A freighter crash lands on the wartorn world of Turkana IV, Tasha Yar's home planet. The crew must rescue the freighter's survivors without stirring up trouble among the two prominent factions present, and they seek help from Tasha's sister Ishara in doing so. In her interactions with the crew, Ishara comes to understand the absent sister she's resented all her life... but her offer to help turns out to be less than genuine.
The very name of this episode, "Legacy," was chosen not just for matching the plot content, but as a nod to surpassing the original series' run. The episode is sprinkled with references to planets and ships that appeared in the final original episode, "Turnabout Intruder." Elements of the plot also feel rather "old school." The whole notion of the "proximity detectors" implanted in this planet's inhabitants, so they can carry on their warfare in a civilized manner with a minimum of casualties -- it's very original series in tone.
Of course, the episode is also a nod back to first season Next Generation and the character of Tasha Yar. Director Robert Scheerer, who wasn't with the show at that time, went back to watch all episodes featuring the character, and based on what he saw, recommended the actress to play her sister, Beth Toussaint (with whom he'd worked before on another television series).
It's interesting how much the theme of family plays a role in the fourth season of The Next Generation. We already had an episode literally titled that, showing Worf's parents, Beverly's late husband and Wesley's father, and Picard's brother. In "Brothers," we had a Data family reunion. Now we're meeting the family of characters who aren't even on the show anymore. And while both the writers and the performer do a credible job of presenting someone we can believe as Tasha's sister, the episode is still a bit of a misstep.
It comes down to this: for the second time in just a handful of episodes (following "Suddenly Human"), our characters are made to look pretty stupid. It's pretty obvious to the audience that Ishara is being deceptive, even before her arch "everything is going according to plan" scene. But despite the fact that our heroes are initially skeptical, despite the fact that Picard lectures Riker point blank about not letting feelings cloud judgment here, they all get taken in. And it's hard to buy that they're that tricked by a sister they've never met, that Tasha never even mentioned.
But what does save the episode a bit is that primarily, Data is the character being tricked. It's an interesting dramatic case study, putting the character who can't feel emotion in the position of being betrayed. And it leads to a number good scenes. The poker game returns at the start of the episode, telegraphing the plot to come with Riker's card trick and talk of how Data has become harder to bluff. Ishara's reaction to Data's stoic response to the betrayal is like a little girl wishing her "disappointed father" would just yell at her rather than give the silent treatment. And the final scene of the episode, a personal conversation between Riker and Data about the nature of friendship, risk, and trust, is great stuff.
Other observations:
- Worf gets a bit sexist when he wants to keep Dr. Crusher from beaming down to the planet. Fortunately, she basically busts him on it.
- Even centuries in the future, it will apparently still take hours to get the results of a DNA test.
- I wonder if Denise Crosby ever saw this episode... and maybe got bummed that her character was developed more after she left the show than while she was on it?
A well-intentioned but rather dully executed episode, I give the forgettable "Legacy" a C.
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