Season 2 Episode 5
Loud as a whisper
Stardate: 42477.2-42479.3

[Plot]
the crew have gone to pick up the diplomat, Riva. Riva is deaf but is tied telepathically with 3 individuals who are the scholar - a man, the warrior - a man, the balance - a woman. they are his chorus, speaking at different times based on Riva wishes to say.

the crew go to the warring planet so Riva can do his work. riva does do dinner with troi. on the planet, riva starts the meeting but the chorus are killed and then riva goes into despair.

data learns to understand sign language and so there is a bit of talk as troi works to get the negotiations going again and treat riva. Riva can teach them sign language as the two sides are learning about each other.

the crew leave as Picard thanks troi for her efforts.

[Rating]
4 - Good episode: A few parts of the episode are above average - good plot points, clever use of effects and so on.

{Episode Commentary}
i thought this episode was pretty good, almost a 5, but there are some things that frustrate me. The scene with Dr. P talking with Geordi about his eyeballs and stuff feels out of place. Then there is the fact that Sign Language has become unknown somehow.

This annoys me. Given the number of people who knew sign language at the time (Also, the actor playing Riva is Deaf), I found it too unbelievable that Sign language, any of those languages, would have become so unknown. It almost suggests that you wouldn't find deaf people in the Federation.

Which is not something that sounds good to consider.

Data learns it quickly and is able to translate for Riva. It will take time for the others to do the same, and I can't help but wonder how that would go. It would make for a nice little story.

An interesting bit of story lore is that the Klingons didn't have a word for "Peacemaker". That is pretty interesting.

Then we have history in how Riva helped with negotiating between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. The exact pathway that led to the better relations goes through some variation, thanks to Star Trek 6 and some other episodes.

Personally, I think that there were probably multiple instances of talks beyond Star Trek 6, and that there would have been a need for further talks on different subjects, so Riva was probably involved. We also know that Curzon Dax was too, and probably Spock. After all, just the starting stuff in Star Trek 6 would also include further discussions on a range of matters probably.

The other part that I didn't like was the DR.P with Geordi. I don't know that we needed a scene about if Geordi could get replacement eyes. Especially with how DR.P is quick to suggest a replacement over Geordi's visor. Implants or actually repairing his system such that Geordi would be able to see, like what happens on Baku in the Star Trek Insurrections movie where Geordi's eyes regenerate.

Is this to suggest that the idea of people having traits like deafness or blindness things that the Federation no longer likes to accept in its citizens? That apparently there are no deaf members of the crew? That Picard doesn't know what Riva is doing and calls it "Gestural Language"? When there should a record about Sign Language, which Data learns from, that he could have looked over, after knowing that Riva is Deaf?

What is this saying about the Federation? No disabled people around? Or did the writers just have one of their flumphs and end up getting some basic bit of science/physics/history/etc wrong?

So? Do fellow playgrounders agree? Disagree? Comments of your own? Get some discussing going on

Trackers)
Gene Roddenberry ruins Star Trek: 1 ()
Redshirts Actually wearing a Redshirt Deaths: 1
Hidden Gems: 3
Funny Guest Star Appearances: 2 (marc alaimo plays a romylan here)
Rank of Miles: Ensign
Prime Directives: 2
Patrick Stewart Speech: 3 (Did I miss an earlier one? I don't think so)
Riker "Patrick Stewart Speech": 1
Riker Romances Something/Someone: 1
Pithy Aesops: 1
Klingon Proverbs/Beliefs/Sentiments: 1) Drink not with thine enemy; A) Several in the Episode, "Heart of Glory";
Worfed (Worf loses to establish danger): 2
Holodeck Mishaps/Breakings/Issues: 1
Actually Alien Aliens: 1
Lore's Appearances: 1
*Data's Emotions: 2
*Troi Troubles: 1
*Money Matters: 1
Polarize the Phase Inverters: 1
1) Dr. P is mean to Data: 2
2)Dr. P verbally belittles Data or treats him with contempt: 2
3) Dr. P acts and treats Data like some fancy shmancy tool device that needs to be put into its proper place.: 1.5
4) Dr. P acts racist towards Data:
5) Dr. P does what she does to Data and NO ONE calls her out on her disrespectful behavior towards an officer of Starfleet that has been commissioned: