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SUMMARY: As part of Seven's social lessons she explores romance rituals and goes on her first date.
Janeway and Tuvok leave for a diplomatic mission at a colony of Kadi monks. The Kadi monks are known for their ascetic lifestyle; they eat bland food and disapprove of spices or anything that might inflame the senses. In return, Neelix is left in charge of Tomin, the Kadi ambassador whose mission is to decide if Voyager is worthy of receiving the minerals they plan to trade. To Neelix's surprise, Tomin postpones a tour of the ship and disregards Kadi lifestyle by insisting on exploring the new and interesting experiences available on Voyager such as food that is not bland (including the Bajoran spicy hasperat) and plenty of it.
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| Tomin and the Kadi abbot arrive on Voyager to be greeted by Janeway who introduces Tuvok and Neelix |
Meanwhile, Seven has been studying the relationship between Paris and Torres too intrusively, and Janeway urges her to explore dating for herself.
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| Torres is furious to learn that Seven has been observing and logging details of her romance with Paris |
The Doctor, who for a year or so has been helping her with social lessons, prepares a slideshow talk and then takes her to the holoprogram Chez Sandrine to practice making small talk with men.
slideshow talk - the Doctor discusses different ways of meeting prospective mates |
in holo-Sandrine's, the Doctor and Seven practice 'small talk' |
As Seven makes 'small talk' to a practice prospective suitor, her in her usual dispassionate and businesslike manner, Paris makes a bet with the Doctor that Seven cannot find a date for the Kadi ambassador's reception and keep that date for the entire night.
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| watched by the Doctor and Paris, Seven practices 'small talk' with a holocharacter |
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| Paris and the Doctor make a wager on the successful outcome or otherwise of Seven's dating lessons |
Realising the monumental task ahead of him, the Doctor tries to show Seven the importance of shared interests with a potential date. When he discovers Seven has a beautiful singing voice, the two engage in a duet of "You Are My Sunshine". While singing his part in it, the Doctor realises that the lyrics apply to him and that he has fallen in love with Seven, but he manages to hide this.
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| the duet, and the moment the Doctor realises he is in love with Seven |
 | You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away. |
Once the Doctor helps her determine her interests (they include astronomy, quantum mechanics and music), Seven examines the ship's manifest for a suitable male for her first date. She chooses Lieutenant Chapman, a structural engineer, whom she has worked with on an assignment, choosing him as he seemed "efficient" (praise by her estimation) and he plays a musical instrument.
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| Seven examines the ship's manifest and chooses Chapman for her first date |
Accordingly she asks Chapman to join her for dinner on the holodeck. Chapman is startled and almost floored by her directness but agrees.
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| Seven's order, rather a request, to join her for dinner takes Chapman by surprise |
With Seven unused to the rituals of dating, the Doctor helps Seven to arrange her hair in an informal and attractive manner. He also chooses a suitable dress for her to wear; when he designed Seven's dermaplastic garment, he also designed some casual attire for her.
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| preparing for the date |
The Doctor join the dating couple discreetly in the Chez Sandrine holoprogram as an observer, taking the role of the piano-player. Seven and Chapman awkwardly navigate their way through a lobster dinner. The increasingly nervous Chapman accelerates the encounter by skipping dessert and getting Seven to agree to a turn on the dance floor.
Chapman during the date |
the Doctor takes the role of the piano-player |
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| Seven cracks open her lobster and showers Chapman with bits |
Seven has not yet reached the lesson on dancing but Chapman coaxes her into a reasonable semblance of dancing until, suddenly inspired by seeing two holographic dancers, she decides to copy their twirl. But Chapman, not expecting, tears a ligament in his shoulder. The date is cut short as the Doctor attends him, diagnoses him and sends him to Sickbay, asking him not to reveal to Paris (who is on duty there) how he did it (however, Chapman does so, with Paris thereby learning of another failed dating lesson).
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| the dancing - awkward and unsatisfactory, then it deteriorates as Chapman's ligament is damaged |
By now Seven wants to give up on dating altogether, but the Doctor persuades her to keep trying. He takes her onto the dance floor and they enjoy a relaxing dance together.
Seven is despondent and wants to give up on learning how to date |
the Doctor and Seven enjoy a dance together |
The Doctor persuades Seven to attend the Kadi ambassador's reception as his date. There Seven displays all of her newly learned social skills. This impresses everyone, including Paris who admits the Doctor has won the bet. Unfortunately he does so while Seven is present and she deduces the wager between them. Angrily she accuses the Doctor of not having a sincere interest in her development. As she storms towards the exit, Tomin, whom Neelix has been unable to control, has become intoxicated and makes drunken advances to her. She rejects him bluntly and forces him to take his hand off her. It is too much for the inebriated Tomin - while making an embarrassing scene of drunken petulance in front of everyone at the reception, he passes out.
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| as Seven makes a toast, she attracts the attention of the intoxicated Tomin |
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| Paris tells the Doctor he has won their bet and Seven angrily deduces what the bet was about |
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| the drunken Tomin propositions Seven |
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| Tomin makes a scene and, overcome by drink, collapses unconscious |
Normally synthehol does not intoxicate but the Doctor reports that the enzymes which break down synthehol are not present in Tomin's bloodstream. Synthesising the enzymes would take days - time they do not have. Tomin's future at the colony at stake, as well as the trade agreement (not to mention the Captain's pleasure or displeasure). Seven suggests encoding some of her Borg nanoprobes to assimilate the synthehol molecules. The Kadi have rules against medical procedures which have not been sanctified, but Neelix realises that Tomin has already broken numerous Kadi strictures, and so Neelix, as Tomin's caretaker, opts for Seven's suggestion. While she prepares to extract the nanoprobes, the Doctor apologises to her about the wager, and they acknowledge they are close friends.
discussing how to sober up Tomin |
the Doctor apologises to Seven |
Paris: "Ah. I recommend the direct approach. Tell the person how you feel." |
The Doctor asks Paris' advice, wanting to know how to express romantic feelings to someone. He pretends it is for one of Seven's social lessons but Paris immediately realises that it is the Doctor himself who has developed romantic feelings and for Seven. He sagely advises the Doctor to let Seven know by way of direct approach.
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Tomin has an almighty hangover when his superior returns to collect him the next day, but he and Neelix manage to cover up what has really happened. |
The Doctor prepares to tell Seven about his feelings for her, but she comes to him first to thank him for his guidance, giving him the gift of an enhanced tricorder. She announces that she will no longer require his lessons because there is not a suitable mate on board. Crushed, the Doctor hides his true emotions and returns to the holoprogram Chez Sandrine's for a solo/lonely piano rendition of "Someone To Watch Over Me".
 | | PARIS TO THE DOCTOR: Why don't you tell her? Come on, Doc. It's obvious the Ambassador is not the only one in this room who's intoxicated. A hologram and a Borg? Stranger things have happened. Just look at me and B'Elanna. |
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