This episode features a character, Riva, who is a peace negotiator-- even though he is deaf. For his language, he used three interpreters who all represent different aspect of him. Unusual to say the least. However, when these three interpreters are accidentally murdered, the peace treaty that Riva is trying to negotiate looks like it's out of the question. What's next in this highly unusual show.
Most folks wouldn't know this, but "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was actually one of the first TV shows that was closed captioned. The captioning wasn't always great back in the late 1980s, but they deserve recognition for trying. Fortunately, the newer captions included with the shows on Netflix are exceptional and very easy to read--and we use them in our home. This is because my youngest daughter is deaf--and we both sat down and watched this particular episode together. Hannah is not a regular viewer of the show but I wanted her insights. Mostly, she was just surprised how long ago this show was made, as she had assumed that deaf awareness was a much more recent issue. She also greatly appreciated the effort to make deaf people a part of any TV show.
A few things we noticed. Data's sign language is mostly gibberish, but the deaf actor Howie Seago was using American Sign Language--and my daughter laughed at that the same way we laugh when all the aliens just instantly know English in most sci-fi shows! Seago was very easy to read--especially for a non-deaf signer like me. What I noticed is that OFTEN when Data was interpreting, he was saying things BEFORE Riva (Seago) even said them!! Oops! Not perfect--- but I do appreciate the effort nonetheless. Overall, an extremely interesting episode and a great opportunity to include deaf people in a mainstream TV show. Worth seeing.
Most folks wouldn't know this, but "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was actually one of the first TV shows that was closed captioned. The captioning wasn't always great back in the late 1980s, but they deserve recognition for trying. Fortunately, the newer captions included with the shows on Netflix are exceptional and very easy to read--and we use them in our home. This is because my youngest daughter is deaf--and we both sat down and watched this particular episode together. Hannah is not a regular viewer of the show but I wanted her insights. Mostly, she was just surprised how long ago this show was made, as she had assumed that deaf awareness was a much more recent issue. She also greatly appreciated the effort to make deaf people a part of any TV show.
A few things we noticed. Data's sign language is mostly gibberish, but the deaf actor Howie Seago was using American Sign Language--and my daughter laughed at that the same way we laugh when all the aliens just instantly know English in most sci-fi shows! Seago was very easy to read--especially for a non-deaf signer like me. What I noticed is that OFTEN when Data was interpreting, he was saying things BEFORE Riva (Seago) even said them!! Oops! Not perfect--- but I do appreciate the effort nonetheless. Overall, an extremely interesting episode and a great opportunity to include deaf people in a mainstream TV show. Worth seeing.