History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E4SiliconAvatar

Riker, Data, and Dr. Crusher are on Melona IV, where a new Federation colony is being built. Riker is enjoying some mutual flirtation with one of the colonists when they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Crystalline Entity, a unique spacefaring creature know for its ability to utterly scour all life from a planet. Recognizing the danger, Riker orders everyone into some nearby caverns in the hope that they will protect them, as the ''Enterprise'' is not present to evacuate them.

Though the caverns do protect them, two of the colonists[[note]]including the one Riker was going to bang[[/note]] perish before they are able to reach safety. When the survivors emerge after being rescued by the ''Enterprise'', they find the lush, Earth-like planet of Melona IV has been turned into a barren wasteland.

The Federation's best expert on the Entity, Dr. Kila Marr, is brought aboard, eager for the chance to investigate an attack so soon after its occurrence. Her first question is how the survivors on Melona IV survived, when all previous encounters with the Entity resulted in total loss of life. Data theorizes that a unique combination of minerals in the cave rock was responsible for protecting them, but Marr seems unconvinced by this explanation. In fact, she doesn't like anything Data has to say. She specifically requests that he not participate on the grounds that he is related to Lore, who brought the Entity to the Omicron Theta colony, where the entire population, including her son Renny, was killed. However, Picard insists that Marr work with Data, the better to assess her objectivity.

->'''Troi:''' I don't think you need an empath to sense that woman's feelings.

On the planet, as they are conducting their analysis, Marr none-too-subtly suggests that the Entity may have spared the survivors because it had an accomplice among them, recalling Lore's previous collaboration with it. As Data is too LiteralMinded to pick up on her subtext, she outright accuses him of colluding with the Entity. Data takes her accusation in stride, reassuring the Doctor that he does not share his brother's misanthropic temperament, though it does little to placate her. Later, however, once one of Data's suggestions ends up revealing a method for tracking the Entity, her attitude starts to change.

The ''Enterprise'' beings its search. Dr. Marr shares her recommendations for how best to destroy the Entity, but is aghast when Picard insists on attempting to establish peaceful communications first. Riker also expresses reservations about this idea, especially after they hear word that it has claimed yet more victims aboard an alien ship. Picard overrules them, believing the Entity should be afforded the chance to live if it can be steered away from intelligent life in its search for food.

At his orders, Dr. Marr starts working with Data on a way of communicating via graviton pulses. Marr starts warming up to Data, even moreso when she learns how much knowledge he has of the colonists on Omicron Theta, her son included. She questions Data about Renny's life prior to his death, and even has him recite some of his journal writings with his VoiceChangeling abilities.

When the ''Enterprise'' finally catches up with the Crystalline Entity, they begin sending it a series of graviton pulses designed to catch its attention. The Entity responds with a signal of its own, creating a pattern that implies intelligence. Then, without warning, Dr. Marr starts sending a much more powerful signal, destroying the Entity before anyone can stop her.

Giddy with revenge, Marr is placed under arrest. In her quarters, she pleads with "Renny" (actually Data) to absolve her of what she has done, and assure her that he understands why she did it. Data has no choice but to refuse, and tells her that, based on what he knows of her son, he would have been very sad to know what she did.

* NonMaliciousMonster: Although Picard acknowledges that they may have to destroy the Crystalline Entity if they can't communicate with it, he refuses to condemn it for destroying Federation colonies on the basis that it may merely be feeding, as any living being must to survive.

* FreudianExcuse: Marr has quite a large one with the death of her adolescent son at the hands of the Crystalline Entity.

* FantasticRacism: Subverted. Unlike some characters, who distrust Data because he is an android, it becomes clear that Marr distrusts him solely because of her hatred for his brother Lore.

The ''Enterprise'' beings its search. Dr. Marr shares her recommendations for how best to destroy the Entity, but is aghast when Picard insists on attempting to establish peaceful communications first. Riker also expresses reservations about this idea, especially after an alien ship is attacked and its crew devoured. Picard overrules them, believing the Entity should be afforded the chance to live if it can be steered away from intelligent life in its search for food.

* [[HeDidntMakeIt She Didn't Make It]]: Riker re Carmen.

* DownerEnding: The Crystalline Entity is destroyed by Marr before diplomacy has a chance to prevail. To rub salt in the wound, Data tells her in all earnestness that her late son would likely have been very upset by her actions.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Data basically delivers one at the end of the episode, as he tells Doctor Marr that Renny would not have wanted her to kill the Crystalline Entity in his name, and would actually be very sad at what his mother has done in his name.

* MobySchtick: Dr. Marr's obsession with the Crystalline Entity. To drive the metaphor home, Picard compares the Entity directly to sperm whales killing cuttlefish by the thousands in Earth's oceans.
-->'''Picard:''' They are not evil. They are feeding.

[[caption-width-right:350:Yeah, yeah, we've all wanted to do that to Actual Puppy Dog Lieutenant Commander Data, haven't we? Dr. Marr, however, has [[ReplacementGoldfish a particularly tragic reason.]]]]

Though the caverns do protect them, two of the colonists[[note]] including the one Riker was going to bang[[/note]] perished before they were able to reach safety. When the survivors emerge after being rescued by the ''Enterprise'', they find the lush, Earth-like planet of Melona IV has been turned into a barren wasteland.

On the planet, as they are conducting their analysis, Marr none-too-subtlely suggests that the Entity may have spared the survivors because it had an accomplice among them, recalling Lore's previous collaboration with it. As Data is too LiteralMinded to pick up on her subtext, she outright accuses him of colluding with the Entity. Data takes her accusation in stride, reassuring the Doctor that he does not share his brother's misanthropic temperament, though it does little to placate her. Later, however, once one of Data's suggestions ends up revealing a method for tracking the Entity, her attitude starts to change.

The ''Enterprise'' beings its search. Dr. Marr shares her recommendations for how best to destroy the Entity, but is aghast when Picard insists on attempting to establish peaceful communications first. Riker also expresses reservations about this idea, especially after a Federation ship is attacked and its crew devoured. Picard overrules them, believing the Entity should be afforded the chance to live if it can be steered away from intelligent life in its search for food.

When the ''Enterprise'' finally catches up with the Crystalline Entity, they begin sending it a series of graviton pulses designed to catch its attention. The Entity responds with a signal of its own, creating a pattern that implies intelligence. Then, without warning, Dr. Marr starts sending a much more powerful signal, destroying the Entity before anyone can react.

!!Tropes featured:

* MobySchtick: Dr. Marr's obsession with the Crystalline Entity.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Marr's grief over the death of her son - and her desire to avenge him - is the sole driving force behind her actions.

* WideEyedIdealist: Picard sincerely believes it's possible to reach an understanding with the Entity. The HopeSpot suggests he may've been right.

[[caption-width-right:350:Yeah, yeah, we've all wanted to do that to Actual Puppy Dog Lieutenant Data, haven't we? Dr. Marr, however, has [[ReplacementGoldfish a particularly tragic reason.]]]]

On the planet, as they are conducting their analysis, Marr none-too-subtlely suggests that the Entity may have spared the survivors because it had an accomplice among them, recalling Lore's previous collaboration with it. As Data is too LiteralMinded to pick up on her subtext, she outright accuses him of colluding with the Entity. Data, naturally, takes her accusation in stride, and calmly informs her that he does not share his brother's misanthropic temperament. This does little to placate the Doctor. However, once one of Data's suggestions ends up revealing a method for tracking the Entity, her attitude starts to change.

Though the caverns do protect them, two of the colonists[[note]] including the one Ryker was going to bang[[/note]] perished before they were able to reach safety. When the survivors emerge after being rescued by the ''Enterprise'', they find the lush, Earth-like planet of Melona IV has been turned into a barren wasteland.

Though the caverns do protect them, two of the colonists perished before they were able to reach safety. When the survivors emerge after being rescued by the ''Enterprise'', they find the lush, Earth-like planet of Melona IV has been turned into a barren wasteland.

Riker, Data, and Dr. Crusher are on Melona IV, where a new Federation colony is being built. Riker is enjoying some mutual flirtation with one of the colonists when they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Crystalline Entity, a unique spacefaring creature know for its ability to utterly scour all life from a planet. Recognizing the danger, Riker orders everyone into some nearby caverns in the hope that they will protect them, as the Enterprise is not present to evacuate them.

Though the caverns do protect them, two of the colonists perished before they were able to reach safety. When the survivors emerge after being rescued by the Enterprise, they find the lush, Earth-like planet of Melona IV has been turned into a barren wasteland.

The Enterprise beings its search. Dr. Marr shares her recommendations for how best to destroy the Entity, but is aghast when Picard insists on attempting to establish peaceful communications first. Riker also expresses reservations about this idea, especially after a Federation ship is attacked and its crew devoured. Picard overrules them, believing the Entity should be afforded the chance to live if it can be steered away from intelligent life in its search for food.

When the Enterprise finally catches up with the Crystalline Entity, they begin sending it a series of graviton pulses designed to catch its attention. The Entity responds with a signal of its own, creating a pattern that implies intelligence. Then, without warning, Dr. Marr starts sending a much more powerful signal, destroying the Entity before anyone can react.

* HopeSpot: It looks as though the Enterprise is succeeding in communicating with the Entity... just before Marr destroys it.

* SanitySlippage: It becomes more and more apparent as the episode progresses that Dr. Marr's state of mind is not just unhealthy, but borderline unstable.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Marr's grief over the death of her son - and her desire to avenge him - is the sole driving force behind her actions.

The Federation's best expert on the Entity, Dr. Kila Marr, is brought aboard, eager for the chance to investigate an attack so soon after its occurrence. Her first question is how the survivors on Melona IV survived, when all previous encounters with the Entity resulted in total loss of life. Data theorizes that a unique combination of minerals in the cave rock was responsible for protecting them, but Karr seems unconvinced by this explanation. In fact, she doesn't like anything Data has to say. She specifically requests that he not participate on the grounds that he is related to Lore, who brought the Entity to the Omicron Theta colony, where the entire population, including her son Renny, was killed. However, Picard insists that Marr work with Data, the better to assess her objectivity.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Marr's grief over the death of her son - and her desire to avenge him - is the sole driving force behind her actions.
* StrawmanHasAPoint: Yes, Dr. Marr is motivated in large part by revenge, but she rightly points out that this entity has slaughtered millions of people as well animals and plants, making it very dangerous. Riker shares her concern, fearing they will lose their chance to stop it if the peaceful option fails.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Yes, Dr. Marr is motivated in large part by revenge, but she rightly points out that this entity has slaughtered millions of people as well animals and plants, making it very dangerous. Riker shares her concern, fearing they will lose their chance to stop it if the peaceful options fails.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Yes, Dr. Marr is motivated in large part by revenge, but she rightly points out that this entity has slaughtered millions of people as well animals and plants, making it very dangerous. Moreover, the case that Picard makes that it's perhaps just "feeding" to survive could be made for the vampire cloud creature that Kirk encountered and destroyed, or even more closer to home for Picard, the Borg.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Marr's grief over the death of her son - and her desire to avenge him - is the sole driving force behind her actions.