Saudade de Mim

Challenge #6

Share your favourite piece of original canon. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

There are so many canons and specific pieces of a canon I could talk about, so many which immediately came to mind. But I'm going to talk a little about the Face of the Enemy episode from Star Trek: TNG.

In my opinion, this is one of the really solid episodes of the series, with an excellent story line and effective build-up of suspense then a satisfying resolution. The opening scene where we just hear Deanna Troi's voice in the dark, hear her struggling to find her way, then the lights finally go up and she's looking at herself in the mirror and she's a Romulan is as shocking to the viewer on first watch as it is for her. There are a lot of great moments in this episode.

One of the best things about this episode, of course, is the perspectives we get into Deanna's character and her growth. For example, in the season 5 episode Disaster she's unsure of herself when she has to assume command. Here, she's adaptable and steps right into the position she's forced into without showing her fear. She has her moment of ripping the Romulan N'vek a new one for what he has put her through and to get him to do what she wants. And I particularly love her interactions with Commander Toreth, the Romulan captain (played by Carolyn Seymour, who is a prolific guest presence across so many TV shows and is awesome). It's hostile and fascinating, and it's so interesting to watch Deanna wield her empathic powers as a weapon. Except for a handful of incidents, most of which she doesn't exactly have control over (such as when Alkar is channeling his negative emotions into her in Man of the People or when her body is taken over by a hostile entity, which unfortunately happened to her a lot), Deanna's natural inclination is to be sympathetic and to try to be helpful. Here, she immediately understands Toreth's fears and issues and uses them against her. It's for her own survival of course, but I find it to be one of the most compelling pieces when I rewatch this episode.


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