Star Trek: The Next Generation episode review: 'The Arsenal of Freedom'
The Arsenal of Freedom Stardate 41798.2 (Earth Calendar Year 2364) Original Air Date: April 11, 1988 Written by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler Story by Maurice Hurley and Robert Lewin Directed by Les Landau On stardate 41798.2, the Galaxy- class Starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), under the command of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), arrives at Minos, a Class M world located in the Lorenze Cluster. Her assignment: to find any trace of the missing USS Drake (NCC-20381), a Federation starship of the Wambundu class commanded by Capt. Paul Rice (Marco Rodriguez). For the Enterprise’s First Officer, Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), the disappearance of the Drake is of interest on both a professional and personal level, for not only is Capt. Rice a friend of Riker’s from their Academy days, but Riker had been offered command of the Drake , an assignment he had turned down to serve aboard the Enterprise. The Enterprise scans Minos for li