Star Trek: TNG rambles
Aug. 10th, 2012 05:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
konstantyaSo this all started with a conversation with someone about the Data/Tasha pairing, and how I said I shipped them, but didn’t actually ship them. In trying to explain just what the hell I meant by that, I realized that my view of their relationship is really fucking complex. And since I was putting it all into words anyway, I figured I might as well share with more than one person. Hence, this meta post. Enjoy.
Okay, so. Tasha Yar. I’ll be blunt: I fucking love Tasha Yar. Rather, I love the idea of her. The execution not so much, but the idea of her is great. TNG, particularly early TNG, can be irritatingly we’re-just-one-big-happy-family, and Tasha, coming from the anarchic shit-hole that was Turkana IV, could have provided a wonderful contrast to the rest of the crew—you know, all these pretty Federation boys and pretty Federation girls who have lived a pretty, gilded, Federation existence. She should have been a wonderful contrast to the rest of the crew, and I admit, I get kind of retconny with my head-canon and believe that she was a wonderful contrast to the rest of the crew. And while Tasha would, no doubt, be naturalized to Federation culture by the time we meet her, I see her as still very much an outsider within that culture.
Now. Data. There always seems to be talk of how it’s ridiculous that more women (and men?—but the whole straight-washing in Star Trek is for a different day, and a different discussion) didn’t show romantic interest in him, how if he existed in real life, people would be beating down his door to throw themselves at him. But, I don’t know. As much as I love Data and find him attractive and utterly adorkable, I can’t help but feel that he’d be a pretty weird dude to be around in real life. As a real life example, I’m reminded of this kid I went to grade school with—he was smart, and objectively very cute (and, as I’ve since discovered, grew up into a very physically attractive man), but he was also, to put it bluntly (and maybe even cruelly), a weird-ass kid. Who never had girls crushing on him. So I can totally see why Data’s social ineptitude would be a deterrent when it comes to potential lovers.
And his social ineptitude itself is another big subject of debate: How is it the dude’s been active/alive for twenty-six years at the start of the show, and still knows so little about basic social interaction? I know one of the TNG novels explained it away by saying he was tucked away as a glorified records’ keeper for most of his Starfleet career, but that never really washed with me. You could be the best damn records’ keeper in the galaxy, but that probably wouldn’t qualify you to be third-in-command of the freakin’ flagship. To say nothing of all the medals that he’s collected over the years (you know, for honor and gallantry?). It always made more sense to me that he just had an unfortunate tendency to alienate other people (and an unfortunate tendency to be seen as a machine, and thus more “disposable” than an organic person—hence his being sent on dangerous missions that would earn him those aforementioned medals). Data is…not quite arrogant, exactly, but very aware of and very matter-of-fact about his abilities. Especially in season one.* And very much aware of his disabilities, too, so it creates this sort of bizarre superiority/inferiority dichotomy, and I can see how that alone could be off-putting to some people. You have this guy who’s angsting (“angsting”) about being incomplete and not as awesome as humans, and then in the next moment, it seems he’s almost boasting about how he has perfect recall and can survive a fifty foot drop and all that. Off-putting.
(Plus, we never see what he was like upon his initial activation—it could be that, when we meet him, he's light years ahead of where he used to be. Brent Spiner played him with a very subtle stiffness, and I do like to think that, way back when, he was far more robotic in his movements. Just the fact that he has a pretty normal, natural gait when it comes to walking could be a big accomplishment for him.)
But I digress. Data. Weird.
But here’s the thing—Tasha is weird, too. She’s got that outsider thing going on, after all. And Data’s obviously an outsider because of his android nature. And I do like to think that that “outsider” status drew the two of them together and created a bond. (I also think the same goes for Worf, and like to imagine them as a brOT3 of sorts, but again, different day, different discussion.) And I can whole-heartedly believe that she could have developed (and believe she did develop) a bit of a crush on Data—but not because he’s a good-looking hunk of machinery, and not even because of that outsider bond they share, but because he’s safe.
Because really, look at her background: She grew up in a place where rape was a very real threat. It is entirely possible that she was raped at some point in her early life. And even if she wasn't a victim of rape, she was most certainly a victim of attempted rape. For her, sex has always been inextricably associated with violence. So for her to come across a (for all practical purposes) man who has morals literally hard-wired into him, who can only use violence in self-defense, who is physically incapable of being motivated by lust or desire or anything like that… Hell, who cares that he’s not organic? Who cares that he doesn’t get jokes and has a tendency to come off as a dictionary with legs? Who cares that he can’t love her? He can’t hurt her, and my god, that is just as important. I’d hazard to say that it’s maybe even more important. So yeah, she fancies him for that reason. She fancies the shit out of him. Which I think is pretty important in and of itself—I can’t help but feel she’s the type of person who has problems with intimacy (physical and emotional) and who pretty much has never had any desire to enter into a romantic relationship of any sort, because romance = sex, and sex = violence to her. So I think that for her to even start having romantic feelings for someone is a big step. And for her to act on those feelings, and seek out sex on her own terms, for her own enjoyment, I mean…just…wow. You can blame it on the fact that she was high on polywater at the time, but still, that was something she did for herself, and that is an amazing step in her recovery.
Now their time together was obviously important to Data, too. Not only was it a new experience for him (and as we all know, Data is curious as fuck and just loves new experiences), but Tasha was the first person to desire him as a sexual partner. (Emphasis on “partner” here, because I’m sure there are techno-fetishists out there *cough*I’m looking at you, Bruce Maddox*cough* who just want to use him as a walking, talking sex toy. (For the record, I don’t think Maddox really wanted to use Data as a sex toyprobably, but DAMN if he didn’t give him some creeperific smiles in “Measure of a Man.” I mean, it’s really easy to see why people go that route in fanfic.))
But let’s get all post-coital. What happens afterward? Nothing, I don’t think. We’re not given any indication that the relationship continues or develops into romance, and I truly don’t think it would. Data’s obviously incapable of feeling love (at least in the organic sense of the word—whether or not Data has emotions is also something for another day and another discussion). As for Tasha…I don’t honestly think she’s capable of love at that point in her life—at least not the healthy kind. But her time with Data was a step in the right direction. He was kind, and gentle, and someone she could trust 100%, someone who physically demonstrated that sex doesn't have to be violent and painful. And that is so amazingly meaningful and important like oh my god. Even if it isn't love in the strict romantic sense of the word. Like, whenever Data starts getting all thinky about Tasha after her death, I just want to reach into the screen and grab him and be all, “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU MEANT TO HER, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU GAVE HER, YOU SWEET SWEET THING?” It just makes me want to gush. They kind of remind me Picard’s and Guinan’s relationship in a way—they’re something more than friends, but less than a romantic couple, and ultimately the relationship is very close, and very complex, and very hard to explain.
And while it was a pleasant experience, it was also, essentially, a drunken one-night-stand, and not something that would have happened under normal circumstances. Tasha is obviously embarrassed about the whole thing, and no doubt needs some time to think about what transpired. To be honest, it always bothers me when people complain about how cold she is at the end of “The Naked Now”—the whole “it never happened” line. I’m not saying she couldn’t have explained herself a little better, but it’s just like, dude, the gal's got a plethora of issues to work through—cut her a little slack.SHE’S A WOMAN, NOT A SAINT; SHE’S ALLOWED TO BE IMPERFECT, AND IF THAT IMPERFECTION MANIFESTS ITSELF IN CURTNESS, THEN SO BE IT. Frankly, considering how naïve Data can be, and how he can so easily misinterpret things, I can totally see her being worried that he might suddenly think they were in love or officially dating or whatever. And that’s not something she needs at that point in her life; as stated, she’s got her own issues regarding love and sex to work through. And I think she's smart enough to realize that these are things she needs to work through on her own, rather than within the confines of a romantic relationship—particularly a romantic relationship with Data, which would be fraught with its own issues. (To be honest, the only way I really could see Data in a successful romantic relationship is if the other party was incredibly open and incredibly communicative. Tasha always struck me as still too bottled up inside herself to really allow for that.)
And even if she hadn't died, and had had the chance to work through all her issues…I still can’t really see it turning into a happily-ever-after type of thing. If I really, really try, I can see them becoming friends-with-benefits—because no doubt Data would still be curious about sex and would want to, erm, experiment more, so to speak, and I could see Tasha as wanting to continue to explore the idea that sex can be a source of pleasure instead of something to fear. But it would be a very casual thing—I can’t see them going on dates or moving in together or getting married or being anything other than friends-who-just-happen-to-fuck. They’re maybe a little bit like first loves to me (except replace “love” with something far more complicated, but just as intimate and affectionate)—what they had was undeniably special, but that doesn’t mean it would have lasted forever, or even should have lasted forever. Some relationships simply run their course. And that doesn’t always have to be a tragedy or something to mourn—it isn't always a tragedy or something to mourn. He was what she needed at that point in her life, and in return, she opened his eyes to a new experience. If anything, I think that should be celebrated.
So there you have it—my I-ship-them-but-don’t-actually-ship-them stance. Hopefully that all made sense.
(By the way, assuming Tasha hadn’t died, I like to think she would have eventually hooked up with Worf. He also has that outsider thing going on, and their dates would consist of beating the shit out of Skeletor and Co. on the holodeck, and the Rozhenkos would fuss over Tasha like the daughter they never had and she would secretly love every minute of it because she’s never been fussed over, and it would just be awesome.)
* As an aside, oh, man. Season one. Because the writing was so uneven back then, I tend to ignore the hell out of it when it comes to characterization, but I do have a soft spot for its weird campiness. It’s like Bizarro TNG. Data’s so sassy! Picard’s super prickly! Troi actually kind of does stuff! Geordi’s the helmsman! And wears command red! Riker’s beardless! (And I do think the beard was the making of Riker. The writing of his character got better, yes (Riker was kind of a douche in season one, it must be said), but I think the beard did a lot in the physical sense—it made him look more fatherly and more professional, even, and less like a smarmy jock.)
Okay, so. Tasha Yar. I’ll be blunt: I fucking love Tasha Yar. Rather, I love the idea of her. The execution not so much, but the idea of her is great. TNG, particularly early TNG, can be irritatingly we’re-just-one-big-happy-family, and Tasha, coming from the anarchic shit-hole that was Turkana IV, could have provided a wonderful contrast to the rest of the crew—you know, all these pretty Federation boys and pretty Federation girls who have lived a pretty, gilded, Federation existence. She should have been a wonderful contrast to the rest of the crew, and I admit, I get kind of retconny with my head-canon and believe that she was a wonderful contrast to the rest of the crew. And while Tasha would, no doubt, be naturalized to Federation culture by the time we meet her, I see her as still very much an outsider within that culture.
Now. Data. There always seems to be talk of how it’s ridiculous that more women (and men?—but the whole straight-washing in Star Trek is for a different day, and a different discussion) didn’t show romantic interest in him, how if he existed in real life, people would be beating down his door to throw themselves at him. But, I don’t know. As much as I love Data and find him attractive and utterly adorkable, I can’t help but feel that he’d be a pretty weird dude to be around in real life. As a real life example, I’m reminded of this kid I went to grade school with—he was smart, and objectively very cute (and, as I’ve since discovered, grew up into a very physically attractive man), but he was also, to put it bluntly (and maybe even cruelly), a weird-ass kid. Who never had girls crushing on him. So I can totally see why Data’s social ineptitude would be a deterrent when it comes to potential lovers.
And his social ineptitude itself is another big subject of debate: How is it the dude’s been active/alive for twenty-six years at the start of the show, and still knows so little about basic social interaction? I know one of the TNG novels explained it away by saying he was tucked away as a glorified records’ keeper for most of his Starfleet career, but that never really washed with me. You could be the best damn records’ keeper in the galaxy, but that probably wouldn’t qualify you to be third-in-command of the freakin’ flagship. To say nothing of all the medals that he’s collected over the years (you know, for honor and gallantry?). It always made more sense to me that he just had an unfortunate tendency to alienate other people (and an unfortunate tendency to be seen as a machine, and thus more “disposable” than an organic person—hence his being sent on dangerous missions that would earn him those aforementioned medals). Data is…not quite arrogant, exactly, but very aware of and very matter-of-fact about his abilities. Especially in season one.* And very much aware of his disabilities, too, so it creates this sort of bizarre superiority/inferiority dichotomy, and I can see how that alone could be off-putting to some people. You have this guy who’s angsting (“angsting”) about being incomplete and not as awesome as humans, and then in the next moment, it seems he’s almost boasting about how he has perfect recall and can survive a fifty foot drop and all that. Off-putting.
(Plus, we never see what he was like upon his initial activation—it could be that, when we meet him, he's light years ahead of where he used to be. Brent Spiner played him with a very subtle stiffness, and I do like to think that, way back when, he was far more robotic in his movements. Just the fact that he has a pretty normal, natural gait when it comes to walking could be a big accomplishment for him.)
But I digress. Data. Weird.
But here’s the thing—Tasha is weird, too. She’s got that outsider thing going on, after all. And Data’s obviously an outsider because of his android nature. And I do like to think that that “outsider” status drew the two of them together and created a bond. (I also think the same goes for Worf, and like to imagine them as a brOT3 of sorts, but again, different day, different discussion.) And I can whole-heartedly believe that she could have developed (and believe she did develop) a bit of a crush on Data—but not because he’s a good-looking hunk of machinery, and not even because of that outsider bond they share, but because he’s safe.
Because really, look at her background: She grew up in a place where rape was a very real threat. It is entirely possible that she was raped at some point in her early life. And even if she wasn't a victim of rape, she was most certainly a victim of attempted rape. For her, sex has always been inextricably associated with violence. So for her to come across a (for all practical purposes) man who has morals literally hard-wired into him, who can only use violence in self-defense, who is physically incapable of being motivated by lust or desire or anything like that… Hell, who cares that he’s not organic? Who cares that he doesn’t get jokes and has a tendency to come off as a dictionary with legs? Who cares that he can’t love her? He can’t hurt her, and my god, that is just as important. I’d hazard to say that it’s maybe even more important. So yeah, she fancies him for that reason. She fancies the shit out of him. Which I think is pretty important in and of itself—I can’t help but feel she’s the type of person who has problems with intimacy (physical and emotional) and who pretty much has never had any desire to enter into a romantic relationship of any sort, because romance = sex, and sex = violence to her. So I think that for her to even start having romantic feelings for someone is a big step. And for her to act on those feelings, and seek out sex on her own terms, for her own enjoyment, I mean…just…wow. You can blame it on the fact that she was high on polywater at the time, but still, that was something she did for herself, and that is an amazing step in her recovery.
Now their time together was obviously important to Data, too. Not only was it a new experience for him (and as we all know, Data is curious as fuck and just loves new experiences), but Tasha was the first person to desire him as a sexual partner. (Emphasis on “partner” here, because I’m sure there are techno-fetishists out there *cough*I’m looking at you, Bruce Maddox*cough* who just want to use him as a walking, talking sex toy. (For the record, I don’t think Maddox really wanted to use Data as a sex toy
But let’s get all post-coital. What happens afterward? Nothing, I don’t think. We’re not given any indication that the relationship continues or develops into romance, and I truly don’t think it would. Data’s obviously incapable of feeling love (at least in the organic sense of the word—whether or not Data has emotions is also something for another day and another discussion). As for Tasha…I don’t honestly think she’s capable of love at that point in her life—at least not the healthy kind. But her time with Data was a step in the right direction. He was kind, and gentle, and someone she could trust 100%, someone who physically demonstrated that sex doesn't have to be violent and painful. And that is so amazingly meaningful and important like oh my god. Even if it isn't love in the strict romantic sense of the word. Like, whenever Data starts getting all thinky about Tasha after her death, I just want to reach into the screen and grab him and be all, “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU MEANT TO HER, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU GAVE HER, YOU SWEET SWEET THING?” It just makes me want to gush. They kind of remind me Picard’s and Guinan’s relationship in a way—they’re something more than friends, but less than a romantic couple, and ultimately the relationship is very close, and very complex, and very hard to explain.
And while it was a pleasant experience, it was also, essentially, a drunken one-night-stand, and not something that would have happened under normal circumstances. Tasha is obviously embarrassed about the whole thing, and no doubt needs some time to think about what transpired. To be honest, it always bothers me when people complain about how cold she is at the end of “The Naked Now”—the whole “it never happened” line. I’m not saying she couldn’t have explained herself a little better, but it’s just like, dude, the gal's got a plethora of issues to work through—cut her a little slack.
And even if she hadn't died, and had had the chance to work through all her issues…I still can’t really see it turning into a happily-ever-after type of thing. If I really, really try, I can see them becoming friends-with-benefits—because no doubt Data would still be curious about sex and would want to, erm, experiment more, so to speak, and I could see Tasha as wanting to continue to explore the idea that sex can be a source of pleasure instead of something to fear. But it would be a very casual thing—I can’t see them going on dates or moving in together or getting married or being anything other than friends-who-just-happen-to-fuck. They’re maybe a little bit like first loves to me (except replace “love” with something far more complicated, but just as intimate and affectionate)—what they had was undeniably special, but that doesn’t mean it would have lasted forever, or even should have lasted forever. Some relationships simply run their course. And that doesn’t always have to be a tragedy or something to mourn—it isn't always a tragedy or something to mourn. He was what she needed at that point in her life, and in return, she opened his eyes to a new experience. If anything, I think that should be celebrated.
So there you have it—my I-ship-them-but-don’t-actually-ship-them stance. Hopefully that all made sense.
(By the way, assuming Tasha hadn’t died, I like to think she would have eventually hooked up with Worf. He also has that outsider thing going on, and their dates would consist of beating the shit out of Skeletor and Co. on the holodeck, and the Rozhenkos would fuss over Tasha like the daughter they never had and she would secretly love every minute of it because she’s never been fussed over, and it would just be awesome.)
* As an aside, oh, man. Season one. Because the writing was so uneven back then, I tend to ignore the hell out of it when it comes to characterization, but I do have a soft spot for its weird campiness. It’s like Bizarro TNG. Data’s so sassy! Picard’s super prickly! Troi actually kind of does stuff! Geordi’s the helmsman! And wears command red! Riker’s beardless! (And I do think the beard was the making of Riker. The writing of his character got better, yes (Riker was kind of a douche in season one, it must be said), but I think the beard did a lot in the physical sense—it made him look more fatherly and more professional, even, and less like a smarmy jock.)
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no subject
Date: 2012-08-12 12:10 am (UTC)It's too bad there wasn't a JMS writer aboard TNG. (Even though Babylon 5 still had sexism and heteronormative problems).
I think Tasha's backstory would've been explored in some more depth. Then again, old Trek was fairly bad about continuity carrying over from one episode to the next, beyond very superficial things like "Kirk and Spock play chess."
Your comment about Tasha's "it never happened" is very true. I have not participated in much TNG discussion/fandom, so I simply accepted that as "embarrassed person says thoughtless thing after getting in control of her own mind." Tasha is VERY bottled up and VERY self-controlled in front of others, of COURSE she would be uncomfortable about it afterwards, even if she secretly had enjoyed it. Plus, with her background, she might unconsciously be troubled that (a) I sort of raped Data and/or (b) I had sex while I wasn't in control.
I would be very, very surprised if she wasn't a rape survivor. Even being able to fight back is not an ironclad defense against rapists, especially if they travel in gangs, and she was so young.
And dangit, I was partway through rewatching Season One in all its uneven glory, and got sidetracked. (I, too, had forgotten Picard's derpiness, and it's a miracle that we ever became fond of Riker... he's at least as annoying as Wesley, back when they were trying to make him Kirk Junior.)
no subject
Date: 2012-08-12 05:47 pm (UTC)I have no doubt that Tasha would have improved as a character, if only a bit, had Denise Crosby stayed. A big part of the problem with Tasha is that she never had the chance to move beyond those season one growing pains. (Another part of the problem is that Crosby wasn't/isn't the greatest of actresses, and didn't really have the acting chops to sell bad dialogue the way, say, Patrick Stewart did. But that's a pretty minor complaint, on the whole; besides Stewart, and maybe Spiner, no one in season one really came off as that great of an actor.) Nowadays TNG seems almost distressingly episodic, but the amount of continuity it had was pretty ground-breaking back in its day. Rewatching it now, I'm kind of surprised by how much they refer, if only in passing, to events from previous episodes, because I did remember it as being far more episodic.
You bring up some great points about the "it never happened" thing. I don't know if "sort of raped" is the right phrase for it (Data seemed to be a pretty willing participant, and he has enough factual knowledge about sex that I'd be hard-pressed to believe he didn't know what he was getting himself into), but "took advantage of" certainly. Data can come off as very innocent and child-like, and yeah, I can see that kind of squicking her out, if only subconsciously. And "I had sex when I wasn't in control," YES. Pleasant experience or no, that's gotta freak her out, just a bit.
I confess I rather like to think she wasn't raped, partly for my own peace of mind (it's such a terrible thing that already happens too often in reality, so I like to imagine that fictional women, at least, don't have to suffer it), and partly because it seems to all-too commonly be the only reason a woman could have for wanting to physically kick ass--usually by male writers who don't understand that "strong female character" =/= "female character who is physically strong." Or else it's used as an excuse for character development: "See! She was raped! She's angsty! Angst = well-rounded character, rite???" *rolls eyes*
At the same time, Tasha's one of those characters where rape-as-backstory would actually make sense, and wouldn't just be angst crow-barred in for angst's sake. In "Symbiosis," there's an exchange she has with Wesley--it's usually written off as being a cloyingly Reagan-era "say no to drugs" PSA, but I much prefer to view it as an implication that Tasha once had a substance abuse problem. Since it's safe to say that There Are No Therapists on Turkana IV, I can easily see her turning to drugs as a coping mechanism post-rape. The "is she/isn't she" a rape survivor gets me all thinky, to say the least.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed it. ^^