Unnatural Selection could almost be a companion piece with Too Short a Season. Indeed, Unnatural Selection is almost as much of a failure. Slightly better writing and acting save it from complete failure, but otherwise, this episode is just plain abysmal.

For starters, Dr. Pulaski is one of the most annoying characters we will ever encounter in the series. Not only is she rude (interrupting Picard), prejudiced (her continued ignorant and hateful statements toward Data) and annoying (she’s annoying, trust me, I don’t even need an example), but she is also quite stubborn.

And it isn’t just that she is stubborn (a trait that isn’t necessarily bad), but she is stupidly stubborn. She’s a doctor — and yet she has no qualms about risking the health of the entire ship, simply because she believes she is right? Would a true doctor be that cavalier about the consequences of an infectious disease loose in a confined area, home to over one thousand souls? All so she can prove herself right in order to indulge her own ego?

Yeesh.

So, of course, an episode based on Pulaski, and Pulaski’s flaws, is going to be as embarrassingly annoying as the character herself. And the story isn’t any better. Why doesn’t anyone truly question the ethics of genetic engineering? It happens to have been the root cause of the death of a couple dozen people. And yet, it is hardly given a second thought.

Besides, the whole idea of aging really, really, really fast is just not interesting. The disease doesn’t affect anyone (that the audience sees) who is young. And, worse still, once Pulaski is infected, one almost hopes that she is killed off. Of course, the aging makeup effects are precisely the same as in Too Short a Season. Too bad the producers didn’t get the memo: Never emulate anything from Too Short a Season — ever.

The one real positive of the episode is the reintroduction of Miles O’Brien, who this time is given the job of Transporter Chief. He’s a likable minor, recurring character in the series. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get much to do here other than conjure up a completely ridiculous deus ex machina to help end the episode within its alotted 44 minutes.

If you miss Unnatural Selection on reruns, rejoice. You have saved yourself an hour that could be spent cleaning your cuticles.

Filed under: TNG Reviews