Cost of Living (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"Cost of Living"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Lwaxana Troi greets her fiancé
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 20
Directed by	Winrich Kolbe
Written by	Peter Allan Fields
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	220
Original air date	April 20, 1992 (1992-04-20)
Guest stars
Majel Barrett - Lwaxana Troi/Computer Voice Brian Bonsall - Alexander Rozhenko Tony Jay - Campio Carel Struycken - Mr Homn David Oliver - Young Man Albie Selznick - The Juggler Patrick Cronin - Erko Tracey D'Arcy - Young Woman George Ede - Poet Christopher Halsted - First Learner
Episode chronology
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List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"Cost of Living" is the name of the 120th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Overview

Lwaxana Troi struggles with her impending wedding and meddles in Deanna Troi's attempt at counseling Worf and Alexander Rozhenko.

Plot

Lwaxana Troi arrives to the Enterprise, declaring that she is to hold her arranged wedding there. She is to marry a man with whom she shared many interests, according to a matchmaking computer system which declared them perfect mates. Picard refuses, but when he is told she wants him to give away the bride he changes his mind, saying, "Nothing would please me more than to give away Mrs. Troi."

Deanna is shocked when she is told that Lwaxana will not follow the Betazoid tradition of a naked bride at weddings. Lwaxana replies that it is offensive to her future husband's people. But Deanna still doesn't think someone with such a position as her mother should be willing to throw away Betazoid tradition.

Worf and his son Alexander have problems with fulfilling obligations, Alexander not doing the chores he has been told to do. Deanna Troi suggests that they make a contract including matters such as Alexander only playing after he has performed his chores. But Lwaxana ruins this by saying "A contract is something you make with someone you distrust." She several times takes Alexander to a holodeck simulation called the Parallax colony;^[1] "a place for free spirits". It's a fantasy land involving such fantastical characters as a smiling, multi-colored humanoid head inside a "floating" sphere; a juggler who eats one of the balls he's juggling; a rotund humanoid noted for making such comments such as "every moment requires a purpose. Every purpose requires a plan" and "the higher, the fewer"; and two twins, each with large hairdos and a habit of constantly arguing.^[2] Mrs. Troi teaches Alexander to do what he feels like and "be a free spirit". Deanna complains that her mother is giving the little Klingon conflicting messages.

Lwaxana's husband-to-be arrives, proving himself to be less suitable than the test indicated. After talking to Alexander, who asks why she seems so sad, Mrs. Troi arrives to the wedding naked according to Betazoid tradition, ignoring any potential offense. Her husband-to-have-been leaves, upset. Lwaxana thanks Alexander for teaching her to be a free spirit. The episode ends with Deanna, Lwaxana, Alexander and Worf mudbathing in the free thinkers' colony, Worf asking "You're just supposed to sit here?"

The material nitrium, used in the construction of Federation starships,^[3] is referenced in this episode. Parasites are found feeding on Enterprise components made of this substance, jeopardising the ship's integrity.

Notes

This episode is one of very few where production equipment can be seen. At 9 minutes, 30 seconds into the episode in a scene where Picard and Riker are walking through a deck you can see a boom mic appear at the top of the screen for about 1 second.

Emmy nominations

• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series

References

1. ^ Lutz, A.J., personal communication, éDecember 11, 2003
2. ^ Fields, Peter Allan (Writer), & Kolbe, Winrich (Director). (1992). Cost of Living [Television series episode]. In Rick Berman (Producer), Star Trek: The Next Generation. Hollywood: Paramount Pictures.
3. ^ "STARTREK.COM article on nitrium". http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/technology/article/70182.html. Retrieved 2007-05-13. 

External links

• Cost of Living at the Internet Movie Database
• "Cost of Living" at TV.com
• Cost of Living at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Nitrium at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Cost of Living at StarTrek.com