The Naked Now (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Naked Now" is the 3rd episode
of the science fiction
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
responds to messages it has received from the SS Tsiolkovsky
, a science vessel monitoring the collapse of a supergiant
star; the messages suggest that the crew has been exposed to a sudden hull breach amid rounds of laughter. After the Enterprise secures the ship via tractor beam
, an away team beams over to the Tsiolkovsky and finds the crew frozen to death in various stages of undress, including the body of a clothed crewmember that falls into La Forge
's hands. Dr. Crusher
orders full medical examinations of the away team on their return, and finds La Forge sweating profusely and complaining about the temperature. Dr. Crusher orders La Forge to stay in Sick Bay but he manages to slip out, making his way to Wesley
's quarters. Wesley, unaware of La Forge's condition, shows him a portable tractor beam
device, to which La Forge places an encouraging hand on his shoulder. Meanwhile, acting on a hunch by Commander Riker, Data identifies the ailment as one similarly encountered by Captain Kirk
's Enterprise
. La Forge eventually returns to Sick Bay, where Dr. Crusher quickly becomes concerned when she realizes that one can become infected simply by touch. Quickly, much of the ship's crew comes under the influence of the ailment. Even Data
is affected, and he finds himself in a sexual encounter with Tasha Yar
. Dr. Crusher, struggling against the effects of the ailment, finds the original antidote documented by the Enterprise to be ineffective, and works at devising a new version of it.
Wesley, already infected, uses a digital sample of Captain Picard
's voice to lure key Engineering staff away from the Engineering deck, allowing him to erect a force field around Engineering with his tractor beam, and then assumes control of the ship. He allows one of the engineers, Mr. Shimoda, who is acting in a child-like manner, into the force field; Mr. Shimoda manages to remove all of the isolinear chips from the engine control station and plays with them like toys. As the supergiant star collapses, a fragment is blown into a direct impact course with the two Federation ships, and without the isolinear chips in place, they cannot move out of its way. The chief engineer manages to disable Wesley's force field, and Data is sent to replace the chips; however, Data reports that the task, "..will take slightly more time than we have..". Wesley, still affected by the mysterious pathogen, manages to reverse the ship's tractor beam field to cause the Enterprise to repel off the Tsiolkovsky, giving themselves the necessary additional seconds to clear the path of the fragment. The crew is eventually cured of the ailment, and Picard partially credits Wesley for helping to prevent a disaster.
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
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...
.
Overview
The Enterprise encounters a research ship where all personnel are found dead, including one fully clothed in a shower, and quickly becomes infected with the same affliction that felled the other ship.Plot
The USS EnterpriseUSS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
The USS Enterprise is a 24th century starship in the Star Trek fictional universe and the principal setting of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series...
responds to messages it has received from the SS Tsiolkovsky
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky was an Imperial Russian and Soviet rocket scientist and pioneer of the astronautic theory. Along with his followers the German Hermann Oberth and the American Robert H. Goddard, he is considered to be one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics...
, a science vessel monitoring the collapse of a supergiant
Supergiant
Supergiants are among the most massive stars. They occupy the top region of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. In the Yerkes spectral classification, supergiants are class Ia or Ib . They typically have bolometric absolute magnitudes between -5 and -12...
star; the messages suggest that the crew has been exposed to a sudden hull breach amid rounds of laughter. After the Enterprise secures the ship via tractor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...
, an away team beams over to the Tsiolkovsky and finds the crew frozen to death in various stages of undress, including the body of a clothed crewmember that falls into La Forge
Geordi La Forge
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge is a regular character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its feature films, played by LeVar Burton...
's hands. 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...
orders full medical examinations of the away team on their return, and finds La Forge sweating profusely and complaining about the temperature. Dr. Crusher orders La Forge to stay in Sick Bay but he manages to slip out, making his way to Wesley
Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher is a character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is Beverly Crusher's son and is portrayed by actor Wil Wheaton, the character was a regular for the first four seasons. Afterwards, the character appeared sporadically. The character also appeared briefly in...
's quarters. Wesley, unaware of La Forge's condition, shows him a portable tractor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...
device, to which La Forge places an encouraging hand on his shoulder. Meanwhile, acting on a hunch by Commander Riker, Data identifies the ailment as one similarly encountered by Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
's Enterprise
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is a fictional starship in the Star Trek media franchise. The original Star Trek series depicts her crew's mission "to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before" under the command of Captain James...
. La Forge eventually returns to Sick Bay, where Dr. Crusher quickly becomes concerned when she realizes that one can become infected simply by touch. Quickly, much of the ship's crew comes under the influence of the ailment. Even Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. 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...
is affected, and he finds himself in a sexual encounter with Tasha Yar
Tasha Yar
Lieutenant Natasha "Tasha" Yar, played by Denise Crosby, is a character in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the fictional series, the character served as chief of security aboard the USS Enterprise-D for the first season....
. Dr. Crusher, struggling against the effects of the ailment, finds the original antidote documented by the Enterprise to be ineffective, and works at devising a new version of it.
Wesley, already infected, uses a digital sample of Captain Picard
Jean-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...
's voice to lure key Engineering staff away from the Engineering deck, allowing him to erect a force field around Engineering with his tractor beam, and then assumes control of the ship. He allows one of the engineers, Mr. Shimoda, who is acting in a child-like manner, into the force field; Mr. Shimoda manages to remove all of the isolinear chips from the engine control station and plays with them like toys. As the supergiant star collapses, a fragment is blown into a direct impact course with the two Federation ships, and without the isolinear chips in place, they cannot move out of its way. The chief engineer manages to disable Wesley's force field, and Data is sent to replace the chips; however, Data reports that the task, "..will take slightly more time than we have..". Wesley, still affected by the mysterious pathogen, manages to reverse the ship's tractor beam field to cause the Enterprise to repel off the Tsiolkovsky, giving themselves the necessary additional seconds to clear the path of the fragment. The crew is eventually cured of the ailment, and Picard partially credits Wesley for helping to prevent a disaster.
See also
- The Naked Time, the original seriesStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
' first telling of the same basic premise.
External links
- The Naked Now reviewed by Wil WheatonWil WheatonRichard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
(Wesley CrusherWesley CrusherWesley Crusher is a character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is Beverly Crusher's son and is portrayed by actor Wil Wheaton, the character was a regular for the first four seasons. Afterwards, the character appeared sporadically. The character also appeared briefly in...
) - The Naked Now rewatch by Keith R.A. DeCandido