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The Hunted (episode)

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
"The Hunted"
TNG, Episode 3x11
Production number: 40273-159
First aired: 8 January 1990
← 58th of 176 produced in TNG →
← 58th of 176 released in TNG →
  {{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered  
← 165th of 727 released in all →
Written By
Robin Bernheim

Directed By
Cliff Bole
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The Enterprise captures a renegade veteran who was altered to become the "perfect" soldier, but he claims that he's been mistreated since the end of the war.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The Enterprise is investigating Angosia III as a candidate for entry into the Federation. During Picard and Riker's time on the surface, a prisoner escapes from Lunar V in a stolen vessel. Upon aiding the mainly pacifist Angosians to recapture the prisoner, the Enterprise encounters much trouble capturing the vessel. The ship's sensors show no life signs aboard the ship; however, someone must be in control because the ship appears to be directed. The fugitive evades them several times. First he separates his vessel, using the drive section to flee. Then he suspends his ship over the magnetic poles of the planet. When the Enterprise flushes him out, he bounces the shuttle off their shields. Then he enters an escape pod and ejects it. Picard has Miles O'Brien beam the object closest in mass to an adult humanoid aboard. The prisoner overpowers O'Brien and the two security personnel in the transporter room, but Riker and Worf are able to subdue and capture him.

They learn that his name is Roga Danar. Deanna Troi reads little aggression from him and finds it unlikely that he could be so violent. After some research, it is found that although he is a prisoner, he has no criminal record whatsoever. The government of Angosia confirms Danar's report that he was a normal citizen that enlisted in the military and was altered psychologically and biochemically into an adept warrior. When in danger, his memory, intelligence, reflexes and strength all increase. The Angosian government arranges for a transport ship to take him back to Lunar V to be placed in prison. Danar is to be imprisoned because he is unsuited for life in civilized society. He and others attempted to integrate into society but were too unstable, with simple arguments leading to murder. Both Data and Troi speak with him, and find him reasonable and guilt-ridden. But Picard must comply with the Angosians, and so they prepare for his return to the Angosian transport vessel.

During the attempted transport from the Enterprise's brig to the Angosian police transport vessel, Danar manages to escape. Since the sensors can not follow Danar's movements, he is able to evade the security teams easily. He moves quickly through the hallways and the Jefferies tubes, making his way to a cargo bay transporter which he activated with a phaser. He beams aboard the Angosian police shuttle vessel, and used the vessel to attack the Lunar V prisoner colony, rescuing several of his fellow inmates. Danar and the other inmates led an attack on the city and confronted the Angosian government. Picard, Worf, Troi and Data had beamed down to the Angosian government just before they were invaded. Picard advised the government not to resist because the soldiers are only programmed to survive, not to murder non-combatants. Picard and his away team beam back aboard the Enterprise, telling the government that they must make a decision regarding the fate of their veterans. Danar seems pleased that he is being recognized and smiles at the away team as they leave.

Aboard the Enterprise, Picard notes that if the government survives, they will be given assistance by the Federation in helping their veterans with their conditioning. He also notes that they may reapply for consideration into the Federation at a later date.

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[edit] Memorable Quotes

"There is a security contingent at both shuttlebays."

"Want my advice? Double it!"

-Worf and La Forge


"You are cunning. You must have Klingon blood. But the battle is over."

"My battle is never over."

-Worf and Danar

[edit] Log Entries

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Story and production

  • This episode was an allegory to U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War, integrating back into American society. Michael Piller remarked, "The whole theme of the show was let's look at how society treats its returning veterans. I thought from a conceptual level we handled that well, and we came up with good science fiction to make it interesting. There's some argument that the best soldier ever created bringing the Enterprise to its knees is a little hard to believe, and that might have been the weakness of the show. I enjoyed it, and was not ashamed of the show." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion; Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
  • Originally, a different ending was considered where the soldiers violently stormed the capital. Director Cliff Bole recalled, "Originally, Danar was going to come back and there was going to be a big confrontation. That was cut due to budget and time. We simply did not have the time in seven days to do that. I thought the loss of that confrontation took away a little bit." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
  • Piller commented, "At first we were going to have a huge shoot out and have everyone wiped out in the end, but that didn't really make anybody a hero. Picard goes down there and we're caught in a stalemate. We've now created the character of this planet's society in such a way that Picard can make the statement at the end, 'This is not our affair. You guys are going to have to solve it...' I thought it worked. There are people on the staff to this day who think it doesn't. I think it is an important enough theme that I cannot explore enough, but I don't think we really got to the heart of it because the story was one-note, and it could have used a little more texture." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
  • During the filming of this episode, the energy weapon prop Roga Danar is holding when he is first transported to the Enterprise was broken during the struggle with security officers. What remains of it is on display at Seattle's Science Fiction Hall of Fame and Museum.

[edit] Continuity

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Also starring

[edit] Guest stars

[edit] Co-stars

[edit] Uncredited co-stars

[edit] Uncredited stunt doubles

[edit] References

anesthizine; Angosia III; Angosian; Angosian capital city; Angosian escape pod; Angosian police shuttle; Angosian senate; Angosian senatorial database; asteriod; cargo bay; criminal behavior; cryptobiolin; general quarters; gulag; holding cell; Jefferies tube; Lunar V; Lya III; macrospentol; penal colony; polar orbit; pressure suit; Prime Minister; priority one; prison psychologist; referendum; security team; subhadar; Tarsian War; tracking station; triclenidil


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"The Defector" 		Star Trek: The Next Generation
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"The High Ground"
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