Lonely Among Us

** (2 stars out of 5)

In the words of The Doctor from 'Doctor Who': "I used to have so much mercy."

For the boy I was, tiger and reptile masks artfully achieved are sufficient. Who needs a coherent story? Worse than that, for the man I am, to find out "Lonely Among Us" is credited to D.C. Fontana, my favorite original series writer? It's not very good.

It's a bunch of nonsense about an energy being that got caught in the Enterprise's front mounted cow-catcher or something and then jumps from possessed character to possessed character until it beams back to its home cloud- taking the Captain with it forever!!!

Forever is measured in minutes- the Captain is magically restored with no memory of these events. (Mercifully.)

Along the way, the confused being causes the first on-screen crewman death of the series: Assistant Engineer Singh (no relation to the genetically engineered dictator, probably).

Meanwhile, Data reads Sherlock Holmes and discovers an RPG alter ego to amuse himself and a pipe to irritate others.

Speaking of odd props, Dr. Crusher wears a hat never seen before or since, let alone explained. I guess it's some sort of a tricorder hat, but I used to call it a Specimen Collection Helmet because I am gross.

Also meanwhile, that delightful Irish guy from the pilot has a hard time stopping the Antican and Selay delegates from eating each other in the halls at night.

Cat-Men Vs. Snake-Men- just add magical swords and it's Thundercats, only without the thoughtful dignity of Thundercats.