The Enterprise happens across a solar system with two planets both touting technology about 100 years or more behind The Federation. And an Outrageous Hitchhiker, whose "'car' is broken down on the side of the road"-Captain Okona (Billy Campbell from "The 4400")-Who almost immediately hits on a gorgeous Transporter Chief played by Teri Hatcher.
Okona's engaging personality, and humor, cause Data to examine the concept of Humor. To this end, he creates a Holodeck Facsimile of a 20th Century Comedian: Joe Piscopo, who tries to instruct him in the fine art of making people Laugh. But Data fails to grasp any of it, which in turn makes this one of the most hilarious episodes of ST:TNG. There is a classic meeting between "Guinan" (Whoopee Goldberg) and Piscopo, where she asks him, "You made a Living doing this?" - Irony is one of the best forms of Humour, which this episode uses in all of the little vignettes being played out.
One small spaceship appears and starts locking Lasers on the Enterprise, which would not do much. Then another craft appears from the other side of the system, and does the same thing: But they both want Okona. As the second ship appears, Worf mumbles: "Another Globfly" and Picard has to shut Data up before he expounds just what a Globfly is for two hours.
Okona of course is being pursued by the leaders of the two planets, he is accused of stealing a priceless gem from one planet, and impregnating a Princess on the other. The Princess is Rosalind Allen (From SeaQuest DSV). On the other side, is "Prince" Benzan (Kieran Mulroney, writer of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows")-whose father is chasing Okona because he stole some "National Treasure."
Okona initially takes refuge in Picard's Hospitality, but when the two opposing ships appear, Picard has to ask him if he had an ulterior motive for coming on-board (Other than seducing three different Enterprise Crew Women).
But the two leaders both want Okona's head, he has to choose which ship to be beamed to, Okona chooses to agree to a shotgun wedding with Yanar (Allen). When Benzan Objects to this, the truth comes out: The two leaders cannot get along, but their children have gotten along just fine, producing a child!
As the situation changes from the threat of the two leaders fighting, to the two leaders arguing about which planet the couple will get married on, the threat diffuses, and Okona can go on his way, leaving Data with some memorable studies in Humor: To which Guinan states: "To be funny is not the end all or be-all of being Human" but Data disagrees, as he sees nothing more Uniquely Human than to be Funny. It takes him a few more years, and the implantation of Soong's Emotion Chip to eventually come to grasp with Humor.
Okona's engaging personality, and humor, cause Data to examine the concept of Humor. To this end, he creates a Holodeck Facsimile of a 20th Century Comedian: Joe Piscopo, who tries to instruct him in the fine art of making people Laugh. But Data fails to grasp any of it, which in turn makes this one of the most hilarious episodes of ST:TNG. There is a classic meeting between "Guinan" (Whoopee Goldberg) and Piscopo, where she asks him, "You made a Living doing this?" - Irony is one of the best forms of Humour, which this episode uses in all of the little vignettes being played out.
One small spaceship appears and starts locking Lasers on the Enterprise, which would not do much. Then another craft appears from the other side of the system, and does the same thing: But they both want Okona. As the second ship appears, Worf mumbles: "Another Globfly" and Picard has to shut Data up before he expounds just what a Globfly is for two hours.
Okona of course is being pursued by the leaders of the two planets, he is accused of stealing a priceless gem from one planet, and impregnating a Princess on the other. The Princess is Rosalind Allen (From SeaQuest DSV). On the other side, is "Prince" Benzan (Kieran Mulroney, writer of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows")-whose father is chasing Okona because he stole some "National Treasure."
Okona initially takes refuge in Picard's Hospitality, but when the two opposing ships appear, Picard has to ask him if he had an ulterior motive for coming on-board (Other than seducing three different Enterprise Crew Women).
But the two leaders both want Okona's head, he has to choose which ship to be beamed to, Okona chooses to agree to a shotgun wedding with Yanar (Allen). When Benzan Objects to this, the truth comes out: The two leaders cannot get along, but their children have gotten along just fine, producing a child!
As the situation changes from the threat of the two leaders fighting, to the two leaders arguing about which planet the couple will get married on, the threat diffuses, and Okona can go on his way, leaving Data with some memorable studies in Humor: To which Guinan states: "To be funny is not the end all or be-all of being Human" but Data disagrees, as he sees nothing more Uniquely Human than to be Funny. It takes him a few more years, and the implantation of Soong's Emotion Chip to eventually come to grasp with Humor.