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Star Trek: The Next Generation :: Half a Life (04x22)
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Episode Information |
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| Title: | Half a Life |
| Episode #: | 04x22 |
| Production Number: | 196 |
| Original Airdate: | Monday May 06th, 1991 |
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| | Other Release Dates: (Edit) | | Country: | Aired On: | |
 CA (Télé-Québec) |
May 06, 1991 |
 IE (BBC TWO) |
Nov 16, 1994 |
 FR (BBC TWO) |
Nov 16, 1994 |
 UK (BBC TWO) |
Nov 16, 1994 |
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Episode Summary |
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Stardate: 44805.3 Lwaxana Troi, while visiting the Enterprise, becomes smitten with a visiting alien scientist, only to learn his culture requires him to soon die, as he has reached the required limited age in their culture.
| | There are no foreign summaries for this episode: Contribute |
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Guest Stars |
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Main Cast |
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Episode Notes |
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Log Entries:
*Captain's Log, Stardate 44805.7. For generations, the people of Kaelon II have been working to revitalize their dying sun. The Federation has offered to assist in testing what may be a solution to this problem.
| David Ogden Stiers is best known for his role as Major Winchester on the popular TV series M*A*S*H
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Analysis |
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Another example of Star Trek as SF at its best, and its ability to make complex questions a matter for public discussion and consideration. In this case is a central theme which is of continued interest today -- the question of euthanasia, its moral implications, and its possible value to a society.It does not, of course, answer the question... its purpose is to require people to consider the possible answers and debate among themselves as to the merits and strengths, and weaknesses and problems, to each of them, in the hope that the proper, best option available will become clear. At its best, it can also force consideration of unlikely and unorthodox choices, as well as their merits, and expose negative consequences to wider view.
| Some considerations regarding possible alternatives to the options suggested, which might've been considered, had this not been a single, self-contained episode in a series --
If/when Timicin returned, what would have happened had he simply refused to take his own life? Would the State decide to take it in their own hands and execute him? Would his family have murdered him to end their shame? Would an outside individual have assassinated him for challenging the status quo? Would the society have accepted his choice and began open discussion of alternatives?
All of these represent interesting variants upon the actual final ending of the episode, and all of them would have clear repercussions on the society which would have triggered a time of intense introspection, discussion, and even argumentation about this social custom, but need not have actually resulted in change -- our own clear biases against the ideas it represents are not automatically the correct, single answer available.
...And this is what SF is best at -- causing people to look at, and consider, the status quo, or the affects of some change to the status quo, on the Human Condition. For this, the example of the Kaelonians substitutes for our own views, and forces consideration and discussion of the basis for those views.
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