Captain Picard, Ensign Ro, Guinan, and Keiko O'Brien are physically transformed into children due to a transporter accident.
This had a lot of potential to be a great episode. Unfortunately there were some creative decisions that do not quite work for me, but overall it is not bad.
The plot involves a great concept that has so much potential entertainment, and in some scenes it delivers, but unfortunately it shifts direction when the Ferengi arrive and all the possible humour and awkwardness is substituted for a silly Enterprise takeover.
It starts off superb for me, with scenes like young Keiko and her family and young Picard on the bridge being suitably awkward and compelling. The different outlook on childhood between Guinan and Ro Laren is also a great idea that starts and finishes very strongly, but the less said about the 'you were a jumper' scene the better.
The scenes involving the Ferengi are ill conceived and as one other reviewer already stated you have to switch off your brain to appreciate them. They will likely irritate those who take Trek too seriously, but fortunately I do not. However, I think it would have been so much better if they had just focussed on more awkward scenes of interaction with the central characters going about their normal lives in the twelve year old bodies.
The child actors do a decent job with the material they have, particularly David Birkin and Megan Parlen. I like how all four portray their characters' body language perfectly. Also, little touches like young Picard running a hand through his hair is cool. Jonathan Frakes has a pretty decent episode, especially playing all the technobabble for laughs.
I think it comes down to how funny you find the overall episode to judge its success. It has some strong moments but I think it missed an opportunity be excellent.
This had a lot of potential to be a great episode. Unfortunately there were some creative decisions that do not quite work for me, but overall it is not bad.
The plot involves a great concept that has so much potential entertainment, and in some scenes it delivers, but unfortunately it shifts direction when the Ferengi arrive and all the possible humour and awkwardness is substituted for a silly Enterprise takeover.
It starts off superb for me, with scenes like young Keiko and her family and young Picard on the bridge being suitably awkward and compelling. The different outlook on childhood between Guinan and Ro Laren is also a great idea that starts and finishes very strongly, but the less said about the 'you were a jumper' scene the better.
The scenes involving the Ferengi are ill conceived and as one other reviewer already stated you have to switch off your brain to appreciate them. They will likely irritate those who take Trek too seriously, but fortunately I do not. However, I think it would have been so much better if they had just focussed on more awkward scenes of interaction with the central characters going about their normal lives in the twelve year old bodies.
The child actors do a decent job with the material they have, particularly David Birkin and Megan Parlen. I like how all four portray their characters' body language perfectly. Also, little touches like young Picard running a hand through his hair is cool. Jonathan Frakes has a pretty decent episode, especially playing all the technobabble for laughs.
I think it comes down to how funny you find the overall episode to judge its success. It has some strong moments but I think it missed an opportunity be excellent.