Deanna Troi in "Picard"

One of the more hilarious scenes in TNG was the one where Troi briefs Picard and Riker about her mother entering the Betazoid mid-life "Phase." She explains that the sex drive of a Betazoid woman in the Phase quadruples "or more." Riker's expressions of glee crack me completely up.

...So by the time period of 'Picard,' would Deanna be of an age to be in the Phase? I am imagining a very bedraggled Will Riker with a permanent grin on his exhausted face.

 

Any skepticism I have about the series will quadruple or more if there's anything more than a passing reference to it in the dialogue.

 

I mean, we're about 30 yrs post-Lwaxana's Phase, so the timing seems right.

 

This is where they should emphasize she's half-Betazoid. Maybe she takes after her human half in this regard.

... and I think the whole quadruple sex-drive thing is one of the less savory parts of Gene's Vision.

 

I mean, human sex drives seem to quadruple for males in their late teens and women in their early 30s, in my experience. I kind of think it was nice that a more mature woman was permitted to express her sexuality, albeit for comedic reasons. Lwaxana was way sexier than her daughter, imo (with the possible exception of that episode where Deanna opened her door in that white see through number).

 

If it weren't played just for laughs and didn't turn Troi into a joke, I'd be all for it. Riker could struggle with not being enough for Troi. We could see how it effects their kid. There's good family drama there.

The way it was written for Luaxana Troi, most of the time, it was like she was Mrs. Roper from Three's Company and Picard and Odo were Mr. Roper. I think the way they handled Luaxana in "Half a Life" (TNG) and "Muse" (DS9) and her relationships with men were just about right and those didn't depend on a quadruple sex drive. And her implied nudity in "Cost of Living" was pitch perfect.

More like that and less like "Manhunt".

 

Exactly. I never understood the tendency to play human sexuality for laughs.

 

That actually sounds like a really cool idea.

Then again I can kinda see Riker trying to be super duper understanding modern man and bringing young, fit guys home for Deanna.

 

Wasn't one of the side effects to her rapid aging in the episode where an ambassador uses her as a "receptacle" that her libido ramps up to ridiculous levels? So she might be Betazoid enough for that.

 

I haven't seen the episode I think you're talking about in over 20 years. I haven't gotten up to it yet in my re-watch.

 

As an adult, I actually think it is more funny how frightened all the men are of Lwaxana's sexuality. Yes, she is a little boisterous, but really I think it's because she is intelligent enough that she doesn't take anything very seriously and she is enjoying getting a rise out of them. Yes, maybe she is surfing on her increased libido, but she is mainly having fun with it all. It's a sign of her self-confidence

You see the real her in her serious/sad scenes. She plays up her silly side to hide her underlying pain and loss. I quite like Lwaxana.

 

I adore Lwaxana Troi. She was confident, warm, outgoing and self-assured, and the perfect antidote to the rather sterile, rational characters TNG usually offered us.

 

And she ruffled Picard's feathers in a way only she and Q could.

 

There's a Peter David novel called Q-in-Law where Lwaxana and Q hook up. It's been 20 yrs since I read it, but it used to be a favorite.

 

I remember. It didn't end well for Q.

 

I'm of the opinion that for Qs, the experience of 'losing' is just as rewarding and interesting as the experience of 'winning.' It seems like there is no real way that a Q could legitimately lose in a competitive encounter with, say, a mere human. But I think Qs enjoy experiences more than outcomes, so they still 'get something' out of allowing the human to come out on top. Humans, being more petty, have a much more deep-seated need for one outcome ('victory') over another ('defeat').

 

The audio book, though sadly abridged, features an amazing performance by John de lancie and Majel Barrett, who perform each of their characters.