Ménage à Troi

Lwaxana Troi is back once again at the end of a trade conference on board the Enterprise. When she rejects the advances of an amorous Ferengi, she unwittingly starts a chain of events that involves her eventual kidnapping along with Riker and Deanna. Meanwhile, Wesley begins to realise that his career in Starfleet may put his time on board the Enterprise at risk.

The weakest episode of season three and it's not even close. Barrett's grand dame feels like she has ran her course now as the show doesn't have much more for her to do. The story is ridiculous even for Trek, there's hardly any Mr Homn (who I always found funnier anyway) and the episode has the nerve to tease us with the departure of Wesley before snatching that glorious possibility away again. Poor stuff and definitely one to skip for the binge-watchers.

What I would have expected to see in this episode is flashbacks to Deanna's youth. That youth can't have been easy. Betazoids read thoughts of other people, as Deanna's mother Lwaxana reveals. Deanna however is half human. Her father is a human. As a result, Deanna can only read emotions and not thoughts. What's it like growing up in a Betazoid school where every other school kid can read thoughts while Deanna can only read emotions ? Do teachers there watch school kids beat up other school kids, while shaking their heads at the victim ? "Your thoughts are repulsive. Now, pick up your teeth." Is that a typical Betazoid school ? How relieved was Deanna when she joined earth where everyone is stupid ? Where no one reads minds ? How much did Deanna enjoy her first human-written Mystery Thriller ? A murder and no one finds out who dunnit ? I'm not being sarcastic, here. Deanna did join Starfleet, at some point. I'd like to see how little it was she settled for, really, in comparison, when she hooked up with human William T. Riker.

"Menage a Troi"'s greatest offense is that (for the most part) it's just as much of a groaner as that wordplay in the title Lwaxana's back, she spars with Deanna about female responsibility, and that's before they're abducted (along with Riker) by a horndog Ferengi. Put simply, it's dull and the lighthearted stuff isn't funny.

. . . Until the last few minutes or so, wherein Picard summons his inner Shakespearean in a standoff with the Ferengi ship. This however is very funny because Patrick Stewart's going for broke. He completely livens up this sleepy episode. And it's no wonder that that image of him hamming it up has been co-opted into Internet meme infamy.

6/10

Riker, Deanna and Lwaxana Troi are kidnapped by the Ferengi.

This is a below average episode in my opinion as the plot comes across as a bit of a farce and the characters, particularly in the main plot feel more like caricatures.

Comedy is very much in the eye of the beholder so if you are fans of the Lwaxana character you should enjoy it. The kidnap plot never seems plausible, particularly the torture scenes which come across as being played for laughs. Personally the humour mostly does not work for me until one of the final scenes where Picard takes centre stage. This resolution, although humorous, turns the Ferengi into complete non-entities.

Some of the dialogue is so flat and characterless it feels like it might have been written or thought up just prior to the footage being shot.

I prefer the subplot involving Wesley Crusher which contains some nice sci-fi details and a decent arc for the character.

The visuals I found to be a mixed bag. It has great makeup effects for the Ferengi characters, whilst at the same time putting Riker and Troi in two ridiculous costumes.

The best aspect of it is definitely the acting, as all cast members managed to make a terrible script sound professional.

How times have changed: Such an episode would never be made today. Abduction and sexual harassment of 2 women, beamed naked to the Ferengi ship, held hostages as lust slaves. But it's all portrayed in a "funny" matter.

Troi's mother really becomes annoying. She has more character development time than Deanna.

And why is Picard pretending to be in love with Troi's mother when in the end the threat to destroy yhe Ferengi ship solved the hostage situation? He could have done that right away without the whole charade of being the jealous lover. I wonder what Starfleet has to say, that one of their captains threatens to destroy a Ferengi ship just like so.