saying that she allows artists to "live forever" through brilliant work that she helps them produce, while she is nourished by the artists' brain energy. While Jake is recovering, his father has read the pages that he wrote under the influence of Onaya, and tells Jake he has the beginnings of a good novel. Jake responds that he does not feel that the words were his own. Benjamin assures him that Onaya had only helped him draw out what was already there. Relation to other episodes This is the third of three meetings of Odo and Lwaxana Troi. She also visited in the episodes "The Forsaken" and "Fascination." The novel that Jake works on in this episode is titled Anslem. The earlier episode The Visitor portrayed an alternate future in which Jake became a successful writer as an adult after the disappearance of his father; and in that episode Anslem is the novel that propelled him to fame. Reception In 2018, Comic Book Resources included "The Muse" on a list of Star Trek episodes that were "so bad they must be seen", calling it "one of the most disappointing episodes" of Deep Space Nine and a waste of Majel Barrett's final appearance. Keith DeCandido of Tor.com gave it 4 out of 10. A 2015 binge-watching guide for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine by WIRED recommended skipping this episode. Director David Livingston conceded that of the episodes he directed this episode was not good. References External links Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 4) episodes 1996 American television episodes Television episodes directed by David Livingston