Conspiracy

"Conspiracy" is the 25th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, originally aired on May 9, 1988 in the United States. The premise was conceived by the show's creator Gene Roddenberry in a single sentence overview titled "The Assassins", being expanded into a thirty page story by Robert Sabaroff. From this, the teleplay was produced by Tracy Tormé and the episode directed by Cliff Bole. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship USS Enterprise-D. Following a meeting with a fellow Captain, the strange behavior of high-ranking officers leads Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to uncover a conspiracy of senior Starfleet officers possessed by parasitical aliens who are preparing to invade the United Federation of Planets. Numerous make-up effects were created by make-up supervisor Michael Westmore, including an exploding head using raw meat. There were concerns by producers that some of the effects were too graphic, but after a viewing by a staff member's son, they decided to broadcast it uncut.