575. Someone to Watch Over MeFORMULA: His Way + Chrysalis + Looking for par'Mach + Liaisons
WHY WE LIKE IT: Seven and the Doctor...
WHY WE DON'T: ...are not Kira and Odo.
REVIEW: This "pure comedy" episode has some charm, but suffers from being much too derivative. It's very much like they looked at all the romantic DS9 episodes and copied the best bits in order to turn the Doctor/Seven pairing into Odo/Kira (right down to the holographic piano playing). Except the latter was built up over years of episodes. In this case, the Doctor falls into these feelings a bit suddenly, after a few bars of "You Are My Sunshine" (so a lot like Bashir/Sarina, then). Up to that point, he was more than willing to help her catch a mate aboard ship, without a hint of the Cyrano pathos getting in the way.
That said, I'd probably be more critical of it if it wasn't these two characters, without a doubt the most watchable of the crew. The final scenes are especially well done, bittersweet moments of romance, friendship and loneliness. We can empathize with the Doctor, and when they do go out of a "friendly date" together, there is a connection there, no doubt about it, but it was never meant to be, and not just because she storms out humiliated by Tom's bet either. Truly a case of her not being able to see the Doctor as a mate for a variety of reasons (hey, he's her father figure, even if you can get beyond the non-biological aspect). He does manage to soften her somewhat though.
Seven's other date with Sheppard is played with a light touch. He was chosen for his efficiency (how very Seven), but is reputed to be a nice guy. And he really is. His reactions don't go overboard in trying to be funny, which is good and character-driven, but at the same time, there's little sparkle. The entire exploration is a blind alley for Seven at this juncture, but it's at least interesting to note that they followed up on The Disease when Harry told her she might want to take an interest.
The subplot with a hedonistic ambassador from a repressed culture giving Neelix a hard time has also been done before (in such fare as Liaisons), and the fact I'd forgotten Kids in the Hall alumnus Scott Thompson was ever on the show speaks volumes about how memorable it is. Thompson has some fun with it (especially in the "Seven of mine" scene), but there's little that feels new here.
LESSON: There is no bigger turn-on than a girl vocalizing.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium: Seven is lovely, the Doctor is engaging, but there'd little originality in the script.
Comments
Or maybe it's because I'm just a big romantic softy :)