Season 4 contains the 80th episode of The Next Generation, at which point it surpassed the output of the Original Series. A number of extended themes played out during this season delving into both the political backdrop and the personal lives of the crew. These continuing storylines proved extremely popular, however they did not detract from the use of Science Fiction to tell interesting stories. Senior Trekker continues to score every episode with a 5.
Another family history based episode as we travel to the notoriously lawless planet of Turkana IV, where former crew member, Tasha Yar, survived a terrifying childhood. As the away mission prepares to set off in search of two captured crew members, there is some dispute over the inclusion of a woman in the team. Far from being a sign of the different attitudes of the time, this would be a legitimate operational concern on an incursion into a region where "rape gangs" held sway. Nowadays, women do indeed serve with the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (where a horrific amount of sexual violence against women has been almost unchecked for decades) but not without very careful risk assessment.
On the planet they meet Ishara Yar, Tasha's estranged sister, a guerrilla fighter with gelled blond hair, cropped white t-shirt and an broad-shouldered, designer leather jacket. In fact the whole outfit screams "eighties" nearly as loudly today as it did in the early nineties. Never mind. She convinces as a tough cookie, loyal enough to her faction to betray the Federation while being a little bit conflicted over her burgeoning friendship with Data. It wasn't actually a bad story but....... you can probably fill in the blanks.
Beth Toussaint as Ishara, who also looked fabulous in her electric blue disco* leotard, probably should have been considered for a future episode but it was not to be. She also got summarily ousted from Babylon 5 after one episode when the lead character's wife wanted her part. Shame.
* that's the 1980's disco (discotheque) look NOT the 2020's Disco (Discovery) look.
Another family history based episode as we travel to the notoriously lawless planet of Turkana IV, where former crew member, Tasha Yar, survived a terrifying childhood. As the away mission prepares to set off in search of two captured crew members, there is some dispute over the inclusion of a woman in the team. Far from being a sign of the different attitudes of the time, this would be a legitimate operational concern on an incursion into a region where "rape gangs" held sway. Nowadays, women do indeed serve with the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (where a horrific amount of sexual violence against women has been almost unchecked for decades) but not without very careful risk assessment.
On the planet they meet Ishara Yar, Tasha's estranged sister, a guerrilla fighter with gelled blond hair, cropped white t-shirt and an broad-shouldered, designer leather jacket. In fact the whole outfit screams "eighties" nearly as loudly today as it did in the early nineties. Never mind. She convinces as a tough cookie, loyal enough to her faction to betray the Federation while being a little bit conflicted over her burgeoning friendship with Data. It wasn't actually a bad story but....... you can probably fill in the blanks.
Beth Toussaint as Ishara, who also looked fabulous in her electric blue disco* leotard, probably should have been considered for a future episode but it was not to be. She also got summarily ousted from Babylon 5 after one episode when the lead character's wife wanted her part. Shame.
* that's the 1980's disco (discotheque) look NOT the 2020's Disco (Discovery) look.