Mediator Unmasked
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard presses Riva to adapt, urging him to 'use' Data as his Chorus and to exploit the resources available rather than lament what was lost.
Riva collapses inward—he declares he has 'nothing' without his Chorus—while Picard escalates to personal attack, calling him a fake and accusing him of hiding behind the Chorus to provoke a reaction.
The provocation escalates physically as Riva makes a threatening step; Data labels Picard's tactic an attempt to provoke, and Picard delivers a grim, practical threat—'A lot of people are going to die'—raising the stakes.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Frustration giving way to controlled aggression
Picard shifts from frustration to aggressive confrontation, deliberately provoking Riva with accusations of being 'all show' and a 'fake'. He employs harsh tactics hoping to shock Riva into action, then quickly pursues him once the emotional breakthrough occurs.
- • Provoke Riva into action by shattering his emotional barrier
- • Break through Riva's dependence on his Chorus to enable mediation
- • Desperate situations require drastic measures
- • Riva's true abilities lie beyond his technological crutch
Logically concerned, unperturbed by the emotional exchange
Data attempts to literally translate Riva's signs, acknowledging the inadequacy but remaining calm and logical throughout the exchange. He translates Riva's defiance and follows Picard to pursue him after the confrontation.
- • Accurately translate the interaction despite its limitations
- • Assist Picard in any capacity required
- • Literal translation serves basic but not nuanced communication
- • Following Picard's lead is the correct course of action
Concerned but tactfully restrained
Troi quietly advises Picard to change tactics when she sees the current approach failing, demonstrating her intuitive grasp of the emotional stakes before withdrawing from the direct confrontation.
- • Guide Picard toward more effective communication with Riva
- • Prevent further emotional escalation if possible
- • Riva's emotional state requires careful handling
- • Picard's current approach is counterproductive
Angry yet calculating, masking deep despair with defiance
Riva reacts sharply to Data's literal translation, expressing frustration at the lack of nuance. When Picard accuses him of being a 'fake', Riva first responds with anger, then smirking defiance before retreating in emotional turmoil.
- • Express the necessity of nuanced communication
- • Maintain dignity despite technological dependence being exposed
- • Literal translation fails to convey his true intent
- • His value as a mediator is compromised without the Chorus
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Riva's Chorus Communication Device is absent but its absence is keenly felt, becoming the crux of the confrontation. Its breakdown directly leads to Riva's communicative struggles and Picard's frustration, highlighting the device's vital role in Riva's identity and profession.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Observation Lounge serves as the tense meeting point where Picard's confrontation with Riva reaches its boiling point. The vast starlit viewports contrast with the claustrophobic tension of the argument, amplifying the emotional stakes.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Data's study and rapid acquisition of gestural languages directly enables Picard's tactical idea to use Data as Riva's temporary translator at the summit."
"Data's study and rapid acquisition of gestural languages directly enables Picard's tactical idea to use Data as Riva's temporary translator at the summit."
"Picard's deliberate provocation—labeling Riva a 'fake'—directly triggers Riva to bolt from the room, shifting the crisis from argument to immediate, personal collapse."
"Picard's deliberate provocation—labeling Riva a 'fake'—directly triggers Riva to bolt from the room, shifting the crisis from argument to immediate, personal collapse."
"The proposal that Data translate for Riva sparks a sequence of exchanges (Data's objections, literal translation concerns) that escalate when Picard presses Riva and accuses him of hiding behind the Chorus—provoking an intense emotional reaction."
"The proposal that Data translate for Riva sparks a sequence of exchanges (Data's objections, literal translation concerns) that escalate when Picard presses Riva and accuses him of hiding behind the Chorus—provoking an intense emotional reaction."
"Picard's deliberate provocation—labeling Riva a 'fake'—directly triggers Riva to bolt from the room, shifting the crisis from argument to immediate, personal collapse."
"Picard's deliberate provocation—labeling Riva a 'fake'—directly triggers Riva to bolt from the room, shifting the crisis from argument to immediate, personal collapse."
"The proposal that Data translate for Riva sparks a sequence of exchanges (Data's objections, literal translation concerns) that escalate when Picard presses Riva and accuses him of hiding behind the Chorus—provoking an intense emotional reaction."
"The proposal that Data translate for Riva sparks a sequence of exchanges (Data's objections, literal translation concerns) that escalate when Picard presses Riva and accuses him of hiding behind the Chorus—provoking an intense emotional reaction."
"Riva's flight from the Observation Lounge leads Picard to find and reach him in his quarters, setting up the intimate confrontation that reignites Riva's agency."
"Riva's flight from the Observation Lounge leads Picard to find and reach him in his quarters, setting up the intimate confrontation that reignites Riva's agency."
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: "You're right. Maybe you are all show.""
"PICARD: "You hide behind your Chorus. You're a fake.""
"RIVA (via Data): "You are attempting to provoke me. It is not going to work.""
"PICARD: "That's too bad. A lot of people are going to die.""