refuses to release John to the Zalkonians without more information as to the charges. He contacts the other ship and mentions John's strange powers, which alarms Captain Sunad. Sunad immediately triggers a device which causes the entire Enterprise crew to become unable to breathe. John resists the device and heals everyone aboard the Enterprise with one bright flash of his energy. His memory now restored, John transports Sunad to the Enterprise using his powers. John explains that his race has reached a new stage in evolution, in which they are evolving into beings of energy. His homeworld's government fears what is happening and, telling the population it is a deadly sickness, kills any who show the signs of change; John and others aboard the ship were escaping from their homeworld when attacked. John then becomes the first to complete the transformation, becoming invulnerable. John offers to help Sunad make this transformation as well, but Sunad still refuses. John sends Sunad back to his own ship, warning him that their government can no longer keep their people in ignorance. The Zalkonian ship then leaves the area. John bids the crew good-bye, transforms into energy and departs the ship. While it's not known where John went, the implication is that John left for his homeworld so that other Zalkonians would have the chance to evolve and join him. Notes "Transfigurations" was one of a long line of Star Trek episodes dealing with the effects of accelerated humanoid evolution. In several science fiction realms, including Star Trek, Doctor Who, Stargate SG-1, and Babylon 5, the highest evolutionary form is suggested to be an intelligence no longer bound by physical form, but instead constituted as pure energy. In several of these contexts, the highly evolved beings are gifted with extraordinary healing powers. This concept was first explored in the TOS episode Charlie X, but it was given more rhetorical force in Errand of Mercy. Reception Keith R. A. DeCandido of Tor.com gave the episode 7 out of 10. Releases On October 3, 1995 "Best of Both Worlds, Part I" and "Transfigurations" were released on LaserDisc in the United States. The episode was released with Star Trek: The Next Generation season three DVD box set, released in the United States on July 2, 2002. This had 26 episodes of Season 3 on seven discs, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. It was released in