In the fourteenth episode of the first season of The Next Generation, this was uncomfortable. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Trigger Warning: For talk of misogyny, gender essentialism/cissexism, and homophobia.
Oh lord.
I can see the point that the writers attempted to make with “Angel One,†and I can understand that the intent here was to shed a light on misogyny by… well, see, that’s precisely where this falls apart. Once you try to explain how Patrick Barry’s script attempts to talk about sexism, you suddenly realize that you’re spouting some pretty sexist nonsense.
So here’s the thing: I’m going to do my best to talk about this episode, but I recognize I’m a dude and I really shouldn’t be explaining what sexism is to anyone else, so I’m going to be considerate about this. I have learned (the hard way, honestly) that I shouldn’t exempt myself from misogyny just because I think I’m good at this shit. At the same time, I recognize that what this episode does is common of science fiction/fantasy, and I can comment on why it ultimately fails.
It’s unfortunate that there’s a hint of potential in “Angel One,†particularly in the complicated navigation of the Prime Directive. That interested me. This was more than just an issue of not interfering in an existing culture; how does the crew deal with a rescue mission when the people being rescued are now part of their own culture? So, at the heart of that conflict, there are issues of consent and politics. However, the whole thing is crammed inside an absolutely ludicrous reversal of fortunes, and it’s painfully distracting.
If you’re not a video person, then I’ll explain further. (Apologies for repeating myself.) This specific trope – which is called the Persecution Flip over on TVTropes – is one of my least favorite things in the universe. And despite that I said at the end of the video for “Angel One†that I’d try to think of an example of this trope done well, I COULDN’T DO IT. Every example of this I’ve ever seen on television or in books has always ended in an awkward disaster.
Why is that? What is it about reversing the oppressor/oppressed class that rings so hollow? Why does it always feel crass? Often, it’s about context. To use “Angel One†as an example, this episode attempts to show us how a matriarchal society damages and harms men by devaluing their input and treating them like they are less than a whole person. This is clearly done as a sort of “wink-wink, nudge-nudge†tactic to communicate how this same behavior, when committed by men, is terrible and demeaning and oppressive. It’s extremely heavy-handed, first of all. It’s obvious and wielded brutally, and there’s very little room for nuance.
Of course, Star Trek likes to imagine that this future universe is free from such oppressive elements, and yet, the man (Riker) is the star of the show. He’s the only one desired by any of the women here; he gets the most screen time; and in a grand display of mansplaining, he saves the day by merely telling the women leaders about evolution and how wrong they are, and IT’S SO BORING. What is this episode trying to say about women? Or men, for that matter? Was this show trying to suggest that if women just nicely explain evolution to them that they’ll stop oppressing women??? Is it supposed to be an exploration of power? Then why split along gender lines? How come we’re billions of trillions and GAJILLIONS of miles from Earth, and yet nearly every culture still respects the gender binary, going so far as to have their version of gender essentialist nonsense?
I wish the virus plotline were more interesting, too. For a moment, this show had A BLACK CAPTAIN OF A STARSHIP, and his number one was WORF, A KLINGON. Like???? DO YOU REALIZE HOW FUCKING COOL THAT WAS? Lo and behold, the moment is swept aside so that there can be tension down on Angel One, inspiring Riker to make his impassioned plea to the council. That’s not to say it’s an utter waste; I loved seeing Geordie in command, and that scene where Worf gave him advice made me wish those two got a whole show devoted just to their friendship. Seeing Dr. Crusher try to solve the mystery of the infection was rewarding, especially since she was allowed to be in control.
But oh my god, nooooo. No! What are you DOING, Star Trek? Like, I’m guessing the outfits for the men were supposed to be references to the skimpy outfits that men put women in, but here, they felt way more like they were making fun of queer/gay folks who dress that way. That’s not something I thought of while I was watching the episode, but in hindsight, it feels a lot more obvious to me. The joke isn’t that Riker is dressing as the local does; the joke is that he’s dressing as a straight man on Earth wouldn’t. It doesn’t feel all that funny to me anymore.
I think that this episode can’t escape the trappings of the trope it utilizes, basically. Instead of addressing sexism and centering that experience on actual people who are harmed by it, we instead get a story that centers entirely around Riker. Hell, it’s not even about Trent, who, in this world is oppressed! They just leave him to his fate in the hands of the council, all in the hope that progress and evolution will eventually give him the life that he wants. What an utterly lazy and horrifying decision, y’all. I get that the Prime Directive limits the crew’s available options, but throwing it all to hope?
Lord.
The video for “Angel One†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
