Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Haven
Link to StarTrek.com Episode Guide
It’s really all a matter of perspective. Cultures clash again when it comes to wedding rituals and each culture thinks that its own is evolved and the other barbaric. The episode also has a nice heavy-handed caveat about using technology responsibly. Because, if you don’t, you will inevitably wipe out your entire species. It’s a good thing they had all the petty bickering and wedding planning to lighten up the tone of the episode!
Beyond the cultural differences between Betazoids and Humans, the episode also takes a look at the idea of destiny vs. free will. It’s kind of nice to see that even though the technology has advanced so far, there are some things that are still beyond explanation.
This episode also prompted a discussion between L and myself on the image projected of the ‘ideal Captain’ theme that came up in this episode. Do you think the role of Captain is one that is supposed to be a life of solitude, without family and personal connections? Even though the Federation is rather sugar coated, they are still a military organization at their core. And military life doesn’t always blend well with family life. Or, is it just that Riker’s intense ambitions lead him to choose his own career route over the possibility of a family?
Recurring Character Intro: Lwaxana Troi, played by the magnificent Majel Barrett Rodenberry, who recently passed away on December 18th, 2008.
Lwaxana Troi is another character who is always a pleasure to watch. My own descriptions of her can’t do it justice, so I thought it would fun to throw in some quotes about her from the episode . . .
- Lwaxana Troi: I am Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx and the Holy Rings of Betazed. Who are you?
- Deanna Troi: I should warn you, Sir, my mother is a little ... eccentric
- Lwaxana Troi: I am always serious, dear boy. Only my pleasant nature makes it appear otherwise.
Some fun stuff that I found writing this blog post:
- Memory-Alpha – A Star Trek wiki!
- Star Trek Minutiae
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3 comments:
LOL! Love the quotes and I adore Lwaxana! :)
Good quotes! Lwaxana was a fantastic character and one of my favourites! I think Majel Barrett Roddenberry was a classy lady and I'll miss her!
Interesting side note (but perhaps only to me): this was the first ever episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that I remember watching in its entirety one New Year's Eve (while babysitting down the street). And thus, a lifelong passion/obsession began . . .
OMG! This was the New Year's Eve episode?! I remember watching an episode on New Year's and that being 'the beginning' but I didn't know this was that episode! Cool! Thanks for sharing that bit of info. It fills in some of my own personal Trek Story.
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