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Allegiance (TNG S3 E18)

Published on: 23rd June, 2026

Allegiance (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S3 E18) was recommended by NightCat He/Him, who said: Picard gets captured and sent to a room with a few other aliens.Then PseudoPicard is running the ship, singing drinking songs and apparently fascinated with dangerous pulsars!

There was a guy in that episode, one of the aliens in the room. He had a kind of robe on. His species was reputed for having been conquered over and over again. I found it interesting that they used that same concept in a Doctor Who episode during the Matt Smith era called "The God Complex". There was a kind of ratlike guy whose species had the same reputation! I've seen a lot of borrows in the new Doctor Who, although I adore the show! But this was a pretty direct lift and it was hard to miss.

I also found the PseudoPicard to be really interesting. The strange date he has with Beverly Crusher before he just kicks her out. Sometimes I remember the drinking song he does and I find myself trying to remember the lyrics. Weird stuff! But it really caught my attention.

Allegiance first aired on March 26, 1990, written by Richard Manning & Hans Beimler, and directed by Winrich Kolbe

Aliens kidnap Captain Picard and replace him with a duplicate who sends the Enterprise to a pulsar. Meanwhile, the real Picard and three other captives try to escape from their prison.

The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)

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About the Podcast

The Joy of Trek
Every Star Trek story is somebody's favorite, and that might as well be us!
Two lifelong besties (and their trusty engineer) adventure through the vast constellations of Star Trek's decades on TV, especially the lesser-loved stories.

But instead of bitching about why they’re bad, we’re going to find the joy in each of them, because everybody loves the great episodes, but it takes dedication, insight, and hard-working fools to love the clunkers too.

And by Jove, we are those fools!

Positive, inclusive and optimistic (though not uncritical!) we try to find the brilliance even in the least-loved episodes of our favorite TV shows!