Star Trek: The Next Generation: Who Watches the Watchers?

"Who Watches the Watchers?" is the fourth episode of season three of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the fifty-first episode of the series overall (if one counts the two-part pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" as two episodes). Combining the episode count of all Star Trek-related TV shows to date, it is the 158th episode of the entire franchise. The episode was directed by Robert Wiemer with a teleplay written by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler. It first aired in syndication on October 16th, 1989.

Notes & Trivia

 * Production code number: 152.


 * Stardate: 43173.5.


 * This is the sixth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation written and/or co-written by Richard Manning. He has written eight episodes of the series in total. He previously wrote "Shades of Gray". His next episode is "Yesterday's Enterprise".


 * This is the sixdth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation written and/or co-written by Hans Beimler. He has written eight episodes of the series in total. He previously wrote "Shades of Gray". His next episode is "Yesterday's Enterprise".


 * Actor Ray Wise is also known for playing Alec Holland in the 1982 film Swamp Thing.


 * Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott is also known for playing the role of Maggie Evans on Dark Shadows.

Allusions

 * The title of this episode is taken from the Latin phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", which also translates as "Who will guard the guards themselves?" and "Who watches the watchmen?". The phrase gained popularity in the late 1980s with the DC Comics comic book series The Watchmen by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons.

Quotes

 * Deanna Troi: Mintakan emotions are interesting. Like Vulcans, they have highly-ordered minds. A very sensible people. For example, Mintakan women precede their mates. It's a signal to other women.
 * William T. Riker: "He's taken, get your own"?
 * Deanna Troi: Not precisely. More like, "If you want his services, I'm the one you negotiate with."
 * William T. Riker: What kind of services?
 * Deanna Troi: All kinds.
 * William T. Riker: They are a sensible race.

....
 * Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Get up. You must not kneel to me.
 * Nuria: You do not wish it?
 * Captain Jean-Luc Picard: I do not deserve it.

....
 * Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Someone invented a hut, someone invented a bow, who taught others, who taught their children, who built a stronger hut, who built a better bow, who taught their children. Now Nuria, suppose one of your cave-dwelling ancestors were to see you as you are today. What would she think?
 * Nuria: I don't know.
 * Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Put yourself in her place. You see, she cannot kill a hornbuck at a great distance. You can. You have a power she lacks.
 * Nuria: Only because I have a bow.
 * Captain Jean-Luc Picard: She has never seen a bow, it doesn't exist in her world. To you, it's a simple tool. To her, it's magic.