The Good: Character, especially in b-plot, Acting in the b-plot
The Bad: Plot, Memorability, Pacing
The Basics: When Jake writes his novel at the hands of a psychic vampire, he is upstaged by Lwaxana Troi being saved by Odo in “The Muse.”
Usually, when Lwaxana Troi - Counselor Deanna Troi's mother on Star Trek: The Next Generation - makes an appearance, chaos ensues. On Star Trek: The Next Generation, her appearances are usually silly, self-involved and seldom rewatchable. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, she has been somewhat intimate with Odo and wreaked havoc on a Bajoran Festival. In her final appearance in the Star Trek universe, Lwaxana Troi does something completely different.
When Jake Sisko meets a strange alien woman, he becomes obsessed with and inspired at writing his first novel, Anselem. But his sudden gift comes with a price; the woman, Onaya, is some form of psychic vampire and is feeding off Jake. This incident occurs simultaneously with Lwaxana Troi coming to the station, fleeing her husband Jeyal. Jeyal wants to take the baby he and Lwaxana had and she enlists Odo's help to save her.
While "The Muse" is primarily - or marketed as - a Jake Sisko episode, the only memorable moments of the episode are in the Lwaxana Troi and Odo plot. Odo has always had a weak spot for Lwaxana and though he loves Kira intensely, Lwaxana is in his heart. The character aspects of the Odo plot are dramatic and intense. The speech Odo gives to help Troi annul her marriage is heartfelt and heartwrenching. That he is able to publicly say the words is a huge leap for his character.
The somewhat disappointing aspect of the Troi plot is that she lacks her usual perception toward Odo. That is, the audience sees Odo is actually speaking genuinely in the wedding scene, but Lwaxana does not seem to catch on. If she does, she does not show it and that is disappointing given how much she usually speaks. But her desperation is very real for her character and despite her getting married and having a child off camera, it reads as very real giving how irresponsible and flaky she can be.
The Jake story is less important and less captivating and it is unfortunate it is so weak. We understand almost immediately that Onaya is both inspiring and feeding off Jake. Jake does not seem terribly self-motivated or truly great as a writer and it seems appropriate that after this episode, his novels never come up again. Onaya, though she claims to have known and inspired Keats and others, she never seems interesting enough to have been around such interesting people.
Onaya is played by veteran science fiction actress Meg Foster. Foster does an adequate job as Onaya, but she does not shine or stand out. Similarly, veteran Star Trek and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor Michael Ansara gives a particularly bland performance as Jeyal. Jeyal is remarkably rigid and surprisingly unmemorable given his stature and the quality of his acting in other Trek episodes.
It's Majel Barrett-Roddenberry and Rene Auberjonois who save this episode. Auberjonois has a grave passion and cold seriousness infusing his performance that fits the circumstances perfectly. He makes Odo emotive and careful in a way that captures a character unfamiliar with emoting quite well. Barrett makes Lwaxana's desperation believable by infusing her performance with a tired quality that is real for someone who is on the run and tired of it.
In the end, "The Muse" is only worth recommending to those who are fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek Deep Space Nine; Lwaxana Troi is an intriguing character and as this is the last we see of her, it's worth watching for that sense of closure. As well, Odo's speech is a touching milestone of character development. It's likely to be less interesting to those who are not fans of Trek because so much of the episode is spent on the banal Jake plot.
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the turnaround season by clicking here!
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6.5/10
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© 2012, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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