The Host

DVD, TNG S4 (The Host)

The Trill, a race that would become integral to 'DS9', are introduced in this story of body-swopping mayhem that is full of problems. If the Trill as a species are so little known, how is it that only a couple of years later we have the great Jadzia Dax, who must have gone to Starfleet Academy, surely? We find out Sisko was friends with her former host, Curzon, for years, and that he was well-known for his diplomatic missions. It's like they're talking about two different races... In a way they are, because the only two Trill we see in this episode have three-pronged head ridges, in a standard Trek forehead way rather than delicate spots, and would be quite forgettable if it weren't for the secret that they carry within - the symbiont, though I don't think it was named as such, and simply known by its name, Odan.

That's another large inconsistency: later examples of the race were much more about the host, who was improved by the addition of the symbiont, whereas here the host is discarded without mention again! Dr. Crusher, through all her difficulties with the concept of a 'parasite' being, doesn't seem to do anything about the host body she cared so much about, and we don't hear anything about the guy - did he die? It seems once Riker takes on board Odan that he is no longer in control, and Odan is the only cognisant entity, but these things aren't explored. The icky ending could have been so much more poignant if it had been a scene between Crusher and Riker, rather than some guest star who was in and out in one scene, so who cares, but the two crewmates must have had to come to terms with what happened.

The character interactions are a major flaw with the story, since Picard is struck dumb and frowning by Odan's interest in Beverly, the only moment that means anything between them is when he offers his services as a friend. Likewise, Deanna doesn't seem at all bothered by Will's transformation, even encouraging the Doctor to continue their romance, which is completely at odds with how she'd likely behave, but because the episode isn't focused on her, she has to let it all glide by - a sign of poor writing. Saying that she did get one nice moment when she talks about her Father, so it's not all bad, though like I said before, there's no resolution scene when Riker's back to normal which was sorely needed.

It seems the Trill did more than change their spots, they became an almost entirely different culture, so I can only speculate that Odan was of a minor sub-species of the Trill who looked different and had more physical limitations, such as not being able to travel via transporter, or being critically injured by falling off a chair! When it came down to it, I don't see why the crew didn't each take turns with the worm in their belly, thus lessening the danger to each person. I expect the answer to that is that it would weaken the symbiont, and it would create even greater levels of confusion than the process already did, kind of like a bizarre pass-the-parcel crossed with 'The Naked Now', I expect!

Aside from the massive contradictions to Trek lore (even more so when you consider how common it is to see a Trill, even on the Enterprise in the films - they became one of the third-tier races like the Betazoids or the Bolians), the episode really doesn't have a lot going for it. Was that the barber's Crusher and Troi visit for beauty treatment? Was that the famous Mr. Mot in the background? Do we really need a lavish salon on the Federation flagship? Yes, no and no are the answers I would suspect for those queries, but the most important question of all is: is the episode worth bothering with? No, it doesn't make the most of the situation, so that characters appear unconcerned by the huge things happening to their friends, except for Beverly who goes through a whirlwind of emotion. The aliens Odan persuades from warring with each other, would later be a familiar background race on the DS9 station promenade, though I must say, in keeping with the weak story, the representatives didn't seem all that difficult to get along with, so the diplomatic victory wasn't so great after all.

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