Talk:Homeward (episode)

Goof?
I was re-watching this episode and it appears there is either a huge error, or Nikolai is just a bigger liar than Worf realizes. The enterprise received the distress call 4 days before they arrived at the planet, and Nikolai claims to Worf that he only left his observation post once the disaster began, so how did his wife realize she was pregnant in just 4 days?
 * We don't know about the physiology of these people. For all we know, they can tell whether they are pregnant in that time. Remember that at they very least, their neural physiology was different enough that Dr. Crusher could not wipe their memory. --OuroborosCobra talk 07:40, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Makeup
I wondered something about this episode that I initially thought was dumb: When he's on the planet with the Boraalans, Paul Sorvino has some Silly Putty on his nose so he can pass as one of them. When he's on the Enterprise, his nose is normal; then when he vists the Boraalans' "planet" in the holodeck, he's got the Silly Putty again. This isn't a continuity error, as Nikolai specifically mentions to Picard his need for facial surgery in order to be among the Boraalans again. My thinking was that even if such surgery is as common in the 24th century as applying and removing a Band-Aid is to us, why would Dr. Crusher bother removing the prosthetic only to have to reapply it? When I thought about it some more, I realized that after Nikolai beamed up, no one ever expected to see a Boraalan again, much less that Nikolai would be among a group of them again. Since Nikolai couldn't reveal (yet) that he had beamed up some Boraalans, he would not have been able to refuse the surgery without raising suspicion.
 * You seemed to have answered your own question ;-) --OuroborosCobra talk |undefined  21:46, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

Picard and the prime directive
Is it just me or, did anyone else think Picard's concern for the prime directive at the beginning of the show is a bit irrelevant? All the planet's people are about to die anyway but he reminds Worf not to interfere and Worf is done up as a local. Why bother? 24.83.216.77 22:29, 6 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Why follow a rule if you are only going to do it half-assed. If you aren't going to save them because of the Prime Directive, don't be half-assed about it and send someone down in a Starfleet uniform. --OuroborosCobra talk 23:11, 6 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes I guess so. 24.83.216.77 06:36, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

Is Picard a religious fanatic?
While the Prime Directive is certainly a good policy, and while Kirk may have played a bit fast and loose with it, Picard seems like something of a fanatical devotee to "The Holy Church of the Prime Directive". Especially in this episode in which he is perfectly happy to let an entire culture, race, and species perish when he could have saved them with little inconvenience. Isn't the whole rationale for the directive that imposing our will upon other cultures might do them harm, and so not interfering helps avoid damaging their culture? It is hard to imagine anything more damaging to their culture than letting every last one of them die. It's not as though he was simply offended that they liked feeding Vaal or anything so trivial as that. A little common sense applied under extreme circumstances might have been in order. Even better, perhaps the directive should be rewritten to give inflexible Herberts like Jean-Luc a cue that maybe there are times when it's best to call Star Fleet and ask if you should let a whole intelligent species die.


 * Many of us know that the PD has been a staple of Trek since The Original Series, but as a shield to protect those without warp technology from explotation. Somewhere down the line the whole PD became somethin, well dogmatic. Meaning you weren't allowed to intervene on behalf of a species even if it meant total annihilation; extinction. In many ways, they're doing the opposite of what the prime directive was originally intended to do. As Nikolai pointed out and was in the very right, allow cultures to flourish and thrive while preserving them. In fact, look at The Paradise Syndrome of TOS, Kirk and his party actually tried to save an entire culture of Indians from an asteroid that was heading towards the planet. They never even once mentioned the prime directive. When Deanna tried to correct Nikolai, I thought "Screw you Mrs. Missing the Point!" I'm proud of what Worf's brother had done. You're playing god if you choose to turn a blind eye to the deaths of an entire race. The argument the current form of the PD has taken is that you don't know the consequences of what may happen if you help. Granted, trying to stop a war would be a dillema. But allowing a people to die? That's the same as being a doctor and deciding whether or not to save the patient on your bed. Sure, if you save him, his child could grow up to be a maniac who kills people. Or he could live a long and healthy life. Point is, the PD has become corrupt for Trek and Picard's obsession with it at times is quite disturbing. I still like Picard nonetheless, this is just the result of the B&B dudes at it I suppose. 
 * Check out http://sfdebris.com/enterprise/e113.asp he gives some good points on the PD as a whole, you may find it worthwhile. Plus it's so hilarious at times, it can may a vulcan chuckle

--Paopuhead2picklehead talk --Paopuhead2picklehead talk


 * I totally agree with your sentiments regarding this episode. I find this being Star Trek at its most arrogant. I can't believe the story goes on to "prove Nikolai wrong" when Vorin commits suicide due to his shock. --FFN 17:16, 3 June 2009 (UTC)