When The Bough Breaks

Episode aired Feb 13, 1988
TV-PG
45m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

3.8K

YOUR RATING

Wil Wheaton, Jandi Swanson, McKenzie Westmore, Amy Wheaton, Jeremy Wheaton, Jessica Bova, and Vanessa Bova in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi

A planet that was able to cloak itself for thousands of years suddenly reveals itself, with its inhabitants proposing peace. But, after initial negotiations, children of the Enterprise are k... Read allA planet that was able to cloak itself for thousands of years suddenly reveals itself, with its inhabitants proposing peace. But, after initial negotiations, children of the Enterprise are kidnapped due to the infertility of the inhabitants.A planet that was able to cloak itself for thousands of years suddenly reveals itself, with its inhabitants proposing peace. But, after initial negotiations, children of the Enterprise are kidnapped due to the infertility of the inhabitants.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

3.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

User reviews26

Featured review

6/10

Interesting but hardly a classic

The Enterprise makes contact with Aldea, a near-mythical world that has cloaked itself from the rest of the quadrant and developed extraordinary technological advancement. However, when the Aldeans abduct several children including Wesley from the Enterprise, Picard is forced to outwit a foe with far greater capabilities than he possesses.

A good story here and finally a show that gives Wheaton something better to do than handily solve every situation for once. But the story meanders quite a bit and I had plenty of questions at the end of the episode, which doesn't help. An alright episode but not an essential one.

Trivia
Uncredited guest children Jeremy Wheaton (Mason) and Amy Wheaton (Tara) join their older brother, series regular Wil Wheaton.

Goofs
Data explains that the Aldeans cloak works by bending light rays around the planet. This would mean that no light or other electromagnetic energy could reach the planet's surface, leaving it in complete darkness and completely frozen. It would be so cold even the planet's atmosphere would freeze and fall to the ground like snow. This would also not hide the planet's gravitational field, which would give its location and clearly as if there were no cloak at all.

Quotes
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Data, find a way to defeat that shield.
Lt. Commander Data: That may be impossible sir.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Things are only impossible until they're not!