Too Short a Season (Episode)
| Series | Star Trek: The Next Generation |
| Season | 1 |
| Episode | 16 |
| Production Number | 112 |
| Release Date | 8 Feb 1988 |
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Stardate 41309.5: The crew encounters legendary negotiator Mark Jameson.
A hostage situation on Mordan IV brings the Enterprise and Admiral Mark Jameson, who successfully negotiated a peace there forty years earlier, back to the planet. Unknown to Starfleet and the Federation, Jameson had actually appeased the planet's leader, Karnas, by providing him with weapons in exchange for his hostages, but then maintained the balance of power and his interpretation of the Prime Directive by supplying weapons to Karnas' enemies as well. The invitation proves to be a ruse; Karnas wants to lure Jameson back to exact revenge.
But the wheelchair-bound admiral has another surprise, one he kept even from his wife, Anne. Another planet, grateful for Jameson's diplomatic work, provided him with a supply of their de-aging compound, and he has been using it. His youthfulness startles Anne and the crew until he decides to take an overdose before meeting with Karnas, and his body can't take the strain. Captain Picard arrives at Mordan IV and confronts Karnas with the truth, but the Mordan leader wants Jameson and doesn't believe the young man he sees before him is his decades-old enemy. Only Jameson's display of their blood-cut scar convinces an amazed Karnas, but by now even vengeance is futile: the governor and Anne watch as Jameson dies, and he is buried on Mordan IV at her request.
Director
Rob Bowman
Story
Michael Michaelian
Writer
Michael Michaelian & D.C. Fontana
Starring
Patrick Stewart … Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes … Commander Will Riker
Brent Spiner … Lieutenant Commander Data
Gates McFadden … Dr. Crusher, Beverly
Marina Sirtis … Counselor Deanna Troi
Denise Crosby … Lieutenant Tasha Yar
LeVar Burton … Lieutenant, j.g. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn … Lieutenant, j.g. Worf
Wil Wheaton … Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher
Guest Starring
Clayton Rohner … Admiral Mark Jameson
Marsha Hunt … Anne Jameson
Michael Pataki … Karnas
