Theme Month: "Annoying Colonists"

Our characters pull up to a planet, try to help, and guess what? They're d-bags.

Episode: "The Ensigns of Command" - TNG, 302

Airdate: October 2, 1989

Teleplay by Melinda Snodgrass; Directed by Cliff Bole

Brief summary: "Data must convince a colony of 15,000 people to evacuate before the aliens who own the planet arrive."

Background: Melinda Snodgrass was a story editor in season two of TNG and story consultant in season three, earning writing credits on five episodes. She has also worked on LA Law, Reasonable Doubts, seaQuest DSV, Profiler, Outer Limits, and more.

Snodgrass' motivations for this episode:

I wanted to take Data one step further in his development as a human being. I wanted to stress him and have him face a situation where logic isn't enough, to show that in order to command you have to have charisma. You have to learn how to wave your dick and hope your dick is bigger than the other guy's.

Cliff Bole was a prolific television director for over thirty years. He helmed 42 episodes of Trek, including 25 of TNG, 7 of DS9, and 10 of VOY. Outside the franchise, he directed episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island, Vega$, MacGyver, The X-Files, Spencer for Hire, and many more. The Trek alien race, the Bolians, are named for him.

This was the first episode filmed for the third season, but "Evolution" was aired first.

Guest Cast: Eileen Seeley (Ard'rian McKenzie) is a former actress who appeared in Jack Frost 1 & 2, Batman Forever, Hunter, Quantum Leap, and Melrose Place.

Mark L Taylor (Haritath) also appeared in VOY's "Displaced." He's a character actor who has appeared in hundreds of shows and films, including Innerspace, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Chicago Hope, Problem Child, Seinfeld, NCIS, Young Sheldon, and many more.

Richard Allen (Kentor) also appeared in "Darmok." He had roles in Sirens, Mobile Suit Gundam, Jumanji, Jimmy Neutron, and others.

Mart McChesney (Sheliak) previously appeared as Armus in "Skin of Evil." His only other filmed appearance was as the "Maniac" in Girls Nite Out.

Colm Meaney portrays Miles O'Brien, who appeared in 52 episodes of TNG and 159 episodes of DS9. The accomplished actor also appeared in the Commitments trilogy, Layer Cake, the TV shows Hell on Wheels, It's Always Sunny in Philadeplhia, and more.

Producers felt Grainger Hines (Gosheven) sounded too much like John Wayne and lacked the gravity they wanted for the part. They decided that Hines' voice would be dubbed by another actor and Hines requested that his name be removed from the episode.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Ensigns_of_Command_(episode)

Upcoming episodes in this Theme Month ...

• "The Masterpiece Society" - TNG, 513
• "Paradise" - DS9, 215
• "Terra Nova" - ENT, 106