TNG's Finest Moment !

The Defector:

In my opinion is Star Trek The Next Generations finest moment and possibly one of the finest episodes in all of Trek.

Here we have the Federation under threat from an apparent build up of enemy forces in the Neutral Zone via information from an apparent Romulan defector.

The Defector is played by none other than the great James Sloyan who portrays a conscience weary Romulan Admiral Jarok, who intends to inform the Fereration of the Romulan build up to prevent another conflict and save his daughter, indeed all Romulan children falling victim to another war.

The episode is all about Pride, Patriotism and Loyalty. The tragic character of the defector loses his entire life and is branded a traitor by his own people and his own family out of his desire to prevent another war. "My daughter will grow up thinking of her father as a traitor. But she will grow up"

The defector is met with suspicion by the federation and it takes some persuading to get Starfleet to intervene in the crisis, eventually a plot involving dis-information on the Romulans behalf is revealed to flush out the Defector "they let you escape, with an arsenal of worthless secrets!"

The Defector has lost everything and the Enterprise has been lured into a trap, all seems lost until Picard pulls out an ace and the story ends with one of the finest showdowns in history. The acting, the tension all contributes to a thrilling finale which allows the Federation to come out on top yet again. The defector commits suicide and a lesson is learned.

An epic episode full of twists, drama, action and sacrifice. My Fav!

what do you think ?