Symbiosis by: Robert Lewin, Richard Manning, and Hans Beimler, from a story by: Robert Lewin, and directed by: Win Phelps

 

“Symbiosis” is written by: Robert Lewin, Richard Manning, and Hans Beimler, from a story by: Robert Lewin, and is directed by: Win Phelps.  It was produced under production code 123, was the 22^nd episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and was broadcast on April 18, 1988.

 

The 1970s and 1980s public service announcement sits in this weird nostalgic bubble in the minds of the generations before mine.  Generally, they were large campaigns, the more classic campaigns being anti-drug campaigns, so much so that television series at the time would dedicate an episode to being public service announcements.  Usually they would be built up as ‘very special episodes’ and in the era of streaming services they have essentially died off.  The anti-drug PSAs were usually a regular cast member or special guest star becoming addicted to a drug and having to overcome addiction through the written lens of an older generation which doesn’t really understand how addiction actually works.  Star Trek: The Next Generation starting in 1987 is right in that sweet spot when every show was doing these types of episodes so it shouldn’t be a surprise that near the end of the first season there’s a great big say no to drugs PSA in the form of “Symbiosis”.

 

“Symbiosis” is an episode that attempts to hide the fact that it’s an anti-drug PSA behind the symbiotic relationship between the Brekkans and Ornarans as one of the Brekkans simply helping the Ornarans overcome a centuries long plague.  It’s presented as a mystery for Picard and Crusher to actually solve, the plague seems to lack a cause or solution.  That’s obvious because it is an addiction and the pre-credits sequence actually plays its hand by having the Ornarans appear high so the audience definitely knows what is going on from the very beginning.  When the drug plot is actually revealed there is a sequence where the plot is in fact stopped dead to have the big moment, nearly breaking the fourth wall, to explore why drugs are bad.  It’s essentially a speech between Tasha Yar and Wesley Crusher, inserted into the episode by Maurice Hurley and not writers Robert Lewin, Richard Manning, and Hans Beimler, and it doesn’t work.  Hurley clearly doesn’t understand why people take drugs, addiction is down to people just being at their lowest which is certainly one overly simplified explanation.  It’s also written as if teenager Wesley Crusher had never even heard of drugs as a concept, making me wonder exactly how young the writers think the character is supposed to be.

 

The first half unravelling the mystery, even if it’s a poor mystery is at the very least an interesting story to unravel.  The entire idea is to buildup to the reveal but Gates McFadden and Patrick Stewart are great while there’s a guest appearance from Merritt Butrick which is also particularly fun.  Really it’s the back half of the episode that excels at being more than a simple public service announcement.  The Prime Directive had been explored poorly in earlier episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, mainly the truly awful “Justice”, but in “Symbiosis” the conclusion being Picard’s inaction to leave the two species to their fate actually makes sense.  The Brekkans and the Ornarans have created this relationship and society where the Ornarans are hopelessly addicted and the Brekkans’ entire society is responsible for feeding that addiction, is something that when offered an out they won’t take.  The condition for Picard to actually help the pair with the Enterprise’s advanced technology is to stop the exploitation.  Now this does have the slight knock on effect of reading as if the Ornarans are morally responsible for their addiction which is a pure reflection on the cultural views on drug addicts in the 1980s.  This is tempered somewhat by the fact that the withdrawal symptoms are established as not something the Ornarans will die from, unlike actual withdrawal from addiction in reality.  Putting that aside, the ending is actually quite powerful for Picard to actively take a stand because sometimes it feels as if help is not meant to be given freely.  That help would just be the Enterprise contributing to the subjugation and control of a people through the sale of narcotics.  The ending is nearly played for as chilling as it is supposed to be, director Win Phelps doesn’t seem to be able to properly frame things and it’s clear as this is the only episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation he is put in charge of.

 

Overall, despite being the first real time Star Trek: The Next Generation is doing a ‘very special episode’ “Symbiosis” is actually one of the stronger installments in the season.  While its tactics are quite literally just say no to drugs, there is enough here in the performances and the ending in particular to at least make it a more memorable watch than much of this particular season.  It’s nothing special and there is still a fair bit of messy elements, Maurice Hurley’s influence is particularly unsubtle to the episode’s detriment, but it’s actually an enjoyable enough watch.  6/10.