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Loud As A Whisper (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Continuity
• 3.5 Reception
• 3.6 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Special appearance by
• 4.4 Guest stars
• 4.5 Co-stars
• 4.6 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Other references
• 4.8.2 Unreferenced material
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

The war-torn planet Solais V , desperate for peace, calls for the famous mediator Riva to hear their dispute. This man, being deaf , depends on his telepathic powers, and those of his three aides, to communicate with others. The USS Enterprise -D is dispatched to Ramatis III to bring Riva to the planet. Captain Jean-Luc Picard , Worf , and Deanna Troi are transported down to Ramatis III to pick up Riva. Prior to beaming down, Troi senses some discomfort from Worf. At first Worf denies it, but Troi insists and continues to press the issue. When Riker and Picard turn to inquire, Worf admits to some discomfort because of Riva. Picard understands and explains to the others that Riva had played a key role in negotiating several peace treaties between the Klingon Empire and the Federation . Worf tells the away team that before Riva, there was no Klingon word for "peacemaker." When Picard, Worf, and Troi eventually materialize on Ramatis III, however, there is no one to be found.

Act One [ ]

The mediator Riva

Riva eventually arrives, coming close to each one of them without speaking. Then, three others arrive, calling themselves his chorus . They explain that they are his interpreters, since he is deaf. In fact, for many generations there have been people like Riva and interpreters like them, since he comes from the ruling line on his world that all lack the gene for hearing. They call themselves the scholar, the warrior, and that which binds them. It's a beautiful method of interpretation, Troi admits. Riva is impressed and attracted by her telepathic capabilities and, foremost, by her beauty.

At first, Picard angers Riva by speaking to the scholar member of his chorus, angrily telling the captain that he should speak only to him. Picard apologizes, insisting he meant no insult in the inadvertent breach of protocol, which Riva accepts, telling Picard that no insult is now perceived. Riva, through his chorus, tells Troi she has a fine mind and Picard politely tells the mediator that the situation on Solais V is worsening. He agrees to be beamed up to the Enterprise along with his chorus.

Act Two [ ]

Riva and his interpreters arrive on the bridge to meet some of the bridge crew. He very diplomatically greets each of William T. Riker , Geordi La Forge , and Data by commenting on Data's uniqueness and La Forge's VISOR . He then asks that Troi show him to his quarters. There, he asks her to dinner after a briefing from Picard's team.

In the observation lounge , Picard, Riker, and Data have prepared a lengthy briefing on the conflict, however, all Riva needed to hear was that the fighting started over some historical event a long time ago and that something recent has changed prompting a desire for peace. Confident in his abilities, he decides to leave the meeting early and prepare for his dinner.

An intimate meal

Riva and Troi continually meet to show their affection. Riva, in his persistent behavior, has let his emotions takeover the mission that he set out to do. Over dinner, they carry on conversations through sign language . Suddenly, their dinner is interrupted by Picard. The Enterprise reached Solais V and Picard discovered that the ceasefire on Solais V has been broken. Upon Picard's request, Riva approaches the bridge to communicate with the two factions. Beyond all skepticism, Riva successfully stops the fighting. Picard shows him to the computer in order to locate a meeting spot on Solais V to conduct the peace meeting. He chooses the site of the Battle of Zambrano , on a hilltop. Through the scholar member of his chorus, Riva tells Picard that the time for killing has come to an end.

Act Three [ ]

" Phasers on stun, Mr. Worf. " " You won't need those. " " I'm sure we won't. Energize. "

Worf, Riker, Riva, and his chorus beam down to the site. Riva calls for a specific kind of table and torches from the Enterprise to set the stage, though the two factions arrive before they are beamed down. During this initial meeting, Riva tells the two factions that they have shown true courage by coming to this summit. As Riva continues to speak, a rogue member of one of the factions suddenly opens fire at the negotiation team, missing Riva due to Riker's interference but instead killing his whole chorus . The enraged leader of the faction instantly executes the rogue subordinate and quickly throws up his hands, pleading for them to stay. In the confusion, Riker orders immediate beam-out of Riva, along with himself and Worf.

Riva's chorus being killed

" Listen to me! You are not alone. "

Despite the subsequent pleas of both faction leaders, Riva is very distraught and refuses to continue with the negotiations, but frantically expresses this in some kind of sign language no one can understand. In the observation lounge, Picard quickly asks Data to attempt to learn his type of sign language and to get Dr. Katherine Pulaski to see if she can develop some way of helping him communicate. Riva continues to be frustrated. Picard grabs Riva by his head and tries to tell him that while his chorus is dead, he is not alone. They are all in this situation together. This makes an impact on him, and he leaves with Troi.

Act Four [ ]

Data, through the computer , analyzes a number of different sign languages that help him to construct an index which he later uses to decipher Riva's sign language. They now understand that Riva assumes responsibility for the deaths of his translators and is not willing to continue with the peace treaty. Riva explains that he cannot use Data in their stead because while he considers Data a fine machine, he cannot deliver the necessary emotions found in his translator's voices.

" This is a lot to think about. "

Meanwhile, Geordi La Forge and Dr. Pulaski discuss La Forge's medical case. Dr. Pulaski is apparently capable of repairing his eyes through two types of surgery: ocular implants , which would give him 80% of the vision provided by his VISOR, or extensive repairs done to the optical nerves and replicated eyes, which would give him normal vision but at greater risk. She tells him if he decides to undergo the surgery , there is no going back. La Forge, surprised and overwhelmed, decides to take time to think about his decision.

Troi tells Riva that she will be conducting the negotiations in his place. She asks him for help on how to properly negotiate with the hostile factions. Riva explains several of the important aspects of negotiating peace between warring factions. One such idea, "turn a disadvantage into an advantage," inspires Riva to come up with a solution. He agrees to try it himself.

Act Five [ ]

Riva stands alone

Riva decides that the best way to resolve the confrontation is for him to teach sign language to both factions, believing that as the factions learn to talk to him, they will also learn to talk to one another. The Enterprise leaves Riva on the planet to resolve the issue and carries on. Picard thanks Troi for her help with Riva and says that while she can read his thoughts, he wanted to tell her himself.

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2365
• First officer's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Oh, cluck, cluck, cluck, Number One. " " Sir? " " You're being a mother hen. "

" Our job is not to police the galaxy. " " Isn't that my speech, Number One? "

" Before him, there was no Klingon word for 'peacemaker'. "

" Then Riva, the mediator… " " Is deaf. "

" Confidence is faith in oneself. It can't be easily given by another. "

" Your method of communication is most elegant and quite beautiful. "

" Well, this is a lot to think about. I'll get back to you, Doctor. "

" Phasers on stun. " " You won't need them. " " I'm sure we won't. Energize. "

" The time for killing has come to an end. "

" Listen to me! You are not alone! We are all in this together… now. "

" Data is a fine machine but he cannot take the place of my chorus. "

" Why can't you do that? Why can't you turn a disadvantage into an advantage? " " That is interesting. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• First draft script: 4 November 1988
• Final draft script: 10 November 1988 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 9 January 1989
• First UK airdate: 1 May 1991

Story and script [ ]

Howie Seago during filming

• Howie Seago , who played Riva, is, in fact, deaf and uses American Sign Language . He petitioned the producers to create a show about deaf people, in part to dispel untrue and prejudiced myths about them. In the first draft, Riva learned to speak overnight after a mechanical translator he used to communicate with his chorus failed. Seago suggested the ending used in the finished episode the day prior to shooting. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 73))
• The script of this episode stated that Riva was forced to learn sign language while mediating a conflict in the Plaeties system . The beings involved in the conflict were extremely paranoid and did not allow Riva's Chorus to accompany him, so in order to communicate on his own behalf, the deaf mediator had to learn sign language. However, this information did not make it into the final cut of the episode. Nor did the fact that members of the family to which Riva belongs do not read or write (although Riva's refusal to write down what he wishes to say suggests this possibility). [2]

Production [ ]

Reviewing the script between takes

• The moment featuring Riva and his entourage selecting a beam-down site from the bridge features one of only several instances during the series' run when live video monitors were used on the bridge set of the Enterprise , as opposed to backlit graphics or a post-production burn-in. In this instance, only one such monitor was used, in the Science 1 console. This technique was again used, in " A Matter Of Honor ", in the same location; after that, it wasn't used again until " All Good Things... ", when all five aft stations received video monitors. This modification carried over into Star Trek Generations .
• Wil Wheaton and William Shatner met for the first time while this episode was being filmed. Shatner was not kind to Wheaton, and Wheaton now tells the story of the encounter for comedy. [3]

Continuity [ ]

• Two scenes in Picard's ready room, which depict a hologram of the Lima Sierra system , during both the teaser and the episode's final scene are one of only two instances during the entire run of the series that the holographic interface on the desk is seen in operation. It is also seen in use in the second season opener " The Child ".
• Dr. Pulaski raises the possibility of treating La Forge's blindness via corrective surgery. LeVar Burton had at one time campaigned for his character's sight to be restored so he could use his expressive eyes. The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 73) suggests that this scene was added to prepare for this possibility. Following this episode, the idea was dropped, and is never mentioned again during the course of the series. Later, La Forge "grew" new eyes as a result of the effects of the anti-time distortion in the series finale " All Good Things... ", and eventually had his eyes replaced with ocular implants sometime prior to the events of Star Trek: First Contact . His eyes indeed regenerated temporarily in Star Trek: Insurrection , because of the Ba'ku planet 's effects. They manifested the same effect as Dr. Pulaski described.
• The mention of Riva negotiating peace treaties between the Klingons and the Federation was an early attempt to explain how those former enemies became allies. It was later superseded in " Yesterday's Enterprise ", which established that peace was achieved through the sacrifice of the USS Enterprise -C , and, of course, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country finally showed that peace was achieved even earlier. ( citation needed • edit )

Reception [ ]

• After this episode aired, the producers received supportive mail from both deaf and hearing people. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 73))
• Melinda Snodgrass was pleased with how this episode used Troi. She commented, " Troi got to show her claws and she gives this guy a boost. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 175)
• Maurice Hurley opined, " An okay episode. I had higher expectations than the way it turned out. It should have been more effective. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 175)
• A mission report for this episode, by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 7 , pp. 8-12.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 16 , catalog number VHR 2469, 1 July 1991
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 2.2, catalog number VHR 4738, 12 April 1999
• The synopsis of this episode on the DVD sleeve states, "Civil war looms when an important diplomat is attacked and silenced aboard Enterprise". However, the diplomat (Riva) was not attacked during the episode, only his chorus were attacked, and this did not happen aboard Enterprise but on the planet's surface.
• As part of the TNG Season 2 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
• Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Special appearance by [ ]

• Diana Muldaur as Doctor Pulaski

Guest stars [ ]

• Marnie Mosiman as Riva's chorus
• Thomas Oglesby as Riva's chorus
• Leo Damian as Riva's chorus
• Howie Seago as Riva

Co-stars [ ]

• Colm Meaney as Transporter Chief
• Richard Lavin as Warrior #1
• Chip Heller as Warrior #2
• John Garrett as Lieutenant

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Juliet Cesario as sciences officer
• Dexter Clay as operations officer
• Jeffrey Deacon as command officer
• Peter as Solari lieutenant
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Female conn officer
• Female crew woman

Stand-ins [ ]

• James G. Becker – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Darrell Burris – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Dexter Clay – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Jeffrey Deacon – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton & hand double for Howie Seago

References [ ]

9th century ; address ; anarchy ; ancestors ; anguish ; answer ; appointment ; area ; arrogance ; art ; artist ; As You Like It ; attitude ; auditory information ; away team ; balance ; battle ; beach ; beauty ; blindness ; blue ; body ; brain ; bravery ; briefing ; brother ; candidate ; cease fire ; century ; ceremonial function ; ceremonial greeting ; chance ; chief engineer ; choice ; cluck ; clue ; complement ; conference ; confidence ; conflict ; confrontation ; confusion ; contributor ; coordinates ; courage ; course ; culture ; deaf ; death ; degeneration ; Denkir IV ; despair ; dinner ; dream ; dreamer ; ear ; Earth ; electromagnetic spectrum ; emissary ; emotion ; empathic ; enemy ; experience ; extinction ; eye ; facsimile ; faction ; fear ; feeling ; Fendaus V ; Fendaus V leaders ; fighter ; flattery ; food ; fool ; friend ; gene ; gestural language ; gesture ; hailing frequency ; hatred ; head ; hearing ; hemophilia ; heredity ; hospitality ; hostility ; House of Hanover ; impulse ; idea ; individual ; input ; insult ; intellect ; interpreter ; job ; journey ; judgment ; jurisdiction ; kilometer ; Klingon Empire ; Klingonese ; knot ; land ; laser weapons ; leader ; Leyron ; libido ; life sign ; Lima Sierra ; Lima Sierra system ; limb ; lip ; logic ; lover ; lust ; M-9 ; machine ; magic ; Malkus IX ; mass ; meaning ; mediator ; medical examination ; meeting ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind ; mission ; month ; mother hen ; NCC-7100 ; negotiation ; number one ; ocean ; ocular implant ; optic nerve ; optical device ; orbit ; order ; pain ; passion ; peace ; peacemaker ; percent ; perception ; permission ; phaser ; philosophy ; planet ; poet ; portfolio ; presentation ; price ; problem ; prosthesis ; protocol ; puzzle ; psyche ; quality ; quarters ; Ramatis III (aka Ramatis ); Ramatis star system ; Ramatisian ; reason ; relationship ; replicator ; report ; risk ; Riva's ancestors ; Riva's Chorus ancestors ; rock ; romantic ; room ; rule ; secret ; security team ; sensor ; sign language ; society ; Solais V ; Solais system ; Solari ; Solari wars ; sound ; speech ; standard orbit ; Starfleet ; stump ; summit ; sunset ; surgical techniques ; surprise ; suspicion ; table ; tangible asset ; thought ; topographical overlay ; torch ; traitor ; translator ; transmission ; Transporter Room Five ; treaty ; trick ; truth ; United Federation of Planets ; velocity ; viewer ; viewscreen ; vision ; VISOR ; visual range ; warrior ; wealth ; wisdom ; word ; written language ; year

Other references [ ]

• Planet Solais Five/Geographic Data Ref 433-88: cross reference ; lateral sensor array ; transporter coordinates ; Zambrano, Battle of
• Non-Verbal Languages (Gestural) M-9: 1926 ; 1957 ; 1973 ; 1979 ; American ; artificial satellite ; bibliography ; billion ; cheek ; classroom ; conversation ; distance ; error ; face ; fingerspelling ; " for instance "; future imperfect ; Goddard, Robert H. ; government ; habit ; happiness ; invention ; Joy of Signing, The ; Jupiter ; kilometer ; letter ; liberty ; magnetic field ; magnetosphere ; mankind ; manual ; mirror ; NASA ; page ; partner ; past semi-subjunctive ; person ; Pioneer 11 ; propellant ; reference ; right ; rocket ; Saturn ; September ; simultaneous method of communication ; skill ; Sol ; Sol system ; solar wind ; space ; Space Age ; Sputnik ; syllable ; telescope ; United States Declaration of Independence ; United States of America

Unreferenced material [ ]

Alpha Delta Beta ; optic nerve laser welding ; Plaeties system ; Starbase 713 ; transport mission

External links [ ]

• "Loud as a Whisper" at StarTrek.com
• " Loud as a Whisper " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Loud as a Whisper " at Wikipedia
• " Loud as a Whisper " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 3 Ancient humanoid

Den of Geek

Revisiting Star Trek TNG: Loud as a Whisper

A famous Klingon peacemaker causes trouble on the Enterprise in this episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation

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This review contains spoilers.

2.5 Loud as a Whisper

You know how some episodes of TNG are so nondescript that you can barely remember seeing them? Yeah, this is the exact opposite of that.

The Enterprise is dispatched to collect the famous mediator, Riva, so that they can transport him to mediate a dispute on Solais V. Before the away team beams down, Troi senses Worf’s inner-turmoil. He denies it, although the ever-tactful Troi drags the truth out of him, and he reveals that before Riva negotiated treaties between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, there was no Klingon word for “peacemaker” (trivia: there are still no Klingon words for “slippers”, “decompress” or “fringe”).

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When they meet Riva, the away team is surprised to discover that he is deaf and mute, and communicates through a “chorus” of three aides, who represent different parts of his psyche: passion, intellect and token woman. Riva, ever the professional, instantly demonstrates what a massive creeper he is by ignoring Picard and Worf and going on about how attractive Troi is.

Back on the ship he continues in much the same vein, basically abusing his diplomatic powers to get her to go to dinner with him. Eventually she relents, although it’s still creepy. This is full-on sexual harassment in the workplace! He even dismisses his intellect and wisdom aides, which is essentially the Riva equivalent of saying “let’s skip dinner.” Luckily they don’t, and mid-meal Picard calls Riva to the bridge to chat with the warring parties, who have broken their ceasefire.

Riva somehow talks them into laying down their weapons until he arrives, and picks a place to meet them. Unfortunately, as the talks begin, one of the faction members flips out and shoots Riva’s chorus. They’re vaporised! In an unusually graphic manner (you see bone and everything). The shooter’s mate then kills him, crying for forgiveness, but Worf and Riker are already hotfooting Riva out of there.

Back on the Enterprise, no-one can talk to Riva (who either can’t or won’t write) so Picard forces Data to learn sign language. Riva’s feeling both angry and guilty that his friends died, and declares that, as impressive as Data is, an emotionless robot is unable to serve as his voice. He withdraws from negotiations!

Meanwhile, the episode was apparently running short because Pulaski hauls Geordi into the sickbay and offers to try and give him more organic-looking eyes, and even give him his normal eyesight back using cloned eyeballs. Geordi, who mere MINUTES ago was telling everyone he was happy to be who he was (and already turned down free eyeballs from Q once before) says he needs some time to think about it. Don’t take too long, says Pulaski, it’s a one-time only operation (for some reason). Geordi heads away to think about it, and it literally never comes up again for the rest of all TNG . Presumably that means he decided not to go through it with.

Back with Riva, Troi says she’ll do the negotiations in his place, and asks for his advice. He tells her to turn a disadvantage into an advantage, at which point a lightbulb goes on above his head and he decides that teaching the factions to communicate with him through sign language will be the path to peace. Okay then! The talks resume and before the Enterprise leaves, Picard calls Troi in to congratulate her actions. (Presumably he means not slapping Riva in the face when he made yet another pass at her. I’m speculating, but come on! There are rampant dogs that show greater subtlety.)

TNG WTF:   There are only a few mildly bizarre things in this episode. The chorus is a somewhat offbeat idea, but they follow through on its execution so it never becomes too hard to believe. The scene with Pulaski offering Geordi back his eyes comes out of nowhere and never goes anywhere. But the real WTF moment comes when the evil faction member shoots Riva’s chorus and they completely disintegrate, skin-first, right down to their skeletons. What the hell kind of gun is he using?!

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TNG LOL: This episode has possibly the worst pre-credits cliffhanger ever. Most of the time something big happens to keep you hooked through the over-long title sequence. In this episode, Worf, Troi and Picard beam down to Riva’s home and stand around silently looking slightly awkward. Riva isn’t even there. Literally nothing happens. It’s so strange that I actually laughed out loud.

Other amusing moments: Worf excuses the distorted signals from the warring factions by saying “the quality of the transmission is very poor”. Which probably had a lot of TNG fans nodding in agreement with imagined subtext (although to be fair, the last few episodes have been far, far beyond Season One.)

Time Until Meeting: 16:13. A briefing! Although the prepared discussion is interrupted about two lines in by Riva, who declares the backstory unnecessary and runs off to meet Troi for dinner, leaving Picard to utter a rather forlorn “Meeting adjourned.” Poor Picard.

Captain’s Log: Hey, how about that. The third actually coherent episode in a row. I think that’s a record! There’s quite a lot of depth here as well. Riva isn’t very likeable as a character – he’s self-assured to the point of being arrogant and overbearing, but that backfires on him later in the episode when his chorus is killed. Even just the idea of the chorus is very memorable, even if they don’t do a huge amount with it, although the exploration of Riva’s deafness is well managed and addresses certain concerns felt by people with disabilities (i.e. his anger at Picard speaking to his helper, rather than to him).

That said, it does occasionally get a bit heavy-handed. Riva’s chat with Geordi veers dangerously close to being “a very special Star Trek scene” where he can finally feel that being blind doesn’t make him any less of a person. And if it wasn’t clunky enough, it’s completely undermined by his later turmoil at being offered the chance to maybe get a pair of real eyes, in a scene that goes absolutely nowhere.

Still, as episodes go it’s got very little in the way of obvious weaknesses, although I do wonder if it wouldn’t have been helpful to know a little more about the parties he was trying to mediate between. As it is, we barely learn a thing about them, and that makes the stakes for the episode lower than they could be.

Watch or Skip? Again, in terms of Trek’s overall mythology, it’s skippable. But let’s be honest: this is what Star Trek is about. Diplomacy, communication, mutual understanding, all that stuff. If you don’t like this kind of episode, then you’ve hitched your wagon to the wrong series. Watch.

Read James’s look back at the previous episode, The Outrageous Okona, here .

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Star Trek The Next Generation: Loud as a Whisper

Picard: There are aspects to Riva of which we have not been informed. Riva/Chorus: Precisely. Our way of communicating has developed over the centuries and it's one that I find quite harmonious. Picard: Then Riva the mediator... Riva/Chorus: Is deaf. Picard: Deaf? Riva/Chorus: Born, and hope to die.

9 comments:

I enjoyed rewatching this one. I liked the idea of the three different interpreters. I noticed that the handsome guy got to do the romantic interpretation for Riva. :) One detail I particularly liked was that the interpreters had white costumes but each was detailed and unique. Nice touch. I had a similar reaction when Riva was unable to communicate in some sort of written form, because any culture as advanced as his would have to have a reliable way to physically record knowledge, or they *wouldn't* advance. (Human advancement sped up after the printing press.) Riva immediately pursuing Troi also made me uncomfortable; it seemed out of character. And when Picard left Riva on the planet and he was just standing there waiting, I thought, um, does he have food, water, a place to sleep? Is there a nice hotel nearby in that stony outcropping in the middle of nowhere? :) Excellent review, Joseph. What a fun read.

I enjoyed the episode more than most recently. It was an interesting concept and I agree props to someone who is deaf saving the world. The scene I found uncomfortable was Picard yelling at Riva, which is a somewhat common, ignorant response to people who are deaf. I would have hoped that he, future type Renaissance man that he is, would know better. Thanks for the fun review Joseph and I'm sure there's a Bedrock hotel just around the corner Billie.

Billie - I love writing for this site! People lead me to new points even unintentionally. In the "real" world, ASL interpreters almost always wear black or dark colors. I think you caught that the producers were playing with that fact! Drnananmom - yep - I felt Picard was really thrown by someone being Deaf for some reason. Often, people who put a lot of their personal "power" into speaking verbally tend to have that reaction. JRS

Often, people who put a lot of their personal "power" into speaking verbally tend to have that reaction. I've never seen this episode, or even any episode, but now I'm tantalized by what my own personal, interactive-with-others power might be (in the way that you mean, which I've never thought about before). Hmm...

Nice review -- I haven't seen that episode for a LONG time -- maybe not since it first aired. I'd have liked to see some more discussion/analysis of the crew's "pushiness" -- Seems to me it's a fairly common thing for Hearing people -- Deaf people's feelings are typically disregarded, but since they NEED this particular Deaf person for something, they try to force him into some mold or force him to communicate their way or something -- I haven't quite articulated what I mean or am thinking on this, but it does strke me somehow. As for Data's signing/interpretation, well.... Mandela Interpreter, anybody?

Data was good just got ahead of Riva's signing. He was saying words Riva hadn't signed yet, but we can put that up to android.

Great review! I really want to watch this episode again. I thought the corpus that Data used to speed-learn sign language was interesting. It only showed handshapes, no dynamic pictures/references or facial expressions. At the same time, they references varying sign language, recognizing that there isn't just one intergalactic sign system.

I love watching this episode coz I am trying to learn ASL and when I was trying to see the signs when data was looking up signs and could not keep up but was glad they made a episode for the deaf.

It's difficult for those of us who aren't deaf or blind, or have other such challenges to know what those who do have to deal with. That being said, I did enjoy this one, and found Riva to be a very engaging and sympathetic character. They run roughshod over his grief which I find hard to reconcile with how the crew should have actually reacted to it. Losing people close to you, and who aid you with your important diplomatic work like that would be extremely traumatic. Troi was great here, and I do wish they would have avoided the rather cringe-worthy way Riva initially interacted with her, it is definitely on the creepy side. Barring that, I felt not only was the best option for such a communication, but that she was great as how she handled it too.

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The Impact of Howie Seago on Riva's Story in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Exploring the significant contributions of Howie Seago, a guest star on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in shaping the character's narrative and enhancing the episode's ending.

• How Howie Seago Transformed Riva's Journey
• The Genesis of a Deaf Mediator
• A Linguistic Odyssey: Riva's Alien Sign Language

How Howie Seago Transformed Riva's Journey

In the vast expanse of Star Trek lore, one guest star managed to leave a lasting imprint on the narrative tapestry of the iconic series. Howie Seago , known for his role as the deaf mediator Riva in Star Trek: The Next Generation , brought a unique perspective and cultural sensitivity to the character's evolution.

Star Trek TNG Loud as Whisper Data Picard sign language

The episode 'Loud as a Whisper' from TNG's second season served as the platform for Seago's creative intervention. Initially, the script envisioned Riva miraculously gaining the ability to speak overnight, a plot point that Seago, with his firsthand experience of deafness, vehemently opposed.

Star Trek TNG Loud as a Whisper Troi Data Picard Riva

Seago's refusal to conform to the unrealistic narrative trope of instant speech transformation showcased his commitment to authenticity and respect for the deaf community. His principled stand not only altered Riva 's arc but also highlighted the importance of accurate representation in mainstream media.

Star Trek TNG Loud as a Whisper Data sign language

The behind-the-scenes negotiations that ensued between Seago, the production team, and his Hollywood agent underscored the clash between artistic liberties and ethical considerations. Ultimately, Seago's unwavering stance prevailed, leading to a revised storyline that honored the complexities of deaf communication and learning processes.

Star Trek TNG Loud as Whisper Riva sign language

Behind every character lies a genesis, a seed of inspiration that germinates into a fully-fledged persona. For Riva , the deaf mediator from the planet Ramatis III, the genesis of his existence can be traced back to a serendipitous suggestion from Seago's wife, Lori.

Star Trek TNG Loud as a Whisper Riva Geordi Riker Picard

During the tumultuous period of the 1988 Writers Strike, when creativity faced a bottleneck, Seago's innovative concept of a deaf mediator piqued the interest of the TNG producers. This fortuitous convergence of creativity and industry need birthed Riva , a character whose legacy transcends mere fiction.

A Linguistic Odyssey: Riva's Alien Sign Language

In the realm of interstellar diplomacy, language serves as the bridge between disparate worlds. When Riva 's customary mode of communication, a three-person chorus, meets an abrupt end, the onus falls on Lt. Commander Data to decipher Riva 's enigmatic gestural language.

Brent Spiner 's ingenious creation of an alien sign language for Riva exemplifies the intricacies of cultural exchange in the Star Trek universe. By eschewing conventional sign languages in favor of a bespoke linguistic code, Spiner and Seago elevated the narrative authenticity of 'Loud as a Whisper,' setting a precedent for inclusive storytelling in sci-fi.

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Trivia / Star Trek: The Next Generation S2E5 "Loud As a Whisper"

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• Disabled Character, Disabled Actor : The actor who portrayed Riva, Howie Seago , was actually deaf. In fact, he had petitioned the producers of the show to make an episode about deaf people, mostly to dispel myths about them. He suggested the resolution after the initial script had a quite different ending, which had Riva learning to speak overnight after being unable to use a translator.
• Promoted Fanboy : Howie Seago was a huge fan of Trek and a regular on Usenet newsgroups.
• You Look Familiar : This is the first appearance of Randy Oglesby , who would have numerous roles in the TNG era shows before recurring as Degra in Season 3 of Star Trek: Enterprise .
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Deaf Star Trek TNG Guest Star Made Their Episode's Ending Better

• Guest star Howie Seago's objections to the original ending of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Loud as a Whisper" led to a better resolution for his character, Riva.
• Seago, who is deaf himself, refused to perpetuate the false idea that deaf people can learn to speak easily overnight, and the show respected his cultural sensitivity.
• Brent Spiner, who played Data, created an alien gestural language for Riva instead of using American Sign Language, adding to the diversity of representation in Star Trek.

Guest star Howie Seago helped shape his character's story in Star Trek: The Next Generation , and his contributions made the episode's ending better. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise-D, TNG told many different types of stories with many different guest stars throughout its seven seasons. In TNG season 2, episode 5, "Loud as a Whisper," the Enterprise transports the deaf mediator Riva (Howie Seago) to his next diplomatic negotiation . Riva communicates through a three-person chorus, but after his chorus is killed, he must find other ways to communicate.

In the original draft of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "Loud as a Whisper," Riva learned how to talk overnight, but guest star Howie Seago (who is deaf himself) wasn't a fan of this particular ending. In a 2022 interview on the Trek Untold podcast, Seago (via his ASL interpreter Paul Bert) spoke about "Loud as a Whisper" and the contributions he made to his character Riva's story. Read his quote and watch the full interview below:

There was one issue that I had a problem with. They wanted me to wear a headpiece and communicate through that. Similar to Geordi, who wore those glasses. And by accident, I would take it off and it was going to break and then I was not going to be able to communicate… So overnight I could talk, that was the plot. And I said ‘no, I can’t do that.’ Because, remember my upbringing, and all these children who go through all these struggles trying to learn to speak and only very few deaf people can learn to speak clearly. It’s very rare. I just didn’t want to give people the false idea that children can learn to speak easily overnight. It’s just not true . I couldn’t be a part of that. So that was the one cultural thing that I could not perpetuate for that false idea. [...] My Hollywood agent said to me ‘You’re going to lose this job if you feel that strongly about this.” I’m like, 'Hey I just can’t live with myself if that’s how it’s going to go.' And the next day she called me through an interpreter and said, 'You lucky bastard! Star Trek completely understood your point and they still would like to work with you. Let’s get everything set up.' I couldn’t believe it! I just couldn’t believe it. I mean, I was unknown at that time.

It was Howie Seago's wife, Lori, who initially encouraged him to reach out to the producers of TNG about the idea of a deaf mediator. When producers were looking for story ideas during the 1988 Writers Strike, they finally reached out to Seago about his idea.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast & Character Guide

Tng's brent spiner created the alien sign language used by riva, after all, how would an alien know american sign language.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Loud as a Whisper," Riva uses a version of sign language that is not standard American Sign Language (ASL), but rather an alien gestural language made up by Data actor Brent Spiner. After Riva's chorus is killed before the negotiation can even begin, Captain Picard orders Lt. Commander Data to learn Riva's language so that they can communicate . With Data's positronic brain , the android learns Riva's language in a matter of minutes, allowing Captain Picard to talk with the deaf mediator. In the above interview, Howie Seago reveals that producers initially asked him to teach Brent Spiner some basic signs, but Spiner had other ideas.

Brent Spiner reasoned that since Riva is from another planet, Ramatis III to be exact, it would not make sense for him to use American Sign Language. Seago agreed, and Spiner created a series of signs that Data used in a conversation between Riva, Captain Picard, and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Seago said that a few ASL signs may have found their way into the dialogue, but for the most part, it was Spiner's created signs or simply "gesturing things out." Deaf characters and sign language are slowly becoming more common in media, but Star Trek has not had an onscreen deaf character since Riva in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Still, the universe of Star Trek is always growing and they have plenty of room to continue to include diverse characters in the future.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: Trek Untold on Youtube

Cast LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis

Franchise(s) Star Trek

How Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Connects to TNG's Biggest Open Mystery

Star Trek: Discovery is set 800 years in the future from The Next Generation, but Season 5 has a major connection to one of TNG's oldest mysteries.

Quick Links

How star trek: discovery sets up its final season, how star trek: discovery ties into tng's 'the chase' episode, why the next generation never followed up on the progenitor story, how star trek: discovery can build on tng's 'roddenberry-esque' concept.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery , Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2, "Red Directive" and "Under the Twin Moons," now streaming on Paramount+.

In a universe with nearly 60 years of narrative history, ongoing series face a unique difficulty that's both a blessing and a curse. They have to tell a new, inventive story that fits into the established canon and builds upon it. Done well, it can take a decades-old story and expand on it in a way that makes the result feel inevitable. The way Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 connects to a dangling Star Trek: The Next Generation story thread has that potential. Discovery connected to Star Trek: TNG before , showing footage from the series of Leonard Nimoy's Spock as the "personal files" of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The character played by Patrick Stewart is mentioned again in the Season 5 premiere, this time by David Cronenberg's Doctor Kovich.

Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) unravels the titular "Red Directive" mystery with the help of Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Meant to be kept a closely-held secret, the USS Discovery crew learns a Star Trek canon fact fans have known for 30 years. Ironically, it's a sci-fi detail meant to address a nitpicky Trekker quibble that doubled as an almost-saccharine moral message in a Season 6 The Next Generation episode. Star Trek: Discovery takes this idea and expands upon it in a way that poses its own relevant social question and presents an interesting narrative problem. Discovery Season 5 is a race and a treasure-hunt that promises lighthearted Star Trek fun. However, its connection to "The Chase" on The Next Generation is more than just a fun Easter egg for fans.

Section 31: First Image of Michelle Yeoh in New Star Trek Movie Released

The final season debut for Star Trek: Discovery came later than expected. In fact, the opening bit of space adventure has been out since it debuted at Comic Con in 2023. However, fans now have context about why Captain Burnham was riding atop a ship traveling at warp speed. While at a reception at Starfleet's space-based headquarters, the USS Discovery is ordered to a ship graveyard after the receipt of an 800-year-old signal. Naturally, two space-pirates -- Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) -- get there first.

Kovich is very cagey about the details of this mission, and Burnham pulls her risky stunt without even knowing what she's chasing down. Oded Fehr's Admiral Vance doesn't even know the mission details. After Moll and L'ak almost destroy a village full of people trying to escape, they learn the truth. A Romulan scientist named Vellek found some ancient alien technology that is more powerful than anything Starfleet, the Dominion or even the millennia-old Borg have ever seen.

Thanks to a Soong-type android who speed-read the Romulan's journal, the crew is working with the same information as Moll and L'ak. Like any good archaeologist who keeps a journal, Vellek left a list of clues and riddles pointing towards his discovery. Burnham and Saru (Doug Jones) track one down. There will be plenty more to find over Discovery 's final mission , and there's no telling if the "X" on their galactic treasure map is anything more than information. The most interesting conflict in Season 5 is how people react to the existence of the alien race known only as the "Progenitors."

Star Trek: Discovery's Kenneth Mitchell Was Heroic On and Off Screen

In Season 6, Episode 20 of Star Trek: The Next Generation "The Chase," there is another race across the stars for a big alien secret. Captain Picard's friend and archaeology teacher Galen (Norman Lloyd) visits and asks him to leave the USS Enterprise-D . He's discovered information about the Progenitors, but he doesn't get to reveal it before he is killed. Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians all try to track down this secret, leading to a standoff on a planet called Vilmor III.

Picard and his crew solve Galen's mystery first, which leads to the appearance of a humanoid alien via advanced hologram. This representative of the Progenitor, played by Salome Jens (who also played the Dominion leader on Deep Space Nine ), makes a revelation that shocks everyone there. When her people first explored the galaxy billions of years ago, no advanced life had evolved. Her people used their technology to encourage the evolution of intelligent, advanced life like themselves, meaning two arms, two legs and so on.

A group of four Romulan scientists witnessed this, and the commander even implies to Picard this news could bring peace between the Empire and the Federation. Vellek was one of the Romulans on Vilmor III, and he continued to study this revelation. When his ship was incapacitated, he sent a message so that someone could retrieve his work and carry on the mission. This was what Kovich wanted the USS Discovery to do, but Moll and L'ak got there first.

'We Broke Barriers': Star Trek: Discovery Star Celebrates Show's Diversity

Unlike Star Trek: Discovery and other third-wave series, The Next Generation mostly avoided serialized storytelling . By the sixth season, the series hit its stride tackling big ideas in character-focused stories. This episode was controversial among the producers, according to Captains' Logs The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. Executive producer Rick Berman said the story had been "around forever," and writers Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore tackled this script.

They, along with fellow writer Naren Shankar and director Jonathan Frakes said it was the "most Roddenberry-esque" idea The Next Generation tackled, even when the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself was alive. Instead of all these different beings being "created" by a divine god of some sort, they were genetically related to an advanced alien species that had long since died out. The four big Star Trek enemies were all related. This was not a keystone of world-building, but rather a "message" show.

The premise also served to address a common quibble from overly-critical Star Trek fans. If there is supposed to be "infinite diversity in infinite combinations," why do all the aliens on Star Trek look like humans? The answer, of course, is because human actors need to play them. However, this provides some sci-fi reasoning: there are so many humanoid species in the galaxy because billions of years ago, some humanoid race put their opposable thumb on the evolutionary scale of thousands of planets .

Star Trek: Discovery Cast Reveals the Mementos They Kept From the Set

Discovery Season 5 wasn't the final one initially , though producers were able to add an extended coda to the series finale to wrap up the show. Still, as concepts to drive a Star Trek series' swan song, it's perfect. Part of the reason The Next Generation's writers never returned to the concept is that if everyone learns the "lesson," there is not much in the way of conflict for future stories. It was something for the audience to learn, not the wider universe. However, Discovery 's present-day galaxy is already fairly integrated.

Vulcans and Romulans reunified and joined the Federation. President Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) is Cardassian and Bajoran. The Klingons haven't been heard from in the 32nd Century, but they're not picking fights, either. Whatever technology is at the other end of the treasure hunt may or may not be dangerous. What's more interesting in the Star Trek universe is the information itself. With the galactic society already so integrated, the news they share a common genetic ancestor billions of years in the past will probably only bring them closer together.

When Picard and the Romulan Commander spoke at the end of "The Chase," the latter said the information they discovered might "one day" bring them together. Discovery showed the galaxy united without that knowledge. In Season 5, this series can pay off that notion in the perfect way. They can introduce this information to the galaxy at large, without future seasons' conflict undermining it. It's the kind of ending Gene Roddenberry would be proud of because the truth that all life is in this together is what he created Star Trek to tell the world.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

The fifth and final season of the American television series Star Trek: Discovery follows the crew of the starship Discovery in the 32nd century, more than 900 years after Star Trek: The Original Series , on a galactic adventure to find a mysterious power that has been hidden for centuries and which other dangerous groups are also searching for.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5's new planet has two deep cut tng connections.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 has some more subtle connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation that you may have missed.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons"

• Discovery hunts for Progenitor tech on Lyrek, linking TNG's Promellians & Minosians in a treasure hunt.
• Burnham & Saru evade ancient automated weapons on Lyrek akin to Picard's encounter on Minos.
• Discovery's season 5 references TNG big & small, with connections to past episodes & extinct civilizations.

Lyrek, the new planet in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," has connections to two different episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery are hunting for clues to the Progenitors' technology that can create life itself. Racing to catch up to couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) , Discovery's hunt in "Under the Twin Moons" leads to a planet in the Vileen system where 24th century Romulan scientist Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) hid the next clue.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 , “Under The Twin Moons," Captain Burnham and her crew travel to the planet Lyrek, following a clue referencing twin moons. Located at the edge of the Beta Quadrant in the Vileen System, Lyrek is an uninhabited planet home to a large necropolis built by the Promellians, a species first mentioned in TNG. When Michael and Saru (Doug Jones) beam down to the planet, they find signs that Moll and L'ak have already been there. As they investigate the ruins, they are fired upon by an automated security system much like the one encountered by the USS Enterprise-D in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 episode "The Arsenal of Freedom."

Star Trek: Discovery’s TNG Connection Explained - "The Chase" & Who Are The Progenitors?

Discovery name drops the promellians from star trek: tng's "booby trap", the promellians were first mentioned in tng season 3, episode 6, "booby trap.".

In Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Booby Trap," Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D come across a Promellian battlecruiser surrounded by debris from a battle that took place centuries ago. Although little is known about the Promellians, they were extremely advanced for their time. The Promellians had been in a war with the Menthars for years, and the two species eventually destroyed one another in the 14th century at the Battle of Orelious IX. As Picard and his crew investigate the battlecruiser, they find dead Promellian crewmembers and realize that the ship was caught in a Menthar trap.

Despite their extinction, the Promellians' presence continues to be felt even in the 32nd century. When the USS Discovery investigates Lyrek, they discover that the planet was used as a burial site for the Promellians. On the surface, Captain Burnham and Saru navigate the crumbled statues and ruins, and soon find themselves at the mercy of an ancient automated weapons system. Aboard Discovery, Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) and Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) search for a way to disable the weapons system, when Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) pops in to remind them to think like ancient Promellians.

Picard's Enterprise Fought Automated Weapons Like Burnham & Saru

Picard and his crew encounter a similar weapons system in tng season 1, episode 21, "the arsenal of freedom.".

The automated weapons system on Lyrek is similar to the one encountered by Captain Picard and the USS Enterprise-D crew in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Arsenal of Freedom." As they investigated a planet called Minos, the away team was attacked by drone devices that tracked and fired at them. Like the Promellians, the Minosians were an advanced humanoid race who were extinct by the 24th century of TNG . Eventually, the away team realized that they had inadvertently triggered a demonstration of the weapons system meant to entice buyers. Picard got the system to shut down by convincing the automated salesman that he would purchase the system.

As its first line of defense, the weapons system on Minos traps Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) in some kind of personal containment field. In Discovery season 5, episode 1, "Red Directive," Moll and La'k use a similar weapon to trap Lt. Commanders Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) and Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon).

After Captain Burnham and Saru trigger the weapons system on Lyrek, they struggle to hide from the drones long enough for Tilly and Adira to find a way to shut down the system. After Tilly realizes the electromagnetic field on the planet powers the weapons, Saru draws the drones away so that Michael can trigger an electromagnetic pulse using their phasers. This temporarily disrupts the system, allowing Michael and Saru to find the next clue to the treasure they are hunting. Based on its first two episodes, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 has references to Star Trek: The Next Generation big and small.

Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Discovery are streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star trek: the next generation.