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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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