Object

Troi's Office Light Panel

Wall-mounted lighting control panel in Counselor Troi's office, used to adjust ambient illumination. Distinct from other office objects like the couch.

2 appearances

Purpose

Adjusts office lighting levels to create relaxing atmospheres during counseling.

Significance

Ironically amplifies Barclay's anxiety, contrasting Troi's therapeutic intent with his phobia of uncontrolled environments and underscoring his real-world fragility versus holodeck mastery.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits

Barclay’s Counseling Collapse: The Illusion of Progress

The light panel in Troi’s office is intended as a therapeutic tool to create a calming environment, but it backfires spectacularly for Barclay. When Troi dims the lights to foster relaxation, the sudden loss of visual control triggers Barclay’s panic, deepening his discomfort. The panel’s seamless integration into the office’s serene environment contrasts sharply with its unintended effect on Barclay, who associates even well-meaning changes with a loss of control—mirroring his holodeck addiction, where he dictates every variable.

Before: Functional and fully illuminated, blending seamlessly into the office’s ambient lighting.

After: Dimmer, casting the room in softer light, but now associated with Barclay’s heightened anxiety and abrupt exit.

View full event

S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits

Barclay’s Hollow Gratitude: The Collapse of a Counseling Session

The light panel becomes a catalyst for Barclay’s panic. Troi’s adjustment to dim the room—intended to create a calming atmosphere—instead strips Barclay of visual control, triggering his spiral. The panel’s seamless integration into the office walls underscores the illusion of safety: what Troi perceives as a therapeutic tool, Barclay experiences as an environmental trap, heightening his sense of vulnerability.

Before: Functional and inactive, blending into the office’s serene design, awaiting Troi’s command.

After: Active but now associated with Barclay’s distress—its dimmed state lingers as a metaphor for the session’s failed outcome.

View full event