Hero Worship (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"Hero Worship"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 11
Directed by	Patrick Stewart
Teleplay by	Joe Menosky
Story by	Hilary J. Bader
Featured music	Jay Chattaway
Cinematography by	Marvin Rush
Production code	211
Original air date	January 27, 1992 (1992-01-27)
Guest actors
Joshua Harris - Timothy Harley Venton - Hutchinson

"Hero Worship" is the 111th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is the 11th episode of the fifth season, directed by series' castmember Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard). Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry died during the filming of this episode.

Plot

The Enterprise is sent to investigate the disappearance of a science vessel which had been dispatched to explore a large Black Cluster. They encounter the ship adrift just outside the cluster, with apparent heavy battle damage, and Data, Geordi and Riker beam to it to investigate. Everybody they see on the ship is dead apart from a young boy, Timothy, whom Cdr. Data rescues and brings back to the Enterprise.

Timothy tells them that his ship was attacked by some unknown aliens. He is very afraid and only trusts Data. Deanna tells Data to spend time with Timothy in order to get to know more about him.

Timothy is fascinated by the android and starts behaving like him because androids do not have any emotions. Timothy says that he has nightmares and is very afraid, but he believes that by behaving like an android he can suppress his emotions.

Picard finds out that the ship was not destroyed by aliens, and demands that Timothy tell the truth. Finally, Timothy admits that he killed the crew of his ship when he accidentally pressed a button which caused the destruction of his ship. Data tells him that it is not possible since all starships require "user code clearance".

Then, a shock wave hits the Enterprise and Timothy says that his ship was also hit by a shock wave. Picard tells Worf to raise shields but a new shock wave is even stronger than the first one. More power is diverted to the shields and another wave hits and is even stronger. Picard and Geordi discuss putting the energy of the warp engine to the shields. Timothy states that is what they said on his ship.

Data suddenly asks Picard to lower shields and Worf does so. The next shock wave is harmless and the Enterprise is safe. Data realized that giving energy to the shields caused even heavier shock waves (the more power the ship generated, the heavier the shock), and these were ultimately responsible for the destruction of Timothy's ship.

Notes

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 5, disc 3, selection 3

See also

• Star Trek portal

External links

• "Hero Worship" at IMDb
• "Hero Worship" at TV.com
• "Hero Worship" at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• "Hero Worship" at StarTrek.com