Talk:Life Line (episode)

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Contents 1 Episode talk page 1.1 Maintenance links 2 Serious undertones 3 What's the camera called? 4 PNA 5 Height 6 "Which one of you is Lewis Zimmerman?"

[edit] Serious undertones

Is it just me or does this episode have serious undertones?
First, the Doctor is not how Dr. Lewis Zimmerman envisioned him. A metaphor for the a son being gay with a father that does not accept him?
Second, Dr. Zimmerman is dying. The archetypal deathbed father?

Thirdly, the Doctor wants acceptance from his Zimmerman. That, as a gay person, the son wants acceptance from the father that has rejected him?

And finally, the Doctor has a "recursive problem" that threatens to decompile him? The gay son has HIV/AIDS and then, when the father sees his son dying, decides to embrace him?

Just wondering...

Though I haven't seen the episode in question, Doctor Bashir, I Presume overrides any hints that Lewis Zimmerman is gay in my opinion. There, he was shown as we've always known him to be: an egotistical (somewhat lecherous maybe) and arrogant scientist. He pursues Leeta and, once she gets together with Rom, makes an amusing ad-libbed comment to another woman boarding the same ship as him: "Excuse me, have you heard of the ancient text known as the Karma Sutra?" Sloan 05:34, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)

First of all, Sloan, what the anonymous IP address was trying to imply was that The Doctor was representing a gay man returning home to his deathbed father (Lewis Zimmerman) and he had aids too (recursive problem). Of course the Doctor isn't really gay (just ask Denara Pel for the graphic details). Second of all, this isn't a place for idle talk and should be moved to a forum, so I guess disregard everything I just said (not the idle talk part!) and everything Sloan and Mr. I.P. said.--Tim Thomason 05:48, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)

You know, I'm tired and didn't even read it right, but yeah, what you said about Denara and all that. (I was editing my user page a minute ago and added my signature - go figure...). But, no, this isn't an idle conversation. If there had been some legitimate reason to note it, we might have added a background note about the undertones. But I think it's just someone reading too much into it. Sloan 05:59, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)

Star Trek has always been about exploring social issues. I'm not gay, but lateley, as I re-watch Voyager now that I'm older, I find that Voyager deals with social issues in much the same way as I've always been told TOS did. I watched Retrospect earlier today and realized it was an entire episode about date rape. Kassorla

All of the Treks do stuff like that, but unless they say something about what the idea was supposed to be (like Past Tense) I don't think it's within MA's mandate to say what might have been or not been intended. --Broik 09:30, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)

UNE says: the part that struck me was when the Doctor asks "Why can't you accept me the way I am?" and Zimmerman responds: "Because you're flawed!"

[edit] What's the camera called?

I'm sure the camera the Doctor used wasn't just called a "holocamera". Anyone know what it is actually called? Thanks. Zsingaya 07:31, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

In other episodes it's called a Holographic imager. -209.174.140.100 18:09, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] PNA

The summary appears to be divided incorrectly - it's missing a fifth act. -- Michael Warren | Talk 20:08, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Height

I just watched this episode again and noticed something interesting -- in the final shot, when Barclay takes a picture of Zimmerman and The Doctor, it's obvious that the doctor is a little taller than Zimmerman. You can even see this, though not as obviously, in the picture that accompanies the article now. I thought this was a nice touch, in terms of (1) making Zimmerman and The Doctor physically different and (2) what one might infer from this, perhaps that Zimmerman consciously or unconsciously made the EMH taller because he wished he were taller. Is this worth adding to the "Background Information" section?

[edit] "Which one of you is Lewis Zimmerman?"

Yes, for the purposes of the drama it's useful that Troi says this, but it's a ridiculous question. First, one of the beings in the room is wearing a Starfleet uniform that's out of date, and more to the point, the other being isn't wearing a Starfleet uniform at all. Second, Troi knows that Haley is a hologram because she can't sense any emotions from her, so she should react to The Doctor the same way. Is this worth mentioning?

Maybe, maybe not - since the two appear physically similar and that uniform changes aren't instantaneous, doubt is allowed; moreover, Zimmerman is a Starfleet engineer, he wears gold, but then considering his mastery he may also be qualified to wear blue (scientist). That leaves reading emotions, but considering how intense Zimmerman is, that Deanna isn't as good as her mother and that our two bald-headed hotheads were arguing strongly, a slight emotional overload and lack of distance may have confused Deanna.