There are little episodes like "Symbiosis" sprinkled throughout the series (particularly the first two) that often go unheralded, and I guess that's because we as fans have to rewatch and, in turn, reevaluate how good they really are. It is nice to come across strongly written episodes like this one, rediscover them, and see the points within their stories. This tale involves two worlds, similar alien people, the greedy, underhanded Brekkians and the vulnerable, technologically/intelligently inferior Onarians, involving a narcotic known as Felicium. While investigating an unusual sun, the Enterprise encounters an old freighter, operated by four Onarians who know very little about their own ship's mechanics (!), who have Brekkian traders on board with them. The freighter has a minor problem with coils that could be easily replaceable if only those on board knew how to install them! Beaming four of the six of them aboard the Enterprise, Picard becomes entangled in a dispute over the Felicium and the Prime Directive becomes an important factor in his inability to get involved. Dr. Crusher (the episode excellently pits her in a tug-of-war philosophically and emotionally with Picard over allowing the Onarians to be exploited by the Brekkians simply for profit) wants Picard to inform the Onarians of the lie that continues to engulf their people (this is a symbiotic relationship between two peoples that has lasted for a long time), while he is unable to do so under the guidelines of the Directive, and this episode examines why it is important not to interfere, but instead the Captain brilliantly figures out another way of possibly ending such a lop-sided alliance between them—in his own way Picard must also exploit the Onarians, using their lack of technological know-how, and lack of advancement over the centuries, in order to help them "wane off" the Felicium. This is definitely a "message episode" about the exploitation of addicts for pure financial gain and how the United Federation of Planets must abide by the rules that govern their ability to function in the universe. Good episode for the character of Crusher and the passion of Gates McFadden, her sympathy for a fooled society, wrings true in the performance.The agony is palpable in the way Merritt Butrick and Judson Earney Scott convey their Felicium dependency, a good description on aching for a drug. Some find the dialogue scene, where the young man ponders to Data about why anyone would succumb to drug use, between Wil Wheaton's Wesley and Denise Crosby's Yar annoying, but I think it does allow a moment to examine the allure and pitfalls of narcotic abuse (and it gives Crosby one last character moment before Yar's departure in Skin of Evil). I think it is unfortunate Crosby decided to leave because barely a season worth of episodes never quite allowed her to fully flesh out the character, in my opinion, definitely a shame.
Review of Symbiosis
