Trek intro for Lovers

[omnirad]

Plenty of 'Trek for noobies' lists have been made.

I am thinking of a variation on those lists ; where inter-persoanal relationships involving romantic interest occur, as well as Trek's broader general themes. And subplot gay. (if it makes a difference)

Call it 'Intro to Star Trek for new 'friends'

- How can I get to know you better? And, just what is the true nature of love anyway? What IS the human adventure? Wanna knock boots?

I just watched TNG's 'The Host' as a primer. It had a relatable romance with a sci-fi twist, good characterizations, and interstellar diplomacy to boot. -And the half hearted lesbian thing at the end... But a show somone who never checked out ST before might understand.
And then the two of you can make out!

Pick 5 eps each series for the list.

If you can't hook 'em in 25-30 shows, it's hopeless. For converting them into a Trekkie, and for a LTR. If you require at least a converted Trek soul mate that is. I think I might...

 

[jgdst]

Umm, not sure if Voyager's Blood Fever, Day of Honour and Someone to Watch Over Me would count towards this list.

Definitely Lifesigns.

Rejoined, Looking for Par'Mach In All the Wrong Places and You Are Cordially Invited would be on my list from DS9. I'm very hesitant to put Meridian on that list, but at its very core, it is a love story.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I think you should limit your choices to love stories that are actually, you know...good. Your other choices are good, but "Meredian" is a terrible episode and a pitiful excuse for a love story. It was one of the most disappointing episodes of DS9 to me because Dax is my favourite character. I always get excited when I can tell an episode is going to be about her, but that was one of the worst to feature her prominently. My choices for great Star Trek love stories:

Star Trek

1) The City on the Edge of Forever
2) Space Seed
3) This Side of Paradise
4) Metamorphosis
5) Elaan of Troyus

The first two are the only episodes with love stories that I really adore, but I think the other three have pretty good love stories (okay, the last one is kind of joke, but Kirk was smitten at one point in its duration). I didn't think love stories were generally a strong point of the original series, but of the episodes I've seen (and keep in mind I haven't seen all of them yet), these are my favourites that have a romantic slant.

The Next Generation

1) Q'Pid
2) Lessons
3) Captain's Holiday
4) In Theory
5) The Game

I like "The Dauphin" too, but omnirad asked for only 5 episodes, and I didn't like its romance as much as those of the above episodes. The guest star on that episode is my pick for the most gorgeous guest star ever on TNG. Pity her career didn't really go anywhere.

DS9

1) Re-Joined
2) You Are Cordially Invited
3) Looking for Par'Mach In All the Wrong Places
4) Crossfire
5) A Simple Investigation

I think Re-Joined is the most intense and powerful Star Trek love story. The whole time I could feel how strong the attraction was between the 'forbidden lovers' and found it heartbreaking at the end when they had to accept that they want to be together more than anything in the world, but can't. The Quark and Wedding episodes remind me more of those delightful comedic TNG romantic episodes. I think the Klingon wedding is definitely one of the most upliftingly romantic scenes in all of Star Trek. Very surprising, as one wouldn't expect something like that involving Klingons!

What really impressed me about the last two on my list is how much they made me feel for Odo. He is my least favourite character, and yet the episodes were so well written that they made me care and even feel bad for him as he experiences falling in love and having an affair for the first time.

I think anyone who's ever had a crush on someone who is interested in someone else can feel his pain in "Crossfire". It was just agonizing to watch him being unable to tell Kira how he feels and even more agonizing to see him forced to be the go-between between she and her love interest. At the same time, it has a great message about how sometimes if you really love someone, the only way you can show it is by graciously stepping aside and letting them be with someone else.

I groaned when I started watching "A Simple Investigation" for the first time and realized it was going to be about Odo getting involved with a woman, but their relationship was developed very naturally and intriguingly and it was actually heartwrenching when they had to part. I haven't seen enough Voyager or Enterprise to pick any episodes from those series.

 

[omnirad]

Thanks for the replies. Some eps there I didn't consider.'Space Seed' though? -More of a dominance and submission scenario there!
'Metamorphosis' is good for its 'un-natural' love angle. It nicely encapsulates Treks philosophy of open-mindedness.

Despite the titilation 'Rejoined' generated with the girl-on-girl kissing, you really did feel the supressed passion between Dax and her 'ex'. And it was so liberating when they finally broke down and rejoined, and heartbreaking when they parted. It wasn't a pat 'all ends happily ever after' conclusion.

Good choices for TNG, but I would add the one with Riker and the androgenous shemale (can't remember title). The 're-programming' of shims deviant behavior at the end was rather chilling and downbeat for Next Gen.

 

[omnirad]

I am drawing a blank on sex in space on Enterprise beyond the Trip/T'Pol thing... any help there?

 

[Too Much Fun]

If you're looking for 'sex in space', I can't imagine any episodes you could find more of it in than the "In A Mirror, Darkly" episodes! That episode is all about Sato screwing her way to the top! I didn't like that episode with Riker and that gender-less planet ("The Outcast"). I think it was supposed to be showing an open-minded approach to homosexuality, but I thought it came across as just too preachy and melodramatic. Intriguing idea for a love story, but I didn't think it executed effectively.

 

[omnirad]

TOS
City on the Edge of Forever
Amok Time
Metamorphosis
This Side of Paradise
The Paradise Syndrome

TNG
110101001
The Host
The Outcast
Captain's Holiday
Lessons

DS9
Looking for Par Mahk in All the Wrong Places
The Forsaken
Crossfire
Rejoined
His Way

VOY
Someone to Watch Over Me
Lifesigns
Counterpoint
Blood Fever
Gravity

ENT
Cogenitor
Two Days, Two Nights
Home
Demons/Terra Prime
In a Mirror Darkly

TAS
Mudd's Passion

MOVIES
Insurection (?!)

Did I miss anything major? DS9 has many, hard to choose!

 

[QuasarVM]

The Doomsday Machine.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Kirk has a bit of a romance in "The Voyage Home" and you missed DS9's "Fascination" where Lwaxanna Troi spreads a love virus all over the station. It was silly, but fun, and features such memorable moments as Dax trying to seduce Sisko, Quark infuriating O'Brien by rubbing his ear amorously against Keiko, and Bashir and Kira passionately smooching, which is a nice little in-joke given the real life relationship between the actors. I thought Dax hitting on Sisko would be REALLY awkward for him since he tends to refer to her as 'old man', which leads to the assumption that he still thinks of her as one, but it didn't stop him from getting it on with her in the mirror universe without seeming too uncomfortable about it.

 

[omnirad]

^^^
I considered including The Voyage Home, but considering how Kirk got the brush off line of the 23rd century; "See you 'round the galaxy..." from Gillian, nah.
I considered and dismissed DS9 'Fascination'. The episode has to be good first and foremost.

 

[omnirad]

Well, this past week I have watched VOY 'Someone To Watch Over Me', DS9 'His Way', TNG 'The Host', and 'In Theory' for insight into human mating rituals. 3 out of 4 stories on the cluless trying to get a clue. And Odo had more luck than me!

My potential lover did have previous exposure to Trek from his ex, without any effect. After 12 years of ocassionally humoring him by watching various ST series, if he didn't 'get it'. So what chance did I have with trying to indoctrinate him into the Trek Way? About zip I figure.

So I broke it off. Maybe sad to say, but my soul mate has to be a Trekker. At least a little, or a clean slate open to assimilation. But if he never saw anything of value after all that time then he is not the guy for me. Try, try again...

Maybe I should study the techniques of one James T. Kirk. Though he really was just a slut...