Weekend Trek “The Perfect Mate”

Ever see something when two actors who did some work together appeared somewhere else?  That’s what happened here when Famke Janssen did an episode of The Next Generation with multiple scenes opposite her X-Men co-star Patrick Stewart.

Jimmy and Tom have some thoughts on that below.

“The Perfect Mate”

The Enterprise is transporting an empathic alien bride to her wedding as part of a diplomatic mission.

jimmy:  Your knowledge of Prof X being in love with Jean Grey is certainly appropriate for this episode.

tomk:  This episode was apparently one of Famke Janssen’s first acting roles.

jimmy:  Funny how often that happens on Trek.

tomk:  Yeah. I’ll bet you didn’t know Hugh Jackman and James Marsden were uncredited extras as some of the alien miners in Ten-Forward.

jimmy:  I didn’t know that.

tomk:  I might have made that up.

jimmy:  Good.  Those guys were jerks.

tomk:  Unless one of them was…you!

jimmy:  Nah.

tomk:  Regardless, I think the real problem here is Rom disrupted Jean’s sleep in the Phoenix cocoon.

jimmy:  This guy?

tomk:  No. Quark’s brother.

jimmy:  Oh yeah, him too.

tomk:  But you do get a prize for remembering the Space Knight exists.

jimmy:  Who wouldn’t?

tomk:  Alcoholics, the unemployable, angry loners.

jimmy:  Yeah, those guys hate space knights.

tomk:  And you get another prize for not using that as an opening for a Watson joke. Enjoy the mystery box.

jimmy:  I hope it’s a boat!

tomk:  Looks like it’s tickets to Watson’s one-man show about Jimmy Carter.

jimmy:  Live by the sword, die by the sword.

tomk:  But you also get a key to the Gabbing Geek executive washroom.

jimmy:  You mean I don’t have one already?

tomk:  This is for the better one.

jimmy:  Probably where Picard goes to avoid temptation.

tomk:  When Data alone can’t get the job done.

jimmy:  Ole Loose Lips Data.

tomk:  He can be easily distracted.

But asking Data to chaperone was a rather smart decision.

jimmy:  So you’d think. But he couldn’t really control her, just was immune to her charms.

tomk:  That still puts him ahead of everyone else…unless her charms didn’t work on women.

jimmy:  Ah…that’s an interesting point.  And what about another woman with empathic powers…oh wait…Deanna was conveniently on vacation again when an empath came on board.

tomk:  What?  You wanted Jean and Deanna to make out or something?

jimmy:  That’s a different show.  But, I did notice Deanna wasn’t around…which usually happens when other empaths come aboard…unless she is directly affected by the plot.

tomk:  No, instead you get Beverly giving Picard advice or something.

jimmy:  She no like prostitutes.

tomk:  But she will very patiently listen to Picard mansplain the Prime Directive or mourn a lost chance at love.

jimmy:  She tolerates that for the breakfast.

tomk:  Must be a damn good breakfast.

jimmy:  You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Picard’s replicated eggs Benedict!

tomk:  Well, Picard hasn’t been born yet, so I may need to wait a while to try them.

Besides, Beverly shouldn’t be so hard on sex workers. That ain’t cool. And if this song is accurate, prostitutes may fulfill a valuable societal function.

jimmy:  That James Taylor, causing trouble again.

tomk:  I just think that demonizing sex work is another example of Trek not aging well. And I didn’t need James Taylor, that unkept youngster according to The Simpsons, to tell me that.

jimmy:  It’s not like prostitution is considered a noble profession these days either.

tomk:  No, but there are a lot of people who recognize sex work is still work.

jimmy:  I think Beverly was more offended by Jean being treated like properly and forbidden to leave her quarters.

tomk:  Maybe she thought Jean was another Trill.

jimmy:  They do look a lot alike.

tomk:  They ought to. When they designed the Trill for DS9, they used this make-up.

jimmy:  The Trill that Riker housed, didn’t have the spots?

tomk:  No, it had a weird face.

jimmy:  Yeah…that’s a decent upgrade.

tomk:

Do we shop at the same store?

jimmy:  Lol

tomk:  If I remember right, the DS9 producers didn’t want to cover up Terry Farrell’s face.

jimmy:  I think we discussed this before, and like I probably said then, I can’t blame them.

tomk:  Apparently, they didn’t want to cover up Famke’s face either.

jimmy:  I can’t blame them there either.

tomk:  What can you blame them for?

jimmy:  Having a perfect match for Picard be a one episode throwaway?

tomk:  But she absorbed his dedication to duty.

jimmy:  I don’t think she becomes the mate, just what they find most attractive. Now, maybe that is a trait he finds desirable as well.

tomk:  Well, she was into all the same things he was, like doing his freakin’ job.

jimmy:  There was a deleted scene on the Blu-ray where Picard objects to the union at the end and professes his love and they run away together…but then it cuts to being all in his mind.

tomk:  Oh, I thought he interrupted the wedding and they rode off together on a bus for an awkward ride.

jimmy:  Like that, but in a shuttle craft.

tomk:  So, more like this?

jimmy:  Like that but with less wrinkles.

tomk:  So if they made that as an episode of Star Trek Picard?

jimmy:  He’s supposed to be wrinkly in that.

tomk:  Are we off-topic?

jimmy:  Maybe a little.

tomk:  In that case, is it true this is how you met the Ms?

jimmy:  Well, I am the perfect mate.

tomk:  Oh, so it was you in the cocoon.

That explains a lot.

jimmy:  Thanks?

tomk:  Well, you are something of a chick magnet according to the chat lore.

jimmy:  I know right?  I wonder how Famke would change to suit me?

tomk:  If you’re the perfect mate, wouldn’t you also change to suit her?

jimmy:  If we are both anamorphs or whatever she called herself, how would that work?

tomk:  I dunno, but it’s probably sticky.

jimmy:  Sticky could be ok.

Changing personalities endlessly until we both go insane could be bad.

tomk:  That’s what makes it sticky, emotionally,.

I mean, The Orville might have predicted it.

jimmy:  I still haven’t watched that yet.

tomk:  I got through two seasons or so and am way behind and don’t much care.  But that’s the green blob character voiced by the late Norm MacDonald having sex with the ship’s doctor, Kasidy Yates.

jimmy:  Sticky.

tomk:  Wait until Ben Sisko finds out.

He knows how to deal with blobs.

jimmy:  Like this guy?

tomk:  That guy wishes he could date an empath.

jimmy:  Or anybody.

tomk:  He pretty much needs an empath.

jimmy:  Or an extreme makeover.

tomk:  Watson gets more dates than that guy.

Geordi does better than that guy.

jimmy:  And Watson is like one of those lower deck guys in Ten Forward.

tomk:  Don’t be cruel to Lower Decks guys. They keep the ship running.

jimmy:  Another show I haven’t watched.

tomk:  But probably should.

jimmy:  I’ll put it on The List.

tomk:  You have a long list these days.

jimmy:  Oh, I know.

tomk:  You should do something about that.

jimmy:  Oh, I’m trying. Once I get those extra hours added to the day I’ll be all set.

tomk:  You probably get distracted since so many women see you as the perfect mate all the time. Or sailors think of you as the perfect matey.

jimmy:  Nicely done.

tomk:  Well, in the end, both Jean and Picard will probably be miserable. Huh. Maybe Beverly was right.

jimmy:  Why should anyone get to be happy?

tomk:  Aren’t you happy?

jimmy:  Relatively.

tomk:  Well, you can be relatively happy to Picard’s relatively miserable.

jimmy:  Picard’s usually rejecting female advances, so even worse for him when he finds one he wants.

tomk:  I could point out that Beverly is right there.

jimmy:  Picard and Beverly are almost as bad as Riker and Troi for not being together.

tomk:  What about Geordi and the holodeck version of respected engineers he’s never met?

jimmy:  No one is complaining about them not being together. Well…maybe Geordi.

tomk:  Well, the fans weren’t complaining.  Season five is often held up as the best of the series run, and there are still a couple all-time classics left involving the Borg and Picard’s learning to play the flute.

So, naturally, the next episode is about Troi and some small children.

jimmy:  I guess we should have seen that coming with zero Troi this episode.

tomk:  They were saving her up for the next one. And after we saw how she did with Worf and Alexander, I am sure she has more great advice for a kid on the ship.

jimmy:  More contract talk probably.  Ryan will be happy.

tomk:  Someone has to be.

jimmy:  Will we be?

tomk:  I’d like to think so. Would you like to find out?

jimmy:  After that glowing endorsement, why not?

tomk:  You are so full of optimism sometimes.

Next:  “Imaginary Friend”