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Synopsis: The Enterprise rescues a mysterious humanoid alien. It is perhaps fitting that I watched this episode last night, August 19, 2021, which was the one hundredth anniversary of Gene Roddenberry’s birth, as this episode is about birthing or transforming into something new. This is a thought at the core of depth psychology. Depth psychology… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 25: “Transfigurations”

Synopsis: Counsellor Troi and Commander Riker are kidnapped along with Troi’s mother, Lwaxana Troi, who is desired by a Ferengi. In “Ménage à Troi” there is an interesting relationship between the character of Lwaxana Troi, Counsellor Deanna Troi’s Betazoid mother, and the Ferengi, Daimon Tog. It can be seen as an illustration of the relationship… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 24: “Ménage à Troi”

Synopsis: Ambassador Sarek comes aboard the Enterprise to negotiate a treaty but has trouble controlling his emotions. If the Enterprise can be analogized to the human psyche, then Ambassador Sarek in this episode can be seen as taking the role of a Logos-driven conscious rational ego that has suppressed the Eros-driven irrational unconscious for so… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 23: “Sarek”

Synopsis: Lt. Commander Data is kidnapped by a collector to be put on display. This episode does not seem on the surface to have much depth psychological issues to look at, but I can think of one. Kivas Fajo believes that he is godlike – his ego is inflated. Lt. Commander Data is like the… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 22: “The Most Toys”

Synopsis: A new crew member aboard the Enterprise overuses the holodeck. In “Hollow Pursuits” viewers are presented with the rational ego’s perception of how the unconscious works to try to heal the psyche. If we understand that the holodeck creates a fantasy state, rather like that of our dreams; yet in this episode Lt. Reginald… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 21: “Hollow Pursuits”

Synopsis: The Enterprise is sent to investigate a powerful new life form. In “Tin Man” the alien in question turns out to be a living space vessel that had a symbiotic relationship with its long dead crew. The Enterprise is sent to investigate, being aided by a very powerful Betazoid telepath, Tam Elbrun. This vessel,… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 20: “Tin Man”

Synopsis: Captain Picard goes for a restful vacation on Risa and instead becomes embroiled in an intrigue between a beautiful woman, a Ferengi, and aliens from the future. In this episode viewers see parts of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s psyche that are not often shown on the series. These being his relationship to his anima and… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 19: “Captain’s Holiday”

Synopsis: Captain Picard is kidnapped by an alien race interested in observing human morality. In “Allegiance” Captain Jean-Luc Picard is suddenly dropped into a cell with three individuals unlike himself, in order to test his reactions to them and their reactions to him. This experiment is brought about by an unidentified alien race to try… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 18: “Allegiance”

Synopsis: Welcoming a Klingon officer aboard the Enterprise as part of an exchange system leads to Lt. Worf going back to his home planet to defend the honor of his father. “Sins of the Father” speaks to a concept in depth psychology of cultural complex, that in our unconscious we hold both the sins and… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 17: “Sins of the Father”

Synopsis: Lt. Commander Data creates a child. In “The Offspring,” there is an interesting character arc, and in archetypal psychological terms, an archetypal change, in the character of Lt. Commander Data from Puer to Senex, when it comes to learning about human behavior. Data creates a child and lets the child decide the gender for… Continue reading Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 16: “The Offspring”