In the twenty-second episode of the first season of The Next Generation, the crew becomes involved in a bitter fight over a life-saving medicine. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of drug addiction and oppression.
Goddamn, this was such a great episode, y’all, one that demonstrated the value of The Next Generation as the kind of show that could out-perform The Original Series. I wouldn’t want to say that The Original Series was unwilling to tell stories as disturbing as this one, but I was impressed that “Symbiosis†dealt with drug addiction and the exploitation of addiction so openly. This isn’t a metaphor here; it’s the entire point of the episode. Now, I definitely have some complicated thoughts on how the show decided to talk about drug use, but on the whole? I loved this.
Dread
It’s actually fulfilling to think about how the eventual reveal of felicium’s true purpose is still just as good as the set-up. It’s always difficult to construct a mystery like the writers do here in “Symbiosis,†but I think that because this was a self-contained episode, it allowed for a much tighter story. There’s still a great deal of tension and suspense built into the first third or so of the story, and that’s all because THE BREKKIANS ARE SO FUCKING CREEPY. Of course, now I know why they behaved as they did, but I think the actors did a fine job cluing the audience in to the fact that there was something horrible to this story.
I DID NOT TRUST THE BREKKIANS, Y’ALL.
Medicine
The first big reveal of the episode comes a third of the way through, and we are fooled into believing that this is going to be about a possible plague on the Enterprise. (As always, I’m including all of you in this. It makes me feel great!) At the same time, it was clear that the issue of access – to medicine/healthcare – would play a part in the plot as well. The Brekkians had a massive supply of felicium, which the Ornarans needed. So, this was a trade disagreement, then. Right? I mean, the Ornarans’ currency or bartering supplies were destroyed on their freighter, and the Brekkians didn’t want to give up their felicium without payment. That seemed to be the major conflict to me.
That’s not to suggest that this was simplistic even when this is how I interpreted things. We knew fairly early on that the Brekkians did not need the felicium. So why was it so deplorable of them to give away a shipment? Why was their own financial gain more important than the life of an entire species? Even with what little information I had, I could sense the horrible moral quandary that was at work here. Was financial worth ever greater than human worth? Of course, it was very easy for me to say NO, NO IT IS NOT. It seems obvious to the audience and to Dr. Crusher. The loss of life is permanent. The temporary loss of income? That’s not permanent at all.
It was very easy for me to be biased in favor of the Brekkians and Dr. Crusher, though, because I’m an American. I live in a country where I routinely choose to avoid any sort of medical care because it’s simply too expensive. I’ve seen friends with HIV struggle to pay for (or even get) the meds that they need to survive. So, like Dr. Crusher, I felt like the Brekkians were exploiting the Ornarans for their own gain. It seemed so obvious to me!
OH GOD, I HAD NO IDEA.
Addiction
This is so fucked up. There is now no question in my mind that the Brekkians have spent TWO HUNDRED YEARS exploiting the Ornarans, and as blunt as some of this felt, I appreciated that the writers did not sugarcoat this situation. When Dr. Crusher realizes that felicium cured the mysterious Ornaran plague centuries ago, that changed the context of every moment we’d seen prior to it. This was not a case of a catastrophic loss of payment and the ensuing trade complication. No, the Ornarans were duped into believing that felicium was a medicine that was saving their lives. THEY WEREN’T DYING, THEY WERE GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWALS. JUST… WHAT THE FUCK. THIS IS SO HORRIFIC AND AWFUL.
And it’s portrayed that way. Like I said, this isn’t exactly subtle. When Tasha spoke openly about her home planet and how drug addiction was part of a coping mechanism for the people of her culture, I thought the dialogue felt a little stiff, like I was watching an after-school special. It’s not like what she says is necessarily incorrect, either. I mean, as someone who once self-medicated with alcohol while dealing with abuse, homophobia, and depression, I deeply understand what it means to think you’re escaping from the world when you’re really not. It’s why I stopped drinking nearly fourteen years ago. I knew that it wasn’t helping me, that I was using alcohol to not deal with the horrible circumstances I was in. (Lord, this just made me want an episode about Tasha Yar because I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER. Can we get this soon???)
Exploitation
“Symbiosis†is an ironic title of sorts for this episode. At one point, Picard claims that this is what the relationship between the Ornarans and Brekkians truly is: a symbiosis. But Dr. Crusher, who is well aware of the medical implications of this arrangment, is adamant throughout this episode that this is absolutely exploitation. Look, I already loved her dearly,b but this episode made me REALLY love her. I love that she openly defies Captain Picard and that she refuses to back down from her position. The problem, then, comes from the complications of the Prime Directive. Even if the arrangement between these two cultures is horribly exploitative, can Picard actually do anything about it? Does the philosophy behind it work to do good in the universe, or had the Enterprise found a situation that actually proved it wrong?
There was no easy answer for Picard, even if it seemed obvious to simply abide by the Prime Directive. He knew that if he returned the felicium to the Ornarans, they’d continue their addiction to the narcotic, unaware that it was a narcotic. If he intervened in an obvious, forceful way? He risked sending both cultures into chaos. What if the Brekkians lashed out in violence once they lost their status? What if the Ornarans didn’t believe him? I found it clever that Picard ultimately used the Prime Directive as a way to set the Ornarans on a difficult but necessary course. The only way they’d ever survive withdrawal is if their freighters broke down and they were forced to go without the drug. In time, that’ll happen, and in time, the Ornarans will survive their “plague†once more. What then?
Well, that’s not a Federation issue. Still, I admire Dr. Crusher so much because of this episode. I’m inspired by her passion in the face of something so terrible. This is something that The Next Generation can continue to do over the coming seasons, you know? It’s a vicious story that addresses the exploitation of the needy. Yes, it’s a bit heavy-handed at times, but it wasn’t enough to make me dislike “Symbiosis†at all. I think this is one of the strongest stories this season.
The video for “Symbiosis†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!
