Series: Star Trek (The Animated Series)
Episode: 1.10 Haven (11-30-87)
Rating: 4/5
Redshirt Status: 0/1
Notable Guest Stars:
Majel Barrett – Lwaxana Troi. Majel Barrett was Christine Chapel and the original Number One on the original series. She would appear as part of the franchise till her death.
Robert Knepper – Wyatt Miller. He is most known for his role on the series Prison Break.
Nan Martin – Victoria Miller
Robert Ellenstien – Steven Miller. He appeared previously as the President of the Federation (maybe a Miller ancestor?)
Carel Struycken – Mr. Homn He would also be a reoccurring character on Star Trek. Also Lurch 2.0
Anna Katarina – Valenda Innis
Raye Birk: Wrenn. He is known from his role as Walt on Cheers
Armin Shimermann– The box. This was his first star Trek role, although it aired after The Last Outpost.
Review:
This is a Troi episode, but lets face it, its more a Troi/Riker episode. We start the episode with Riker listening to some lobely ladies playing the harp, trying to relax. Tasha calls him because they have a weird item wanting to beam in. Turns out it’s a note to Troi to tell her she’s going to get married soon.
Apparently, on betazed, arranged marriages are a thing. Deanna has been bethrothed to a human man named Wyatt Miller. They were betrothed as children, but after Deanna’s father died the families drifted apart. However the time for the bethrothal to be completed has come.
The problem is Deanna does not want to go through with the marriage. While they aren’t together at the moment, since she last saw Wyatt, she had a long term relationship with Will Riker, a man she decided was her Imzadi (which either means beloved or something akin to soul mate depending on what you read). Neither of them are particularly over each other despite Will being stupid and ending things when he got reassigned. So this event is not particularly kind to Riker either.
I do think that perhaps they make it a bit too much about what Riker feels about this then Deanna. Deanna is the one who is being forced into marriage. She is also not the one who ended their relationship. Also Wyatt isn’t too happy either (again, he’s being forced to marry Deanna.) So Riker’s opinion is the least of the three that matters.
As a side note: That being said, I’m a bit of a sucker for Riker/Troi moments. They were my original OTP on Star Trek. I’m sure they changed the fact that she could only read Riker well, because it doesn’t make sense.
I don’t think Deanna really understands Riker, who might not understand himself. I guess it helps I know how it all ends.
Wyatt, it turns out happens to be a doctor who is mentally linked with a woman on a plague ship named Ariana. After talking with Lwaxana about the telepathic link, he decides to jump onto the plague ship. Unfortunately for his parents, he can never go home, now infected as well.
In the end it works out well for everyone (except, perhaps, Wyatt’s parents).
Interesting Notes:
- Written by Tracy Torme on the story by Tracy Torme and Lan O’Kun
- Directed by Richard Compton, who had appeared as Lt. Washburn in TOS.
Pros:
- Background for Troi (and to a lesser extent Riker)
- Troi/Riker (let my shipper-self ship)
- Beverly Crusher’s hair, Tasha’s hair.
- Data’s exploration of people
- Lwaxana Troi
Cons:
- Crusher is the only Doctor? I find that hard to believe.
- Continuously having alien species wearing the same color. Humanoid species all seem to have the same color palette, be it skin, hair, or clothes. Mix it up please.
Sokorra Lewis 