Stardate: 42686.4
Original Air Date: April 24, 1989
Writer: David Assael (story), David Assael and Robert McCullough (teleplay)
Director: Robert Iscove
“You choose your enemies; you choose your friends. But family – that’s in the stars.”
The Enterprise is en route to Starbase Montgomery for engineering consultations prompted by minor readout anomalies. Picard intends to give the crew a 12-hour layover while he handles some personal transfer directives. Later, Picard speaks privately with Riker in the observation lounge to inform him that the captain of the Starship Aries is retiring, and Riker has been selected as his replacement (the Aries is located in the Vega-Omicron sector and has picked up indications of intelligent life forms). A civilian advisor from Starbase Montgomery is being sent aboard the Enterprise to brief Riker on the challenges of the frontier regions (Riker has been chosen primarily for his skills as an explorer). It will likely be a dangerous appointment.
But when the advisor beams aboard, it turns out to be none other than Riker’s own father (they haven’t spoken in fifteen years). Riker is eager to give his father the cold shoulder. Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher notices Worf is particularly agitated, and later in Ten Forward, Riker’s father surprisingly greets Dr. Pulaski with a kiss. They were once lovers.
As Riker mulls over whether to accept his new appointment, Wesley Crusher accesses the “Complete Klingon Cultural Database” and learns that this is the tenth anniversary of Worf’s “Age of Ascension” –a spiritual rite of initiation spent celebrating with other Klingons. With this knowledge, Wesley, Data, and Geordi work with the computer to recreate the Klingon ceremony. They are joined by Miles O’Brien and Dr. Pulaski in recreating the Ascension ceremony in the holodeck, complete with digital Klingons brandishing “pain sticks.”
In the end, father and son decide to settle their differences in the “anbo-jytsu ring” on Deck 12 in the gymnasium (for some reason?). Here, it is revealed that Riker’s father has been cheating in all their battles over the years. Naturally, the two finally embrace as Kyle Riker returns to the Starbase, and Will Riker decides to remain aboard the Enterprise instead of accepting his appointment as captain of the Aries.
My Thoughts on “The Icarus Factor”
I thought “The Icarus Factor” was a fairly bland, sterile episode. It is obvious from the outset that Riker will reconnect with his father by the end of the episode and that he will not accept the appointment as captain of The Aries. Likewise, the B-plot of Worf’s Klingon “Ascension” ceremony was fairly ridiculous, his grumpy demeanor coupled with his need for a special alien rites ceremony was reminiscent of Spock in the TOS classic “Amok Time” –only far less interesting.
“The Icarus Factor” has a purposeless plot with no clear stakes and the characters seem stilted (much like the clumsy writing in Season One), plus the ludicrously hilarious “anbo-jytsu ring” fight sequence at the end gives this one a jarring tone. This episode marks another failed attempt at character development in early TNG.
Star Trek Trivia:
- The title of this episode is a reference to the Greek myth of Icarus and his father Daedalus.
- During a cast reading of the script, Patrick Stewart made his disapproval of the story known, calling it “absolute bullshit.”
- It was established in the previous episode that Riker’s mother died when he was young.
- In this episode, Worf claims he never knew his father.
- Kyle Riker, William Riker’s father, tells Dr. Pulaski that after working out the Fuurinkazan battle strategies at the Tokyo Base, he was asked to come work for Starfleet. Twelve years ago, he was advising Starfleet in its conflict with the Tholians. His base was attacked and he alone survived.
- Dr. Pulaski claims she has been married and divorced three different times. She loved Kyle Riker but realized he was not the marrying type.
- The Aries’ First Officer is Flaherty, who speaks at least forty languages, such as Romulan, Klingon, Giamon, Stroyerian.
- It is established in this episode, that there is an “anbo-jytsu ring” on Deck 12 in the gymnasium on the Enterprise.
- Some of the Klingon costumes and boots used in this episode for Worf’s Ascension ceremony were borrowed from the old Planet of the Apes television series.
- Among the lined up Klingons, the second from the left was played by composer and Star Trek fan John Tesh.
- Mitchell Ryan (1934-2022) plays Lt. River’s father in this episode. He is perhaps best known for being the villain in Lethal Weapon.
- This episode appears to mark the first appearance of “pain sticks.”
- This episode was David Iscove’s only directorial experience in Star Trek.