Television Review: Imaginary Friend (Star Trek: The Next Generation, S5X22, 1992)

Imaginary Friend (S05E22)

Airdate: 4 May 1992

Written by: Edithe Swensen & Brannon Braga
Directed by: Gabrielle Beaumont

Running Time: 46 minutes

Throughout its first decades, Star Trek taught its fans not to expect much from episodes dealing with children. Instances such as the original series’ infamous And the Children Shall Lead have long been regarded as nadirs of the franchise, and this unfortunate tradition persisted even into the so-called Golden Age of Star Trek, embodied by The Next Generation. While not the absolute worst among such offerings, the Season 5 episode Imaginary Friend firmly continues this pattern—a routine, uninspired quota-filler that does little to elevate the show’s reputation for thoughtful science‑fiction.

The plot centres on Clara Sutter (played by Nolly Thornton), a young girl who has arrived aboard the USS Enterprise with her father, Ensign Sutter (Jeff Allin). Because her father’s career involves frequent transfers, Clara has never remained on a starship long enough to form lasting friendships; as a result, she has developed an imaginary companion named “Isabella.” When the Enterprise enters the FGC‑47 nebula to conduct surveys, a solitary energy entity slips aboard, makes contact with Clara, and manifests itself as a corporeal version of Isabella (Shay Astar). Clara is initially delighted to see her imaginary friend made flesh, but a problem quickly emerges: only Clara can perceive Isabella, and the newly‑materialised friend insists on visiting restricted areas of the ship, such as engineering. Clara’s consequent odd behaviour is noted by the crew, and when she speaks of Isabella, no one believes her.

This personal drama coincides with the Enterprise suffering a mysterious drain on its energy reserves. Isabella gradually turns malevolent, threatening Clara that she will kill all the adults on the ship. The situation escalates when Counselor Troi catches a glimpse of the entity before being injured by it, confirming that the ship faces a genuine threat. In the end, Captain Picard manages to parley with the energy being, offering it the ship’s energy on which it has been feeding, and the entity departs peacefully.

Imaginary Friend was co‑written by Edithe Swansen and Brannon Braga, the latter of whom would later be hailed as one of Star Trek’s most inventive creators. Yet one would hardly guess that promise from this episode, which feels like an uninspired quota‑filler. The script is routine and the premise—an invisible alien causing havoc on the Enterprise—is unoriginal, but worse, it lacks any real mystery or suspense. The plot unfolds in a painfully predictable manner, with the resolution arriving via a straightforward diplomatic exchange that fails to surprise or engage.

That is not to say the episode is entirely without merit. The child actress Nolly Thornton, who would leave acting before reaching adulthood, delivers a performance that is more than decent, conveying Clara’s loneliness and subsequent fear with believable sincerity. Ironically, Shay Astar, who later pursued careers as an actress and singer, is rather bland as Isabella, failing to inject the character with the menace or charisma the role requires.

The episode concludes with another of Captain Picard’s uninspired sermons and a diplomatic coup that feels perfunctory. Even the presence of Guinan, the formidable recurring character played by Whoopi Goldberg—who returned merely because the actress was available—does little to lift the episode above mediocrity. Her scenes add nothing substantive to the narrative, serving instead as mere padding.

Interestingly, when Imaginary Friend aired in 1992, there were widespread rumours that The Next Generation was facing cancellation. This uninspired and forgettable episode, which looks more like something from a series in its death throes (such as the third season of the original Star Trek), probably fuelled such speculation. Thankfully, TNG still had some creative juice left; it would continue for two more years, delivering consistently better material than Imaginary Friend.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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