The Host (episode)

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"The Host"
TNG, Episode 4x23 Production number: 40274-197 First aired: 13 May 1991
←	96th of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	96th of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
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Written By Michel Horvat Directed By Marvin V. Rush
44821.3 (2367)
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Beverly Crusher falls in love with a visiting negotiator, but he is not entirely what he appears to be.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Log entries 3 Background Information 3.1 Video and DVD releases 4 Links and references 4.1 Guest stars 4.2 Uncredited Co-Stars 4.3 References

[edit] Summary

The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Peliar Zel to mediate a critical dispute between the Alpha and Beta moons. A Trill ambassador, Odan, is aboard to mediate the negotiations. He and Dr. Crusher have initiated a romance and quickly fallen in love.

When the negotiations are to begin, Odan insists that he disembark to the planet only by shuttle, rather than by transporter, even though he is aware that many radical factions may try to block the negotiations by any means necessary. When the shuttle with Odan and Riker launches, it is attacked by an unknown ship from one of the moons, seriously injuring Odan. Riker barely gets back to the Enterprise in one piece.

When Odan is returned to the ship, Dr. Crusher and the medical staff learn that the Trill are a joined species, a symbiont and a host, and this was the reason why he did not want to be beamed to the surface – it would have killed the symbiont. Not even Dr. Crusher was aware what Odan really was. Odan's host body dies of the injuries, and the Enterprise contact the Trill and ask them to send a replacement. However, the symbiont cannot survive long enough for the new host to arrive. Though no Human has ever hosted a Trill symbiont before, Riker volunteers to be a temporary host, both to save the Trill symbiont and continue with the mission.

Dr. Crusher feels betrayed and confused, since Odan still loves her, but the Odan Dr. Crusher loves now lives in Riker's body – a Riker she has known for many years as a good friend, "almost as a brother." Despite the emotional confusion she feels, Dr. Crusher reconciles her feelings and reunites with Odan in his quarters.

Despite increasing symptoms of rejection from Riker's body, Odan carries on, and manages to prevent a inter-planetary war by successfully mediating a settlement between the highly distrustful delegates from the two moons. Odan insists that he be removed from Riker regardless, if the new host has not arrived in time. Dr. Crusher removes the symbiont in time to save Riker, and the new host, Kareel, arrives just in time to accept the symbiont. This new host, however, is female, and so the love between Dr. Crusher and Odan comes to an insurmountable obstacle for Crusher. She confesses that she still loves Odan, but "can't keep up" with the rapid changes. Kareel Odan affirms that she will always remember Beverly, and disembarks.

[edit] Log entries

• "Dr. Beverly Crusher, Personal log, stardate 44821.3. Began an analysis today of the respiratory problems being experienced on the beta moon of Peliar Zel . Finally got an actual letter from Wesley, topped the class in exobiology, but he’s still struggling in ancient philosophies and there's someone new in my life."

• "Captain’s log, stardate 44824.4. Governor Leka and the representatives of the two moons are ready to transport on board. We have learned that they each have troops massed and are ready for combat if this final effort at peace is not successful."

[edit] Background Information

• The symbiotic species known as the Trill make their first appearance in this episode. They were later featured in more detail in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, though aside from the existence of the symbiont, the Trill featured in this episode share no resemblance to those of DS9 (physically or otherwise).
• Unlike future hosts of Trill symbionts Riker's personality appears to be completely gone while joined. This could be due to fact that Riker is human and not Trill. Trill must possess the mental pathways to maintain both personalities of host and symbiont. As in the case of the Dax symbiont, all future hosts not only maintain their own memories but also inherit the experience of past hosts. Trill hosts also get trained to resist being overwhelmed by the symbiont.
• This episode almost touches on the issue of homosexuality, although the ideas explored here were featured in much more detail in DS9: "Rejoined", which featured Trek's first same-sex kiss.
• This episode was the first Star Trek episode directed by Marvin V. Rush.
• The graphic on the Picard's monitor before he has his conversation with Odan is from "Night Terrors".
• This is the only episode of TNG where an officer on the bridge asks the computer what time it is.
• An earlier host of the Odan symbiont appears in Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Jill Sherwin's The Lives of Dax short story "First Steps".
• In an odd production error, the familiar ambient drone of the Enterprise disappears for about a minute while Crusher and Troi are sitting in Ten Forward, as Crusher is questioning whether or not she loved Odan or the host body that Odan had occupied.
• In some scenes it's possible to see that Gates McFadden, who plays Crusher, is pregnant; this wasn't part of her character so it was hidden behind objects, Crusher's blue lab coat, etc.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 49, 8 June 1992.
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 4.8, 1 October 2001.
• As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Guest stars

• Barbara Tarbuck as Leka Trion
• Nicole Orth-Pallavicini as Kareel Odan
• William Newman as Kalin Trose
• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa
• Franc Luz as Odan

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Robert Harper as Lathal Bine

[edit] References

Alpha moon; Alphans; Ancient Philosophies; balso tonic; barbershop; Beta moon; Betans; Betan ship; Bolians; colgonite astringent; Crusher, Wesley; exobiology; global warming; governor; Hawking; laser scalpel; lemon tea; magnetospheric energy tap (magnetosphere); metrazene; Peliar system; Peliar Zel; Peliar Zel natives; five card draw; rose; shuttlecraft; soccer; Stefan; Taggert; transporter; Trill; Trill diagnostic tool; Trill transport; Troi, Ian Andrew

Previous episode: "Half a Life"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4

Next episode: "The Mind's Eye"