Name That Episode, TNG Edition...

[Armus]

That's a tough one, by main character you mean he on the weekly credits as part of the main cast?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Yes, main cast.

 

[Armus]

And this actor only appeared once in TNG?

 

[Farscape One]

"Menage a Troi"?

I am thinking Ethan Phillips.

 

[Armus]

"The First Duty"?

The actor who played Tom Paris is in it. I was going to guess "The Last Outpost" then I realized Armin Shimmerman also appeared in "Peak Performance".

 

[JirinPanthosa]

And this actor only appeared once in TNG?

Once in the TNG series, twice in the third series. All as different characters. (I didn't know about that second appearance in the third series until I fact checked myself.)

Nobody has gotten it yet.

 

[Armus]

"Starship Mine". The actor who played the Vulcan in Voyager is in it. He also appeared in 2 DS9 episodes as well.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Yes. And he also screen tested for the role of Geordi.

 

[Armus]

Yes. And he also screen tested for the role of Geordi.

I didn't know that.

Clue: This episode features an actor who costars in one of my favorite Jeff Bridges movies, which was also a remake of an older film.

 

[Armus]

Another clue: he also appears in my favorite Michael Winner film.

 

[Armus]

This actor also romanced a character's brother's love interest in a popular sitcom.

 

[Armus]

The actor hails from the country that produced William Shatner.

 

[Armus]

Last clue: this episode has a premise that was a recurring plot for that year.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

This is a tough one. That last clue points to Redemption or Conspiracy, but most of the guest actors in those episodes are not single appearance characters and my Wikipedia search has yielded no Jeff Bridges co-appearances. I guess I haven't checked Mind's Eye or Reunion yet.

Also couldn't find any TNG actors in any of the Jeff Bridges movies I know to be remakes.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

An actor in Emergence appears in Bad Company and Big Lebowski with Jeff Bridges, but neither of those are remakes and I'm not sure that makes sense with the last clue, as emergent sentient life is not specific to season 7 in any way.

 

[Armus]

By recurring plot premise I mean the type of event that created the jeopardy, not a multi-episode storyline or arc, like The Romulan threat for example. Several characters that season faced it in different episodes by different antagonists. One character, three times, once alongside another character. It's a staple plot for any action/adventure show.

 

[Tosk]

I'm stumped. All the people I think of don't match other clues.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

First Duty. Ed Lauter appeared in Death Wish 3, directed by Michael Winner, and appeared in King Kong with Jeff Bridges. And played the dead cadet's father in First Duty.

This meets all the criteria except the recurring plot. But there might be something arguable like other episodes being "Disgraced main character" or "Coming before judgment" or "Terrible accident" or "Having to tell the truth at your own expense".

If that's right, let's get away from actors and go a little easier. This is the episode that went the farthest down the chain of command to command the Enterprise bridge. (Now that I think about it more that might be debatable between two episodes).

 

[Mojochi]

Either it's Arsenal of Freedom, which has Lt. Junior Grade Laforge in Command, or I'm forgetting some episode where an ensign commanded

 

[Tosk]

First Duty. Ed Lauter appeared in Death Wish 3, directed by Michael Winner, and appeared in King Kong with Jeff Bridges. And played the dead cadet's father in First Duty.

This meets all the criteria except the recurring plot. But there might be something arguable like other episodes being "Disgraced main character" or "Coming before judgment" or "Terrible accident" or "Having to tell the truth at your own expense".

I looked at Ed, but he ain't Canadian. He's from New York.