Therapists on the bridge

[1001001]

The Rapist stuff is seriously played out.

 

[Spot261]

Over and over again, she introduces/identifies herself as "ship's counselor" or "ship's therapist." I can't think of a single time she identifies herself in diplomatic terms or offers diplomatic credentials of any kind. And that's why we all know her as "Counselor Troi." So downplaying her therapist role is at odds with what she says about herself. The vast majority of the time she was on the bridge, nothing diplomatic was going on, and she seemed to just be hanging out with Riker & Picard.

There's always a tactical officer on the bridge, even when not in combat.

There's a pilot there even when the ship isn't moving.

There's a science officer there even when the aren't doing anything sciencey...

 

[Discofan]

I find it odd to have a Therapist on the bridge rather than a regular Doctor, given that a helmsman (for example) is more likely to have a console explode in his face than to get suddenly depressed!

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

There's always a tactical officer on the bridge, even when not in combat.

There's a pilot there even when the ship isn't moving.

There's a science officer there even when the aren't doing anything sciencey...

Then pull up a chair for Mot, too. Many of the bridge crew go to him for hair trims, so have a place for the barber even when he's not making Worf look fabulous.

 

[tafkats]

Am I the only sick and twisted mind who sees the title as "The rapist on the bridge" every time I log on?
Maybe I need a therapist.

I keep trying to decide what the image would have been. Spock's forced mind meld with Valeris? Did any of the weird aliens from "Violations" ever go to the Bridge?

I find it odd to have a Therapist on the bridge rather than a regular Doctor, given that a helmsman (for example) is more likely to have a console explode in his face than to get suddenly depressed!

It's not for depression, it's for anxiety.

Ensign: "Counselor, every time I sit down at this station, I get this intense feeling as if something horrible is about to ha --"

(Console explodes in a shower of sparks)

Troi: "Well, you weren't wrong."

 

[rredmond]

The Rapist stuff is seriously played out.

Yup as a therapist I agree. My favorite was when the parents of the kids I was seeing would tell it to the kids... and think they were the first to come up with it.

 

[Discofan]

...

Troi: "Well, you weren't wrong."

Yes, Troi especially has a knack for stating the obvious.

For example, we see some alien visibly angry on the screen.

Picard: What do you sense?

Troi: He's angry.

Picard: But why?

Troi: How the hell should I know?

 

[Lord Garth]

If Humanity is perfect, people are in tune with their emotions, and this crew on the Federation Flagship are the best of the best... then why does there need to be a therapist on the bridge? In theory, the crew shouldn't have the types of issues that a therapist would usually need to address.

 

[Prax]

Because her role on the bridge is not as a therapist. She gives advice to the captain, and probes alien's feelings.

 

[Arpy]

If Humanity is perfect, people are in tune with their emotions, and this crew on the Federation Flagship are the best of the best... then why does there need to be a therapist on the bridge? In theory, the crew shouldn't have the types of issues that a therapist would usually need to address.

She's how humanity maintains their "perfection"? It isn't wishful thinking or innate superiority; it's process.

 

[Takeru]

Remember when she telepathically talked to Riker in the pilot? That's when she inserted a mental clone of herself into him to influence his decision making. Him losing his ambitions and being glued to the first officers seat on the Enterprise? That's Troi getting her revenge after he left her for his career. Her being on the bridge all the time is her enjoying watching him standing in Picard's shadow forever.

 

[Lord Garth]

Because her role on the bridge is not as a therapist. She gives advice to the captain, and probes alien's feelings.

That might make sense, but...

Remember when she telepathically talked to Riker in the pilot? That's when she inserted a mental clone of herself into him to influence his decision making. Him losing his ambitions and being glued to the first officers seat on the Enterprise? That's Troi getting her revenge after he left her for his career. Her being on the bridge all the time is her enjoying watching him standing in Picard's shadow forever.

I like this better.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

That might make sense, but...



I like this better.

And here I thought Lwaxana was the one to watch out for.

 

[Discofan]

Yeah, Deanna is sometimes a telepath, sometimes an empath, sometimes both or neither. It depends mostly on what the plot demands.

 

[Roundabout]

He really should have, I honestly kinda liked the skant on men. Star Trek often talks big about how progressive it is when it was never that special in that regard. "Oh, it's the 80s now, we are so progressive, on TNG the men will wear mini skirts too, it's not the 60s anymore! Equality of the sexes, yay!" And then they chickened out immediately by only putting it on two male extras before phasing it out completely.

And no, that particular cut of the skant wasn't super attractive, it was a bit boxy but the pants uniforms didn't look that great either, they could have improved on the skant (and eventually did, Troi's AGT version looked good) but decided not too.

I wouldn't even care that much if Star Trek wouldn't celebrate itself so much as this progressive platform, at the end of the day it doesn't matter if the characters wear goofy skants or goofy spandex pyjamas but we all know the real reason why they randomly put Tasha in a skant for one scene but not Riker or Geordie, women showing skin in a skant fell under "sex sells", men doing the same somewhere between "ridiculous" and "lol, gay!", TNG fell in line before it even aired, that's the opposite of being progressive.

You don't want to show a man in a skant? Fine, then don't do it but don't throw it on an extra for a three second scene and talk about "total equality of the sexes" as if it means something.

Those TNG extras weren't the first crewmen to wear a version of a skant. TOS's Scotty did wear a kilt on occasion, usually formal ones. But, I get that the context of Scotty wearing a kilt was different to what TNG was going for in those scenes.

You're right. My memories are degrading as they age in the transporter buffer. By-the-by, is that Tarsha Yar in a mini-shirt uniform and go-go boots in the final scene of the Farpoint episode?

Those TNG outfits, that Troi and Tasha were wearing, do have a school girl uniform vibe. Compared to those TNG outfits, the female TOS uniforms looked rather professional. The TOS uniforms were sexier as well, I have to say. Interestingly, the way Troi was sitting in that photo, she looked like a demure well behaved school girl sitting at her desk.

Guinan fills the role of a friend, confidant, and in some cases an older, wiser mentor.

That's not the same as a therapist.

Perhaps the writers should have given Picard a buddy, like Bones was to Kirk or the "old man" Dax was to Sisko, or how Trip was Archer's bud. But that might have meant dumbing down Picard to some extent.

Picard was basically the wisest man on the ship. No one on that ship was Picard's equal in terms of gravitas. Picard was really his own wise older counselor (and he looked the part).

Neither Riker nor Troi had the heft to consistently not mince words when speaking to Picard. Those two were rather weak underlings.

Dr. Crusher was at times the brutal candid friend, but there was an undertone that there might have been a romantic aspect to the relationship. And from what I can remember, she was usually, more or less, protecting her turf, and not really like being a buddy. And Guinan did fill those roles, that the poster mentioned, at other times. But the two seemed more like intellectual colleagues.

Picard could have had use for a buddy with whom he could let his hair down (so to speak) and lean on to give him brutally honest advice. And not hold back the words or advice, even when he is not seeking it.

But then again, Picard was such an intellectual heavyweight, that maybe it was for the best that he didn't have, or need, a buddy.

 

[Arpy]

^ I dunno. Picard talked to all those people you mentioned whenever he needed to and they were there for him. I suppose someone in the room has to be the wisest one among that selection, but they're not so all the time, and Picard did turn to others when he needed to. They were all his subordinates so they couldn't order him around (for the most part / Crusher did on occasion), but he did turn to them outside the standard Observation Lounge sessions -- Guinan in "Measure of a Man" and BoBW, Troi at the end of "Chain of Command, Part II," etc. (Maybe his brother Robert in "Family.")

As their superior officer, they let him command, but they didn't need him for personal advice very often either.

Although, I suppose I do see the vibe you're talking about...where it's played as he's their commander but also usually their trusted leader, their Captain.

Picard didn't have a problem being the subordinate to the admiral of the week (when they weren't crazy), heeding his crew/friends, or being respectful of anyone. But he was usually in the role he chose to pursue -- being the one who's responsible for it all.

Stewart had the gravitas to play it. And the look, the age. They really lucked out with him as an actor. He infused the part with whatever was necessary to make it substantive regardless what was actually on the page.

 

[tafkats]

Perhaps the writers should have given Picard a buddy, like Bones was to Kirk or the "old man" Dax was to Sisko, or how Trip was Archer's bud. But that might have meant dumbing down Picard to some extent.

Picard was basically the wisest man on the ship. No one on that ship was Picard's equal in terms of gravitas. Picard was really his own wise older counselor (and he looked the part).

... Dr. Crusher was at times the brutal candid friend, but there was an undertone that there might have been a romantic aspect to the relationship. And from what I can remember, she was usually, more or less, protecting her turf, and not really like being a buddy. And Guinan did fill those roles, that the poster mentioned, at other times. But the two seemed more like intellectual colleagues.

Although neither Crusher nor Guinan was a "buddy," per se, I think they both fulfilled the role of the confidant whose helpfulness to the captain is based more on their personal relationship to him than on their job title. It's more subdued, but then, everything about TNG was more subdued.

The unresolved BONC tension aside, the Picard/Crusher and Picard/Guinan friendships feel most similar to Janeway/Tuvok.

 

[rredmond]

That's what I always thought too. That Picard was wise enough to find who he'd need to bounce things off of for each particular instance. He was the team leader, but searched out opinions (from targeted individuals he thought best) to better inform his decisions.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Yeah, Deanna is sometimes a telepath, sometimes an empath, sometimes both or neither. It depends mostly on what the plot demands.

Remember when she telepathically talked to Riker in the pilot? That's when she inserted a mental clone of herself into him to influence his decision making. Him losing his ambitions and being glued to the first officers seat on the Enterprise? That's Troi getting her revenge after he left her for his career. Her being on the bridge all the time is her enjoying watching him standing in Picard's shadow forever.

Sometimes an empath, sometimes a telepath, and apparently sometimes [jokingly] a psychopath! Not even Q could break her spell over Riker.

 

[Discofan]

Sometimes an empath, sometimes a telepath, and apparently sometimes [jokingly] a psychopath! Not even Q could break her spell over Riker.

In "Man Of The People" she is easily tricked, for example, she seems like she isn't empathic at all.