Yesterday's Enterprise

TNG Season 3 Episode 15
Air Date: February 19th, 1990

Plot

A rip in space/time forms in front of the Enterprise and it's predecessor NCC-1701-C comes through. As it enters the present, everything changes. The Enterprise changes from an exploration vessel to a battle vessel. Overall it looks the same, only the hull has extra plating on it and the internal layout and furniture is different. The bridge has more stations and looks more like the battle bridge.

When the ship comes through, they learn that the Enterprise-C which history shows disappeared was actually responding to a Romulan attack on a Klingon outpost. Guinan is the only one that has a link to the other timeline and tells Picard that he has to send the Enterprise-C back. Picard knowing that the war with the Klingons is not going well, decides that the other timeline has to be better and convinces the crew of the Enterprise-C to return.

Lt. Tasha Yar in this timeline is still alive, never having met Armus. She learns from Guinan that in the other timeline she is dead and her death was meaningless. She convinces Picard to let her go back in time with the Enterprise-C since they are undermanned.

When the Enterprise-C re-enters the rip, everything converts back and the proper timeline Enterprise only gets a glimpse of the ship.

Commentary

Overall this was a very good episode. There are numerous combat scenes with the Klingons. The remodel of the Enterprise and it's bridge was interesting. Even the uniforms were changed to be more designed for combat. We get to see an Ambassador class star ship. This episode also sets up a future plot line caused by Tasha Yar going back in time.

Quotes

"It's an Earth drink. Prune juice." - Guinan
"A warrior's drink!" - Worf

"Attention all hands. As you know, we could outrun the Klingon vessels. But we must protect the Enterprise-C until she enters the temporal rift. And we must succeed. Let's make sure history never forgets the name, Enterprise. Picard out." - Picard