Angel One (episode)

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Template:Disambiguate1 Riker struggles with a planet's female leader, while a plague on the Enterprise prohibits sanctuary for the rebels.

Summary

The USS Enterprise-D has discovered the wreckage of the Odin, a freighter that disappeared seven years earlier. It was disabled by a collision with an asteroid, and there are no life signs on board, but three escape pods are missing. The Enterprise travels to Angel I, the nearest class M planet, to search for survivors. Angel I is a female-dominated society, ruled by six elected mistresses and a leader known simply as "the elected one". It has been 62 years since the last Federation contact with the planet.

The Enterprise hails the planet, and Troi speaks with the elected one, Mistress Beata. Although initially wary, she agrees to let an away team beam down to visit the planet. As the away team head for the transporter room, they pass Wesley and a friend going to the holodeck for a skiing lesson. The away team of Data, Riker, Troi and Yar beam down to the planet, where they meet with Beata and ask about any survivors that might be on the planet. Still suspicious, she asks why they are only coming now, and Riker explains that the discovery of the freighter was unexpected. Their only purpose in coming is to find any survivors and bring them home. Another member of the council, Ariel, expresses her misgivings, and Beata refuses to tell them if there are survivors. Instead Beata's male servant, Trent, takes them to another room. Troi reckons that Beata's refusal to tell them about the survivors confirms that there are survivors.

Back on the Enterprise, Picard tells Worf in the turbolift that they have to prepare for a trip to the Neutral Zone when the away team returns, as Romulan battle cruisers have been detected near a border post. As they pass the holodeck, they are hit by a snowball thrown by Wesley. Picard scolds him. He also detects an unusual smell that Worf identifies as Klingon.

Data is investigating some perfume when Trent returns to bring them back to the council chambers. Beata tells them that, although the decision was not unanimous, they have decided to tell them about the survivors. She says there were four of them, and their leader is a man named Ramsey. However, they are now fugitives in hiding: some time after arriving on Angel I, they started to abuse the hospitality they received and began to cause trouble. She warns Riker that they are dangerous.

Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher tells Picard that Wes and his friend are sick with a respiratory ailment. She is, however, working on a vaccine. On the planet, Data suggests that they can locate the survivors by searching for platinum, an element not found on Angel One, but which would have been brought by the survivors. Data asks La Forge to begin the search. Riker is brought an outfit worn by the men of the planet, as he wants to wear it when he meets Beata. Troi and Yar find his appearance wearing the outfit hilarious.

Dr. Crusher examines Captain Picard, pronounces him unfit for command, and orders him to bed. He relents and tells La Forge he has command. Geordi sits in the captain’s chair, and Worf tells him the platinum has been located on the planet. Riker meets with Beata and tells her the Enterprise has found the location of the survivors. Ariel is still suspicious and tells Riker this, then she storms out. Riker waits with Beata and tells Yar to begin the search. She, Data and Troi beam to the location of the platinum, a cave mouth, where they meet a man who says he’s been expecting them.

Crusher tells La Forge there are 82 more cases of the virus and she's converted a holodeck to deal with it. Worf then leaves the bridge to go to sickbay. Meanwhile Yar tells Ramsey how they found him, and tells him they’re bringing him home. He shocks them by telling them he doesn’t want to leave as he and the others are happy. They have wives and in some cases children.

Beata tells Riker that Ramsey and his friends are anarchists and outlaws. She starts flirting with him, and as they start to kiss, Trent walks in with a present that Riker has brought for her. He shows her the Albeni meditation crystal, before they get back to kissing. Ramsey tells the rest of the away team that at first they thought Angel One was great, but then they saw how the men had no respect and were discriminated against. When they spoke out, they were forced to become fugitives. He refuses to leave, and Data adds that they can’t force him, as he and his crew are not part of Starfleet, nor do they have to obey the Prime Directive.

Yar contacts La Forge to say they’re returning and he informs them that one-third of the crew is infected and more Romulan vessels are converging in the Neutral Zone. Ramsey won’t tell them how he knew they were coming, but after they beam up, Ariel comes out of the cave and kisses him.

Riker is with Beata when Trent enters and tells her that the away team hasn’t got the survivors. Yar fills in Riker, and then Beata says she is forced to sentence the survivors to death. Dr. Crusher visits Picard in his quarters to give him some medicine and notices the same odor that Picard smelled at the holodeck. She realizes that this is the way the virus spreads. Down on the planet, Data tells Riker that seven Romulan battle cruisers are now in the vicinity of the outpost, and the USS Berlin has responded to the distress call. However the presence of the Enterprise is still regarded as vital.

Beata brings in Ramsey and his crew, whom she found by having Ariel followed. She tells Riker that the fugitives are to be executed tomorrow. Riker is outraged and asks her for another chance to convince Ramsey to leave with them. She agrees, but Ramsey still won’t go. Riker wants to beam them aboard anyway, against their will, in violation of regulations. However, Dr. Crusher won't allow anyone to come aboard the ship. Geordi has succumbed to the virus, and she can’t find a cure. Riker orders Data to beam up and take the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone before it's too late.

The next day, Trent invites them to come to the execution. Data contacts them and says they still have time before their ship has to leave for the Neutral Zone: 47 minutes to be exact. Riker agrees to attend the execution, which will be carried out by dematerializing the fugitives. Riker makes a speech about how Beata is trying to hold back evolution, which can’t be done, and warns her that she'll make a martyr out of Ramsey. At the last second, she relents and adjourns to reconsider. Crusher informs Data that she has devised an innoculant. Data then informs Riker that the Enterprise is ready for the away team to return. Riker instructs Data to maintain a lock on the away team and Ramsey's group but to stand by for further instruction. Beata then returns and says she's decided to stay the executions, and she exiles Ramsey and his followers to a remote region.

The away team returns to the Enterprise and gets inoculated against the virus. Captain Picard, although hoarse, has returned to the bridge, and the ship heads for the Neutral Zone.

Log Entries

Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364

Memorable Quotes

"I think I may sneeze."
"A Klingon sneeze?"
"Only kind I know."

- Worf and La Forge discuss matters on the bridge

"Engineering reports computer ma... ah... ACHOO!! ...I'm sorry, I'm getting sick."
"I'm sure half the ship knows that by now."

- Worf and La Forge, on Worf's rather loud "Klingon sneeze"

"Make it so!"

- La Forge, posing as captain

"It looks horrible, tastes worse, but it's absolutely guaranteed to make you feel better."

- Dr Crusher giving Picard a liquid remedy on his sickbed

(hoarsely) "Mr. Data, set course for the Neutral Zone. Warp Six."
"Course set, captain."
(inaudibly) "Engage."
"Sir?"
(Picard turns to Riker, who gives the order) "Engage."

- Picard, Data, and Riker, after Picard's recovery from the virus

Background Information

Production

Script

Writer Michael Rhodes ran afoul of Gene Roddenberry when he wanted to create more conflict in the script for "Angel One". Roddenberry ruled out conflict as a dramatic device. Rhodes, who came to this one-shot Star Trek: The Next Generation assignment from scripting episodes of the series Fame, enjoyed working on the show, despite the disappointing quality of the episode as filmed.

Rhodes whimsically agreed that the episode was sexist, and recalled how oblivious to this Roddenberry was. When Rhodes suggested that the episode be used to examine the unconscious vestiges of sexism that might, perhaps, still linger in the enlightened twenty-fourth century minds of Picard and his crew, Roddenberry dismissed the notion out of hand, and admonished a surprised Rhodes that there was no place for conflict in Star Trek. Nevertheless, Patrick Stewart later observed that there was still considerable sexism in the script for The Next Generation, a fact that disturbed him. Eventually he and Jonathan Frakes protested, along with Marina Sirtis and others.

Rhodes, perplexed, could not quite fathom how to create interesting drama without some sort of conflict. Still, his memories of working on the show, especially with the cast, were generally pleasant. There is no denying, however, that the creative process was undergoing some peculiar distortions during the first season of The Next Generation, which became extremely evident in "Angel One".

Production design

The matte painting of the surface of Angel One was reused many times in later Star Trek episodes.

The first reuse came in the episode "Samaritan Snare", when the Angel One matte was used to depict Starbase 515 without any change. In the episode "First Contact", the painting remained substantially the same to depict the surface of Malcor III, though the colors were slightly more intense, the hue being overall more green compared to Angel One. A completely new painting was produced to represent another view of the planet, the style being similar to the original Angel One scenery.

In the episode "The Mind's Eye", the Angel One matte was modified to represent the Klingon colony Krios Prime. Trees were removed, and the style of the buildings were "Klingon-ized". Several new buildings were added in the background, the most prominent bearing the Klingon emblem.

For the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, "Dax", much of the original Angel One scenery was restored, adding a new tall building in the background for the night shot (which had curiously disappeared at daytime) and omitting some of the greenery. The colors for the day shot are more intense than the original matte; instead, it appears more similar to Malcor III.

The most recent reuse of the Angel One matte came on the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Ex Post Facto", when it was used to depict the surface of Banea.

Likewise, pieces of decoration from the episode were seen many more times on various episodes:

White lamps in various sizes, helix-shaped statues and round wall decorations appeared in several episodes.

The silver box in which Riker keeps the Albeni meditation crystal later housed Miles O'Brien's pet spider Christina in "Realm of Fear".

The pen that Mistress Beata uses to sign the death sentences many years later popped up as a pen again in VOY: "Resistance".

A flower shaped wall decoration (presumably the Angel I logo) is seen in several scenes in the episode.

Other information

This episode marks the first mention of the Romulans in The Next Generation.
Data's party transports directly from their planetside accommodations to Ramsey's camp, marking the first occurrence of site-to-site transport, though it is not given its specific name yet.
A mystery hand is seen taking Mistress Beata's glass in the scene with Riker.
The episode received its UK premiere on BBC2 on 9 January 1991.
Among the items from this episode which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, was an Angel I costume lot including the costume of Jacqueline Drake. [1]

Video and DVD releases

Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 7, catalogue number VHR 2398, 5 November 1990.
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.5, catalogue number VHR 4646, 6 July 1998.
As part of the TNG Season 1 DVD collection.

Links and References

Guest Stars

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Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 1

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