Creating the perfect soldier has been the theme of many movies and TV programs. 'Next Generation' takes a stab at it with this story of Roga Danar (Jeff McCarthy), escaped from a prison colony on Lunar V, while his home planet of Angosia III is applying for membership in the Federation. Danar is more than clever, he finds a way to elude the Enterprise aboard a stolen transport ship and detaches its drive section to hide behind an asteroid and disappear. When he's finally captured, the Enterprise crew is shocked to learn that he exhibits no life signs! As a manufactured super-soldier, Danar was imbued with so many bio-engineered elements that some of them are unknown even to Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden). But while Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) endeavors to return Danar to Angosian Prime Minister Nayrok (James Cromwell), all is not as it seems. With Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) taking particular interest in Danar's motivations, she learns that he and other soldiers like him have been banished to the penal colony with no attempt at rehabilitation from their violent tendencies. While unsuccessful in getting Picard to understand at first, events transpire that allow him to acknowledge that it's the prisoners' desire for freedom to return to Angosia as accepted citizens that changes his mind. I liked the way this one ended, with Captain Picard leaving Nayrok with a decision to be made that would benefit both sides on Angosia. One is left to decide if he made the right choice.
Review of The Hunted
