But the similarities with Rice’s prose are just too similar when it comes to this episode, and it contained key elements from neither of those other works. Of course, Anne Rice cited those gothic stories as inspirations for her as well. Taylor, who went on to produce Star Trek: Voyager, has always maintained that her script was inspired by Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and the film The Innocents, and never read Rice’s book. Gallo, who submitted her story ideas through Star Trek’s open-door submission policy of that time. The writing credit for “Sub Rosa” went to Jeri Taylor, based on a treatment by Star Trek superfan Jeanna F. Both Lasher and Ronin can affect the environment and can control the weather. Lasher and Ronin were both tied to a family heirloom. Both the Mayfairs and Howards respective origins as healers went back to the Scottish highlands.

(Although Beverly obviously changed her surname to Crusher). The women in both families almost all kept the same last name, despite marriage. Both spirits had one-word names, and were suave and seductive.

Both stories feature multiple generations of women under the spell of an ancient, malevolent (yet sexy) spirit. The similarities between The Witching Hour and “Sub Rosa” were way too numerous to appear coincidental. By the episode’s climax, she destroyed the candle and escapes the being’s influence, returning to the Enterprise. With the help of Captain Picard, Beverly escaped Ronin’s thrall. Ultimately, it’s revealed that Ronin had been latching on to the women in her family, manipulating them, in order to become corporeal.

She began to act completely out of character, willing to throw away her life in Starfleet to be with Ronin. Beverly found all of this out by reading her late grandmother’s diaries, until Ronin appeared and seduced her too. This being, named Ronin, functioned as a friend, mentor, and lover to the Howard women (Howard being Beverly’s maiden surname).

The witching hour books in order