While the Enterprise undergoes repairs at McKinley Station in orbit around Earth, Picard returns home to visit his brother Robert in France. Worf's adoptive parents, Helena and Sergei Rozhenko, visit the Enterprise. Wesley receives a holographic message from his late father, Jack Crusher.

Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)
Jeremy Kemp (Robert Picard)
Samantha Eggar (Marie Picard)
David Tristin Birkin (René Picard)
Georgia Brown (Helena Rozhenko)
Theodore Bikel (Sergei Rozhenko)
Dennis Creaghan (Louis )
Doug Wert (Lt. Cmdr. Jack R. Crusher)
Colm Meaney (Chief Miles O'Brien)

• The Enterprise is docked at McKinley Station for six weeks for repairs because of the Borg attack. During this time a defective hatch is installed on the Enterprise's warp drive dilithium chamber, which causes a serious failure several months later (see "The Drumhead").
  
• O'Brien is given a first and middle name, Miles Edward, in this episode. Sergei Rozhenko calls O'Brien a non-commissioned crewman, though he clearly is wearing a Lieutenant's two solid pips (the same as Worf, who is standing right next to him). This changes in Season 6, when he is "demoted" to Chief Petty Officer (see "Realm of Fear").
  
• David Tristin Birkin later plays the young Jean-Luc Picard in 6th season's "Rascals".
  
• This episode is often shown out of order during reruns with the next two episodes due to their production numbers.
  
• This episode has no shots on the main bridge.