Ethics (TNG episode)
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| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "Ethics" | |
 Worf becomes seriously injured in "Ethics". |
|
| Episode no. | 116 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 216 |
| Airdate | March 2, 1992 |
| Writer(s) | Sara Charno Stuart Charno Ronald D. Moore |
| Director | Chip Chalmers |
| Guest star(s) | Patti Yasutake Brian Bonsall Caroline Kava |
| Year | 2368 |
| Stardate | 45587.3 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Power Play" |
| Next | "The Outcast" |
Ethics is a fifth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
After an accident in a storage bay, Worf's spine is damaged resulting in partial paralysis. Dr. Crusher tells him that he may regain about 60% of his mobility. But Worf does not like the idea of being an injured warrior so he starts to consider ritual suicide. Dr. Crusher consults a specialist, Dr. Russell, who suggests a risky, possibly life-threatening, new procedure, that may allow Worf to regain all of his mobility; essentially, they clone his spine, extract the original and replace it with the new one. However Dr. Crusher does not think the risk is worth it.
Worf asks Commander Riker to assist him in performing the ritual suicide, but Riker points out that it is his son, Alexander, that the ritual states should assist. Unable to ask his son, Worf decides to risk undergoing of the risky procedure, against Dr. Crusher's opinion.
The operation works well at first but there are problems and Worf appears to die. Troi consoles Alexander but minutes later they are surprised as Worf revives due to the redundancies built into his body that back up even his neural functions. Finally Dr. Crusher tells Dr. Russell that, while she is delighted that Worf will recover, she does not like Russell's methods; putting her own interest in finding new methods of medicine above patient's interests. Back in his quarters, Worf begins to practice regaining his mobility with his new spine, and accepts help from Alexander in mastering the use of his legs once again.
[edit] External links
- Ethics article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Ethics (TNG episode) at StarTrek.com
