We'll Always Have Paris (episode)

"We'll Always Have Paris"

TNG, Episode1x24

Production number: 40271-124

First aired:2 May1988

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23rd of 176 produced in TNG

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23rd of 176 released in TNG

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128th of 968 released in all

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Written by

Deborah Dean Davis andHannah Louise Shearer

Directed by

Robert Becker

In-universe date

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41697.9 (2364)

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Podcast

ML: "We'll Always Have Paris"

Captain Picard encounters a woman from his past after her scientist husband's experiments begin to unravel the fabric of time.

Summary[]

Teaser[]

TheUSSEnterprise-D is on its way toSarona VIII for some much neededshore leave.CaptainJean-Luc Picard is getting a head start byfencing withLieutenantDean. Although he loses the first point, he wins the second. As Dean congratulates him,time loops, and the moment between them is repeated. When the captain and Dean notice this, Picard hailsRiker, who confirms that it also occurred on thebridge. Picard goes to the bridge, whereData reports a moment in time repeated itself.Worf receives an automateddistress call from thePegos Minor system fromPaul Manheim, calling for help and directing them to a set of coordinates.

Picard remembers that Manheim leftEarthfifteen years previously, along with a team ofscientists, to perform experiments on non-linear time. It must be related, and he orders thehelm to travel there immediately at warp 8.

Act One[]

Data explains that Manheim was highly respected, particularly because of his theories about the relationship of time andgravity, but his theories didn't find acceptance. Picard says that he knew of Manheim teaching at theuniversity inParis when Picard was there, but never met him. After he orders Riker to check how widespread the time distortion was,Deanna Troi approaches him. She tells him Manheim's name caused anemotional response in him, and advises him to try to analyze his feelings in this area. Picard brushes off her concerns and leaves the bridge.

Picard goes to theholodeck, where he recreates theCafé des Artistes, Paris,22 years previously onApril 9th at 1500 hours, "a warm springday", as he recalls it. He enters and is greeted by thewaiter. He admires the view, and tells thewaiter he had a rendezvous with a woman there manyyears before, and he didn't show. The waiter asks Picard if she had shown up and Picard does not know, but has always imagined she did. He sits at atable, and overhears a conversation between two women. One of them,Gabrielle, is waiting for a man to show up. The other gets frustrated and leaves. Gabrielle asks Picard why her man didn't show. He answers that maybe he was afraid, but then gets annoyed with himself, declares "enough of this self-indulgence" and leaves for the bridge.

Riker tells him that theUSSLalo and thefarmingcolony onColtar IV both experienced the loop. Since Manheim was performing time-gravity experiments, it could be linked to him. They reach the given coordinates, but there is nothing there. Then new coordinates arrive, directing them to theVandor system, abinary system of ared giant and apulsar. When they reach Vandor, Data detects activity onVandor IV, aplanetoid in an ellipticalorbit of the binary system. There is a smallforce field on theplanet. Picard hails the planet, but doesn't mention his name. A woman answers, saying Manheim is having convulsions. She lowers theforce field, and both are beamed directly tosickbay. Picard heads there with Data and Riker.

Dr.Crusher puts Manheim on thebiobed, and when Picard enters, the woman calls him Jean-Luc.

Act Two[]

Picard introduces the woman asJenice Manheim, and asks her what happened. She says a secondlab was completely destroyed in an accident, killing everyone else. Manheim believed that there were infinite dimensions, and that by changing the constancy of time, awindow could be opened to these dimensions as, according to him, time is no more immutable than space is. He had been trying to do this in his lab. She tells them the team spent two years searching for a location before settling on Vandor, a planetoid in a system with the pulsar's dense gravity, and that he thought he was very close to proving his theories. He had installed asecurity system and force fields, and he made her stay in a protected room whenever he performed an experiment. As he neared his goal, he became more and more obsessive, maybe causing his judgment to be clouded.

She also tells Picard he's done well for himself, being the captain of a great starship on the far reaches of the galaxy. Then Dr. Crusher enters and asks to do some tests on Jenice, whokisses Picard on the cheek as she leaves. Crusher tells Picard that Manheim is dying, but she doesn't know why.

The threeofficers leave sickbay and enter aturbolift, for the bridge, but when thedoors open they see themselves in the corridorbefore they got on the lift. As the doors close, the "past" Data supposes that theManheim Effect is becoming more pronounced, before they enter the lift. In thecaptain's ready room, Data says there is immenseenergy emanating from the planetoid's core being focused at the lab. Riker says if they want to find out what's going on, they're going to have to beam down. Picard agrees, and anaway team tries tobeam down, but they can't materialize on the planet, as the signal is being bounced back up.Transporter chiefHerbert is afraid he is losing them.

Act Three[]

Fortunately, Herbert is able to bring all three back to theEnterprise, and Riker contemplates options.

In sickbay, Manheim wakes. He tells Jenice that it was all worth it, and that he has been on the other side, another dimension. His mind is still floating between two places. Picard and Data arrive, and Manheim tells them he was able to harness adynamic energy source in center of the planetoid and open a crack, a window to another dimension, but when he learns how far the effect has spread, he tells them it must be shut down. He will give them thetransporter coordinates and the security codes to get into his lab. In theobservation lounge, Data says the closing of the window must be timed to match the occurrence of the effect, or the new dimension will rip further into the fabric of thegalaxy and reality itself will be fundamentally changed and become unrecognizable. Jenice comes in as they are leaving, and Picard remains behind to talk to her.

She asks him why he didn't come to Café des Artistes 22 years ago. Theyjoke about it, but he eventually tells her he was afraid of staying, of losing himself. She says the real reason was that he thought life with her would be ordinary.

Act Four[]

Troi visits sickbay. She asks Crusher how Manheim is doing, but she really wants to talk about how Beverly feels. She says she can't compete with aghost from the past, which is what Picard sees when he sees Jenice. On the bridge, Data is informing Picard that the next distortion will occur in 28 to47minutes. Picard then is called down to sickbay to talk to Manheim. He warns Picard he might have forgotten some of the security codes. Then he asks him to take care of Jenice if anything should happen. Picard agrees, and Manheim tells him she's had a terrible time the last few years. He gave her no attention, and he thinks she deserves better. Picard suggests he underestimates her, as he had done.

Picard tells Data he wants him to go down alone, since he is not affected as badly by the time distortion as the others, decreasing the risk of disorientation affecting the mission. Data agrees, and he beams down successfully. As he approaches the lab, he is fired on byphasers mounted on the wall, but manages to destroy them. He keeps an open comm channel as he goes into the lab.

Act Five[]

The next distortion will occur in ninety seconds. Data explains he has to addantimatter to realign the system. He gets the antimatter and goes to the opening. Suddenly, there are three Datas, only one of whom is in the correct time continuum. They figure out which one it is and he releases the antimatter and seals the hole.

Manheim has returned to normal, but is unable to describe his experiences, only saying there is some kind of life there. As his lab is intact, he wants to go back and finish his experiments, telling Jenice he has learned too much, and that he owes it to his friends. She agrees. Later, Troi brings her to the holodeck, where Picard awaits in the Paris program. He tells her he wanted to say goodbye properly. She thanks him for Paris and Picard returns to the bridge, where he ordersGeordi La Forge to set course for Sarona.

Log entry[]

• Captain's log, USSEnterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364

Memorable quotes[]

"You've done well. A great starship – on the far reaches of the galaxy. It's everything you'd hoped."
"Not exactly. Nothing works just as you hoped..."

-Jenice Manheim andJean-Luc Picard

"I've been away far too long."

-Picard, upon viewing the holographic simulation of Paris, France

"Enough of this self indulgence."

-Picard, exiting the Café des Artistes holo-simulation

"Mr. Data, what's going on?"
"Dr. Manheim forgot to mentionone of his security precautions, sir."

-Picard andData, after Data is attacked by Paul Manheim's security system

"Oh, we are us, sir. They are also us. So, indeed, we are both us."

-Data, on duplicate versions of the crew

"Are you all right?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I've got one of the medical wonders of the galaxy dying in my sick bay!"
"That's not what I meant."
"I don't think I want to talk about what I think you mean!"
"Captain Picard."
"I can't compete with a ghost from his past. No one could."
"She's not a ghost. She's here right now."
"She may be in the here and now, but it's the ghost he sees. Excuse me, I have to get back to my patient."

-Deanna Troi andBeverly Crusher

Background information[]

Production history[]

• Final draft script:22 February1988[1]
• Four pages of research notes fromde Forest Research, andGene Roddenberry receives a four-page memo of script notes fromRobert H. Justman:25 February 1988 (memo mistakenly dated19 February 1988)
• Score recorded atParamount Stage M:19 April1988 (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project liner notes[2])
• Premiere airdate:2 May1988
• UK premiere airdate:13 March1991

Story and script[]

• This episode was affected by the Writer's Guild strike of 1988, with the result that filming had to be shut down while the show's ending was written. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 3rd ed., p.57)
• Its title was a direct reference to the classic 1942 filmCasablanca. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 3rd ed., p.57) Indeed, Riker recalls a bar onSarona VIII, and Picard recalls its name – theBlue Parrot Café. This is the name of Signor Ferrari's bar inCasablanca.
• In the original draft of "We'll Always Have Paris", writersDeborah Dean Davis andHannah Louise Shearer wanted to create a romantic mood with the insistence that Picard do "the wild thing" – discreetly, during commercial – some time in the course of the episode. The idea was vetoed by a number of men involved in the production – most notablyPatrick Stewart. (Trek: The Unauthorized Behind-The-Scenes Story of The Next Generation)

Music[]

• The episode's score, composed and conducted byRon Jones, was recorded on19 April1988 atParamount Stage M. (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project liner notes[3]) The complete episode score, totaling 25 minutes 38 seconds, appears on Disc Four of theStar Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project collection.

Cast and characters[]

• Michelle Phillips is best remembered as one of the four members of the '60s music groupThe Mamas & the Papas, which had such hits as "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday". (Star Trek 30 Years)
• Jean-Paul Vignon, the actor playingEdouard, the waiter of theCafé des Artistes, is the only actor (main actor or supporting actor) playing a French person inTNG who actually speaks French as a first language.
• Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher)does not appear in this episode.
• Dan Kern (LieutenantDean) later appeared asKellan inVOY: "Dreadnought" andLance Spellerberg reprised his role from this episode in thesecond season episode "The Icarus Factor".

Continuity[]

• When Data attempts to determine which version of himself is in the correct time continuum to patch the time disparity, he uncharacteristically uses a contraction when he says "Me! It's me!"
• A scene filmed earlier including Patrick Stewart and Marina Sirtis on the bridge also includes the arm and shoulder ofDenise Crosby's characterNatasha Yar who died in "Skin Of Evil".
• Jean-Luc Picard is the first character to use a terrestrial date when he has the holodeck recreate theCafé des Artistes as it appeared 22 years earlier on April 9th.
• According to Janice Manheim, Paul Manheim's theory is that there are infinite dimensions, with the constancy of time holding individuals within one particular dimension. "Parallels" would establish that there are in fact numerous alternatequantum realities, each with differences based on decisions made, and that a rupture in time could cause one to shift between those realities.

Sets, props, and costumes[]

• The diamond shaped chrome shelf unit in the Café des Artistes was originally part ofJames T. Kirk's apartment room furniture inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and was also used in the TNG pilot "Encounter at Farpoint" as well as Counselor Troi's quarters in "The Naked Now".[4]
• The continuity issues associated with door signage continue in this episode. The characters refer to this holodeck as "Holodeck Three" (a problem which also occurred in "The Big Goodbye") when the signage clearly indicates the holodeck is four (or more formally, holodeck area 4-J). And the turbolift, first seen in "The Big Goodbye", which is seen to the right of the main door into the holodeck shows signage which is more appropriate to a room.
• When Picard arrives at the holodeck for his first visit, the corridor wall to the right of the door is parallel to the door. However, when he exits, the wall on the right is perpendicular to the door, running towards the camera. It appears that the café set may not have been built behind the usual holodeck door set, but that a separate door and corridor wall was used on the café set.
• According to theStar Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 3rd ed., p.57 byLarry Nemecek, themenu at the Café des Artistes includes such delicacies as "Croissants D'ilithium", "KlingonTarg a la mode", "Tribbles dans les blankettes", and "L'Antimatter Flambé".
• Inspired by noticing that there was a fencing scene in this episode's script, illustratorAndrew Probert planned to design a scoreboard for the scene, which Production DesignerHerman Zimmerman recommended he do, but to also meanwhile propose a costume idea. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12, p. 42)
• Elements from Dr. Manheim's lab, including the ceiling, are reused in "Ethics" as part of the Operation Theatre.
• As a keepsake, Michelle Phillips gave Patrick Stewart the panties she wore while filming this episode. He kept them pinned to the door of his dressing room for the remainder of the series' run.[5]^{(citation needed •edit)}

Reception[]

• A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published inThe Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 6, pp. 61-63.

Remastered version[]

Two seconds of footage could not be located whenCBS Digitalremastered this episode as part of theTNG Season 1 Blu-ray collection. Occurring twelve minutes, twenty-five seconds into the episode, this brief shot of actorJonathan Frakes was included as an upconverted image from the original standard-definition videotape. This shot constitutes the only bit of missing footage in the entire Season 1 Blu-Ray collection.

From the2002 DVD...

...and the upconverted remaster.

Video and DVD releases[]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes,CIC Video):Volume 12, catalog number VHR 2441,7 May1991
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes,Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.8, catalog number VHR 4649,5 October1998
• As part of theTNG Season 1 DVD collection
• As part of theTNG Season 1 Blu-ray collection (see previous heading for missing film footage)

Links and references[]

Starring[]

• Patrick Stewart asCaptainJean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes asCommanderWilliam Riker

Also starring[]

• LeVar Burton asLt.Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lt.Worf
• Gates McFadden asDoctorBeverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis asCounselorDeanna Troi
• Brent Spiner asLt. CommanderData

Guest stars[]

• Michelle Phillips asJenice Manheim
• Rod Loomis asPaul Manheim

Co-stars[]

• Isabel Lorca asGabrielle
• Dan Kern asLt.Dean
• Jean-Paul Vignon asEdourd
• Kelly Ashmore asFrancine
• Lance Spellerberg asTransporter Chief

Uncredited co-stars[]

• Majel Barrett asComputer Voice
• James G. Becker asYoungblood
• Darrell Burris asoperations division officer
• Dexter Clay asoperations division officer
• Jeffrey Deacon ascommand division officer
• Susan Duchow asoperations division officer
• David Eum asWright
• Nora Leonhardt asscience division ensign
• Tim McCormack asBennett
• Lorine Mendell asDiana Giddings
• Steve Reed asEnterprise-D science officer
• Guy Vardaman asDarien Wallace
• Unknown performers as
  • Command division officer
  • Command division officer
  • Couple
  • Female command division officer
  • Female science division officer
  • Flower woman
  • Man on phone
  • Musician
  • Three operations division crewmembers
  • Two command division crewmembers
  • Woman on phone

Stunt doubles[]

• Victor Paul asstunt double for Dan Kern
• Brian J. Williams as stunt double for Brent Spiner
• Unknown stunt performer as stunt double for Patrick Stewart

Stand-ins[]

• James G. Becker –stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Darrell Burris – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Dexter Clay – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Jeffrey Deacon – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden

References[]

2342;2347;2349;2355;2364;accident; "a head start";aircar;amount;analogy;android;antimatter;anxiety;April;aquarium;area;arrival; "at least"; "at the moment";audio;automated signal;away team;bar;B class star;beard;binary star system (akabinary star,binary system);biobed;bird;blue concoction;Blue Parrot Café;body function;bridge;Café des Artistes;Café Moulin;calculation;chair;channel;cheese;choice;circulatory system;cloud;club;Coltar IV; "come in"; "come on";computer;consciousness;Constellation-class;contact;convulsion;coordinates;countdown;course;crack;damage;danger;date;day;decade;deck;defense system;degree;déjà vu;desktop monitor;dimension;disorientation;distress signal;earring;Earth;effect;Eiffel Tower;elliptical orbit;emergency transmission;emotion;empath;energy;energy source;ensign;Enterprise-D, USS; "excuse me":exit;experiment;expression;farming colony;fear;Federation;feeling;fencing;foil;fool;force field;freighter;French;French language;frequency;friend;Galaxy-class;Galaxy-class decks;ghost;glottis;goal;gravity;hailing frequency;hat;here and now;hiccup;hole;Holodeck 3;homeostasis;hour;husband; "I see";ice;idea;Ilecom system;illusion;image; "in a moment"; "in order to"; "in private"; "in reality"; "in real time";information;inhalation;judgment;kindness;knowledge;laboratory;Lalo, USS;Lalo captain;landing point;latitude;leg;lie;light year;lionfish;Livingston;location;longitude;madame;main system;Manheim Effect;Manheim project;medical emergency;medical test;medical tricorder;menu;Milky Way Galaxy;mind;minute;minute (angle);mister;mmHg;model;monsieur;musician;name;nature;NCC-7100;neural scan;neurochemistry;night;north;note;number;number one;nurse;observation lounge; "of course"; "on my way";PADD;pain;painting;Paris;path;Pegos Minor system;personal life;phenomenon;pigeon;place;planet;planetoid;pleasure;practical application;problem;professor;prognosis;program;protected room;pulsar;question;rain;range;ready room;reality;real time;reason;record;red giant;relationship;relay signal;rendezvous;repercussion;report;research;rescue;respiration;sacrifice;Sarona VIII;scientist;second;security code;security system;self-indulgence;sensor;shore leave;sickbay;sky;solution;sound;space;speed;spring;square;standard orbit;star;Starfleet Headquarters;Starfleet uniform;statue; "stitch in time saves nine";subspace flux;success;sun;surface;table;taxicab;teaching;team;temperature;terminator; "thank God";theory;thought;thousand;time;time continuum;time distortion;time distortion episode;time effect;time gravity experiment; "time flies when you're having fun";toast;towel;transporter chief;transporter room;transporter system;truth;Tuesday;tunnel;turbolift;type I phaser;unnamed medical tool;unnamed plants;unnamed sector;Vandor IV;Vandor system;vibe tubes;view;viewer;viewscreen;visionary;VISOR;vital signs;voice;volume;waiter;Wednesday;week;wife;window;wine;wing; "with pleasure";word;work;year;Zanza Men's Dance Palace

Menu references[]

Antimatter Flambé;Aquanaut;bateaux;beurre;cafe;cougar;cheveaux;Croissants D'ilithium;dessert;fleur;Francais;frittes;frommage;gateaux;Jean Cougar Mellencamp;Klingon;pain;poisson;targ;tomat;tribble;vanilla glace

Unused production references[]

Bordeaux;Pegos Minor sector;Tarte tatin

External links[]

• "We'll Always Have Paris" atMemory Beta, the wiki for licensedStar Trek works
• "We'll Always Have Paris" atWikipedia
• "We'll Always Have Paris" at theInternet Movie Database
• "We'll Always Have Paris" atMissionLogPodcast.com
• "We'll Always Have Paris" script atStar Trek Minutiae