While working at Anavrin, Joe meets . Unlike the sophisticated literary women Joe usually pursues (like Beck), Love is a sunny, bohemian health nut. She is a widow who works in the store to pass the time, though she is independently wealthy.

"The Drumhead" is a significant episode in the second season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," airing on September 12, 1988. The episode revolves around allegations of a serious breach of Starfleet regulations by Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Candace walks up to Joe, looks him dead in the eye, and greets him by his real name. "Hi, Joe."

The episode ends on this cliffhanger. Joe’s worst nightmare has come true. The past he tried to bury in New York has followed him to Los Angeles. His "fresh start" is over before it even began.

The episode mirrors the themes of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, with Admiral Satie acting similarly to Joseph McCarthy, instilling fear and accusations without substantial evidence. The Federation's inquisition into Captain Picard's actions raises questions about the balance between authority, discipline, and individual freedom.