While investigating the
disappearance of a J'naii shuttlecraft, the crew finds
reason to believe the missing ship is stranded in an
abnormal pocket called "null space." Riker and Soren, a
member of the J'naii race, begin preparing to rescue the
craft, and the two strike up a friendship. Their
relationship develops quickly as the pair question each
other about mating habits, since the J'naii are
androgynous and do not identify themselves as either
male or female. Despite this difference, sparks begin to
fly between them.
Heading toward the null space in a shuttlecraft, Soren
wonders to Riker if a J'naii and a human could be
sexually compatible. She then tells him that this would
be illegal in her society, where gender-specific
relations are strictly forbidden. However, after she is
injured during the mission, Soren becomes bolder. She
insists on completing the mission, and also insists
taking an even greater risk by telling Riker that she is
attracted to him.
The following day,
Riker and Soren locate the J'naii shuttlecraft and
successfully load the injured J'naii onto the ship.
Soren's colleague Krite thanks Riker for his help and
invites Riker to join them for a celebration that
evening. As Soren and Riker say a discreet goodbye,
Krite notices the sparks between them. Later that
evening, Soren and Riker sneak away from the dinner for
a walk in the woods, where, hidden from everyone, they
exchange a passionate kiss.
Continuing to work
together to remove the J'naii shuttlecraft from the null
space, Riker and Soren present a purely professional
front to the crew. However, when Riker arrives at
Soren's quarters for a pre-arranged meeting, he is
informed that she has been taken into custody as a
result of their relationship. Riker finally finds Soren
in a civic chamber, sitting before a panel of judges.
After admitting to her belief of being female, she is
taken away by guards to be brainwashed.
Desperate, Riker
concocts a plan to rescue Soren and returns to the
planet to find her. Unfortunately, when he does locate
her, he is too late. Having already undergone
psychotectic therapy, Soren no longer has any belief in
gender differences or any romantic feelings for Riker.
Sadly, Riker returns alone to the U.S.S. Enterprise.
|
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Production: 217
Season: 5 Episode: 17
Air Date: 03.16.1992
Stardate: 45614.6 |
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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 |
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Callan White as Krite
Megan Cole as Noor
Melinda Culea as Soren |
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| Melinda Culea was born in a
suburb of Chicago on May 5, 1955. At the age of 20, she
moved to New York to join a prestigious modeling agency;
her first marriage broke up in the process. After four
years in New York, she moved to California to break into
the TV industry. After doing a number of commercials,
including a successful Burger King campaign, she landed
a starring role in the sitcom pilot Dear Teacher (1981)
(TV). Though that pilot didn't sell, she soon got what
seemed like her big break when she won the role of Amy
Allen, the female lead in "The A-Team" (1983). Though
the pilot episode presented Amy as a spunky, Howard
Hawksian heroine, in subsequent episodes, the role
became little more than that of a token female, tagging
along with the heroes but rarely having much to do with
the plot. At the time, Culea expressed dissatisfaction
with the insignificance of her part, and began lobbying
for the writers to give her more to do. Reportedly, she
asked that her character be allowed to participate in
fight scenes. During the second season, producer John
Ashley allegedly told Culea's agent, "tell Melinda to
shape up or she's out". A few weeks later, Culea
discovered that she had been dropped from the show when
she received a script with no lines for her character.
Why she was fired has never been completely clear;
reports at the time focused on the fact that she didn't
seem to get along with star George Peppard, who
reportedly felt that the show should not have a female
co-star. Marla Heasley, who briefly replaced Culea, was
told that Culea had been considered too "tomboyish" by
the producers.
After a role on the short-lived
Aaron Spelling series "Glitter" (1984), Culea re-emerged
in 1986 with a series of high-profile guest roles on
"Family Ties" (1982) and "St. Elsewhere" (1982). She
then took a hiatus from acting, returning in 1988 with a
regular role on "Knots Landing" (1979). Since then,
Culea has worked steadily as a dependable and versatile
TV performer, most notably in a guest-starring role in a
famous episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
(1987). Since 1995, she has been married to television
and film director Peter Markle.
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Click this link to view the
complete script in a TXT format
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Outcast"
#40275-217
Teleplay by
Jeri Taylor
Directed by
Robert Scheerer
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 1992 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
JANUARY 2, 1992
STAR TREK: "The Outcast" - 1/2/92 - CAST
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Outcast"
CAST
PICARD SOREN
RIKER KRITE
DATA NOOR
BEVERLY
TROI
GEORDI
WORF
Non-Speaking Non-Speaking
SUPERNUMERARIES MISC. J'NAII
STAR TREK: "The Outcast" - 1/2/92 - SETS
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"The Outcast"
SETS
INTERIORS EXTERIORS
USS ENTERPRISE USS ENTERPRISE
MAIN BRIDGE
CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM SHUTTLE
TEN FORWARD
SICKBAY
ENGINEERING
SHUTTLE BAY
CORRIDOR
DATA'S QUARTERS (POKER GAME)
TROI'S QUARTERS
RIKER'S QUARTERS
SHUTTLE
J'NAII PLANET
CIVIC CHAMBER
COURTYARD GARDEN
WOODS
Click this link to view the
complete script in a TXT format |
