The Outrageous Okona (TNG episode)
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"The Outrageous Okona" is fourth episode of the second season of . It first aired on December 12, 1988. It is episode #30, production number #130. It was written by Les Menchen, Lance Dickson and David Landsberg, with a teleplay by Burton Armus and directed by Robert Becker.
Plot
The Enterprise encounters a roguish freelance merchant captain called Okona while he is adrift in his highly abused trade ship. The Enterprise offers to assist Okona in repairing his craft, and beams him and his broken navigation system aboard the ship.Two ships from rival worlds approach the Enterprise, and they both claim to have reasonable circumstances to take Okona under their custody. Okona, who has been seen in three different crew quarters is brought to the bridge and introduced to Captain Picard. At that point its decided to bring all parties together for a conference.
It is later learned that Okona is accused of impregnating the daughter of the leader of one of the two worlds, and stealing a valuable jewel from the other. But in due time, the son of the leader whose jewel was stolen admits that it was he that took the jewel to offer to his soon-to-be wife, and that it is his child. Okona's ship is then repaired, and the Enterprise leaves the situation to be resolved according to local custom.
Perhaps more interesting is the subplot: Data's holodeck exploration of stand-up comedy with the help of guest-star Joe Piscopo. The android characteristically tries to reduce comedy to a set of knowable attributes, incapable of realizing the je-ne-sais-quoi qualities of the art. This subplot interacts very well with the larger plot of the episode--that of mixed-up lovers--a stock element of dramatic comedy (see, for example, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream).
Trivia
- Teri Hatcher ("Desperate Housewives", "Lois and Clark", "MacGyver") has a small part in this episode as the crew person in the transporter room being hit on by Okona. She is not credited.
- This particular episode was not very well received, and is seen in many quarters as a low point of the series.
- Billy Campbell - who played Thadium Okona - was the second choice of the producers for the role of William Riker, a role ultimately won by Jonathan Frakes.
| Preceded by: "Elementary, Dear Data" | Followed by: "Loud as a Whisper" |
External links
- The [The Outrageous Okona] at [www.memory-alpha.org].
- A [review] of the episode at the [agonybooth.com].
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