The Host ( episode ) A Trill ambassador is on board to mediate a dispute , and falls in love with Dr . Crusher . When the Trill host is killed , the symbiont has to be temporarily joined to Commander Riker to continue the negotiations – and the affair . Summary . Teaser . The is " en route " to Peliar Zel to mediate a critical dispute between the Alpha and Beta moons . A Trill ambassador , Odan , is aboard to mediate the negotiations . He and Dr . Crusher have initiated a romance and quickly fallen in love . However , they keep it to themselves and when Data nearly walks in on them when they are kissing in the turbolift , they become a little nervous . Odan feigns sickness to retreat to his quarters while Dr . Crusher leaves with Data to suggest something to keep him busy so that she can meet up with Odan . Odan , in his quarters , opens his shirt showing a bulge protruding . He applies a hypospray to relieve the stress . Act One . Crusher spends time in Odan ' s quarters , until Captain Picard summons the ambassador to the observation lounge , where Governor Leka Trion is arriving . The discord between the inhabitants of the two moons is revealed , which is that the Alpha moon has tapped into Peliar Zel ' s magnetic field , which gives them a rich power source , but in turn is causing severe global warming conditions on the Beta moon . The negotiations to resolve the conflict are to begin soon but Odan insists that he disembark to the planet only by the shuttle " " , rather than by transporter , even though he is made aware by Trion that many radical factions may try to block the negotiations by any means necessary . After everyone leaves , Picard asks what Troi is sensing . Odan is giving off a mix of emotions . In the meantime , Dr . Crusher is getting ready to meet Odan that night by treating herself at the spa on the ship . Counselor Troi goes in for some kind of treatment as well and sees her , remarking that it wasn ' t common to see her there . Troi also notes that Crusher must be in love since she ' s " glowing . " Odan goes to Picard in his ready room and thanks him for his help in the situation with Peliar Zel and to ask about " Dr . Beverly . " Picard , taken aback a little bit , replies that he cannot presume to speak for her . There is a call saying that a shuttle is ready for Ambassador Odan . Odan gives Crusher a rose before he leaves for the moon . When the " Hawking " with Odan and Riker launches , it is attacked by an unknown ship from one of the moons , seriously injuring Odan . Riker barely gets back to the " Enterprise " in the shuttle in one piece . When Odan is returned to the ship , Dr . Crusher and the medical staff attend to Odan . Crusher hypothesizes that there may be a parasite at play . Odan wakes and informs her that his body is just a host , and that she must make sure the parasite lives . Act Two . Crusher learns that the Trill are a joined species , a symbiont and a host , and this was the reason why he did not want to be beamed to the surface – it would have killed the symbiont . He asks her to contact to send another host body . Not even Dr . Crusher was aware what Odan really was . Odan ' s host body dies of the injuries , even though the symbiont being Odan is still alive . In the observation lounge , Crusher explains what just happened . The Trill say that they will send another host in 48 hours . However , as Dr . Crusher explains , the symbiont cannot survive long enough for the new host to arrive . Though no Human has ever hosted a Trill symbiont before , Riker volunteers to be a temporary host , both to save the Trill symbiont and continue with the mission to avert war . Crusher and Ogawa attempt to implant the symbiont in Riker , making the incision and placing the symbiont inside . Riker feels strange sensations and undergoes irregular brain waive patterns . After a while , it is apparently successful , as Riker calls her " Doctor Beverly . " Act Three . The new Odan talks to Trion from the bridge . She must convince the participants in the negotiation that he is Odan , and not as a Starfleet officer with possibly his own agenda . She says she will try . Odan leaves to go to his quarters to rest . Dr . Crusher goes to tend to him . On a personal level , she feels confused and betrayed , since Odan still loves her , but the Odan Dr . Crusher loves now lives in Riker ' s body – a Riker she has known for many years as nothing but a good friend . She avoids his advances while he attempts to reconnect with her , even though the new Odan reiterates that even though his body has changed , he still loves her . In a later conversation she has with Counselor Troi in Ten Forward , Dr . Crusher wonders what it was that she loved about Odan : his eyes , his hands , his mouth . . . but those things are all gone and if that is all there was , then she should mourn him and go on , but she knows that it was more than that for she felt completely free with him , unguarded , at ease with herself ; there were so many things that made him special to her , and she wonders where they are ; whether they are still here , alive in Will Riker . She simply has a hard time accepting him in this romantic capacity and asks Troi for advice . Deanna tells her about the first man she ever loved , her father , who was strong and tall and chased away the monsters from under her bed and sang to her and kept her safe . And he went away . What she wouldn ' t give to hear those songs again , and even though she never will , she still can feel his warmth and his love , as though he were there with her . So she tells Beverly that if she can feel those things from the man they know as Will Riker , she should accept that love and go to him . Just then , Riker steps in . Act Four . Trion arrives to the observation lounge with Kalin Trose of Alpha Moon and Lathal Bine of Beta Moon . Odan must convince them that he is in fact Odan and not the " Enterprise " s first officer , so he recounts their history of Trose and Bine ' s aunt thirty years ago , along with a little - known radical plot that developed and Trose ' s role in stopping it . Bine accepts Odan , but Trose must confer with his people , so Odan gives him eight hours and they leave . Then , Riker grabs his head , obviously in pain and goes to sickbay . There , Crusher examines him and only guesses that Riker ' s body is rejecting Odan , as it is overworked and its immune system under attack . Crusher can give him an immunosuppressant , but that won ' t correct the underlying cause . Picard leaves to wait for Odan in his ready room . Odan makes an advance on Crusher , but she still can ' t allow it , so Odan leaves . Picard informs Odan that the representatives agreed to accept him as mediator . Odan isn ' t surprised , calling them reasonable people trapped in their anger . Picard pauses during the conversation , saying that , for a moment , Odan sounded just like Riker , to which he is quietly reminded of Crusher ' s response earlier . Picard says a new host will arrive within eighteen hours , and Odan says he will push on . Dr . Crusher , still trying to figure out her feelings , goes to her quarters confused . Capt Picard asks Crusher to monitor Odan as he is feeling unwell . Odan tries to get through to her , but she rejects his advances . Beverly ' s feelings finally change when she sees the rose on a table in her quarters Odan gave her just before he left in the shuttle , and she reunites with him in his quarters . Act Five . Despite increasing symptoms of rejection from Riker ' s body , Odan carries on . The effects of Crusher ' s injections are smaller with each dose , and Odan says they are damaging to Riker in any case . He must conduct negotiations today , and Odan insists that he be removed from Riker regardless of whether the new host has arrived in time . Odan leaves , and Picard offers a hand to Crusher , knowing the pain she is going through . After six hours , Worf informs them that the Trill ship is experiencing difficulty and won ' t arrive for nine hours . Just then , Odan comes from the observation lounge , saying " it was worth it " and collapses . He is successful and managed to prevent an inter - planetary war . Picard immediately orders to intercept the Trill ship at warp nine , but that leaves two hours time . Crusher gave her word she would remove the symbiont from Riker , so they head to sickbay . Dr . Crusher removes the symbiont in time to save Riker and places it in stasis . After some time , the new host , Kareel , arrives ready to accept it . Crusher is surprised to find out , however , that the body is female , and so the love between Dr . Crusher and Odan comes to an insurmountable obstacle for Crusher . She confesses that she still loves Odan , but she is not accustomed to these kinds of changes . Maybe it is a Human failing , she states , but she simply " can ' t keep up " with them ; she can ' t live with that kind of an uncertainty . She goes on to say that perhaps some day , Humankind ' s ability to love won ' t be so limited . Kareel Odan says that she understands and , kissing Crusher ' s hand one last time in the same way that she used to do , she affirms that she will never forget her . Memorable quotes . " " Do you know when I first met the formidable Dr . Beverly , uh . . . what " ten " days ago ? " " " " Mmm . " " " " I thought to myself , " This woman is " ice " . . . through to her bones ! " " " " " Mm - hm . " " " " Who would have ever guessed instead of ice . . . there is fire ? " " " " I hope Dr . Crusher was able to help you with your headache . " " " " Uh . . . thank you . Actually , she " was . " " " Beverly . . . you ' re in love . " " " " Sometimes , I wish you weren ' t so empathic . " " ( whispering ) " " I don ' t think it ' s really a secret . " " " " It isn ' t ? " " ( whispering ) " " You ' ve been glowing . " " " " Oh . " " ( pause ) " " Must be the astringent . " " " " Oh , all I know is I haven ' t felt this way for a long time . " " " " And you like it . " " " " I " like " it . " " " " This body is just a host . I " am " that parasite . That is what must survive . " " " " The risk is too great , commander . " " " " Weigh it against the prospect of war . " " " " It ' s your choice , Will . " " " " Let ' s get to it . " " " " Speak softly , governor . Those who cannot hear an angry shout , may strain to hear a whisper . " " " " You ' re going to be all right . How do you feel ? " " " " I ' m fine . You look a little tired , Dr . Beverly . " " " " If you can feel those things from the man we know as Will Riker , accept them . Accept the love . " " " " Please let me touch you . Just for a moment . " " " " No , please . " " " " And , yes , I am " still " Odan and I still love you . I cannot imagine that ever changing . " " " Perhaps it is a Human failing , but we are not accustomed to these kinds of changes . I can ' t keep up . How long will you have this host ? What would the next one be ? I can ' t live with that kind of uncertainty . Perhaps , someday , our ability to love won ' t be so limited . " Links and references . References . 19th century ; 2321 ; 2324 ; 2337 ; ; Alpha moon ; Alphan s ; Ancient Philosophies ; Andrew ; " balso " tonic ; barbershop ; Beta moon ; Betan s ; Betan ship ; blood count ; Bolian s ; cerebrospinal fluid ; colgonite astringent ; ; dizziness ; Earth ; electroencephalography ; eosinophilia ; exobiology ; Federation ; global warming ; governor ; ' ; host ; immunosuppressant ; ionosphere ; Jennifer ; laser scalpel ; Lathal Bine ' s aunt ; lemon tea ; lymphocyte ; magnetospheric energy tap ( magnetosphere ) ; metabolic booster ; metrazene ; ' ; molecular transport ; number one ; Odan ' s first host ; Odan ' s second host ; pallor ; Peliar system ; Peliar Zel II ; Peliar Zel native s ; five card draw ; rejection ; rose ; sculpture ; shock ; shuttlecraft ; soccer ; Stefan ; transporter ; Trill ; Trill diagnostic tool ; Trill symbiont ; ; ; turbolift