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Star trek: The next generation 1.02b - Code of honour

Stardate 41235.2
Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Episode propaganda

The Enterprise visits Ligon II to obtain a rare vaccine needed to avert a plague on Stryis IV. When the Ligonian leader, Lutan (Jessie Lawrence Ferguson), comes on board he seems very arrogant and more than slightly attracted to Tasha, but not dangerous. Unfortunately, in departing, he kidnaps Tasha for a concubine.

Then Lutan's jealous spouse, Yareena (Karole Selmon), challenges Tasha to a death duel, which she must accept if the Enterprise is to obtain the vaccine. Lutan now cannot lose; if Yareena dies, he inherits all her land (on Ligon, the women own the land), and if she lives, he loses nothing...

Persons of interest

Patrick Stewart .... Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes .... Commander Will Riker
Michael Dorn .... Lieutenant Worf
Brent Spiner .... Lieutenant Commander Data
Gates McFadden .... Commander Doctor Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis .... Lieutenant Commander Counsellor Deanna Troi
LeVar Burton .... Commander Geordi La Forge
Wil Wheaton .... Wesley Crusher
Denise Crosby .... Lieutenant Natasha "Tasha" Yar
Majel Barrett .... USS Enterprise-D computer voice
Jessie Lawrence Ferguson .... Lutan
Karole Selmon .... Yareena
James Louis Watkins .... Hagon
Michael Rider .... Transporter Chief
Katharyn Powers .... Screenwriter
Michael Baron .... Screenwriter
Russ Mayberry .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Studios and distributors:

Star trek official site

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Intelligence report

Oh boy, are they skirting close to the line on this one. Poor, backward planet full of dark-skinned natives with quaint customs and barbarous behaviour being taught a lesson in civilisation by mostly white-skinned Starfleeters. Talk about patronising. And racist. It probably wasn't their intent, but that's how it ended up.

Other than that, Code of honour is as much about Starfleet's adherence to the Prime Directive as it is about Lutan's ethics with the former being quite definite and the latter being somewhat more slippery. As the first actual challenge to the directive this episode should be a tense psychological drama: it turns out to be something less.

One good lesson you can take from this is that weapons (honour) are as dangerous to the user as they are to the intended victim.