Really the only "offensive" thing for me in it is probably the stuff with Finn, she'd made her feelings on the matter with Yaphet very, very clear so he had no reason in the universe to believe when she showed up at his door she was genuinely wanting action. It was just convenient for him. Every other aspect of the episode is easier to cope with when it comes to "love potion" notion as it was more or less harmless in the triangle of Ed, Kelly and Blue Rob Lowe/Blue Crosby mostly because of the history there, the implications on Ed and Kelly's divorce and the comedic "irony" of Ed falling for the guy who broke-up his marriage.
The Yaphet stuff is, for me, where the episode falls apart. Maybe if we hadn't seen the doctor and Yaphet have several other encounters in the past where she's had to rebuff his advances and lewd suggestions it would've been easier to deal with if this was the first time we saw this interaction and Finn's response was similar to how was the first time we saw this (amused, flattered but not interested) then Yaphet's acceptance of it might better fit under "she was trying to be professional in sickbay and now she's off the clock and in my room she's letting her figurative hair down.) But we've seen this Finn and Yaphet interaction three or four other times now as it was kind of an uncomfortable running gag in the show that this professional woman, in her place of work, on a vessel she has to live on for however, long one of the beings who is one of her patients no matter what by default is constantly making lewd advances on her and she constantly has to turn him down.
Maybe if this particular reaction was more flattery with polite refusal due to the practical implications of them being physically incompatible it would've gone down better. But no, she gets pissed, clearly has had enough and she tells the [guy] to knock it off or she's going to report him. Then some fucked-up alien biology conspires to screw with her head and now she has memories she probably doesn't want because an essential co-worker had apparently forgotten the events of every single one of their recent interactions and fucked her. Several times.
The Perfect Mate works because no one is harmed in the events of the episode, no one has a crime committed against them people just act lustful over this woman a little bit when she's around. Here it's very different as, in the case with the doctor, she had her wishes and true desires denied and ignored.
Without the doctor/Yaphet stuff the episode would've worked better as really that's where my biggest issue is because the very idea of it makes me uncomfortable in the way all forms of rape should make people uncomfortable.
The running gag with the guy and the music in the elevator, though, was pretty funny stuff.
The Yaphet stuff is, for me, where the episode falls apart. Maybe if we hadn't seen the doctor and Yaphet have several other encounters in the past where she's had to rebuff his advances and lewd suggestions it would've been easier to deal with if this was the first time we saw this interaction and Finn's response was similar to how was the first time we saw this (amused, flattered but not interested) then Yaphet's acceptance of it might better fit under "she was trying to be professional in sickbay and now she's off the clock and in my room she's letting her figurative hair down.) But we've seen this Finn and Yaphet interaction three or four other times now as it was kind of an uncomfortable running gag in the show that this professional woman, in her place of work, on a vessel she has to live on for however, long one of the beings who is one of her patients no matter what by default is constantly making lewd advances on her and she constantly has to turn him down.
Maybe if this particular reaction was more flattery with polite refusal due to the practical implications of them being physically incompatible it would've gone down better. But no, she gets pissed, clearly has had enough and she tells the [guy] to knock it off or she's going to report him. Then some fucked-up alien biology conspires to screw with her head and now she has memories she probably doesn't want because an essential co-worker had apparently forgotten the events of every single one of their recent interactions and fucked her. Several times.
The Perfect Mate works because no one is harmed in the events of the episode, no one has a crime committed against them people just act lustful over this woman a little bit when she's around. Here it's very different as, in the case with the doctor, she had her wishes and true desires denied and ignored.
Without the doctor/Yaphet stuff the episode would've worked better as really that's where my biggest issue is because the very idea of it makes me uncomfortable in the way all forms of rape should make people uncomfortable.
The running gag with the guy and the music in the elevator, though, was pretty funny stuff.
