The Icarus Factor (episode)

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"The Icarus Factor"
TNG, Episode 2x14 Production number: 40272-140 First aired: 24 April 1989
←	39th of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	39th of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	145th of 726 released in all	→
Teleplay By David Assael and Robert McCullough Story By David Assael Directed By Robert Iscove
42686.4 (2365)
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When Commander Riker is offered command of the starship Aries, his estranged father, Kyle Riker, is sent by Starfleet to brief him on the mission. Meanwhile, Data, La Forge, Dr. Pulaski, Wesley, and O'Brien help Worf celebrate the anniversary of his Rite of Ascension.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Memorable quotes 3 Background information 3.1 Video and DVD releases 4 Links and references 4.1 Special Appearance By 4.2 Guest Stars 4.3 Co-Star 4.4 Uncredited Co-Stars 4.5 References 4.6 Log Entries

[edit] Summary

"The Icarus Factor" consists of two separate stories: Starfleet's offer of promotion to Riker, and Worf's tenth anniversary of the Age of Ascension.

Commander Riker is offered a promotion to captain of the USS Aries, whose present captain is retiring. Upon arriving at Starbase Montgomery, a civilian attaché comes aboard the Enterprise to brief Riker about the Aries and its current mission. Unbeknownst to Commander Riker, the attaché is his father, Kyle Riker, whom he has not seen in 15 years.

Meanwhile, Worf is feeling lonely and socially alienated on the tenth anniversary of his Age of Ascension ceremony. On this day, Klingons are supposed to reenact the ceremony in the presence of friends and family. However, as he is stationed on the Enterprise, Worf cannot celebrate these traditions. His friends (initially Wesley Crusher) notice Worf's odd mood and organize a holodeck re-creation of the event which fulfills Worf's traditional obligations, and Worf is grateful for the opportunity.

Commander Riker and his father do not have a good relationship and argue the entire time he is on board. Finally, the two challenge each other to an Anbo-jyutsu match, a traditional Japanese martial art form of combat.

In a subplot of the Riker plot, Dr. Pulaski is a former flame of Kyle Riker.

[edit] Memorable quotes

"You know, Wesley should really be doing this on his own."
"But he needs his study time."
"Huh, I can't believe you fell for that."

- La Forge and Data

"With... all due respect – begone! ... Sir."

- Worf, to Data

[edit] Background information

• John Tesh, co-host of Entertainment Tonight from 1986 to 1996 and a devoted Star Trek fan, appears in a cameo role as a Klingon during Worf's painstik ritual. As an homage to him, the Star Trek Customizable Card Game identifies his character as K'Tesh.
• The Klingons in the holodeck ritual had to wear old gorilla boots from Planet of the Apes since all other Klingon costumes were being used in the shooting of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
• The painstik ritual was heavily edited for the episode's first screening in the United Kingdom due to the series' 'family viewing' time slot of 6pm. The scene was restored for subsequent screenings.
• At the end of the episode after deciding to stay on board Enterprise, Riker performs a classical Picard Maneuver, tugging down his tunic while sitting down in his command chair.
• The teleplay credits Burton Armus as co-writer, but his name did not appear on the finished episode.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 20, September 1991.
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 2.5, 7 June 1999.
• As part of the TNG Season 2 DVD collection.
  • The summary for this episode on US VHS releases in the 1990s listed the USS Dreadnought instead of the USS Aries.

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Special Appearance By

• Diana Muldaur as Doctor Pulaski

[edit] Guest Stars

• Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
• Mitchell Ryan as Kyle Riker

[edit] Co-Star

• Lance Spellerberg as Ensign Herbert

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

• Majel Barrett as the computer voice
• Josef Cannon as a holographic Klingon
• John Tesh as a holographic Klingon
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Unknown actors as:
  • Boliska
  • Graham
  • young William Riker (photo)
  • Five unnamed Klingon holograms

[edit] References

2335; 2337; 2343; 2344; 2347; 2350; 2353; advisor; Age of Ascension; Alaska; Anbo-jyutsu; Aries, USS; Beta Kupsic; bile; cake; Crusher, Jack; diaper; dilithium; empirical study; Farpoint Mission; Flaherty; flu; Fuurinkazan battle strategies; Giamon; gymnasium; Hachidan kiritsu; Holodeck 4; Japanese language; Klingon Cultural Database; Klingon Rite of Ascension Chamber; Klingonese; manual docking; martial arts; mayor; Mogh; Nasreldine; painstik; personnel transfer directive; Pulaski's chicken soup (chicken soup); Rectyne monopod; retirement; Rite of Ascension; River of Blood; Romulan; Starbase Montgomery; strategic attache; Stroyerian; synchronous orbit; tactical advisor; technical manual; Tholian; Tokyo Base; ton; transporter room 3; tryptophan-lysine distillate; Vega-Omicron sector

[edit] Log Entries

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2365

Previous episode: "Time Squared"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2

Next episode: "Pen Pals"