Who directed the TNG episode 'The Offspring'?

Jonathan Frakes directed the TNG episode “The Offspring.” It was his directorial debut and the first of many Star Trek episodes he would direct.

Frakes was already a principal cast member, playing Commander William Riker, when he moved behind the camera. The episode centers on Data creating an android child, Lal, and trying to protect her from Starfleet intervention. Its emotional focus made it a notable early showcase for Frakes’s directing.

The answer is sometimes confused with Patrick Stewart or LeVar Burton because both later directed TNG episodes. Stewart’s directorial debut was “In Theory,” while Burton became one of the series’ most prolific actor-directors. Rob Bowman also directed many TNG episodes, but not this one.

“The Offspring” aired on March 12, 1990, as season three’s 16th episode. Frakes later directed TNG episodes including “Reunion,” “The Drumhead,” and “Cause and Effect,” as well as the feature films “First Contact” and “Insurrection.”