It was written by Les Menchen, Lance Dickson and David Landsberg, with a teleplay by Burton Armus, and directed by Robert Becker.
In this episode, the crew of the Enterprise encounters a flamboyant space rogue, while Data tries to learn humor from a holographic comedian.
As the Federation starship Enterprise, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, passes through the Coalition of Madena, it detects a small cargo ship, under manual control by its occupant.
The crew makes contact with the pilot, Captain Thadiun Okona (William O. Campbell), who requests help to repair a part on his ship.
The crew soon finds that Okona has taken a keen interest in the women on the ship, beginning with Transporter Chief Robinson (Teri Hatcher in an uncredited role) and is in no rush to effect repairs.
Okona was carrying the jewel between the two planets when he suffered engine trouble and he falsely claimed to be the father to force the two lovers to reveal the truth.
Picard cannot get involved in the internal political disputes between the two planets and allows Okona to go on his way once his ship is repaired; Debin and Kushell are left to argue (in a friendly manner) about wedding details.
Prompted by Guinan, Data uses the holodeck to generate a comedy club setting and stand-up comic (played by Joe Piscopo) as his adviser but when he performs in front of the holographic audience, he is dismayed to find that they laugh at anything he says or does.
It was composed by Ron Jones, who sought to use a musical theme using french horns for Okona to show him as "a knight in shining armor, a throwback to Errol Flynn".
[5] James Hunt, in his review for the website Den of Geek, called the episode "alright", but criticised the lack of links between the two plots.
He also praised the entertainment seen in Brent Spiner's ability to "overact", saying that it "could fill an episode in itself" and that the observation that Data makes towards the end was the most profound of the series so far.