Pragmatically, I've come to dread Klyden's involvement in any plot after his attempted divorce and especially after "Deflectors". He's capable of nearly anything, acts without regard to the consequences for himself, Bortus, or the crew, and generally refuses to acknowledge these flaws. By the end of "Sanctuary" the Union peace is sitting on a razor's edge, and I don't doubt Klyden will be the one to give it that last shove when the time comes.
It's a great point, and if there's one flaw in the show right now when it comes to this ongoing plot it's that we don't explicitly know what the Union's stance on these issues are. We can surmise a good deal from Mercer and the human crew, but while the Union seems to be fairly tolerant of subjective belief systems and traditions, it's obvious that they do have some objective rules for what constitutes acceptable behavior in the realm of sapient rights. We just don't know what they are and what systems are in place to guarantee them or enforce them. We got a glimpse of some of the civilian governance in "Sanctuary", but there's a lot of room for interpretation still. The Union, or at least Mercer and Company, are aware of the slippery slope you mention; it was addressed somewhat (and a bit shoddily) all the way back in "About A Girl", IIRC. That's what leads me to wonder what the objective rules are for the Union, because that's the only measuring stick we can use that doesn't invoke that slippery slope, and presumably all members of the Union have agreed to that structure.
Oh, I do like those aspects of the storyline, I'm just tired of the Moclans. I really don't have a problem with the Moclans themselves, I just wish they weren't getting so much attention. They have introduced this big Union, and we keep seeing all sorts of different aliens, but in two seasons the only ones who have gotten any real development are the Moclans. We have gotten to learn a bit about the Xelayans, but still not as much as we did about the Moclans. I just wish they would spread the love a bit, I would love to learn a bit more about the Gelatins, or even give Dann's species a name.
Even the Federation wasn't originally meant to be an all happy and utopian go-along, get-along club in TOS. Remember in Journey to Babel, half the Federation worlds were ready to go to war with each other.
Yep, that definitely sums Klyden up perfectly. I view him as a love to hate character. The character is a total tool, but his hard-lined conservative perspective does add to the drama of the show and provides plenty of story potential, so I'm cool with him remaining on the show.
This! As soon as the compromise was reached I wondered how they would enforce it. Put a permanent guard onto the planet to watch over the women? Giving them a red telephone so they can call for help when they get invaded? But until someone arrives, it might be too late.
