30th Anniversary TNG Episode Discussion Marathon

[Nate the Great]

(meanwhile, Vorin has found his scroll, and the arch partly showing in the rock. He touches it and the door appears. He steps forward, it opens and out he goes)

The holodeck is malfunctioning, why aren't there guards stationed here to stop people who wander out? For that matter, why isn't there a stun field pointed at the door?

CRUSHER: I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do. His neural physiology is unusual. I can't wipe his memory.

At least they addressed the question.

VORIN: A new life?
PICARD: A chance for your culture, your people, to survive and grow.
VORIN: How can we grow when everything that made us who we are is gone?

SF Debris pointed out the absurdity of this comment. They KNEW they were going to a new place, and if there was some spiritual link with the planet shouldn't that be brought up?

NIKOLAI: Wait. Are you saying that if Vorin wants to come back in here, they'll let him?
WORF: That is right. He is not a prisoner.
NIKOLAI: But if he comes back here and tells the others what he has seen on the Enterprise, everything we have done will be for nothing.
WORF: Then you should have considered that before you beamed them on board.

Exactly. Acting like you never have to face consequences for your actions is dangerous.

NIKOLAI: Oh, if only I could have been like you. Worf, the perfect son.
WORF: I was not perfect, but I was not wild and disobedient.
NIKOLAI: Of course not. You were too busy doing your duty.
WORF: I would rather be accused of that than making our mother weep.

Exactly! How can Nikolai ever claim to have the moral high ground?

DOBARA: Please, go to him. Make things right between you. I want us to be a family.
WORF: Us?
DOBARA: Yes. I want you to consider yourself my brother. After all, you're going to be the uncle of my child.

This is a huge misstep. The episode is already dealing with too many issues, we don't need another. What does this accomplish except making us like Nikolai less? Did the episode feel that we wouldn't be convinced one way or the other by now?

DATA: We are in synchronous orbit above the beam down site, sir.
PICARD: Good. Mister La Forge, how much longer before we can transport the Boraalans?
LAFORGE [OC]: A few more hours, Captain, but we've got some problems here. I don't think the holodeck's going to last that long.

Why can't they beam people down immediately? If they're talking about how fast they can adjust the holodeck to match the planet, that's not really Geordi's problem right now. Frankly Barclay should've been assigned to the holodeck while Geordi handles the ship and transporters.

WORF: How could you have mated with a Boraalan? What were you thinking?
NIKOLAI: I don't owe you an explanation.

But you owe the Federation an explanation. The rulebook on interspecies relationships is over three centimeters thick, remember.

WORF: That is not possible. I cannot allow you to stay here.
NIKOLAI: You will have to kill me first.

Yeah, that's stupid. Nikolai is a criminal and needs a trial if nothing else. Plus stun settings exist for a reason.

CRUSHER: I think it was some form of ritual suicide.
PICARD: He said that he had nowhere to go.
CRUSHER: He would have died even if we hadn't interfered.
PICARD: But he wouldn't have died alone and afraid.
CRUSHER: Are you saying you're sorry we saved the Boraalans?
PICARD: No, of course not. Our plan for them worked out well. But I wish that Vorin could have bridged the gap between our two cultures. I would have liked the chance to have known him better.

I put this one on the tearjerker page for TNG years ago.

Memory Alpha

* Even Memory Alpha wonders why they didn't knock the people out to reset the holodeck.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Troi was conveniently off the bridge when Boral II dies, if she was there she would've sensed that Nikolai wasn't grieving like the others.
* What if the baby resembles a human more than a Boralan?
* Phil wonders why Troi left Vorin alone in this time of crisis. I would argue that Troi is trained to recognize when a person is or is not receptive to therapy.
* Phil also brings up the gene pool thing, and reminds us of the similar situation in "Up the Long Ladder".
* They started with sixteen scrolls. Vorin could only save six. But then he dies with one outside, leaving five. Then Worf took one, leaving four. What about their history?
* Isn't it convenient that the Boralans would be on a holodeck on Deck 10 so Vorin could stumble into Ten Forward?
* Worf's mustache is reduced for his Boralan disguise, then is restored to normal when he returns to normal. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that Federation technology can stimulate body hair growth.