I have no problem with Deanna Troi going into severe depression when she loses her empathic Betazoid powers after some kind of energy surge. She suddenly realizes that the greatest gift she has has disappeared. I could have accepted her desperation had the plot evolved a bit and time had passed. It's almost as if they were thinking we need to have actual time end in a few hours. For heaven's sake, there are so many physical conditions that take a couple days to heal, like getting your sight back after a blinding flash, or temporary paralysis after a fall. Had she gone into this deep place a month afterward, it might have been more believable. As it is, she begins to attack her friends and whine to her patients. Even in the imaginary world of Star Trek, her responses are portrayed as childish at best. She is also the person who extends comfort to others. How can she be so short sighted. After some quite strong episodes and one clinker, it just doesn't work for me.
28 Reviews
Lowest Rated Episode of Series 4
dlaird828 March 2019
This eposode grates. The only reason this gets up to a 5 for me is the half of the run time that doesn't feature Counsellor Troi is decent. My biggest problem is Troi resigns as soon as she is in trouble. Aren't Starfleet officers made of sterner stuff?
The 'woe is me' narrative might be aiming for empathy, but fails miserably. Picard should have accepted Troi's resignation and dropped her at the nearest starbase.
The performances save it
snoozejonc11 July 2021
Following an encounter with an unknown entity, Counsellor Troi loses her empathetic ability.
This is mediocre episode that has more good aspects than bad, mainly due to some decent performances.
The plot has two distinct threads. It follows Deanna coping with the loss of her powers, whilst it presents a sci-fi angle with the bridge crew dealing with a 2D life form. Neither are particularly memorable but I prefer the scenes involving Deanna.
We see her fall apart after the loss of her powers. It is a bit frustrating to see her character written this way, but other characters who try to help are written well, such as Riker and Guinan. In doing so we have an interesting perspective on the level of control that her ability provide when dealing with people. I also like the notion of her considering her human-half to be inferior.
Visually there is nothing particularly memorable on display, but all performances are strong. Marina Sirtis is very good considering how many temper tantrums she has to throw and how annoying her character is written. Jonathan Frakes, Caryn Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner support well.
This is mediocre episode that has more good aspects than bad, mainly due to some decent performances.
The plot has two distinct threads. It follows Deanna coping with the loss of her powers, whilst it presents a sci-fi angle with the bridge crew dealing with a 2D life form. Neither are particularly memorable but I prefer the scenes involving Deanna.
We see her fall apart after the loss of her powers. It is a bit frustrating to see her character written this way, but other characters who try to help are written well, such as Riker and Guinan. In doing so we have an interesting perspective on the level of control that her ability provide when dealing with people. I also like the notion of her considering her human-half to be inferior.
Visually there is nothing particularly memorable on display, but all performances are strong. Marina Sirtis is very good considering how many temper tantrums she has to throw and how annoying her character is written. Jonathan Frakes, Caryn Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner support well.
Coping with disabilities.
russem3122 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
ST:TNG:84 - "The Loss" (Stardate: 44356.9) - this is the 10th episode of the 4th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This is another Troi episode. This time, as the Enterprise encounters two-dimensional creatures (who amazingly can live in three dimensional space), Troi loses her empathic abilities (which is like a human suddenly becoming blind or losing an arm).
Throughout the episode, Troi must learn to cope with her new situation, which she does dismally (even resigning at one point) before realizing she can use her "instincts".
Trivia note: Riker calls Troi "Imzadi" again.
This is another Troi episode. This time, as the Enterprise encounters two-dimensional creatures (who amazingly can live in three dimensional space), Troi loses her empathic abilities (which is like a human suddenly becoming blind or losing an arm).
Throughout the episode, Troi must learn to cope with her new situation, which she does dismally (even resigning at one point) before realizing she can use her "instincts".
Trivia note: Riker calls Troi "Imzadi" again.
Deanna Troi loses her edge
bkoganbing23 September 2019
The Enterprise has encountered a cluster of two dimensional beings and as a
result, Marina Sirtis loses her telepathic powers. At the same time the cluster
is dragging the Enterprise toward something like a black hole that will suck the
Enterprise to nowhereville and tear it apart.
The episode has Marina Sirtis as the primary focus as she struggles on how she will cope without telepathy. And how will the Enterprise cope with these creatures unless some way of communication can be found.
Sirtis does a great job of communicating the anguish of losing that part of herself that gives her an edge in many ways.
The episode has Marina Sirtis as the primary focus as she struggles on how she will cope without telepathy. And how will the Enterprise cope with these creatures unless some way of communication can be found.
Sirtis does a great job of communicating the anguish of losing that part of herself that gives her an edge in many ways.
Cry Us A River, Troi!
spasek27 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I've watched every episode of Star Trek from TOS to Voyager, and frankly, there is no character I dislike more than Troi. Wesley, Harry Kim, Neelix, are all preferable to me.
Troi has always come across as needy, arrogant, and someone who simply does not know her place. The most insufferable scene to me is back in Best of Both Worlds when she tells Riker directly in front of everyone that it is inappropriate for him to leave the ship. Neither Kirk nor Picard would have stood for that.
Here, we have Troi who has lost her empathic abilities. Unfortunately, instead of getting a sympathetic depiction, we get one that--as other reviewers have pointed out--is annoying, whiny, immature, and childish. Kirk wouldn't have sympathized after her belligerent attitude. He would have kicked her right in the seat of her complacency. And frankly, I was waiting for Picard to do the same--and I think he would have had the writers understood his character better.
In short, Troi needs to grow up! She needs to understand that a person is NOT their abilities or even lack of them. They persevere despite what comes--the same thing she likes to impart to those she helps. But, if can't live it yourself, you have no business telling others what to do. If I were on board the Enterprise, I wouldn't go to Troi for a single thing because she's proven to be inept and weak when the chips are down.
If the writers were trying to get me to empathize with Troi, they failed. Throughout most of this episode, I wanted someone to smack some sense into her. I think it's funny how Troi took offense to Riker, despite the fact that every word he said was true. She's arrogant to the point of being insufferable. She's always believed herself to be above others, and yet, she can't handle it when she's finally knocked down to their level.
It's too bad that we were still in the episodic storylines of the time period of television--stories that worked themselves out for one--occasionally two--episodes. I would have loved to see Troi come face to face with herself and learn how to adapt--take it four or five episodes at least--until she slowly gets her abilities back.
By the end of this episode, we realize that Troi hasn't learned a single thing.
Troi has always come across as needy, arrogant, and someone who simply does not know her place. The most insufferable scene to me is back in Best of Both Worlds when she tells Riker directly in front of everyone that it is inappropriate for him to leave the ship. Neither Kirk nor Picard would have stood for that.
Here, we have Troi who has lost her empathic abilities. Unfortunately, instead of getting a sympathetic depiction, we get one that--as other reviewers have pointed out--is annoying, whiny, immature, and childish. Kirk wouldn't have sympathized after her belligerent attitude. He would have kicked her right in the seat of her complacency. And frankly, I was waiting for Picard to do the same--and I think he would have had the writers understood his character better.
In short, Troi needs to grow up! She needs to understand that a person is NOT their abilities or even lack of them. They persevere despite what comes--the same thing she likes to impart to those she helps. But, if can't live it yourself, you have no business telling others what to do. If I were on board the Enterprise, I wouldn't go to Troi for a single thing because she's proven to be inept and weak when the chips are down.
If the writers were trying to get me to empathize with Troi, they failed. Throughout most of this episode, I wanted someone to smack some sense into her. I think it's funny how Troi took offense to Riker, despite the fact that every word he said was true. She's arrogant to the point of being insufferable. She's always believed herself to be above others, and yet, she can't handle it when she's finally knocked down to their level.
It's too bad that we were still in the episodic storylines of the time period of television--stories that worked themselves out for one--occasionally two--episodes. I would have loved to see Troi come face to face with herself and learn how to adapt--take it four or five episodes at least--until she slowly gets her abilities back.
By the end of this episode, we realize that Troi hasn't learned a single thing.
REVIEW 2022
iamirwar6 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Deanna Troi isn't feeling too well. Meanwhile, an aggregate plane of polarised objects is playing peak-a-boo with the ships sensors. Maybe Ensign Allenby will be able to figure it out. Further scanning detects nothing. Let's resume course to T'lli Beta at Warp 6. Forward motion may no longer be under the control of the bridge. The Enterprise is stuck.
Deanna Troi is certainly one of the adornments onboard the New Generation Enterprise. Not only is she lovely, but stories that revolve around her are usually quite good as long as they don't include her mother. But imagine being in the same room as a beautiful empath. It should be noted that medical personnel often make the worst patients.
Captain: "There was a teacher of mine at the Academy who had been confined to a wheel-chair from birth... she was a roman ---" Troi soon shuts him up.
This is as much a story relating to disability and of a person coming to terms with a disability. I was surprised that our patient simply accepted that her present condition was to be her lifelong fate. Obviously, her condition came upon her at the same time as the 'thing out of the window' first made itself known to the crew.
A bit watery.
Indirect Fact: Nick Tate (Final Mission) and Kim Braden who appears in this episode are both much more familiar to me from other works. NT = Space 1999 and KB = Laugh-In, Anne of Green Gables.
Deanna Troi is certainly one of the adornments onboard the New Generation Enterprise. Not only is she lovely, but stories that revolve around her are usually quite good as long as they don't include her mother. But imagine being in the same room as a beautiful empath. It should be noted that medical personnel often make the worst patients.
Captain: "There was a teacher of mine at the Academy who had been confined to a wheel-chair from birth... she was a roman ---" Troi soon shuts him up.
This is as much a story relating to disability and of a person coming to terms with a disability. I was surprised that our patient simply accepted that her present condition was to be her lifelong fate. Obviously, her condition came upon her at the same time as the 'thing out of the window' first made itself known to the crew.
A bit watery.
Indirect Fact: Nick Tate (Final Mission) and Kim Braden who appears in this episode are both much more familiar to me from other works. NT = Space 1999 and KB = Laugh-In, Anne of Green Gables.
Anoying Troi
Filmreader27 November 2019
In this episode Deanna became the most annoying person !
Also, is the funniest Star Trek TNG episode ever but for different reasons !
Look in youtube for a 27 seconds video with key words "Star trek fart" and you will understand ! Hahahaha ! :-D
The good counselor is just asking for a slap
Mr-Fusion9 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Ugh, this was rough. There's a good idea behind 'The Loss'; Counselor Troi's empathic abilities suddenly disappear, which creates a devastating sense of self-doubt. What better way to throw a character out to sea than stripping them of a great deal of their identity? Plus, this is all happening while she's grief-counseling another crewmember. On paper, this is a great idea.
But Troi is so badly written as an incessant whiner here that none of that actually works. Out of nowhere, she's blindingly condescending to everyone who's trying to help her (first, Picard, then Riker, then even Guinan). You just want to wring her neck.
Spoiler alert: everything works out alright in the end (obviously) although her sanctimony is a real chore. I've never had a problem with this character before, but this was asking too much.
4/10
But Troi is so badly written as an incessant whiner here that none of that actually works. Out of nowhere, she's blindingly condescending to everyone who's trying to help her (first, Picard, then Riker, then even Guinan). You just want to wring her neck.
Spoiler alert: everything works out alright in the end (obviously) although her sanctimony is a real chore. I've never had a problem with this character before, but this was asking too much.
4/10
Sickening Portrait of Deanna Troi
rbkjr7 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
After feeling an INTENSE headache pain while in her quarters, suddenly Troi is 'too dumb' 2 use her communicator requesting an EMERGENCY SICKBAY BEAM-OUT, she finally contacts Dr. Crusher (in Sickbay) who is now overwhelmed w/ emergency requests from 'all over the ship' due 2 an unknown presence surrounding the Enterprise when Crusher tells Troi to lay down & she'll be there ASAP...only 2 see that Troi has completely lost her sense of feeling people's 'state of mind'. She would've been 1st on the list of Dr. Crusher's patients if she wasn't so Proud (& STUPID, too far above anyone else's 'petty human emotions' compared to her Superior Betazoid Feelings--so she thinks!
When Crusher tells Deanna she may not get better & doesn't want to offer her 'any false hope'...Troi snidely retorts that it's just HOPE, not FALSE HOPE! This event gave me so much pleasure that Troi had 'Fallen back to Earth' & no longer had her 'Holier than Thou' attitude of supremacy--especially if the Betazoid senses didn't return to her...WHAT AN ATTITUDE, made even more aggravating when Deanna tells off Dr. Crusher 4 WASTING TIME dealing w/ scraped knees & other minor ailments b4 coming to finally see her!
In the end, All is Well when the feelings return & she gets this 'Sickening Smile' on her face which I wanted to slap right off because she evokes a SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT, which I'm really Sick of watching the crew give in to her 'put-on sense of weakness' especially Will Riker who she's been hanging around 4 years waiting for him to change his feelings about her...WHAT A LOW SENSE OF SELF-ESTEEM, especially 4 a Ship's Counselor!! Too bad she wasn't forced to give up her commission and leave the Enterprise 4 good...would have been a VERY SWEET MOMENT in my eyes.
And I liked Troi...
sloopnp16 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I actually don't dislike the character Troi. I like what she brings to the show, but this was awful. The crying, whining, misplaced anger like she was going through hormonal changes all while the ship is about to be torn apart. The only thing I tried to remember was that she's half-human and this is sci-fi. We can't expect her to act and rationalize like a full human. We've seen other Betazoids act irrationally (Troi's patient) or immaturely (Troi's mother). Maybe that behavior is her Betazoid side? What did anger me was her reaction to Guinan saying she wants to be the new councilor. She pretty much scoffed at the idea and told her she couldn't handle it. That was just b..chy. Maybe they should just not have any more Troi-centered episodes. They aren't doing her any favors.
To each their own but I actually liked it
davideminorjr14 June 2023
I can understand why this episode's reviews are mostly negative, even the 7's tend to be snarky. Anyway, I thought it was a fairly well done character episode for Troi. While it's naturally jarring to watch a regular character act unlikeable, to me it was more about Troi losing her confidence than her ability. While none of us are "empaths" in this sense, many people would react harshly to suddenly losing a natural talent that they've come to depend on. Our confidence would most certainly take a massive blow. I can't go higher than 8 because I felt the resolution was a bit too rushed. The idea of Troi losing her ability, and then regaining her confidence, would have made a good b-plot in a three episode arc, if done well. I get the negative reviews, but I don't agree with them.
I'd be grumpy too -
amusinghandle16 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I liked it. It shows a completely plausible and human reaction to losing one of your most valued senses. I guess the consensus is that you just 'man up' and take it in stride but that's simply not grounded in any realism.
I am also going to give this episode some major points for having the B-Plot of the 2 dimension aliens tie-in to Troi's arc ---- It drives me a bit crazy to have multiple plots that do not complement one another.
Riker let down the team in a second season episode called 'The Child' but he comes up big for team empathy in this episode by being there in Deanna's time of need. He even provided a bit of tough love to shake Deanna out of the pity party a bit.
How about that Picard? The man's intuition is off the charts in the episode with his belief that the solution to the perilous 2D life form situation can be solved by Deanna --- and he's right!
TNG is certainly a step up from go-go girls in mini skirts but we have not exactly been setting a high standard for quality female representation with the doctor/troi being used primarily as exposition tools to tell the men that there is a problem that needs solving ---- It's nice for Troi to get her moment in this one.
Oh hey ---- Trust your instincts and intuition. Every time I have gone against them it has bite me on the ass.
I am also going to give this episode some major points for having the B-Plot of the 2 dimension aliens tie-in to Troi's arc ---- It drives me a bit crazy to have multiple plots that do not complement one another.
Riker let down the team in a second season episode called 'The Child' but he comes up big for team empathy in this episode by being there in Deanna's time of need. He even provided a bit of tough love to shake Deanna out of the pity party a bit.
How about that Picard? The man's intuition is off the charts in the episode with his belief that the solution to the perilous 2D life form situation can be solved by Deanna --- and he's right!
TNG is certainly a step up from go-go girls in mini skirts but we have not exactly been setting a high standard for quality female representation with the doctor/troi being used primarily as exposition tools to tell the men that there is a problem that needs solving ---- It's nice for Troi to get her moment in this one.
Oh hey ---- Trust your instincts and intuition. Every time I have gone against them it has bite me on the ass.
Unintentionally Hilarious
walk92950121 December 2018
As has already been noted my many, this episode is marred by Troi's self-absorbed whining, but I blame the writers and not Sirtis. We the audience get the irony of the counselor dealing with something that she would normally counsel others on, but we don't need to be beat over the head with it. If the writers had used even the slightest modicum of subtlety in the way they portrayed Troi handling her loss, the episode would have been so much more effective. It's a shame because it was a concept worth exploring, but it was ruined by ham-fisted writing.
Having said that, the episode was not without entertainment value. My son and I have been re-watching the series on Netflix and we literally laughed out loud at Troi's over-the-top petulance and complete lack of self-awareness. I think my favorite may have been the meeting in the observation lounge:
LAFORGE: It's a shame we can't tell if they're sentient.
TROI: What do you mean by that?! I'm doing the best that I can!! (Troi storms off in a huff)
But it is difficult to decide because sickbay was terrific as well:
CRUSHER: If our positions were reversed, what would you tell me?
TROI: If our positions were reversed, I wouldn't have been in here treating skinned elbows while you were lying passed out on your office floor. I'd have been there a lot sooner. Perhaps in time to prevent this from ever happening! (Deanna storms off to her own quarters and marches in, fists clenched.)
Priceless!
We would rate this episode a solid 8 for unintended comedy, but I can't give it more than a 4 on its own merit.
Having said that, the episode was not without entertainment value. My son and I have been re-watching the series on Netflix and we literally laughed out loud at Troi's over-the-top petulance and complete lack of self-awareness. I think my favorite may have been the meeting in the observation lounge:
LAFORGE: It's a shame we can't tell if they're sentient.
TROI: What do you mean by that?! I'm doing the best that I can!! (Troi storms off in a huff)
But it is difficult to decide because sickbay was terrific as well:
CRUSHER: If our positions were reversed, what would you tell me?
TROI: If our positions were reversed, I wouldn't have been in here treating skinned elbows while you were lying passed out on your office floor. I'd have been there a lot sooner. Perhaps in time to prevent this from ever happening! (Deanna storms off to her own quarters and marches in, fists clenched.)
Priceless!
We would rate this episode a solid 8 for unintended comedy, but I can't give it more than a 4 on its own merit.
The stages of loss
skiop25 February 2016
After the barely watchable "Final Mission", TNG returns to form with "The Loss", the first episode in which Wesley Crusher is neither featured nor credited.
The episodes starts with Troi counseling a widow who never fully accepted her husband's death. Surely, Troi handing her her late husband's music box is iconic. As their counseling session completes, Troi loses her empathic powers, obviously due to some spacial anomaly (natch).
What follows is both Troi and her patient coming to terms with their respective losses—from denial to acceptance. The various members of the crew try to help Troi in their own way, but Guinan as usual is the most helpful.
The episodes starts with Troi counseling a widow who never fully accepted her husband's death. Surely, Troi handing her her late husband's music box is iconic. As their counseling session completes, Troi loses her empathic powers, obviously due to some spacial anomaly (natch).
What follows is both Troi and her patient coming to terms with their respective losses—from denial to acceptance. The various members of the crew try to help Troi in their own way, but Guinan as usual is the most helpful.
"I can't sense anything. Not out there, not in here!"
classicsoncall24 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
If 'Next Generation' wanted to give Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) a story in which she figured prominently, they probably could have done better than this. Instead, she comes across rather unfavorably when confronted with the loss of her empathic powers and can no longer sense what other crew members are feeling. This happened to coincide with the Enterprise encountering a two dimensional entity that trapped the ship in some sort of gravitational field that acted like a tractor beam to propel it to certain doom if the crew couldn't figure a way out of extracting itself. Considering herself disabled, Troi dramatically offered to resign her position, not even giving herself a chance to find out if her condition was temporary, something Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) insisted could be the case. For an empath, Troi had no empathy for herself. I liked the way Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) challenged Troi by suggesting she put herself in for the ship's counselor job, I thought that would snap Troi out of her funk. But in the end, it was a matter of reversing the pull of the heretofore unknown cosmic string that threatened the Enterprise. How that would have affected the Counselor wasn't even broached, it just did, making this one of the weaker stories of the fourth season.
Ugh
yaro-2942827 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I have to be honest: I never liked Troi. Her role as the crew's captain obvious and inability to do anything outside that role renders her one of the most worthless characters on the show.
So, imagine an episode that takes away her one distinct ability, and then play up her typical self-centered personality, and you get this episode.
The Enterprise-D is caught in the pull of two-dimensional beings trying to return home to some gravimetric anomaly. That is the B plot... and you'll find if you watch this episode that it's preferable to the A plot it causes: Troi can't use her empathic abilities.
While the crew of the Enterprise undergoes being useful, Troi IMMEDIATELY starts a new counseling technique to compensate for her loss, and that is the technique of acting like a total jerk to everyone who talks to her.
Now, I should point out, the AIM the writers had in this episode is noble. Praiseworthy even. Raising awareness and empathy for those who are disabled is important. I'm all for it.
However, being disabled is not really justification for abandoning all decorum and acting negatively to others. Troi was supposed to be sympathetic, to show us what it might be like to deal with the sudden loss of natural ability.
This is not what happened, because instead Troi immediately erases any hope of being likable and sympathetic by thinking only of her problem and not the fact the Enterprise is in danger, and out and out going off on Picard and the crew when they try to help her so she can help them.
The only redeeming moment of the A plot is when Riker confronts her and actually speaks frankly about how he felt it was GOOD she lost her ability. His point was largely to establish that Deanna's not really handicapped by the loss and that she's more or less just like everyone else.
That's the other reason this episode fails: Troi doesn't lose anything "real" to the viewer. It's not really akin to being blinded or losing the use of a limb. Troi is made "normal" by our standards. And she spends much of the episode being upset she's not BETTER than the viewer. This, combined with Riker's assessment, erases the hope of establishing what the writers hoped to do.
For most the episode we see the rest of the crew actually making themselves useful in saving the Enterprise. It's not until maybe the last act the writers remembered that Troi's the central character of the story and has done nothing to contribute. This is the other problem with this episode. Troi loses her ONE useful ability and spends most the story moping and NOT helping, even deciding because she's not better than the viewer she can't be counselor anymore.
At any rate, eventually the writers shoehorn in Troi actually figuring out an insight that leads to the solution to the B plot. The problem here is that it really doesn't present itself as an insight only Troi could have. In fact, I'd have found the solution more believable coming from Dr. Crusher...
In terms of production, it's just as good as any season 4 episode. The cast handle their roles well, and Marina Sirtis is to commended for playing Troi in what is probably one of the most disagreeable Troi stories.
The problem is that just because a show is well produced and acted can't really overcome a story that people don't like.
Overall, this episode is awful. If you don't like Troi you will NOT like this episode.
So, imagine an episode that takes away her one distinct ability, and then play up her typical self-centered personality, and you get this episode.
The Enterprise-D is caught in the pull of two-dimensional beings trying to return home to some gravimetric anomaly. That is the B plot... and you'll find if you watch this episode that it's preferable to the A plot it causes: Troi can't use her empathic abilities.
While the crew of the Enterprise undergoes being useful, Troi IMMEDIATELY starts a new counseling technique to compensate for her loss, and that is the technique of acting like a total jerk to everyone who talks to her.
Now, I should point out, the AIM the writers had in this episode is noble. Praiseworthy even. Raising awareness and empathy for those who are disabled is important. I'm all for it.
However, being disabled is not really justification for abandoning all decorum and acting negatively to others. Troi was supposed to be sympathetic, to show us what it might be like to deal with the sudden loss of natural ability.
This is not what happened, because instead Troi immediately erases any hope of being likable and sympathetic by thinking only of her problem and not the fact the Enterprise is in danger, and out and out going off on Picard and the crew when they try to help her so she can help them.
The only redeeming moment of the A plot is when Riker confronts her and actually speaks frankly about how he felt it was GOOD she lost her ability. His point was largely to establish that Deanna's not really handicapped by the loss and that she's more or less just like everyone else.
That's the other reason this episode fails: Troi doesn't lose anything "real" to the viewer. It's not really akin to being blinded or losing the use of a limb. Troi is made "normal" by our standards. And she spends much of the episode being upset she's not BETTER than the viewer. This, combined with Riker's assessment, erases the hope of establishing what the writers hoped to do.
For most the episode we see the rest of the crew actually making themselves useful in saving the Enterprise. It's not until maybe the last act the writers remembered that Troi's the central character of the story and has done nothing to contribute. This is the other problem with this episode. Troi loses her ONE useful ability and spends most the story moping and NOT helping, even deciding because she's not better than the viewer she can't be counselor anymore.
At any rate, eventually the writers shoehorn in Troi actually figuring out an insight that leads to the solution to the B plot. The problem here is that it really doesn't present itself as an insight only Troi could have. In fact, I'd have found the solution more believable coming from Dr. Crusher...
In terms of production, it's just as good as any season 4 episode. The cast handle their roles well, and Marina Sirtis is to commended for playing Troi in what is probably one of the most disagreeable Troi stories.
The problem is that just because a show is well produced and acted can't really overcome a story that people don't like.
Overall, this episode is awful. If you don't like Troi you will NOT like this episode.
One of the show's worst.
darren-oconnor23 July 2019
I loved Star Trek: the Next Generation. I'm a diehard fan of the original series, first and foremost, but TNG was still great when it was at its best. Unfortunately, this episode is among the worst. Troi temporarily loses her power of empathy, and she becomes absolutely insufferable. I get that she was going through denial, anger, etc. but they overdid it, and I mean REALLY overdid it, and she came across as so self-pitying, whiny, unreasonable and downright childish I don't see how the crew could ever have respected her again. After all, the crew of the Enterprise was supposed to be Starfleet's very best and brightest. And part of being the best is how you cope with adversity. In that episode, Troi coped with it about as poorly as it was possible to imagine, and it really made you think she doesn't belong on that ship.
Well, it's perhaps better than "Samaritan Snare"
RestlessRust19 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The idea of Troi losing her empathic abilities seems at first thought like a good plot device. After all, that's her defining characteristic. It's what makes her an "amazing" ship's counselor. To lose that is to lose everything, right?
And so when she loses it, she totally loses it. I mean, she turns into a complete whiny b-word. But we're to believe this is all understandable. She can't do her job, everyone around her seems suddenly different -- it must be incredibly scary!
But that's where we start to discover the inherent flaws in the concept. Troi describes herself as handicapped, and to drive the point home, she compares it to being blind. But how accurate is that statement? The reason most people don't want to go blind is that it would put them at a severe disadvantage. Living with blindness is inherently difficult. It is impossible for us to empathize with Troi's dilemma because we don't have her ability. Therefore we do not see her as living with a disadvantage; we see her as losing her advantage, as Riker points out. Now she's one of us, just like everyone else. So get over it!
Still, that would be scary, so it's understandable that she would have emotional difficulty. Unfortunately, the entire manifestation of this fear is that she will no longer be able to do her job. Most people who go blind, their first, second or even fiftieth thought is not that they won't be able to do their job. It would have been much more interesting if Troi had tried to reassess her identity as a person. But it's all about her work.
Which raises another issue: How "amazing" of a counselor can Troi be if she needs to be able to cheat to help people? We've seen her use basic cognitive therapy techniques before, so the idea of needing telepathy to do her job is a stretch to begin with. It seems like the worst that would happen is that she would no longer be on the bridge crew to tell Picard that she senses deception from the alien that just told an obvious lie. That might sting, losing such a prestigious position, but it certainly would not justify her actions in this episode.
And if she is so bad at her job that she needs to cheat to be effective at it, how are we supposed to empathize with that? It's like Lance Armstrong complaining that he can't race effectively now that he can't use drugs. Again, just like everyone else.
Even the reason for her "loss" is suspect. We aren't really given specifics, but apparently Troi's empathic receptors get overloaded when the Enterprise get's caught in a swarm of two-dimensional dot creatures. All those thoughts and emotions. Except the whole point of the solution to that dilemma is that the creatures are not intelligent and act purely on instinct. Isn't this about the same as landing on a planet full of vegetation and microbial life forms? Yet Troi has no problem with that.
Okay, I admit it -- that's a lot of thought put into this episode. Not everything has to stand up to scrutiny after the fact. If the episode works while you're watching it, then everything else is second. But this episode doesn't work, because Troi is so awful to everyone...and because we never really share Troi's feelings of loss. We never really see Troi deal with all this, either. Just when it seems like she's about to get a handle on it, she gets her abilities back. Essentially, the show ends at the moment it starts getting interesting!
As for the story about the dots, it's actually a nice sci-fi concept, dragged down only by the utter predictability of it all.
All in all, a very weak and barely watchable episode.
And so when she loses it, she totally loses it. I mean, she turns into a complete whiny b-word. But we're to believe this is all understandable. She can't do her job, everyone around her seems suddenly different -- it must be incredibly scary!
But that's where we start to discover the inherent flaws in the concept. Troi describes herself as handicapped, and to drive the point home, she compares it to being blind. But how accurate is that statement? The reason most people don't want to go blind is that it would put them at a severe disadvantage. Living with blindness is inherently difficult. It is impossible for us to empathize with Troi's dilemma because we don't have her ability. Therefore we do not see her as living with a disadvantage; we see her as losing her advantage, as Riker points out. Now she's one of us, just like everyone else. So get over it!
Still, that would be scary, so it's understandable that she would have emotional difficulty. Unfortunately, the entire manifestation of this fear is that she will no longer be able to do her job. Most people who go blind, their first, second or even fiftieth thought is not that they won't be able to do their job. It would have been much more interesting if Troi had tried to reassess her identity as a person. But it's all about her work.
Which raises another issue: How "amazing" of a counselor can Troi be if she needs to be able to cheat to help people? We've seen her use basic cognitive therapy techniques before, so the idea of needing telepathy to do her job is a stretch to begin with. It seems like the worst that would happen is that she would no longer be on the bridge crew to tell Picard that she senses deception from the alien that just told an obvious lie. That might sting, losing such a prestigious position, but it certainly would not justify her actions in this episode.
And if she is so bad at her job that she needs to cheat to be effective at it, how are we supposed to empathize with that? It's like Lance Armstrong complaining that he can't race effectively now that he can't use drugs. Again, just like everyone else.
Even the reason for her "loss" is suspect. We aren't really given specifics, but apparently Troi's empathic receptors get overloaded when the Enterprise get's caught in a swarm of two-dimensional dot creatures. All those thoughts and emotions. Except the whole point of the solution to that dilemma is that the creatures are not intelligent and act purely on instinct. Isn't this about the same as landing on a planet full of vegetation and microbial life forms? Yet Troi has no problem with that.
Okay, I admit it -- that's a lot of thought put into this episode. Not everything has to stand up to scrutiny after the fact. If the episode works while you're watching it, then everything else is second. But this episode doesn't work, because Troi is so awful to everyone...and because we never really share Troi's feelings of loss. We never really see Troi deal with all this, either. Just when it seems like she's about to get a handle on it, she gets her abilities back. Essentially, the show ends at the moment it starts getting interesting!
As for the story about the dots, it's actually a nice sci-fi concept, dragged down only by the utter predictability of it all.
All in all, a very weak and barely watchable episode.
2/10 Troi
Kessof12 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Even with the weakest TNG episodes, we frequently find ourselves surprised with the questions posed by the end of episodes; lingering dilemmas, moral ambiguity, and the question of what it means to be human. Next Gen especially, though it could be said for Star Trek in general, has a fabulous way of keeping us thinking long after the episode has ended.
I found myself mulling a similar question. What was more two-dimensional: the beings the Enterprise encountered, or Marina Sirtis' acting?
In this episode, we find ourselves presented with an entity that is purely driven by an instinctive urge, wrapping the Enterprise up and causing havoc in the process. Much like a moth to a flame, a duck to water, or women to Patrick Stewart, it relies purely on an ineffable need to reach its end goal.
This entity, of course, is Marina Sirtis. Troi bumbles from one scene to another, shrieking utterances between unconvincing sobs, moodily swinging between camera shots until the final curtain mercifully blesses this episode. Coincidentally, there is also a sub-plot about some space things trying to reach a star or something and that's how it ends.
Worth watching for the sixth time if you're feeling particularly masochistic or just have a bit of time on your hands.
2/10: you tried.
I found myself mulling a similar question. What was more two-dimensional: the beings the Enterprise encountered, or Marina Sirtis' acting?
In this episode, we find ourselves presented with an entity that is purely driven by an instinctive urge, wrapping the Enterprise up and causing havoc in the process. Much like a moth to a flame, a duck to water, or women to Patrick Stewart, it relies purely on an ineffable need to reach its end goal.
This entity, of course, is Marina Sirtis. Troi bumbles from one scene to another, shrieking utterances between unconvincing sobs, moodily swinging between camera shots until the final curtain mercifully blesses this episode. Coincidentally, there is also a sub-plot about some space things trying to reach a star or something and that's how it ends.
Worth watching for the sixth time if you're feeling particularly masochistic or just have a bit of time on your hands.
2/10: you tried.
Counselor, heal thyself...and stop whining about your problems!
planktonrules18 November 2014
The Enterprise is being towed by some invisible force. At the same time, Troi loses her psychic powers...and more than a bit snippy. However, instead of dealing with it, she seemed to bite the head off friends who tried to help.
Wow. I never particularly liked the character Deanna Troi. However, here she is simply insufferable. Her job is being a know- it-all and helping crew members with therapy. However, now that she is facing a crisis, she refuses to seek help and just sits around feeling sorry for herself! She also whines about now being disabled and how horrible it is to be just like everyone else!!! Additionally, when a crew member comes to her for therapy, Troi begins talking about herself and her lost powers. Not exactly professional, huh, and a bit self-centered! And, a bit hypocritical...and a bit of a b**** as well. The bottom line is that the Counselor behaves insufferably here and it doesn't help fans to like or appreciate her character very much. A writer should NOT make the viewer hate a character who is supposed to be a good and beloved part of the cast--but they did this here. Because of this, I would consider this among the worst episodes of an otherwise excellent fourth season.
Wow. I never particularly liked the character Deanna Troi. However, here she is simply insufferable. Her job is being a know- it-all and helping crew members with therapy. However, now that she is facing a crisis, she refuses to seek help and just sits around feeling sorry for herself! She also whines about now being disabled and how horrible it is to be just like everyone else!!! Additionally, when a crew member comes to her for therapy, Troi begins talking about herself and her lost powers. Not exactly professional, huh, and a bit self-centered! And, a bit hypocritical...and a bit of a b**** as well. The bottom line is that the Counselor behaves insufferably here and it doesn't help fans to like or appreciate her character very much. A writer should NOT make the viewer hate a character who is supposed to be a good and beloved part of the cast--but they did this here. Because of this, I would consider this among the worst episodes of an otherwise excellent fourth season.
Absolutely God Awful
M_Exchange20 February 2017
I read almost all of the reviews for this one before I watched this episode. I was very tempted to skip it. But I'm a completist, so I needed to watch it. I want to state right now that if you just want to watch the good/great or EVEN MEDIOCRE episodes of the show, skip this one entirely. It has almost no merit.
I will award two stars to it instead of one because even when the Deanna Troi character is at her worst she has flashes of extreme sexiness. But who would want to be near her anyway? She is at her whiniest in this episode. A bit of self-pitying is fine, but when it's taken to the extreme and you're lashing out at good people because "THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND" then you're just being a child.
Also, the story of the "two dimensional phenomenon" that is drawing the Enterprise into its vortex is one of the dullest things in Trek history. Apparently, a seemingly innocuous purple cloud in space (the dramatic music that accompanies its presence is especially humorous) has eliminated Deanna's powers, yet she wants to resign and be done with the entire ship before they even handled the problem. It was the utter nadir of stupidity for her to be so reactionary so quickly. It reminded me of a comedy in which someone torches a building or some other extreme thing because he misinterpreted something, then he when he realizes his mistake he just grins stupidly and shrugs his shoulders. Who could regard such a person with any degree of respect ever again? I'm watching the entire "Next Generation" series. So far two of my top five least favorite "Next Generation" shows ("The Child" and this episode) feature Deanna-- and I'm just midway through season four. Maybe that number will increase.
I will award two stars to it instead of one because even when the Deanna Troi character is at her worst she has flashes of extreme sexiness. But who would want to be near her anyway? She is at her whiniest in this episode. A bit of self-pitying is fine, but when it's taken to the extreme and you're lashing out at good people because "THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND" then you're just being a child.
Also, the story of the "two dimensional phenomenon" that is drawing the Enterprise into its vortex is one of the dullest things in Trek history. Apparently, a seemingly innocuous purple cloud in space (the dramatic music that accompanies its presence is especially humorous) has eliminated Deanna's powers, yet she wants to resign and be done with the entire ship before they even handled the problem. It was the utter nadir of stupidity for her to be so reactionary so quickly. It reminded me of a comedy in which someone torches a building or some other extreme thing because he misinterpreted something, then he when he realizes his mistake he just grins stupidly and shrugs his shoulders. Who could regard such a person with any degree of respect ever again? I'm watching the entire "Next Generation" series. So far two of my top five least favorite "Next Generation" shows ("The Child" and this episode) feature Deanna-- and I'm just midway through season four. Maybe that number will increase.
Troi Overreacts Way Too Quickly
Samuel-Shovel17 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In "The Loss" Troi loses her telepathic powers, causing her to reevaluate her personal worth. Meanwhile the Enterprise is being pulled across space by an unknown force with no way of being able to pull itself free.
Troi is in absolute shambles in this episode. I thought recently they'd done a better job at writing her character but she's a blubbering mess here that the audience can't have much sympathy for. She loses her powers for 3 minutes and acts like the world is ending. She doesn't even give it a week to see if it's temporary before she resigns her post.
To make matters worse the B plot isn't much better. It's basically just them doing a bunch of research and failing tests on these 2D beings. It's incredibly boring and almost just as bad as Troi's arc (but bad for different reasons).
The one highlight is this is a Guinan episode. But even her scenes with Troi aren't anything to write home about... I've always said she's a better ship:s counselor than Troi and she's doing circles around the Betazoid in this ep.
I just really can't find much to say in the form of compliments for this episode. I usually reserve 1 star ratings for the truly horrendous and offensive. This one isn't quite there, but it's pretty close.
Troi is in absolute shambles in this episode. I thought recently they'd done a better job at writing her character but she's a blubbering mess here that the audience can't have much sympathy for. She loses her powers for 3 minutes and acts like the world is ending. She doesn't even give it a week to see if it's temporary before she resigns her post.
To make matters worse the B plot isn't much better. It's basically just them doing a bunch of research and failing tests on these 2D beings. It's incredibly boring and almost just as bad as Troi's arc (but bad for different reasons).
The one highlight is this is a Guinan episode. But even her scenes with Troi aren't anything to write home about... I've always said she's a better ship:s counselor than Troi and she's doing circles around the Betazoid in this ep.
I just really can't find much to say in the form of compliments for this episode. I usually reserve 1 star ratings for the truly horrendous and offensive. This one isn't quite there, but it's pretty close.
Troi at her most annoying.
houseofatreus200011 December 2021
Whaaaa! I no longer have an ability nobody else on the ship has. Now I'm no longer better than them. That's all this episode is. Troi whining for an hour because she can't sense anyone's private thoughts and feelings. And the moment she regains her ability, she's all cheery and patting herself in the back. And expect everyone to just ignore that fact that he acted like a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum.
Terrible episode
chefmarty-348336 January 2022
Trio looses her telepathic abilities and claims she is disabled and goes around the enterprise crying and wanting to resign because she is "handicapped " I'm disabled myself but I found this insulting. She is not even close to being disabled. A skip episode and avoid it.
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