There are some good insights in this episode, like the Captain's speech about existence (how we are defined by existing among other people, experiencing things, getting old, etc). Things that make you think.
My problem is this: The idea of male and female as "universal concepts" is completely absurd! It's a human social concept which can't be applied to other animals so how could it apply to the rest of the entire universe? You don't assign genders to hermaphroditic species, do you? Incredibly illogical, old fashioned concept, considering they are just ideas we impose (men are more like "this" and females more like "that" except nothing truly defines them, because you can be and identify as female when you are more like "this" and vise versa). It erases same-sex romance and closeness (because if it's a "female" spirit it is automatically in "love" with the character) Is that the only relationship men and woman can have with each other? Could it not be brother and sister? Mother and son? Old friends? No, it has to be ~lovers~ They like to anthropomorphize everything in this show, but this time they take it farther and it ends sort of ambiguously. What happened to ambassador Hedford? What about her desires, her "existence"? I am disillusioned at the ending.
My problem is this: The idea of male and female as "universal concepts" is completely absurd! It's a human social concept which can't be applied to other animals so how could it apply to the rest of the entire universe? You don't assign genders to hermaphroditic species, do you? Incredibly illogical, old fashioned concept, considering they are just ideas we impose (men are more like "this" and females more like "that" except nothing truly defines them, because you can be and identify as female when you are more like "this" and vise versa). It erases same-sex romance and closeness (because if it's a "female" spirit it is automatically in "love" with the character) Is that the only relationship men and woman can have with each other? Could it not be brother and sister? Mother and son? Old friends? No, it has to be ~lovers~ They like to anthropomorphize everything in this show, but this time they take it farther and it ends sort of ambiguously. What happened to ambassador Hedford? What about her desires, her "existence"? I am disillusioned at the ending.