Symbiosis is, at best, an average episode. At worst, it comes across as a cheesy, preachy, after-school special about drugs. While morality is always at the heart of every TNG episode, the clumsy presentation here is what really drags this episode into near obscurity.

For starters, the oversimplification of drug abuse (i.e. an entire planet addicted to narcotics), while understandable for telling a story in 44 minutes, is so implausible that it really distracts from the overall message of the episode. And, too, if an entire population is addicted to the point where all they care about is their fix, how do they sustain their society so that they can produce enough goods with which to purchase such a drug? Incidentally, this question arises because of how the episode portrays the addicts: disconnected, unconcerned for others, obsession over the drugs.

Fortunately for this episode, Picard once again turns a solid performance, and the rest of the crew (poor writing notwithstanding) hold up fairly well. It’s just enough to keep things from becoming an utter failure.

Symbiosis is a difficult episode to watch on any level. Die-hard fans will appreciate the two cameo appearances, but outside of that, this episode has very little to offer.

Topics: Prime Directive
Filed under: TNG Reviews