Episode Review - The Host (Next Generation, Season 4)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Episode Review – The Host (Next Generation, Season 4)

Overview – Doctor Crusher has fallen in love with Odan, a Trill ambassador who is being sent to Peliar Zel to mediate a dispute between inhabitants of two of its moons. Unbeknown to anyone on the Enterprise, Odan is a joined Trill who possesses a symbiont that makes the true character of Odan. When Odan is injured in an attack by a radical faction, the true nature of the host and symbiont is revealed. Because the host body is dying, a new host must be found. Riker volunteers to serve as the new host, and when Odan is transplanted to him, he still professes feelings for Beverly. As the negotiations continue, Riker/Odan struggles with the new arrangement and Beverly wrestles with the conflicting feelings for her lover who now inhabits the body of her friend.

Score: 7/10 – “The Host” introduces us to the Trill, a species that will become important to Deep Space Nine in a few years. The Trill are very different from what they will be when we meet Jadzia Dax, but more on that later. What this story is about is the concept of love surviving a great and significant change. Does Beverly love the soul that is Odan, or is it that which is on the outside as important as what is in the inside? It is nice to give Doctor Crusher a romance (although in the real-life story of filming of the episode, it is interesting that her first love story came when the actress was in the late stages of a real-life pregnancy), and the idea of changing the outer appearance of her partner to someone who she has a great romance with is refreshing. The ending gives us yet another twist as the new host to take on the Odan symbiont is female, which proves to be too much of a change for Beverly. The basic story is fairly routine and more character-driven than anything else. There is a little bit of action, and it is interesting to see Riker and Crusher in a romantic situation. Overall, a good, but not great, episode.

Relevance – 1 point. Pretty much the only part of this episode that is relevant to the franchise as a whole is the introduction of the Trill. As a species that is symbiotic, it is quite interesting to see its origins, even though by the time we next see them they will be very different in look and details.

Continuity – 1 point. Character continuity is good here. We have never seen Beverly involved romantically before, but this one really puts her through some rigors. She is understandably conflicted when she is faced with her lover inhabiting Riker’s body. For story continuity and universe continuity, I am sadly forced to deduct their points. I get that when a show creates a new alien species, it may undergo some great changes if and when the producers decide to further develop them. If this was the only time that we see the Trill, things would have been different. However, that is not the case. For story continuity, there is the issue of nobody on the Enterprise (and presumably the Federation) knowing about the true symbiotic nature of the Trill. In DS9, however, we know that Benjamin Sisko knew about it from his association with Curzon Dax. Universe continuity takes a hit with a change in the outward appearance of the Trill, from forehead ridges to spots. I get that the species will change as the producers go from a one-and-done alien of the week to a central character, but there is little in common with the physical appearance of the host bodies. There is also the idea that the Trill is mix of the host and symbiont, being highlighted in the different personalities of Jadzia and Ezri Dax. In this episode, the symbiont seems to have full control. Riker, as the host, is still fully Odan, not a mix of Odan and Riker. I debated where to deduct this point, seeing as how in the pilot episode for DS9 is where we see the changes. I chose to deduct from this episode as it is the only time we see Trill like this, and the Trill story in DS9 as a series is consistent.

Character Development – 2 points. While Riker does get a bit of attention here, it is mostly in the fact that he volunteers to become the temporary host for Odan. Everything he does after that is Odan, not Riker. For Beverly, it is about time that she gets some romance in her life. Again, it is funny that it happens when actress Gates McFadden is feeling the absolutely least romantic with her being in the final trimester of her pregnancy. One aspect about Crusher here that has created a bit of controversy is that she rejects Odan when the symbiont is transferred to a female host. I’ll talk about that more in the Social Commentary section, but for now it suffices me to say that she shows us that there is a limit as to what she can accept in the appearance of her lover. The most significant part of this revelation is that she is completely honest about it. She does not make excuses for it nor does she try to rationalize it. She simply accepts her limitations.

Social Commentary – 2 points. Many fans criticized this episode for having a homophobic theme to it. They feel that Crusher should have accepted Odan in her female host, and the fact that she couldn’t shows intolerance and homophobia. I would disagree with that opinion. This is not homophobia, but it should be seen as being true to oneself. Let me take the criticism from a different perspective. According to the detractors Beverly should have been willing to develop romantic feelings with Odan regardless of Odan’s outward appearance. By that logic, everyone should be pansexual, falling in love with the soul regardless of the gender of the love interest. Should a person who is homosexual be expected to be attracted to someone of the opposite gender if they are attracted to the soul of the person? Some would say that in doing so it denies who they are. So why would the same not be true of those with a heterosexual orientation? Beverly Crusher is heterosexual. She admits that maybe at some time in the future people will not have those limitations, but I think that for the time being, we have to accept that for most of us there is no denying that the outward appearance does play a part in our romantic attractions. Perhaps the most important aspect of this lesson is that we should be honest with our feelings. It’s not a perfect commentary, but our world is not perfect. Facing those imperfections is the first step in overcoming them.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. A point scored for the concept of a symbiotic sentient species. The Trill is a great addition to the Star Trek pantheon. The look of the symbiont, which was one aspect that did not change too much, is quite different and at the time was quite cool.

Rank – Lieutenant (14 points). “The Host” is a good showcase of Beverly Crusher that introduces a soon to be significant alien species in the franchise. Having said that, DS9 develops the Trill far more than this episode does, and in doing so makes some significant changes that were established in this episode. Doctor Crusher fans will not want to miss this episode, while those who find canon discrepancies to be infuriating may want to avoid it. If you do miss this episode, you will miss out on an above-average episode, which might be OK. I enjoyed it, but I get how others might take issue with the abrupt changes between now and DS9.

If you would like to read other reviews from the Next Generation, click this link.

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