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Allegiance (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"Allegiance" is the title of an episode from the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
, while sleeping in his quarters on the Enterprise after the successful completion of a mission, is abducted by an unknown device and finds himself in a cell with three other prisoners: Starfleet
Cadet Haro from Bolius IX, the philosopher Kovar Tholl from Mizar Two, and the violent Esoqq from Chalnoth. While they have meager beds and facilities, their only source of nutrition is provided by a tasteless rubbery disk, which they find Esoqq is unable to eat and would likely consider Tholl a good meal. Picard attempts to learn why the four of them have been abducted but can find no connection. Picard organizes Haro and Esoqq to attempt to break the lock on the only door to the cell. Initially foiled by a stun beam when they tamper with the controls, they manage to override the beam and then defeat the door's security, only to find a blank wall behind it.
Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, a doppelgänger
of Picard has taken his place, ordering the ship to travel slowly at warp two to a pulsar
. En route, Picard's double exhibits behavior that the senior crew begins to question, such as his newfound romance for Dr. Crusher
or engaging the crew in singing Heart of Oak
, the official march of the Royal Navy
, in Ten Forward. When, upon arrival at the pulsar, Picard's double orders the ship closer which would expose the crew to lethal radiation
, Riker
and the rest of the bridge crew refuse to follow his orders and mutiny
.
The real Picard, after discovering the false door, deduces that Cadet Haro is not who she claims to be due to her knowledge of classified details. Haro reveals herself to be an alien species, and that he and his comrades were studying the concept of authority. The four different alien captives provided the perfect way to do this: Tholl (the collaborator who goes along with whomever's in charge), Esoqq (typical for his species, a violent anarchist who rejects any kind of authority), Haro (the Cadet, sworn to obey orders without question), and Picard (the leader, accustomed to giving orders). The aliens quickly return Picard and the other captives to their respective locations. On the Enterprise, Picard's double is also revealed to be of the same alien species. Before the aliens can leave the Enterprise, Picard orders a force field to hold them, and then, after seeing how they react to being ensnared, allows the aliens to go free, warning them not to abduct others again.
The plot of this episode is very similar to that of the Twilight Zone
episode "Five Characters in Search of an Exit
", as well as the film Cube
released 7 years after "Allegiance".
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Plot
Captain PicardJean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
, while sleeping in his quarters on the Enterprise after the successful completion of a mission, is abducted by an unknown device and finds himself in a cell with three other prisoners: Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
Cadet Haro from Bolius IX, the philosopher Kovar Tholl from Mizar Two, and the violent Esoqq from Chalnoth. While they have meager beds and facilities, their only source of nutrition is provided by a tasteless rubbery disk, which they find Esoqq is unable to eat and would likely consider Tholl a good meal. Picard attempts to learn why the four of them have been abducted but can find no connection. Picard organizes Haro and Esoqq to attempt to break the lock on the only door to the cell. Initially foiled by a stun beam when they tamper with the controls, they manage to override the beam and then defeat the door's security, only to find a blank wall behind it.
Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, a doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of Picard has taken his place, ordering the ship to travel slowly at warp two to a pulsar
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the lighthouse effect and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name...
. En route, Picard's double exhibits behavior that the senior crew begins to question, such as his newfound romance for Dr. Crusher
Beverly Crusher
Commander Beverly Crusher, M.D. , played by actress Gates McFadden, is a fictional character on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its subsequent spinoff films...
or engaging the crew in singing Heart of Oak
Heart of Oak
"Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is also the official march of several Commonwealth navies including the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy....
, the official march of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, in Ten Forward. When, upon arrival at the pulsar, Picard's double orders the ship closer which would expose the crew to lethal radiation
Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually have sufficient energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This ionization produces free radicals, which are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons...
, Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
and the rest of the bridge crew refuse to follow his orders and mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
.
The real Picard, after discovering the false door, deduces that Cadet Haro is not who she claims to be due to her knowledge of classified details. Haro reveals herself to be an alien species, and that he and his comrades were studying the concept of authority. The four different alien captives provided the perfect way to do this: Tholl (the collaborator who goes along with whomever's in charge), Esoqq (typical for his species, a violent anarchist who rejects any kind of authority), Haro (the Cadet, sworn to obey orders without question), and Picard (the leader, accustomed to giving orders). The aliens quickly return Picard and the other captives to their respective locations. On the Enterprise, Picard's double is also revealed to be of the same alien species. Before the aliens can leave the Enterprise, Picard orders a force field to hold them, and then, after seeing how they react to being ensnared, allows the aliens to go free, warning them not to abduct others again.
The plot of this episode is very similar to that of the Twilight Zone
Twilight zone
-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
episode "Five Characters in Search of an Exit
Five Characters in Search of an Exit
"Five Characters in Search of an Exit" is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:A uniformed Army major wakes up to find himself trapped inside in a large metal cylinder, where he meets a clown, who introduces him to the others, a hobo, ballet dancer, and a bagpiper. None...
", as well as the film Cube
Cube (film)
Cube is a 1997 Canadian science fiction psychological thriller/horror film directed by Vincenzo Natali. The film was a successful product of the Canadian Film Centre's First Feature Project....
released 7 years after "Allegiance".
Awards
- "Allegiance" was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series.