Home > Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 133: Rascals [VHS]

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Staring: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden
Director: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Becker, Cliff Bole
Average Customer Rating:

List Price: ~~$14.95~~
Our Price: $19.99

Product Details
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780792146643
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
ISBN: 0792146646
Label: Paramount
Manufacturer: Paramount
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Paramount
Release Date: 1998-05-05
Running Time: 46
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: 1987-09-26

Editorial Review
Amazon.com
On their way back from shore leave, Captain Picard, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), and Keiko O'Brien (Rosalind Chao) get caught in an energy field. Beamed back to the Enterprise before their shuttle breaks apart, they arrive with 40 percent less mass. Nobody was lost. Rather, they arrive back on the Enterprise as children, but with their adult minds still intact. Guinan adjusts quickly to being a kid again, but the others have problems. Though still a competent captain, Picard knows he can't be taken seriously in the body of a 12-year-old. Keiko is married to Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), who has serious trouble adjusting to having a child bride. And Ro had such a miserable childhood, the last thing she wants to do is live it all over again. When some Ferengi hijack the Enterprise and quarantine all the adults, it's up to the freshly young to save the day. There are a couple of problems with this episode: it was far too easy for the Ferengi to take over the ship, and the transporter maneuvers needed to return them to adult form are never talked about as a possible fountain of youth. Director Adam Nimoy (son of Leonard) does get some good performances out of the kids, which is fun. --Andy Spletzer

Customer Reviews

Star Trek answers the question, "What was our dear captain like as a child?", 2006-09-05
Well, not exactly, but it's great to see Capt. Picard, Ensign Ro (who can be just as grouchy as a kid as an adult), Guinin, and Keiko O'Brian turned into 12 year olds due to a transporter malfunction/magnetic storm (while indeed a TOS regular problem maker, or at least the transporter part, this definitely has a twist unlike other ones). Well, the Enterprise has to answer a distress call from a planet, so it rushes off to see what the problem is. Now come the complaints. First, the relative ease that the B'rel-class Klingon Bird-of-Preys had in beating the Enterprise (I mean, the Enterprise is rated Galaxy-class, which is essentially a dreadnought or battleship. The B'rel-class is a scout ship!!) I guess the argument could be made that since the Enterprise's shielding was down, they shot the key systems before the Enterprise had a chanced to really beat up the B'rel's. My other complaint is also obvious. The relative ease of the Enterprise being completely captured in a matter of like one minute. (I mean, I would figure it would be standard protocal for security teams to immediately activate the moment they are attacked.) As far as the Ferengi, it does make sense. Ferengi marauders don't have cloaks, and these guys are independent anyway. It probably isn't that hard to get ahold of a couple of older birds of prey with cloaks for a fairly cheap price. Well, all the adults, except Riker (who took command when Picard was juniorized) are transported to the planet to begin mining minerals for their captors. What's really fun is now Capt. Picard, Guinin, Ro, and Keiko have to figure out a way to defeat the Ferengi pirates. A fun episode to watch, especially because of the way the "kids" have to beat the Ferengi.

Jean-Luc Picard in "I Was a Pre-Teen Starfleet Captain", 2001-03-18
At the start of Star Trek: The Next Generation it was made clear that Jean-Luc Picard was, to say the least, uncomfortable having to deal with children. In later seasons he got a lot better at dealing with the wee folk aboard the Enterprise, such as when he was stuck in the turbolift with three children when the ship was hit by quantum filaments in "Disaster" (Episode 105). But for the most part you have to wonder if Picard has simply forgotten what it was like to be a child. It is this dimension of Picard's character that makes "Rascals" such a wonderful episode.

Picard is returning to the Enterprise on a shuttle, along with Guinan, Ensign Ro and Keiko O'Brien. Suddenly an energy field surrounds the shuttle and when Riker orders an emergency transport the four have been turned into kids. Riker has to take control of the Enterprise, which heads off to Ligo Seven to answer a distress call. Then, just to make things interesting, the Enterprise is attacked by a pair of Klingon battle cruisers which turn out to be run by the Ferengi (following all this?). With their shields down, the Enterprise is taken over by the Ferengi, who beam down all the adults to work the mines on the planet below. Of course this leaves Picard and the other "children" to try to regain control of the ship, with some help from Alexander.

This episode is worth it just to see Jean-Luc throw a tantrum and demand to see his "father" Commander Riker. Picard calls him "Number One," explaining to the Ferengi, "because he's my Number One Dad." The two smile and embrace. You have to love it. "Rascals" has its moments of cuteness and since we are dealing with the Ferengi the children are never really in danger (not like they are Klingons or the Borg). This is just a fun episode, so enjoy it and go along for the ride.

"Rascals" is really good., 1999-05-27
I liked it very much. Those darn kids are just so darn cute

Good episode but not at this price, 2000-06-15
While this is a great epsiode. It has a great plot, some caracter development and is generally good fun it probably not worth this much doe.

"Rascals", 1999-08-30
I have been looking all over for this episode. My opinion is: It is the best next generation episode out of all of them. My favorite part is the ironic one: Picard runs his hand over his head to check if he still has hair.

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