‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘The Offspring’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for ‘Star Trek: Nemesis’ and ‘Star Trek: Picard’.
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Re-watching our favorite shows can be quite the rewarding experience. Because not only do we get to re-live wonderful and iconic moments, we also get the opportunity to look at our favorite episodes in a whole new light. For were in a different place in our lives when we first saw the episode(s) in question, and seeing them again with life experiences and maturity under our belts, really does allow for a viewer to appreciate the nuances and meaning present within stories that seemingly had none of that, when we watched them the first time around. But what’s truly amazing about the re-watch, is that it is starting to evolve into something more. For as franchises continue to grow and expand upon stories that we thought were all wrapped up, those old stories are finding new meaning.

Because now some of these tales feature keystone moments that have managed to influence the future of the franchise and it just so happens that the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation meets that particular criteria. Because ‘The Offspring’ is a story that originally appeared to be nothing more than a Data themed exploration tale. One that allowed for him to get within an inch of humanity by creating a daughter named Lal, and while watching him teach her everything he’s learned about mankind and life made for compelling television, her passing at the end of this tale really did make it seem like a one off. But thanks to Nemesis and Picard, this episode hits differently during a re-watch and much of that relates to how Data’s journey ends in the Star Trek Universe.

For his passing in Nemesis adds incredible gravity to his decision to create Lal in the first place, since her whole reason for being was to continue his family line in the event that something bad happened to him, making her creation and end poignant and heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time. Since in a way, Data failed in his mission to keep everything he stands for alive, twice even… since B-4 doesn’t exactly take to his memories. But hope comes into play, by way of the kindness of others. Since Bruce Maddox is the one to finally fulfill his wishes. Since Soji and Dahj would eventually become the legacy he so desired and it really was quite incredible to revel in the impact of this tale and how important it became to the TNG arm of the franchise. 

But while it is cool to reflect upon the future importance of a tale that was likely created without any legacy in mind, we also need to talk about how moving and powerful and cerebral this story truly is. Because in many ways, this episode offers up a lot of commentary about modern society and how people are quick to judge the qualifications of parents, because they don’t fit a mold or meet a silent criterion. But while that is fascinating to ponder upon, what matters more, is that this is a heartbreaking tale through and through. One that examines the horror of losing a child and the wonder of life and how each moment is special, since they truly disappear in the blink of an eye and truth be told, this is a story that will bring you to tears. Since Lal’s passing is handled in both a beautiful and devastating manner, the kind that feels far more realistic than it should.

If anything, it is a testament to the work and the skillset of Director Jonathan Frakes. Who just so happened to make his directorial debut with this tale and wow, what a way to start off his directing career. Because everything here is handled in a magnificently smooth and organic manner and the performances are simply to die for since Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart and Hallie Todd (Lal) absolutely chew up the screen in this one and well, in the end, this was definitely the right episode to feature as a follow up to ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’. Simply because this particular tale doesn’t try to one up its predecessor, it just works to tell a powerful and poignant story about something that is supremely important to all of mankind and you can never go wrong with a Star Trek tale that examines the human condition and the beauty and frailty of life. Until next time.

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