“Half a Life” is episode twenty-two of season four of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Troi’s personal log. Her mother is onboard.
Captain Picard cautiously walks into a corridor, but to no avail as he’s immediately ambushed by Lwaxana Troi. The captain explains that they are picking up the lead scientist from Kaelon II. It’s a delicate situation, as this is the first real contact with the rather reclusive people. He tries to explain that this is a delicate diplomatic meeting to Lwaxana. She loves diplomacy; everyone dresses so well. In the transporter room, Dr Timcin is beamed onboard and introduced to Geordi and O’Brien. Lwaxana introduces herself, reels off her titles and invites Timcin for dinner. After they leave, Geordi comments that Timcin is in a lot of trouble.
Tumcin’s people are working to revitalise their dying sun and the Federation has offered assistance. In the conference room, Timcin and most of the senior staff are being briefed. It took three years to find a match for Kaelon after contact. Timcin says they aren’t used to dealing with other worlds, nor asking for help.
On the bridge, Lwaxana is annoying Worf when Timcin, Riker and Troi arrive from the conference room. Lwaxana heads straight to Timcin, largely ignoring the other two. Timcin seems rather stunned by Lwaxana.
Later, Timcin is in engineering with Data and Geordi when Lwaxana arrives with Mr Hom. She has brought food. They need food. Data kind of agrees with her.
In the turbolift, Lwaxana discovers Timcin is married. She’s disappointed – until she finds out he’s a widower. She asks why not evacuate their planet instead of trying to fix their sun? Because it’s their home. It defines who they are as a people. If it should cease to exist, so would they. Lwaxana thinks they should definitely fix it then. At her quarters, Lwaxana invites Timcin in for a nightcap. And reassures him that her valet sleeps elsewhere. Timcin is having fun, but must decline.
The Enterprise is in the Paxillus system to conduct the test and Troi is wishing her mother could get dressed faster. It turns out that Lwaxana can’t read Timcin’s mind. Wrong species. Right for everything else. Troi states her mother isn’t just incorrigible; she’s insatiable.
No other lifeforms or ships are detected in the system, and modified photon torpedoes are fired at the star. The star starts to burn hotter, then continues getting hotter and the Enterprise has to warp out just before it explodes. This would make one hell of a weapon.
In Ten Forward, Lwaxana joins Timcin and tries cheering him up. He’s heading home to die. In the captain’s ready room, Science Minister B’Tardat is told that sensor logs and facilities will be made available to Timcin. Thoughtful, but Timcin has obligations at home. It will take some time to select a replacement, so it isn’t necessary for the Enterprise to wait. They expect Timcin home as soon as possible, and the minister signs off.
Lwaxana arrives. It seems that when Timcin’s people reach 60, they are expected to kill themselves. Did the captain know that? Picard checks with Data; very little is known of their customs. Lwaxana expects the captain to stop it. Picard can’t; the Prime Directive forbids it. It doesn’t forbid Lwaxana. The captain contacts Troi after her mother leaves.
Troi finds her mother in the transporter room, where O’Brien isn’t beaming her down. Troi explains that he has his orders. They may not apply to Lwaxana, but they do apply to O’Brien. Lwaxana breaks down and Troi gives O’Brien a look. He takes the hint and excuses himself to… check the pattern buffers. Locking the console down first.
Lwaxana is taking Timcin’s upcoming suicide quite badly. Timcin’s explanation of how the elderly used to be treated before ritual suicide seems rather similar to how they are treated currently. Michelle Forbes, who would later have a recurring role as Ro Laren, guest stars as Timcin’s daughter.
Much of the episode is devoted to the Resolution, the suicide, of Timcin’s people. No-one seems at all bothered that they blew up a sun. With photon torpedoes. Creating a weapon that can wipe out entire systems.