Remember Me

TNG Season 4 Episode 5

Air Date: October 22nd, 1990

Plot

An old mentor and friend of Doctor Crusher, a Doctor Dalen Quaice comes aboard the Enterprise while they are docked at starbase 133. When the Enterprise leaves the starbase, Dotor Quaice is nowhere to be found. Doctor Crusher is worried that in his old age he may have gotten hurt. They do a full search of the ship and don't find him. They send a message to starbase 133 in case he returned but they have no record of his existence. Then other people start disappearing, but only Doctor Crusher notices.

As time goes on, the Enterprise loses more and more people until it is only her and Captain Picard. From the Captain's perspective that is how it has always been, even though it sounds absurd to run a galaxy class starship with only two people. Meanwhile we then learn that Wesley was experimenting with creating a static warp bubble which he believes his mother got trapped in, and it is collapsing.

When it appears all is lost, the Traveler appears and tells Wesley that there is still hope. He teaches Wesley how to use his cognitive abilities to create a doorway back to their reality and is able to rescue his mother.

Commentary

This was one of my favorite episodes. The idea of people disappearing but to everyone else they never existed is fascinating and scary. It is the second and last episode with the Traveler. I had hoped we would see more of him but Wesley's story line in Star Trek is coming to an end.

Quotes

"You know what the worst part of growing old is? So many of the people you've known all your life are gone; and you realize you didn't take the time to appreciate them while you still could." - Doctor Quaice

"I'd like Lieutenant Worf to program on-board sensors to monitor all personnel. If we can catch the mom" - Doctor Crusher
"I'm sorry, whom did you say?" - Picard
"Worf. Chief of Security. The big guy who never smiles?" - Doctor Crusher

"Will Riker, your First Officer! He's very good at playing poker, loves to cook. He listens to jazz music, plays the trombone. Commander Data, the android who sits at Ops. Dreams of being human. Never gets the punch line of a joke. Deanna Troi, your ship's counselor, half-Betazoid, loves chocolate. The arrival of her mother makes you shudder. O'Brien, Geordi, Worf. Wesley, my son! They all have been the living, breathing heart of this crew for over three years! They deserve more than to be shrugged off, brushed aside, just pinched out of existence like that. They all do. They deserve so much more." - Doctor Crusher

"Computer, read the entire crew roster for the Enterprise." - Doctor Crusher
"Dr. Beverly Crusher." - Computer
"Have I always been the only member of the crew on the Starship Enterprise?" - Doctor Crusher
"Affirmative." - Computer
"If this were a bad dream, would you tell me?" - Doctor Crusher
"That is not a valid question." - Computer
"Like hell it's not." - Doctor Crusher

"What is the primary mission of the Starship Enterprise?" - Doctor Crusher
"To explore the galaxy." - Computer
"Do I have the necessary skills to complete that mission alone?" - Doctor Crusher
"Negative."  - Computer
"Then why am I the only crew member? Aha. Got you there." - Doctor Crusher