“Captain’s Holiday” is episode nineteen of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Two aliens materialise on a world and check a console that welcomes them to Risa. They are looking for the chamber of Jon-Luc Picard, but there is no record of him currently visiting the planet and no arrival date. One wonders if they are mistaken; the other says that he will come.
Commander Riker’s log states that Captain Picard has just spent two weeks mediating a trade dispute. Troi arrives on the bridge, saying the captain managed it. The captain himself arrives and orders a course be set to Starbase 12 then heads to his ready room. Riker congratulates him. About what? The trade agreement. Hnh. After Picard leaves, Troi says he’s been under a great deal of strain. Troi has a solution, but one she doubts the captain will agree to. A vacation.
The captain is in his ready room working when Dr Crusher arrives. She wants to talk about a member of the crew who has been neglecting his health. Treatment is a week’s shore leave. The captain knows full well about who she is talking. The doctor could make that an order. Picard says she won’t, though; he loathes vacations. The doctor says he loathes going on them, once there he has a marvellous time. According to the captain, he lied about that. He says he will do recreational activities during the week of maintenance at Starbase 12. Or use the holodeck. Dr Crusher doesn’t like those ideas. Perhaps an astrophysics symposium. Also not what she had in mind.
Riker enters the turbolift the captain is in and asks if he’s decided where he’s going. Yes. Bridge. No, on vacation. Riker knows the perfect place, a planet called Risa. When they arrive on the bridge, Troi has good news. There’s an excellent chance her mother will join them. Picard’s reaction looks to be sheer horror. He wants a private word with Riker in his ready room and asks if the entire crew is aware of this. Pretty much. Picard capitulates, rather than face a week of continual harassment.
The captain is packing what he considers light reading. Riker asks if he has mentioned how imaginative the Risan woman are. Too often, according to Troi. Riker would like a souvenir, a horga’hn. Worf would like to send a security officer but the captain thinks he will be fine.
Picard beams down and bumps into a woman. Who sees a Ferengi and grabs and kisses the captain, saying it’s good to see him again. Picard thinks she’s mistaken him for someone else. She agrees and welcomes him to Risa. He thinks a handshake would have sufficed.
Picard is reading when a woman comes over and asks if she can do anything to make his stay any more enjoyable. She’s apparently the fifth to ask. All the captain wants to do is sit in the sun and read his book alone. The woman is confused. He says he wishes to be alone yet he carries the horga’hn, Picard having bought Riker’s souvenir. He asks if it has a special meaning. Yes. Yes, it does.
After the woman leaves – and Picard hides the horga’hn – a Ferengi comes and hassles the captain. He knows Picard is working with her and warns him. The Ferengi is not listening and wants the disc returned immediately. Picard thinks Ferengi demands carry little weight. Presumably he’s never dealt with the Ferengi’s people before. He has; all too often. They cannot be trusted. Does the captain dare to insult him? Picard stands. Yes. Yes, he does.
After the Ferengi leaves the woman who welcomes Picard to Risa arrives. Picard thinks it’s another misunderstanding with the horga’hn. It isn’t. She introduces herself as Vash. Vash doesn’t leave and Picard realises she’s the woman the Ferengi, Sovak, was taking about. As they leave, Sovak approaches and Vash slips a disc into Picard’s robe.
In his room, Picard finds the two aliens from the beginning. They are Vorgons from the 27th century and introduce themselves. Assuming the captain believes them, what do they want? Has Picard heard of the Tox Uthat? He is aware of the legend. A visitor from the future left behind a mysterious device. Essentially true. The Tox Uthat can halt nuclear reaction in a star. Criminals attempted to steal it and the inventor fled to the 22nd century. The Vorgons were assigned to retrieve it and located Picard through historical records.
The captain’s vacation, whilst he might enjoy it, is certainly not one of the more traditional ones Risa is supposed to be famous for. Captain Picard has always had an interest in books, which continues in this, but he also turns out to be the sort of book lover who can punch the bad guy in the face and kiss the girl. Sovak’s portrayal of a Ferengi is rather different to previous portrayals, but is rather more typical for future portrayals.