This is a good episode. This is also a frustrating episode because it's hampered by the flippancy common to the first and second seasons. I want to just scream at certain points because I really like the concept and most of the episode in general.
I also have to tie in a point that I was making in the last episode regarding aliens looking human all the time. This is one of the cases where it's not that big of a deal. If there is real substance in the episode, you can get away with human looking aliens because there's too much going on for a person to be too critical. The Enterprise has to transport a famously successful peace mediator to a planet where warring factions are ready to sit down and discuss a treaty. Finally the confrontational parties are on one planet instead of two, making the scenario more accessible to a thinking mind. They spend a lot of time getting Riva from his own place too in order to introduce the wonderful idea of this deaf mediator.
Wonderful, not because he's deaf, but because of the way he communicates. He can sign and read lips, but the most creative part was his "chorus" that traveled with him and spoke his thoughts aloud because he had a fine tuned telepathic relationship with them. He expects to be directly addressed even though other people are giving his answers. This is such fantastic writing. I love it so much. I was disappointed in the distribution of his personality among the three interpreters. They seemed to have broken it down into intellect and emotion with a third and leading voice that harmonizes the other two. It just seemed a little underdeveloped since the "passion" personality, voiced by the nice looking young man, was only used to hit on Counselor Troi and not much else.
That's really the most frustrating part of this episode. They spent too much time playing around with what could've been a much more complex story. Back in the TOS days, fast paced and simple stories were necessary for the audience of the time. Save the day, get the girl, no time to really think about things. In TNG, there didn't need to be romantic entanglements or sexual tension in every episode just to keep people interested. There was no need for anyone to "get the girl" or for the girl to be getting anyone either. Riva is attracted to Troi because she's telepathic and he can communicate better with her alone than he can with others. It's understandable, but it was also a slight waste of time and, like I said, a poor use of the creative aspect of a deaf man having a chorus to speak for him. Passion is also temper and elation. Creativity and drive to succeed. Not just libido. But that's more of the juvenile writing of the first couple seasons coming to the surface again.
The actor who plays Riva is deaf in real life so you also have a small subplot regarding Geordi's blindness. Suddenly after an entire season we find out that a doctor can probably fix this with ocular implants and he must mull over a decision to either go with that or remain the way he is, living with his disability. I get what they were doing here. Riva was living with his disability too even though he could've sought medical attention, and both men felt stronger and more unique that way. It's a nice message, really it is. I just felt it took away from what could've been much more exciting and cerebral in the show. But TNG wasn't ready for that kind of thing yet.
But the short, exciting bits make it worth watching. They go down to the planet to try to begin the peace negotiations and things go horribly wrong. One of the men who is part of the darker clothed delegation has second thoughts about all of this and fires on Riva. Riker saves Riva but the chorus is killed. It wasn't a real surprise, but it didn't make it any less appealing or less intense for the viewer. I was heartbroken for Riva.
The time they spend developing his character may have added to the story's need to be simple in order to wrap it up in an hour, but it also makes his loss huge and believable. When he starts freaking out, it's believable and it leads to some really good scenes where everyone must try to figure out what to do about this tragedy.
They go through a couple of solutions too instead of having the answer right away. This is an excellent early demonstration of the problem solving and team work that is honed to perfection in the show throughout the years. Use Data? He can interpret Riva's signs but he's too much of a machine to convey empathy. Use Troi? She's not an experienced diplomat, doesn't have all the details of the situation, and is not as in touch with Riva as his chorus was even though she's telepathic. No, neither of these solutions are acceptable.
The final solution has an after school special ring to it. Turn a disadvantage into an advantage. I don't mind it's simplicity because it really is a good lesson to teach and the idea they come up with makes for an interesting story by itself. Riva bravely goes back to the planet alone. In teaching the opposing parties how to communicate with him by signing, he will also teach them to communicate with each other. It sounds like something that is too simple and easier said than done than it would be if it was a real situation, but it's still solid writing because they leave it opened-ended instead of indicating that everything works out perfectly. Perhaps it did take a long time with many dangerous back-steps. One can imagine the idea to be as simple or as complex as they want which involves the audience and makes a connection people instead of just being entertaining. Very nicely done.
Yes, this was one of the best episodes of this season, I think. And I've always thought this is a character which should've been brought back and followed up on. Especially with the turn the show took in general leading into DS9. After all, they add a throw away line in this episode about how Riva helped to negotiate treaties with the Federation and Klingons. The guy was obviously special. But they never bring him back and it's a shame.
It gets four stars. I can't go any higher because it's still just a little too immature in certain moments, but if I was trying to sell someone on watching Star Trek and I only had 10 episodes to do it with, I think this one would be one to consider.
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