The Unauthorized Trekkers’ Guide to the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. James Hise van

“The Naked Now,” they acted crazy.

      A QUESTION OF HONOR

      The third episode, “Code Of Honor,” has structural elements from “Amok Time” in both the climactic fight and its resolution. Using Arabian Nights-style costuming and an all-black culture is an interesting idea for the episode, particularly the matriarchal angle (which would repeat in “Angel One”), but it’s sacrificed to stage a fight that has obvious parallels with “Amok Time” in the resolution as the one who dies is revived aboard the Enterprise.

      Picard makes a lot of angry noise over the kidnaping of his security chief, but in the end seems impotent to really accomplish anything. Why he must follow the alien culture’s bizarre protocol while they can flagrantly violate the Federation’s at will without reprisal is unclear. In this writer’s opinion, the story played like a first-draft script in need of several rewrites.

      ENTER THE FERENGI

      Since the Klingons are now in the Federation (just as the Organians predicted in “Errand of Mercy”), a new villain was called for, or so someone thought. The villain must be vile and despicable, but maybe a bit amusing as well. Enter the Ferengi, the midget merchants of space; capitalists of the lowest order. In “The Last Outpost” another old plot is borrowed, this time from “Arena,” when a superior alien intelligence sees the Enterprise