Writer of “The Inner Light” pitched a sequel

If a newcomer to Star Trek: The Next Generation is looking for one episode to watch first, just to get a taste of the series, I always suggest “The Inner Light.”  Though it doesn’t give all the background information on the characters, it’s a beautifully-written story of people who didn’t want to be forgotten. They took drastic measures to make sure that didn’t happen, giving viewers one of the best stories on TNG. The writer of the episode, Morgan Gendel, would, of course, agree. He even pitched a sequel.

With the tentative episode title of “The Outer Lights,” Gendel had the idea of the Enterprise discovering another probe from the planet Kataan. This probe, though, would have had three people from Kataan alive in suspended animation. And Eline, who was Kamin’s wife (Picard was Kamin in the alternate reality), would have been one of those survivors. Unsurprisingly, Picard would have still loved Eline, but she wouldn’t have known or remembered him because the alternate reality wasn’t hers.

“The Inner Light” sequel could have been a good idea

Both Rick Berman and Michael Piller rejected the sequel each time Gendel pitched it because they weren’t interested in it. Gendel felt that the story was incomplete and needed the sequel. He though Berman and Piller made a bad decision, and he tried to revive the episode himself with an online comic. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years)

Though others may disagree with me, I would have loved to see this episode. Picard fell in love with Eline and built a life with her on Kataan in the alternate reality. Putting the two of them together again, even if she didn’t know him, would have created some beautiful, dramatic moments. Of course, it is difficult to catch lightning in a bottle twice. The Inner Light was so perfect, it’s understandable why the producers didn’t want to risk diluting it.