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Mar 4, 2021 · Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Skin of Evil". by. The Estradiol Illusions Podcast. Publication date. 2021-03-04. Topics. Podcast. Grab your phaser and your away team, because we're heading to Vagra II. \"Skin of Evil\" lives on in Trek infamy for the senseless death of Tasha Var. Armus is one of science fiction's earliest incels, taking the ...
Skin of Evil: Directed by Joseph L. Scanlan. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby. Counselor Troi is held captive on a deserted planet by a slick, black, oily, sentient and immortal puddle of evil.
- (3.9K)
- Action, Adventure, Drama
- Joseph L. Scanlan
- 1988-04-23
- Overview
- Summary
- Log entries
- Memorable quotes
- Background information
- Links and references
A rescue operation to save the lives of a shuttle crew becomes complicated thanks to a malevolent entity, and one Enterprise-D crew member pays the ultimate price in their rescue.
Teaser
The USS Enterprise-D is traveling through the Zed Lapis sector where it will rendezvous with shuttlecraft 13, carrying Counselor Deanna Troi, who is returning from a conference, along with the shuttle pilot, Lieutenant Ben Prieto. As the engineering crew is conducting maintenance of the ship's dilithium crystals, the ship is flying at impulse, with the main engines deactivated. On the bridge, Lieutenant Worf tells Lieutenant Natasha Yar that deep space probes have picked up no vessels or debris within three light years. Worf then shifts the conversation towards the martial arts competition happening on the Enterprise-D in three days. He asks Yar if she is ready. She replies that she needs some practice with the Mishiama wristlock and break, and if she can use it on Worf, she can use it on anybody, an assumption Worf promptly assures her is valid. He then asks who she is facing, and Yar says her first opponent is science officer Swenson. Worf says that she will easily defeat him. However Yar is more concerned about being beaten by Lt. Minnerly, a skilled kickboxer. Worf then boosts her confidence by telling her that she is heavily favored in the ship's pool to win. Yar asks Worf if he placed a bet on her. Worf replies that it is a sure thing. Yar then looks at Worf with a smile. Worf, embarrassed, moves away. Helmsman Lieutenant Geordi La Forge reports to Captain Picard that the Enterprise-D will meet up with the shuttle in just over an hour. Picard comments how it will be good to have Troi back aboard, a sentiment Commander Riker agrees with. Suddenly, Worf receives an emergency distress call from the shuttle. The shuttle's computer is severely damaged and impulse engines are off-line. Prieto can't even tell what their current location is. Picard calls down to main engineering and asks chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Leland T. Lynch how long it would take to restore warp drive. When Lynch complains that he's currently in the middle of re-aligning the dilithium crystals, Picard tells him there is an emergency and they urgently need warp drive. Lynch initially says it'll be more than twenty minutes, and Picard berates him, telling Lynch that they don't have that much time. Lynch promises to re-align the crystals by hand to get warp drive restarted immediately. La Forge then tells Prieto that he's coming dangerously close to a planet, which Prieto confirms. Lieutenant Commander Data reports that the shuttle is near Vagra II, an uninhabited planet. Picard calls down to engineering again and Lynch tells him that although he offers no guarantees, he's working on it and it'll be about three minutes. Just then, Prieto reports that the shuttle is now out of control and has been caught in Vagra II's gravity, to the grave concern of the bridge crew.
Act One
In engineering, the engineers are frantically trying to restore the Enterprise-D's warp drive. Lynch, along with his engineering crew, quickly re-align the dilithium crystals into the warp reactor and Lynch decides to ignore the final safety check, telling the computer to restart the warp drive. When the ship's computer begins the checklist, Lynch overrides the checks and they go directly to startup. As the warp reactor comes back online, Lynch calls Picard and tells him that they now have minimum warp drive. When La Forge reports course for Vagra II is laid in, Picard orders warp eight. Over the intercom, Lynch tells Picard he recommended minimum warp drive. Picard then tells Lynch he heard his command and to make it so. Shortly thereafter, the Enterprise-D arrives at Vagra II and enters standard orbit, although the ship is not reading the emergency signal from the shuttle. Data runs a scan of the planet. There is no vegetation and no lifeforms on the planet, but the atmosphere is breathable for Humans. Worf locates the shuttle on the planet. It appears to be buried under debris. Picard asks if they can beam up Troi and Prieto; however, the debris appears to be blocking the ship's sensors. Picard, seeing this as strange, orders Riker to prepare an away team. He chooses Data and Yar. Picard signals Doctor Beverly Crusher to join them. On Vagra II, the shuttle's nacelle has been ripped off and the shuttle itself has been embedded within a rock face. The away team materializes on the barren surface of the planet, near the wreckage of the shuttle. Dr. Crusher notes that the signals inside the shuttle are weak. The away team begins to walk over to the shuttle, but a giant black liquid pool is blocking the way. Yar asks the away team to walk around it, just to be on the safe side. However, the black substance follows the away team to the right side. Yar suggests that they go to the left, but the substance still follows them. Crusher prepares to step over a narrow part of the pool, but Riker stops her. He then asks if the creature has a skeletal structure. Data scans with his tricorder, however, he cannot confirm Riker's question. Picard asks Data if the black substance is a lifeform. Again, Data cannot confirm. When asked finally if it is possible that this pool is alive, Data says it is but again, he has insufficient information. Then they hear an ominous voice calling Data "Tin Man" and a figure begins to slowly arise from the black liquid. Picard asks Riker what he sees, and Riker simply replies, "Trouble."
Act Two
Picard signals Riker and comes to the conclusion that the placement of the creature and the location of the shuttle's crash landing cannot be a coincidence. Picard asks Riker to try to communicate with the creature, which Riker does. The creature states that his name is Armus, and asks why the crew has come. Riker explains that they mean no harm and they have injured crewmembers on the shuttle and asks permission to pass over. Armus states that he has not given him a good enough reason. Riker states that preserving life is important to all Humans, but Armus is not satisfied and suggests the Enterprise-D crew leave the planet. Yar walks up to Armus and says that they will not leave without their crew and that they must help them. Yar begins to walk over to the shuttle and is hit by a blast of energy from Armus and knocked away. Riker and Data react quickly and fire their phasers at Armus as Dr. Crusher rushes over to Yar, followed by Riker and Data. Picard asks for a report on the situation and Data says their phasers had no effect on Armus as he seemed to feed off their energy. As Armus retreats back into the black liquid, Picard inquires about Yar's condition. After scanning her body, Dr. Crusher grimly reports that Yar is dead, prompting Picard to have the four of them beamed up quickly. As soon as the away team rematerializes on the transporter pad, Dr. Crusher reports that they will have to get Yar to sickbay immediately if they are to revive her. Picard tells Worf to put the ship on yellow alert and leaves the bridge for sickbay. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher and her medical assistants are desperately trying to revive Yar. When Picard asks for a report on her condition, Crusher reports that it is unchanged. Riker and Data stand in the back, joined by Picard, waiting and watching intently. Crusher puts Yar on total life support, but Yar is still not responding and her synaptic network is breaking down. Crusher, seeing no other choice, decides to go for direct reticular stimulation. The electrical energy goes into Yar's body, but she is still flatlining. Trying the procedure a few more times out of desperation, Crusher then pronounces Yar officially dead, and that Armus sucked the life right out of her. On Vagra II, Armus moves toward the shuttle. Inside, Lieutenant Prieto is unconscious, lying down on his console, while Troi is injured but conscious. She taps her combadge and tries to contact the ship, but Armus is blocking the communication. She can feel Armus' presence, and he taunts her by saying that her friends deserted her and that he killed one of them. Troi says she knows, as she felt Yar die. Armus then says that he wanted to kill Yar to amuse himself. Troi tells him that he thought it would amuse him, but it did not. Sensing that he has a great need for something, Troi asks Armus to let her and Prieto go, and that the crew of the Enterprise-D will not give him what he wants: to break their spirit. Armus coldly replies that if breaking their spirit amuses him, he will do it. In the conference lounge on the Enterprise-D, the senior officers are arguing and talking over each other about Yar's death and how she did nothing to provoke Armus. Only Worf and Picard remain silent. Picard taps the table with his fingers to bring the meeting back under control. He tells the crew that Yar's death is painful for all of them, but they will have to put it aside until the crisis is resolved. Picard makes Worf acting chief of security, which Worf accepts. Crusher says the life signs of the shuttle crew are faint, but the sensor readings are fluctuating, which means they may not be accurate. Riker asks to go down to the planet again and La Forge volunteers to join the away team; his VISOR may see something in Armus that the other crewmembers may not be able to see. Riker asks Worf to join them, but Worf believes he will be better used at tactical, since the main objective is to not battle Armus directly, but to safely bring back Troi and Prieto without any more deaths.
•Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364
"Data, something's got me!"
- Commander William Riker, while being pulled into the black sludge
"Lieutenant Yar's death is very painful for all of us. We will have to deal with it as best we can for now. Until the shuttle crew are safely beamed aboard the ship, our feelings will have to wait, is that understood? Lieutenant Worf, you're now acting chief of security."
"I will do my best, sir."
- Captain Picard and Worf
"You wanted her to suffer. You have a great need."
Production history
•Final draft script (titled "The Shroud"): 22 January 1988 •Four-page memo of script notes from Robert H. Justman: 27 January 1988 •Maurice Hurley "polish" of final draft script (still titled "The Shroud"): 28 January 1988 •Three-page memo of script notes from Robert Justman: 29 January 1988 •Revised final draft script: 1 February 1988 •Two-page memo of script notes from Robert Justman: 4 February 1988 •Score recorded at Paramount Stage M: 5 April 1988 (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project liner notes ) •Premiere airdate: 25 April 1988 •UK premiere airdate: 6 March 1991
Story and script
•The original title of this episode was "The Shroud" (another name for the entity), and during the funeral/memorial scene, Commander Riker was scripted to have "signs of the shroud" still on his face. •The writing of this episode was influenced by Natasha Yar actress Denise Crosby requesting to be released from the series because she had become disappointed by how little Yar was being developed in the series' first season. On leaving the show and marking the end of her character, Crosby stated, "Gene [Roddenberry] really felt that the strongest way to go would be to have me killed. That would be so shocking and dramatic that he wanted to go with that." (Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book) •At the time this episode was written, several rumors had been surfacing that Roddenberry's lawyer, Leonard Maizlish, was rewriting a majority of the season's scripts, an illegal act in terms of Writer's Guild policies. (X) According to one source, Maizlish was responsible for the dismal manner of Yar's demise, and wanted to be sure that Roddenberry's story idea was enforced, and that Yar's death happened as a matter of course during a dangerous mission, despite the differing views held by the various writers involved with the story. In the end, there was considerable controversy among the show's staff regarding this death: some felt that it was cynically manipulative, while others felt that a swift death made sense to avoid sentimentality. (Trek: The Unauthorized Behind-The-Scenes Story of The Next Generation)
Cast and characters
•Denise Crosby has expressed that, if more TNG scripts had provided parts for her that were as strong as this episode, she would never have asked to leave the series. (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission, p. 61) She has also said that, had there been more scenes like the one at the beginning of the episode between her and Worf, she may have considered staying on the show. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (? ed., p. ?)) However, Crosby added, "Perhaps Tasha should've really gone out in a blaze of glory. There's never any real battles ever fought. The show is never supposed to be about violence and it shouldn't be. But I think if you have one cause for there to be a show about a real violent battle, that was it. Let's see this supposed expert security officer do her stuff." (Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book) •Denise Crosby later returned to the series, firstly as an alternate timeline version of Yar (in "Yesterday's Enterprise"), then as Yar's offspring Sela (in "The Mind's Eye", "Redemption", "Redemption II", and "Unification II"), and finally as Yar again in the series finale "All Good Things...". •As a whole, Troi actress Marina Sirtis felt she did some of her best work in this episode, citing it as one of two episodes from the first season that she fondly recalls, with the other being "Haven". (Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book) •In describing TNG Season 1 and Gene Roddenberry's attempts to "push the limits a little," Jonathan Frakes stated, "I think we took greater chances then than we do now. The shows may be better, the level of it, but 'Skin of Evil' was absurd. We had Patrick sitting and talking into a black oil slick – but what was wrong with that? [....] That was absurd." Frakes referred to the physicality of his own part in the episode as another bizarre aspect of the installment. (Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book) He expressed sadness, too, regarding Crosby's departure in "Skin of Evil", musing, "That's an episode where we were all crying as our characters and ourselves." (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, p. 112) Frakes also commented, "It's ironic, that they finally came up with a script that gave Tasha great things to do, and it was the one where she died." ("Jonathan Frakes – Commander William Riker", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 5, p. 9) •Mart McChesney later portrayed the Sheliak director in TNG: "The Ensigns of Command". •This episode marks the first appearance of recurring background actress Juliet Cesario. •This was also Wil Wheaton's final appearance of the first season. •Roddy McDowall was a favorite of director Joseph L. Scanlan for voicing Armus in this episode but ultimately didn't get the part. (Creating the Next Generation, p. 60)
Starring
•Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard •Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
Also starring
•LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge •Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar / Natasha Yar (hologram) •Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf •Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher •Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi •Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data •Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
Guest star
•Mart McChesney as Armus
"Skin of Evil" is the 23rd episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation; it first aired on April 25, 1988, in broadcast syndication. The story premise was written by Joseph Stefano , whose teleplay was re-written by Hannah Louise Shearer .
- April 25, 1988
- Joseph L. Scanlan
- 122
- Ron Jones
Apr 24, 2023 · Published Apr 24, 2023. A Look Back at 'Skin of Evil' On its 35th anniversary, we revisit the episode's production as well as Armus' first appearance! By Christine Dinh. StarTrek.com. Few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation are as controversial and divisive as " Skin of Evil ," which premiered on television sets on April 25, 1988.
- Christine Dinh
Apr 25, 1988 · An away team beams down to Vegra II to rescue Troi and her pilot from their damaged shuttle craft, but the planet is inhabited by the malevolent Armus…
"Skin of Evil" is the 23rd episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and originally aired on April 25, 1988, in broadcast syndication. The story premise was written by Joseph Stefano, and the screenplay was re-written by Hannah Louise Shearer.
