Ai/LLM reviews of STNG - The Child

Google Gemini

"Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Child"
kicks off the second season with a highly
unusual and emotionally charged premise:
the sudden, inexplicable, and rapidly
accelerated pregnancy of Counselor Deanna
Troi. This episode explores themes
of motherhood, the definition of life,
and the ethical dilemmas presented
by unknown biological phenomena.

Plot Overview:

The USS Enterprise-D is engaged
in a critical mission to collect
specimens of a deadly plasma plague
when Counselor Deanna Troi experiences
an astonishing and alarming development:
she becomes pregnant with an unknown life
form that is growing at an unprecedented,
accelerated rate.
The crew, particularly Dr. Crusher,
is deeply concerned about the potential
danger to Troi's health and, by extension,
the safety of the ship itself. A tense ethical
debate ensues regarding the possibility
of terminating the mysterious pregnancy.
However, Troi, guided by an instinctive
connection to the life within her, steadfastly
insists on carrying the baby to term.
The child, named Ian Andrew, is born
without complications and exhibits
an incredibly rapid growth rate,
progressing from infancy to childhood
in a matter of days. It is eventually
revealed that Ian is not an ordinary child,
but a life force entity that impregnated Troi
to experience human existence.
However, Ian's presence also coincides
with a dangerous escalation of the plasma
plague specimens on board, as his unique
energy signature inadvertently causes
the deadly pathogen to grow rapidly,
threatening the Enterprise. Faced with
this dire threat to the ship and crew,
Ian makes the ultimate sacrifice,
willingly leaving the ship to save them.
The episode concludes with Wesley Crusher
deciding to remain on the Enterprise rather
than attend Starfleet Academy, a personal
choice that underscores his commitment
to his adopted family.

Strengths:

Unique Premise: The concept of an alien
energy being impregnating a human is
certainly unique for Star Trek
and immediately grabs attention,
providing a very different kind
of first contact.

Deanna Troi Focus: The episode places
Deanna Troi at the center of a deeply
personal and emotional storyline,
allowing Marina Sirtis to explore
new facets of her character as she
grapples with unexpected motherhood.

Ethical Debate: The discussions surrounding
the nature of Ian's life, the ethical
considerations of the pregnancy,
and the potential need for termination
raise classic Star Trek philosophical questions.

Wesley's Choice: Wesley's decision
to stay on the Enterprise is a significant
character beat for him, showing his loyalty
and maturity.

Weaknesses:

Pacing of Growth: Ian's extremely rapid growth
from baby to child can feel jarring
and somewhat unrealistic, even within
a science fiction context.

Limited Character Development for Ian: While central,
Ian's character, despite his rapid aging,
isn't deeply explored beyond his purpose
as a life force entity. His emotional complexity
is somewhat limited.

Convenient Resolution: Ian's self-sacrificing
departure, while dramatic, provides a somewhat
convenient resolution to the main conflict
without fully exploring the long-term implications
for Troi or the entity itself.

Dated Visuals: As an early TNG episode, some
of the visual effects and the presentation
of Ian's energy form show their age.

Lack of Strong External Conflict: The plasma
plague serves more as a background threat to
justify Ian's departure rather than a compelling,
actively developed external conflict.

Overall Impression:"The Child" is a memorable,
if somewhat odd, start to Star Trek: The Next
Generation's second season. Its bold
and emotionally charged premise revolving
around Deanna Troi's miraculous pregnancy
makes it stand out. While the rapid aging
and the convenient resolution might be criticised,
the episode successfully explores themes of life,
motherhood, and ethical dilemmas, providing
a unique character focus for Troi.

Rating: 6/10

ChatGPT

Here’s a balanced review of **“The Child”**
(TNG Season 2, Episode 1), building on
the chakoteya transcript and wider
critical/fan discourse:

- ---

## 🧠 Premise & Setup

Counselor Deanna Troi is suddenly pregnant
by an unknown alien energy entity and gives
birth within days to a rapidly aging child, Ian.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise carries a dangerous
plasma plague—setting up a dual sci-fi ethics story.
It also introduces Dr. Pulaski and Guinan,
marking a sharper Season 2 dynamic ([greatbooksguy.com][1]).

- ---

## � What Works

* **Guinan & Wesley Moment**: Guinan’s guidance
helps Wesley affirm his place on the ship, marking
one of the strongest emotional beats for Wesley
so far ([hailingfrequenciesopen.wordpress.com][2]).

* **Troi’s Emotional Arc**: Marina Sirtis shines,
handling Troi’s harrowing pregnancy, loss,
and personal autonomy with genuine weight
and emotion ([memory-alpha.fandom.com][3]).

* **Visual & Musical Craft**: The episode
earned an Emmy nomination for its stirring
score by Dennis McCarthy, and Rob Bowman’s
more cinematic direction gives it a
polished “feature” quality ([en.wikipedia.org][4]).

- ---

## ⚠️ What Misses

* **Ethical & Narrative Strain**: The idea of
Troi’s impregnation reads vividly as non-consensual
to many modern viewers—the crew discusses her body
without deference, and the pregnancy is over-sanitised
for convenience ([avclub.com][5]).

* **Plot Convenience**: The child’s rapid life cycle
and safe passage feel rushed, and the plague subplot
remains largely unresolved—a narrative
“throat-clearing” effort to redefine
the series([hailingfrequenciesopen.wordpress.com][2]).

* **Pulaski’s Clunky Debut**: Though portrayed
by Diana Muldaur, Pulaski is often at odds with
the core cast and the show, in contrast
to Crusher’s chemistry ([nerdsthatgeek.com][6]).

- ---

## 📊 Ratings Snapshot

* **IMDb**: 5.8/10 ([greatbooksguy.com][1])
* **Tor.com (DeCandido)**: Notes structural
developments, but criticises the ignored
abortion question ([en.wikipedia.org][4]).

* **A.V. Club (Handlen)**: Grade D+ – calls
the pregnancy plot “bunk” and highlights
discomfort at Troi’s loss of agency ([avclub.com][5]).

* **Den of Geek (Hunt)**: Critiques missed
opportunities around Troi’s assault
and the crew’s reaction ([en.wikipedia.org][4]).

* **ScreenRant**: Ranked it among the bottom
episodes, around 5.8/10 ([en.wikipedia.org][4]).

However, some praise its technical polish
and thematic ambition—as noted
in retrospectives ([nerdsthatgeek.com][6]).

Reddit reactions are polarising:

* Some call it “terrible”—its use
of pregnancy and assault tropes
off-putting ([reddit.com][7], [reddit.com][8]).

* Others appreciate elements like
Guinan’s role or Pulaski’s layer
for the series ([reddit.com][9]).

- ---

## 📝 My Take & Rating (6 / 10)

**Strengths**:

* Emotional strides for Wesley, Wesley‑Guinan warmth.
* Troi gets rare depth and memorable screen time.
* A stylistic upgrade with music and visuals signaling a new TNG era.

**Weaknesses**:

* Ethical treatment of Troi’s body undermines the narrative.
* The rushed script and privileges convenience over nuance.
* Pulaski lacks integration; the plague thread sits unfinished.

**Verdict**: *“The Child”* is a pivotal but uneven opener—bold
in theme and character focus, but flawed in execution.
Worth watching mainly for Troi’s arc and the show’s
tonal shift into Season 2, but not one of TNG’s better episodes.

- ---


[1]: https://greatbooksguy.com/2024/04/30/star-trek-tng-season-2-episode-one-the-child/comment-page-1/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Star Trek TNG: Season 2, Episode One “The Child” – Great Books Guy"
[2]: https://hailingfrequenciesopen.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/tng-re-watch-the-child-vs-the-child/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TNG Re-Watch: \"The Child\" vs \"The Child\" | Hailing Frequencies Open"
[3]: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Child_%28episode%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com "The Child (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom"
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Child_%28Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com "The Child (Star Trek: The Next Generation)"
[5]: https://www.avclub.com/star-trek-the-next-generation-the-child-where-sile-1798165136?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Star Trek: The Next Generation: \"The Child\"/\"Where Silence Has Lease\"/\"Elementary, Dear Data\"  - AV Club"
[6]: https://nerdsthatgeek.com/television/star-trek-the-next-generation-retro-recap-the-child?utm_source=chatgpt.com "‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘The Child’ – Nerds That Geek - Nerds That Geek"
[7]: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/qz522q?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TNG's S01E01 is painful to watch!"
[8]: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/mrmbqv?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TNG: Which episodes to skip, if I want to avoid themes heavily related to pregnancy or giving birth"
[9]: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/11kon59?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TNG S2E1: The Child"

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