After destroying a deadly asteroid threatening Tessen III, the Enterprise heads toward the Moselina system unaware that a cloud of parasitic particles has attached itself to the ship's hull. While en route, Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana transports aboard with an unusual announcement — she is planning to get married to a man that she has never met. Soon, Lwaxana meets Alexander and takes a liking to him, interfering with Deanna's parental counseling sessions with Worf and Alexander.

Majel Barrett (Lwaxana Troi)
Brian Bonsall (Alexander Rozhenko)
Tony Jay (Minister Campio)
Carel Struyken (Mr. Homn)
David Oliver (Young Man)
Albie Selznick (Juggler)
Patrick Conin (Protocol Master Erko)
Tracey D'Arcy (Young Woman)
George Edie (Poet)
Christopher Halste (First Learner)
Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

• The parasites are consuming the ship's nitrium, leaving a gelatenous waste product behind.
  
• Lwaxana takes Alexander to a holodeck recreation of the Parallax Colony of "free spirits" on Shiralea VI. She enjoys the artists, the poets and especially the mudbaths. In a couple of touching moments between Alexander and Lwaxana, he admits to her that he misses his mother. Lwaxana confesses that she is getting married because she is getting older and must make compromises to keep from being alone and afraid.
  
• Lwaxana asks Deanna of her "uniform", "You poor dear... Don't they ever let you change those colorless outfits?"
  
• When Lwaxana shows up to the wedding naked (in the Betazoid tradition), Protocol Minister protests and the wedding is called off.