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"Skin of Evil" is a first season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast April 25, 1988. It is episode Quick Overview: A vile tar-like creature interferes with a rescue mission and holds Deanna Troi hostage. On stardate 41601.3, the USS ''Enterprise'' is drifting through the Zed Lapis system. Down in engineering, Lt. Commander Leland T. Lynch is conducting realignment of the dilithium crystals, and the ship will be without warp power for a while. In the meantime, they await Deanna Troi to return from a psychology conference. Suddenly, the Enterprise receives a distress call from Deanna's shuttlecraft which is still an hour away. They are losing power and falling toward a planetary mass. Reports indicate there are no other starships within three light years that can render aid. The shuttle's last known position was near the uninhabited planet of Varga II. Fearing she and the pilot, Lt. Ben Prieto, may be in trouble, Captain Picard orders a risky rush alignment job on the crystals and warps to the planet. Upon their arrival, they locate the crashed shuttle down on the barren world, however a strange energy field prevents them from beaming Troi and Prieto aboard. Commander Riker anxiously leads an away team to the surface. He beams down with Lt. Yar, Commander Data, and Dr. Crusher. They find the shuttle half-buried under dirt and rubble. Crusher detects two faint life signs aboard. The party moves in closer but a strange pool of black slime blocks their path. They decide to go around it, but the mass slithers to block the way. They try another path, and again, the slime moves to prevent access to the shuttle. Riker is most curious and asks Data for an analysis. Data cannot give a conclusive reading and only tells them what it isn't. There is no neural or circulatory activity, no cellular structure or identifiable proteins. Riker calls Picard to explain what they've found. Picard asks if it's alive, but Data can't be certain, however it appears to be intelligent. Suddenly, the center of the mass rises from the muck and takes a roughly humanoid shape. It speaks in a hideous dark voice; "Very good tin man." Picard asks what is it they are seeing, but Riker isn't sure. He feels the site of the crash being near this creature isn't coincidence, and proceeds with caution. Riker identifies himself. The entity calls itself Armus, and wants to know why they have intruded into his space. Riker explains they have come to rescue the survivors of the crash. Armus asks why their lives are so important, where Riker explains they feel all life is important. Everything in the universe has a right to exist. Armus thinks that is an interesting but irrelevant response. He tells them to leave. Tasha steps forward and says they will not leave without the shuttle's crew. She warns it not to interfere with their rescue. Armus quickly flicks a ball of slime at her and she falls to the ground. Riker and Data fire their phasers at the creature, but it simply absorbs the beams feeling energized by the power. Dr. Crusher rushes to Tasha's side and scans her condition. She looks up horrified to the others. Tasha is dead! The party beams back to the ship, and Tasha is rushed to sickbay. Picard and Lt. Worf arrive as Crusher and a nurse desperately try to bring Tasha back to life, but there is too much synaptic damage. Her vital signs fall to nothing. She's gone. Picard stares, holding back emotion, but Worf's eyes glare with intense fury. He has just lost his closest friend. Back on the planet. Armus slithers his way to the shuttle and envelops the exposed part of the craft. Inside, Deanna lies in pain. She is awake, but Prieto is slumped unconscious over the control panel. Armus says her friends have left her, but she promises they will return. He laughs, and indicates he has killed one of them. She knows. She felt her die. Armus asks her if she wants to know why he killed, but Deanna says there are no reasons for senseless acts like that. He explains he did it because he could, but he felt no satisfaction. It was too easy. She feels he has great need for making others suffer, but warns he will never break their spirits. Back on the ship, the senior officers gather silently around the table in the observation lounge. Riker slams his fist and tells the Captain that Armus just killed Tasha in cold blood. She was just trying to get to Troi and Prieto. Picard understands their anger, but they still have two people on the planet that need to be rescued. Their feeling will have to wait. He tells Worf he is now chief of security. Data explains Armus is capable of creating fields of energy that disrupt communications and transport attempts. They won't be able to rescue Troi and Prieto unless Armus allows it. Riker knows Armus killed Yar, and could have easily killed them all, but didn't. It wants something and knows they will come back so long as Troi and Prieto are alive. The only way to find out what is to go back down there. Riker takes his team back down. This time La Forge comes along. Perhaps his VISOR can see something the tricorders missed. They approach the crash site seeing Armus has covered the shuttle. Troi senses their return. Armus is surprised they came back. Troi begs to let her talk with them, but Armus refuses. He knows they care deeply for her. She must be special. She says they care equally for one another, but Armus senses deeper love for another in particular; Commander Riker. She knows Armus is extremely jealous they came back for her. She asks is it because the others never came back for him? The others who left him behind all alone? She has struck a nerve. Armus wracks the shuttle in fury, and asks what does she know of it? She responds only what his feelings tell her. On the Enterprise, Worf is monitoring the situation, and reports there is a fluctuation in the energy field. It's nearly low enough to beam Troi and the pilot out. Before he can react, the field strengthens again. Picard is curious, and tells Worf to keep an eye on the fields. The next detectable dip in power, try and beam everyone back. Armus slithers toward the away team. He expresses his surprise in their return. Riker explains they are ready to negotiate, but Armus says he wants nothing. Riker knows, if that was the case, he would have killed them all. Armus warns he still might, and indulges the idea, asking if they would help him even after he has killed their comrade. Riker says yes, but states it all depends on what he wants. Armus states that isn't good enough. Beverly begs Armus to let her help the injured shuttle crew, but Armus tells her to say "please". She does so, which seems to give Armus some satisfaction. He lets her pass for asking nicely, but the whole team starts over. Armus shouts only the doctor may pass, but then changes his mind, only allowing her to talk to them from outside. Beverly calls to Troi who says she's alright for the moment, but Ben is pretty bad. Beverly insists she be allowed to help them, but Armus refuses. She calls him a disgusting evil. What is it made of? Armus takes offense to be called an "it". Do they think he is not alive? Data misses the point, and explains the tricorder shows he is not alive in a technical sense. Armus is furious, stating their instruments are useless. He flicks his hand and pulls Geordi's VISOR from his eyes. It lands on the ground and the blind officer desperately searches for it. Data tells him where to find it, but Armus plays a game of "keep away" with it like a playground bully. He moves the device again whenever Geordi is in reach of it. At first, Data tells Geordi where it lands, but Armus keeps moving it. Armus asks Data why he stopped helping his friend? Data replies he will no longer entertain him in hurting Geordi's pride. Armus finds something else to do. He disappears back into his puddle of tar and slinks back to the shuttle, surrounding it as before. He tells Deanna he enjoys the torment of her friends, but she doesn't let it get to her. Armus cannot hide his emptiness. She feels sorry for him. Armus is angered, exclaimimg he is the discarded skin of a creature whose beauty dazzled all who looked upon it; she can save her pity for herself. Armus slithers back to the away team. He creates a force that pulls Riker into the tar. Picard tries to beam everyone up but Armus threatens to kill Riker if they leave. Picard feels helpless. Worf indicates there are more energy fluctuations. They took a dip when Armus killed Tasha and again when it consumed Riker. It seems when Armus is provoked, the field is weakened. Picard decides to head down himself. Picard beams down, and Armus takes notice. He asks if he is the chief. Picard confirms he is their leader and asks if Riker is alive. Armus continues to play games, saying "Maybe. Don't you want to ask me what I want?" Picard says; "No". He refuses to entertain Armus any further. Armus takes control of Data, who draws his phaser and points it at Picard's head. He says Data will be his "instrument of death", but Data indicates, since he has no direct control of the weapon, he wouldn't be. He moves Data to point the phaser at Dr. Crusher. Perhaps the kind doctor would engender more feelings. Data tells Armus he is capable of great sadism and cruelty, and has no redeeming qualities. He should be destroyed. Armus laughs at how a machine thinks it can make a moral judgment. Picard is tired of the game. He tells Armus they will no longer amuse him, even if it means the death of Riker and the others, and says their business here is then complete. Armus is surprised, he thought Picard cared for his people. Picard assures him he does. The true evil would be submitting to his twisted desires instead of defying it. Allowing their freedom and dignity taken away for his amusement. He'd rather accept the consequences. Picard starts to walk away, but Armus shouts for him to wait. He belches up Riker, who is unconscious and covered with slime. Beverly scans him. He's alive, but she doesn't know for how long. Picard has Riker, Data and Crusher beamed back to the ship. Picard stays behind and demands Armus allow him to see Troi. Armus permits it, sending Picard into the shuttle with a gesture of his hand. Troi is relieved to see her Captain. He makes sure she is alright and tells her he's working on a plan in getting them out of here. Troi tells him that Armus is very needy, but denies his rage. He reacts emotionally when confronted about his loneliness. Picard calls Worf, telling him to stand by and beam Troi, Prieto and himself up simultaneously as soon as the field weakens again. It will be their only chance of escaping. Worf signals he is set. Picard reappears before Armus. He asks the entity how long it has been alone on this planet. Armus explains he was abandoned by a race of titans. They perfected a way of bringing all their evil and negative emotion to the surface. It formed a second skin that is dank and vile. They were able to rid themselves of it, and it had coalesced into the form it is now, and left it behind. Picard thinks it must be very lonely here, but Armus is revolted by his phony attempt at compassion. Picard explains that humans are capable of compassion for anything, no matter how horrid one may be. Armus is not swayed. He tells Picard they are weak, and can die with a flick of his hand. Picard replies, humans may be weak, but their spirit soars. It is impossible for him to accept Armus as truly evil. Everything in the universe has a light side and a dark. The others did not leave him behind because they hated him. They left him because they didn't understand him. Armus demands that Picard remove him from the barren rock. Picard tells him that this is within his capacity, but why should he do it? Armus' fear is that he would spend alone an eternity. Picard yells at Armus that "I'm not taking you anywhere." Armus emits a blood-curdling scream. Worf, high in orbit, beams Troi and Prieto's body to the ship, responding to the dip in Armus' energy by the painful emotional revelation. Before Armus can respond, Picard is beamed away. Armus screams in anguish. He has been abandoned again. Safe aboard the Enterprise, Picard has Worf destroy the wreckage of the shuttle with a torpedo, to insure Armus has no means of escape. He has Varga II quarantined off limits, then prepares for his next duty; the funeral of Tasha Yar. The senior officers assemble on a holodeck. Picard indicates Tasha has left a living will. He activates a holographic recording of their lost comrade. She appears and addresses everyone with a personal message. She thanks Riker for his trust and encouragement, and all the times he made her laugh. She thanks Deanna for teaching her so much without ever saying a word. To Worf, her cherished friend, both courageous warriors, she acknowledges that they have taught each other a lot, and that both orphans who have found a family aboard the Enterprise. She thanks Beverly for encouraging her to strive for more. She thanks Geordi for making her feel better during times of despair. She tells Data, who strives to become more human, she likes him just the way he is. To young Wesley, she regrets not seeing him grow up and become a Starfleet officer. Finally, she tells Picard he has been her father figure. If she could choose someone to be like, and make proud, it would be he. He has the soul of a poet and the heart of an explorer. He will understand when she says "Death is that state in which one exists only in the memory of others... which is why it is not an end." She bids "au revoir" to her friends.
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