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We’re just going to steal your children.

No worries. We’ll pay for them. Handsomely. Wait, why are you mad? You can just make more. I don’t understand, we need them more than you do. Therefore we should have them.

Stop trying to take them back.

We’ll pay for them. Why won’t you just understand and eff off?

Um, because that’s literally not how it works!

I will never understand this villain mentality. Or just even mentality because I don’t really think these people are villains. They’re facing the end of their culture and everything they know and they’re trying to save it.

Yet, instead of just asking for help like most people would do.

Although, I can’t even say that either because we had another species that didn’t bother ask for help, just hijacked the Enterprise.

People! Just ask for help.

It seems to me that the Federation is a pretty chill place for the most part. I assume they’re more likely than not to just help people in need. A lot of their exploration is also just rescue or help missions. Discussing diplomacy. They just want to explore. They don’t want to upset the natural order of things, however that doesn’t mean they’ll just leave you to die.

I mean, even here, they were still trying to help you even though you kidnapped their children.

What does that tell you about the type of people they are?

Including the doctor whose son you stole.

Jeez.

Just try asking for help. Committing a horrible crime is always on the table if they say no.

I also loved that Deanna was like, they want something. Something they’re not sure we’ll part with easily. But that they need. So did not belay the importance of what they wanted.

Damn.

Also, it goes to show that they believed this to be a simple transaction rather than real living people they were talking about.

Which – of course – the kids were happy doing as they pleased for the first few hours. Getting to try out new toys and getting out of boring things like calculus. Sure. Seems totally right.

However, the longer you keep the children from the people they love, the normalcy of their lives, the sadder and harder it’ll be to keep them there. Especially when you have someone like Wesley who is older than most of the children and is able to convey complex thoughts.

Such as a hunger strike.

Able to wander around and use the technology there.

Communicate to the children what they need to do in order to return home.

Remind them that they don’t want to stay there forever.

It’s a nice place to visit. Filled with nice people who don’t really want to hurt them. They just want to continue on their way of life. Which is fine! And reasonable. However, what you’re doing is not reasonable in the slightest. You don’t just kidnap children!

Asses.

This is one of the few times I’m actually really chill with Wesley’s appearance on the show.

He’s not a fix it all plot device that isn’t at all fun to deal with here. He’s a kid who wants to go home to his mom. Understands that he there are steps he needs to take and keep all the children together as best as he can. He’s a perfect candiate to be on the ground with all the younger children.

Wesley is able to glean information from their capturers, convey it to Picard and the Enterprise, keep the children calm, and concoct a plan with the children in a very simple manner that they can all follow. A plan that is highly effective as well because the people holding them are not evil.

They are no uncaring about the children.

The way one of them begs them to eat when she brings them a plate of food actually broke my heart a little.

All they want is to be parents. To carry on their traditions.

Yet they cannot.

They believe they found a solution and are watching the solution express its own willpower against them. That yes, you might not be mean to them. You may care about them. Even want the best for them. But you are not home.

You’re not mom or dad or grandma or the parental unit caring for them.

It’s not the Enterprise with familiar sounds and smells and people. Within the laws and rules they’ve grown up under. It is unfamiliar and you won’t allow them to see their parents.

It’s terrible.

I also loved that they wanted Picard to get them to eat and he did no such thing. Allowing them to keep helping the adults on the Enterprise while the children push from their end.

I also wanted to point out that in the pilot episode, Picard was worried because he was given command of a ship with families and children aboard it. He worried that he would come off cold to the children. Freak them out. Do something to present and image he does not want to them. He implored Riker to help him achieve this.

To ensure that he portrays a warm, kind demeanor, and doesn’t frighten the children because he’s not a family man. Picard has admitted and shown that he’s not good with kids.

But I do love that upon seeing him, all the children were excited and happy.

Clearly, Riker has been successful in helping Picard present the image he wants.

Even if he’s still not good or comfortable with kids, the kids are clearly comfortable with him. Trust him. Riker is doing a great job with helping Picard. I hope he appreciates that.

Also, it’s really nice to see that thread running through the episodes.

Oh, and that Picard is getting fairly comfortable with Wesley by comparison. He’s able to treat him more like an adult. Sort of. From time to time. Making him appear less childlike and easier for Picard to deal with.

It is a nice touch.

As for everyone else in the episode, everyone was freaking out.

I really loved that Picard was like we’re not leaving until we get the children back. He had no idea how to do that, but it also appeared that he was not above anything to do it.

That yes, he would like to not attack them.

He would prefer to settle this kindly. With words. Not phasers.

However, if push came to shove. He appeared more than willing to use the might of the Enterprise to retrieve their children. As well as make the people on the planet understand that no amount of money or anything were ever going to be enough for their children. And it does not matter that they can have more.

I had that one. I wanted that one.

I love this one.

I can make another sure, but it will not be this one!

And that is everything.

Especially for someone like Beverly Crusher. She cannot make anything resembling another Wesley because his father is long since dead. Is she just supposed to find another guy to have a kid with?

Won’t be Wesley.

She loves her son. Can’t just replace him with another one.

It’s not like a pair of pants. Where I can just go to the store and buy the exact same pair of pants again.

I had a cat named Wynonna, I unfortunately lost her in a house fire. I have a new cat. Guess what? Not the same in the slightest. I still miss her and love her and wish she was here in addition to my newest member of my family. No. Nope.

Then there’s Beverly Crusher.

I must commend her for keeping her shit together long enough to discover what the hell is happening on the planet and find a way to help them. I do not think I would be so kind to someone who kidnapped my son.

I’d be at the blasters ready to blow them all to bits.

There is no amount of negotiating in my brain. Just give me my kid back or things are going to get super bad. Super bad.

That’s my take.

Got to give it to Beverly for rising above that even though she didn’t really want to. And for helping those people while also presenting an argument the people of this planet could not refuse.

Here, we’ll help you have some kids of your own. Just give us ours back. Thank you.

Yeesh.

I really loved this episode. I loved that everyone was terrified. I loved that the parents wanted their kids back but also trusted that Picard would do everything in his power to achieve that. It was really enjoyable for them to calm down and allow him space to work.

That his calm promise made them feel at ease. Or at ease as they could be.

And he did everything in his power to get their children back. I really enjoyed this episode. It was a very mature and thought provoking episode.

I loved it. This is the kind of thing I love about this show. It gets deep randomly. And does such a good job with it.

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