The Survivors

Episode aired Oct 7, 1989
TV-PG
45m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

4.2K

YOUR RATING

John Anderson and Anne Haney in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from Rana IV, a Federation colony that is under attack from an unknown alien ship. When they arrive, they find the entire surface of the planet des... Read allThe Enterprise responds to a distress call from Rana IV, a Federation colony that is under attack from an unknown alien ship. When they arrive, they find the entire surface of the planet destroyed, save for a single house and two occupants.The Enterprise responds to a distress call from Rana IV, a Federation colony that is under attack from an unknown alien ship. When they arrive, they find the entire surface of the planet destroyed, save for a single house and two occupants.

Director
- Les Landau
Writers
- Gene Roddenberry
- Michael I. Wagner
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

4.2K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Les Landau
Writers
- Gene Roddenberry
- Michael I. Wagner
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
John Anderson's wife had recently died when he worked on this episode. He later described his role in this episode as one of the hardest he ever had to play.

Goofs
When the bridge crew first scans the plot of vegetation and structure in the middle of the otherwise destroyed planet surface, Data announces that the structure is in the center of the vegetation. However, when the landing party materializes in the Uxbridge's back yard, the house is clearly seen at the far left corner of the lot, surrounded from behind and its left by desolation.

However, the building is so large that it covers half of the screen, so that what is behind or to the right is out of view, so it cannot be determined how far back the vegetation extends.

Quotes
Kevin Uxbridge: [of Rishon] I saw her broken body. I went insane. My hatred exploded. And in an instant of grief... I destroyed the Husnock.
Doctor Beverly Crusher: Why did you try to hide this from all of us? Was it out of guilt for not helping Rishon and the others when they were alive?
Kevin Uxbridge: No, no, no, no, no, you-you don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand. I killed them all. All Husnock, everywhere. - Are 11,000 people worth... 50 billion? Is the love of a woman worth the destruction of an entire species?

Connections
Featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Allegiance (1990)

Soundtracks
Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews28

Review

Featured review

9/10

A Sad and Heartfelt Episodoe

A pair of elderly people are the only inhabitants left of what was once a thriving culture. They have obviously been victimized by some force or people. They live in a little plot of land in a beautiful dwelling and seem happy with each other. The Enterprise away team wants to get to the bottom of things and is confronted by the man (played by John Anderson) who wants them on their way. They refuse help from the starship, even though their supplies are obviously dwindling. Each time a crew beams down, the Enterprise is confronted by an enormous, hostile ship which will not acknowledge them. They simply fire. Still the Enterprise survives the onslaught. Something is terribly wrong and secrets are being kept. The long monologue at the conclusion reveals something so sad and devastating that it leaves us speechless. We need to ask, "What is forgivable?" This episode banks on its unanswered questions and doesn't wrap it up with a bow. This is what I love in science fiction.