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: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302457076
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,820 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On the lifeless desert planet of Velara III, a small group of scientists are hard at work terraforming the planet. When a routine check-in by the Enterprise leads to a testy dismissal from the head engineer, as well as bad vibes for Counselor Troi, the away team goes to investigate. Apologies are quickly made by the newly conciliatory terraformers, who explain that their manners tend to fade over the decades of isolation required to bring life to a dead world. (So what exactly happened to Star Trek II's Genesis Project?) But during the brief tour, one scientist is killed by an apparently malfunctioning laser, and suspicions are raised again. Data and Geordi investigate, and discover beyond question that an intelligent force in fact controlled the deadly beam. The three remaining scientists are brought up to the ship for questioning; also beamed aboard is a small crystal whose arrhythmic, "musical" light pulsations have intrigued Data. Despite some insistence from the ship's computer that, lacking organic structure, the crystal simply can't be life (why exactly aren't Starfleet medical programs informed of the silicon-based Horta encountered by the old Enterprise crew?), alive is exactly the right word. Alive, growing, and angry at the attempted extermination of its species by the terraformers. Not to mention able to control the Enterprise's computers, thus putting the entire crew at risk. Though the rapidly multiplying creature, eventually dubbed the microbrain, is one of the show's all-time cheapest aliens--basically some glowing penlights placed under a bell jar--the story is a fairly interesting rehash of some classic Trek themes. Plus, any episode that introduces the catchy phrase "ugly bags of mostly water," the microbrain's description of humans, is an instant classic. --Bruce Reid

From the Back Cover

At the Federation's request, an Enterprise away team beams down to Velara III to observe a group of terraformers, scientists who are working to generate life-forms on the barren planet. But when a terraformer engineer is killed in a bizarre accident, the starship team begins to suspect a destructive presence is at work.

Data (Brent Spiner) and Geordi (LeVar Burton) discover a microscopic inorganic life-form, the Microbrain, that seems to be trying to communicate. Once on board the Enterprise, the Microbrain reveals that the terraformer's work has been killing the Microbrain species. Now the Microbrain has declared war on the terraformers and the Enterprise.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Would we really be able to recognize alien life as life?, October 1, 2004

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 17: Home Soil [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This episode has one of the best lines in all of Star Trek, "Ugly bags of mostly water." The Enterprise arrives at a planet where a small team of terraformers is modifying the surface of a supposedly lifeless planet so that it could support an Earth-like ecology. It is supposed to be a routine visit, but the director of the project is curt, leading the Enterprise crew to suspect that something is not right. An away team beams down and in the middle of the enthusiastic briefing, one of the terraforming team is killed by an errant laser drill.
Over the objections of the terraforming team, all are beamed to the Enterprise and Geordi and Data beam back down to the planet to continue the investigation. Data is attacked by the laser drill and while he survives, he concludes that the drill was under the control of a very dynamic program. They then look into the tunnels and discover something that is flashing electromagnetic pulses. At first, they wonder if it is alive, but since it is composed only of inorganic material, they dismiss the thought.
However, it is beamed to the Enterprise and scientifically examined. After further analysis, they determine that it is intelligent life and it tries to communicate with them. Once understandable communications are established, the inorganic creature declares war on the "ugly bags of mostly water." It turns out that the terraforming team was about to destroy their habitat, which would have killed all of the inorganic creatures. After many attempts to isolate the creature, the Enterprise crew discovers how to "defeat" it and a truce is declared. The creature is returned to its planet and a centuries long quarantine of the planet is declared.
This episode is clearly taken from "The Devil in the Dark" episode of the original series. A planet is considered lifeless, although there is life based on silicon and other inorganic compounds. It is only the narrowness of the vision of the humans in their search for life that leads them to believe that the planet has none. Considering that the rocklike Horta would be well known to the Federation by now, it is hard to believe that such a mistake would have been made. Similarly, the terraformers admit to having seen geometric shapes, which are a telltale sign of intelligent life. Clearly, they should be subject to some sort of punishment.
If you get beyond these obvious flaws, this is a good episode, demonstrating some of the problems that humans will have when new lifeforms are encountered. Given that the cultural differences on Earth lead to serious conflicts, it is hard to see how an interstellar war can be avoided as humans explore the galaxy. Humans could end up inadvertently trying to kill off entire civilizations because of basic prejudices concerning what form life can take. The only possible way this can be avoided would be to have much stricter rules concerning the exploitation of planetary resources than are evident in this episode.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars life as we know it and as we don't, August 26, 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 17: Home Soil [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One of the few things I retained from Life Science in 7th grade was the difference in organic and non-organic substances. Organic substances (plants & animals) have carbon atoms, inorganic substances do not... ergo, non-organic substances cannot be alive - according to our definition, anyway.

The Enterprise visits Velara III. Now I've gotta stop right there. What is it with the naming conventions of planets on this show? Is there an Earth XVII? Is there a Mars XXX? Why on earth (pun intended) would they be so strapped for names that they had to name at least 3 planets Velara? Odd. Ok, anyhoo, a handful of Federation Scientists are working on a terraforming project after teams of Federation Scientists studied the planet for years, declaring it devoid of life. The small band of resident scientists are drilling through the substrate to create channels of water to irrigate the land when they start planting.

When the Enterprise arrives and Picard announces they would like a tour, the head scientist freaks out. Troi can tell he's hiding something and doesn't want the crew there, which makes Picard all the more determined to visit. One of their scientists was injured in a drilling accident and is out of commission while the other scientists pull double shifts to make up for his inability to work. While the away team takes a brief tour on Velara III, one of the scientists gets killed in a freak laser drill accident.

Geordi and Data are investigating the accident scene when Data gets locked in a room and is unable to exit while the laser drills go bonkers and appears to track his movements in deliberate fashion. Fortunately, Data's android-like strength and agility allows him to out-maneuver and damage the laser drills before they can damage him - inadvertently setting the terraforming schedule behind by months as they must fix the damaged drills and wait for replacement parts.

Data notices some glinting of the sand in the substrate and finds the patterns of light to be deliberate patterns, not random or rhythmic light changes and takes as sample aboard the Enterprise.

It doesn't take long before the glinting piece of inorganic silica replicates itself and manages to interface with the Enterprise computer so it can talk to the crew and declare war. They now know why the chief scientist was so evasive. Years of work down the tubes for what seemed to be simple (albeit living) sand.

The silica "creatures" refer to the humans of "ugly bags of mostly water" - which I guess is a fairly accurate description. The incredibly intelligent glints of sand, without the benefit of thumbs, manage to take over the Enterprise functions and threaten to cut off life support. Picard must find a way to convince the "microbrain" that they find all life to be beautiful and they didn't know they were even there, etc.

The microbrains aren't too impressed, since millions have already perished under the harsh light of the laser drills. Picard has to pull a bunny out of his magic hat in time, or the Enterprise and the over 1,000 souls on board will be lost - because of some smart shards of glass. Reminiscent of some classic episodes, and some cheesy scenes, but some interesting concepts here & there.

2.0 out of 5 stars "Bag who drill in sand of home had to die.", June 11, 2004

By 

Steven Y. "Pop Culture Addict" (Marvel Universe 616) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 17: Home Soil [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Star Trek has always produced its fair share of cautionary tales. "Home Soil" is its attempt to point out the unintended dire consequences terraforming can cause. It also is the episode that forces you to wonder if the crystals in your personal collection regard you as "an ugly bag of mostly water" when you're not around.

The Enterprise-D arrives at Velara III to check up on a terraforming group charged with the mission of turning the inhospitable planet into one that will eventually support life. However, after an engineer is killed and Data (Brent Spiner) is attacked, the crew realizes that something is seriously amiss on the surface. A startling discovery is soon made - there are microscopic life forms that are falling victim to the drilling on the planet. The previous attacks were initiated by them as a means to defend themselves.

This variation on the original series' superior "Devil in the Dark" (1967) is filled with problems that it cannot overcome. Guest star Elizabeth Lindsey is strangely stiff in her supporting role, Walter Gotell is over-the-top in his supporting role, the production values for the microscopic life forms must have set a new record for production money saved on creating an alien race, and the line "ugly bag of mostly water" is so unintentionally goofy that it undermines the seriousness of the episode's message because you can't get it out of your head and can't stop giggling once it's spoken on-screen. Well, at least "Home Soil" did teach us that the only way to defeat evil crystals is to shut the lights off. That valuable piece of information is what prevents the episode from being a total lost cause.