7.2 — “Liaisons”
Plot: Two llyarian amabassadors visit the Enterprise as part of a cultural exchange which sends Picard to the lyaaran homeworld aboard a shuttle. When the shuttle crashes, Picard finds himself stranded on an inhospitable planet with a woman who had survived a previous crash seven years earlier. Meanwhile, Worf and Troi find their diplomatic duties onerous.
Thoughts: Well, this was nice enough, I guess.
Sure, the plot to trap Picard into satisfying the ambassador’s curiosity about love doesn’t make sense, since it literally depends on him deciding to walk outside and then getting struck by lightning. And the clue of the broken brooch tipping off Picard isn’t logical. How did it get repaired, exactly?
The character of Anna is annoyingly subservient. She’s like a man’s projection of an ideal woman, if that man is threatened by female intelligence or gumption of any kind. At least there is an explanation–the llyarans are just trying (unsuccessfully) to manipulate Picard. Yeah but sexist.
Worf’s reactions to the belligerent llyrian ambassador are played so broadly as to be totally unrealistic. I know they’re going for comedy, but I guess I have a bad sense of humor. Maybe the ham is supposed to distract us from the discomfiting spectacle of a white actor treating a black actor as a mix between a slave and an animal, albeit that they are both disguised in makeup. TNG is having a bit too much fun with racism, as well as sexism, in this episode.
Would it not have been better to swap Worf and Troi’s roles?The belligerent lyaaran could have tested the patience of a crew member who is known to actually value courtesy and diplomacy, while Worf could have kibitzed to Troi about how he would disembowel the cretin. Worf could have been exasperated by the venality of trailing around an ice cream fanatic who likes to say embarrassing things to children. Michael Dorn could have made this funnier by underplaying, without throwing childish tantrums.
On the bright side, there’s a mystery involving a visit to an alien planet which kind of makes sense, and the time passes reasonably quickly. “Liaisons” would have looked pretty good if it aired during first or second season.
One thing I hated was Riker’s line reading when he says “Besides, you look good in a dress.” Frakes delivers this line in such a way as to undercut the fine sentiment uttered a moment earlier, condemning Worf’s outmoded sexist attitude regarding the dress uniforms. The implication is “Don’t worry, I don’t really think that way, and neither do you.” Awful.
2 of 5 restrictor devices.
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