30th Anniversary TNG Episode Discussion Marathon

[Nate the Great]

November 1st, 1993, "Dark Page"

No fiver

The Episode

Captain's log, stardate 47254.1. A delegation of the Cairn have just come on board. This telepathic species has no concept of spoken language, and is being instructed in its use by an old friend.

This premise falls apart at the slightest resistance.
1. If this species never had a need for spoken language until they entered the galactic community, how do they have vocal cords?
2. Why is Lwaxana here? We're never given any indication that she's trained in anything other than being a member of the aristocracy, so why is she able to teach anyone? Furthermore, why would she be able to comprehend the Cairn's thoughts if they don't use conventional words?
3. If the Universal Translator can translate the Companion, why can't it translate the Cairn?
4. Lwaxana will soon say that the Cairn don't think in words, but images. So how could they develop any technology at all, much less warp drive?

LWAXANA: Of course, they realise that they'll want to communicate verbally if they join the Federation.

I'm confused at this. Plenty of times we've seen Horta wear personal translators because they can't communicate verbally. And don't even try to tell me that the UT can't make a direct connection with the language center of the brain, because obviously they can!

LAFORGE: It's called a visor. It enables me to see.
HEDRIL: (a little girl) Like my vocal enhancer. It helps me make sounds.

The metaphor didn't make sense with Riva's chorus, and it doesn't make sense here.

LWAXANA: Aren't you going to mingle, Mister Woof?
WORF: I do not care for telepaths. They make me uneasy.

I've already said that it's far FAR too late to continue the Mr. Woof joke. Worf's feelings about telepaths could be a screed by themselves, I could speculate for a long time about the Romulan/Klingon alliance and so forth in relation to this idea.

MAQUES: Your mother told me of your need.
TROI: Need?
MAQUES: A moment. Husband. You need a husband. I need a wife.

Ugh. UGH. Putting aside Lwaxana's lack of tact and understanding, I'm offended at the notion that people have to be married to be happy. And frankly Lwaxana trying to get Deanna a husband is another plot that should've been dispensed with years ago.

LWAXANA: I just think it's time for you to settle down.

In an age when people routinely live to be over a hundred years old why is Lwaxana so dead set on Deanna having a child NOW? Furthermore, even she should see how self-sabotaging her efforts are by now. She shows up, Deanna is exasperated, Deanna continues to be single, rinse and repeat.

LWAXANA: You are so precious to me. You're all I've got. If something happened to you I don't know what I'd do.

I get that Lwaxana is being reminded of Kestra right now, but this idea that Lwaxana is only happy when living vicariously through Deanna and possible grandchildren is patently ridiculous. She's aristocracy back on Betazed and it's definitely implied that she has many friends back there.

MAQUES: Your mother is the first to learn our telepathy.
TROI: You mean you've never had telepathy with someone who wasn't Cairn?

What? Lwaxana wasn't part of the First Contact team, so how did Starfleet communicate with the Cairn until a powerful telepath could be contacted? Are Vulcan mind melds really not enough?

TROI: I was all set for another round of arguing when all of a sudden she just fell apart.
RIKER: She's under a lot of stress. She's preparing the Cairn to meet with the Federation Council.

The Federation Council? The Cairn are nowhere near ready to formally join the Federation, so shouldn't they still be working with the diplomatic delegation?

RIKER: Mrs Troi.
LWAXANA: Don't you Mrs Troi me.
TROI: Mother!
LWAXANA: Why don't you leave her alone? If it weren't for you she'd be married by now.

A loaded topic. She thinks that if Deanna had never met Will again she'd be dating more? Possible, I suppose, but very troublesome.

I suddenly wonder what Lwaxana would think of Tom Riker (before he defected to the Maquis, I mean).

(Maques pricks his finger on a rose thorn)
TROI: Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose. It's an old earth poem by John Milton.

From Paradise Lost, Book 4. Why is Deanna quoting poetry to people who only recently learned about words?

TROI: This is something I think you'll find interesting. It's a jewel plant from Folnar Three. The plant secretes a resin which is collected within the blossom. By the time the bloom has faded, the resin has hardened into a rare and beautiful gem.

An interesting idea, although there are only a few "gems" that can be beautiful without crystal facets.

LWAXANA: I remember the day I took this.
TROI: Mister Homn said he saved it in case someday you wanted to remember her.

This is odd, because we were given the implication that Mr. Homn started working for Lwaxana fairly recently because his predecessor Mr. Xelo became obsessed with her. So was Xelo just an interim manservant, or did Xelo give the picture to Homn on his way out?

Memory Alpha

* The page brings up the Xelo/Homn thing and agrees that Xelo gave Homn the picture.
* Only one of three episodes that there isn't a scene on the bridge.
* Only episode in TNG where Lwaxana appears without Homn. The actor was unavailable.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Worf doesn't try to correct the "Mr. Woof". One of Phil's readers pointed this out.
* Given the Betazoid's telepathy, is it really possible that none of Lwaxana's friends mentioned Kestra to Deanna?
* For that matter, wouldn't Kestra be in Ian's Starfleet record?
* The stardates given in this episode don't even try to adhere to 1000 units=1 year.
* Phil wonders how Homn can speak with Deanna when we've only heard him say "thank you for the drinks". Well, the answer is obvious. Homn only speaks with his employers, which Deanna would count as. He only said "thank you for the drinks" because he was tipsy. In the novel "Imzadi" when Lwaxana is dying he says "She's waiting for you" to Will.
* Wouldn't Lwaxana have a telepathic link with Kestra and notice that she had wandered off?
* Phil wonders where Deanna got her accent when neither Lwaxana and Ian sound like her. Did Deanna go to a boarding school where she was forced to use an archaic accent?