"Muse"
comments? pforooghi@compusmart.ab.ca
Well, what can I say? Another week, another boring, disappointing show. I thought this episode was even more slow moving and dull than the last one. Are the writers trying to go for some sort of a record here? But enough criticism. I’m sounding redundant by now, and I’m sure you all don’t want to hear it anymore either. We are all frustrated, and there’s really not much we can do to turn our show around at this point. That said, I do have a few comments to make about "Muse". The show attempted to make several important points about writing and the value of entertainment in general, though it managed to do so with as much subtlety as a sledgehammer. As a result, the significance of the points made were lessened because they were conveyed in a rather blatant fashion. At least, that’s how I saw it.
I was particularly interested in the comments made about modern-day writing, and how fans prefer action-oriented, exciting fair to more thoughtful, character driven stories. The young playwright certainly believed that a story has to have more than enough action and suspense to hold an audience’s interest. The older playwright, on the other hand, believed that writers have simply become lazy. I tend to agree with this position. So, what were TPTB at Voyager trying to tell us here? I think they were commenting on the nature of modern day entertainment and what they believe audiences want through this episode. They most likely are in agreement with the young playwright, given the direction they have decided to take Voyager in this season. As Braga likes to say, the show has become "high concept". In other words, blowing things up and tons of special effects are supposedly what we as an audience go for, not intelligent, thought-provoking stories that are driven by character. This begs the question: are TPTB correct in their assessment? Are we as an audience so superficial that even the slightest hint of depth or complexity makes us want to change the channel? If we are talking about the viewers of Trek, I’m afraid that for the most part, the answer is yes. All we have to do is look at who the show is targeted towards- the young male demographic. And what do they prefer? Cool effects and stuff blowing up, not introspective episodes about Janeway’s sense of guilt and subsequent melancholy (Night), or whether the Doctor is a sentient being and the nature of sentience in general (Latent Image). I’m not saying all young men feel this way, I’m just saying that enough of a majority do. Which is why the show is the way it is at this point. So, perhaps it’s not the writers’ fault that the focus of the show has shifted towards action at the expense of characterization. They think they are giving their audience what they want to see. However, I believe it is TPTB’s fault when even the action is not interesting, which is how it’s been this season. Lackluster action, coupled with meagre character development, is why season 6 has been so disappointing and frustrating.
The second important point made in the episode concerned romance, or more appropriately, lack thereof. I thought B’Ellana’s reaction towards the idea of various romantic pairings was noteworthy. She of course was against the notion of romantic entanglements amongst her crewmates. I believe that this too was a not-so-subtle statement on the nature of Trek as well. Basically, what they were trying to tell us here is that as far as romance goes, we can all forget about it! Trek is not a soap opera, and therefore, its focus will never be on love and romance. There are simply more pressing matters to deal with, as B’Ellana mentioned to the playwright. To drive the point home (like I said, not much subtlety tonight), they juxtaposed a scene between the actors on the planet who were portraying Janeway and Chakotay as a romantic couple with the real J/C aboard Voyager, who were as romantic as a trip to the dentist. Point taken, TPTB! No J/C romance, or more importantly, no romance at all! I got it! So, not only should the J/C camp give up hopes of a romantic pairing, but so should the J/7 or any other faction. Poor us! At least, this was the impression I was left with.
Yet a third point concerns how the playwright depicted the J/7 relationship. Frankly, I think he got some of his information from B’Ellana, but the rest was pure extrapolation on his part. B’Ellana was shown throughout the episode as being a very reluctant muse, as she had more important things on her mind, like getting back to Voyager. So, I don’t think she spent a whole lot of time telling the playwright about her crewmembers’ personalities, let alone their interpersonal relationships. She may have pointed out that J/7 have a unique bond between them, but I don’t think she went into any further details. The poet, therefore, had to fill in the blanks for himself, which is where he stumbled as far as J/7 go. He did understand that they are close, which is why he had "Janeway" say that Seven is her "eyes and ears". However, by making Seven untrustworthy and duplicitous, he was conveying his own interpretation of the relationship instead of what it truly is. And I don’t think B’Ellana had anything to do with that. I believe that even she has moved beyond thinking of Seven as a dubious, malevolent force who is capable of treason at any time. The poet, on the other hand, can’t be blamed for thinking of Seven in those terms, given how his culture has been involved in numerous conflicts and is most likely very suspicious of outsiders. The Borg, to him, represent his society’s mistrust of other groups.
Finally, the poet noted how entertainment can influence a culture’s thinking. He hoped that his patron would change his mind about starting a war after watching his play. This statement, to me, was the most blatant cliché of the evening. How many times have we heard how TV, films, etc.... can change a society for the better by bringing about awareness and understanding to various social issues and problems? That’s what I thought.
In the final analysis, I didn’t think this episode was terribly interesting or insightful. As I’ve said, the statements it tried to make were just too obvious and hackneyed to be at all profound or thought-provoking. And to add insult to injury, nary a J/7 scene or a J or 7 one for that matter! This is getting to be a habit lately, one which I don’t appreciate at all. In fact, the dearth of J/7 interaction this season is really grating on my nerves. So, for this reason, as well as the myriad aforementioned ones, I can only give "Muse" one comm badge. Sigh...
Cheers! Pooneh
