Paris + B'Elanna scene, absolute cop-out

[Dal Rassak]

There's this extremely annoying scene where both the characters scramble about in some underground passage, B'Elanna has been affected by Vorik's mating drive since they were partially linked, and she's practically begging Paris on her knees to have it off with her. He refuses.

What please is the reasoning for this other than a plain cop-out on part of the writers? Letting her enter a possibly-fatal combat with Vorik where either or both of them might get seriously injured in order to resolve the dilemma is fine, but not letting two people enjoy themselves?
O.k. I can understand a man of honour refusing a woman in this state if he knows that he's the last person on earth she'd ever consider when she's normal. But in this case all her disinhibition does is bring her real feelings to the surface.
So basically, here's this woman you fancy like anything, and she's forced to admit she has the same feelings for you, and she's throwing herself at you and unless you comply she might die. And you don't??
I got insanely frustrated just watching this. Have at already, the pair of you!!

 

[Avon]

maybe because taking advantage of someone in an altered mental state is a bit too rapey

 

[Melakon]

It's equivalent to taking advantage of a woman who's drunk or drugged, that's why Paris doesn't jump her.

 

[Brit]

Apparently in the future, people understand that anyone in a mentally impaired state cannot give consent.

 

[R. Star]

Yeah thank you... I liked that Tom was the gentleman in this one despite it all. Though it was hilarious when Tuvok's using Vulcan logic to explain to Paris that he must "help" Torres.

Really the whole episode is silly beyond belief. I like that Trek tries to come up with different mating rituals/scenarios for alien races... I don't like that they come up with the most absurd notions that it makes you question how an entire species survives.

 

[hux]

First of all, well done on using the phrase "have it off"....class

Secondly, a race that has embraced logic deciding that the best way to deal with being horny is an epic fight to the death....well, it was never that sensible was it

I think this Voyager episode tried to flesh out the ridiculousness seen in "Amok Time" and make the whole fight or die thing a little more believable and understandable (it made the urgency of the situation more tangible i guess) and so it succeeded to some degree but ultimately, i think vulcans having a punch up to solve this kind of problem is well...silly

Shag, fight or mind meld.....could be a more interesting version of snog, marry, avoid...anyone wanna play?

 

[Melakon]

After all the different episodes and films throughout the franchise, pon farr doesn't make a lot of sense. It's as if the Vulcans never discovered masturbation.

And I still don't understand how a human/Klingon female apparently catches a Vulcan plak tow that seemed to affect only Vulcan males. But I only recall seeing the episode once and it seemed completely illogical then.

Edit: And before anyone mentions T'Pol, prior to that there was nothing definitive that Vulcan females were affected.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

That scene never bothered me because MOST of the time, before that scene, Tom was depicted as being more of a womanizer type. But him saying "I want to do it with you, but I won't in your comprised state of mind" is when you start to see him in a different way. I like the Tom who respects women, especially the Tom who loves and respects B'Elanna. I am a fan of those two. The producers let their relationship grow instead of just throwing them together last minute.

I dunno, just my opinion.

 

[Ryva Brall]

I wonder if the pon farr will ever be addressed in the nuTrek movies. Do you think they'd be able to make any sense of it? Or would they just muck it up even further?

 

[Melakon]

If nuTrek goes for it in the third film, I can see it as an Amok Time riff with Kirk and Spock battling over Uhura.

Or Spock comes out of the closet and it fulfills the dreams of K/S fans of the last 45 years.

 

[R. Star]

If nuTrek goes for it in the third film, I can see it as an Amok Time riff with Kirk and Spock battling over Uhura.

Or Spock comes out of the closet and it fulfills the dreams of K/S fans of the last 45 years.

How about both? Spock and Kirk realize their feelings for each other as they're grappling with one another and Uhura's just left with a stunned, hurt look on her face as they walk off hand in hand.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

Uggghhh... I...do not want to picture Kirk and Spock that way.

 

[Ryva Brall]

Uggghhh... I...do not want to picture Kirk and Spock that way.

I'm with you, CK. However, judging from the insane amount of Kirk/Spock fanfiction out there, I think we may be in the minority.

 

[Melakon]

Uggghhh... I...do not want to picture Kirk and Spock that way.

This is Abrams we're talking about, so anything's possible.

Nice avatar by the way.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

My avatar? Thanks!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Uggghhh... I...do not want to picture Kirk and Spock that way.

Oh but I do!

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's true that Torres was not capable of giving consent in that state but that's not why the writers had Paris refuse.

The writers had Paris refuse because it's a TV show and thus must be held to our double standards where we pretend to be forward thinking and progressive while we're actually super-conservative and want all relationships to be 1950s-idyllic. Two people must not make love without being deeply in love and signing the appropriate liability waivers.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Not on NuBSG.

 

[Avon]

It's true that Torres was not capable of giving consent in that state but that's not why the writers had Paris refuse.

The writers had Paris refuse because it's a TV show and thus must be held to our double standards where we pretend to be forward thinking and progressive while we're actually super-conservative and want all relationships to be 1950s-idyllic. Two people must not make love without being deeply in love and signing the appropriate liability waivers.

that's bullshit. i don't give a toss about your 1950's idyll, i just don't want a character raping another one.

 

[Sadara]

Is it bad of me to care more about Vorik than Tom and B'elanna?