10 PERFECT Scenes In Hated Star Trek Episodes

The environmental episode of The Next Generation was by all accounts a well-intentioned script that never truly came together. In fact, it had sat on a shelf since season five, occasionally seeing fresh air, though no one was ready to break the story. Even after the script was finally handed in during the show’s seventh season, one can see that it is a story of two parts, with the cat plotline being the more engaging. 

Spot becomes a terror in the opening scene while destroying much of Geordi’s quarters. Data arrives to find his friend hunkered down, at his wit’s end, contemplating grabbing a phaser. Data joins him on the floor, quickly revealing that he has never attempted to train Spot. There is nothing particularly important about this scene in terms of overarching plot - unless you count Spot’s change from male to female here, which would become very important in the later episode Genesis - but it does what The Next Generation did so well. 

It gave us a slice of life from two characters who, at the time, were supporting rather than leading, discussing nothing more important than the behaviour of Data’s cat. Geordi, we learn, was considering getting one of his own - presumably inspired by Data’s relationship with Spot - and just as quickly decides against it. It also gives us the immortal line - ‘Geordi, I cannot stun my cat’ - delivered with genuine concern by Brent Spiner. Force Of Nature is often brushed aside for its mishandling of its pro-conservationism message, but there are true gems in there if one simply cares to look.