| "Code of Honor" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Next Generation episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | |
| Written by |
|
| Featured music | Fred Steiner |
| Cinematography by | Edward R. Brown |
| Production code | 104[1] |
| Original air date | October 12, 1987 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Code of Honor" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, originally aired on October 12, 1987, in broadcast syndication. The episode was written by Katharyn Powers and Michael Baron and was directed by Russ Mayberry. Mayberry was replaced part way through the filming of the episode with first assistant director Les Landau.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In this episode, while the ship is visiting the planet Ligon II to retrieve a vaccine, crewman Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) is abducted by the leader of the Ligonians. The race abides by a strict code of honor and their leader seeks to use Yar as a pawn to increase his power.
Powers and Baron pitched a story based on a reptilian race following a code of honor similar to the bushido code of the Samurai. This was developed into the final story, which was described as having a "1940s tribal Africa" theme by staff writer Tracy Tormé.[2] The episode was received negatively amongst cast, crew, fans, and reviewers, and has been called "quite possibly the worst piece of Star Trek ever made".[3]