Synopsis: The crew of the Enterprise encounters the Crystalline Entity.
One way to interpret “Silicon Aviator” from a depth psychological perspective is that it is an illustration of how the Great Mother archetype, as identified by James Hillman, might act in response to a threat. Basically, the Great Mother has the power and the will to destroy in order to protect who and what she loves.
In this episode the Great Mother archetype is embodied by Dr. Kila Marr. Her son, Renny, was on Omicron Theta when the Crystalline Entity attacked it, destroying all life. This caused Marr, who was already a scientist, to devote her life to learning more about this alien lifeform. It killed her son and she wants revenge. Also, although she is on a Starfleet vessel, she is not a Starfleet officer, and therefore does not feel the need to abide by its doctrines.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard, on the other hand, is a Starfleet officer and before he orders the destruction of a lifeform, something that Starfleet abhors unless absolutely necessary, he wants to ascertain whether or not the Crystalline Entity can be communicated with. However, Marr does not want to communicate with either Picard or the entity, and when given the opportunity, destroys the entity without remorse. While this power can be perceived as negative, in reality it is merely archetypal. Marr was inflated with her identification with the archetypal energy of the Great Mother and acted.
Original post created 27 September 2021
mydailysoultrek 