Star Trek: The Next Generation — 2x19 — Manhunt

Aired 1989-06-19

SpaceOpera.com rating:2

Average reader rating:3.23

Synopsis

Picard is subjected to Lwaxana's amorous advances.

Remarkable scenes

O'Brien appearance.
Worf admiring the comatose aliens.
Lwaxana's reaction to the transporter / comatose aliens.
Mister Homn drinks the whole bottle Picard brought in one swig.
Picard using Data to get revenge on Lwaxana for her deception.
Picard relaxing whilst the hologram wants to kill him.
Picard with a cigarette.
Lwaxana being tricked by the holodeck.
Lwaxana discovering the assassins.

Review

Lwaxana's "amorous advances" in this episode took obnoxious to a new level. As is the way she always treats Troi like a child. All in all this episode focuses on Lwaxana's non-issue of attempting to find a mate and not on anything that matters. There were some nice moments though, so not a total waste of time.

11 reader comments

Given Lwaxana's dislike and distrust for transporters, why are they beaming her aboard the ship? She is traveling in a "small transport craft." A shuttle craft? Why not just dock the craft in one of the shuttle bays and let her walk off. But then we wouldn't have had the "Legs, where are the legs?" scene.
Doesn't Troi have a dress uniform? Every time the delegates come or go, Captain Picard gets in his dress uniform, but Troi wears the same outfit for the whole show.
Troi takes her mother out into the hall to have an intimate conversation about her mother's condition (because Mr. Homm is in Lwaxana's quarters). On top of that, they have the conversation out loud when they could communicate telepathically. Not a very private conversation!
After exposing the Antedian assassins, Lwaxana states that it was quite easy for her to read their minds. If it was so easy, why wasn't Troi at least able to get a sense that the Antedians were up to no good?
In "The Big Good-bye," Picard begins coughing immediately after lighting up a cigarette. In this episode, Picard just starts puffing away.
Also, in "The Big Good-bye" Picard wore his uniform into the holodeck the first time he entered. Several holodeck creations commented that he looked like a bellboy. In this episode, Riker wears his uniform into Rex's bar and no one gives it a second look.
by DSOmo | 07/01/2007 at 6:49 am

I agree with the overall sentiment on this episode, but it makes me smile, so I can't hate it altogether.
I have a hard time believing that Lwaxana doesn't know what a holodeck is, but the bit with she and Picard in her quarters is priceless. The alien-of-the-week here was ridiculous as well.
by JRPoole | 02/15/2008 at 3:20 pm

The first half of the show has a lot of funny moments that are fun to rewatch. The seconf half, after Picard steps onto the holodeck for some Dixon Hill, is very boring.
by Orion Pimpdaddy | 05/04/2009 at 3:11 pm

It's worth noting that Robert O'Reilly, who plays the wide-eyed villain who grabs Dix/Picard's lapels in the Holodeck returns in the future, still with wild, staring eyes, as Gowron.
by Rob Herbert | 06/22/2010 at 2:11 pm

After Lwaxana passes on choosing Worf as a mate, saying "Pity, you'd have made a fine choice", the shot switches to Worf for a second, then back to her. Is it just me, or does she look down at his crotch for a split second and smile before looking back up and turning around?
I burst out laughing when I saw that! It would in no way surprise me if that was an intentioned little flair that Majel threw in there. What an AMAZING woman she is! Her acting nuances are sublime!
:-D
by Ry-Fi | 08/14/2010 at 9:39 am

There are a couple of cute scenes, but basically this episode is pointless. Not to mention that I find Lwaxana painful to watch.
by Christopher Alexander | 04/15/2011 at 3:12 pm

Everyone is always hating' on Lwaxana,when I love her! I suppose she is an acquired taste, though.
This girl has an organizing principle to her life: She just wants to get laid. She is so deliciously ranchy and blatant in her sexual appetites.
The problem is: With her level of nobility, sex must be accompanied by marriage. (I love it when she recites her titles: "daughter of the seventh house, holder of the sacred chalice of reeks, heir to the rings of Betazed". It's particularly great when Deanna points out that the sacred chalice of reeks is just "an old clay pot with mold growing in it".)
You get the imoression that she would love it if she could just blow all of that off and go shag someone.
by Jeff Browning | 10/20/2011 at 7:48 pm

re-watching this episode and I just noticed something: when Riker is on the bridge telling Wesley and Data about Ms. Troi complimenting the captain about his legs, Data is shown laughing.
I repeat: DATA IS LAUGHING. At this point he doesn't have an emotion chip and Q isn't helping him, so why is this not a big deal to any of the other crew members. I'm guessing Spiner just maybe adlibbed it or something? Still, it's very odd that it's not a big deal, given that one of Data's goals is to learn to laugh.
by John DC | 03/08/2012 at 3:59 pm

Maybe I missed a similar interaction in the first Lwaxana episode, but I love the moment when she interacts with the ship's computer. Majel Barrett acting opposite Majel Barrett!
by Dstyle | 08/21/2013 at 8:48 pm

@John re. Data laughing: in an earlier episode this season Data is shown practicing laughter, so I think this is only continuity. It sounds quite unnatural, too ("Ha ha ha ha!") and you can even see the moment where he goes "ah, this is a place where laughter is socially appropriate".
…oh god, this is my life now.
by Arianwen | 07/26/2018 at 1:38 pm

Egads, Lwaxana is over the top. This "phase" she's supposedly in doesn't just make her horny; it makes her stupid. (Protip to the writers: those are different things!)
Data emotionspotting: do you see how excited he is to get into character and get back on the holodeck? He's like a little kid! It's rather cute.
Those fish-like aliens are fascinating to look at.
by Azalea Jane | 07/22/2021 at 6:33 am