, but the powers-that-be pushed it in a new direction, according to Snodgrass:

"I wanted it with Picard as Cornwallis and the Romulans would have been the French, who were in our revolution, trying to break this planet away. Suddenly Picard realized he's one of the oppressors. Instead, we do 'Breakfast in Belfast,' where our people decide they're going to go off to Northern Ireland."

Because of the subject matter and the reference to terrorism leading to the "Irish Unification of 2024," this episode was banned for nearly twenty years from airing on BBC, which didn't broadcast the episode until 2007. (It aired on cable and satellite channels in the area for some time, however, though most often with this reference removed.)

Melinda Snodgrass was a story editor in season two of TNG and story consultant in season three, earning writing credits on five episodes. She has also worked on LA Law, Reasonable Doubts, seaQuest DSV, Profiler, Outer Limits, and more.

Gabrielle Beaumont was Trek's first female director, helming seven episodes of TNG and one each of DS9 and VOY. Her lengthy career includes episodes of MASH, The Dukes of Hazzard, Miami Vice, Beverly Hills 90210, and the TV movie Diana: A Tribute to the People's Princess (which she also wrote).

Guest cast: Richard Cox (Kyril Finn) had an extensive career on both the big and small screen, with appearances on shows like The Rockford Files, Midnight Caller, Law & Order, Millennium, The Practice, etc.

Kerrie Keane (Alexana Devos) had a prolific career throughout the '80s, '90s, '00s, and '10s. appearing on shows like Jake and the Fatman, Matlock, Diagnosis: Murder, Chicago Hope, 7th Heaven, Cold Case, JAG, Castle, and many others.

Marc Buckland (Shaw) was an actor who also appeared in LA Law and Tour of Duty before becoming a director and producer. In those positions, he worked on Murder One, Felicity, NYPD Blue, Scrubs, Ed, and My Name Is Earl.

Christopher Pettiet (Rutian boy) played young Jesse James on the series The Young Riders and Dean in MTV's Undressed. He had multiple appearances across other shows like Doogie Howser MD, Baywatch, Picket Fences, Touched by an Angel, and feature films like Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Point Break before dying of a drug overdose in 2000.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_High_Ground_(episode)

Upcoming episodes in this theme month ...

• "Sleeping Dogs" - ENT, 114