Okay I won't waste much breath on this episode. It's certainly not worth it. This is another concept that has been done a million times. However, unlike the much used premise of star-crossed lovers with a psychic connection, this one isn't really charming. Sometimes it can be effective as comedy, but not this time either.
A planet where women are the dominate gender. They're bigger, stronger and objectify their men. (Bet they were regretting using those man-skirts for a symbol of sexual equality on the Enterprise now... and their dominate women still wear dresses... lol.) Some survivors of a ship wreck who,in spite of being humans who are past all such gender inequality in this perfect 24th century, make a life there. It is a life lived underground because they aren't submissive as males are expected to be by the rulers and therefore are not allowed to assimilate by making a homes and families.
Really, words almost fail me in describing how utterly stupid this episode is. And also how it makes no sense whatsoever for the point they're trying to prove.
Yes, humans are past all the gender inequality. That's why Tasha and Troi find Riker's attire so hilarious. We're gender blind now... but isn't it funny what a sissy Will looks like?
But, but, but... it's such and important episode... We must emasculate men as a way of showing how poorly they used to treat women... We can do that while catering to their wildest fantasies. The scene above could've have been Kirk and any one of his alien conquests.
Women are more intelligent on this world. They don't need to use their womenly wiles to get their way because they're superior.... *face palm*
And you got Ramsey complaining about the vote. This is too much, really. When women didn't have the vote, they didn't have to live in secret caves if they had an equal relationship to their husbands... Hello Abigale Adams? Dolly Madison? Eleanore Roosevelt? Yes, I know she's after the vote, but you know equality never really happened...
No, pay no mind to the fact the Mistress Ariel played not only an auto mechanic, but a scientist in a show where highly computerized vehicles were science fiction and she wasn't the love interest of the main character or looking like a bimbo with a tool belt from a girly magazine. No, women have never been taken seriously and even less seriously in the 80's apparently.
And tell me... since this episode is dedicated to showing you how weak and stupid the Angel One babes believe their men to be - why is pretty boy Trent expected to operate the magic murder ball? One may answer, psychological abuse! Not buying it. He was all too slavish to his job and Mistress Beata; not hesitant or disgusted with his duties, but rather nearly proud. He believed in his inferiority as much as the ladies.
All this set to the backdrop of another virus. (There's that brilliant recyclable writing again.)
You may think that there's no way I'd ever like this episode since I'm obviously anti-feminism. Actually, the first version didn't look too bad:
In Patrick Barry's original story, Beata was named Victoria
and she imprisoned Riker after he directly addressed her and then touched her
hand. Tasha Yar stunned Riker to prevent him being killed and then took over
command of the away team. In this version Captain Picard was the only person
aboard the Enterprise-D who was affected by the virus. The male slaves started
a revolution, led by Lucas Jones who was killed.
That version at least made and attempt to have substance. The cast and writers of this episode were all put off by the sexcapades turn this episode took. But we all know what it's really about. It was just a way to try to convince women that this is how men see women - past,present and always - as their subservient little secretary-under-the-desk play things. And it's sad how many women buy it hook, line, and sinker.
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