Yesterday’s Enterprise is, by any definition you want to apply, a classic episode. The premise, the writing, the acting, the action all play their parts. But it is the human drama above all that makes this episode truly outstanding.

The return of Tasha Yar in Yesterday’s Enterprise is more than just a fun, cool way to be able to have an unexpected, and prominent, cameo years after she was killed off. Rather, it is an opportunity for her character to face a much more noble and purposeful death than the one that occurred in Skin of Evil.

The primary theme of this episode is death — or to be more specific: what to do when faced with the choices of near certain death. The episode goes a step further to demonstrate that the choice of certain death for some, will have a profound influence on tens of billions within the galaxy. It is the central moral dilemma of the episode: should Picard sacrifice hundreds for merely the possibility of billions? If you were given the choice of near certain death to prevent decades of war and the deaths of billions, what would you do?

With that dilemma and these questions in mind, the writers made a very smart decision by choosing this particular context for Tasha’s return. One of the criticisms of that first season episode is that Tasha’s death was too senseless, too meaningless. In which case, this is an opportunity for redemption for both Tasha Yar, and the series itself. Not only does Tasha get to choose the manner of how she will face death, but she does so with the knowledge and foresight that her choice could mean the difference between war and peace.

Which brings us to another noteworthy aspect of this episode: how it contrasts the differences between a society at war and a society at peace. The Enterprise itself is supposed to be a ship of peace, not of war. And we see the changes to uniforms, routines, food dispensing, and crew relationships. These differences are best symbolized by Picard whose manner and demeanor are subtly, but significantly different after the effects of decades of war have taken their toll. He is an all-round edgier character, being both angrier and more abrupt, instead of his usual thoughtful, insightful and patient nature. He even gives crew briefings whereby he gives orders, rather than soliciting opinions and advice from his officers, then choosing a course of action. All of this serves to highlight exactly what has been lost by turning what was a ship of exploration into a ship of war. And in our own present time, this sense of loss is an especially poignant commentary.

The episode ends with a particularly gripping action sequence pitting the Enterprise-D against three Klingon Birds of Prey, as it desperately attempts to protect the Enterprise-C, which is limping back toward its own time and its own destiny. In an episode about the meaning of sacrifice and death, it is a heroic and ultimately hopeless fight for the Enterprise. But it is by no means futile. In the moments before the battle is joined, Picard utters one of the most indelible phrases of the series: “Let’s make sure history never forgets the name … Enterprise.”

And history did not.

Both Enterprises choose to make their stands. They both save the day, and all the days through twenty-two years of war. It is a collective sacrifice worthy of a story such as this. And let us not forget the other half of what led to peace. Peace requires commitment from both parties. The Enterprise-C’s destruction for the sake of a Klingon outpost would not have been meaningful if the Klingons themselves had not chosen to honor that sacrifice. It’s yet another sign of the inherent nobility of the Klingon culture. And how even one event can be enough to change the course of history.

When the episode ends with Guinan asking LaForge to tell her about Tasha Yar, we know that the story, the episode, the sacrifices all had meaning for the series, for Tasha’s character, and for us, as well.

One of the absolute best installments of the series, Yesterday’s Enterprise is an episode you simply cannot miss.

Topics: Klingons, Time Travel
Filed under: TNG Reviews