Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how Star Trek portrays characters with long-term physical and perceptual challenges. I’ve decided to pick some of the episodes I remember best, and just talk about my thoughts and feelings on them. I’m not really disabled myself, so I’d especially love feedback from any of you who are, or who know someone who is disabled.

The first episode that came to mind was „Loud as a Whisper“ from “The Next Generation”. Before getting into my thoughts on that story, here’s a bit of background information on the guest star Howie Seago, gleaned from Memory Alpha and Wikipedia.

Howie Seago as Riva, the mediator

Howie Seago is an American actor and director who was born deaf. Besides Star Trek, he has appeared in, and directed, numerous TV shows and theatrical productions. He is a central figure of the American Deaf Community, as well as a respected author and teacher.

In 1988 he petitioned the producers of Star Trek to create an episode about deaf people, in part to dispel common myths about them. Thus the episode “Loud as a Whisper” and the character “Riva” were written specifically for him. I believe this is what sets this episode apart from all other Trek episodes that deal with disabilities. Not only is the guest star actually deaf; he was also the driving force behind the episode’s creation, with great influence on how it was written and directed. This makes both the story and the character very realistic and believable.

Riva with his Chorus

His meeting with Geordi is a good example.

Riva (speaking through his Chorus): What is that you’re wearing?
Geordi: A visor. It interprets the electromagnetic spectrum, and then carries the readings to my brain.
Riva: And without it, can you see?
Geordi: Without it I’m as blind as a stump.
Riva: Then your visor serves the same function as my Chorus, which interprets my thoughts and translates them into sound?
Geordi: Yes.
Riva: And you don’t resent it?
Geordi: The visor, or being blind?
Riva: Either.
Geordi: No, since they’re both part of me, and I really like who I am, there’s no reason for me to resent either one.
Riva: What is your position on the ship?
Geordi: I’m the Chief Engineer, sir.
Riva: It’s a blessing to understand we are special, each in his own way.
Geordi: Yes. Yes, that’s the way I feel exactly.

Riva sees an obvious similarity in the function of Geordi’s VISOR and the purpose of his Chorus. But I believe Riva makes more implicit connections here, as well. The enhanced vision that Geordi’s VISOR gives him helps him to be a better Chief Engineer, just as Riva’s Chorus helps him to be a better mediator. Thus, their apparent disadvantages also harbor advantages that make both Riva and Geordi unique. And, on a deeper level, Geordi sees his VISOR as a part of himself, just as Riva’s Chorus is a part of himself. This scene was probably Seago’s way to address the common representation of the disabled in films and TV as being angry and resentful due to their handicap. Geordi is at peace with himself and his situation, and Riva sees in him a kindred spirit.

Pulaski examines Geordi’s VISOR

One thing strikes me as odd about Pulaski’s approach to both Riva’s and Geordi’s cases. She seems to assume that if the physical anomalies were corrected, they would automatically be able to process what they see or hear normally. But this has to be learned, and the adjustment must certainly be long and arduous for those who were born blind or deaf. We know from “The Lonely Among Us” that with his VISOR, Geordi sees people and things very differently than we do. Learning to interpret our normal visual signals would be just as difficult for him as for someone who could not see at all. I do wish that they had mentioned that aspect as well.

Troi, Riva, Data and Picard

Even more, I like the scene when she tells Riva she’ll be taking over the negotiations in his place, since he no longer feels able to, and asks him how he would do it. He says that the trick is to turn your disadvantage into an advantage. She then turns the tables on him by asking why he won’t take his own advice. That gives him the idea that restores his confidence, and allows him to complete his mission. Marina plays the scene very well, and throughout this whole episode I love seeing Troi excel at her job.

Solari soldier

What I love most though, is Riva’s character development. Self-assured and arrogant at the start, the death of his Chorus breaks him. Yet with Troi’s help he rises above the tragedy and finds the courage to take charge of his life and responsibilities again, so that their sacrifice would not be in vain. You could see that being a mediator was not only his livelihood but also his deepest passion, and despite temporary setbacks, in the end he would do it by whatever means necessary. His solution to the problem – teaching the Solari Sign Language so that, while learning to communicate with him, they’d also learn to communicate with each other – is a unique and surprising twist. It’s too bad we never see Riva again. I’d love to have seen the result of his peace efforts with the Solari.

All in all, I feel that this was Star Trek’s best episode dealing with long-term disabilities. I wish all of the other episodes on the subject had been as strong as this one.

Further reading: “Seeing Voices” by Oliver Sacks, a fascinating study on Deaf culture and Sign Language, featuring a section on Howie Seago