STAR TREK TNG - PEN PALS

Star Trek TNG
Stardate 42695.3
Penpals
Writers: Melinda M. Snodgrass

Its Starfleets first and foremost rule - a principle of noninterference with Federation races and cultures, a rule born from painful historical experience. Apparently Starfleet is very serious about the Prime Directive and doesn't like it being violated.

 So while the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D checks out catastrophic volcanic geothermal activity in the Selcundi Drema System, guess who's fooling around with the hailing frequencies and its not Uhura aka Nichelle Nichols!!




Nope fraid not. Its our friendly android, Lieutenant Commander Data aka Brent Spiner! so what could possibly be going down while he's extending the ship's sensor range?  a female voice from space speaks.... Is anybody out there? Her name is Sarjenka. All DATA had to do was keep quiet.... instead he says YES! Now, Captain Picard has problems.

 Lets face it, Picard isn't over the moon when he realises - Data has ignored the Prime Directive. It's broken man! Now what are we gonna do? Its game over man - haha ok not quite. The female voice, Sarjenka talks to her penpal Data over the Enterprise-D comm panel and Picard listens fuming

Help can be given if asked for which shoulda coulda maybe, really, didn't happen. Its interesting because here's an android not supposed to be swayed by emotion... yet Data kept the "Penpal" communication going for 6 weeks! why? Then you've got Picard who says "Data I want you to sever all contact with Drema 4."

"Data. Data, where are you? Why won't you answer? Are you angry me? Please, please, I'm so afraid. Data, Data, where are you?"
PICARD: "Wait. Oh, Data. Your whisper from the dark has now become a plea. We cannot turn our backs."

Could you have flicked the hailing frequency off?
Was Data right or wrong to break the Prime Directive?
Picard acted on overt emotionalism, exactly the type of thing the Prime Directive is designed to prevent.
Is Picard emotionally out of control in Pen Pals?

Live Long and prosper, Trekkers
   

2020 IS HERE!

MERRY NEW YEAR TREKKER FRIENDS!

Rene Auberjonois 1940 - 2019

Star Trek fans mourn the loss of René Auberjonois, (the shapeshifer Odo) in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" who died aged 79 on Sunday (Dec. 8)

Rene Auberjonois passed away at his Los Angeles home. He had metastatic lung cancer which his son Rèmy-Luc Auberjonois told the Guardian. Auberjonois' death was confirmed by spokespeople on his official Twitter account.


Since the news, numerous "Star Trek" actors have paid tribute to Auberjonois on social.media

Television delivered big success for Rene not forgetting his films  The Rockford Files to Grey’s Anatomy, Starsky and Hutch to Frasier, he was a regular on three popular and vastly different shows. Trekkers will remember him as Deep Space Nines Security Chief  "Constable" given him by Kira Nerys whom he investigated. Odo had little patience for flim flam wheeler dealers like Quark or criminals trying to pull a scam or break the rule of law, whom he usually caught out with ease by "shapeshifting" into the background. Easy for Odo who waited for his "prey" to make its move while boldly entertaining

Live Long and Prosper, trekkers

Rene Auberjonois was great and as this video shows could laugh at himself.