10 Times Star Trek: The Next Generation Went "Dark & Gritty"

10. The Perfect Mate

The Perfect Mate sparked a lot of controversy. And, generally, was not well-received by critics or fans- and rightly so. If you don’t remember this episode involves the Enterprise mediating a conflict between two planets. This is pretty standard fare for a TNG episode.

What makes this episode stand out is a character named Kamala. She is an empathic metamorph able to read men’s minds and change her personality to suit their desire. And, she does this instinctively, causing much chaos aboard the ship.

Kamala is presented as a gift to the leader of one of the warring planets. She is meant as a peace offering. Strangely, this episode sets up a world where human trafficking is not only accepted by Starfleet, but they even facilitate it!

The writers make an effort to whitewash this. Kamala tells Picard that she believes she is acting on duty. She claims female metamorphs are rare, so she feels this is the best way for her to serve her people.

But, throughout the episode, she is treated as property rather than a human being. She’s kept in stasis for a time. Two Ferengi even try to buy her.

The plot of this episode involves a romance between Picard and Kamala. And, at the end of the episode, he even gives her away. Or rather abandons her to a life of servitude.

The episode never deals with the broader questions of consent, or, hell, slavery, that it naturally poses.

In fact, in the final scene, we’re meant to feel bad for Picard because he’s lost his girlfriend. Kamala’s awful fate isn’t even an after-thought.