Rascals (TNG episode)
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| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "Rascals" | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | 133 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 233 |
| Airdate | November 15, 1992 |
| Writer(s) | Alison Hock Story by Ward Botsford & Diana Dru Botsford and Michael Piller |
| Director | Adam Nimoy |
| Guest star(s) | Colm Meaney Rosalind Chao Michelle Forbes David Tristan Birkin Megan Parlen Caroline Junko King Isis J. Jones Mike Gomez Tracey Walter Michael Snyder Brian Bonsall Whoopi Goldberg |
| Year | 2369 |
| Stardate | 46235.7 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "True Q" |
| Next | "A Fistful of Datas" |
"Rascals" is a sixth-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
A transporter malfunction causes Captain Picard, Guinan, Ro Laren, and Keiko O'Brien to become children, the anomaly extracting key cells from their bodies that were responsible for their development past puberty. Captain Picard, now biologically about 12 years old, thinks of giving up his job in Starfleet when it becomes clear that he may never be able to command in his present state. He leaves Commander Riker in charge of the Enterprise, while Keiko finds herself upset by O'Brien's uncertainty around her and the fact that her own daughter no longer recognizes her.
Suddenly, two Klingon warships uncloak and attack Enterprise. Ferengi board the ship and take control of the bridge, but Riker has enough time to lock out the main computer to prevent the invaders from controlling the ship's functions.
Picard, masquerading as Riker's son, throws a tantrum and demands his Ferengi guard to take him to his 'father'. He complains to Riker that none of the computer games will work and asks him if he can unlock the console in the schoolroom. Riker replies that he will try, and Picard is taken away. (Picard once accidentally calls Riker "number one", but thinks fast and explains: "He's my number one dad," to the Ferengi guard.) The lead Ferengi threatens harm to the Enterprise's children if he does not unlock the computer and teach his lieutenant how to operate the Enterprise. Riker relents and then confuses the hapless Ferengi with deliberately meaningless treknobabble, while unlocking the computer console in Picard's schoolroom.
Under their disguise as children, Picard, Guinan, Keiko, and Ro divert the Ferengi so that Riker can beam them behind a forcefield around the transporter pad, such as planting combadges on the Ferengi while apparently playing 'Tag'. In the end Riker regains control of the ship, and Picard, Guinan, Ro, and Keiko use the transporter to become adults again (after he returns to his adult state, Picard wistfully runs his hand over his head, apparently missing the full head of hair he had in his child state). Before she reverts to her adult state, however, Ro takes the opportunity to draw some pictures of her mother; something she never did during her actual childhood.
[edit] External links
- Rascals article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Rascals (TNG episode) at StarTrek.com
