Series: Star Trek:TNG
Episode: 2.19 The Manhunt (6-19-1989)
Rating: 4/5
Redshirt Status: 0/18.5/21.5
Notable Guest Stars:
Majel Barett – Lwaxana Troi. My favorite TV mom.
Carel Struychen – Mr. Homm
Rod Arrants – Rex. He was a popular soap opera actor.
Mick Fleetwood – Antedean Dignatory. I’m not sure which one was Mick Fleetwood though. Neither have lines that are distingishable.
Robert O’Reilly – Scarface. Later to appear as Chancellor Gowron.
Review:
I’m going to admit I have a bit of a bias. Any episode with Lwaxana Troi automatically gets points because I just love her character. And this episode is a Lwaxana episode. This begins Lwaxana’s journey as a Ambassador, although very little of this episode deals with that fact.
Most of it deals with Captain Picard being uncomfortable with her advances. I’m going to take points for this, because I don’t really care for Lwaxana’s perusal of Picard, as it clearly makes him uncomfortable, and she is usually pushing. Of course this episode is particularly bad, I think most episodes she’s just teasing him. But I don’t like to see it whether it’s a man or a woman being persued when they really don’t want to be, after they have been clear they don’t want to be.
This also is an extremely uncomfortable episode for Deanna, who not only has to deal with being embarrassed by her mother’s perusal of her boss, but also has to watch Lwaxana go after Deanna’s ex-boyfriend, Will Riker. Riker seems the most at ease about all this, finding it amusing up till the last bit.
Mr. Holm is also a hilarious person, as he works his way through the alcohol alphabet.
To balance it out, we have Picard hiding in a Dixon Hill novel, which never goes smoothly. This one goes more smoothly then usual though, although Lwaxana ends up falling for a holographic character.
Overall I enjoyed the episode, and feel it was well balanced. Its not a hard hitting episode, so its good when you need an episode that’s amusing and light rather then the hard science fiction of a borg episode. While some of the elements are questionable, it doesn’t go so far as to be outright objectionable.
Interesting Notes:
- Written by Terry Devereaux
- Directed by Rob Bowman
- This is the second Dixon novel episode.
Pros:
- Lwaxana Troi
- One small Imzadi moment. Let me have my crumbs.
- New less human looking species
Cons:
- I always cringe at Lwaxana’s lies about Picard’s thoughts.
- Lwaxana’s ‘engagement’ announcement. Like seriously, Lwaxana, its your daughter’s ex-fiancé/Ex-boyfriend (depending on how canon you consider the backstory in Imzadi to be) and apparently the guy you feel she should have married at some point so whhhhyyy.
Screencap via Cygnusx1.net
Sokorra Lewis 