Code of Honor

TNG Season 1 Episode 4
Air Date: October 12th, 1987

Plot

The Enterprise arrives at the planet Ligon II where they need to pick up a shipment of vaccines for an Anchilles fever outbreak. Ligon II is not part of the Federation and is willing to join and provide the vaccines necessary. In a visit aboard the Enterprise the leader Lutan is attracted to Lt. Yar and when he heads back to his home world he kidnaps her.

We learn that Lutan wants to make her his first wife and his current first wife challenges Yar to a duel. Lutan says the only way to get the vaccines is if Picard honors this duel. Yar ends up winning the duel striking Lutan's wife with a poison. But Picard was ready for this outcome and has her beamed to the Enterprise where Doctor Crusher is able to revive her.

Once she beams down, Lutan is outraged as he wanted her lands and Yar as his wife. But now that she is alive she realizes the person cheering her one was Lutan's second in command, Hagon. She chooses to be his first wife and all leadership changes hands.

Commentary

This episode is widely considered to be the worse episode of TNG. Most dislike it mainly due to the blatent racism and sexism. The Ligonians are all people of color and they wear clothes that resembles African attire but to an extreme that is considered stereotypical. When I watched it as a kid I never really noticed but 30 years later it is hard to not notice. I even read that the director of the episode was fired while making it.

Quotes

"Damn. Where are the calluses we doctors are supposed to grow over our feelings?" - Doctor Crusher
"Perhaps the good ones never get them." - Picard

"What Lutan did is similar to what certain American Indians once did called "counting coup." That is from an obscure language known as French. Counting coup." - Data
"Mr. Data. The French language, for centuries on Earth, represented civilization." - Picard
"Indeed? But surely, sir" - Data
"I suggest you drop it, Mr. Data." - Riker