We'll Always Have Paris
Captain Jean-Luc Picard confronts a window into another dimension created by the brilliant but unstable scientist Paul Manheim, racing to save his crew, unravel dangerous experiments on a distant planet, and reconcile haunting personal memories tied to a long-lost love.
The USS Enterprise, en route to a rest stop, is suddenly jolted by an unexplained energy blast originating from the Pegos Minor sector, pulling Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his First Officer William Riker from a friendly fencing match into crisis mode. They intercept a distress call from Professor Paul Manheim, a once-renowned scientist who disappeared fifteen years earlier with his wife, Laura. The Enterprise crew sets course for the coordinates, only to find a remote violet-glowing planet named Vandor, shielded by an impenetrable forcefield.
Picard immerses himself in memories of Paris and a woman named Laura, hinting at a personal connection to the Manheims. The crew manages to establish audio contact with Laura Manheim, desperate to save her husband whose body is deteriorating due to uncontrollable genetic alterations. Despite limited information from Laura, the Enterprise medical team, led by Dr. Beverly Crusher, stabilizes Paul Manheim, who reveals that his dangerous experiments opened a dimensional 'window' linked to manipulating time and gravity.
An away team consisting of Riker, Worf, and Data beams down to Vandor but is violently repelled by mysterious energy and hostile defense systems. Worf collapses upon return, shaken by a terrifying encounter with a dragon-like entity from the other dimension. The team faces a deadly countdown as Manheim’s laboratory is rigged to self-destruct, forcing them into a perilous mission to physically reprogram the destructive device. Riker climbs into a searing chamber to swap microchips while Worf holds open the doors against extreme heat, succeeding just moments before the lab’s destruction.
Meanwhile, Picard grapples with unresolved feelings for Laura, rekindling a love that never fully faded. Manheim, oscillating between brilliance and mania, urges Picard to protect Laura and entrusts the Enterprise with his complex scientific legacy. The crew deciphers Manheim’s notes, revealing groundbreaking but perilous attempts to harness gravitational forces to breach dimensions.
Despite the successful closure of the dimensional window and Manheim’s apparent recovery, the episode explores the tension between scientific ambition and human cost. Picard and Laura share a poignant farewell, acknowledging lost opportunities and enduring love. The Enterprise resumes its journey to Sarona 8, the promise of rest shadowed by the weight of what they have encountered.
Themes of destiny, sacrifice, and the intersection of personal history with cosmic mystery permeate the narrative. The interplay of action-packed crisis, scientific intrigue, and deep emotional undercurrents drive the story, culminating in a resolution that restores safety but leaves lingering questions about the unknown realms humanity dares to explore.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The narrative ignites with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and First Officer William Riker locked in a fencing duel, a brief reprieve violently shattered by an inexplicable energy blast. The Enterprise reels, lights flicker, and the ship's very structure groans under the impact. On the bridge, Data reports the blast's origin from the distant Pegos Minor sector, defying all known physics. A desperate S.O.S. pierces the chaos, identifying Professor Paul Manheim, a renowned scientist who vanished fifteen years prior with his wife, Laura. Picard's immediate, almost visceral reaction reveals a deep personal connection to Laura, propelling him to set course for the coordinates. Retreating to the holodeck, Picard programs a vivid recreation of Paris, twenty-two years past, a specific date, a specific cafe table, immersing himself in a haunting memory of a lost love. This personal quest intertwines with the escalating crisis as the Enterprise arrives at Vandor, a violet-hued planet shrouded by an impenetrable forcefield. Laura Manheim's frantic audio plea confirms her husband's rapid deterioration. Picard, his voice imbued with a gentle urgency, guides Laura to disable the forcefield. The field collapses, and the Manheims are beamed aboard. Laura's ethereal beauty, unchanged by time, strikes Picard, their gazes locking in a silent acknowledgment of their shared past. In Sickbay, Dr. Crusher stabilizes Paul Manheim, who briefly regains consciousness, uttering cryptic, manic warnings about his "head gone" and "the cross." The ship is then violently jolted by another energy surge, causing Manheim's body to glow violet and Vandor to shift colors, a terrifying confirmation of the direct, volatile link between the scientist, his experiments, and the dimensional anomaly. This opening act masterfully establishes the dual thrust of the story: a high-stakes scientific mystery threatening the ship and a deeply personal, rekindled romance that challenges Picard's carefully constructed emotional armor. The constant, escalating external threats are mirrored by Picard's internal struggle, setting the stage for a narrative driven by both cosmic danger and human heart.
In the Enterprise gymnasium, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander William Riker engage in a spirited and skillful saber fencing duel, which reveals their deep mutual respect, camaraderie, and subtle competitive …
Captain Picard and Commander Riker engage in a spirited saber fencing duel, demonstrating their skill, mutual respect, and camaraderie through sharp exchanges and clever maneuvers. Just as Picard lands a …
Following a sudden, unexplained energy blast that disrupts the Enterprise, the bridge crew quickly assesses the damage and detects an urgent distress call emanating from the distant Pegos Minor sector. …
On the Enterprise bridge, the crew assesses a sudden, mysterious energy impact whose origin remains initially unknown. As Captain Picard and Riker enter, Data pinpoints the source to the distant …
On the Enterprise bridge, the crew assesses the aftermath of an unexpected energy impact with minimal damage but unknown origin. Data identifies the source as the distant Pegos Minor sector, …
In the recreated Paris holodeck, Captain Picard observes two vibrant young French women whose youthful energy stirs poignant memories of his own lost love, Laura. Sharing an intimate conversation with …
Within the recreated Paris café of the holodeck, Captain Picard shares a quiet, intimate moment observing two young women whose hopeful love story mirrors his own buried longing for Laura. …
Within the holodeck’s recreated Paris, Captain Picard’s quiet contemplation is interrupted by two young French women, whose youthful hope and vulnerability mirror his own buried longings. Through tender dialogue with …
On the Enterprise's main bridge, Captain Picard confronts Data about his extended console activity and learns that Professor Manheim's experiments have opened a dangerous and enigmatic window into another dimension. …
The Enterprise arrives at initial coordinates only to find an empty space, but Worf detects a hidden relay signal redirecting them to Vandor, a violet-hued planet enveloped by an impenetrable …
On the Enterprise bridge, Captain Picard confronts the unsettling reality of a dimensional window opened by Professor Manheim, signaling a profound scientific mystery. Receiving a frantic audio message from Laura …
On the Enterprise’s main bridge, Captain Picard grapples with unsettling news from Data that a mysterious 'window' into another dimension has been opened—an unknowable threat linked to Professor Manheim. The …
The ship reels from the latest blast, prompting Picard to demand immediate answers from an unconscious Manheim. Riker dispatches Data to analyze Manheim's theories, while Manheim himself briefly reawakens, raving about his "head gone" and "the cross," before succumbing to another seizure. Picard, now with Laura, presses her for information in a private conversation. Laura, a "glorified laboratory assistant," admits her limited understanding of Paul's complex work, only knowing he sought isolation on Vandor to pursue theories no one else dared. She reveals Paul's recent excitement over a major breakthrough, hinting at the true scale of his ambition. Beverly Crusher, observing Picard and Laura's intimate exchange, later confirms Manheim's rapid genetic deterioration, giving him only days to live and expressing her inability to help. On the bridge, Data reports immense energy reflecting from Manheim's lab, confirming its link to the dimensional "window." He explains Manheim's past obsession with non-linear time and interdimensional travel, theories that led to his disappearance. With Manheim incoherent and time running out, Picard authorizes an away team—Riker, Worf, and Data—to beam down to the planet. Their attempt to materialize is violently repelled; their flickering figures are thrown back, coalescing into a single, frenzied funnel that reveals a terrifying dragon-like entity and flashing lights from another dimension before smashing into an invisible wall, seemingly disintegrating. This act escalates the scientific mystery, highlights the extreme danger of Manheim's experiments, and deepens the emotional tension between Picard, Laura, and Beverly, while the failed away mission emphasizes the formidable obstacles.
Outside the de-contamination area, Captain Picard anxiously awaits news of Professor Manheim’s deteriorating condition as Commander Riker reports the professor slipping in and out of consciousness. The mounting tension crescendos …
Outside the de-contamination area, Captain Picard waits tensely as Riker reports the unstable condition of Professor Manheim. The atmosphere is thick with urgency and unspoken dread. As the medical team …
In Sickbay, Dr. Beverly Crusher races against time to stabilize the convulsing and rapidly deteriorating Paul Manheim, administering sedatives to induce a deep protective sleep. William Riker pressures for swift …
In Sickbay, the crew struggles with the critical condition of Professor Paul Manheim, sedated to control violent convulsions. Beverly Crusher administers urgent care amid growing despair, while William Riker presses …
In Sickbay, Dr. Crusher desperately stabilizes Paul Manheim, whose convulsions and deteriorating condition cast a grim shadow over the crew’s mission. Laura’s fear and grief expose the human cost behind …
In the tense confines of Sickbay, the crew struggles to stabilize the brilliant yet deteriorating Paul Manheim. Beverly Crusher's urgent medical interventions manage only temporary sedation as Manheim convulses violently, …
In the tense confines of Sickbay, Beverly Crusher struggles to stabilize the convulsing and deteriorating Paul Manheim, administering sedatives as his body glows with ominous energy. As Riker presses for …
In a quietly intense Sickbay office, Laura Manheim confronts Picard with the painful reality of fifteen years spent isolated alongside her brilliant but unstable husband, Paul Manheim, on Vandor. Although …
In the sickbay’s outer office, Captain Picard and Laura Manheim share a charged reunion steeped in unresolved history and present peril. Laura, emotionally fragile yet resolute, reveals the isolation and …
In a charged Sickbay outer office, Picard and Laura share a tense, intimate confrontation steeped in their complicated past and the crisis at hand. Laura reveals her estranged but devoted …
Captain Picard and his senior officers grapple with the discovery of a volatile dimensional 'window' emanating immense energy from Manheim's laboratory on the planet. Data's analysis reveals chaotic beams linked …
Facing an enigmatic and volatile dimensional phenomenon linked to Professor Manheim's experiments on Vandor, Captain Picard authorizes an urgent away mission led by Riker, Worf, and Data to penetrate the …
Captain Picard, Riker, Worf, and Data grapple with the terrifying unknown as the away team attempts to beam down to Professor Manheim’s laboratory on Vandor. Despite careful preparation and Data’s …
In the captain's ready room, Picard methodically interrogates his crew, each revealing profoundly different subjective experiences with the enigmatic dragon-like entity manifesting through Manheim's interdimensional window. Worf describes a monstrous …
In the captain's ready room, Picard synthesizes his crew's divergent and deeply subjective encounters with the strange interdimensional phenomena—ranging from Worf's warrior-like confrontation to Riker's awe-filled experience and Data's logical …
In the captain's ready room, Picard confronts the disparate, deeply personal ways his crew experienced the interdimensional phenomenon, emphasizing the mysterious and overwhelming nature of the threat. He pragmatically directs …
The Transporter Room is a scene of frantic urgency as Picard demands the return of the seemingly lost away team. Riker and Data shimmer back, dazed, followed by Worf, who immediately collapses, shaken by a terrifying encounter. Worf describes a "monster," while Riker calls it "beautiful—godlike," and Data, "completely logical in the most disorganized way," revealing the subjective and profound impact of the dimensional encounter. Troi explains that Worf "confronted his dragon," and Manheim "tried to analyze" the phenomenon, both being "struck down," confirming the reality and danger of the anomaly. Picard, frustrated by the lack of progress in closing the window, dispatches Data to re-check sensor readings and Riker to research Manheim's theories, hoping for a breakthrough. Meanwhile, in Sickbay, Paul Manheim miraculously regains full coherence, stunning Beverly with his improved state. He reveals an expanded awareness, speaking of "fate" and Laura's destiny with Picard, having seen "the other side." Picard, Troi, and Data confront Manheim, who, despite his improved state, remains fixated on Laura's well-being. He reveals his work involved harnessing the gravity of a distant nova to open the dimensional "window," a theory Data finds incredibly simple yet profound. Manheim, in a moment of manic lucidity, demands trisinov in exchange for the exact coordinates and electrical codes to bypass Vandor's security, proving his continued control over the situation. This act marks a critical turning point: the away team's harrowing return provides direct, albeit confusing, evidence of the dimensional threat, Manheim's recovery offers a chance for answers, and the emotional core between Picard and Laura reaches a passionate climax.
In Sickbay, Paul Manheim awakens with unnervingly lucid eyes, revealing a manic clarity born from his interdimensional ordeal. His obsession with fate and Laura’s destiny surfaces violently, unsettling those around …
In Sickbay, Paul Manheim awakens with startling clarity, shifting from fragile to manic as he reveals the cosmic scale and personal stakes of his dimensional window experiment. His obsession with …
In Sickbay, the fragile yet brilliant scientist Paul Manheim awakens with manic intensity, immediately asserting control over the crisis despite his deteriorated physical state. His obsessive fixation on fate and …
In the conference room bathed in violet light, Counselor Troi reveals the impenetrable nature of Professor Manheim’s emotional state, describing a profound and undifferentiated hostility directed at Captain Picard and …
In the violet-tinged conference room, Counselor Troi reveals the overwhelming and indistinct hostility emanating from Professor Manheim, implicating Picard and his lost wife in the scientist's emotional turmoil. Faced with …
In the dim violet glow of the conference room, Counselor Troi confesses her empathic impotence to parse the complex emotional turmoil afflicting Professor Manheim, revealing the enigmatic nature of his …
In a rare, deeply personal moment away from the pressures of command, Captain Picard retrieves a cherished glass figurine that anchors him to his past. This quiet reflection is shattered …
In the privacy of his quarters, Captain Picard releases the burdens of command and confronts the haunting presence of Laura, his long-lost love. Their emotional reunion unfolds through tender dialogue …
In the quiet solitude of Picard's quarters, the Captain sheds his burdens of command to face a deeply personal reckoning with Laura, his long-lost love. Their conversation unveils years of …
Awakening in sickbay, Professor Manheim drifts between suspicion and delirium, his fractured psyche manifesting as paranoia and confusion towards Dr. Crusher’s caring presence. His volatile mental state reveals the profound …
In Sickbay aboard the Enterprise orbiting Vandor, Dr. Beverly Crusher confronts the harrowing deterioration of Professor Paul Manheim’s mental state. His paranoid delirium and fevered mutterings reveal the fragility wrought …
As the Enterprise faces a rapidly deteriorating atmospheric crisis linked to Professor Manheim's experiments, Captain Picard demands urgent updates from Data. Data reveals their survival hinges on accessing Manheim's laboratory, …
Amid mounting tension on the Enterprise bridge, Dr. Beverly Crusher urgently informs Captain Picard that the previously unresponsive Dr. Paul Manheim has suddenly regained full consciousness and insists on speaking …
In Sickbay, Paul Manheim lapses into a fevered, fitful sleep, his consciousness wavering, speaking deliriously of imposters and illusions, highlighting his continued instability despite moments of lucidity. Beverly Crusher, deeply frustrated by her inability to treat him and by the emotional turmoil surrounding Picard and Laura, confides in Troi. Beverly expresses her unresolved feelings for Picard and her inability to compete with a "ghost" from his past, even as Troi points out Laura is very much present. On the bridge, Picard impatiently awaits Data's calculations, a call from Beverly revealing Manheim is awake and wishes to speak with him alone. Picard hurries to Sickbay, where Manheim, still battling an unseen enemy, demands Picard's word that he will care for Laura, asserting it is their destiny. Picard, furious at Manheim's arrogance and burdened by guilt, refuses to discuss Laura, prioritizing the mission and the safety of his crew. Meanwhile, Data completes his calculations, confirming the rapid deterioration of Vandor's atmosphere and the necessity of entering Manheim's lab. Riker, Worf, and Data beam down to Vandor, immediately donning respirators in the dark, altered atmosphere. A powerful energy blast sends them flying, the corridor pulsating with violet light, confirming the planet's hostile environment. After the blast, they cautiously approach the lab, Data entering Manheim's code. Laser fire erupts from the walls, forcing the team to dive for cover and return fire, revealing Manheim's forgotten, deadly defense systems. They finally squeeze through a narrow opening into the dark, booby-trapped laboratory, the immediate threat of the planet's defenses now overcome, but a new, unseen danger awaits.
In Sickbay, Captain Picard confronts the delirious but lucid Paul Manheim, whose fevered obsession with Laura Manheim—Picard’s long-lost love—surfaces with desperate insistence. Manheim demands a solemn vow from Picard to …
In Sickbay, a feverish Paul Manheim, fraught with obsession and delirium, demands that Captain Picard swear to care for Laura—Manheim's wife and Picard's long-lost love—binding their fates irrevocably. Picard, consumed …
After recovering from a violent automated laser ambush, the away team—Riker, Worf, and Data—advances cautiously down the hostile corridor on Vandor. Under Captain Picard's command to maintain open communication, Data …
As the away team advances cautiously toward Manheim’s laboratory, Data’s use of the scientist’s code partially opens the door, but Worf quickly detects concealed apertures along the corridor walls. Suddenly, …
Inside Manheim's laboratory, a ticking clock reveals a ten-minute countdown to self-destruction, triggered by their entry. Data calmly explains the explosive device, a failsafe designed to destroy Manheim's notes, which even Manheim himself cannot deactivate due to his altered photogenetic code. Picard, despite the urgency, gives the away team a strict seven-minute deadline. Data discovers the only solution: a physical reversal of Manheim's programmed effect by swapping microchips. Riker volunteers to climb a twenty-foot, heat-generating cylinder to perform the delicate swap, while Worf, summoning all his Klingon strength, commits to holding open the massive steel doors against immense heat to prevent a short circuit. On the bridge, Geordi reports the latest energy blasts are entirely different, unpredictable, and could potentially "suck" the Enterprise into the dimension, heightening the stakes. With the clock ticking under five minutes, Riker begins his perilous climb, enduring the searing heat, while Worf strains against the closing doors. Data, with surgical precision, guides Riker through the final seconds, instructing him to swap the blue and yellow chips. Riker succeeds just as the countdown hits one, a blast of hot air rushing through the lab, followed by a beam of light from the sky drawn to the cylinder. Picard orders immediate transport. The away team materializes on the Enterprise, exuberant, as Data confirms the lab's disintegration. In Sickbay, Paul Manheim is miraculously cured, his body regenerated, his mind clear. He expresses concern for Laura, then requests Federation assistance to rebuild his work, this time "the right way," acknowledging his past recklessness. Picard agrees, securing Manheim's genius for the Federation. Finally, Picard and Laura share a poignant farewell in the holodeck's Paris cafe, acknowledging their enduring love and the life they could have had. Laura leaves, not looking back, while Picard watches, memorizing her, unable to say goodbye. On the bridge, the crew is subtly worried about Picard, but he, with a newfound resolve, orders a course to Sarona 8, ready to face his future.
Data activates a hidden control panel within Manheim's shadowy laboratory, triggering a ten-minute countdown that instantly ratchets up the tension for the stranded away team. As the red-lit clock relentlessly …
Upon entering Manheim’s hidden laboratory, Data activates a concealed control panel, triggering a ten-minute countdown alarm that immediately raises the stakes for the away team. Worf’s instinctive concern contrasts with …
On the Enterprise's main bridge, Captain Picard grapples with the dire revelation that Professor Manheim’s lab houses an explosive device set to detonate within ten minutes, threatening catastrophic destruction. Data …
On the Enterprise’s main bridge, Data painstakingly analyzes the labyrinthine scientific notes of Professor Paul Manheim, revealing that the professor’s foremost priority was destroying his own research to prevent catastrophe. …
On the Enterprise bridge, Captain Picard and his senior officers confront a dire and complex threat: unpredictable energy blasts of interdimensional origin are bombarding the ship, with the terrifying possibility …
With the lab’s self-destruct countdown ticking under five minutes, Data outlines a desperate and intricate plan to physically swap microchips inside a towering, scorching heat chamber to reverse Manheim’s catastrophic …
With the laboratory's self-destruct countdown shrinking under five minutes, the team races to execute a desperate plan to reverse the deadly failsafe. Data calmly directs the operation from the computer, …
Under relentless time pressure, Captain Picard imposes an unwavering three-minute deadline for the away team's extraction, overriding Riker's pleas for more time. Amid overwhelming heat and physical strain, Riker climbs …
Under Captain Picard’s relentless three-minute ultimatum, William Riker climbs a towering, dangerously heated cylinder to swap critical microchips, an act vital to halting the self-destruct countdown in Professor Manheim’s lab. …
In a harrowing race against the laboratory's self-destruction countdown, Commander Riker ascends a towering, heat-radiating cylinder to swap critical microchips that will reverse the failsafe triggering the explosion. Worf, embodying …
In Sickbay, Paul Manheim awakens fully regenerated—his nerves restored and mind clear—yet he insists he is fundamentally transformed from the reckless scientist he once was. His immediate concern is for …
In Sickbay, Paul Manheim awakens fully restored both physically and mentally, yet profoundly changed in spirit. Rejecting his former reckless brilliance, he expresses a sincere desire to rebuild his scientific …
On the Enterprise bridge, Picard's unusual quiet demeanor draws subtle concern from his senior officers, reflecting his internal struggle after his poignant farewell with Laura. Despite this emotional weight, he …
On the Enterprise bridge, the crew quietly notes Captain Picard’s subdued mood as he enters, their concern unspoken but palpable. Picard, masking his loneliness and the shadow of loss tied …