Product Details

• Actors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden
• Directors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Becker, Cliff Bole
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: May 31, 1995
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302105846
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #450,105 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This underrated, early episode of The Next Generation presents one of the most interesting ethical problems ever faced by Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). A plague on Styris IV sends the Enterprise in search of an organic vaccine on Ligon II. Delicate diplomacy with Ligon's skeptical chief, Lutan (Jessie Lawrence Ferguson), breaks down when Lutan kidnaps Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) in keeping with his cultural traditions regarding the selection of wives. Picard is confronted with following the Prime Directive, which means accepting Ligon's subjective notion of civilized behavior and putting Tasha in real danger. The Next Generation often concerned itself with highly original moral quandaries where other species are concerned. But there is a uniquely human face to the situation in "Code of Honor," perhaps owing somewhat to the fact that Ligon's feudal society is entirely black. Ironically, it's that last point that embarrasses some of TNG's creative types, as if the episode serves up stereotypes. But in the best Star Trek tradition, the opposite is true: the show works because it resonates with real-world issues about resisting exploitation, about the occasional difficulties of respecting the integrity of other places, other people. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover

When a plague threatens the Federation planet Styris IV, the Enterprise crew travels to Ligon II to negotiate a treaty for the use of a rare vaccine. The Ligonians appear to be friendly until their leader Lutan kidnaps Security Chief Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) and claims her as his new wife. In order to save Yar's life and win the vaccine, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Steward) must adhere to the Ligonian code of honor and stand idly by while Yar engages in a fight to the death against Lutan's jealous wife.

A danger-ridden, thrill-packed adventure for Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Code of Honor, March 21, 2000

By 

Christine (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 4: Code Of Honor [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There is a deadly plague raging (somewhere) and the only thing to stop it is a vaccine which can only be cultivated on a certain planet. So, the Enterprise goes to this planet to bargain with the arrogant leaders for the vaccine. All seems to go well, with the Enterprise crew following the planet's traditions, until the leader kidnaps Lt. Tasha Yar. It is a sort of "counting coup" maneuver which makes the leader look powerful. Again, all rules of the planet's protocol are followed and it appears the Enterprise will get Tasha and the vaccine. However, the leader decides he wants to keep Tasha, so his wife challenges her to a battle to the death. If Tasha does not follow this doctrine, there will be no vaccine for the plague.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars great for trivia buffs, January 3, 2004

By 

Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 4: Code Of Honor [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Star Trek - The Next Generation came a long way after its first season and episode 4 wasn't one of their shining stars, either.

The main plot - the Enterprise is en route to what Picard cites as a Federation planet, Ligon II. Are there that many planets with life on them that people had to start using the same names over and over again? Hmmph. Anyway, they are on a diplomatic mission to retrieve a medicinal compound that cures a deadly virus that is plaguing Styris IV... another planet starved for its own proper name.

Even though Ligon II is a member of the Federation, the Enterprise crew is unaware that part of their strict code of honor, the planet chieftan, Lutan, must take a suitable mate by kidnapping her. He finds Tasha Yar to be appealing and believes she will make an excellent replacement for his current wife.

Picard and Dr. Crusher duel it out in a war of words over the need for the medicine ("Millions are suffering and dying, Captain!") versus the Prime Directive which will not allow them to take both Tasha AND the medicine by force, so they succomb to the chief's will by allowing Tasha and his current wife to partake in a wet t-shirt contest to the death.

In the ultimate futuristic cat fight, Tasha and her opponent swing around like monkeys in a glowing jungle gym, armed with a needle-embedded claw with poison tips. A single nick means instant death.

During one scene, Troi refers to Riker as Bill, not Will and in another scene, Data uses the contraction "you're" instead of "you are." The closed captioning on the episode says "you are" but Data clearly uses the contraction when saying "you're welcome, sir."

Supposedly, one of the many human traits that Data aspires to, including being able to properly whistle is to figure out why he can't use contractions. In a later episode, "Datalore," the crew is able to tell the difference between Data and Lore because Lore slips and uses a contraction.

There are many little nuggets for the pointy-eared Trek trivia buff, but as entertaining episodes go, this one could have been a lot better.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just "OK", August 12, 2001

By 

Alaria (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 4: Code Of Honor [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Enterprise is on a routine mission to the planet of Ligon II. The people of Styris IV are desperate for the rare vaccine that the people of Ligon possess. Despite initially appearing to be friendly, it is not long before the delegation member Lutan kidnaps Tasha Yar during a diplomatic meeting and demands her as his "First One". Not surprising, the woman who currently occupies that position is not best pleased and immediately challenges Tasha to a fight to the death. What ensues is a battle around a space-age climbing frame where the weapons are spiked gloves with poisoned barbs and Tasha must win to secure both her own life and the vaccine...

This was a fairly average, unspectacular episode. The fight scene alone was quite humorous and any episode that features Tasha Yar is a great as far as I'm concerned (I still haven't come to terms with the fact that they killed off my favourite character so early. Yesterday's Enterprise was no consolation!), but I still feel as if the writers went far out of their way in trying to present TNG as being set in a politically correct era where women and men were equals. Overall, Code of Honor is like most of the first two Next Generation seasons: OK, average and more for collectors than fans looking for the best of Star Trek.

~Jenna Ryan~