The first season had an odd blend of playfulness and sexuality.
TASHA: "And what I want now is gentleness.
And joy. And love."
.... From you, Data. You are fully
functional, aren't you?"
DATA: "Of course, but...
TASHA: "How fully?"
DATA: "In every way, of course. I have been programmed in multiple
techniques, a broad variety of pleasuring..."
TASHA: "You jewel! That's exactly what I hoped."
Throughout the first season, there are few other sexual references. It seems kind of risque for a late 80's show airing in the daytime, no less.
Ds9 and Voyager had its moments, but they didn't seem to have the weird sensual aspect to it. And the Original Trek had even more erotic and suggestive scenes (the finger stroking, breathing).
If you think it is a lame episode, perhaps part of it is, but the Tasha / Data encounter is also among the most mentioned scenes.
That was one of the things I like about the first season, (at least some of it) the dialogue, the simpleness.
Later on, it seemed like the dialogue between the crew mates had become more... "professional", though they gre closer to each other.
I rather liked Tasha's character too, if anything, because she was kept slightly on the sidelines, with just enough exposure to make you more curious about her.
She had an authority presence, and it was easy to believe she was a security chief.
Later on after watching, I really wanted to see how she would turn out in the later seasons, what it would look like were she in command, or at least sat in the chair.
And the technology part, I agree... with the later seasons, no "ooohs and ahhhhs" with new technology or a new discovery, have you noticed?
I've seen some later episodes where upon a new discovery, a new piece of technology, or an encounter with a new being, the crew seemed almost blank faced.
Even in the Original Trek, after encountering odd things again and again, Kirk, Spock, and Mccoy would always seem to discuss what they encounter. Everything seemed new and unusual with more to come.....
