“Cause and Effect”
Written by Brannon Braga
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Season 5, Episode 18
Production episode 40275-218
Original air date: March 23, 1992
Stardate: 45652.1
Captain’s Log: The Enterprise blows up.
Fade to black...
After the credits, the Enterprise is, somehow, calmly exploring the Typhon Expanse, the first Starfleet vessel to explore that region. Riker is hosting a poker game that also includes Data, Worf, and Crusher. It’s a five-card stud game which quickly gets down to just Riker and Crusher. Riker tries to bluff Crusher into thinking he has a straight, but Crusher calls it and wins. Then she’s summoned to sickbay to treat La Forge, who suffered a dizzy spell. He’s got the symptoms of an inner-ear infection, but no actual inner-ear infection. As Crusher describes the treatment, she has an odd feeling that she’s had this conversation with La Forge before and given him that hypospray.
[All hands, abandon ship!]