Plot Synopsis: Beverly Crusher attends her grandmother’s funeral, but a mysterious (and pointless) entity that inhabited her grandmother is now focusing on her.
Plot A and B Analysis: The brief teaser takes place at a grave, where Dr. Crusher’s grandmother is being buried. Plot A is the about the “ghost” of the Crushers, there is no plot B. Evidently the planet is a Federation terraforming colony meant to replicate the Scottish highlands. A Scottish guy barges into Beverly’s inherited house and tries to rip a candle that’s a family heirloom out of her hands, saying it’s been one big curse. The colony leader asks if the crew can take a look at their old weather control systems. Beverly finds her grandmother’s horndog diaries and reads about a recent lover she had, Ronin, who’s in his 30’s while she was 100–gross. It doesn’t take long before Beverly is in her grandmother’s house and being seduced by an 800-yr old ghost. The Enterprise sets up a power transfer beam to the colony to help, and then they start getting fog on bridge, as well as another nonsensical malfunctions. Not only is that ridiculous, but now they can’t sever it either. Beverly is under Ronin’s spell in no time flat and does everything he wants, including resigning from Starfleet. Picard goes down to her house to try and talk some sense into her and confronts Ronin, so he shocks Picard. Data and Geordi go to the grave site and exhume Felisa’s body, so he appears and shocks them. Somehow Beverly comes out of it and phasers the stupid lamp before she phasers him, and the episode ends.
Favorite Scenes: I have to admit, Picard walking in at the 35th minute where he catches Beverly practically masturbating was pretty funny.
Use of Cast/Characters: This is a Beverly Crusher episode, and if you are attracted to Gates you will love it. I will say she really gives the best performance she can with what she’s given, I can’t fault her for that. And she does look beautiful. There is also character development. We learn her maiden name is Howard, her mother died when Beverly was young but she does remember her. She was essentially raised by her grandmother, Felisa, and of course the Howard women have been involved with the anaphasic Ronin for centuries. Picard tries to help, and it is his being shocked unconscious that first brings Beverly to her senses. Riker and Worf do nothing. Data and Geordi work together regarding the weather stuff, but accomplish nothing. Deanna has a somewhat active role to play, getting a couple of scenes with Beverly. Shay Duffin plays Ned and does ok, Dunan Regehr portrays Ronin and does a believable job–he will go on to appear in several episodes of DS9.
Blu Ray Version: The effect for the ‘green ghost’ was changed–I’m not sure if it’s better or not. Take a look during the 40th minute, and you’ll see the headstone next to Ronin reads McFly. Love it! There are some deleted scenes. The first was during the teaser where Beverly talks about how much Felisa loved cooking and we get to hear a recipe. Yawn. The second is just a line after the funeral about how she didn’t visit much after marrying Jack. The third is just a bit more about Ned ranting at nana’s grave, not much that’s interesting.
Nitpicks: Who in the history of the world would want to read ‘very detailed descriptions’ of erotic encounters their grandmother had when they were 100, with a 34-yr old man? I’d rather be stabbed in both eyes. Also, if Ronin was the guy for all of the Howard women, how did any of them reproduce?!
Overall Impression: Who likes this episode? Maybe some women enjoy it, but not me. A candidate for the worst episode of the season, Sub Rosa is the continuation of a bad trend: crew members’ relatives that no one cares about, and it’s the fourth time now. Beverly gets turned on which makes her lose her freakin’ mind and leads to one unbelievable twist after another. This is meant to be a gothic romance episode, but I don’t think it succeeds. The closest thing to praise I can give it is Gates’ performance. I mean she has to act like she’s having sex without a partner and she sort of pulls it off. I will give Sub Rosa 1.5 out of 5 stars.
Behind the Scenes/Trivia: This is the final episode of the series that does not bear a stardate. What did Gates think of this episode? At a convention she said, “I was basically in love with a lamp! This woman is a doctor and falls in love with a lamp! How the hell does that work?” Jonathan Frakes directed it, his eighth and final episode. You may have forgotten that Beverly’s grandmother was first mentioned way back in The Arsenal of Freedom, where Felisa learned to use herbs and roots following a major disaster, so the writers did remember her.
Ron Moore and Michael Piller, two of the best writers, warned Jeri Taylor not to do the story as it’s really a romance novel in space, but she went ahead anyway because “I just knew it would work.” How does it feel to be so wrong, Jeri? She based it on the film The Innocents, which itself is based on the classic The Turn of the Screw. If you want to see good examples of the gothic romance genre, watch The Innocents (1961) or the 1999 version of The Turn of the Screw.
What does Sub-rosa mean anyway? Literally it means “under the rose”, because since ancient times the symbol of the rose is associated with secrecy. In mythology Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from telling about the indiscretions of Venus. When we use it in conversation now we mean something secretive or private. It still doesn’t mean it’s a good title.
Missable/Unmissable? I’m pretty sure you know what I’m going to say here. The next episode is worth seeing, and it’s one of my favorites.