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Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 Episode 14

Angel One

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6.0

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AIRED: 1/25/88

Stardate: 41636.9 The Enterprise discovers the male crew of a crashed Federation freighter hiding as fugitives on the planet Angel One, which is dominated and ruled by women.

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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

Definitely not the bast ST:TNG had to offer.

4.4

By Lady_Taaluma, May 25, 2011

Ick. I can buy the idea that women can be stronger than men, but the concept was carried a bit too far in this episode. After all, the biological reason that, for centuries, men were the bread-winners is the simple fact that women, not men, get pregnant and give birth to children. Nothing about the birth and care of children was mentioned in this episode.
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Battle of the sexes....

6.0

By uk6strings, May 25, 2011

"Angel One" is an interesting episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation - but a very flawed one. The Enterprise crew is hot on the trail of refugees from a destroyed starship that leads them to a planet, Angel One, that is very different from the human order: the women are dominant and in charge while the men are docile and considered objects (Hilary Clinton would love it). Trouble ensues when the refugees are seen as rebels and a nasty strain of illness makes its way through the crew of the Enterprise.

Well, that is how the writers see the late 80s society anyway - as they used the women-dominated culture and the equality of the sexes culture of the Federation to butt heads to hammer the "equality" message home to the audience until blood is drawn. If you did not notice how the show at this point tried to badmouth the primitive state of the pre-24th Century humans (so basically, the show's audience) every chance it gets, you will in this episode. Riker makes an especially eye-rolling speech about "evolution" versus "revolution," and you really just want him to get off of his lame soapbox and end the episode already.

That being said, "Angel One" is not completely bad - most of the pluses do go hand-in-hand with the minuses however. The portrayal of the women-lead culture is an interesting idea - but not completely handled well, (whoever gave the green light to the costumes seen in this episode should have been fired). Also, Karen Montgomery's performance of Beata, the ruler of Angel One, is quite good for a first season guest star - she's a real looker too. The only problem with the character is her half-romance with Riker. Beata seems to want to be submissive to Riker anyway, despite her "I am woman, hear me roar" culture. I find this odd considering the fact that she lived her whole life in this women-lead culture and is currently seeing over it at this point, why would she suddenly not want to be the strong woman that her race demands? I guess Riker was too dreamy?

"Angel One" is not a bad episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it sure is not one of the stronger ones. The best part of the episode is the epidemic aboard the enterprise - and I found whatever Data was given to do very entertaining.moreless
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The Enterprise must deal with Angel 1, a planet ruled by women. Meanwhile, a virus spreads swiftly throughout the ship.

5.0

By Celedorian, Apr 09, 2011

This "reverse gender roles" story (with a B story about a virus) is reminiscent of the original series but is executed rather flatly. It's sort of a poor man's "Justice" but without some of the silliness of that prior episode to drag it down. The most memorable part of "Angel One" is, perhaps, a gorgeous matte painting of the surface of the planet (Angel 1) which would be reused many times on this show, as well as in Deep Space Nine and Voyager. And speaking of reuse, footage from this episode would be reappear in the second season finale, "Shades of Gray", an episode that should remind us that even though "Angel One" is one of those Star Trek installments featuring two stories where neither really works, things could be a lot worse.moreless
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My take on this episode. Geordi LaForge commands the Enterpise due to the fact all others are sick with some respatory virus. Meanwhilw the away team is unable to beam up due to the viral outbreak. Only Data can beam up.moreless

2.3

By Pink_Floyd_AL, Mar 01, 2011

I feel this episode is a precursor to Geordi LaForge being consider for Chief Engineer due to the fact he handled the situtation well while other senior officers had a respatory virus. But even LaForge was not immune. None of the away tem can beam up to the viral outbreak. Data is beamed aboard the enterpise. So the main plot seems to be the viral outbreak while the away team mission takes the backburner.moreless
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Strangely alluring

7.0

By AvatarBlue, Apr 30, 2008

Firstly dont expect any fisticuffs in this episode. This is another moral battle for the crew to overcome. Ryker, Yar and Troi are the main protaganists here. Its good to see Ryker pegged down a notch and still he gets the girl! He aint no Han Solo!!! Still, thats one of the high points of the plot. The overall plot isnt that great but the subject at least was appealing to me. A reverse battle of the sexes if I may call it that. Where the surviving males are also the cause of unrest and a possible revolt against the Matriarchy. The only other element of the episode of interest is that not all the females want to remain as the superior sex and live secret lives w/ these men inc. one of the ruling class.

In a somewhat exciting finale (for this type of episode), the men face certain death until Ryker gives a pretty good speech for why the men should be spared.

Not a great episode, and dont worry if you miss it. If you find its on when youre vegging then Id watch it if I were you.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Patrick Stewart	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Michael Dorn	Lt./Lt. Cmdr. Worf
LeVar Burton	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge
Jonathan Frakes	Cmdr. William T. Riker
Marina Sirtis	Counsellor/Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Troi
Gates McFadden	Dr. Beverly Crusher

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Karen Montgomery	Beata	Guest Star
Sam Hennings	Ramsey	Guest Star
Patricia McPherson	Ariel	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (5)
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- Data calculates the amount of time available to continue orbiting Angel One based on the premise that the Enterprise will head toward the Neutral Zone at "maximum warp." However, Picard orders the Enterprise to move out at Warp 6, meaning they will arrive too late to be of assistance in a conflict.
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- It seems unlikely in the extreme that Data would not know the word "aphrodisiac." It's a common word found in virtually any dictionary.
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- Even though they couldn't transport the away team and Ramsey's group directly to the Enterprise for fear of infection, they still could have either beamed down some environmental suits to wear before re-boarding, or had Data bring down a shuttle and pick them up to hold them there until the virus could be contained.
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- Watch when Geordi on the bridge calls up Crusher in sickbay. There's a white-haired medical assistant working on someone behind Geordi. Then when Crusher responds to Geordi's page, the same assistant is down in sickbay with her. Then they cut back to Geordi and the assistant is back up on the bridge again.
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- At the end of the episode the Enterprise heads off to ward off Romulan Warbirds, but according to "The Neutral Zone" the Romulans haven't been heard of since the Tomed Incident.
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QUOTES (4)
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- Riker: No power in the universe can hope to stop the force of evolution. Be warned. The execution of Mister Ramsey and his followers may elevate them to the status of martyrs. Martyrs cannot be silenced.
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- Ramsey: What is it that you think that you're rescuing me from? My shipmates and I have all taken wives. A few even have children. You can't rescue a man from a place that he calls his home.
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- Worf: Klingons appreciate strong women.
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- Worf: I think I may sneeze.
  Geordi: A Klingon sneeze?
  Worf: Only kind I know.
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