TNG: “The Dauphin”

Date: March 17, 2020

Season 2, Episode 10

Setting the Stage: I watched this episode yesterday but wanted to dedicate my post to “The Measure of a Man” so I waited to write about this until today. Tonight we ate Tacos and watched Boondock Saints in order to celebrate both Taco Tuesday and St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll have to start getting back on track with watching Trek because I’m a bit behind. My campus also decided to move to full remote work and all online classes, so that’s going to be a disaster. One of the things I am good at, however, is emergency management – so we’ll see. Tonight’s writing music, in honor of the day, is some instrumental Celtic music… but only because I couldn’t find instrumental Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Menzingers, or The Real McKenzies.

Favorite Quotes:

Picard: This child is supposed to bring them together.

Riker: She seems too delicate for such a task.

Worf: Do not be fooled by her looks. The body is just a shell.

Worf knows good things come in small packages, and can still murder you.

Wesley: Seeing her on the transporter pad, it was like seeing pure light. I miss her. I feel empty.

Guinan: I know that sensation. But there will come a time when all you remember is the love.

Wesley: I’m never going to feel this way about anyone else.

Guinan: You’re right.

Wesley: I didn’t expect you to say that.

Guinan: There will be others, but every time you feel love it’ll will be different. Every time, it’s different.

Wesley: Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier.

Guinan: It’s not supposed to

Every time, it’s different. Remember that and say it louder, for those in the back. Love cannot be compared and contrasted, it’s like comparing pickles and dolphins. Love is also not like pie where you cut it into equal pieces and when you cannot cut anymore, you’re done. It’s more like Pi where it is irrational and never ending. Love means partnership, not ownership, and it means appreciation, not possession. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

This episode beings with La Forge wanting to make some upgrades and repairs while the Enterprise arrives to pick up an important future leader on a rather inhospitable planet. Salia and her governess, Anya, arrive and Wesley is immediately smitten, there’s even soft music and everything.  Salia is destined to bring peace to Daled IV which has been at war for, well forever. Wesley asks around for advice on how to talk to her. Data is no help, Worf does an excellent scream, and Riker and Guinan have a moment and it’s hysterical the banter they have… but again no help for Wesley.

Anya takes a tour of the ship and shakes La Forge’s confidence a bit while leaving Salia behind, a fact that Wesley takes advantage of. While on a tour of the Med Lab Anya changes shape and causes a scene but Picard puts her in her place. It’s reminiscent of the salt monster from TOS, if it had a baby with Bigfoot.

Wesley takes Selea to the holodeck to see different worlds since she’s been isolated on the planet since her parents died, and it’s the most adorable sci-fi first date ever. Wesley offers for her to stay on the Enterprise, but that ends in tears, as do most first dates when you’re a teenager. Picard asks Wesley to stay away so he doesn’t cause an intergalactic incident, to which he agrees for all of five seconds. Selea has a fight with Anya and breaks off to see Wesley. As she kisses him Anya busts in on them, there’s some yelling, and then they both shape shift – whaaaat? I did not see that coming!

Wesley proves to be an ass when he won’t accept Salia for who she really is, but Worf and Anya have a touching warrior moment. In the transporter room, Wesley shows up at the last minute with some chocolate and a half-ass apology, Salia turns into her true form, and she beams down.

This is like Shrek but if both parties were teenagers and in space, or something like that. It was fun to take a breath from all the “adult” problems and deal with something a little more familiar – that first love. Sure in “Coming of Age” Wesley was called “cute” by one of the female test takers, but he didn’t fall head-over-heels googly eyes in love with her like he did for Salia. You have to hand it to Wheaton he played the dumbstruck teenage boy perfectly. You think your first love was complicated, but did they have the ability to shape shift? Were they destined to be the ruler of a warring people? This was a fun side-story and a good twist on the old classic of first love. There isn’t much original her, however, besides the shape shifting so it’s disappointing that there isn’t more to this episode. It’s cute but not anything to write home about, especially because there was very little Data in this episode and. Worf, however, continues to surprise me with the power he delivers in the few lines he does have. While I love Data, I still need more Worf. I rate this episode 4 helpings of corned beef and cabbage.

TA Out!