| "Devil's Due" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Next Generation episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Tom Benko |
| Story by | |
| Teleplay by | Philip Lazebnik |
| Featured music | Ron Jones[1] |
| Cinematography by | Marvin Rush |
| Production code | 187 |
| Original air date | February 4, 1991 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Devil's Due" is the 13th episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, originally aired on February 4, 1991, in broadcast syndication in the United States. Based on an episode written by William Douglas Lansford for the planned Star Trek: Phase II (1978) television series, it was adapted for The Next Generation by Philip Lazebnik and directed by Tom Benko.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In "Devil's Due", the crew of the Enterprise confront an individual claiming to be Ardra (Marta DuBois), a mythological entity from the planet Ventax II. She claims that the planet, and the orbiting Enterprise, are her legal property due to an agreement signed a thousand years earlier. Together, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew reveal Ardra to be a con artist, leading to her arrest by the Ventaxian authorities.
Numerous changes were made from the original Phase II script, with only the general theme of the episode remaining. Originally pitched for use during season three, following changes made, it was added to season four. Critical reception of the episode has been mixed, with it generally being thought to be very reminiscent of Star Trek: The Original Series.