In this episode, the Enterprise is ensnared by a swarm of two-dimensional lifeforms pulling the ship toward a lethal cosmic string. Simultaneously, Counselor Deanna Troi suffers a sudden "short circuit" of her empathic abilities, leaving her feeling effectively disabled and "blind" to the emotions around her.
The ship is trapped in a two-dimensional wake. The solution requires Troi to use her human intuition rather than her Betazoid powers to realize the beings are acting on instinct, moving toward the string like "moths to a flame".
Watch a closer look at the science and character drama of 'The Loss' here:
This episode features the first mention of the Breen , an alien race later made famous in Deep Space Nine .
Troi goes through the classic stages of grief—denial, anger, and fear—eventually attempting to resign because she feels "hollow" without her gift. Do you think her reaction was realistic for someone losing a primary sense, or was it, as some reviewers suggest, "self-absorbed whining"?