3.24 — “Ménage à Troi”
Plot: Lawaxana Troi is back. As the Enterprise concludes a trade conference on Betazed involving participation by the Ferengi, a Ferengi captain, Daimon Tog, takes a fancy to Lawaxana. He reasons her telepathic powers would give them an advantage in future trade negotiations. After Lawaxana spurns his advances, Daimon kidnaps Lawaxana along with Deanna Troi and Riker, who are walking in a park holding hands and kissing. The Ferengi proceed to humiliate and torture Lawaxana. Can she outsmart them? Meanwhile, Wesley is on the verge of completing his Starfleet exams at last.
Thoughts: Let’s see. In the name of “comedy,” Lawaxana has to be stripped, forced to symbolically give sexual service to a Ferengi she despises, be tortured, and then get fought over as a love object between the dominant males on the Ferengi ship and the Enterprise. I’m not laughing.[*] Just as an exercise, picture how this episode would play if Lawaxana’s role and all her lines were given to Will Riker instead. What would you think of him afterwards? Probably that he was weak, compromised, effeminate, and thoroughly humiliated.
In the end, the Ferengi aren’t punished or penalized for their conduct. After all, they were just being rambunctious bad boys. Are we to believe that Lawaxana should feel flattered, instead of like a crime victim?
No, TNG still hasn’t overcome its large blind spots with respect to sexism. Many of the early scenes are spent haranguing Deanna for not putting family before career. Yes, we’re supposed to think Lawaxana is being inappropriate, but imagine the same dialogue being employed in a scene between Riker and his father. You can’t, right? I rest my case.
I would skip this episode if I was showing the series to my daughter. I don’t even think it presents good teachable moments. It’s insidious.
I did find some interesting trivia on the Internet. Ethan Phillips, who later played Neelix on Voyager, plays one of the Ferengi (Dr. Farek). Memory Alpha notes that the Ferengi sexual practice of oo-mox makes its first appearance in this episode. Also, despite previous instances where Troi indicates that she is able to empathically sense Ferengi, (TNG: “The Last Outpost”, “The Battle”, “The Price”) this episode establishes that Betazoids cannot read Ferengi. This inability is later referenced in TNG: “The Loss” and DS9: “The Forsaken”.
One more thing. Why are Deanna and Will kissing in the park? Is this the slowest-burning courtship ever? Did someone just forget to consult the continuity bible?
1 out of 5 Algolian ceremonial rhythms, because I’d be embarrassed to give it a 2.
[*] Feminists are humorless, don’t you know?
http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/M%C3%A9nage_%C3%A0_Troi
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