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An alien probe controls and disables Captain Picard, who wakes up as "Kamin," a resident of the planet Kataan. While the crew of the ''Enterprise'' tries to jar the probe's influence, "Kamin" lives through the dying days of his homeworld.
+
An alien probe controls and disables Captain Picard, who wakes up as "Kamin," a resident of the planet Kataan. While the crew of the ''Enterprise'' tries to jar the probe's influence, "Kamin" lives through the final, dying decades of his homeworld in the span of approximately twenty minutes in the form of an interactive "ancestor simulation".
   
 
==Summary==
 
==Summary==
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As the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} encounters an unknown space probe, it emits a low level [[nucleonic beam]] at [[Jean-Luc Picard]]. Picard faints, but soon awakens with a strange woman calling him "[[Kamin]]". He soon learns that he is not on a [[holodeck]] simulation; in fact, he is no longer on the ''Enterprise'', and nobody has even heard of the ''Enterprise''.
 
As the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} encounters an unknown space probe, it emits a low level [[nucleonic beam]] at [[Jean-Luc Picard]]. Picard faints, but soon awakens with a strange woman calling him "[[Kamin]]". He soon learns that he is not on a [[holodeck]] simulation; in fact, he is no longer on the ''Enterprise'', and nobody has even heard of the ''Enterprise''.
   
Over the next few days, Picard discovers many new facts about his "new" existence. His name is Kamin, and he has a friend named [[Batai]]. The woman he first meets is his wife [[Eline]], and he is an ironweaver who enjoys playing his [[Ressikan flute|flute]]. Finally, Picard learns that he now lives in the community of [[Ressik]] on the planet [[Kataan]].
+
Over the next few days, Picard discovers many new facts about his "new" existence. His name is Kamin, and he has a friend named [[Batai]]. The woman he first meets is his wife [[Eline]], and he is an ironweaver who enjoys playing his [[Ressikan flute|flute]]. Finally, Picard learns that he now lives in the community of [[Ressik]] on the planet [[Kataan]], a world that has never made contact with any alien species.
   
Back on the ''Enterprise'', [[William T. Riker|Riker]] calls [[sickbay]] for help, as Picard falls into a coma. [[Beverly Crusher]] arrives and discovers Picard is undergoing tremendous neurological activity. It seems the alien probe has locked itself onto Picard. Dr. Crusher advises against destroying the probe in that the [[Captain]] may be injured, so they wait.
+
Back on the ''Enterprise'', [[William T. Riker|Riker]] calls [[sickbay]] for help, as Picard has fallen into a coma. [[Beverly Crusher]] arrives and discovers Picard is undergoing tremendous neurological activity. It seems the alien probe has locked itself onto Picard. Dr. Crusher advises against destroying the probe in that the [[Captain]] may be injured, so they wait.
   
 
[[File:Batai.jpg|thumb|Batai]]
 
[[File:Batai.jpg|thumb|Batai]]
Five years have passed on Kataan, and we notice that "Kamin" has become integrated into his new society. He suggests to the visiting administrator that atmospheric condensers are needed to survive the extended drought they are currently experiencing. His ideas are rejected, but Batai notes that it is the first time Kamin has spoken as a member of the community in years. Later that evening, Kamin and Eline plan for a family.
+
Meanwhile, five years have passed on Kataan, and we notice that "Kamin" has become integrated into his new society. He suggests to the visiting administrator that atmospheric condensers are needed to survive the extended drought they are currently experiencing. His ideas are rejected, but Batai notes that it is the first time Kamin has spoken as a member of the community in years. Later that evening, Kamin and Eline plan for a family, beginning with the construction of a nursery.
   
 
Back on the ''Enterprise'', [[Geordi La Forge|La Forge]] has launched a probe to follow the alien probe's ion trail back to its source. [[Data]] has determined a method of disrupting the beam, and they make plans to implement Data's idea.
 
Back on the ''Enterprise'', [[Geordi La Forge|La Forge]] has launched a probe to follow the alien probe's ion trail back to its source. [[Data]] has determined a method of disrupting the beam, and they make plans to implement Data's idea.
   
Once again, several years have passed on Kataan. Kamin and Eline are in the middle of a "naming ceremony" for their second child, named Batai (for their late friend). Right after the ceremony, Kamin suddenly collapses. On the ''Enterprise'', Dr. Crusher tries in vain to stabilize Picard. Data reestablishes the beam, thereby stabilizing Picard's condition.
+
Once again, several years have passed on Kataan. Kamin and Eline are in the middle of a "naming ceremony" for their second child, named Batai (for their late friend, who had passed a year before). Right after the ceremony, as the reception begins, Kamin suddenly collapses. On the ''Enterprise'', Dr. Crusher tries in vain to save Picard. Data reestablishes the beam, thereby stabilizing Picard's condition.
   
Ten years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin, together with his adult daughter [[Meribor]], have found that the soil is simply dead. The sun's radiation has sterilized the soil making it incapable of supporting life.
+
Ten years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin, together with his adult daughter [[Meribor]], have found that the soil in their yard is simply dead. The sun's radiation has sterilized the dirt making it incapable of supporting life, a process that is implied to be wiping out all plant life on the planet.
   
 
La Forge has managed to trace the alien probe's path back to the system of Kataan, which contains no habitable planets as the [[star]] went [[Nova (star)|nova]] approximately one thousand years earlier.
 
La Forge has managed to trace the alien probe's path back to the system of Kataan, which contains no habitable planets as the [[star]] went [[Nova (star)|nova]] approximately one thousand years earlier.
   
Many more years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin is visibly old. Using his telescope, he has discovered that the drought will continue indefinitely, and the planet may be doomed. He argues with a government administrator, who tells him in confidence that the government scientists came to the same conclusion two years earlier. Kamin pleads with him that an evacuation, even of a handful of people, must be attempted, but the pained administrator points out to Kamin that they simply do not have the technological capability for spaceflight of that magnitude, having only recently started launching unmanned probes into orbit. Reluctantly, the administrator shares with Kamin that there is an effort underway to save "some" piece of the civilization, though he will reveal no more about it. Later, Eline dies a natural death, and Kamin grieves.
+
Many more years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin is visibly elderly. Using his telescope, he has discovered that the drought will continue indefinitely, and the planet may be doomed. He argues with a government administrator, who tells him in confidence that the government scientists had come to the same conclusion two years earlier. Kamin pleads with him that an evacuation, even of a handful of people, must be attempted, but the pained administrator points out to Kamin that they simply do not have the technological capability for spaceflight of that magnitude, having only recently started launching unmanned probes into orbit. Reluctantly, the administrator shares with Kamin that there is an effort underway to save "some" piece of the civilization, though he will reveal no more about it. Kamin's son arrives and informs him that something is wrong with his wife Eline, and the pair rush home. Shortly afterward, Eline dies a natural death, and Kamin grieves.
   
Years later, an extremely old Kamin is playing with his grandchild, Meribor's son. He laments that his grandson deserves a long and full life, but like the rest of their world he will not survive. Kamin goes along with everyone else to view "the launching", which only he seems not to know about. Kamin asks, "''What is it they're launching?''"
+
Years later, an extremely old Kamin is playing with his grandchild, Meribor's son. He laments that his grandson deserves a long and full life, but like the rest of their world he will not survive. Kamin reluctantly goes along with the pair to join everyone in the community to view "the launching", which only he seems not to know about. Kamin asks, "''What is it they're launching?''"
   
 
His daughter, Meribor: "''You know it, father. You've already seen it.''"
 
His daughter, Meribor: "''You know it, father. You've already seen it.''"
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== Memorable Quotes ==
 
== Memorable Quotes ==
  +
"''Computer, freeze program. Computer, end program!''"
  +
: - '''Picard''' as he finds himself as Kamin with his wife Eline tending to him
  +
  +
  +
"''You think that this... your life is a dream?''"<br />
  +
"''This is not my life! I know that much.''"
  +
: - '''Eline''' and '''Picard''' as Kamin
  +
  +
 
"''You've been dreaming about that starship of yours again, haven't you?''"
 
"''You've been dreaming about that starship of yours again, haven't you?''"
: - '''Eline''', five years after Kamin's 'recovery.'
+
: - '''Eline''', five years after Kamin's 'recovery'
   
   
 
"''I'm not brooding. I'm immersed in my music! ... I find that it helps me to think, but the real surprise is that I enjoy it so much.''"<br />
 
"''I'm not brooding. I'm immersed in my music! ... I find that it helps me to think, but the real surprise is that I enjoy it so much.''"<br />
 
"''No, the real surprise is that you may actually be improving!''"
 
"''No, the real surprise is that you may actually be improving!''"
: - Kamin (playing the flute) and Batai
+
: - '''Picard''' as Kamin (playing the flute) and '''Batai'''
  +
  +
  +
"''I always believed that I didn't need children to complete my life. Now, I couldn't imagine life without them.''"
  +
: - '''Picard''' as Kamin, when he becomes a father to Meribor and Batai
   
   
 
"''Seize the time, Meribor - live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.''"
 
"''Seize the time, Meribor - live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.''"
: - '''Picard''', as Kamin, to his daughter.
+
: - '''Picard''', as Kamin, to his daughter
   
   
 
"''Remember... put your shoes away.''"
 
"''Remember... put your shoes away.''"
: - '''Eline'''{{'}}s last words to Kamin on her deathbed.
+
: - '''Eline'''{{'}}s last words to Kamin on her deathbed
   
   
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==Background information==
 
==Background information==
 
===Story and script===
 
===Story and script===
  +
[[File:Directing Inner Light.jpg|thumb|[[Patrick Stewart]], [[Jennifer Nash]], and [[Peter Lauritson]]]]
 
*[[Ronald D. Moore]] commented:
 
*[[Ronald D. Moore]] commented:
 
::''I've always felt that the experience in "Inner Light" would've been the most profound experience in Picard's life and changed him irrevocably. However, that wasn't our intention when we were creating the episode. We were after a good hour of TV, and the larger implications of how this would really screw somebody up didn't hit home with us until later (that's sometimes a danger in TV &ndash; you're so focused on just getting the show produced every week that sometimes you suffer from the "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome). We never intended the show to completely upend his character and force a radical change in the series, so we contented ourselves with a single follow-up in {{e|Lessons}}.'' {{AOLchat|Ronald D. Moore|ron020|1997}}
 
::''I've always felt that the experience in "Inner Light" would've been the most profound experience in Picard's life and changed him irrevocably. However, that wasn't our intention when we were creating the episode. We were after a good hour of TV, and the larger implications of how this would really screw somebody up didn't hit home with us until later (that's sometimes a danger in TV &ndash; you're so focused on just getting the show produced every week that sometimes you suffer from the "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome). We never intended the show to completely upend his character and force a radical change in the series, so we contented ourselves with a single follow-up in {{e|Lessons}}.'' {{AOLchat|Ronald D. Moore|ron020|1997}}
*[[Morgan Gendel]] revealed that the episode's title is an in-joke. "''{{w|The Inner Light (song)|It}} was the B-side of '{{w|Lady Madonna}}.' I thought it would be fun to give every ''Star Trek'' episode I wrote a title that's from a different, obscure {{w|The Beatles|Beatles}} song. I wanted to call {{e|Starship Mine}} 'Revolution,' but they had already used {{e|Evolution}}. It was a little joke between me and me.''" (''[[Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages]]'')
+
*[[Morgan Gendel]] revealed that the episode's title is an in-joke. "[''{{w|The Inner Light (song)|The Inner Light}}''] was the B-side of '{{w|Lady Madonna}}.' I thought it would be fun to give every ''Star Trek'' episode I wrote a title that's from a different, obscure {{w|The Beatles|Beatles}} song. I wanted to call {{e|Starship Mine}} 'Revolution,' but they had already used {{e|Evolution}}. It was a little joke between me and me.''" (''[[Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages]]'')
*In a deleted or unfilmed scene at the beginning of the script, Picard discusses Fleet Admiral Gustafson, who he is to give a report of their magnetic wave survey in the Parvenium sector to when the ''Enterprise'' arrives at [[Starbase 218]]. Picard recalls seeing a production of Wagner's ''The Ring Cycle'' with Gustafson the last time they met. (''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library]]'')
+
*In a deleted scene at the beginning of the script, Picard discusses Fleet Admiral [[Gustafson]], who he is to give a report of their magnetic wave survey in the Parvenium sector to when the ''Enterprise'' arrives at [[Starbase 218]]. Picard recalls seeing a production of [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]'s ''[[Ring cycle]]'' with [[Gustafson]] the last time they met. (''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library]]'')
  +
 
===Production===
 
===Production===
 
[[File:Sternbach - The Inner Light script.jpg|thumb|Sternbach and "The Inner Light" script]]
 
[[File:Sternbach - The Inner Light script.jpg|thumb|Sternbach and "The Inner Light" script]]
 
*While attending a production staff meeting during the making of this episode, [[Rick Sternbach]] drew on his script preliminary designs for ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' - [[Deep Space 9]] itself.
 
*While attending a production staff meeting during the making of this episode, [[Rick Sternbach]] drew on his script preliminary designs for ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' - [[Deep Space 9]] itself.
 
*Only a few scenes were filmed on the regular sets. The [[bridge]] and Picard's [[quarters]] are the only parts of the ''Enterprise''-D that are seen.
 
*Only a few scenes were filmed on the regular sets. The [[bridge]] and Picard's [[quarters]] are the only parts of the ''Enterprise''-D that are seen.
*[[Jay Chattaway]] composed the music for this episode, including the Ressikan flute solo played by Kamin and Picard. Chattaway later expanded this piece into a six-minute orchestral suite that is available on "[[The Best of Star Trek (soundtracks)#The Best of Star Trek: Volume One|The Best of Star Trek: 30th Anniversary Special]]" soundtrack CD. The Ressikan melody has similarities to the Scottish tune 'Skye Boat Song', also known as 'Speed Bonny Boat'.
+
*[[Jay Chattaway]] composed the music for this episode, including the Ressikan flute solo played by Kamin and Picard. Chattaway later expanded this piece into a six-minute orchestral suite for ''[[The Best of Star Trek, Volume One]]''. The Ressikan melody has similarities to the Scottish tune 'Skye Boat Song', also known as 'Speed Bonny Boat'.{{incite}}
 
*First UK airdate: 7 June 1995
 
*First UK airdate: 7 June 1995
   
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*Picard's flute appears in a deleted scene from {{film|10}}, during which Picard and Data discuss the crew going their own ways.
 
*Picard's flute appears in a deleted scene from {{film|10}}, during which Picard and Data discuss the crew going their own ways.
 
*Picard's telescope appears to be a {{W|Dobsonian telescope|Dobsonian reflector}}, a design popular amongst home telescope builders.
 
*Picard's telescope appears to be a {{W|Dobsonian telescope|Dobsonian reflector}}, a design popular amongst home telescope builders.
*According to [[Jay Chattaway]], the Ressikan flute was chosen for its photogenic ability because a typical flute is held in front of the actors face. His composition for the Ressikan flute became one of the most requested pieces in the [[Paramount Pictures]] library. ("Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Music"), [[TNG Season 5 DVD]] special feature)
+
*According to [[Jay Chattaway]], the Ressikan flute was chosen for its photogenic ability because a typical flute is held in front of the actor's face. His composition for the Ressikan flute became one of the most requested pieces in the [[Paramount Pictures]] library. ("Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Music"), [[TNG Season 5 DVD]] special feature)
 
*A humanoid statue seen in Kamin's building is a large replica of a marble [[Wikipedia:Cycladic_art#Cycladic_Sculptures_2|Cycladic idol]].
 
*A humanoid statue seen in Kamin's building is a large replica of a marble [[Wikipedia:Cycladic_art#Cycladic_Sculptures_2|Cycladic idol]].
*From October 5–7, 2006, the Ressikan flute was one of the items up for bid at the [[Christie's]] official studio auction of ''Star Trek'' memorabilia. The prop flute, which cannot actually be played, was originally estimated to have a sale price of US$300. Auction directors admitted that their estimates for many items did not "factor in that emotional fury generated around this kind of material".<ref name="msnbc">[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12857883/ Two to bid up! First auction of ‘Star Trek’ stuff] [[MSNBC]] {{Dead link|date=July 2010}}</ref> The estimate was later raised to $800–$1,200 on Christie's web site.<ref name="prnews">[http://startrekpropcollector.com/trekauctions/items/1778-0537 Christie's 1778-0537, Picard's Ressikan Flute], [http://startrekpropcollector.com Star Trek Propcollector.com] at the Star Trek Auction Listings Archive</ref> In the days leading up to the auction, [[Denise Okuda]], former Trek scenic artist and video supervisor, as well as co-writer of the auction catalog, said: "That's the item people say they really have to have, because it's so iconic to a much-beloved episode."<ref name="usatoday">{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/2006-09-25-star-trek-christies-auction_x.htm |title=Boldly bid where no fan has bid before |last=Puente |first=Maria |date=2006-09-26 |publisher=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=2011-06-24}}</ref> The final bid for the flute at the auction was US$40,000. Including the additional 20% fee Christie's collected on all items from the winning bidder, the total price for the flute was $48,000.<ref name="prnews"/>
 
   
 
=== Reception ===
 
=== Reception ===
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* This episode was featured in the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewers Choice Marathon]]''.
 
* This episode was featured in the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewers Choice Marathon]]''.
 
* In the [[TNG Season 5]] DVD collection, the menu for this episode features the flute solo.
 
* In the [[TNG Season 5]] DVD collection, the menu for this episode features the flute solo.
* A sequel was planned, but it was scrapped. The story, called "The Outer Light," was adapted as a comic on Trekmovie.com. [http://journeytotheinnerlight.com/outerlight]
+
* A sequel was planned, but it was scrapped. The story, called "The Outer Light," was adapted as a comic on Trekmovie.com. [http://journeytotheinnerlight.com/outerlight/page1.php]
 
* A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in ''[[The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine]]'' Vol. 21, pp. 58-60.
 
* A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in ''[[The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine]]'' Vol. 21, pp. 58-60.
 
* Writer [[Peter Allan Fields]] praises Patrick Stewart's performance but has the highest praise for guest actress [[Margot Rose]]; "''She was absolutely ''superb'', no ifs, ands or buts! I was grateful to have written something that an actress of that caliber had brought to life. She was excellent. I had never seen her before. I saw dailies, so I saw aspects of her performance that, unfortunatly, the audience never got to see because the show ran long. They had to take out seven minutes.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine]]'' Vol. 21, p. 25)
 
* Writer [[Peter Allan Fields]] praises Patrick Stewart's performance but has the highest praise for guest actress [[Margot Rose]]; "''She was absolutely ''superb'', no ifs, ands or buts! I was grateful to have written something that an actress of that caliber had brought to life. She was excellent. I had never seen her before. I saw dailies, so I saw aspects of her performance that, unfortunatly, the audience never got to see because the show ran long. They had to take out seven minutes.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine]]'' Vol. 21, p. 25)
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* [[Michael Braveheart]] as [[Martinez]]
 
* [[Michael Braveheart]] as [[Martinez]]
 
* [[Tracee Lee Cocco]] as [[Jae]]
 
* [[Tracee Lee Cocco]] as [[Jae]]
 
* [[Amber Connally]] as [[Meribor|young Meribor]]
 
* [[Christie Haydon]] as [[Unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) command division personnel#Flight controller (2369)|command division ensign]]
 
* [[Christie Haydon]] as [[Unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) command division personnel#Flight controller (2369)|command division ensign]]
 
* [[Michael Moorehead]] as [[Unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) sciences division personnel#Bridge science ensign|science division ensign]]
 
* [[Michael Moorehead]] as [[Unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) sciences division personnel#Bridge science ensign|science division ensign]]
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** [[Kataan natives#Doctor|Kataan native doctor]]
 
** [[Kataan natives#Doctor|Kataan native doctor]]
 
** [[Kataan natives#Townspeople|Twenty Kataan natives]]
 
** [[Kataan natives#Townspeople|Twenty Kataan natives]]
** [[Meribor|Young Meribor]]
 
   
 
=== Stand-ins ===
 
=== Stand-ins ===
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===References===
 
===References===
[[administrator]]; [[anaerobic bacteria]]; [[atmospheric condenser]]; [[blood|blood pressure]]; [[botany]]; [[cardiac induction]]; [[cc]]; [[ceramic alloy]]; [[cerebrum]]; [[cortical stimulator]]; [[crystalline emiristol]]; [[Dannick]]; [[deflector shield]]; [[delactovine]]; [[dream]]; [[Federation]]; [[fever]]; [[fibrogenic activity]]; [[Frère Jacques]]; [[holodeck]]; [[hospital]]; [[iron weaver]]; [[neocortex|isocortex]]; [[Kamin]]; [[Kataan]]; [[Kataan probe]]; [[Kataan star system]]; [[magnetic wave survey]]; [[mathematics]]; [[missile]]; [[music]]; [[naming ceremony]]; [[neurotransmitter]]; [[Northern province]]; [[nova (star)|nova]]; [[nucleonic beam]]; [[paricium]]; [[Parvenium system]]; [[probe]]; [[radioactive]]; [[Ressik]]; [[Ressikan flute]]; [[Shuttlebay|Shuttlebay 2]]; [[Silarian sector]]; [[skin protector]]; [[somatophysical failure]]; [[soup]]; [[sun]]; [[star chart]]; [[Starfleet]]; [[synapse|synaptic response]]; [[talgonite]]; [[telescope]]; [[thruster]]; [[tree]]; [[vegetable stew]]; [[voice-transit conductor]]; [[water]]
+
[[administrator]]; [[anaerobic bacteria]]; [[atmospheric condenser]]; [[blood|blood pressure]]; [[botany]]; [[cardiac induction]]; [[cc]]; [[ceramic alloy]]; [[cerebrum]]; [[cortical stimulator]]; [[crystalline emiristol]]; [[Dannick]]; [[deflector shield]]; [[delactovine]]; [[dream]]; [[Federation]]; [[fever]]; [[fibrogenic activity]]; [[Frère Jacques]]; [[Gustafson]]; [[holodeck]]; [[hospital]]; [[iron weaver]]; [[neocortex|isocortex]]; [[Kamin]]; [[Kataan]]; [[Kataan probe]]; [[Kataan star system]]; [[magnetic wave survey]]; [[mathematics]]; [[missile]]; [[music]]; [[naming ceremony]]; [[neurotransmitter]]; [[Northern province]]; [[nova (star)|nova]]; [[nucleonic beam]]; [[paricium]]; [[Parvenium system]]; [[probe]]; [[radioactive]]; [[Ressik]]; [[Ressikan flute]]; [[Shuttlebay|Shuttlebay 2]]; [[Silarian sector]]; [[skin protector]]; [[somatophysical failure]]; [[soup]]; [[sun]]; [[Starbase 218]]; [[star chart]]; [[Starfleet]]; [[synapse|synaptic response]]; [[talgonite]]; [[telescope]]; [[Ring cycle]]; [[thruster]]; [[tree]]; [[vegetable stew]]; [[voice-transit conductor]]; [[Richard Wagner|Wagner, Richard]]; [[water]]
   
 
===External link===
 
===External link===
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{{TNG nav|season=5|last={{e|The Next Phase}}|next={{e|Time's Arrow}}}}
 
{{TNG nav|season=5|last={{e|The Next Phase}}|next={{e|Time's Arrow}}}}
  +
  +
 
[[Category:TNG episodes|Inner Light, The]]
   
 
[[de:Das zweite Leben]]
 
[[de:Das zweite Leben]]
 
[[es:The Inner Light]]
 
[[es:The Inner Light]]
[[fr:The Inner Light]]
+
[[fr:The Inner Light (épisode)]]
[[ja:TNG:超時空惑星カターン]]
+
[[ja:超時空惑星カターン(エピソード)]]
 
[[nl:The Inner Light]]
 
[[nl:The Inner Light]]
 
[[pl:The Inner Light]]
 
[[pl:The Inner Light]]
[[Category:TNG episodes|Inner Light, The]]
 

Revision as of 17:49, 19 December 2014

Template:Realworld

An alien probe controls and disables Captain Picard, who wakes up as "Kamin," a resident of the planet Kataan. While the crew of the Enterprise tries to jar the probe's influence, "Kamin" lives through the final, dying decades of his homeworld in the span of approximately twenty minutes in the form of an interactive "ancestor simulation".

Summary

"Captain's log, Stardate 45944.1. Following a magnetic wave survey of the Parvenium system, we have detected an object which we cannot immediately identify."

As the USS Enterprise-D encounters an unknown space probe, it emits a low level nucleonic beam at Jean-Luc Picard. Picard faints, but soon awakens with a strange woman calling him "Kamin". He soon learns that he is not on a holodeck simulation; in fact, he is no longer on the Enterprise, and nobody has even heard of the Enterprise.

Over the next few days, Picard discovers many new facts about his "new" existence. His name is Kamin, and he has a friend named Batai. The woman he first meets is his wife Eline, and he is an ironweaver who enjoys playing his flute. Finally, Picard learns that he now lives in the community of Ressik on the planet Kataan, a world that has never made contact with any alien species.

Back on the Enterprise, Riker calls sickbay for help, as Picard has fallen into a coma. Beverly Crusher arrives and discovers Picard is undergoing tremendous neurological activity. It seems the alien probe has locked itself onto Picard. Dr. Crusher advises against destroying the probe in that the Captain may be injured, so they wait.

Batai

Batai

Meanwhile, five years have passed on Kataan, and we notice that "Kamin" has become integrated into his new society. He suggests to the visiting administrator that atmospheric condensers are needed to survive the extended drought they are currently experiencing. His ideas are rejected, but Batai notes that it is the first time Kamin has spoken as a member of the community in years. Later that evening, Kamin and Eline plan for a family, beginning with the construction of a nursery.

Back on the Enterprise, La Forge has launched a probe to follow the alien probe's ion trail back to its source. Data has determined a method of disrupting the beam, and they make plans to implement Data's idea.

Once again, several years have passed on Kataan. Kamin and Eline are in the middle of a "naming ceremony" for their second child, named Batai (for their late friend, who had passed a year before). Right after the ceremony, as the reception begins, Kamin suddenly collapses. On the Enterprise, Dr. Crusher tries in vain to save Picard. Data reestablishes the beam, thereby stabilizing Picard's condition.

Ten years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin, together with his adult daughter Meribor, have found that the soil in their yard is simply dead. The sun's radiation has sterilized the dirt making it incapable of supporting life, a process that is implied to be wiping out all plant life on the planet.

La Forge has managed to trace the alien probe's path back to the system of Kataan, which contains no habitable planets as the star went nova approximately one thousand years earlier.

Many more years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin is visibly elderly. Using his telescope, he has discovered that the drought will continue indefinitely, and the planet may be doomed. He argues with a government administrator, who tells him in confidence that the government scientists had come to the same conclusion two years earlier. Kamin pleads with him that an evacuation, even of a handful of people, must be attempted, but the pained administrator points out to Kamin that they simply do not have the technological capability for spaceflight of that magnitude, having only recently started launching unmanned probes into orbit. Reluctantly, the administrator shares with Kamin that there is an effort underway to save "some" piece of the civilization, though he will reveal no more about it. Kamin's son arrives and informs him that something is wrong with his wife Eline, and the pair rush home. Shortly afterward, Eline dies a natural death, and Kamin grieves.

Years later, an extremely old Kamin is playing with his grandchild, Meribor's son. He laments that his grandson deserves a long and full life, but like the rest of their world he will not survive. Kamin reluctantly goes along with the pair to join everyone in the community to view "the launching", which only he seems not to know about. Kamin asks, "What is it they're launching?"

His daughter, Meribor: "You know it, father. You've already seen it."

"Seen it? What are you talking about? I haven't seen any missile."

Batai: "Yes, you have, old friend. Don't you remember?"

Kamin turns to see his old friend, Batai, but in the prime of his life. Batai explains, "You saw it just before you came here. We hoped our probe would encounter someone in the future – someone who could be a teacher, someone who could tell the others about us."

"Oh... oh, it's me... isn't it? I'm the someone. I'm the one it finds. That's what this launching is – a probe that finds me in the future!"

"Yes, my love..."

Kamin's family

Kamin's family, at the end of the Kataan probe simulation

Stunned, Kamin turns and sees Eline, glowing in youthful beauty, with the rest of his family. She says, "The rest of us have been gone a thousand years. If you remember what we were...and how we lived...then we'll have found life again."

"Eline...."

As the missile launches...

"Now we live in you. Tell them of us...my darling..."

Picard regains consciousness on the bridge of the Enterprise as the alien probe breaks contact. After the initial disorientation, he discovers that he has lived an entire lifetime in the course of 20 to 25 real-time minutes. Riker orders the probe loaded onboard the ship for further study. As Picard approaches the entrance to the turbolift to accompany Dr. Crusher to sickbay, he instinctively raises his right hand to touch the door mechanism he remembers from Ressik.

Later, Riker delivers to Picard a small box found inside the alien probe. Picard opens it to find the flute which he still vividly remembers from his life as Kamin. Once Riker leaves, he plays the tune he had played at his "son's" naming ceremony.

Memorable Quotes

"Computer, freeze program. Computer, end program!"

- Picard as he finds himself as Kamin with his wife Eline tending to him


"You think that this... your life is a dream?"
"This is not my life! I know that much."

- Eline and Picard as Kamin


"You've been dreaming about that starship of yours again, haven't you?"

- Eline, five years after Kamin's 'recovery'


"I'm not brooding. I'm immersed in my music! ... I find that it helps me to think, but the real surprise is that I enjoy it so much."
"No, the real surprise is that you may actually be improving!"

- Picard as Kamin (playing the flute) and Batai


"I always believed that I didn't need children to complete my life. Now, I couldn't imagine life without them."

- Picard as Kamin, when he becomes a father to Meribor and Batai


"Seize the time, Meribor - live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."

- Picard, as Kamin, to his daughter


"Remember... put your shoes away."

- Eline's last words to Kamin on her deathbed


"Now we live in you. Tell them of us... my darling."

- Eline

Background information

Story and script

Directing Inner Light

Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Nash, and Peter Lauritson

I've always felt that the experience in "Inner Light" would've been the most profound experience in Picard's life and changed him irrevocably. However, that wasn't our intention when we were creating the episode. We were after a good hour of TV, and the larger implications of how this would really screw somebody up didn't hit home with us until later (that's sometimes a danger in TV – you're so focused on just getting the show produced every week that sometimes you suffer from the "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome). We never intended the show to completely upend his character and force a radical change in the series, so we contented ourselves with a single follow-up in "Lessons". (AOL chat, 1997)

Production

Sternbach - The Inner Light script

Sternbach and "The Inner Light" script

  • While attending a production staff meeting during the making of this episode, Rick Sternbach drew on his script preliminary designs for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Deep Space 9 itself.
  • Only a few scenes were filmed on the regular sets. The bridge and Picard's quarters are the only parts of the Enterprise-D that are seen.
  • Jay Chattaway composed the music for this episode, including the Ressikan flute solo played by Kamin and Picard. Chattaway later expanded this piece into a six-minute orchestral suite for The Best of Star Trek, Volume One. The Ressikan melody has similarities to the Scottish tune 'Skye Boat Song', also known as 'Speed Bonny Boat'. (citation needededit)
  • First UK airdate: 7 June 1995

Continuity

  • Not only did Kamin and his family receive old-age make-up, many of the villagers seen over the years were aged to give a consistent look.
  • In a cut scene, it is revealed that the soup Eline prepared for Kamin, very much to his delight, is called "kenomay".
  • Before still accepting his identity as Kamin, Picard is practicing on the flute the melody of Frère Jacques, a French song he sung while climbing the turbolift with the children in "Disaster".
  • Kamin pleads with Meribor to "make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again." Picard would later echo those words to Commander Riker following the destruction of the Enterprise-D in Star Trek Generations.

Cast

Patrick and Daniel Stewart

Father and son - Patrick and Daniel Stewart

  • Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi) does not appear in this episode.
  • Patrick Stewart's son, Daniel Stewart, portrays Kamin's son, Batai, during his life on Kataan.
  • Stewart remembered, "I'm having the earliest makeup call of any actor in the history of Star Trek. My makeup call on Monday was 1:00 a.m., my set call was 7:00 a.m. So I left home roundabout midnight." ("Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Production"), TNG Season 5 DVD special feature)

Sets and props

Reception

  • Patrick Stewart nominated this episode as the greatest acting challenge he faced in the seven years of The Next Generation. ("Mission Overview Year Five" ("The Inner Light"), TNG Season 5 DVD special feature)
  • Peter Lauritson named this episode as definitely one of the favourite Star Trek episodes. ("Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Production"), TNG Season 5 DVD special feature)
  • Michael Westmore noted that "The Inner Light" was a show Patrick [Stewart] should have won an Emmy for. ("Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Production"), TNG Season 5 DVD special feature)
  • Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode #3 on their list of "The Top 10 Episodes" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. [1]
  • Michael Piller named this episode (along with "The Measure Of A Man" and "The Offspring") as one of his favorite TNG episodes, "because they had remarkable emotional impacts. And they genuinely explored the human condition, which this franchise does better than any other when it does it well." (AOL chat, 1997)
  • The book Star Trek 101, by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, lists this episode as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
  • This episode was featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewers Choice Marathon.
  • In the TNG Season 5 DVD collection, the menu for this episode features the flute solo.
  • A sequel was planned, but it was scrapped. The story, called "The Outer Light," was adapted as a comic on Trekmovie.com. [2]
  • A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 21, pp. 58-60.
  • Writer Peter Allan Fields praises Patrick Stewart's performance but has the highest praise for guest actress Margot Rose; "She was absolutely superb, no ifs, ands or buts! I was grateful to have written something that an actress of that caliber had brought to life. She was excellent. I had never seen her before. I saw dailies, so I saw aspects of her performance that, unfortunatly, the audience never got to see because the show ran long. They had to take out seven minutes." (The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 21, p. 25)

Remastered version

Awards

Video and DVD releases

Links and references

Starring

Also starring

Guest stars

Co-star

Uncredited co-stars

Stand-ins

References

administrator; anaerobic bacteria; atmospheric condenser; blood pressure; botany; cardiac induction; cc; ceramic alloy; cerebrum; cortical stimulator; crystalline emiristol; Dannick; deflector shield; delactovine; dream; Federation; fever; fibrogenic activity; Frère Jacques; Gustafson; holodeck; hospital; iron weaver; isocortex; Kamin; Kataan; Kataan probe; Kataan star system; magnetic wave survey; mathematics; missile; music; naming ceremony; neurotransmitter; Northern province; nova; nucleonic beam; paricium; Parvenium system; probe; radioactive; Ressik; Ressikan flute; Shuttlebay 2; Silarian sector; skin protector; somatophysical failure; soup; sun; Starbase 218; star chart; Starfleet; synaptic response; talgonite; telescope; Ring cycle; thruster; tree; vegetable stew; voice-transit conductor; Wagner, Richard; water

External link

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Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 5
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"Time's Arrow"