Symbiosis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Symbiosis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "Symbiosis" is a very special episode of the American science fiction television series "". It first aired on April 18, 1988, in broadcast syndication. The teleplay was written by Robert Lewin, Richard Manning, and Hans Beimler, based on a story by Lewin, and the episode was directed by Win Phelps. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship "Enterprise"-D. In this episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) tries to mediate a trade dispute between two co-dependent neighbouring planets regarding medical supplies which turn out to
Descent (Star Trek: The Next Generation) of the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", which included an opportunity by Hawking to sit in the captain's chair. Freedman told the show's executive producer, Rick Berman, that Hawking would appear on the show if asked. Hawking accepted the ensuing offer, marking the first time a guest star played himself on an episode of any "Star Trek" series. After he was sent the script, he made some modifications to it, including improving a humorous line of dialogue to make it funnier, which Berman called "delightful". Later, when actor Brent Spiner, who appeared in the scene with Hawking, first