{"id":5331,"date":"2017-09-11T05:51:12","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T05:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/310-Fascination"},"modified":"2017-09-11T05:51:12","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T05:51:12","slug":"310-fascination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2017\/09\/11\/310-fascination\/","title":{"rendered":"3.10 — \u201cFascination\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

3.10 — \u201cFascination\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plot:<\/strong> It\u2019s an anti-love episode, in which Jake gets dumped, Kira\u2019s relationship with Vedek Bareil runs ashore, and Keiko returns from Bajor just to fight with O\u2019Brien. On top of this, Lwaxana Troi visits DS9 and inappropriate characters start mooning over each other <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thoughts:<\/strong> The idea was to copy A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/em>, in which fairies make the wrong people fall in love with each other for sport, including Queen Tatiana’s enforced enamoration with a donkey. Armin Shimerman and Ren\u00e9 Auberjonois are both quoted as saying this episode is \u201cembarrassing,\u201d as actors are forced to act out of character, and pair up with other actors who are supposed to be their friends, not lovers. (Terry Ferrell thinks it is “wonderful.”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This twee idea is similar to \u201cMeridian\u201d two episodes ago, in which the big idea is Brigadoon<\/em> in space. Is inspiration so scarce this early in the season?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019m not saying an episode similar to this can\u2019t be done well. TAS 1.10, \u201cMudd\u2019s Passion,\u201d has a similar plot, in which an artifact makes characters fall in love with each other (including, it is suggested, Kirk and Spock! In 1973!), and it\u2019s one of my favorite Trek episodes. “Mudd’s Passion” also features Majel Barrett in a central role, albeit that of Christine Chapel. Comedy is tricky in Star Trek. For every \u201cThe Trouble With Tribbles,\u201d there\u2019s a \u201cQpid\u201d or \u201cMove Along Home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What sinks “Fascination” the most? Is it the bad performances? I think it\u2019s the misuse of Lwaxana. She\u2019s back to being a foolish, tone deaf, man-crazy woman no one wants around, like she was used in the first through third seasons of TNG. Her chemistry with Ren\u00e9 Auberjonois, demonstrated in DS9 1.17, \u201cThe Forsaken,\u201d comes to naught. I guess this is because they want to push Kira Nerys as a love interest for him now, played by an actor 25 years younger than Barrett, and 15 years younger than Auberjonois. So now the joke\u2019s again on the woman who wants to sleep with everyone but no one wants her because she\u2019s too old. Ha ha ha no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also not funny is the plight of Keiko and O\u2019Brien. They seem to really be on the rocks, and it has nothing to do with the psychic love fever bullshit. I feel bad for them, but as it plays out I also don\u2019t know what show I’m watching, or what dramatic purpose this story serves. And c\u2019mon, O\u2019Brien. You aren\u2019t okay with Keiko being friends with a male colleague? In the 24th century? No wonder she appears to be sleeping with him. This strand, however, is the reason my rating is a half star above rock bottom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maybe also for the cool device Kira uses to light the brazier of burning scrolls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1.5 of 5 psychic-somatic headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Fascination<\/a>