Star Trek The Next Generation
S3E8
· The Price

O'Brien's Two Marriages

O'Brien arrives in Troi's office and admits a wrenching split between loyalty to his career and the possibility of a deeper commitment to Mitzi. He frames his avoidance as practical — "married to my job" — but the subtext is fear: he can't bear the idea of a second emotional marriage. Troi hears him with professional steadiness, then pushes a pragmatic escalation — inviting Mitzi into a joint session and scheduling follow-ups — converting confession into pressure. The beat functions as a character revelation and a setup: it exposes O'Brien's personal fault line, raises therapeutic stakes, and establishes a looming choice that will test both his relationships and Troi's clinical boundaries.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

5

O'Brien confesses his internal conflict between his career and relationship with Mitzi, revealing his fear of commitment.

conflict to vulnerability

Troi listens passively, either genuinely attentive or on autopilot, as O'Brien continues to express his reluctance to lose Mitzi.

conflict to hesitation

Troi suggests a joint session with Mitzi to address their issues together, pushing O'Brien to confront his fears.

hesitation to resistance

O'Brien immediately rejects the idea of involving Mitzi, showcasing his avoidance of direct confrontation.

resistance to dismissal

Troi persists, offering to schedule another appointment, demonstrating her professional commitment to resolving O'Brien's conflict.

dismissal to persistence

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Miles O'Brien
Chief Petty Officer, Transporter Chief
 primary

Conflicted and anxious beneath a pragmatic surface — shame and fear of intimacy mixed with genuine affection and a desire to avoid loss.

Sits in Troi's office and speaks haltingly, confessing his identity as a 'career man' and expressing both affection for Mitzi and a refusal to risk personal entanglement; resists the idea of a joint session while admitting fear of loss.

Goals in this moment
  • • to offload guilt and seek reassurance without committing to change
  • • to preserve his career priority while avoiding immediate rupture with Mitzi
  • • to test Troi's response and see if there is a simple, noninvasive solution
Active beliefs
  • • his career identity must come first and cannot be compromised
  • • emotional marriage would duplicate or jeopardize the commitment he already has to Starfleet
  • • Mitzi won't be able to accommodate his professional demands
Character traits
practical avoidant guarded loyal to duty reluctantly honest
Follow Miles O'Brien's journey
Mitzi
primary

As described by O'Brien: placid and listening, likely unaware of the depth of his avoidance or the counseling being pursued on her behalf.

Not physically present; referenced by O'Brien as 'placid' and not understanding his career, she functions as the relational other whose expectations and presence propel O'Brien's confession and Troi's proposed intervention.

Goals in this moment
  • • seek stability and connection in the relationship (inferred)
  • • understand O'Brien's needs and maintain the partnership (inferred)
Active beliefs
  • • the relationship can function without radical change (inferred from 'placid')
  • • O'Brien's career will remain central and is part of who he is (inferred)
Character traits
placid (as described) patient passive (implied)
Follow Mitzi's journey
Deanna Troi
Counselor
 primary

Calm, steady, and purposefully proactive — concerned but clinically composed, moving the session from talk to planned action.

Listens with professional calm, reframes O'Brien's admission into a clinical intervention by suggesting a joint session and immediately consulting her PADD to schedule follow-ups, converting confession into actionable therapy.

Goals in this moment
  • • to move O'Brien from avoidance into engagement with the relational problem
  • • to protect both O'Brien's emotional health and the integrity of his relationship
  • • to establish therapeutic accountability through concrete follow-up
Active beliefs
  • • couples counseling is essential when avoidance threatens a relationship
  • • action (a joint session and follow-ups) will be more therapeutic than passive sympathy
  • • professional structure can break through avoidance patterns
Character traits
empathic pragmatic decisive boundary-oriented professional
Follow Deanna Troi's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Deanna Troi's PADD (Debriefing Reference & Letter Delivery)

Troi uses the PADD as a clinical instrument: she calls up her schedule to propose and book another appointment, transforming O'Brien's verbal confession into a concrete therapeutic plan. The device functions narratively as the pivot from disclosure to obligation.

Before: Resting on Troi's desk, powered and available as …
After: In active use and having been used to …
Before: Resting on Troi's desk, powered and available as a scheduling tool.
After: In active use and having been used to consult the schedule; remains on the desk with implied appointment entry made.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Troi's Quarters

Troi's private counseling office serves as the confidential setting for O'Brien's admission. Its arranged intimacy and professional neutrality allow personal truths to surface and enable Troi to apply clinical authority, making the space the crucible where personal avoidance is converted into therapeutic action.

Atmosphere Muted, intimate, confidential — quiet with a professional steadiness that encourages guarded disclosure.
Function Sanctuary for private reflection and the formal stage for therapeutic intervention and scheduling next steps.
Symbolism Represents institutional support and the clinical boundary between duty and intimacy; a neutral ground where …
Access Private and confidential space, generally limited to scheduled sessions or invited visitors.
two chairs facing each other across a small table soft, indirect lighting low mechanical hum of the ship in the background Troi's desk with a PADD present

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"O'BRIEN: "The truth is I'm a career man... you know, married to my job... Mitzi doesn't understand that...""
"O'BRIEN: "I like her a lot... but I just don't think I'm ready for two marriages if you know what I mean...""
"TROI: "Maybe you should come in with her and talk about it together.""