When the Bough Breaks (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) attempts to negotiate for their release, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) organizes a passive resistance among the children. The episode features Jerry Hardin in his first "Star Trek" role, and Brenda Strong. Mackenzie Westmore, the daughter of make-up supervisor Michael Westmore, along with Jeremy and Amy Wheaton, the younger brother and sister of Wil Wheaton, appear as uncredited children. 10.2 million viewers watched the episode, which was higher than the number of viewers watching the following episode. "When the Bough Breaks" received a mixed reception from critics who praised the performances of Stewart and Wheaton, but
The Host (Star Trek: The Next Generation) of Odan would return in non-canon "Star Trek" publications, including in the short story "First Steps" within "The Lives of Dax" anthology. It also made two appearances in licensed comics, first in DC Comics "Star Trek: The Next Generation Annual" issue four and then in "Divided we Fall", a crossover between "The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine" published under the WildStorm imprint. The makeup for the Trill host featured a separate nose and forehead pieces, as the intention was to retain the general look of a human. Air bladders were placed inside a fake abdomen to create the shot