The Enterprise arrives at Klavdia Three and picks up Salia, future ruler of Daled Four, with her guardian Anya. Geordi takes the opportunity to make some minor adjustments to the warp engines, and sends Wesley for a magnet. Wes gets it, and then runs into Salia, and they seem immediately attracted to one another.

While Troi expresses concern that Salia and Anya may not be exactly what they appear to be (i.e. humanoid), Geordi sends Wesley out of Engineering until his hormones calm down. Wes consults with Worf, Data, and Riker about what to say to Salia, but none are particularly helpful. While Anya (whom we've seen change her shape earlier) takes a tour of the ship, Wes lurks outside Salia's door, until she asks him in to find out how to work the food dispenser.

Anya, meanwhile, is acting overly paranoid with respect to Salia's safety. When she sees Geordi is making repairs, she demands to know exactly what the problem is, and says she'll be back to check his progress. Worse yet, when she sees someone in Sickbay with a contagious disease, she insists he be killed. When Pulaski refuses, Anya changes shape into a hideous monster and tries to do it herself, but is stopped (more or less) by Worf and assumes her original shape. Picard confines her to quarters, but confesses there may be a problem if Anya changes shape again.

Meanwhile, Wes has shown Salia many worlds in the holodeck, and is now eating with her in Ten-Forward. She becomes depressed that she will probably never leave Daled Four once they arrive. (It is hoped that her leadership will unite two warring factions, since she is a child of both, but it's also a full-time job.) When Wes naively suggests staying on the Enterprise, she bursts into tears and leaves. Wes follows, but then the two are separated by Picard and Anya, who's already noticed Salia's gone.

As the ship departs for Daled Four (since Geordi's done with his repairs), Picard explains to Wes that Anya's a shape-changer (allasomorph) and very dangerous. Wes promises to stay away from her, but allows Salia in when she sneaks out of her room while Anya's sleeping. The two kiss, but are interrupted by Anya, again as a monster. To Wes's shock, Salia then changes form herself, into something even worse.

The ship arrives at Daled Four, and Anya tells Salia that her task as protector is over, and she is not coming to the planet, but returning to her home. When Salia comes to Wes's quarters to say goodbye, however, Wes is angry and hurt, and asks Salia to leave. However, as she prepares to beam down, he brings her some Thalian chocolate mousse as "a taste to remember me by." He watches her assume her natural form, one of wondrous light, and then goes to Ten- Forward, where Guinan comforts him.

Highlight Listing:

"The Dauphin" - Wesley finds romance with the beautiful young ruler of Daled Four whose secret power could destroy the Enterprise and her crew.

Advertising Headline:

LOVE IS BLIND Wesley's first love hides a secret that could destroy the Enterprise!

TV log listing:

Wesley's new love threatens crew on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

Operation SNAFU

There is a scene where both of the aliens have changed into monsters. First the nanny changes to attack Wesley, then the girl changes. There is a cut, and you see both monsters from a side view. The girl-monster stands in front of a mirror, but you don't see a mirror image. The monsters change back to the human forms and you still cannot see the mirror images. At this time there is a cut again, but you see a similar view of the room and now you can see the mirror image of the girl in the mirror. At the time they copied the monsters on the film, they didn't recognize that there was a mirror in that room.

Editor's Note:

The ending theme music was changed, with the length being 1:03 (including the Paramount logo at the end).

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: July 12, 1999