After being scanned by an
unidentified alien ship, the entire crew of the U.S.S.
Enterprise, even Data, sustains complete memory loss.
Strangely, however, while they have forgotten who they
are and what they do, they still possess skills that
enable them to operate the ship. All outside
communication has been disrupted, but the crew assumes
they are in battle due to the remains of a small alien
ship located outside.
The crew accesses the ship's computer, which provides
them with the name, photo and rank of all personnel
responsible for primary operation of the ship. Since
learning who they are sparks no memories, no one is
surprised when an Executive Officer Commander Keiran
MacDuff is listed as second-in-command. Later, Geordi
and Data discover information regarding their mission —
they have been ordered to cross into Lysian territory
and destroy its central command center. The information
suggests that the Lysians are responsible for the crew's
memory loss. The orders also require the Enterprise to
maintain absolute radio silence.
On the Bridge, the
crew is uncomfortable with the thought of destroying a
small Lysian ship, especially when they discover that
the Enterprise is far more powerful than the "enemy"
vessel. Picard wants to contact the Federation for
verification, but MacDuff insists he cannot, reminding
him that their orders state that they are at war with
the Lysians and must not contact anyone. Seeing no other
choice, Picard fires on and destroys the ship.
Still uneasy, Picard
searches for a way to restore the crew's memories. He
sends Data and Geordi to access the crew's medical
records, but the pair are unable to. They also discover
that the mission reports, crew records and personal logs
are missing, and are disturbed by the specific nature of
the missing information. MacDuff, however, points out
that everything that is happening is consistent with
their information on the Lysians. Desperate, the crew
decides that Dr. Crusher should attempt a dangerous
memory-restoring treatment without the benefit of her
patients' medical records. MacDuff immediately
volunteers for the treatment, during which he appears to
suffer a seizure. Afterwards, he tells Dr. Crusher he
still remembers nothing.
As Picard prepares to
attack the Lysian central command, he learns that the
Lysians are so technologically inferior to the
Enterprise that they are virtually defenseless. Morally
unable to justify the attack, he orders Worf to open the
communications channel. MacDuff lunges for tactical
control in order to fire on the Lysians, but Riker stuns
him with a phaser. The phaser blast reveals that MacDuff
is actually an alien. Later, after Dr. Crusher has
restored the memories of most of the crew, Picard
discovers that MacDuff is a member of a race that has
been at war with the Lysians for decades. Although he
had the power to manipulate computers and suppress
memories, his weapons technology was inferior, so he
attempted to use the Enterprise as a puppet. |
 |
Production: 214
Season: 5 Episode: 14
Air Date: 02.17.1992
Stardate: 45494.2 |
 |
|
 |
Patrick Stewart as
Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as William Riker
Brent Spiner as Data
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn as Worf
Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Erich Anderson as MacDuff
Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren
Liz Vassey as Kristin
Erick Weiss as Crewman
Majel Barrett as Computer Voice |
 |
|
 |
Continuity: The crew manifest
lists Dr. Crusher's rank as "Lieutenant Commander", but
her insignia has already shown her to be a Commander.
Boom mike visible: At 24
Minutes 10 seconds, a boom mike is visible on the bridge
between Picard and Ensign Ro.
|
|
Click this link to view the
complete script in a TXT format
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Conundrum"
#40275-214
Teleplay by
Joe Menosky
Directed by
Les Landau
THE WRITING CREDITS MAY NOT BE FINAL AND SHOULD NOT BE USED
FOR PUBLICITY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING
WITH THE TELEVISION LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
Copyright 1991 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights
Reserved. This script is not for publication or
reproduction. No one is authorized to dispose of same. If
lost or destroyed, please notify the Script Department.
FINAL DRAFT
NOVEMBER 14, 1991
STAR TREK: "Conundrum" - 11/14/91 - CAST
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Conundrum"
CAST
PICARD KEIRAN MACDUFF
RIKER KRISTIN
DATA MALE CREWMEMBER
BEVERLY
TROI
GEORDI
WORF
ENSIGN RO
Non-Speaking
FEMALE CREWMEMBER
SUPERNUMERARIES
STAR TREK: "Conundrum" - 11/14/91 - SETS
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Conundrum"
SETS
INTERIORS EXTERIORS
USS ENTERPRISE USS ENTERPRISE
MAIN BRIDGE
CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM ALIEN (SATARRAN) SHIP
OBSERVATION LOUNGE
TEN FORWARD LYSIAN DESTROYER
SICKBAY
TURBOLIFT LYSIAN CENTRAL COMMAND
ENGINEERING
CORRIDORS LYSIAN SENTRY PODS
TROI'S QUARTERS
RIKER'S QUARTERS
STAR TREK: "Conundrum" - 11/14/91 - PRONUNCIATION
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Conundrum"
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
KEIRAN KEER-in
LYSIAN LISS-ee-n
SATARRAN suh-TAHR-n
Click this link to view the
complete script in a TXT format |
