One of the original ideas - and one of the dumbest, and, mercifully, mostly ignored - was the crew of the Enterprise, would have their families.
LOVE BOAT in space.
Roddenberry realized quickly, this was not an 'entertaining' idea to continually follow, and, after it's initial season, the idea was mostly relegated to the back burner.
Except here.
There are very few children who can ACT. What most of them do, is look 'cute,' and, in this episode, that's what we're handed.
IMAGINARY FRIEND - is one of the few episodes that follows a moppet aboard ENTERPRISE, and, her 'invisible' friend.
As I said, there are very few children who can act. Such names as Patty McCormack, Billy Mumy come to mind, but, not here. It's following the other form of kid 'acting,' - cute, wooden, 'lispy-talk,' and, while I've a low tolerance for 'cute,' in general, it makes trying to stomach it - for an hour, is almost unbearable.
This annoyance is the major focus of this episode. The 'story's really a 'fish out of water' tale, with Clara's 'invisible' friend becoming an alien, who can't understand why 'humans' (more accurately, adults') can be so 'mean' to kids.
This would play much better as an ABC After-School special, but, it is so myopic, and its script, so hit-over-the-head-with-a-hammer type, that, it's barely watchable.
Years ago, another sci-fi show, the often mocked LOST IN SPACE (shut up!) did a GREAT episode (it was the first season, before it became so campy, so ridiculous), about a chlld's loneliness.
That episode, MY FRIEND, MR. NOBODY, was a wonderfully acted, and scripted (!) variation of this idea, where Penny Robinson feels neglected, and, spends her time with Mr. Nobody.
Like this STAR TREK episode, the adults did not believe Mr. Nobody was anything more than a child's imagination, but, it soon became apparent, he was real, and, as here, he also is angered at how the others treat Penny.
Angela Cartwright was a much better actress, than this girl, but, additionally, the ending of that episode was so beautifully handled, that, even now, it still stands out.
As for this episode, of STTNG...it was a throw-away then, and that's where it should stay.
