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Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko are turned into children by a transporter accident, but retain their adult memories; Ferengi hijack the Enterprise.

Summary

Coming back from a botanic expedition on planet Marlonia where Keiko O'Brien found a specimen of Draebidium calimus, the Fermi shuttle piloted by Ro Laren, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Keiko and Guinan falls victim of an energy anomaly. The emergency transport back is difficult, and the Enterprise-D crew is shocked by the return of... a twelve year old Captain, bartender, botanist and Bajoran Ensign!

Despite their new appearances, the crew is determined to continue their duties. However, they all find it hard to do so. The bridge crew is slightly intimidated to be under the command of a twelve year old captain. Picard attempts to make the change work, despite Dr. Crusher's suggestions, but soon realizes the wiser course of action. He hands over temporary control to First Officer Riker, and retires to his quarters.

Elsewhere on the Ship, Guinan and Ro are trying to adjust to their new lifestyles. Ro just wants to return to duty, while Guinan is enjoying this experience. Ro complains constantly about how she hates being a child, and Guinan insists how fun childhood is. She finally persuades Ro to have a little childhood fun, which apparently allows Ro to relax and enjoy her times: They jump on a bed, each trying to jump higher than the other.

Also, Keiko is having some trouble of her own. Being a child now, it is hard for her husband, Miles, to accept the fact that she resembles the image of a twelve year old girl. He says that he will adjust, but Keiko's daughter, Molly, does not respond the same. She does not recognize her mother when she comes to read her a bedtime story. Miles, not having the heart to break the news to Molly, offers to read the night's story.

Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher thinks she has found a solution to the problem. After using a rapid growth mechanism, she discovers that the missing genetic codes that dictate the officer's appearance can be replaced in the transporter beam. Before she can attempt her plan, though, the ship is taken hostage of renegade Ferengi. Riker manages to lock out the computers command functions. All adults, with the exception of Commander Riker, who is needed to remove the encryption of the computer, are transported to the surface for manual labor.

However, the senior officers who were transformed into children are still aboard. By tricking the Ferengi guard outside the room he is held captive in, Picard manages to contact Riker, under the pretense that Riker is his father. He conveys the message to activate the LCARS net in the school room, giving them full access to the computer systems. They use the transporter to hold all the Ferengi captive in a mock detention cell made on the Transporter platform. They manage to regain control to the ship, and the Doctor can restore the officers to their formal appearance using the Transporters. However, Ensign Ro wishes to remain a child a tad bit longer, to enjoy the time of her life she missed the first time around.

Memorable Quotes

"Look at these fragments. They're... they're very nearly in perfect condition, and yet they're 700 years old."
"So is my father."

- Picard and Guinan


"You could return to the Academy. Take another degree. Brush up on your Latin."
"And be Wesley Crusher's roommate?"

- Troi and Young Picard, discussing Picard's choices while waiting for his body to mature again


"[...] I've spent my life looking forward [...]"

- Young Picard, about his attitude toward life.


"I want to see my father, I want to see him now, now! Now! NOW!"

- Picard as a young boy


"I believe you're in my chair."

- Young Picard, as he points a phaser at the Ferengi in the ready room


"Thanks, number one."
(A Ferengi guard eyes Picard and Riker with suspicion)
"Er ... he's my number one Dad!"
(Picard and Riker embrace, grinning widely)

- Picard, as a young boy plotting with Riker to recapture the Enterprise


"Okay, Morta. The Enterprise computer system is controlled by three primary main processor cores, cross-linked with redundant melacord-remastat 14-kiloquad interface modules. The core element is based on an FTL nanoprocessor with 25 bilateral kelalacterals. With 20 of those being slaved into the primary Heisentram terminals. Now, you know what a bilateral kelalacteral is?"
"Of course I do, human. I am not stupid!"
"No. Of course not."

- Riker, spouting gibberish about the inner workings of the Enterprise computer to Morta


"It's a child's computer. Computer, can you show me a picture of the inside of the Enterprise?"
"Yes, I can. The Enterprise is a Galaxy-class starship. Can you spell Enterprise? E-N-T-..."
"Computer, delete audio!"

- Young Guinan, Elementary School Computer, and Young Picard


"Did you draw this one?"
"I drew this one, this one, all of them!"

- Adult Guinan, Young Ro

Background Information

  • This is the last episode of the series, chronologically, in which Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) appears. Soon after he transfers to Deep Space 9. He does appear in "All Good Things..." in the scenes set in 2364.
  • This episode also marks the final appearance of Rosalind Chao (Keiko O'Brien) and the only appearance of Hana Hatae (Molly O'Brien) on the series. Both make their first Star Trek: Deep Space Nine appearances in "A Man Alone".
  • This episode is directed by Adam Nimoy, the son of Leonard Nimoy. He would also later direct "Timescape".
  • There is a reference to this episode in the Deep Space Nine fourth season episode "Bar Association". In that episode, Odo cites the case of the Ferengi invaders as an example of a security breach aboard the Enterprise.
  • Ronald D. Moore commented: "When Michael bought the premise I thought he was completely insane: An Away Team rematerializes on the transporter as children — with adult minds! I tried again and again to bury this idea, which of course meant that I would get saddled with the inevitable rewrite when the script came in. I just thought it was a ludicrous idea and wanted nothing to do with it. That said, once I got the assignment, the professional writer in me had to commit to the material and do the best with it that I could, so I tried very hard to bring humor and humanity to the proceedings, chiefly through the Guinan/Ro story that I did end up liking in the end. I still cringe when I think of the episode (the Ferengi capture the Enterprise in a couple of broken down Birds of Prey???) but many people have told me how much they like it." [1]
  • Young Picard is played by the same actor, David Tristan Birkin, that played René Picard (Captain Picard's nephew) in the episode "Family".
  • Young Guinan's voice is very obviously looped.
  • The actress who played Young Guinan, Isis J. Jones would also play the young version of Whoopi Goldberg's (Adult Guinan) character in the movie Sister Act.

Links and References

Guest Stars

Special Guest Star

Co-Stars

Uncredited Co-Stars

References

accurentum; anesthizine; archeology; bioscan; B'rel-class; Buranian; calcium; californium; class 4 probe; daiMon; Draebidium calimus; Draebidium froctus; elements; element Mx; USS Enterprise-D; Ferengi Salvage Code; Fermi; firomactal drive; Humuhumunukunukuapua'a; jamesium; jumper; keiyurium; kelilactiral; kiloquad; kryptonite; Dr. Langford; Ligos VII; Marlonia; mercury (element); molecular reversion field; plant biology; pillerium; quad; ribo-viroxic-nucleic structure; security access code; Sulvin IV; Taguan; Tarcassian razor beast; tin; type-6 shuttlecraft; Vendarite

Previous episode:
"True Q"
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 6
Next episode:
"A Fistful of Datas"
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