The Enterprise is making a rendezvous with the science vessel U.S.S. Tsiolkovsky, which has been monitoring a collapsing star. As they arrive, however, they hear an emergency hatch being blown after what sounds like a "wild party." Riker, Geordi, Tasha, and Data beam over and find all of the crew dead.

They beam back, but Geordi has unknowingly brought back the same contaminant that infected the Tsiolkovsky (it's transmitted through water). As Riker sets Data to searching for occasions similar to what happened on the Tsiolkovsky, Geordi escapes from sickbay and starts spreading the infection.

It has some rather odd effects, acting very much like intoxication. Yar becomes...amorous, and ends up seducing Data. Geordi bursts into tears, lamenting his lack of normal sight. Beverly starts to find Picard "extremely, extremely.. but of course we haven't time for that sort of thing!" Worst of all, however, Wesley uses a Picard- Voice-Simulator he's cooked up and seizes control of Engineering, appointing himself Acting Captain.

Meanwhile, Data has found the records of the original Enterprise, and has sent the cure down to Bev. Unfortunately, the virus has mutated, and the old cure doesn't work. Bev, already infected, starts working on a new formula. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, the star collapses, then explodes, sending a huge chunk of star straight at the Enterprise. Even when Chief Engineer MacDougal gets into main Engineering (shorting out Wes's jury-rigged repulsor beam), she finds her assistant has pulled out all the control chips.

Data is brought down to Engineering and manages to reinsert all the chips just in time, after Wes gives the ship an extra push-off by changing the Enterprise's tractor beam into a repulsor beam and pushing off the Tsiolkovsky. Bev finds a cure, the Enterprise escapes, and all is well.

Highlight Listing:

"The Naked Now" - Romance, danger and chaos result when a mysterious contaminant renders the crew of the Enterprise intoxicated.

Advertising Headline:

DANGEROUS VIRUS STRIKES! A mysterious illness takes control of the Enterprise crew.

TV log listing:

A deadly infection has the crew racing against time for a cure in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

Operation SNAFU

When Troi finds Tasha in her quarters, affected by the intoxication disease and trying on Troi's scarves, she and Tasha hold hands as Tasha tries to grab a scarf from Troi. The camera switches views between Troi and Tasha as they face each other. When facing Troi, Troi is holding Tasha's right hand with her right hand. When facing Tasha, she is holding Tasha's right hand with her left hand. Also, in one of the views, they are holding a scarf, but not in the other. The rights and lefts may be off, but there is definitely a screw-up in the scene.

Editor's Note:

The Paramount press release has Benjamin W.S. Lum listed as BENJAMIN WSLUM.

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: July 12, 1999