Episode of the Week: 4x10 "The Loss"

[Mojochi]

I seem to recall somewhere them saying that Lwaxanna had a particularly strong telepathic ablity. Anyone else remember that? I think it was Deanna that said it

They never address why she was able to exchange thought with Will early on, regardless of the fact that they backed off of it. I tended to toss it in the "Familial" category as well. She had bonded to him in some alienish way that was similar to her bond with her mother, whom she can share telepathy with

Never cared much for the episode. It was marginally executed, which made it more annoying that sympathetic. Guess what, not only can no one on the ship identify with your loss of the ability, neither can anyone in the audience

 

[Trekker4747]

I seem to recall somewhere them saying that Lwaxanna had a particularly strong telepathic ablity. Anyone else remember that? I think it was Deanna that said it.

I think it's in the episode where Lwaxanna comes on the ship going through Betazoid menopause, or sexual maturity or something and she was trying to find a new husband. Picard questions Lwaxanna's telepathic abilities and Deanna points out that Lwaxanna is regarded as one of the stronger telepaths. (Except right now her condition was making her telepathic readings a little fuzzier.)

They never address why she was able to exchange thought with Will early on, regardless of the fact that they backed off of it. I tended to toss it in the "Familial" category as well. She had bonded to him in some alienish way that was similar to her bond with her mother, whom she can share telepathy with

I guess this pretty much where I land. E@F has the scene with Troi "talking to Riker telepathically" (though she never does this again in the series. Even in times where it'd be very useful) and in the same episode we have it explicitly stated that Deanna is half-Betazoid and not a true telepath. This is restated and established numerous other times in the series. The only real times we see her demonstrating telepathic ability is either with a family member (Lwaxanna), someone she has a strong emotional connection with (Riker) and other Betazoids (the catatonic Betazoid in "Night Terrors.")

Any other time in the series she only gets emotions from other characters. She's not a true, full, telepath.

 

[Armored Saint]

Lwaxanna was able to read thoughts of the two mercenaries in Manhunt and she was always saying that somebody had dirty thougts about her. So yeah, she was telepath and not simply empath.

 

[Trekker4747]

Lwaxanna was able to read thoughts of the two mercenaries in Manhunt and she was always saying that somebody had dirty thougts about her. So yeah, she was telepath and not simply empath.

Yeah.... Lwaxanna being a full telepath isn't in argument here. Troi's telepathic ability, is.

 

[Kaelef]

Funny to see another character other than Riker written to react like an unprofessional child. Riker has had several instances of remarkably un-evolved jealousy or anger (mostly in the first two seasons). Here, Troi goes immediately into meltdown mode even though her loss only is in effect for hours, and she should know better given her experience and profession. Yes, they try to cover that in the last scene with "doctors always make the worst patients", but it seems like a weak excuse and she still comes off terribly here. They needed a scene with her apologizing to everyone.