

Today I watched both versions of "The Child". The TNG version is available on Netflix of course. And you can watch the Phase II version (and all of their fan episodes) on Youtube. I actually watched them both twice and I have some thoughts on how they compare to one another.
First let's look at the one that was made in 1988. "The Child" is the first episode of season 2 and had to do more than tell the story of the week. It also needed to introduce a new ship's doctor (Dr. Katherine Pulaski) the new bartender, (Guinan), a new set (a bar for the new bartender: Ten Forward), and a newly promoted Chief Engineer (Laforge)! They also have to explain why the old ship doctor's son is remaining onboard unsupervised. I'll write more about this doctor dilemma in another entry. But my point is that none of this has much to do with the core storyline so it gets a little lost.

There is one very uncomfortable scene that I have to mention. The senior staff is all gathered around the conference table discussing the situation of Deanna's immaculate pregnancy. Some staff members, Worf for one, wants the fetus aborted immediately because it is a security risk. Others make an argument for the baby to live. None of them think to ask Deanna-- the woman who's body they're talking about-- the mother of the fetus that is INSIDE HER BODY what her choice is. It's a ridiculous scene that would never be written today.
At first glance, the Phase II version of "The Child" seems to be a lot more straight forward. We don't need to deal with a new doctor on board or sit thru any long scenes were a bartender gives out advice to a teenager. We get right to the alien entering the ship and impregnating someone. Now in the original script this was to be Lt. Ilea, the new Deltan navigator who we ended up meeting in Star Trek The Motion Picture. It makes perfect sense that in the TNG version the alien chooses Troi as her character was based on Ilea in several ways. Anyway, in the Phase II production they introduced a new Deltan officer Isel.
The alien impregnates itself into Isel, grows very quickly, is born, and quickly grows to be a kid who Isel names Irska. That's about where the similarities end. Irska's white blood cell count is strangely high. Also a strange alien cylinder appears outside the ship. A week later Irska has worked her way into the hearts of the crew. The alien cylinder beams some techobable into the ship which will kill everyone. Luckily Irska can cure everyone with her awesome white blood cells. But as soon as she does the cylinder attacks the ship with an energy beam! It damages an impulse engine and guess what! The wonder child comes to the rescue again! This is all in the first half of the episode. The cylinder goes on to affect the hull of the Enterprise-- seen as another attack. To be honest I got bored. The plot is really bogged down in what I'm sure is supposed to be mystery- but I felt a little ahead of the script. I mean, obviously the kid has the answer. Obviously the cylinder and the kid are connected. In the end Irska had to "die" to save the ship. The cylinder was helping her to experience all stages of her race's prior development so she could evolve.
In conclusion Hurley simplified the story to its core for TNG. Ian went thru a life cycle just like Irska did. But he did it because he was curious. Not because he had to evolve. The "curious cat" is a much more enjoyable premise. At its core- that is the difference in these two scripts. So I say that despite it's flaws, the TNG version of "The Child" is much better than the Phase II production of the original script. What do you think?
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