Cost of Living

DVD, TNG S5 (Cost of Living)

Mrs. Troi is up to her old tricks again, but prior to that the episode starts with teaser of flowing action, the camera panning smoothly, and a buzz of speed and intensity to the dialogue and visuals that isn't common on the series. The episode is well-directed throughout, with visual humour (tiny Alexander coming to the door to find towering Mr. Homn answer it), the unique mix of an unexpected partnership (Lwaxana and Alexander), and some mistakes visible in frame - the boom mike makes an unscheduled career break, and Majel Barrett's covering is just visible in one scene in which she's supposed to be naked. Otherwise, though the story is free to wander where it will, it contains enough goodness to make a strong episode with plenty of themes - many have been mined before, such as the loneliness old age can bring ('The Quality of Life'), the ship's systems being taken over by a parasitic life form of some kind, the Enterprise saving a planet from an asteroid (that's happened quite a lot lately!), transporting lifeforms back to their asteroid field home ('Galaxy's Child'), Mr. Data being the crew's only hope for salvation ('Clues'), and the antics of Mrs. Troi, but they haven't been taken apart and rearranged into one episode before.

Majel Barrett is as good as ever, and I still get a kick out of her talking to herself whenever Lwaxana has a conversation with the computer. As usual she goes through flamboyant dresses at warp speed, flouts rules and regulations, and for one time only, allows Picard a moment of relief when he believes she's going to get married. There are elements which aren't played up - I thought Picard and Data were going to be trapped in the turbolift, Data having to save them before it plummeted to destruction, and I thought it might have been interesting for Alexander and Lwaxana to be trapped in a malfunctioning Holodeck with those crazy characters ( a bit like 'The Thaw' from 'Voyager'), but one scene that worked very well was all parties converging on the errant Mrs. Troi's quarters. It doesn't have quite the level of hilarity that that scene in 'DS9' had, early in Season 2, when the whole cast turn up at Kira's place to see her off, all taking turns to upstage the others, but it's that kind of thing.

Mr. Homn displays more skills we didn't know about, seemingly an excellent tailor, and Lwaxana gets our sympathy again when she opens up to Alexander. Worf is having trouble keeping his son on the strait and narrow, while contending with the nonsense of Mrs. Troi who is in an odd mood. She's decided to marry at last, but her bridegroom comes from a stuffy and rigidly regulated society - you wonder how their personality profiles matched up so well! Deanna also has to cope with her mother, just after she's been mediating between Worf and son, extolling the virtue of parents.

The Holodeck scenes, mud baths aside, are full of fun and whimsical fairytale-like characters, preceding both The Adventures of Flotter on 'Voyager' and the 'Butterfly Girls' from the pilot of 'Enterprise.' The bubble creature and fire sculptor were impressive, indicating the general level of effects has definitely improved this season. When the Holodeck doors open for Lwaxana and Alexander it looks real that they're appearing inside the environment rather than entering from a wall. Equally the fire-sculpting, and even the little scurrying dust that represents the parasites, achieves reality.

The theme Lwaxana has brought in her recent appearances, particularly this and the one last season with Timicin, is the sadness of growing old alone, not only that, but the titles are similar: 'The Quality of Life' and 'Cost of Living' both speak of life, but not just the problems of old age, as Alexander discovers. I wonder if he got anything positive from that rascal Lwaxana, filling his mind with mixed messages ('Open your mind and wisdom will flow in'? More like 'dross will flow in'!). At least he had some fun, and it was an unexpected pairing to play with. Worf's family life hasn't detracted from the series, making it too soapy, as yet, providing more humour than anything else, and continuing his association with Deanna who shares some of the care of his son. I bet he longs for the simple days when all he had to worry about was protecting the ship! They must have liked Albie Selznick's physical comedy as the Juggler since they brought him back to play the gesture-oriented Tak Tak in 'Voyager' episode 'Macrocosm.'

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