Review 95 - Episode 91 (Nov 30 1987)The One where Troi's getting hitched
This was the first appearance of Troi's mother, Lwaxana Troi, played by Majel Barrett who completed an unusual hat trick here by playing 3 different characters over TOS and now TNG. She would go onto be a regular yearly event, much like Q and my memories of her are being bored and irritated. She's actually not bad here, but she is in a more supporting role.
The big story is Deanna is in a prearranged marriage to Wyatt, a doctor with a dodgy 80's Kevin Bacon hairdo. It's still 10 times better than Tasha's barnet though. He's been in mental contact with a blonde chick who looks like she walked of a rock video and has sketched drawings of her and he'd assumed it was Troi. This is never explained satisfactorily, the answer being that he has a psychic power that all humans have apparently that can cross light years. News to me.
It turns out she's on a plague ship (ohh, bad choice), but he's not fussed and beams over first chance he gets. He comes across as quite insipid and far from being a doctor planning on curing an ancient disease, he looks more like a wilting poet or artist.
Picard and Data are played for laughs when interacting with the parents and come across quite funny. Riker is a petulant school boy who seems to be allowed to shag his way across the galaxy, but when Troi trys it, he takes a hissy fit. There's lots of wincing and storming out doors from him and it's not his golden hour. Deanna is smiling in this episode and comes across as less cold and alien. She also doesn't have the cleavage out (sorry TCW fans) and this is because the episode was produced earlier in the season. So, really, the producers suddenly seemed to decide that the answer to Troi's character was a low cut top? What about decent characterisation? Tasha is bearable (apart from that hair style - imagine she had that the whole series. It makes me laugh that she's still in uniform, but gets her hair done up) Worf and Wesley are awol and Geordi and Bev are just hanging about.
It's an okay watch, especially as in theory it deepens the Troi/Riker relationship, but it doesn't come across on screen and only the comedy moments make it worthwhile.
2/5
Overall Star Trek Franchise Rating so far: 271/480
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