Ah yes, their "hurray for gay" episode. I haven't been looking forward to reviewing this one. Not just because I disapprove of homosexuality, but it because it was so predictable. It couldn't have played out or ended up any other way than it did.
The Enterprise is contacted by an androgynous race called the J'naii to help investigate the disappearance of one of their shuttle craft in their own space. The Enterprise launches a probe which also stops transmitting and appears to vanish. So it's a nice little benign mystery to get started with. The Enterprise crew and several J'naii scientists work together to discover that there is a patch of "null space" out there which was only theoretical up til now. It's a naturally cloaked pocket of space that is full of bright light and condensed gravity fields and sucks up all energy from anything that enters it. They believe the J'naii shuttle is trapped in there and form a plan to go and rescue it. A J'naii pilot named Soren, who is an equally accomplished pilot insists on going with commander Riker. That's the background the show works against.
Riker and Soren work closely together and Soren is curious about human sexuality and the separate genders. They have a long and somewhat awkward conversation about it in Ten Forward as Riker describes the purpose of the sexes to satisfy Soren's continued questioning. One of Soren's colleagues, Krite, shows up and looks suspiciously at their casual manner. When Krite approaches, Soren becomes very formal and bids Riker goodbye.
And it continues as they get to work in the shuttle, charting the patch of null space so they can proceed with the rescue mission. Talking about the sex act itself. Mating. Procreation. A debate on whose procreation methods are more enjoyable - humans or J'naii? The entire episode is essentially about sex. Riker is uncomfortable but also aroused because he's Riker. He's the sex expert on this show like Kirk of old and she seems to be obviously leaning female and attracted to him, so of course his interest is piqued. She also gives the history of the J'naii; that they once had genders but evolved beyond that. As though there's something wrong with men being men and women being women. That part is typical of the Star Trek brand. The shuttle engine is damaged and they have to return to sick bay where Soren gets the woman's perspective on gender and what it's like to be a woman trying to attract a man as well as some more preaching on gender equality.
Of course we have to get in some more normalcy shaming at the poker game. They put this burden on Worf so it's not so obvious that they're shaming straight people for being uncomfortable with homosexuality. Worf is uncomfortable with the genderless species because of his
stereotypical (i.e. normal) views of men and women. In this case, it is
absurd that anyone would be bothered by the J'naii, because they've
certainly encountered stranger aliens than them before (as well as androgynous, btw.) And this is supposed to
translate into how absurd it is to be uncomfortable with homosexuals. I'm sorry, but the fact is that even straight people who are the most sincere and die-hard gay rights activists are uncomfortable with homosexuality whether they want to admit it or not. If they weren't we'd all be naturally bisexual, right? These straight activists would date their own gender in a pinch, right? Why not? It must be because it feels unnatural to them. There's nothing wrong with feeling uncomfortable about homosexuality. I don't understand why gays don't have "rights" unless they can openly display what makes a vast majority of people uncomfortable for the express sake of making them uncomfortable. Because that's all it's really about. Yes, there was a time when a gay person may have gotten beaten up for being open about it, but most people don't care anymore and really just don't want to hear about it anymore than they want to know about their parents' sex lives. So Riker and Soren fix the shuttle and she finally reveals that she's attracted to him and wants to have a relationship with him. Big surprise. The use of the word "relationship" was also corrupted in the 80's and 90's for all sexual orientations. She wants to have sex with him. Nothing they've done so far warrants a "relationship." Just sex and the thrill of having to watch their backs since in the J'naii culture it's a criminal offense to identify as one gender or another.
So they wrap up the background story sending Riker and Soren in to rescue the J'naii officers. They find their shuttle and after a lot of fighting the elements transport them onto the shuttle and return safely just in the nick of time. Krite invites everyone to the planet to celebrate.
At the party Riker goes outside for air and Soren follows him. They go for a walk amidst the plants and other landscape. They try to make small talk but she's already made her intentions clear so Riker seizes on the romantic moment to kiss. Krite is watching though. Next Riker goes to Deanna to get her permission to pursue Soren because this is a serious relationship, you see. Even though they've never talked about anything but sex, have only ever had a mutual blushing interest in the kinky notion of a human and a J'naii possibly mating, and the temptation of forbidden passion. Even in the kissing scene they'd only progressed as far as "who leads when the J'naii dance?" Nothing like life goals, careers, politics, and general values, i.e. if they have enough in common to commit to a lifetime relationship. But apparently this is all it takes for Riker to be in a relationship serious enough to warrant having the talk with Troi. She gives her blessing but when Riker goes to see Soren, Krite is there to tell him that Soren has been arrested and taken away to a tribunal on the matter. I would, however, like to concede the point that "love at first sight" can happen and that relationships that begin as passionate affairs can end up in long marriages, but the odds aren't favorable, even in heterosexual relationships. Part of my objection is, unfortunately, just pure cynicism.
So he barges in on the proceedings. So much for the prime directive. He tries to accept full responsibility and indicate that he corrupted her. It might have worked but Soren decides to come clean and gives a speech about how she's always been female; that she was just born that way and wants to be accepted as such. Trivia nugget: they cut out a line where Riker asks Noor (the tribunal judge) why Soren doesn't have a choice about her sexual orientation. I guess because the idea that's being promoted is that it's not a choice, but that she was born that way and that line would've been conflicting. But it still wasn't enough. The gay community and Frakes himself thought it was a cop out to have the J'naii played by women, because you can tell they are women. And there's no doubt that Star Trek has classically done a better job of creating androgynous races, two examples being the Binars from episode 11001001 and the Talosians from the TOS pilot episode, The Cage. You really couldn't tell what the hell you were looking at in those episodes, so they could've tried harder to make it sufficiently uncomfortable for everyone even though the J'naii were played by women. Or, I'm sure they could've found some effeminate men in L.A. (someone that could easily fool the audience in to thinking it may be a woman) to fill the role since Frakes was so serious about kissing a man to accommodate the complaints. But it just seems to prove the point of people who think homosexuality is a perversion, which could also be made about the episode Rejoined from DS9 (an even bigger "cop out" due to the story) - that all the supporters care about is seeing the perversion of the physical acts. Soren's speech was actually a good one, but it's still not good enough. Nothing ever is for any liberal cause. Soren is taken away to get the psychotectic treatments needed to eliminate her desire to be a woman.
Riker asks Picard if Soren can be granted assylum but Picard refuses because the J'naii see her problem as a medical condition that can be fixed. I'm also thinking it's because Soren didn't get a chance to actually ask for herself. Picard does offer to talk to Noor about releasing Soren, but warns Riker not to take matters into his own hands since that's definitely a violation of the Prime Directive and the end of his career. Now, obviously I think it's ridiculous that he starts making plans to go down to rescue his lady love, run away, and live happily ever after with her for all of the previous reasons stated, but I do love the fact that Worf is such a romantic that he offers to go with Riker as a kind of "second" to help him. That seems like a more believable cause for throwing away your career, or at least a much more romantic one. They are able to separate Soren from her guards, or I should say companions rather, since it's too late. She's had her treatments and no longer feels like a woman nor is "she" attracted to Riker. Again, why does this matter if they were in love enough to risk criminal condemnations and careers? Love is a condition of the heart. Love lasts when the sex stops. Love stays when the sex is not possible due to injury or long separations. Sleeping together for warmth and companionship is not something exclusive to this androgynous race but it also applies to the close friendship that exists with people truly in love. And so my cynicism concludes that it couldn't have been real love. And, of course, real brainwashing isn't done by hooking someone up to a machine... it's always a great convenience for a science fiction story and it's convenient for this episode as well, but could a machine designed to eliminate sexuality also eliminate romantic love that's as fierce as it's made out to be between these two characters? Soren feels normal again as defined by her species and her response to Riker's declaration of love is, "I'm sorry." Riker is heartbroken. I guess that's kind of sad in the same way it was sad to see Kirk truly heartbroken the couple of times that it happened. I just wish it'd been a more believable scenario.
When they made their rescue attempt, it was dark, nobody got hurt, and Soren remained, so we can assume she didn't tell on Riker because they are able to leave in peace. Even Picard confirms with Riker that their business is finally finished before heading out.
I know I raise a lot of objections and it's mostly an uncomfortable watch for me, I still liked to a certain degree. So I'm torn between three and three and a half stars. As stated before, the quality of everything in these latter seasons is always worthy of good ratings and I feel certain it would've be worse in one of the first two seasons. I think I'll give it three stars, though. Just not one of my favorites.
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