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
Family (Star Trek: The Next Generation) away from the Picard story. James Van Hise and Hal Schumer in "The Complete Trek: The Next Generation" also criticized the Wesley and Worf stories for the same reason, but called "Family" one of the best "The Next Generation" episodes as it "bravely deals with human issues rather than galactic conflict." The duo suggested that it may have been considered for awards if the writers had concentrated solely on the Picard plot. In 2010, Zack Handlen gave "Family" a rating of A for "The A.V. Club". He said it was "one of the best hours "TNG" has ever done", saying