The Masterpiece Society
- Episode aired Feb 8, 1992
- TV-PG
- 46m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
Working together to prevent the annihilation of a perfectly balanced, isolated society (with no contingency for outside visitors) may, in fact, destroy it.Working together to prevent the annihilation of a perfectly balanced, isolated society (with no contingency for outside visitors) may, in fact, destroy it.Working together to prevent the annihilation of a perfectly balanced, isolated society (with no contingency for outside visitors) may, in fact, destroy it.
Joyce Agu
- Ensign Gates
- (uncredited)
Larry De Russy
- Moab IV Colonist
- (uncredited)
Gunnel Eriksson
- Moab IV Colonist
- (uncredited)
Daniel Fawcett
- Matthew
- (uncredited)
Star Halm
- Moab IV Colonist
- (uncredited)
Grace Harrell
- Operations Division Officer
- (uncredited)
Andray Johnson
- Moab IV Colonist
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSince Gene Roddenberry had proposed that zippers would no longer exist in the future, they are generally hidden in the clothes worn on and off the Enterprise. However, in this engineered society under the biosphere, perhaps to show their less-than-perfect and less technologically advanced society, zippers are a prominent aspect of their outfits.
- GoofsAs the landing party enters the lab to meet Dr. Hannah Bates for the first time, Will Riker, not watching where he's going, walks very fast with his head down and almost walks into the wall to the left of the doorway. He looks up at the last moment and avoids bumping into the wall, jumping through the doorway just in time. Although his character could be smiling at the occasion of meeting Dr. Bates, it sure looks like he's trying to suppress a laugh at his near miss with the wall.
- Quotes
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: Oh, that's perfect.
Hannah Bates: What?
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: If the answer to all of this is in a VISOR created for a blind man who never would have existed in your society. No offense intended.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Treksperts Briefing Room: The Enemy (2022)
- SoundtracksStar Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage
Featured review
A Senior Trekker writes.................
The Fifth Season of TNG contains some remarkably strong episodes while continuing to push the boundaries of what could be achieved within an episodic television format. It is notable for the tragic loss of its creator, Gene Roddenberry, who died on 24th October 1991 at the age of 70. His influence upon the positive depiction of humanity and diversity in Science Fiction continues to this day. Senior Trekker continues to score all episodes with a 5.
The Masterpiece Society has not aged well.
There is really no moral debate over this isolated, cult-like group of people who have been genetically engineering their offspring for centuries and, when forced to accept outside help, are reluctant to allow any members of their colony to leave. The Prime Directive does not and cannot apply to human beings who have deliberately cut themselves off from the outside world and, quite obviously, the Federation would have encountered groups who had done this before as humanity spread outwards across the Galaxy. Why does Picard not seek for precedence?
The dialogue reeks of the suppression of Human Rights by so called leaders who cannot bear the thought of outside interference because they know that it will lead to their authority being challenged. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the person most keen to leave is a woman and one with a scientifically trained mind, but there's just no way this story can present a balanced point of view on closer examination.
Dey Young, who will reappear in both Deep Space Nine and Enterprise, gives a spirited performance as the potential asylum seeker but John Snyder should probably have stuck to prosthetic-wearing parts. He may have been very watchable as Centurion Bochra in the Enemy but his attempt to generate a romantic chemistry with Marina Sirtis is a disaster.
Season 5 certainly had some dull spots, didn't it?
The Masterpiece Society has not aged well.
There is really no moral debate over this isolated, cult-like group of people who have been genetically engineering their offspring for centuries and, when forced to accept outside help, are reluctant to allow any members of their colony to leave. The Prime Directive does not and cannot apply to human beings who have deliberately cut themselves off from the outside world and, quite obviously, the Federation would have encountered groups who had done this before as humanity spread outwards across the Galaxy. Why does Picard not seek for precedence?
The dialogue reeks of the suppression of Human Rights by so called leaders who cannot bear the thought of outside interference because they know that it will lead to their authority being challenged. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the person most keen to leave is a woman and one with a scientifically trained mind, but there's just no way this story can present a balanced point of view on closer examination.
Dey Young, who will reappear in both Deep Space Nine and Enterprise, gives a spirited performance as the potential asylum seeker but John Snyder should probably have stuck to prosthetic-wearing parts. He may have been very watchable as Centurion Bochra in the Enemy but his attempt to generate a romantic chemistry with Marina Sirtis is a disaster.
Season 5 certainly had some dull spots, didn't it?
helpful•613
- celineduchain
- Feb 10, 2022
Details
- Runtime46 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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