Manhunt

TNG Season 2 Episode 19
Air Date: June 19th, 1989

Plot

The Enterprise is to act as transport for two Antedean ambassadors to a conference on the planet Pacifica. Little do they know, Lwuxana Troi is also going to the conference and is hitching a ride. She is also in the middle of the Betazoid equivalent to menopause which increases their sex drive. She has decided she wants to mate and marry Picard.

In order for this not to happen, Picard hides in the holodeck where Lwaxana can't find him playing out the role of Dixon Hill, private eye. She then goes from male officer to male officer trying to find one that will meet her needs. But she eventually does find Picard in the holodeck but falls for a hologram (not realizing what it was). In the end she gets angry and gives up and leaves for the conference, but not before revealing that the Antedeans were actually assassins and want to blow up the conference.

Commentary

When I saw the title of the episode I was expecting it to be about an escaped convict. I was not expecting the manhunt to be Lwaxana Troi looking for a husband. This was the first episode where Riker and Troi explicitly mention that they were dating in the past.

Picard got lured by Lwaxana into a dinner that he thought was for the entire bridge crew, but turned out was for him alone. When the conversation turns to some interesting facts, Picard calls for Data to come to Lwaxana's quarters to talk about those facts. It drags out and Lwaxana gets very irritated.

While the Antedean ambassadors were fish creatures that spent most of the episode in hibernation, one of the actors that was in the makup and suit was none other then Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.

Quotes

"Data, you will never know how much I owe you for that." - Picard
"Indeed, Captain? I know many more interesting anecdotes, sir. For example" - Data
"Data" - Picard
"Sir?" - Data
"Later." - Picard
"Yes, sir." - Data

"My mother is beginning a physiological phase. It's one that all Betazoid women must deal with as they enter midlife." - Troi
"Yes, it's something Troi warned me about when we first started to see each other. A Betazoid woman, when she goes through this phase quadruples her sex drive." - Riker
"Or more." - Troi
"Or more? You never told me that." - Riker
"I didn't want to frighten you." - Troi