Manhunt (episode)

Lwaxana Troi arrives on the Enterprise, intent on finding a husband.

Summary
On a mission to deliver Antedean dignitaries (who are brought on in a catatonic state) to a conference, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is ordered to pick up Lwaxana Troi and to extend full diplomatic courtesies to her. Lwaxana will be representing the Betazed planet at the conference. Lwaxana draws the ire of her daughter, Deanna, and then insinuates that Picard is having 'naughty' thoughts about her.

Lwaxana arrives on the Enterprise with her manservant, Mr. Homn. She compliments Captain Picard on his legs and insists that he carry her belongings, but Picard has no intention of doing so. Commander Riker then offers to do so, but can hardly lift the luggage. He still manages to do so and brings it to Lwaxana's quarters. When everyone else has left, Lwaxana invites Picard to a dinner on the pretense that it will be a diplomatic event, when in fact it is her intention to seduce him.

At the dinner, Lwaxana tells Picard that human males are extraordinary and they toast to it. Lwaxana's irises are darker and larger than usual and seems to hunger for more than the food that she's cooked. Picard realizes that the dinner means something far more to her than to him, so begins to talk shop. He says Data is a great talker and informative, so calls him to the dinner. Thanks to Data, Lwaxana is so bored she cannot seduce Picard.

In the corridor, Counselor Troi informs Dr. Pulaski that Lwaxana is going through the Betazoid equivalent of menopause called The Phase, which for Betazoid women, leads to exceptional increases in their sex drive. Troi believes that she should warn Picard when she finds out he in at dinner with her mother alone, but Pulaski says that it would be important for the captain to stay quick on his feet.

Deanna later informs Captain Picard about her mother's condition and says that the only option for her mother is to focus all her energy into one male with the goal of making him her husband. For him to spurn her would be considered an insult. Picard, sensibly, puts Riker in command of the bridge, and runs to hide on the holodeck as Dixon Hill.

After settling in and dismissing various scenarios as too violent, Picard invites Hill's secretary Madeline to Rex's Bar for a drink. Meanwhile, when she can't find Picard, Lwaxana adopts her alternate plan: she goes on to other candidates. Commander William Riker? Already taken by her daughter, Deanna. Lieutenant Worf? Wrong species. Ensign Wesley Crusher? Too young for her tastes.

Later, Lwaxana strolls on to the bridge looking for the captain, but not finding him, settles on having Riker as her husband, and announces that they will be married, much to his surprise, Deanna's horror, and the surprise of rest of the bridge. In the meantime, the Antedeans have been brought out of their catatonic state by Dr. Pulaski.

Not surprisingly, Riker flees with Data to the same holodeck to tell Picard about this development (and the revival of the Antedeans). Picard is unpleasantly surprised to hear this, but Rex, the holographic bartender, thinks Riker has all the luck in the world.

Lwaxana, using the Enterprise computer, finds Picard and Riker on the holodeck, but is quickly taken with Rex, since she cannot read his mind. She decides to marry Rex, but as they reach Pacifica, Picard tells Lwaxana Rex doesn't exist.

As Lwaxana leaves, husbandless, and her mind much clearer than it ever was during the whole duration of her stay, she saves the conference by revealing the Antedeans are in fact assassins (she states that the Antedeans' minds are so simple that she can read their minds in her sleep), and stops a plot to set off a bomb made with ultritium at the conference.

Log Entries

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

Memorable quotes
(Staring at the Antedeans)

"What a handsome race."
 * - Worf

"I still say they look better in sauce."
 * - Lwaxana Troi on the Antedeans

"Betazoid women are full of surprises."
 * - Lwaxana Troi

"Data, you will never know how much I owe you for that."
 * - Picard, after Data rescues him from Lwaxana Troi's advances

"But you better take this."

"Why?"

"Because if we're goin' to Rex's Bar, you're gonna need it."
 * - Madeline, handing Picard as Dixon Hill a revolver

"Then she actually complimented Captain Picard on his legs?"

"Hmm. I would have thought a telepath would be more discreet, sir."
 * - Wesley Crusher, discussing with Riker and Data Lwaxana Troi's openness

"Yes, it's something Troi warned me about when we first started to see each other. A Betazoid woman when she goes through this phase... quadruples her sex drive."

"Or more."

"Or more? You never told me that."

"I didn't want to frighten you."

(Riker beams at Troi)
 * - William Riker and Deanna Troi, to Picard about Betazoid women

Production

 * Tracy Tormé used a pseudonym to protest revisions of the episode, particularly with the way Dixon Hill was written. "Manhunt" would be the last episode written by Tormé as he left following the end of the season.
 * When Captain Picard as Dixon Hill takes a look out of his office window, footage from an old movie is used to simulate the streetscape. When he did the same in, new footage on the Paramount lot was shot and inserted.
 * First UK airdate: 4th September 1991

Cast and characters

 * Rock star Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac appears in a cameo role under heavy makeup as an Antedean dignitary.
 * LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge) does not appear in this episode. He is only alluded to by Mr. Homn when Lwaxana tries to find a mate.
 * This episode marks Robert O'Reilly's first Star Trek appearance.
 * When Lwaxana Troi talks to the computer, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry is essentially talking to herself, as she plays both Lwaxana and the computer.

Reception

 * Director Rob Bowman recalls, "This one was to be Majel Barrett's episode and she's a fascinating woman. I was asked to make sure that she did her best, so every day that's what we worked on. There's really no story tie between her wants and Picard going to Dixon Hill. It was just a way for us to get to the past. We had a great time doing the '40s stuff. I had looked forward to that since 'The Big Goodbye'. I thought the episode came out just fine, although we did have some funky problems. The funny things is that you have characters that are several hundred years in the future from where we are now, who go back into that 'time warp' to the '40s, and it's not like Bogie back then. You have a man, Picard, who is so far advanced intellectually, dealing with what are, essentially, cave people. I found it to be rather fun and challenging, being a different point-of-view in that style, but no problem." ("Rob Bowman - Director of a Dozen", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 10, p. 20)
 * A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 9, pp. 47-50.

Video and DVD releases

 * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 23, catalogue number VHR 2506,.
 * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 2.7, catalogue number VHR 4743,.
 * As part of the TNG Season 2 DVD collection.
 * As part of the TNG Season 2 Blu-ray collection.

Starring

 * Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
 * Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring

 * Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
 * Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
 * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
 * Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Special appearance by

 * Diana Muldaur as Doctor Pulaski

Guest stars

 * Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi
 * Robert Costanzo as Slade Bender
 * Carel Struycken as Homn
 * Rod Arrants as Rex
 * Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
 * Robert O'Reilly as Scarface
 * Rhonda Aldrich as Madeline

Special guest appearance by

 * Mick Fleetwood as Antedean dignitary

Co-star

 * Wren T. Brown as Transporter Pilot

Uncredited co-stars

 * Peter Andrefsky as Antedean aide
 * Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
 * Majel Barrett as USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) computer voice
 * James G. Becker as Youngblood
 * Dexter Clay as an operations division officer
 * Unknown performers as
 * Female science division officer
 * Five bar patrons
 * Man in hallway
 * Security officer
 * Street passerbys

Stand-ins

 * James G. Becker - stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
 * Dexter Clay - stand-in for Michael Dorn
 * Jeffrey Deacon - stand-in for Patrick Stewart
 * Nora Leonhardt - stand-in for Marina Sirtis
 * Tim McCormack - stand-in for Brent Spiner
 * Guy Vardaman - stand-in for Wil Wheaton