ENT s2e5 “A Night in Sickbay”
It always seemed weird to me that phlox had an aversion to physical contact and acts like a shy choir boy around women; yet also lives in a 9 partner relationship thing, is apparently polyamorous since he doesn’t mind sharing his wife with trip, and is also a denobulan who supposedly live in the densest conditions and love it.
Maybe he’s just overcompensating. He doesn’t want to accidentally do something the prudish humans will find offensive
One of those instances with women was him not realizing an infatuation coming from his coworker. Something he would deem inappropriate from the get go. Beyond that, maybe just sterile conditions?
The duality of denobulan male.
When we met one of his wives, it made perfect sense to me! They just have women who are forward. Phlox is just more passive in pursuing sex.
When Phlox asked Trip if his wife had offered a bath, I figured that meant that his wife, while flirting, had toned it down to play nice with the humans. So she was either being playful and ‘coy’ for their species, or, and I know this is silly… I assume Phlox had told her about Trip and his constant ‘perfect gentleman’ thing and she decided to have a little fun.
And let me be honest - I’m somewhat of a sexually forward woman myself. I may not be interested in very many people (demi), and I might not be poly, but once I am interested in someone, I’m quite up front about it.
When I first watched ENT I had no concept of polyamory and the idea of multiple wives each with multiple husbands felt so alien to me. And once I found out that poly people existed I never made a connection to my memory.
TIL denobulans are poly allies.
And they say Trek is woke now. It’s just a perfect blend of different cultures.
