TNG Season 2

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

The second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted on 21 November 1988, with twenty-two episodes that ran through 17 July 1989.

Episodes

Title	Episode	Production number	Stardate	US release date
"The Child"	2x01	40272-127	42073.1	1988-11-21
"Where Silence Has Lease"	2x02	40272-128	42193.6–42194.7	1988-11-28
"Elementary, Dear Data"	2x03	40272-129	42286.3	1988-12-05
"The Outrageous Okona"	2x04	40272-130	42402.7	1988-12-12
"Loud As A Whisper"	2x05	40272-132	42477.2–42479.3	1989-01-09
"The Schizoid Man"	2x06	40272-131	42437.5–42437.7	1989-01-23
"Unnatural Selection"	2x07	40272-133	42494.8	1989-01-30
"A Matter Of Honor"	2x08	40272-134	42506.5–42507.8	1989-02-06
"The Measure Of A Man"	2x09	40272-135	42523.7–42527.4	1989-02-13
"The Dauphin"	2x10	40272-136	42568.8	1989-02-20
"Contagion"	2x11	40272-137	42609.1	1989-03-20
"The Royale"	2x12	40272-138	42625.4	1989-03-27
"Time Squared"	2x13	40272-139	42679.2–42679.5	1989-04-03
"The Icarus Factor"	2x14	40272-140	42686.4	1989-04-24
"Pen Pals"	2x15	40272-141	42695.3–42741.3	1989-05-01
"Q Who"	2x16	40272-142	42761.3–42761.9	1989-05-08
"Samaritan Snare"	2x17	40272-143	42779.1–42779.5	1989-05-15
"Up The Long Ladder"	2x18	40272-144	42823.2–42827.3	1989-05-22
"Manhunt"	2x19	40272-145	42859.2	1989-06-19
"The Emissary"	2x20	40272-146	42901.3	1989-06-26
"Peak Performance"	2x21	40272-147	42923.4	1989-07-10
"Shades of Gray"	2x22	40272-148	42976.1–42976.3	1989-07-17

Summary

Season 2 saw the departure of Dr. Beverly Crusher to head Starfleet Medical and her subsequent replacement by Dr. Katherine Pulaski. A number of stories focus on the development of Data, introducing him to his "grandfather," revealing his interest in Sherlock Holmes, determining his status as a living being, and revealing to him the moral implications of the Prime Directive. He also clashes several times with Dr. Pulaski, who does not initially regard him as a living being.

Commander William T. Riker is also a focus of this season, settling his differences with his estranged father, deciding to give up an offer for his own ship to command so that he can remain on the USS Enterprise-D, becoming the first Starfleet officer to serve on a Klingon vessel, and nearly dying after becoming infected by a deadly alien parasite.

Lieutenant junior grade Worf becomes Chief of security and meets his mate, K'Ehleyr, and their son, Alexander, is conceived. Geordi La Forge is promoted to full Lieutenant and becomes Chief Engineer. Miles O'Brien is assigned as Transporter chief. Guinan comes on board the Enterprise-D to serve as bartender in Ten Forward, and significantly, Q introduces the crew of the Enterprise-D to the Borg, their most dangerous adversary yet.

Background information

Production

Michael Dorn with Emmanuel Lewis in Webster

• Due to the Writers Guild of America Strike in 1988, Season 2 only contained 22 episodes, rather than the usual 26 episodes. The season premiere, "The Child", aired initially in late November 1988, and the script was adapted from one of the scripts for the aborted Star Trek: Phase II due to the strike. The season began with Patrick Stewart hosting The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation To The Next which filled two hours left absent by the abridged season. The special was the first time that "The Cage" was aired on television.
• Showrunner Maurice Hurley planned to introduce the new villains, the Borg, in a cliffhanger which began in the first season finale, "The Neutral Zone", with the Romulans having their bases destroyed by an unknown force, and concluding in the second season premiere. However, the strike prevented this from happening, and introduction of the Borg was postponed until much later in the season, in "Q Who".
• Additionally, as a result of budget overruns in earlier episodes, the finale episode "Shades of Gray" was required by Paramount to have a three-day shoot to recover costs. As a result, the episode was written as a "clip show", and was composed chiefly of clips from the previous 47 episodes. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was filmed and released during the run of this season. It was the first time a Star Trek feature film was shot simultaneously with a television series on adjoining sound stages. The same was true of every subsequent Star Trek film up to and including Star Trek Nemesis.
• During the second season, Michael Dorn, Lorine Mendell, James G. Becker, and Dexter Clay reprised their Trek roles for the series finale of the Paramount Pictures television series Webster, titled "Webtrek". In the episode, Webster, played by Emmanuel Lewis, was transported aboard the Enterprise-D through his video game joystick, which was fixed by the Enterprise-D crew at the end of the episode.

Cast and characters

• In the second season, Lieutenant, J.G. Worf serves as permanent chief security officer, begins wearing a gold uniform, and transfers from Emergency Manual Override aft bridge station to the tactical station. His rank is still Lieutenant Junior Grade and he will not be promoted to full Lieutenant until the beginning of Season 3. Actor Michael Dorn now has a different prosthetic forehead and different sash as part of his costume for Worf. Also, La Forge is promoted to full Lieutenant and chief engineer during the break between Seasons 1 and 2 and begins wearing a gold uniform in "The Child". The Ten Forward set appears with Whoopi Goldberg in the recurring role of Guinan; Riker starts wearing a beard; also, during this season, Diana Muldaur as Dr. Katherine Pulaski replaces Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher. Out of all seven seasons of The Next Generation, this is the only one in which Gates McFadden does not appear, other than through "flashback" footage from Season 1 in "Shades of Gray".
• Guest star Diana Muldaur is generally considered a regular cast member, as her character appears in all but two episodes and otherwise fulfills the role of a main character. The actress was offered a place in the opening credit sequence, but declined and was listed instead as a Special Guest star. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 2nd ed., p. 64)
• During the hiatus between the first two seasons, which was longer than a usual hiatus due to the writer's strike, Jonathan Frakes grew a beard, mainly because he dislikes shaving. According to the Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book, Gene Roddenberry liked it – Frakes recalled at a convention that Roddenberry said it had an appropriately "nautical" look – and the beard became a permanent part of Riker's character. The executives had some reservations, however. According to Frakes, they told him to shave off "eighteen percent" of the beard." The only explanation behind a number of such bizarre precision is that each executive chose a percentage (ten, twenty, twenty-five, etc.) and the average number was chosen. Frakes would not be seen beardless again until Star Trek: Insurrection, though he was seen wearing only a circle beard or moutee, a type of goatee, in "Defiant" while playing Thomas Riker and would have has beard regrown for Star Trek Nemesis. "Growing the Beard" has since become a term for when a show turns "good," a reverse of "Jumping the Shark," in reference to this. [1]
• No characters from the original Star Trek "crossover" to The Next Generation in this season.

Settings

• The Enterprise bridge set was modified for the second season. The access panels in the port and starboard sections were changed from wood to beige fabric. These panels would then be changed to grey fabric on Season 3. In addition, all three of the command chairs were replaced with new versions. Picard's new chair had the panels on the armrests permanently opened, and the two additional small seats added on the sides of Riker's and Troi's chairs were removed, in favor of a transparent bench. The conn and ops station chairs are replaced with new swiveling chairs. Some of the aft computer terminals were reassigned. Worf's previous station "Emergency Manual Override" and "Environment" are now maintained under the names "Mission Operations" and "Engineering." [2]
• A new sickbay set was constructed featuring portions of the set from the first season combined with a new intensive care ward, freeing up the portion of the set that also doubled as the observation lounge.
• The Ten Forward lounge makes its debut this season, being the last TNG set designed by Herman Zimmerman before he left for Star Trek V. He was replaced by Richard James.
• The observation lounge got two big viewscreens installed on the walls.

Credits

Cast

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
• LeVar Burton as Lieutenant Geordi La Forge ("The Child" – "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man" – "Up The Long Ladder", "The Emissary" – "Shades of Gray")
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant junior grade Worf ("The Child" – "Peak Performance")
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi ("The Child" – "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man" – "Shades of Gray")
• Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data
• Wil Wheaton as Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher ("The Child" – "Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona" – "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor" – "Samaritan Snare", "Manhunt" – "Peak Performance")

Crew

Creator

• Gene Roddenberry

Line Producer

• David Livingston

Producers

• Burton Armus ("The Child" – "Time Squared")
• John Mason ("The Child" – "Time Squared")
• Mike Gray ("The Child" – "Time Squared")
• Robert L. McCullough ("Time Squared" – "Shades of Gray")

Co-Executive Producers

• Maurice Hurley
• Rick Berman

Executive Producer

• Gene Roddenberry

Associate Producer

• Peter Lauritson

Executive Script Consultants

• Hans Beimler ("Pen Pals" – "Shades of Gray")
• Richard Manning ("Pen Pals" – "Shades of Gray")

Story Editors

• Leonard Mlodinow ("The Outrageous Okona" – "The Royale")
• Scott Rubenstein ("The Outrageous Okona" – "The Royale")
• Melinda M. Snodgrass ("The Measure Of A Man" – "Shades of Gray")

Creative Consultant

• Tracy Tormé (credited as Tracy Torme on the first three episodes)

Casting by

• Junie Lowry

Music by

• Dennis McCarthy ("The Child", "Elementary, Dear Data", "The Schizoid Man" – "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man" – "Contagion", "Time Squared", "Pen Pals", "Samaritan Snare", "Manhunt", "Peak Performance")
• Ron Jones ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona" – "Loud As A Whisper", A Matter Of Honor", "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor", "Q Who", "Up The Long Ladder", "The Emissary", "Shades of Gray")

Main Title Theme by

• Jerry Goldsmith
• Alexander Courage

Director of Photography

• Edward R. Brown, A.S.C.

Production Designer

• Richard D. James

Editors

• Tom Benko ("The Child", "The Outrageous Okona", "Unnatural Selection", "The Dauphin", "Time Squared", "Manhunt", "Shades of Gray")
• William Hoy ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Schizoid Man", "A Matter Of Honor", "Contagion")
• Bob Lederman ("Elementary, Dear Data", "Loud As A Whisper", "The Measure Of A Man", "The Royale", "Pen Pals", Up The Long Ladder", "Peak Performance")
• Jon Koslowsky ("The Icarus Factor", "Samaritan Snare", "The Emissary")
• Monty De Graff ("Q Who")

Unit Production Manager

• Sam Freedle

First Assistant Directors

• Les Landau ("The Child", "Elementary, Dear Data")
• Merri D. Howard ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona" – "Loud As A Whisper", "A Matter Of Honor", "The Dauphin", "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor", "Q Who", "Up The Long Ladder", "The Emissary", "Shades of Gray")
• Robert J. Metoyer ("The Schizoid Man" – "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man", "Contagion", "Time Squared", "PenPals", "Samaritan Snare", "Manhunt", "Peak Performance")

Second Assistant Directors

• Robert J. Metoyer ("The Child" – "Elementary, Dear Data")
• Adele G. Simmons ("The Outrageous Okona" – "Shades of Gray")

Costume Designer

• Durinda Rice Wood

Starfleet Uniforms Created by

• William Ware Theiss

Original Set Design

• Herman Zimmerman

Visual Effects Supervisors

• Robert Legato ("The Child", "Elementary, Dear Data", "The Schizoid Man" – "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man", "Contagion", "Time Squared", "Pen Pals", "Samaritan Snare", "Peak Performance")
• Dan Curry ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona" – "Loud As A Whisper", "A Matter Of Honor", "The Dauphin", "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor", "Q Who", "Up The Long Ladder", "The Emissary", "Shades of Gray")

Visual Effects Coordinator

• Gary Hutzel ("Manhunt")

Post Production Supervisor

• Wendy Neuss

Set Decorator

• Jim Mees

Script Supervisor

• Cosmo Genovese

Special Effects

• Dick Brownfield

Property Master

• Joe Longo ("The Child", "Elementary, Dear Data", "The Schizoid Man", "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man", "Contagion", "Time Squared", "Pen Pals", "Samaritan Snare", "Manhunt", "Peak Performance")
• Alan Sims ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona", "Loud As A Whisper", "A Matter Of Honor", "The Dauphin", "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor", "Q Who", "Up The Long Ladder", "The Emissary", "Shades of Gray")

Make-Up Supervisor

• Michael Westmore

Make-Up Artists

• Gerald Quist
• Sue Forrest-Chambers ("The Child" – "Unnatural Selection")
• Janna Phillips ("A Matter Of Honor" – "Shades of Gray")

Hair Designer

• Richard Sabre

Hair Stylists

• Carolyn Ferguson ("The Child" – "Loud As A Whisper")
• Georgina Williams ("Unnatural Selection" – "The Measure Of A Man", "The Royale" – "Shades of Gray")
• Shirley Crawford ("The Dauphin")

Production Associate

• Susan Sackett

Senior Illustrator

• Rick Sternbach

Scenic Artist

• Michael Okuda

Set Designer

• Richard McKenzie

Construction Coordinator

• Al Smutko

Sound Mixer

• Alan Bernard, C.A.S.

Chief Lighting Technician

• Richard Cronn

First Company Grip

• Brian Mills

Costume Supervisor

• Janet Stout

Key Costumer/Costumer

• Cha Blevins ("The Child", "Elementary, Dear Data" – "Unnatural Selection", "Pen Pals", "Up The Long Ladder")
• Alison Gail Bixby ("Where Silence Has Lease")
• Amanda Chamberlin ("A Matter Of Honor", "Contagion", "Time Squared", "Shades of Gray")
• Charmaine Nash Simmons ("The Measure Of A Man", "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor", "Q Who", "Manhunt")
• Kimberley J. Thompson ("The Dauphin", "The Emissary")
• Carol Kunz ("Samaritan Snare", "Peak Performance")

Music Editor

• Gerry Sackman

Supervising Sound Editor

• Bill Wistrom

Sound Editors

• James Wolvington
• Mace Matiosian
• Wilson Dyer

Post Production Sound by

• Modern Sound

Casting Executive

• Helen Mossler

Production Coordinator

• Diane Overdiek

Casting Associate

• Elisa Goodman

Researcher

• Eric A. Stillwell ("Shades of Gray")

Computer Monitors by

• Sony Corp. of America ("The Schizoid Man" – "The Measure Of A Man", "Contagion" – "Shades of Gray")

Editing Facilities

• Unitel Video

Lenses and Panaflex ® Cameras by

• Panavision

Special Visual Effects by

• Industrial Light & Magic, A Division of Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Additional Motion Control Facilities

• Image "G"

Video Optical Effects by

• The Post Group

Special Video Compositing

• Composite Image Systems

"Entity" Animation Sequence by

• Stokes/Kohne Associates, Inc. ("The Child")

Uncredited

• Ackerman – Property Lead Person ("The Schizoid Man")
• Allan A. Apone – Makeup Artist: Mick Fleetwood ("Manhunt")
• Burton Armus – Co-writer ("The Icarus Factor")
• Kim Bailey – Model Maker ("Q Who")
• Daryl Baskin – Editorial Department ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Benson – Special Effects Technician ("The Schizoid Man")
• David Bernard – Sound Cable Person ("The Schizoid Man")
• Alison Gail Bixby – Set Costumer ("The Schizoid Man")
• Edward Brown, Jr. – First Assistant Camera Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• John Earl Burnett – First Assistant Camera Operator: Additional Photography/VFX Unit ("The Child", "Elementary, Dear Data", "The Schizoid Man" – "Unnatural Selection", "The Measure Of A Man", "Contagion", "Time Squared", "Pen Pals", "Samaritan Snare", "Peak Performance")
• Lloyd A. Buswell – Construction Foreman
• Carter – DGA Trainee ("The Schizoid Man")
• Amanda Chamberlin – Set Costumer ("The Schizoid Man")
• Jesse Chavez – Crab Dolly Grip ("The Schizoid Man")
• Ray Clarke – DFX Paint FX Artist: The Post Group
• Cox – Lamp Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• James Crawford – Set Security ("The Schizoid Man")
• Dan Curry – Matte Artist ("Contagion")
• Dick D'Angelo – Swing Gang ("The Schizoid Man")
• Monty de Graff – Editorial Department ("The Outrageous Okona")
• A. Conan Doyle – Character writer ("Elementary, Dear Data")
• Syd Dutton – Matte Artist ("Unnatural Selection", "Q Who")
• Epstein – Special Effects Technician ("The Schizoid Man")
• Brian Faul – DGA Trainee ("Samaritan Snare")
• Alfred T. Ferrante – ADR/Foley Mixer ("Time Squared" – "Shades of Gray")
• Sharyl Fickas – Production Assistant ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Marian Fife – Studio Teacher ("The Schizoid Man")
• Wilbur Finks – Swing Gang ("The Schizoid Man")
• David Fisher – Costume illustrator: Borg ("Q Who")
• Hala Gabriel – Production Accountant
• Adam Glick – Lamp Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• David Heilman – Model Maker ("Q Who")
• Dennis Hoerter – Motion Control Technician ("The Child" – "Shades of Gray")
• Merri D. Howard – First Assistant Director ("The Schizoid Man")
• Gary Hutzel – Visual Effects Coordinator ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Nancy J. Hvasta Leonardi – Makeup Artist ("The Child" – "Shades of Gray")
• Martin Jedlicka – DGA Trainee ("The Schizoid Man")
• Gregory Jein – Model Maker ("The Child" – "Shades of Gray")
• Heidi Julian – Production Assistant ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Alan Kaminsky – Driver Generator Operator ("The Child" – "Elementary, Dear Data")
• Stan Kellam – Visual Effects Editor: The Post Group
• Jon Koslowsky – Editorial Department ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Gere LaDue – Second Assistant Director ("The Schizoid Man")
• Stephen Lebed – Model Maker ("A Matter Of Honor")
• Scott Leva – Stunt Coordinator ("Unnatural Selection")
• David Le Vey – Costume illustrator: Borg ("Q Who")
• Scott Luhrsen – Camera and Electrical Department ("Samaritan Snare")
• Greg Luntzel – Second Assistant Camera Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• Jill MacKay – Jewelry Designer
• Dennis Madalone – Stunt Coordinator ("A Matter Of Honor")
• Terri Martinez – Production Assistant ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Gary Maynard – Special Effects Technician: Image "G"
• McKane – Lamp Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• Robert J. Metoyer – Second Assistant Director ("The Schizoid Man")
• Ronald B. Moore – Visual Effects Coordinator ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Richard L. Morrison – Re-Recording Mixer ("Q Who")
• Peter W. Moyer – Visual Effects Editor: The Post Group ("Q Who")
• John Nesterowicz – Craft Service ("The Schizoid Man")
• Ernie Over – Assistant to Gene Roddenberry ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Lowell Peterson – Camera Operator ("The Child" – "Shades of Gray")
• Steve Price – Visual Effects Animator/Quantel Harry Artist: The Post Group ("The Dauphin", "Q Who")
• Ed Reilly – Assistant Chief Lighting Technician ("The Schizoid Man")
• Malcolm "Mel" Rennings – Mike Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• Gene Rizzardi – Model Maker ("Q Who")
• Charlie Russo – Assistant Property Master ("The Schizoid Man")
• Stewart Satterfield – Transportation Coordinator ("The Schizoid Man")
• Schiavone – Extra Grip ("The Schizoid Man")
• Michael Schoenbrun – Production Staff ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Fernando Sepulveda – Swing Gang ("The Schizoid Man")
• Charmaine Nash Simmons – Set Costumer ("The Schizoid Man")
• Nova Spivack – Production Assistant
• Eric Stillwell – Production Assistant ("The Child" – "Shades of Gray")
• Greg R. Stone – Special Effects Technician ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona", "The Schizoid Man", "A Matter of Honor", "The Dauphin", "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor", "Q Who", "Up The Long Ladder", "The Emissary", "Shades of Gray")
• George Stuart, Jr. – Painter ("The Schizoid Man")
• David Takemura – Visual Effects Associate ("The Outrageous Okona")
• Kimberley J. Thompson – Costumer ("The Schizoid Man")
• Wil Thoms – Special Effects Technician ("The Schizoid Man")
• Guy Tsujimoto – Sound Editor ("Q Who")
• Guy Vardaman – Research Consultant ("The Schizoid Man" – "The Royale", "The Icarus Factor" – "Shades of Gray")
• Elaina M. Vescio – Set Security ("The Schizoid Man")
• Jana Wallace – Secretary to Gene Roddenberry/Script typist
• L.Z. Ward – Set Security
• Wedow – Second Grip ("The Schizoid Man")
• Dana White – Pre-Production Associate/Art Department Associate
• Jack White – Extra Grip ("The Schizoid Man")
• Murphy Wiltz – Lamp Operator ("The Schizoid Man")
• Unknown – Stunt Coordinator ("Where Silence Has Lease", "The Schizoid Man", "The Dauphin" – "Samaritan Snare", "The Emissary")

Production companies

• Central Casting – Extras Casting
• Starlight Effects – Production company created the Borg cube ("Q Who")

Remastered crew

• Jayme Wing – Digital Compositor ("The Emissary", "Peak Performance", "Shades of Gray")

See also

• TNG Season 2 performers
• TNG Season 2 UK VHS
• TNG Season 2 US VHS
• TNG Season 2 DVD
• TNG Season 2 Blu-ray

External links

• Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• The Next Generation Season 2 episode reviews at Ex Astris Scientia

Previous season: TNG Season 1

Seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Next season: TNG Season 3