Star Trek: The Loss

Episode: "The Loss"

Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Season 4, Episode 10

Original Air Date: December 31, 1990

via Memory Alpha

Counselor Troi has lost her empathic powers.  The loss is presumed to be connected to the Enterprise's proximity with a deadly cosmic string and/or a swarm of two-dimensional lifeforms being drawn towards said string.  It's becoming part of the Next Gen narrative formula: our heroes confront two crises at once and thankfully the solution to one proves to be the solution for both.

"The Loss" is a popular choice for worst TNG episode lists but I think the common criticisms are unfair.  Perhaps that balances out all the Q episodes others seem to love a lot more than I do.  I'm not going to say it's a great one.  There are definitely issues.  The secondary narrative is tech-babble heavy, for instance.  But the issues I see are not the complaints I read about among the fandom.  A lot of them accuse Troi of being whiny...

Okay folks, it's time to have a come to Jesus regarding Deanna Troi.  I will concede this much: she is by no means the strongest character in the series.  Nor is Marina Sirtis the strongest actor in the cast.  It takes quite a while for her to look even comfortable in the role.  The same could be said for many of the principals but Sirtis definitely takes the longest.  All of that acknowledged, the character and the actor's struggles reflect deeper problems within Star Trek and science fiction in general.  Folks, it's time to get real about sexism.

30 years after his death, it has been clearly established that Gene Roddenberry was a deeply sexist man and the franchise he created often reflects that.  He had well-known affairs with cast members in the original series, including Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett who would, of course, eventually become his wife.  He hired a costume designer in Bill Theiss who unashamedly built his reputation on clothes which, especially for women, looked like they could fall off at any moment.  TNG was better but consider the fact that during the first season, Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) left because she wasn't getting enough material, Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) was fired for complaining too much about the sexist stories and Sirtis herself was worried she would be let go.  The fact that those three are all women - indeed, the only three women in the principal cast - is not a coincidence.

Deanna Troi, over seven seasons, was never not a sexualized character.  Naturally, it starts with costuming.  The low cut, tight fitting jump suits are certainly flattering.  Sirtis is a beautiful woman and I would hope she's proud of that but she didn't dress herself.  The costumes send a message: this woman's sex appeal is the most important thing she has to offer the show.  Meaningful character development for her always lags behind most of the others because, it would seem, it's not necessary.  It takes work to bring sensuality or vulnerability to Worf, Data or even Picard.  For Troi, you've just gotta speak softly and show some cleavage.  Who cares if she has any dimension beyond that?

Sexism also runs deep among the fans.  It's gotten better over the years.  Interestingly, Japan has led the way, rather surprising from such an historically chauvinistic culture.  My daughter's generation has grown up with Miyazaki's strong female protagonists and the generally more sophisticated narratives of anime.  As such, the 21st century kids expect more and damn right they should.  But historically, the geek universe is a boys' world and the tolerance for female characters is limited, to put it kindly.  Internet debates over a female Doctor Who, a female James Bond, a Star Wars trilogy with a female lead are ridiculous.  Most of the fanboys (forgive the expression, Tony) are content to see a character like Troi contained within her glass box.  Wait, she's complaining about something?  Never mind the fact that anyone in her situation would be understandably upset for a long time.  She's on the show and she's hot.  Isn't that enough?  Why do I have to listen to her going on about this?

Unfair?  To the geeks, I mean?  I don't think so.  It's all part of a pattern.

Getting back to the episode, I do regret that such a complicated scenario as a sudden disability was so brutally oversimplified for the time constraint - much as Tony Stark was able to kick alcoholism in a single comic book issue.  I get that's a limitation of the medium but, to my broader point, we've seen this with Troi stories before.  In "The Child," she must process rape, unintended pregnancy, reproductive choice, childbirth, motherhood and the loss of her child all within one 42-minute stretch.  That's a lot to ask of a character, never mind an actor.  But we're only going to give this lady one or two featured episodes a season at most so we'd better pack a lot in to each one.

Interestingly, the writers considered making the loss of empathic abilities a permanent part of Troi's character.  Being a geek who fears change myself, I'm glad they didn't but I can't deny it could have been interesting - perhaps even spinoff-series-worthy.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Kim Braden plays the role of Ensign Janet Brooks, a patient of Counselor Troi's.  She was born in London to Canadian parents, November 1948.  As she is a natural redhead, it's not exactly surprising to learn that she made her breakthrough as Anne Shirley in two BBC miniseries: Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea.  Now, there's a satisfying female protagonist!

via Anne of Green Gables Wiki

"The Loss" is her first of two Star Trek appearances.  In the 1994 film Generations, she played Elise Picard, Jean-Luc's wife in an alternate reality.  Probably not coincidentally, Braden's husband, David Carson, was the director of that film.