View source for New Ground (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

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{{more citations needed|date=May 2021}}
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{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]
| image =
| caption =
| season = 5
| episode = 10
| production = 210
| airdate = {{Start date|1991|12|30}}
| teleplay = [[Grant Rosenberg]]
| story = Sara Charno<br>[[Stuart Charno]]
| director = [[Robert Scheerer]]
| music = [[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]]
| guests =
* [[Brian Bonsall]] - Alexander Rozhenko
* [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]] - Helena Rozhenko
* [[Richard McGonagle]] - Ja'Dar
* [[Jennifer Edwards]] - Miss Kyle
*Sheila Franklin - Felton
| prev = [[A Matter of Time (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|A Matter of Time]]
| next = [[Hero Worship (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Hero Worship]]
| episode_list = List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
| season_article = Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5
}}
"'''New Ground'''" is the tenth episode of the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5|fifth season]] of the American science fiction television series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the [[Starfleet]] crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|Federation starship Enterprise-D]]. In this episode, [[Worf (Star Trek)|Worf]] is less than thrilled when his [[Foster care|foster]] mother, Helena, arrives with his son Alexander. Although Helena and Worf's foster father, Sergey, had agreed to raise the boy after [[Reunion (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|K'Ehleyr's death]], Helena now reports that Alexander is having a difficult time adjusting to his new life, and they're not as young as they used to be; he needs to be raised by his father on the ''Enterprise''. Predictably, Worf and Alexander have a difficult time as well adjusting to one another, a situation aggravated by a ship-based experiment that becomes life-threatening. [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]], who played Worf's foster mother, died just 5½ months after the episode aired.
==Plot==
The ''Enterprise'' is scheduled to assist with a trial run of [[soliton wave]] technology, which has the potential to allow vessels to travel at warp speed even if they are not equipped with [[warp drive (Star Trek)|warp drive]] engines. Worf receives a message from Helena Rozhenko, his human foster mother, who requests to visit and bring his son Alexander. He is surprised to learn that Helena intends to leave Alexander with him on the ''Enterprise''; she and her husband Sergey are having too much trouble caring for the boy in their old age, and she feels that he needs to be raised by his father.
Soon after Alexander is enrolled in the ship's school, his teacher voices concerns to Worf about his behavior, such as lying, bullying other students, and taking their toys. Tensions between father and son rise after Alexander refuses to admit stealing a model during a class field trip and Worf finds it in his pocket. Worf decides to send Alexander away to a Klingon school, but Counselor Troi persuades him to reconsider, pointing out that Alexander may be acting on feelings of abandonment since his mother is dead and he has been in the care of the Rozhenkos instead of his father.
A distortion during the soliton wave experiment damages the ''Enterprise'' and destroys the test ship. The wave is on a collision course with a colony on Lemma II, and is growing in power and speed so quickly that its impact will destroy most of the planet. La Forge recommends that the ''Enterprise'' pull ahead of the wave and fire photon torpedoes to dissipate it, but before it can do so, a fire breaks out in a laboratory where Alexander has sneaked in. Worf and Riker find him pinned under debris and rescue him just in time for the ''Enterprise'' to fire the torpedoes and prevent the colony from being destroyed.
Dr. Crusher diagnoses Alexander with smoke inhalation and a broken leg and assures Worf he will be fully recovered after an overnight stay in Sickbay. Worf softens his attitude toward Alexander and invites him to stay on the ''Enterprise'', saying that it will be an even greater challenge for both of them than the Klingon school. Alexander accepts the offer as a way of honoring his mother's memory.
== Releases ==
The episode was released in the United States on November 5, 2002, as part of the season five [[DVD]] box set.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ordway|first=Holly E.|date=November 5, 2002|title=Star Trek the Next Generation – Season 5|newspaper=DVD Talk|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/4979/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-5/|accessdate=September 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911062935/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/4979/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-5/|archive-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref> The first [[Blu-ray]] release was in the United States on November 18, 2013,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Miller III|first1=Randy|date=November 19, 2013|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Five (Blu-ray)|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/62053/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-five/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815191032/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/62053/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-five/|archive-date=August 15, 2014|accessdate=September 13, 2016|publisher=DVD Talk}}</ref> followed by the United Kingdom the next day, November 19, 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Simpson|first1=Michael|date=November 11, 2013|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5 Blu-ray Review|work=Sci-Fi Now|url=https://www.scifinow.co.uk/reviews/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-5-blu-ray-review/|accessdate=September 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315220046/http://www.scifinow.co.uk/reviews/star-trek-the-next-generation-season-5-blu-ray-review/|archive-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb episode}}
* {{Memory Alpha|New Ground}}
{{Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes|5}}
[[Category:Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5 episodes]]
[[Category:1992 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes directed by Robert Scheerer]]
[[Category:Television episodes about behavior problems in children]]