LogFAQs > #970929827

Episode 24:Mnage Troi

Lwaxana is back and so are the Ferengi.

Making up an excuse to leave on the spot seems like a poor idea against a telepath, but Picard manages it. Sweet of him to give Riker some time off. The overacted poetry recital was the probably the only genuinely funny part of this.

Riker finds Lwaxana's outburst hilarious. Actually, he finds the whole thing hilarious until they all get transported. Good chess player.

La Forge is encouraging of Wesley.

Worf respects Lwaxana.

Crusher tries to see Wesley off.

Troi is still frustrated with her mother. Straight up barks at her to stop being patronising, which is nice to see. Headbutting Riker's chest in despair is great. Some great physicality with the telepathy scenes, including her reaction to the kiss.

Data drones on for a bit.

Never thought I'd see Wesley be a champion for other cultures. The inevitability of change and how it affects young people, as well as the need to choose your own path, is a good story for him, though its not too well developed.

Lwaxana is still in matchmaker mode. Quite sedate compared to her previous appearances. On the back foot for once, since this is basically a role reversal of her previous appearance. Truly love how strained she is in trying to be polite to Tog. She's a completely different character compared to Haven, but this is considerably better than Manhunt. It's kind of remarkable how, by my standards, she's spent more time out of character than in.

Tog is a skeevy little rat. His fellow Ferengi have fallen straight into bumbling joke villains.

Lwaxana and Homn wandering into the background was a nice sight gag. It fits for the Ferengi, but stripping Troi and Lwaxana is closer to uncomfortable than funny. That can be said for most of the perving, though. It's a comedy episode (I think), but apart from Picard's antics, it didn't feel much more than occasional pleasent and that's before they decide to strip the characters.

Even if you didn't know or care about production history, you could probably sense changes based purely on how recurring guest stars are treated. Q wavers between teacher and trickster mode and nobody can decide whether the joke is on Lwaxana or not. Haven worked because she was far more lucid and astute than she presented and ultimately knew better than everyone. Her antics were a source of personal amusement because she knew that etiquette and formality are actually the biggest joke going. Here, though, and in Manhunt, she's been reduced to Troi's annoying relative. The jokes on her, first, by having her be a cougar parody and now, by giving her an unwanted suitor, perhaps as an act of strange comeuppance. Even if I'm reading too much into how she's being used, I can confidently say that it's not my preferred version of her.

Oh, and there's a strand of making your own decisions that sort of links Wesley's and Lwaxana's stories, but it's undercooked. At least in red, he'll be more bearable to look at.

Nothing particularly awful but, kind of bland, all in all.

Due for some Transfigurations, tomorrow.