"Who Watches the Watchers?" is the 51st episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the fourth episode of TNG's third season, airing the week of 16 October, 1989. The story dealt with a planet where the primitive inhabitants mistake Federation observers for gods.
While the aired episode bore titles in a display font that rendered the name, typographically, as "Who Watches The Watchers" (entirely in title case without punctuation), The Star Trek Encyclopedia and other licensed sources render the title more correctly as "Who Watches the Watchers?".
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 43173.5
- We are en route to Mintaka III where a three-man Federation anthropological field team has been studying the inhabitants. Our mission is to resupply the outpost and repair their malfunctioning reactor.
- First officer's log, stardate 43174.2
- Counselor Troi and I are beaming down to Mintaka III to locate Dr. Palmer and to determine the extent of the cultural contamination. Dr. Crusher has temporarily altered our features and skin color. She's also implanted subcutaneous communicators so that any transmissions we receive will be inaudible to the Mintakans.
- Captain's log, supplemental
- Dr. Crusher has repaired my injury with her usual skill. Mr. La Forge will supervise the dismantling of the observation post after I make one last visit to Mintaka III.
References[]
Characters[]
- Bailey • Barron • Beverly Crusher • Data • Fento • Diana Giddings • Hali • Hoy • Geordi La Forge • Liko • Martinez • Nuria • Oji • Paki • Timothy T. Palmer • Jean-Luc Picard • William T. Riker • Deanna Troi • Mary Warren • Worf • Yari
- Referenced only
- Katherine Pulaski
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Mintaka III (Mintaka system)
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and technology[]
- android • animal • anthropology • battery • bow and arrow • brain • communicator • electromagnetism • fusion reactor • hologram • holographic masking system • hornbuck • humanoid • impulse engine • lifeform • lysosome • memory wipe • minute • norep • phaser • phaser bank • planet • plant • proto-Vulcan humanoid • reactor • skin • space • star • stardate • star system • starship • subcutaneous communicator • subspace relay station • sundial • synapse • technology • thallium • topography • tricordrazine • vulcanoid • warp drive • watt • weapon • zenith
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • commander • chief engineer • chief medical officer • counselor • doctor • engineer • ensign • first officer • flight controller • lieutenant commander • lieutenant • nurse • operations manager • overseer • record keeper • second officer • security chief
Other references[]
- away team • Bronze Age • captain's log • duck blind • first officer's log • holy war • inquisition • Karst topography • log entry • Mintakan tapestry • observation team • outpost • philosophy • Prime Directive • races and cultures • religion • sickbay • textiles
Chronology[]
- 13th century
- 2365
- Doctor Katherine Pulaski's memory wipe technique is used on the Dreman Sarjenka. (TNG episode: "Pen Pals")
- 2366 (stardate 43173.5)
- The Enterprise-D is called to Mintaka.
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TNG episode: "Pen Pals" - Katherine Pulaski's memory wipe on the Dreman Sarjenka is the basis of Beverly Crusher's plan to return Liko to his people.
- Mintakan tapestry - Jean-Luc Picard's Mintakan tapestry remains in his ready room aboard the USS Enterprise-E, as seen in the TNG movies: First Contact, Insurrection, Star Trek Nemesis.
- STO novel: The Needs of the Many - Timothy T. Palmer's experience on Mintaka III is recalled during his interview with Jake Sisko.
Images[]
Episode image.
Picard's model.
Mintaka III.
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: The Survivors |
TNG episodes | Next episode: The Bonding |
| Chronological Order | ||
| Previous adventure: Pathways Chapter 4 (section 4), Chapter 6 (sections 6-7), & Chapter 14 (section 13) |
Pocket Books Timeline | Next adventure: Doomsday World |
| Previous adventure: Pathways Chapter 4 (section 4), Chapter 6 (sections 6-7), & Chapter 14 (section 13) |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Forbidden Fruit |
| Previous adventure: Forbidden Fruit |
DC Comics Timeline | Next adventure: Doomsday World |
External links[]
- Who Watches the Watchers? article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Who Watches the Watchers article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.