Cheap Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 32: Loud As A Whisper (Video) (Larry Shaw, David Carson, Gabrielle Beaumont, Timothy Bond, Kim Manners, LeVar Burton, Richard Compton, Jonathan West, Marvin V. Rush, Michael Vejar) Price

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Customer Reviews of Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 32: Loud As A Whisper

Finally, A-Not-So-Boring-Second-Season-Episode
"Loud as a Whisper" is one of the greatest second season episodes. The Enterprise has to go to the Romatis star system to pick up 'The Greatest Mediator the Federation Has.' When they get there, they meet him and his chorus (Leo Damian as Andonis, Marnie Mosiman as the Woman, and Thomas Oglesby as the Scholar). We learn two things;1.His name is Riva(Played by Howie Seago;Beyond Silence), and 2.He's a deaf-mute that communicates through his chorus, each speaking in a certain area of experteece(or however you spell it, hey! I'm a kid.). Right off the bat, Riva likes Troi(Marina Sirtis). He meets the crew, and becomes a friend to Geordi(LeVar Burton). He asks if Troi would show him to his quarters, and leaves the Woman and Scholar behind, taking Andonis with them. Then we find out that when not needed, the rest of the Chorus is actually alot nicer than you think. Meanwhile, Troi and Riva make dinner plans for after the briefing that Riva brags his little heart out. The the dinner rolls around and it's interrupted by one of the factions that have been fighting on Solaris 4. They have broken the 'cease-fire' and Riva stops them. Riva, the Chorus, Riker(Jonathan Frakes), and Worf(Michael Dorn), transport down to the surface, only to find a horrible fate. One of the guys on one of the factions goes crazy and shoots the Chorus, leaving Riva alone and confused. Captain Picard(Patrick Stewart) tries to talk to him, but can't. He asks Data(Brent Spiner)to learn sign language* so they could get on with the negotiations and get the heck out of there. Troi asks him what his secret is and he said 'The real secret is turning a disadvantage, into an advantage'. She also wants to know why he couldn't do that. He dismisses Data and they transport down to the surface. There Troi explains that he is going to teach both factions sign language to stop the fighting.

*Watch for this mistake; Data is going to show Picard some of what he learned. He meant to say in dialogue and sign:
Data:This is blue. This is the blue ocean. This is the blue ocean at sunset. This is...
What he really said was:
Data:This is 5. This is the 5 oceans. This is the 5 oceans at...

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Loud as a Whisper ends too abruptly
Howie Seago portrays a deaf negotiator in this episode. It has the feeling that somehow the script was cut off at the end. The whole episode was built upon the fact the first negotiators were killed by the opposing side of aliens. Seago's character had to establish a dialogue with them again. What was frustrating was that you see him beam down to the planet and not see the result of his efforts. This would have been better as a two part episode.

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Thoughtful episode about a deaf mute Federation Diplomat
One of the constants in the Star Trek universe is that the Federation's diplomatic corps is comprised almost entirely of incompetent buffoons. This episode is the exception that proves the rules. "Loud as a Whisper" is fairly creative both in terms of its main character and its resolution of the crisis situation. Another aspect of the future in Star Trek is that physical disabilities are easily managed. Blind Geordi Le Forge has a visor that allows him to see while Jean-Luc Picard has an artificial heart.

In this episode we meet Riva, played by Howie Seago, a mediator so accomplished they added the word "peacemaker" to the Klingon language because of his efforts. A deaf mute, who communicates through a chorus of three individuals who translate his thoughts and emotions into words, Riva is attracted to Counselor Troi. However, as soon as Riva and his chorus beam down to Solari V, one of the soldiers opens fire and disintegrates the chorus. The away team escapes with a distraught Riva back to the Enterprise. Picard has Data learn Riva's gestural language, but the negotiator refuses to return to the planet. Data might understand the words Riva wants to communicate, but not his emotions.

"Loud as a Whisper" is one of the best episodes of the second season, intelligently constructed and thoughtfully written. I especially like it when Riva explains to Troi that one of the secrets of successful negotiations is to turn disadvantages into advantages as a nice philosophical point with practical consequences. My only real complaint is that the dictates of the story necessitating getting rid of the chorus, which is a shame because it is fascinating to watch the four beings act as a single unit. The solution to the problem is rather primitive by 24th-century standards, but certainly rings true with those of us stuck in the barbaric past of the planet Earth.