The Risa Curse

[marsh8472]

From episode "Captain's Holiday"

WORF: Captain, I would feel better if you would allow me to assign a security officer to you. We will be out of communication range when we leave orbit.
PICARD: I really don't think that will be necessary, Mister Worf. Risa has a reputation of being a most peaceful planet.

Despite it having a reputation of being peaceful planet, every time they go to Risa or even mention Risa something bad happens.

ENT "Two Days and Two Nights" - Trip and Malcom robbed, Archer drugged
DS9 "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." - Essentialists take over the weather control system and cause bad weather and earthquakes. Also find out in the episode that Curzon Dax died during his last trip to Risa.
TNG "The Mind's Eye" - Geordie is abducted by Romulans and tortured/brainwashed by Romulans, Romulans sent a Geordie look-alike in his place to Risa
TNG "Captain's Holiday" - Sovak and Vorgons threaten Picard and Vash at gun point
ENT "The Seventh" - T'Pol tracked down a fugitives on Risa killing Jossen and another fugitive named Menos escapped.
DS9 "For the Cause" - Benjamin Sisko recommended Risa to Kasidy Yates, shortly after Kasidy Yates is arrested for helping the Maquis.
DS9 "Business as Usual" - arms dealer Farrakk visited Risa instead of opening negotiations with the Verillians which led to his execution by Hagath.
DS9 "The Negas" - Zek talks about going on a vacation to Risa then dies (fake dies) shortly after. Attempts on Quark's life after that.
DS9 "Honor Among Thieves" - starfleet officer informant secretly working for the Orion Syndicate was in charge of the weather control system on Risa.
DS9 "Chrysalis" - Bashir recommended to Sarina that they go to Risa, their relationship ended soon after that.
TNG "The Game" - Riker is introduced to an addictive brain washing game while on Risa and spreads its use in an attempt to take over starfleet
TNG "Second Chances" - Riker and Troi had planned to meet on Risa but Riker did not show, affected their relationship
VOY "Fury" - told this story about Risa:

JANEWAY: I feel like I already do. Remember the old story? Man goes to Risa, where he meets a beautiful woman who invites him over for an evening of passion.
CHAKOTAY: He wakes up in the morning, feeling wonderful, until he discovers he's missing a kidney.
JANEWAY: Every cadet about to go on his first shore leave hears that cautionary tale. Doesn't seem so outrageous anymore, does it?

DS9 "The Adversary" - Ambassador Krajensky abducted and replaced by a changling while on his way to Risa for an extended vacation

 

[JoeFromEarth]

I feel like that should be some kind of trope, where the place everyone considers paradise has some nefarious aspect to it. it couldn't find it on the tv tropes website though (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/search_result.php?q=paradise)

 

[The Wormhole]

I don't see how bad things happening to people talking about Risa or en route to Risa is a stain on Risa's reputation. Is there a point to this thread other than proving you know how to peruse Memory Alpha?

 

[Tosk]

The real Risa curse is that every episode that is set there is hot garbage.

 

[Borg]

The real Risa curse is that every episode that is set there is hot garbage.

Captain's Holiday is one of my guilty pleasures, but for the most part you're not wrong.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

The real Risa curse is that every episode that is set there is hot garbage.

It's more than that: Captain's Holiday was the final nail in the coffin of Patrick Stewart's first marriage.

 

[MacLeod]

From episode "Captain's Holiday"


Despite it having a reputation of being peaceful planet, every time they go to Risa or even mention Risa something bad happens.

ENT "Two Days and Two Nights" - Trip and Malcom robbed, Archer drugged
DS9 "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." - Essentialists take over the weather control system and cause bad weather and earthquakes. Also find out in the episode that Curzon Dax died during his last trip to Risa.
TNG "The Mind's Eye" - Geordie is abducted by Romulans and tortured/brainwashed by Romulans, Romulans sent a Geordie look-alike in his place to Risa
TNG "Captain's Holiday" - Sovak and Vorgons threaten Picard and Vash at gun point
ENT "The Seventh" - T'Pol tracked down a fugitives on Risa killing Jossen and another fugitive named Menos escapped.
DS9 "For the Cause" - Benjamin Sisko recommended Risa to Kasidy Yates, shortly after Kasidy Yates is arrested for helping the Maquis.
DS9 "Business as Usual" - arms dealer Farrakk visited Risa instead of opening negotiations with the Verillians which led to his execution by Hagath.
DS9 "The Negas" - Zek talks about going on a vacation to Risa then dies (fake dies) shortly after. Attempts on Quark's life after that.
DS9 "Honor Among Thieves" - starfleet officer informant secretly working for the Orion Syndicate was in charge of the weather control system on Risa.
DS9 "Chrysalis" - Bashir recommended to Sarina that they go to Risa, their relationship ended soon after that.
TNG "The Game" - Riker is introduced to an addictive brain washing game while on Risa and spreads its use in an attempt to take over starfleet
TNG "Second Chances" - Riker and Troi had planned to meet on Risa but Riker did not show, affected their relationship
VOY "Fury" - told this story about Risa:

DS9 "The Adversary" - Ambassador Krajensky abducted and replaced by a changling while on his way to Risa for an extended vacation

Well nothing happening makes for poor television. Besides Most of your list occurs after "Captain's Holiday" where your quote comes from.

 

[sbk1234]

None of t hese episodes had anything to do with actual failures or dangers involved with Risa itself:

TNG "The Mind's Eye" - Geordie is abducted by Romulans and tortured/brainwashed by Romulans, Romulans sent a Geordie look-alike in his place to Risa

DS9 "For the Cause" - Benjamin Sisko recommended Risa to Kasidy Yates, shortly after Kasidy Yates is arrested for helping the Maquis.
DS9 "Business as Usual" - arms dealer Farrakk visited Risa instead of opening negotiations with the Verillians which led to his execution by Hagath.
DS9 "The Negas" - Zek talks about going on a vacation to Risa then dies (fake dies) shortly after. Attempts on Quark's life after that.

DS9 "Chrysalis" - Bashir recommended to Sarina that they go to Risa, their relationship ended soon after that.

TNG "Second Chances" - Riker and Troi had planned to meet on Risa but Riker did not show, affected their relationship
VOY "Fury" - told this story about Risa:
JANEWAY: I feel like I already do. Remember the old story? Man goes to Risa, where he meets a beautiful woman who invites him over for an evening of passion.
CHAKOTAY: He wakes up in the morning, feeling wonderful, until he discovers he's missing a kidney.
JANEWAY: Every cadet about to go on his first shore leave hears that cautionary tale. Doesn't seem so outrageous anymore, does it?
DS9 "The Adversary" - Ambassador Krajensky abducted and replaced by a changling while on his way to Risa for an extended vacation

These were simply situations where Risa was basically mentioned, and other stuff happened regarding other things.
From a real, production standpoint, they could have done every one of these episodes the exact same way, if they had only come up with the names of SOME OTHER vacation spots in the Federation and used those, also.
Based on the evidence shown in Star Trek from TNG on, Risa is basically the ONLY planet to vacation on. (A planet called Pacifica was mentioned once, but never again.)

 

[uniderth]

Risa is overrated. I prefer Wrigley's Pleasure Planet.

 

[Greg Cox]

What happens on Risa apparently doesn't stay on Risa . . . ..

 

[DimesDan]

RIP Risa. You were a great place to have fun, but ultimately you were slagged good and proper.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Risa is overrated. I prefer Wrigley's Pleasure Planet.

Are they one in the same? Did Captain Wrigley discover Risa back in the 2140s and give it his name for awhile?

 

[Nyotarules]

It's more than that: Captain's Holiday was the final nail in the coffin of Patrick Stewart's first marriage.

Why what happened?

 

[The Old Mixer]

Risa is overrated. I prefer Wrigley's Pleasure Planet.

Double your pleasure, at Wrigley's Pleasure Planet!™

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Why what happened?

He started dating the episode's guest star, Jennifer Hetrick, then divorced his wife later in the year.

Perhaps that's why Sir Patrick was so concerned that the captain wasn't doing enough "f___ing and fighting."

 

[Tenacity]

Also find out in the episode that Curzon Dax died during his last trip to Risa

My impression is that Curzon died on Trill, on the operating table shortly after Dax was transferred to Jadzia.

Risa is like those beautiful cruise ships, yes people fall overboard and die, there are rapes, food poisoning, mechanical breakdown, fire and every decade or so a sinking. But the vast majority of the time you're going to have a wonderful time.

Watching a character having a fun but uneventful vacation wouldn't make for a particularly good episode.

 

[Nyotarules]

He started dating the episode's guest star, Jennifer Hetrick, then divorced his wife later in the year.

Perhaps that's why Sir Patrick was so concerned that the captain wasn't doing enough "f___ing and fighting."

And each subsequent lady friend/ex-wife got younger and younger....lol

 

[at Quark's]

From episode "Captain's Holiday"
Despite it having a reputation of being peaceful planet, every time they go to Risa or even mention Risa something bad happens.

But that's true of the star trek universe in general, it seems. Despite Starfleet (and the Federation) having a reputation for being devoted to maintaining peace and exploring the galaxy, there's usually a remarkable amount of violence going on

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Perhaps the hedonism planet is simply bad drama. When ISB originally conceived of it, Risa would have been more of a theme park than a sex party. It was GR who insisted on that. The concept of the hedonism planet does not provide enough to sustain an episode, even when considering TOS' Shore Leave and TNG's Justice.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Couldn't you say the same thing about every repeatedly visited Star Trek location?

Every time someone goes to Vulcan, Sarek dies, the planet implodes, or Spock is forced to try to kill Kirk.
Every time someone goes to Earth, there's a coup de tat attempt or horrible space stunt accident.
Every time someone goes to Bajor we come within an inch of either the apocalypse or civil war.