Samaritan Snare (Episode)
| Series | Star Trek: The Next Generation |
| Season | 2 |
| Episode | 17 |
| Production Number | 143 |
| Release Date | 15 May 1989 |
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Stardate 42779.1: La Forge is taken hostage by Pakleds
As Wesley Crusher prepares to take more Starfleet Academy tests at Starbase 515, Captain Picard suddenly elects to join him for the long shuttle ride after a heated argument with Dr. Pulaski. Aboard the Enterprise, Riker underestimates the apparently slow-witted Pakleds, who kidnap La Forge after he beams over to their ship to give them a hand with repairs.
During the shuttle ride, Picard finally opens up enough to explain his reason for making the trip — surgery to replace a defective cardiac unit — and leaves Crusher spellbound with the tale of the shore leave brawl as a young officer that nearly got him killed. Meanwhile, the Pakleds demand that the Enterprise release all of its computer data to them. As the crew considers a show of force to rescue La Forge, Riker learns that Picard is near death from complications during his surgery. Anxious to reach their captain, the crew tricks the Pakleds with a "crimson forcefield" — actually a harmless release of hydrogen from the Bussard collectors — and rescue La Forge. Picard awakens in post-op to learn of his close call — and to find that Pulaski was the specialist called in to pull him through.
Director
Les Landau
Writer
Robert L. McCullough
Starring
Patrick Stewart … Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes … Commander Will Riker
Brent Spiner … Lieutenant Commander Data
Marina Sirtis … Counselor Deanna Troi
LeVar Burton … Lieutenant Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn … Lieutenant Worf
Wil Wheaton … Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher
Guest Starring
Diana Muldaur … Dr. Kate Pulaski
Christopher Collins … Grebnedlog
Leslie Morris … Reginod
Daniel Benzali … Surgeon
Lycia Naff … Ensign Sonya Gomez
Tzi Ma … Biomolecular Specialist
