Product Details

• Actors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden
• Directors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Becker, Cliff Bole
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303574270
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,192 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Enterprise finds a damaged escape pod occupied by a severely injured humanoid. Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) thinks the victim's chances for survival are slim-until his damaged tissue begins repairing itself at an alarmingly fast rate.

The stranger-dubbed John Doe-continues to exhibit remarkable powers, including the ability to heal ailing crew members with his touch. After Picard (Patrick Stewart) tells John he has determined the coordinates of his home planet, John confides that he believes he is a fugitive, although he cannot remember why. Suddenly, an unidentified vessel begins to scan the Enterprise. Communication is made by the ship's commander, who demands John be returned to face execution for acts of agitation. Will Picard fight to save the life of a dangerous fugitive?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Stat Trek Next Generation: Transfigurations, September 8, 2010

By 

C. Day "esmidia" (Mississippi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 73: Transfigurations [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, by Gene Roddenberry!! Of course it has spiritual overtones!! If you listen and look for just about anything that Roddenberry produced, created or wrote; they all had a bit of that overtone. And I mean spiritual in an evolutionary type of way, not in any religious type.

Roddenberry had faith in humanity, he believed that humans have a lot of potential, and these believes reflected in most of his Star Trek programs and movies, all of them!! He obviously believed that humans will grow beyond 'life', and this particular STNG: Transfigurations reflects that believe. It reflected both our potential of being beyond human, and this particular program also reflected those against that growth or evolution that humans are destined to become!!

I highly recommend this program, it was beautifully done!! It had the potential of becoming a movie. I loved this one in particular because it was such a reflection of what he believed and what we might become!!

3.0 out of 5 stars Wandering, with obvious religious overtones that are not well delivered, January 18, 2009

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 73: Transfigurations [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is an episode that has a weak premise, a weak conclusion and wanders in the middle. It begins with Geordi demonstrating uncertainty in his relationships with females and Worf serving as his coach. The Enterprise is on a routine star charting mission when they encounter a crashed escape pod containing a severely injured humanoid. In order to stabilize his nervous system, Dr. Crusher establishes a neural link between Geordi and the patient. When the link is made, there is a visual transfer of energy between the patient and Geordi.
When the patient, now given the name John Doe, is in sickbay, even though Dr. Crusher considers his injuries terminal, his body demonstrates incredible recuperative powers. Furthermore, Dr. Crusher also determines that his body structure is being transformed, but she has no idea if it is natural. Suddenly, Geordi develops complete confidence in himself; becoming an active ladies man, even to the point where Riker discovers him making out in the turbolift. When John regains consciousness, he has no memory of his past, yet all indications are that he is harmless. As time goes on, snippets of memory come back and when John heals a dislocated shoulder by simply touching it, everyone understands that he possesses great powers.
Those powers start to overwhelm him, so in desperation he tries to steal a shuttlecraft and leave the ship. When Worf tries to stop him, he is thrown and killed when his neck is broken. Fortunately, John recovers and is able to completely heal Worf's injuries, saving his life.
Suddenly, a ship as powerful as the Enterprise arrives and the captain demands the return of John as a dangerous criminal. When Picard delays and asks some questions, the captain of the ship applies some form of weapon that causes people to choke. John intervenes and rescues the entire Enterprise crew and then explains that he is in the process of being transformed into a being that will live on a higher plane of existence. John is not a criminal but is being pursued as a consequence of his ability to change his body and society. The episode ends with the alien ship departing and John turning into a creature of golden colored light. He gives Dr. Crusher a gentle facial caress and then floats away.
To make this episode work, Geordi is remade into a weak personality and there is yet another "appeal to the angels", where the holy figure is being pursued and persecuted for their potential to disrupt their society. There are many obvious religious overtones to this episode and none of them is delivered well.