“Lessons” is episode nineteen of season six of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The captain is in his ready room at night. He tries to send a message, use the computer and order a cup of Earl Grey, in each case prevented due to them being offline because of a request from stellar cartography. He decides to take a look to see what they’re doing. Stellar cartography is dark when he opens the door and a woman tells him to close it. After struggling for a bit more, she finally brings the lights up and says that whoever it is has just ruined four hours of work. The captain suggests she could have locked the door. Then she sees it’s the captain.
Picard assumes she’s Lieutenant Commander Nella Darren. She wasn’t expecting anyone to be up at this hour. He says that on this ship you have to learn to expect the unexpected. When he mentions the Earl Grey, she thinks it’s no wonder he can’t sleep, ordering him a herbal tea. She thinks he’ll like it. He doesn’t. She’s programmed seven other blends; she thinks he’s bound to like one. They then chat about what she was doing.
On the bridge. Commander Riker informs Captain Picard that they are arriving at a nebula. He talks about it and Riker mentions that Commander Darren has requested time on the main sensor. Data reminds the captain about the concert in Ten Forward. Later, the captain is talking to Dr Crusher over dinner. She asks about the herbal tea blend; the captain says he found it on the replicator. He talks about the new crew members, then says that they need to head to Ten Forward for the concert. Darren is playing the piano. The captain is watching. Troi is behind him; she looks to sense something. Afterwards, the captain talks to Darren about music and admits he plays himself.
On the bridge when they arrive at the nebula, Darren tries to convince Riker to give her team more time on the sensor array. He says he will see if he can find more time. Tomorrow.
The captain is in his quarters when Darren arrives. She asks about his flute, the one from “The Inner Light”. He explains it’s Ressikan. She asks if he’s been playing long. He pauses, and says yes. She wants to hear him play and he does; Darren says he’s better than he thinks. They should play together. She has a rolled-up keyboard with her. The captain is nervous, but they play a duet.
Darren is being treated by Dr Crusher for arm strain; she thinks she overdid it on the piano. And talks about playing a duet with the captain. Dr Crusher seems a little frosty.
Darren is taking the captain through the Jefferies tubes. She asks him if he knows where he is. He gives the location. No, according to her it’s the most acoustically perfect spot on the ship. Yes, she did spend time crawling through them looking for it. They start playing together. Geordi hears it in engineering and tries to find where it’s coming from. Data asks what he’s doing, but the music has stopped by then. Because the captain and Darren are now making out.
The captain’s demeanour in a turbolift changes from casual to formal when another crewmember joins him and Darren. He decides to see Troi for advice. She already knows what about. And, essentially, says go for it. The captain ends up explaining the origin of his flute to Darren, and therefore what his music means to him. Commander Riker is now feeling a bit uncomfortable about dealing with Darren because of the relationship, but the captain reassures him. The captain, however, feels the strain of commanding someone he is in a relationship with.