| "Home Soil" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Next Generation episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 18 |
| Directed by | Corey Allen |
| Story by | Robert Sabaroff Karl Geurs Ralph Sanchez |
| Teleplay by | Robert Sabaroff |
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Cinematography by | Edward R. Brown |
| Production code | 117 |
| Original air date | February 22, 1988 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Home Soil" is the eighteenth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It first aired in broadcast syndication on February 22, 1988. Robert Sabaroff, Karl Geurs and Ralph Sanchez developed the story, with Sabaroff producing the teleplay. "Home Soil" is one of five episodes of the series directed by Corey Allen.
In the episode, the crew of the Enterprise investigates the murder of a crewman on a terraforming colony and discover a crystalline life form possessing intelligence.
The production team encountered problems with the sets, casting, and scheduling. Due to issues with the script, it was delivered to Allen just one day before shooting. Nine million viewers watched the episode, the second lowest number of viewers for the first season of The Next Generation. Critical reception was mixed, with one reviewer noting that unlike the original Star Trek series, "Home Soil" explored the realm of hard science fiction. Critics compared the appearance of inorganic life forms in the story to the plot of the original Star Trek series episode, "The Devil in the Dark".