This episode focuses mainly on Riker and a character named Soren. Soren hails from a planet that is populated with an endogenous people.
It is a dialog driven episode, with precise and poignant conversations that is said between the characters. The main subject focusing on genders and the society's strict opinions and laws about what is expected, without regards to the individual. But it is flipped on it's head.
At the time of this episode, the discussion about accepting a person's preferred gender was whispered in public, shunned in 'polite' society and just not talked about it for fear of what could come from it. It still happens today, but the openness and support was a long hard fight by many that lost their lives, friends and families.
The fact that a main stream tv show openly discussed it, showed a realistic portrayal of the struggle in one person's life, was bold at the time, and sadly not common enough. I think they handled it well considering the year it was written and released.
I have read many reviews that pick it apart, call it boring, are annoyed that the characters are played by women, Riker 'wouldn't go for that sort of woman' etc...
Does it matter that they were played by women? Not at all.
Does it matter that Riker is the main character involved? I can't see how.
Was it boring or preachy? Hardly.
Perceiving any of these as being bad things says more about the viewer's character than anything else.
In the end, it is left as an unresolved issue, because it is bigger than just one episode. The reality of the subject isn't a quick fix, neat little package with a bow on it.
The entire show is about the subject, not the actors.
It's the words that count.
It is a dialog driven episode, with precise and poignant conversations that is said between the characters. The main subject focusing on genders and the society's strict opinions and laws about what is expected, without regards to the individual. But it is flipped on it's head.
At the time of this episode, the discussion about accepting a person's preferred gender was whispered in public, shunned in 'polite' society and just not talked about it for fear of what could come from it. It still happens today, but the openness and support was a long hard fight by many that lost their lives, friends and families.
The fact that a main stream tv show openly discussed it, showed a realistic portrayal of the struggle in one person's life, was bold at the time, and sadly not common enough. I think they handled it well considering the year it was written and released.
I have read many reviews that pick it apart, call it boring, are annoyed that the characters are played by women, Riker 'wouldn't go for that sort of woman' etc...
Does it matter that they were played by women? Not at all.
Does it matter that Riker is the main character involved? I can't see how.
Was it boring or preachy? Hardly.
Perceiving any of these as being bad things says more about the viewer's character than anything else.
In the end, it is left as an unresolved issue, because it is bigger than just one episode. The reality of the subject isn't a quick fix, neat little package with a bow on it.
The entire show is about the subject, not the actors.
It's the words that count.