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Star Trek Voyager (VOY) Season 6

Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 4Season 5Season 6Season 7

Survival InstinctBarge of the DeadTinker, Tenor, Doctor, SpyAliceRiddlesDragon's TeethOne Small StepThe Voyager ConspiracyPathfinderFair HavenBlink of an EyeVirtuosoMemorialTsunkatseCollectiveSpirit FolkAshes to AshesChild's PlayGood ShepherdLive Fast and ProsperMuseFuryLife LineThe Haunting of Deck TwelveUnimatrix Zero I/II

 

Equinox II

See VOY season 5

 

Survival Instinct

Synopsis

"Survival Instinct"

Stardate 53049.2: As Voyager is docked to a Markonian space station, a massive multicultural hub, numerous visitors come aboard the ship. Among them is a man named Lansor, who gives Seven of Nine Borg implants that once belonged to her. He doesn't reveal the whole story and his plan, however. He and two other visitors, Wilkara and P'Chan, are former Borg drones. They were part of Unimatrix 01, just like Seven of Nine, and are telepathically linked after they escaped from the Collective, for reasons they don't know. As Seven is in her regeneration cycle, they break into the cargo bay and establish a link with her in the hope of severing their own links. But security apprehends them. Eight years ago, a Borg sphere crashed on Planet 1865-Alpha, with these three drones and Seven being the only survivors. They were eventually reassimilated. But all of them, including Seven, have a memory gap about what happened on that planet. Seven agrees to link with them again to find out the truth. It turns out that the other three drones rediscovered their individuality after the crash. Seven, who was assimilated as a child, was afraid of being alone after running into a dead drone. She injected nanoprobes into the other survivors that would tie their minds together and suppress their feelings of being individuals. This link still persists. Lansor, Wilkara and P'Chan go into a neural shock. In order to save them, they would have to be returned to the Collective. But Seven eventually recognizes that they deserve to live on as individuals and their link should be broken up, although they only have a month left. Wilkara, who was a Bajoran Starfleet officer, stays aboard the ship, Lansor decides to enjoy life on the station and P'Chan chooses to spend his final days on a lonely planet.

Commentary

"Survival Instinct" shows the struggle between individuality and the collective mind more impressively than any other Borg-themed story so far. Especially the camp fire scene is very touching, as the four drones begin to remember their former lives. This is even more remarkable considering that it could easily have turned into silliness when fully armored Borg suddenly don't behave like drones any more and start talking about their childhood or family. Writer, director and actors did a great job to prevent that from happening. When I first watched "Survival Instinct", it temporarily reconciled me with the role of the Borg on Voyager. Some of the previous episodes were inconsequential and squandered their potential, by first presenting them as formidable enemies but then eluding them too easily. "Survival Instinct" demonstrates that it doesn't even need a direct Borg threat to make a good Borg episode.

Overall, this would have been a simple and straightforward story, but it is written to appear more complex using two storytelling devices. The first is that we are left in the dark about the plan of the three telepathically linked visitors. This remains a bit too indefinite and comes with a few problems, as mentioned in the annotations. The flashbacks to the drones stranded on the planet work much better, as each of them reveals just the right amount of new facts to keep up the suspense.

One important outcome is that individuality rules over uniformity and the latter can only be reconstituted by force. The other one is that it wasn't the drone Seven of Nine, but rather the little girl Annika that reassimilated the other drones, because she was afraid of being alone. She was not really less of an individual at the time, but she behaved like the little child she was at the time of her assimilation.

Annotations

Rating: 6

 

Barge of the Dead

Synopsis

"Barge of the Dead"

Stardate not given: After getting into an ion storm, B'Elanna is glad that she can crash land her shuttle in the shuttlebay and get away with a few contusions. Chakotay comes to her quarters with a Klingon artifact that somehow got stuck in her port nacelle. Suddenly everyone on the ship is into Klingon rituals, such as Tuvok, who insists to give her a bat'leth lesson. It culminates in a festivity in B'Elanna's honor, with bloodwine, drinking songs and replicated gagh that looks like it is alive. Suddenly Klingons appear and kill everyone. B'Elanna finds herself on the Barge of the Dead, which she so far thought of as only a myth. The ship is going to take her to Gre'thor, the place for dishonored Klingon souls. While on the barge, she briefly sees that someone new arrives - her mother Miral. B'Elanna wakes up in sickbay. She became unconscious in the ion storm and her shuttle was actually tractored in. Nothing she experienced was real. But B'Elanna begins to worry about her mother, who was always fond of everything Klingon and who may be on her way to Gre'thor because her daughter dishonored her. She persuades Janeway to allow her return to the Barge of the Dead, by reproducing the conditions that let her become unconscious. Back on the Barge of the Dead, B'Elanna agrees to go to Gre'thor in her mother's place and have her sent to Sto-vo-kor. She herself arrives at Gre'thor, where she meets the crew of Voyager, now celebrating her dishonor. But Miral appears too. She tells her daughter to go her own way and that they will meet again, either in Sto-vo-kor or in real life.

Commentary

There were two episodes with focus on B'Elanna in season 5, "Extreme Risk" and "Juggernaut", both of which should have been better aligned with one another and with the greater context of the series. "Barge of the Dead" plays safe in this regard, as it is a story that can be told any time, without the need to establish more than general character traits. Interestingly, Voyager already had a similar story with opposite preconditions with "Mortal Coil", where Neelix was devastated that he hadn't experienced the afterlife he had believed in. Maybe it would have been a nice nod to refer to this episode and to involve Neelix in some capacity.

Anyway, we can take for granted that B'Elanna, unlike Neelix, doesn't believe in an afterlife. At least, we can easily imagine it, considering that she was never fond of the Klingon part of her heritage. In this regard, it is a good idea to show how everyone on the ship suddenly engages in all things Klingon after the very unlikely discovery of the artifact. But all this is still within the possibilities of the show. Only slowly the story gives away that what is happening isn't real. And although it reminds me a tad too much of how the truth unfolded in "Coda", it keeps the episode entertaining for the first 15 minutes.

When I first watched it, I didn't like what happens on the Barge of the Dead and I thought of it as pointless. But seeing it again after many years, it now makes more sense. At least, it would make sense to someone who either clings to Klingon myths or who has internalized them in their childhood, as it is the case with B'Elanna. So although she doesn't believe in it, the correspondence of what she experiences with what she once learned becomes convincing. Of course, this is circular reasoning once we make the simple assumption that everything happens only in her mind. The decisive cue that the afterlife experience isn't real comes from her mother in the end, when she says they may meet again when B'Elanna comes home.

On the other hand, it still bothers me that the Klingon afterlife is as realistic as a holodeck program. How could B'Elanna imagine such a detailed version of Kortar and his barge from a few childhood memories? So convincing that she would take a leap of faith and risk her own life for the presumed salvation of her mother? Interestingly, in Star Trek alien myths are always vivid, powerful and, in some way, superior to Earth's technocracy. It is also noteworthy that not even Chakotay, the only human in so far 30 years of Star Trek who is shown as a spiritual person, seems to be sure that there is an afterlife.

"Barge of the Dead" is a significant episode in hindsight. B'Elanna will embrace her Klingon heritage again, and she will name her daughter Miral after her mother.

Annotations

Rating: 5

 

Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy

Synopsis

"Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy"

Stardate not given: A nifty addition to the Doctor's program allows him to play the ship's resident superhero in some kind of daydreams. He heals Vulcan pon farr, is being desired by all women and, in the role of the "Emergency Command Hologram" (ECH), blows a Borg sphere to dust with his "photonic cannon". He also files a request to Janeway to further develop his program in a way to make these dreams come true, which the captain declines. Incidentally, an observer on a ship of the Hierarchy has discovered Voyager as a possible target of a raid. He can't scan the ship's interior, but he intercepts the Doctor's daydreams and takes them for real. He doesn't know yet why the link drops out intermittently (which is whenever the Doctor interacts with the real world). Against the orders of his immediate superior, he receives permission from the Hierarachy to continue the observations. At some point, the Doctor's daydreams run out of control because of this interference. B'Elanna spends a whole night to fix the program and remove the responsible subroutines. In the meantime, the observer has received the Hierarchy's approval to begin a Type-3 stealth attack on Voyager. But the Doctor's erratic behavior prior to the program fix and the end of the transmissions tell him he made a mistake. He secretly contacts the Doctor by inducing another daydream and warns him of the imminent raid. No one on the bridge believes the Doctor that this time there is a real danger until Kim modifies the sensors and discovers the cloaked Hierarchy vessels. The Doctor poses as Voyager's ECH so the Hierarchy guy would not be demoted for providing false information. But the Hierarchy has changed plans and switched to a Type-4 attack, which means rotating phaser frequencies and no chance for Voyager. The Doctor improvises and orders Tuvok to activate the fictitious photonic cannon (that the Hierarchy assumes destroyed a Borg sphere). The Hierarchy falls for the ruse and retreats. Janeway reconsiders her rejection to extend the EMH's program and launches an according research project.

Commentary

This is still one of the funniest Star Trek episodes ever made. I don't remember the exact circumstances, but it was past midnight when we first watched it, and we probably roused the whole house during the opening scene with the aria (which we probably played several times). There are so many jokes that cross the line to silliness, but I think this is forgivable because we can easily imagine the Doctor would actually have dreams like these (as would many of us). I admit that some of his fantasies are sexist and probably wouldn't be shown like that in a modern-day series. But I don't mind. I want to enjoy the series, and not feel compelled to watch it as a moral nitpicker.

The crew's exploration of the Doctor's dream world is reminiscent of what happened in TNG: "Hollow Pursuits", when Riker and fellow officers stumbled upon Barclay's odd holographic fantasies. I also think that the Doctor's embarrassment about someone seeing his private activities in detail sort of compensates for the sexism in his imagination. At least, it doesn't remain uncommented.

Although the Hierarchy poses an actual danger, humor prevails in "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy" after the daydreams have stopped. It is adorable how the Doctor is suddenly uncertain in a real-life situation. The made-up "photonic cannon" is a wonderful homage to TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver". And I love how the guy on the Hierarchy ship, who apparently has a boring life, becomes a fan of the Doctor and his exciting life.

"Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy" is a fun story in the first place. There are some serious aspects in it that might have been examined more consequentially. But I am not sure whether it would have been the right time for a debate whether it is adequate to have sexual fantasies about fellow crew members and whether it is admissible for the captain to disclose those fantasies to pretty much everyone. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the way the story is.

Annotations

La donna č mobile
qual piuma al vento,
muta d'accento
e di pensier.

Sempre un' amabile
leggiadro viso,
in pianto o in riso,
č menzognero.

La donna č mobile
qual piuma al vento,
muta d'accento
e di pensier!
e di pensier!

 Tuvok, I understand
You are a Vulcan man.
You have just gone without
For seven years about.

Paris, please find a way
To load a hypospray.
I will give you the sign.
Just aim for his behind.

Hormones are raging,
Synapses blazing.
It's all so veeeery
Illogical.
Illogical.

Rating: 8

 

Alice

Synopsis

"Alice"

Stardate not given: Voyager runs into a scrapyard in open space and purchases a number of items from its owner Abaddon. Among them is a small shuttle, which Tom begins to restore in his spare time and which he names Alice. The shuttle is equipped with a neurogenic interface. Once Tom hooks himself up to the shuttle's computer, Alice recognizes that he is a compatible pilot and begins to influence his mind. In the following, Tom neglects his duties and his relationship with B'Elanna. At one point, when B'Elanna is investigating Alice's systems more closely, she gets trapped inside and the air gets sucked out. Tom arrives in the nick of time and saves her, but doesn't believe the shuttle wanted to kill her. B'Elanna reports the incident to the captain. Tom is willing to report to sickbay, but on the way there, a human manifestation of Alice persuades him to proceed to the shuttlebay. He escapes with Alice, and there is no trace as to what their destination could have been. Janeway contacts Abaddon. He holds back something and is willing to talk only when Neelix offers to return a valuable beryllium crystal that Abaddon gave away by accident. It turns out that he himself was also under the influence of Alice. Seven can reconstruct Tom's flight path based on something she saw him plot in astrometrics. Alice is heading for a particle fountain that she considers "home" and that would destroy the shuttle and kill Tom. As firing the weapons could harm Tom, the crew devises a plan for B'Elanna to tap into the neural interface to create a diversion, while Tuvok shuts down the shuttle's computer. Tom can be beamed out in time, whereas Alice gets destroyed.

Commentary

I nicknamed this episode "Stephen King's Christine in Space" when I first reviewed it many years ago. "Alice" relies too much on conventional horror themes and is overall too predictable. It becomes apparent from the start that there is something wrong with the small shuttle. It is too obvious that Tom would get himself into trouble. It is also implausible. We are seriously meant to believe that Tom would hook himself up to a neural interface without any precautions and without anyone having objections? And this is just the first example of carelessness on the predetermined way into disaster. Tom is like junkie or a brainwashed cult follower in "Alice" but he is never out of his mind. He could end his relationship with Alice before it is too late. Likewise, everyone else is aware of how deranged Tom is. It speaks in Chakotay's favor that he is lenient when Tom neglects his duties. It is nice of B'Elanna to try to become friends with her "rival" Alice. But the two could and should have reacted sooner.

I also would have liked to learn more about the origin of the shuttle and why there is something wrong it it, and why a "compatible" pilot is needed when all Alice wants is to commit suicide. This all remains shrouded in mystery and makes the less sense the more I think about it.

There are three positive aspects though: Firstly, Tom's character is consistent with previous episodes like "Vis-ā-Vis" or "Thirty Days", in which he developed a similar obsession when he could make his dream come true. It may be a bit too stereotypical by now to portray Tom as on officer who forgets his duty when the right car or ship comes along. Yet, I appreciate if the writers stick with what they have once established, instead of adding new characteristics out of the blue to a person. Secondly, my apprehension that B'Elanna wouldn't play a role in a story built around Tom proves false. On a couple of previous occasions the writers seemed to have forgotten that they are a couple since "Day of Honor". Thirdly, the acting is excellent, especially the interaction in the love triangle of Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom, Roxanne Dawson as B'Elanna and Claire Rankin as Alice (although I remembered the latter as being more seductive than it is my impression now).

Annotations

Rating: 3

 

Riddles

Synopsis

"Riddles"

Stardate 53263.2: As he and Neelix are on the Delta Flyer, returning from diplomatic talks with the Naroq, Tuvok seeks quiet in the aft section. He suddenly spots a cloaking field. But just as he scans the phenomenon, he gets attacked by an unknown enemy. Tuvok has suffered severe brain damage, and the Doctor can do nothing beyond saving his life. Investigator Kesat of the Naroq suspects that the attacker was the Ba'neth, who are more like a myth among his people but whose existence he is eager to prove. He finds residue of the cloaking and can create a coarse image of the perpetrator. But only the exact cloaking frequency could help find the Ba'neth and a cure for Tuvok. As he wakes up from the coma, Tuvok has lost most of his abilities and his logic. But he begins to enjoy a life full of fun and other emotions, with Neelix as a role model. Janeway successfully exposes nearby Ba'neth ships for a brief moment, but they go into hiding again. Tuvok eventually remembers the frequency or, more exactly, draws what he saw on the display when he scanned the cloaking field. With the new knowledge, Voyager detects a Ba'neth outpost, and Janeway threatens to disclose its location to the Naroq. She offers them tactical data in exchange for the specs of the weapon used to attack Tuvok. But the Ba'neth keep firing, with the reasoning that Kesat is a threat to them. Kesat steps in and offers the Ba'neth to reveal the technology of his detector, so they can adapt their cloaking. The Doctor eventually finds a method to restore Tuvok's brain. Tuvok is initially unwilling to undergo the procedure because he loves his new life. But Neelix can convince him that he should become the old Tuvok again, even though this means that the Vulcan would merely tolerate him.

Commentary

When I was going to watch this episode for the first time, my expectation was that it would be a bit like "Tuvix". There are a couple of analogies in the plot. Most obviously it is about an emotional Tuvok, only this time still as an individual person and not fused with Neelix. This new Tuvok is reluctant to be restored to the person he was, much like Tuvix - fortunately without armed guards taking him to sickbay. But this is where the similarities end.

We may say that "Riddles" plays overly nice and evades the possible controversy about Tuvok not wanting to return to his old life. We may take offense that the "old" logical Tuvok is said to be a more valuable person than the "new" naive one, first in insinuations and then explicitly by Tuvok himself. Neelix even states that the crew needs their highly skilled chief of security as the main reason why Tuvok should undergo the reconstructive brain surgery, rather than taking into consideration what may be the best for his friend. Actually, the reasoning "When is a Vulcan no longer a Vulcan?" that Neelix applied when discussing with Seven earlier in the episode would have been more appropriate in the situation.

However, in my impression the story is not meant to be an ethical debate in the first place. Rather than that, it is about a person who has to cope with the intellectual limits after his brain has been wiped clean. It is a bit like what happened to Uhura in "The Changeling", only that we hardly saw anything of her condition in the TOS episode and an unfortunate reset button was pressed that returned her to normal in the following episode. "Riddles" makes up for this mistake and can be compared with other classics like "The Deadly Years" or "The Loss" in this regard. Yet, the story mitigates the aspect of the loss just as well. Tuvok may have been demented after his neural shock. Well, we've already had something like that in "Spock's Brain"... Anyway, Tuvok actually becomes a child-like person, who initially is not bothered by being limited but curiously discovers the world around him.

I appreciate the decision not to exploit the opportunity of showing a "dumb Vulcan" to the fullest. It is endearing how Tuvok (and Tim Russ playing him) deals with his disability and explores his own personality again. And even though he later recognizes what he has lost ("I… *was*… an extraordinary fellow."), he does not allow it to drag him down. In my old review, I considered the possibility that tending to things the old Tuvok would have disliked is a sort of coping mechanism. But I now believe that sweet desserts and easy listening are genuine interests of the new Tuvok, who starts with a clean slate and whose brain is being rewired (with Neelix unintentionally having a hand in it).

With Tuvok's experiences being in the focus, scientific or medical questions play a minor role in the plot. Perhaps this is more like a blessing than a curse because the procedure to rebuild a Vulcan brain exactly the way it was is so implausible that it would defy explanation. This too is something we've already had in "Spock's Brain".

When I first watched it, I didn't care too much for the B-plot - until the moment when the alien "Fox Mulder" Naroq, who was previously obsessed to find the Ba'neth, lets go of the Ba'neth to save Tuvok. This unexpected selfless act is what I love about Trek. Another memorable moment comes at the end of the episode. I was expecting that some aspect of the "funny" Tuvok would persist - and I was not disappointed when he picked up Neelix's silly play on words from the beginning.

Overall, "Riddles" may not be quite as consequential and definitely not as controversial as "Tuvix", but it is a well-rounded episode in its own right.

Annotations

Rating: 8

 

Dragon's Teeth

Synopsis

"Dragon's Teeth"

Stardate 53167.9: Voyager gets drawn into a subspace corridor. Ships of the Turei arrive, who demand to come aboard and wipe all data on the channels, which they claim for themselves. As Janeway refuses, the Turei begin to attack. Voyager finds shelter on the surface of a nearby planet, which buys the ship time because the Turei can't follow into the radiation-poisoned atmosphere. The planet turns out to have been the home to a civilization that was destroyed by orbital bombardment centuries ago. As Harry detects lifesigns underneath the surface, Janeway beams down a team. Seven wakes up one of the survivors to find answers. The man named Gedrin is a Vaadwaur. He and 600 more of his battalion went into stasis as long as 892 years ago when their planet was being devastated by their enemies, including the Turei. They were planning to wake up five years later, in the hope of finding a new home after the dust had settled. But the control system was compromised. Gedrin helps Voyager by activating a satellite that allows to get a target lock on the Turei ships in orbit. Janeway authorizes to wake up more Vaudwaar, including their leader Gaul, and offers them help to leave the planet by drawing the attention of the Turei to Voyager. But Gaul secretly plans to seize her ship. Neelix becomes suspicious about the Vaadwaur. He knows that his people were once in contact with them. He asks Seven to check Borg sources on the species. They conclude that the Vaadwaur used the subspace corridors to invade other worlds, rather than for research. Janeway maintains the deal but decides that all Vaadwaur ships have to remain unarmed during the escape attempt. However, Gaul has already jumped into action. He launches a large number of small ships that begin to attack Voyager. Janeway contacts the Turei and offers them the satellite link so they can destroy the Vaadwaur. She unexpectedly receives help from Gedrin. He has changed his mind and agrees to activate the uplink, which has to be done from the hiding place underneath the surface. As the chamber collapses, he remains behind and dies. Voyager has taken heavy damage, but thanks to harvested radiation particles the engines can be boosted and the ship clears the thermosphere. The Turei destroy most of the Vaadwaur vessels, but approximately 53 make it past the enemy and enter the subspace corridors.

Commentary

Ever since Khan was defrosted in TOS: "Space Seed", we know that a stasis pod is Star Trek's equivalent of Pandora's box. And so our selfless crew makes a deal with the unfortunate Vaadwaur, only to realize that these folks want revenge, rather than just find a new home.

The Vaadwaur are a Delta Quadrant species with a lot of potential, like only the Borg, the Voth and the Krenim before. This is why I would have loved to see them again. I would have liked to learn what has become of the 53 ships that managed to escape from the planet. It would have been interesting to delve further into their history, although Neelix's research was already nicely done. Most of all, I wonder how cruel a species could have been that they their enemies not only defeated them, but completely wiped out their civilization. The Vaadwaur actually became the victims at some time. In any case their desire for revenge is plausible, since their memory of the war is still fresh.

Yet, the story is a bit lacking in this regard in hindsight because we never really learn what the Turei think about their former enemies. Well, it has been 900 years, and they may not be overly emotional about the war any more. Then again, it has been 900 years and they suddenly face an enemy from ancient times all over again. So this is a bit of a squandered opportunity. Regarding the Vaadwaur, there should have been some more character development. The two main Vaadwaur characters, Gedrin and Gaul, would have deserved more lines or should have had more interaction with Voyager's crew, to make their opposite motivations clear. As it is customary in Trek, Gedrin's change of mind is supposed to be a surprise. Still, it could have been better prepared in the story.

I like the idea that Naomi is the first to notice that there is something wrong with the guests when the Vaadwaur children make racist remarks. But this should have been shown and not just told. We actually never see any Vaadwaur children in the episode.

The plot feels increasingly hasty and becomes a bit chaotic towards the end, as Gaul's ships begin to attack Voyager. I think it would have worked more smoothly with a few less plot complications or with more time. Overall, the story may have been better as a two-part episode.

In any case, the visual effects are fantastic, definitely among the best the series has shown so far. They would have sufficed for a two-parter.

Annotations

Rating: 7

 

One Small Step

Synopsis

"One Small Step"

Stardate 53292.7: Voyager encounters a rare anomaly that is known as a graviton ellipse. It is traveling through subspace and occasionally emerges. When probes reveal characteristic material compositions of early spacecraft inside, Chakotay and Tom are excited that this is the very same phenomenon that swallowed the Mars spaceship Ares IV with astronaut John Kelly in 2032. Seven suggests to modify the Delta Flyer with Borg shielding to enter the graviton ellipse and salvage the old spaceship. But she only reluctantly joins the mission because she deems it a waste of time and resources. The Delta Flyer crew detects Ares IV inside the anomaly, among plenty of ancient debris. It turns out that the anomaly is about to collide with a dark matter asteroid, and Janeway orders the Delta Flyer to get out. But Chakotay doesn't want to leave without the ancient ship. The tractor beam slows down the Delta Flyer. A plasma discharge strikes, which injures Chakotay and damages the ship's propulsion system. Moreover, time is pressing because the graviton ellipse will vanish in subspace in less than two hours. There is no time to prepare a shuttle to rescue Chakotay, Tom and Seven. B'Elanna comes up with the idea to use an old ion distributor from Ares IV to repair the Delta Flyer's drive system. Seven beams over and has trouble to retrieve the component. Even though there is hardly any time left, she also salvages the log entries, data files and the body of the astronaut. The Delta Flyer barely makes it out of the anomaly. Back aboard Voyager, the crew assembles for the funeral of John Kelly.

Commentary

"One Small Step" tells a simple story in essence. Voyager runs into the lost spaceship Ares IV, which Tom and Chakotay deem a historic discovery, whereas in Seven's eyes the primitive old technology is worthless and retrieving it is an unnecessary risk. Well, the course of the mission proves her right, as everyone almost dies after Chakotay has tried to tractor out Ares IV at any rate and the Delta Flyer is without propulsion. The two clash over this decision. Seven is angry that the commander risks everyone's lives for sentimental motives. This is consistent with what happened only lately in "Survival Instinct" when B'Elanna suggested that Seven had nostalgic feelings when she met her fellow Borg drones, which almost upset her. But as much as she tries to deny it, nostalgia (or call it awareness of history) is what makes her understand humanity still better in the end. Seven has been taught compassion in "Prey", remorse in "Retrospect", fear in "One", mother instinct in "Drone", fun in "Infinite Regress" and romantic feelings in "Someone To Watch Over Me". This latest lesson on humanity's longings may just be the most successful one so far.

Agreed, there are some analogies to the awful "11:59". The adulation for the early space pioneers is a bit overdone in "One Small Step" as well. It may have been more impactful, had Seven not been pushed to understand and admire space history. Other than that, the story and especially its implementation makes a lot more sense than in the disjointed and overacted mess of "11:59".

I can understand that the mere story about Seven discovering the value of history would have been boring and could have barely filled 45 minutes. It is clear that some action and some plot complications were needed. But these don't work very well. First of all, there is the totally incredible coincidence of running into the anomaly with the ancient spaceship inside in the vastness of the Delta Quadrant. On the other hand, the story couldn't have been told without it, so that much is forgiven. Rather than that, what I dislike is the repeated race against time, first when the anomaly is about to collide with the black matter asteroid and once again when it is going to vanish into subspace. Especially the second instance of urgency feels out of place. At latest when there are only four minutes left but Seven and Tom successfully connect the ancient ion distributor to the power system of the Delta Flyer, it becomes plain absurd. I understand how this unlikely compatibility is meant to symbolize that Seven was wrong about the old technology being scrap, but I wouldn't have shown it so literally.

Summarizing, "One Small Step" is convincing as a tribute to human pioneer spirit and as a lesson for Seven that efficiency is not everything. It gets spiced up with plot complications, of which some are necessary to get things going in the first place but others are gratuitous and unrealistic.

Annotations

Rating: 7

 

The Voyager Conspiracy

Synopsis

"The Voyager Conspiracy"

Stardate 53329: Seven of Nine connects a Borg data module to her alcove that allows her to process data while regenerating. Her innovation proves successful when she correctly predicts that photonic fleas have infested Voyager's power grid, based on so far isolated observations that she was able to connect in her mind. Voyager runs into what turns out to be a space catapult. The owner, a man named Tash, has built it to return to his region of space after exploring an unstable wormhole. Janeway suggests to help him get the core of his creation running. Tash offers in return that Voyager could use the catapult as well to get closer to home. Seven wakes up from her regeneration cycle with a conspiracy theory that she shares with Chakotay. She suspects that the subspace catapult uses the same technology as the Caretaker Array and believes that Janeway allowed Voyager to be pulled into the Delta Quadrant on purpose, to establish a military presence. The next day, she talks in private to Janeway, offering a new theory. Seven claims she has evidence that Chakotay has been planning the trip to the Delta Quadrant all along, with the goal to resurrect the Maquis rebellion. She finally becomes convinced that she herself is the actual purpose of Voyager being in the Delta Quadrant. Seven takes the Delta Flyer to destroy the catapult. Janeway now knows that Seven fails to process the huge amount of data she downloads while asleep. She beams over to the Delta Flyer and convinces her to put trust above her paranoid suspicions. Voyager uses the catapult and cuts three years off the journey.

Commentary

The episode is not quite as suspenseful as I would have expected and as the title promises. The main reason is probably that it is obvious from Seven's very first suspicion that her conspiracy theories can't be true. So this is essentially yet another instance of Seven's mental state in jeopardy. It is another episode in which her judgment fails her, a bit like already in "Retrospect". Although the idea of someone betraying their crewmates is interesting (or would have been at the time the episode was made), I wonder if not the lack of plausibility, let alone her growing trust and affection for the crew, would outweigh any of the evidence Seven finds for her theories. Janeway eventually needs just two minutes to convince her she is suffering from paranoia. Realistically, Seven would have had lots of time to perform such a reality check on her own. For an analytical mind like she is one, it is essential to scrutinize evidence and not to follow a single path to a possible solution. On the other hand, there are plenty of real-life examples of people, who are very intelligent and who still hold absurd beliefs.

Fundamentally, it wouldn't even have required the cortical implants to explain Seven's trouble. Normal human paranoia is much the same. And even many people that are not diagnosed with paranoia are likely to develop wild theories about government conspiracies, alien invasions or other weird stuff, once they take a wrong turn and have too much time on their hands. The simple solution that Janeway just convinces Seven may be a bit disappointing, but it indicates that it is actually a matter of faith and trust, and yet another lesson for Seven to learn. I am afraid that it is not possible to fight the rampant spread of real-life conspiracy theories so easily. I think that now, some 25 years after it was produced, "The Voyager Conspiracy" is more relevant than ever.

The space catapult technology is new to Star Trek, which is a story requirement because it has to be unfamiliar enough for Seven to make a (possibly wrong) connection to the Caretaker Array. In the end, we do not know for sure whether her suspicion that both operate on a tetryon core and that Tash may have gotten his hands on Caretaker technology is correct. I like this ambiguity. After all, many myths are rooted in true facts.

Overall, I think what happens to Seven in "The Voyager Conspiracy" is obvious to the viewer and also to the crew. It would not have had much potential in the sense of inciting a conflict between Seven and the crew, or between Janeway and Chakotay. So it may have been a good decision that the story only teases and does not further explore these opportunities. The episode adds another chapter to Seven's try-and-error approach to becoming more human. I would disagree about the proposition that too much data would lead to faulty results, which I think only applies in the particular case of feeding a human brain with computer data it is not meant to process. Generally, in the real world, it is important to obtain a sufficient amount of sufficiently diversified information on a topic, in order not to draw hasty and easy conclusions.

Annotations

Rating: 6

 

Pathfinder

Synopsis

"Pathfinder"

Stardate not given: On Earth, Deanna Troi visits Reginald Barclay, who is working for Starfleet Communications in a project named "Pathfinder". The goal is to send a one-time message to Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. He is anxious because he believes that a two-way communication with the ship can be enabled through a micro-wormhole created with the help of an itinerant pulsar. But his superior officer Pete Harkins doesn't deem it possible. When Admiral Paris visits the lab, Barclay speaks up against his orders and explains his plan. Harkins is not amused. He states the idea has no merit and tells Barclay to take the rest of the day off. Barclay, however, keeps running simulations that involve a holographic Voyager crew, which Deanna thinks may be a relapse to his holo-addiction. When Harkins discovers Barclay's secret activities, he removes him from the project. Admiral Paris calls him to his office and announces he will have his experts check the theory, which Barclay thinks is just a nice way to tell him that no one cares. Deanna suggests she could stay a bit longer to help him cope with the situation. But Barclay is restless. He breaks into the Pathfinder lab to carry out his plan and send the message from his Voyager program. As security officers enter the holodeck, Barclay traps them behind forcefields. Harkins manages to get access and initiates a warp core breach on the holographic ship, which forces Barclay to end the program without being able to confirm whether the transmission has made it through the wormhole. Admiral Paris arrives to authorize Barclay to give it a try, only to learn that he was caught breaking into the lab and that the attempt has failed. In the Delta Quadrant, however, Seven of Nine picks up the message, and Janeway successfully sends a reply. Admiral Paris is happy to send his regards to his son Tom. The admiral decides that Barclay may continue with his work. On Voyager, the crew celebrates their successful contact with Starfleet and their new "honorary crew member".

Commentary

There is no doubt that I love to see Reg Barclay and Deanna Troi once again. The references to Barclay's TNG time are very amusing, such as his role as the jack of all trades on the holodeck, his ability to annoy Geordi, Deanna's chocoholism and the special pleasure he takes in her counseling sessions. But these are just nice details in a story that is overall one-dimensional and predictable. It was obvious that Barclay's idea wouldn't turn out a pipe dream and that he would eventually make it come true against his orders. It is additionally disappointing that Deanna contributes hardly anything to the story. She only listens to Barclay. She may encourage him a bit, but eventually he acts completely on his own.

It is curious that, in an episode where "Voyager" is mentioned all the time, we see very little of the actual ship and crew, and not until a few minutes before the end. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, as we could already see in "Living Witness" and "Course: Oblivion". But I could have imagined the real crew to play a greater role, so it would have more relevance in the context of the series and not appear like a TNG revival - especially considering that Deanna is present but is not that strongly involved anyway. Well, if I were to draw a comparison today, it would be rather with ENT: "These Are The Voyages", which is famously one of the least liked episodes of the whole franchise, one reason being that Archer's crew only appears in Riker's re-enactment. Perhaps I rate "Pathfinder" retroactively lower because it set an unfortunate precedent?

Anyway, speaking of views on the episode that I have changed over time, I now sympathize more with Harkins than I used to when I was younger. I formerly saw him as a jerk who lacks imagination. But he has personnel responsibility. He can't allow everyone to live in their dreams. He can't risk the success of the whole project to satisfy the ambitions or desires of single team members. He can listen to his people's ideas, encourage them and socialize with them to some extent (all of which I think he does). But when someone is not fit for the job any longer, jeopardizes their own health and the outcome of the project, he is totally right to suspend them. I see Harkins as a positive character now, although the intention may have been to show him as a bit of a bureaucrat who learns a lesson through Barclay.

I always thought that "Pathfinder" struggled with striking the right note. Barclay's interaction with Deanna is amusing, but the drama of Barclay relapsing to bad old habits, being suspended, being fired and breaking the law is not funny at all. Yet, Deanna remains rather serene all the time, as if she didn't recognize the gravity of the situation. And although the eventual success proves Barclay right, it would have been desirable for him to face some sort of consequences of his misconduct. In the end, I'm not even convinced that Barclay has overcome his apparent manic episode now that the pressure is gone. Rather than celebrating his success, I think that he and Deanna should discuss further counseling.

Annotations

Rating: 5

 

Fair Haven

Synopsis

"Fair Haven"

Stardate not given: Tom Paris has created a holographic scenario of a charming late 19th century Irish town named "Fair Haven", which has become popular among the crew. Captain Janeway is initially not very interested in the program, but the local bartender Michael Sullivan catches her eye. The ship is about to traverse a wavefront of neutronic radiation, which may become a rough ride. Janeway agrees to keep the holodeck running 24/7 to provide diversion. She also decides to implement some "improvements" to Michael Sullivan's program. She makes him more literate, more daring and somewhat taller. She also deletes his wife. After spending some time with him, she leaves without a word because when she is just about to remove his snoring, she recognizes that he is not real but just the person she wants him to be. Sullivan is devastated. As Voyager reaches the trailing edge of the wavefront, the shields no longer provide sufficient protection. All power is routed to the deflector emitters, including the share that would have been needed to keep the holodecks running. As the program has not been properly shut down, Fair Haven is damaged and has to be rebuilt. Michael Sullivan is still intact, and Janeway decides to save him for the new version of Fair Haven, but not before disabling any further modifications to the program.

Commentary

I appreciate the efforts that went into redressing the Little Europe set at Universal Studios to the eponymous Irish town Fair Haven. Rather than being an authentic re-enactment (which would have been less fun), the story is built on stereotypes about Ireland, such as piety, singing, dancing and drinking - and occasional scuffles. There are historical inaccuracies. Still, everyone takes their role in the holographic scenario unusually seriously, unlike it happened on various previous occasions. It probably wasn't the intention, but especially one incident proves that the simulation of 19th century Irish characters is only superficial and allows to bend the rules even without explicitly reprogramming anything. The simulation silently accepts Janeway's back story that she, as a woman, is traveling all alone. And it would have been unthinkable for her to hang around with a married man all night (and for his wife not to be mad at her).

The main plot is about Janeway and her affection for the holographic bartender Michael Sullivan. But it never really touches me. Janeway is around 40 and has had both her share of romantic relationships and of holodeck adventures. She should know what she is doing. But she behaves like a teen girl when she reprograms her future lover to be "perfect" for herself, only to learn that this is not how it works. Strange things happen on the holodeck all the time (just ask Geordi or Barclay). Janeway's experience is among the rather banal ones, and it doesn't emotionally affect her as much as it could have. Compare that to how the Doctor suffered when his holographic daughter died in "Real Life", which too was "only" a consequence of a program manipulation. Rather than being troubled because she fell in love with a hologram and recognized it isn't real, Janeway is embarrassed that she, as the ship's captain, made such a stupid mistake in the first place and needs the Doctor's fatherly advice on how to pursue a romantic relationship with a hologram.

I also don't think it was a good idea not to show the (reportedly) pivotal moment in which Janeway chooses to leave Sullivan, rather than to remove the snoring from the program. It may have been done to save the explanation for later of why she left Sullivan, but also to leave to our imagination whether they had sex or not. In any case, it lessens Janeway's emotional involvement even further.

Everything else in this episode is either boring (such as everything related to the anomaly of the week) or irksome (such as how Tom, Harry and Neelix keep bugging Tuvok when he is not feeling well).

Annotations

Rating: 1

 

Blink of an Eye

Synopsis

"Blink of an Eye"

Stardate not given: Voyager enters orbit of an anomalous planet with a tachyon core that creates a time differential. Every day that passes on the planet corresponds to only one second on the ship. Voyager gets stuck in orbit because it interferes with the tachyon field. This causes earthquakes on the planet below, but the apparent new star in the sky also becomes an important part of its mythology and science in the course of the centuries. The civilization evolves up to a point they can send radio transmissions to the unknown object in the sky. As human crew members may not survive the transition to the other time frame, Janeway decides to send down the Doctor as an observer. But as he is going to be beamed back after three seconds, there are problems to acquire his pattern. The crew finally locates and beams him back him after three years have gone by on the planet. The planet launches a space mission with two astronauts to investigate the "skyship". They dock and board Voyager without being detected because they are still in their time frame. As they make the transition, only one of them, a man name Gotana-Retz, survives. The planet below develops antimatter technology and begins to launch increasingly powerful weapons to destroy the "skyship" that keeps causing earthquakes. Janeway sends Gotana-Retz back to the surface, in the hope he can convince his people that Voyager has no hostile intentions. Some time later, two advanced starships emerge from the surface, activate their tractor beams and pull Voyager out of orbit. Gotana-Retz greets Janeway but says that his people are not yet quite ready to join the rest of the galaxy.

Commentary

I don't think it is exaggerated to call the premise of "Blink of an Eye" one of the most intriguing in the history of Star Trek. Seeing how the planet evolves and how Voyager plays an important role in this process is captivating. To me, the story is particularly adorable because I'm a bit of a history buff and a sucker for the strategy game Civilization - I can understand very well why Chakotay doesn't want to miss the rise and fall of civilizations. There isn't a single boring moment in the episode, and I may even have enjoyed it if it had been just about watching how the planet evolves, without all the other complications.

Although we only see small bits of it and these are separated by centuries, and although we only learn some trivia about the Doctor's extended stay on the planet, this alien culture is as well elaborated as hardly any other one in the series. I think it is a very clever decision to show the very same spot in the Central Protectorate at four different times to illustrate the technological and social progress. We can also notice that the various stages of the development are akin to those of Earth, with superstition being gradually replaced by curiosity and then by the scientific method. The Central Protectorate is obviously meant to be an analogy to the USA. Yet, there are those nifty details such as the "firefruit", the "Groundshaker", the "Skyship Friends" and the competing sports teams as recurring reminders of what makes this civilization distinctive. Each individual alien character, save Gotana-Retz, has only a few lines and does not interact directly with the ship, but all of them combined play a more important role than usual, with aliens too often being only window dressing for conflicts that mainly take place on Voyager.

As I am watching it again after a couple of years, I am amazed how much information on the planet and on Voyager's situation is packed into an episode of only 45 minutes. Yet, it never comes across as heavy on exposition or otherwise contrived. There is quite some technobabble, but here it gives me the impression the characters really know what they are talking about. Of course, the premise of the time differential comes with many inherent problems of story logic and of visualization. But I can easily put up with it in such a great episode.

Overall, "Blink of an Eye" is the highlight of season 6 and one of the best episodes of the whole series. I raise the rating to ten points.

Annotations

Rating: 10

 

Virtuoso

Synopsis

"Virtuoso"

Stardate 53556.4: Voyager rescues the crew of a small Qomar ship. The Qomar are an advanced but xenophobic civilization. The patients keep disparaging the Doctor as he is treating their injuries. But then he begins to sing an old folk song. The Qomar are fascinated because they are not familiar with music. Voyager is invited to their homeworld, and some Qomar come aboard to attend a musical performance. They are enthralled by the aria the Doctor sings, but don't like Harry Kim's jazz performance until the Doctor joins in. Tincoo, a Qomar woman, offers him to perform on the planet, which is a huge success. He now has millions of fans and becomes increasingly conceited, to his shipmates' annoyance. Tincoo asks him stay on her world, suggesting that she is personally interested in him. The Doctor approaches Janeway, telling her that he wants to resign his commission, to which Janeway reluctantly agrees. His friends on Voyager resent his decision to prefer temporary fame over true friendship. When Tincoo presents the Doctor a superior hologram that she programmed as a replacement for him, he is devastated. He performs one more time on the planet, with only moderate success, whereas Tincoo's new hologram with an unnatural vocal range receives thunderous applause from the Qomar. Back on the ship, the Doctor returns to his duties, knowing that he has offended and disappointed many people. But Seven of Nine lets him know that she appreciates him the way he is.

Commentary

The first act of "Virtuoso" is funny and heartwarming. The Qomar are an advanced civilization that is marked by hubris and xenophobia, but they don't know any form of music - which may have something to do with one another. Just the other moment, they were still complaining about the Doctor's inferiority, and now they are enchanted by his singing and curious to know what it is about - and it's not even a sophisticated aria, but the folk song "I've Been Working on the Railroad". Music can bridge cultural differences, it can open hearts, and it even has the power to change people. Or so we are led to believe at the beginning of this episode.

Unfortunately, it is not as easy as that. The Qomar don't change. The Doctor does not win their hearts; he merely gives them the idea for something they will take credit for themselves. They are still convinced they can do anything better and finally prove it when they develop a mathematically perfected form of music and an enhanced hologram to replace the Doctor. In her somehow naive arrogance, his Qomar friend Tincoo even thinks that the Doctor should be happy that a new, more capable hologram is taking his place. One that not only has the desired vocal range but also the Qomar forehead ridges. One that complies with the Qomar desire of being better at everything.

The Doctor's nature as a hologram plays a role at two points of the episode. Janeway tells him that she would normally deny his request to resign because he is not a full crew member - or in his own words, because he is just a piece of technology. This only corroborates his decision to stay on the Qomar homeworld because here he is a music star. There is an interesting callback when Tincoo shows him the new hologram and praises its technology that is superior to his own. Was Tincoo ever interested in the Doctor's personality, or was it always about the technology? When she tried to convince him to stay on her planet, she argued that millions of fans were his friends as much as the crew of Voyager, and she insinuated that she had feelings for him. Yet, she simply created a copy of everything she adored about him, to create that improved hologram. Maybe she was lying or deceiving him all along. Maybe she would have had more respect for a biological being. But it is possibly just her or her people's way. Everything is expressed and assessed in terms of mathematics, in something like a crude combination of human faith in progress, Vulcan logic and perhaps Borg efficiency. Coming back to the experience of music, maybe the Qomar, as math nerds, really only see it as a interesting new way to combine sounds, rather than something that really touches them. Or they are reluctant to admit that it is more than a sequence of notes they like to analyze in their minds.

While Tincoo lets down our Doctor, there is a woman on Voyager who really cares for him, although we would superficially assume her to be of one mind with Tincoo in most regards. Seven of Nine has only three brief appearances, but they are memorable. It is her who resents the Doctor the most for his decision to leave. But it is also her who welcomes him aboard with open arms and a "fan letter" instead of any form of reproaches.

I can't tell whether the personal disappointment about Tincoo outweighs the Doctor's disillusionment about his career on the Qomar homeworld. Although it is exaggerated to compress it to a time frame of merely a few days, the episode tells the story of the rise and fall of a star and a desperate comeback attempt, as we have seen it in so many movies before and as it seems to be the case in real life too. Somehow it is much like the boy group that is being adored by their female teenage fans, until the latter grow up or find something better - be it a new, cooler boy group or the boyfriend in real life. That part of the story is just how show business works, even though the circumstances on the Qomar homeworld are special.

Although they are consistently arrogant, I like the depiction of the Qomar. They are all below 1.60 meters, but they have a certain grandeur and don't play stereotypical roles of dwarfs like small people in most TV shows and movies, especially science fiction.

Annotations

Rating: 8

 

Memorial

Synopsis

"Memorial"

Stardate not given: Tom, Harry, Neelix and Chakotay return from a two-week mission on the Delta Flyer. As he is watching old programs on the TV that B'Elanna built for him, Tom suddenly finds himself as a character in a kind of war movie. Harry experiences an anxiety attack while working in a Jefferies tube. And just as Chakotay is having a nightmare, he is called to the mess hall, where Neelix hallucinates about being ambushed, threatening Tuvok's security personnel with a phaser. The Doctor rates the symptoms of the four away team members as those of PTSD. They have shared memories that begin to become more specific. They remember they were soldiers and were recruited to evacuate a village. After rounding up the inhabitants, the Nakan, 24 of them were unaccounted for. Suddenly someone fired a weapon. In the end, 82 Nakan civilians were dead, shot by the soldiers who thought they were being ambushed by them. Janeway begins to remember those events too and the attempts to cover them up, and soon many more of the crew are affected. Although Tuvok recommends to leave this region of the space, the captain wants to investigate what happened. On the surface of the planet Tarakis that they previously just scanned for dilithium deposits, an away team finds the site of the massacre. It actually took place, but as long as 300 years ago. A structure was erected as a memorial. It uses a synaptic transmitter to induce memories of the events into the crews of passing ships but its power source is weakening. Against the objections of Chakotay, who wants to shut it down, Janeway decides to power up the memorial again and place a warning buoy in orbit.

Commentary

The underlying concept of "Memorial" is well-known, considering how often crew members have experienced induced memories with political messages before. In TNG: "The Inner Light", Picard lived a life on the planet Kataan that had been destroyed as long as 10,000 years ago. TNG: "Masks" showed how Data was possessed by several personalities of the ancient D'Arsay culture and the Enterprise was being transformed into a temple. In DS9: "Dramatis Personae", the crew were coerced to re-enact an old war that wiped out the Saltah'na civilization. Finally, in VOY: "Remember", memories of massacres on the Enaran homeworld were telepathically implanted into B'Elanna's mind. Along similar lines, we may also want to take into consideration DS9: "Duet", with the Cardassian Marritza insisting on being the war criminal Darhe'el, to do penance for the crimes of his people. Furthermore, Chakotay was brainwashed in a way that he would go to war against the "Krady beasts" in "Nemesis". Janeway even explicitly hints at the trope when she says about the nightmares that plague her crew: "Our memories have been tampered with before."

It is hard to compete with most of the above episodes, but I think "Memorial" is a misfire, even if I try to review it on its own merits.

My main point of criticism is that Janeway's decision to leave the transmitter of the memorial intact and even provide it with new power cells is wrong. The warning buoy doesn't change much about my opinion because it may fail eventually, it may be disregarded, overlooked or misinterpreted. Considering that Voyager's crew is already on edge, what might happen on another ship that passes by? It is not unthinkable that they would begin to kill each other, like the Klingons did in "Dramatis Personae". Even if the consequences are not that extreme, what gives her the right to expose other individuals to psychic stress or even trauma? What gave the builders of the memorial the right in the first place? I think it is bodily harm, and it is not a bit more ethical than implanting false memories as a penalty, like it was done with O'Brien in DS9: "Hard Time". No matter how noble the goal of keeping memory alive may be, this doesn't justify to torment uninvolved people with it beyond just telling the story. No one should be forced to watch Oliver Stone's "Platoon" or even real pictures of people being killed. The experiences of Voyager's crew in "Memorial" are much more traumatizing than a movie could ever be, and they don't have the chance to simply leave the theater or turn off the TV. I don't know, but perhaps it is supposed to have a symbolic meaning that Tom tries exactly this when he sees himself on his TV screen.

The topic of what to do with the memorial ought to have been openly discussed. But after just two or three minutes of debate, everyone silently accepts the captain's decision for harmony's sake. And no one even asks the Doctor about his opinion. Tom, Harry and Chakotay are strictly against exposing others to the harmful memorial, and they know what they are talking of, even though shutting down the damn thing wouldn't help them any more. Neelix, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the monument alone wouldn't tell the story. I disagree. The story could consist of only a few words, of a recorded voice, of a collection of images. It is in the eye of the beholder. A simple plate saying "This is the place where 82 innocent Nakan were killed" may have a much more lasting effect than a 100-million-dollar Spielberg movie. There is no true and no wrong way to tell the story, only to compel other people to watch or even re-enact it in their minds is definitely wrong.

This takes me to the question if the story as told by the memorial is true at all. We don't get any context. Was it built by those who finally won the war or by those who lost? By the perpetrators or by the victims? Was it built just after the incident or years later? Was it built by an open-minded society or by one that was fueled by either guilt or revenge? By a democratic government or by a despot who invoked myths to justify their rule? Finally and most importantly, where do the very clear and specific memories come from? I believe that an exact re-enactment of historical events is impossible, and the more precise the reconstruction is made to look, the more likely it deviates from what really happened - especially if we take into account more or less intentional changes for the dramatic and/or ideological impact. Neelix's opinion that what he saw and experienced is the authentic story is even more questionable in this regard. What if he has fallen for propaganda, like Chakotay in "Nemesis" or the Kyrians in "Living Witness"? Although it is mentioned a few more times in the episode that memories may be elusive, no one poses this question, and everyone takes their mere feelings about the alleged event at face value.

But let me give the builder of the memorial the benefit of the doubt. Is it worth keeping the memory alive? The memories from "The Inner Light", "Masks" and "Dramatis Personae" are of historical importance - meaning they are of importance to historians. It would have been a shame for these ancient civilizations not to be remembered. Yet, their histories are not connected to our own, and they don't impact us like closer and more recent events. This is why the situation was somewhat different in "Remember" because B'Elanna's mind manipulation was about the Enarans and their own history, in which case the end may have justified the means. Likewise, in "Duet" Marritza's intention was to help his own people to accept and embrace the truth. In these two latter cases there was still a real goal and the addressees were still alive, whereas whoever built the obelisk in "Memorial" hasn't taken care of it in a hundred years. This doesn't mean that the massacre should be forgotten. It's just that not every monument on every battlefield on every planet can have everyone's full attention. There is simply no point in caring about as many historical events as excessively as possible. We may want to pick one that for some reason touches us the most - and this doesn't have to be the one for which the biggest monument was built or the one with the most victims. It also doesn't have to be the ones that immensely powerful advocacy groups keep pushing in recent years. This is one more reason why the message of "Memorial" misses the mark for me. The memorial is telling passers-by to forget everything else, and only care about those events 300 years ago. It is all about reliving, instead of living and reflecting about it. This extremely intrusive approach does nothing but harrow people and is totally unproductive as such, unlike the thoughtful inscription on the memorial insinuates. I somehow have the impression that those who built the thing are still alive and they avoid the memorial for the sake of a carefree life.

Annotations

Rating: 2

 

Tsunkatse

Synopsis

"Tsunkatse"

Stardate 53447.2: As the crew enjoys shore leave on the Norcadian homeworld, Janeway visits the nearby planet Pendari with the Delta Flyer, whereas Tuvok and Seven of Nine take a shuttle to study a micronebula. The most popular entertainment among the Norcadians, as well as in the neighboring star systems is Tsunkatse - a brutal combat sport with billions of spectators. Unbeknownst to the crew of Voyager, Seven and Tuvok have been kidnapped by Penk, the promoter of the Tsunkatse games. He coerces Seven to fight in a "blue match", otherwise the injured Tuvok would be put into a deadly "red match". Chakotay, Harry, Tom and Neelix are in the audience and witness in shock how Seven enters the arena. But she can't be beamed out because everything is only a holographic projection. The true location of the Tsunkatse arena is secret. As the crew are trying to find her and Tuvok, Penk assigns Seven to a "red match" - expecting that a dead drone would please his audience. A Hirogen hunter, who has been a Tsunkatse fighter for as long as 19 years, trains Seven for the match, saying he knows the weaknesses of her opponent. In the arena, Seven is surprised that the Hirogen himself is her opponent. His intention is to lose the fight and put an end to his tiresome imprisonment. The Voyager crew traces back the movements of the Tsunkatse signals, and finally finds the ship where Tuvok and Seven are being held. When Penk refuses to release them, Chakotay opens fire. All he can achieve is temporarily weaken the enemy ship's shields and beam out Tuvok, while Seven is still fighting. With shields and weapons being down, Voyager has to retreat. But Janeway arrives with the Delta Flyer, and Chakotay tells her to target the signal generators, so Tsunkatse would lose its audience. Seven can finally be beamed out, together with the Hirogen. Janeway arranges a meeting with a group of hunters to return him to his people, where he hopes to find his son he hasn't seen in 19 years.

Commentary

Back in 2000, I was alarmed when the promotion campaign for "Tsunkatse" announced the episode like a crossover with the WWF (now: WWE). I called wrestling "the dumbest kind of entertainment to exist on our planet" and got some backlash for it. This surprised me because I expected the fan bases of wrestling and of Trek to have no common members. Anyway, my criticism went a bit too far. The episode is about a sport with a passing resemblance to wrestling, and it features WWE star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, albeit in only a small role. That's it. I still don't care at all for wrestling and I also don't care for most of Johnson's many movies in the acting career that followed after the VOY episode, but I know there are many fans. To each their own - and that's perfectly fine.

So my apprehension was unjustified. Actually, "Tsunkatse" doesn't turn out bad. It is entertaining for the most part. I especially like the first ten minutes that show the varied ways our crew members use shore leave. Janeway seizes the chance to escape the ship and her duties as a captain. Chakotay, Harry, Tom and Neelix enjoy the noise and thrill of a crowded sports arena. Seven and Tuvok prefer the silence during their scientific shuttle mission. To each their own.

Seven of Nine doesn't have to learn a lesson this time because everything she does is right. She fights to save Tuvok's life, with her own life coming second. Fighting with an opponent you don't choose is always pointless. If people are forced to do it nonetheless, such as in a war or for the pleasure or benefit of the elites, they are only instruments and not really acting on their own. They do it to survive, not because they could gain anything from it. Although Seven knows this, her reaction to the experience is a bad conscience. A quite human reaction, as Tuvok reaffirms in the end. The Hirogen thinks differently about it. He has no mercy with his opponent or "prey", which is is what he tries to explain to Seven because he wants her to survive: "Do you know the difference between a survivor and a champion here? There isn't one." Hunting the prey is part of the Hirogen culture, but it has also been the only meaning of his life for 19 years. It is unsettling to imagine that Seven might have become equally accustomed to violence after some time. The rescue comes just at the moment when Seven is about to finish off the Hirogen, so the consequences if Seven would really do it are avoided. This reminds me of TNG: "The Most Toys", when Data was beamed out just when he was about to kill Kivas Fajo. Seven says she doesn't know whether she would have killed the Hirogen, and I believe her.

One thing I dislike is that Chakotay, Harry, Tom and Neelix did enjoy Tsunkatse very much as long as unknown aliens were fighting against one another, even though it is already brutal enough in the comparably harmless "blue matches". It is understandable that they are shocked when Seven suddenly appears in the arena. But isn't it hypocritical that they only object to it when someone they know is in danger? Isn't it morally wrong if they suspend values like empathy, nonviolence and dignity for their entertainment? And even without knowing the truth that the fighters are actually slaves, aren't they aware they support an industry that likely exploits and degrades sentient beings? Human history is full of examples like Tsunkatse. I am glad that gladiator games are history and that sports without rules are illegal or at least culturally disapproved almost everywhere. I am glad that WWE is only a show. The crew members should have recognized that the Norcadians and the many aliens that enjoy Tsunkatse do it because it is all for real. Finally, no one can tell me our crew members wouldn't know about the existence of "red matches" to the death because these are definitely most advertised and most talked about. So this aspect about "Tsunkatse" leaves a bitter taste if we think a bit more about it.

Annotations

Rating: 5

 

Collective

Synopsis

"Collective"

Stardate not given: The Delta Flyer with Chakotay, Paris, Neelix and Kim gets tractored into a Borg cube. Chakotay, Paris and Neelix wake up in an assimilation chamber and wonder why they are not being assimilated. When Voyager follows the ion trail of the Flyer and encounters the Borg cube, the enemy ship exhibits many weaknesses and doesn't follow consistent tactics. Voyager disables their weapons but can't take down the shield generator, which is hidden deep inside. On the cube, it turns out that the whole crew is dead except for five partially assimilated adolescents and one baby. They were protected in their maturation chambers when a pathogen killed the rest of the Borg. Janeway orders the Doctor to synthesize more of that pathogen in case there are no other options. The Borg demand Voyager's navigational deflector in exchange for the three hostages. In order to buy Janeway time, Seven of Nine beams over to verify that Chakotay, Paris and Neelix are well. She suggests to repair their vessel instead of giving up an essential component of Voyager. She also rescues the Borg baby, whose lifesigns are fading, by beaming her to Voyager. In the meantime, Harry wakes up in a Jefferies tube aboard the Delta Flyer. After establishing contact with Voyager on an encrypted channel, he receives instructions from Tuvok to destroy the shield emitter. But one of the drones detects the sabotage. When the drones attempt to take the deflector dish by force, Janeway comes up with the idea to send a feedback pulse and thereby deactivate the tractor beam. The five young drones are not aware that the Collective has already severed the link to them. After Voyager has beamed out Chakotay, Paris and Neelix and is working on taking down the shields to rescue Seven and Harry as well, Seven tries to convince them to join her on Voyager. They are listening, but their self-declared leader does not want to give up. He dies when the power systems of the ship break down. The other four drones get beamed to Voyager and are de-assimilated just like Seven.

Commentary

Seven of Nine is frequently confronted with her past, and particularly with her assimilation as a child. Although she still has a lot to learn herself, she has been a mentor before, to the drone One in "Drone" and to Naomi Wildman. Her character development has been consequential but seems to be stuck in a pattern at this point of the series. When I first watched "Collective" in 2000, I probably didn't like these repetitive aspects of the stories written for her.

I also wrote in my old review that I felt the episode was a wasted opportunity to show an exciting Borg story. It takes place on a Borg cube, but it is powered down. We see Borg drones, but these are only partially assimilated. Being assimilated and acting like Borg is a central theme, but only in dialogues. That doesn't mean I would have preferred to see Voyager fight a hopeless battle against a fully manned and fully operational Borg cube. But it is another pattern of the series that the Borg are not so much of a threat any longer and are defeated or otherwise disabled more often than not.

Well, those were (or must have been) my impressions in 2000. I still don't think "Collective" is very creative, but with the mellowness of age I appreciate more of its aspects. I have to revise my opinion that the kidnapping and the negotiations were boring - I actually think it is cleverly written for the most part. Only the feedback pulse through the deflector really is lame. I also don't think any longer that everything Borg is just set dressing here - I appreciate the idea that the Borg fail once their order is lost, which the story addresses on different levels.

One thing I like is that the events of the episode have a lasting effect, as the four remaining children will stay on Voyager (well, except for the baby that will never be mentioned again). When I first watched, I was hoping for the origin of the pathogen to be revealed in a later episode, and I wasn't disappointed.

Annotations

Rating: 5

 

Spirit Folk

Synopsis

"Spirit Folk"

Stardate not given: A Fair Haven character named Seamus witnesses how the computer repairs the wheel of Tom's horseless carriage in an instant. Seamus has developed an awareness for things that are not supposed to happen in his old Irish town. He and his pal Milo keep following Tom, and they see how Tom uses a PADD to turn Harry's date Maggie O'Halloran into a cow just as they are going to kiss. The EMH, who plays the town's priest, is also under the suspicion of sorcery, as someone saw him vanish into thin air. The people of Fair Haven are upset. Only Michael Sullivan keeps a clear head, but as he begins to ask questions, Janeway ends the program. When Tom and Harry bring up Michael's character in the lab, he is confused about the strange environment, which he normally shouldn't notice. They reset his perceptional filters, upon which he seems to behave normal. But Michael was only playing along. Back in Fair Haven, he tells the other people of his experience. The town people see how Harry and Tom are working on a holodeck panel, destroy the controls and take them prisoners. The EMH comes to rescue them, unaware that he is under suspicion of being "spirit folk" too. Michael takes away the mobile emitter and gets beamed to the bridge. Janeway tells him who she really is and gains his trust again. She and Sullivan convince the people of Fair Haven to stand down and release their prisoners. Janeway decides to keep the program running without purging the characters' memories, but it needs to be serviced frequently from now.

Commentary

The people in charge of the series obviously liked Fair Haven more than I did. They thought it would be a great idea to set a second story in much the same vein in the holographic scenario of the typically Irish town (or rather in what the Voyager crew imagines to be typically Irish).

"Spirit Folk" comes with a basically interesting premise. What happens if holographic characters become self-aware, if they notice that there is something wrong with their world and ultimately question their own existence? But several stories have dealt with this topic before, and in much more profound and impressive ways, such as TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data" and its follow-up "Ship in a Bottle" with Professor Moriarty as the antagonist. The even more obvious example of a hologram that has developed self-awareness, that makes discoveries and has desires and demands just like "real" people, has been running around all along: Voyager's EMH. The question is what could be so interesting about telling the same story, this time with the dumb people from Fair Haven being in the focus of interest.

The episode spends most of the time with the town people, who are uneducated and superstitious and react accordingly to occurrences they don't understand, rather than telling a story about our crew. That is just boring. And unlike it would be the case if this were a time travel episode, there is an additional layer that makes everything even less relevant. At some point someone on Voyager or somewhere where the source material comes from must have created these characters or their templates. As historically accurately the buildings, costumes and ancient technology may be reconstructed, there is no way to get the traits of the characters right. In my impression the "holographic 19th century Irish townsfolk" were programmed to believe in tales of the "spirit folk" for entertainment, not out of commitment to realism. Conveniently, their priest falls under suspicion of sorcery, offering an excuse for the people of Fair Haven to embrace pagan myths over their supposed faith. This all is only meaningful within the limits of how they have been programmed.

Fortunately the crew isn't too surprised when malfunctions occur after Fair Haven has been running day and night. Yet, they should have anticipated problems and taken better precautions. Even though Tom may have wanted the characters to be more lifelike, wouldn't it have been possible to uphold the limits that makes them ignore PADDs, consoles, verbal computer commands or other possible "magic" that is not part of the fictional scenario? Tom and Harry mention the damaged "perceptional filters", which is a part of the software they shouldn't have tampered with in the first place. Also, as soon as Fair Haven characters become aware of story inconsistencies, such as "Katie" going to an unknown place "out of town" when she leaves the holodeck, something is fundamentally wrong with the program. Finally, giving the characters time among themselves, without any real person present, is dangerous and also a waste of holographic resources in my view. Tom may have wanted that to add even more realism, but it is careless not to monitor the free-running program in any fashion. The crew does notice that something is wrong, and Janeway temporarily shuts down the program when Michael asks unpleasant questions. But it is too little too late.

The part in which Michael just pretends to be unaware of the lab after Tom and Harry think they have repaired him is the only enjoyable one. But the rest of the episode is pure cringe. It was a stupid idea to start with to try to repair the holodeck from the inside while it is running. It's a program! You can step through the code and debug it without going all in! And don't even get me started on the holographic bullets that destroy a real holodeck control even before the safety protocols are offline. This is the by far most ridiculous holodeck failure of classic Trek. After she was the only one who warned of running the holodeck 24/7, B'Elanna is also the only one who comes up with a good suggestion when she says that she would pull the plug on the malfunctioning program. But no, it is obviously more precious than the lives of Harry and Tom! In the end, and much like a justification not to have followed B'Elanna's plan, Janeway decides to keep the ruined program running and not purge the memories. But it is clear it will never be fun again if the Fair Haven people keep asking unpleasant questions. It is the last time we see the scenario that obviously wasn't so valuable (or so successful with viewers) after all.

I already mentioned that Michael Sullivan's pretense is the only thing that surprised me. His role as a mediator between the narrow-minded late 19th century Ireland and the world of scientific miracles may deserve some praise too because he seems to follow in the footsteps of the Mintakan woman in TNG: "Who Watches the Watchers" - but only at a superficial glance. Janeway tells him quite a few things about herself, but not the truth about his nature. It doesn't happen because it would definitely shatter him to learn that he is just a piece of software. It would destroy Fair Haven if everyone knew the truth. But where is the sense of letting the program run with the lie that it is a true 19th century town that had contact with time travelers? A complete reboot would be much more logical and only doesn't happen because the episode would lose its last bit of significance.

Annotations

Rating: 0

 

Ashes to Ashes

Synopsis

"Ashes to Ashes"

Stardate 53679.4: An alien woman on a shuttle contacts Voyager while being pursued by a larger alien ship. She appears to be familiar with the Starfleet ship and crew. To everyone's surprise, she introduces herself as Ensign Lindsay Ballard, a crew member who was killed in a Hirogen attack over two years ago. Janeway has her examined by the Doctor, who confirms that there is some of Ballard's DNA left in the body with otherwise completely alien physiology. Ballard's corpse was found adrift in space by the Kobali, a species that procreates by transforming dead aliens. She became Jhet'leya. Still, unlike most of the so created Kobali, she remembered her past life and has been waiting for an opportunity to get a shuttle to run away and find Voyager. Janeway allows Ballard to resume her duties in engineering. She also becomes close to Harry Kim again, who always had a crush on her. Although he can't revert the way her body works, the Doctor largely restores her human appearance. But Ballard struggles to integrate, repeatedly relapsing into Kobali habits. Her Kobali father arrives and demands the extradition of Jhet'leya. She initially refuses, but later makes up her mind. When an armed conflict with the Kobali breaks out, Ballard vows to return to them, which Harry has to accept with a heavy heart.

Commentary

There are two elephants in the room that need to be addressed when discussing this episode. The first is that Lindsay Ballard never appeared in the series before, despite supposedly having served aboard Voyager for a bit more than the first three seasons. We might have accepted that if she had been tucked away somewhere deep in the belly of the ship, perhaps working in the Jefferies tubes all the time or involved in shuttle construction. But no - Lindsay Ballard was a close friend of Harry Kim, one of the show's main characters, who appeared in nearly every episode and whose friendships and leisure activities we know quite well. Or so we thought. The story might have worked without his emotional involvement, but having Harry pretend he knew this phantom woman, even from their Academy days when he already had a crush on her, is jarring for anyone who's followed Voyager even halfway attentively.

The second big issue with the premise is just as obvious. Don't we already know this back story? Last season, in "Latent Image", it was Ahni Jetal who was retroactively added to the crew. While she wasn't resurrected physically, the Doctor's suddenly resurfacing memory of her is essentially the same. And the parallels don't end there. Ahni Jetal was also on a shuttle mission with Harry when she was killed. She too was a cutie. And in both cases, someone raises the question of why the young woman had to die - Jetal instead of Harry, and Ballard instead of a more experienced officer that should have been on the mission. There's really no excuse for not simply resurrecting Ahni Jetal for this episode, unless the actress wasn't available. It would have been far more credible.

I somehow have to push my internal reset button and ignore all of the above. And if I do just that, the story isn't bad at all. It has vibes of TNG: "Suddenly Human", especially regarding the ending in which someone turns their back on humanity after being literally alienated and realizing that pretending to fit in again wouldn't be a good idea. The difference is that young Jono/Jeremiah in the TNG episode never knew anything other but Talarian society which, however brutal, was his only home. In that sense, Jono himself was not truly in a dilemma, whereas the broader cultural clash in TNG was much more severe than here, also considering that Jono had been abducted by the very enemies who killed his parents.

It is a blessing for Voyager's take on the theme that the culture clash is not in the focus. Instead, the episode centers on the question of identity in the spirit of the Ship of Theseus. Is the woman who wants to return to Voyager still Lindsay Ballard? After her body has been revived and completely transformed?

Lindsay Ballard may have suppressed the question of identity while among the Kobali, as she missed her old life and was waiting for an opportunity to regain it. For a lowly ensign, she comes across as unusually determined and self-confident at first - even a bit snarky at times, with a healthy dose of gallows humor. It becomes clear after a while that this is not a sign of strength. It is a performance to assure her crewmates and also herself that life could be the same again. While her human appearance can be restored with relative ease, there is a process in reverse going on in her mind.

The first sign is that her taste is still Kobali, and she doesn't enjoy her former favorite human dish. Then she inadvertently speaks Kobali in engineering. Nothing to worry about so far. But then comes the disastrous dinner with Janeway when Ballard blurts out: "In letting me die, Captain, you gave me life." This is excusable but it's an unmistakably Kobali line of reasoning that she is shocked to have applied. The next problem is that she doesn't remember her father on Earth. Finally, the Doctor discovers that her Kobali DNA will prevail and that she has to get injections twice a day if she wants to keep her human look. It is becoming a bit like one step forward and two steps back for Ballard. And although the crew fulfills all her expectations and more, she has that dream sequence in which they reject her. Lindsay Ballard eventually has to submit to her new Kobali DNA and returns to her new life. I am only afraid that this may not be what she really wants either. Her remarks at the dinner with Janeway and her dream clearly show that there is a deep inner conflict in her, which I'm afraid can't be settled with a swift decision.

On another note, I like the beginning of the episode when Lindsay speaks Kobali and then switches to English when she contacts Voyager. This little sequence makes clear how decisively the built-in universal translator of every TV set usually influences our view of an alien species. Species that are, at least occasionally, speaking in their own language appear a lot more alien and not just like humans with make-up.

In a side plot, Seven of Nine takes charge of the Borg children and imposes a rigid schedule on their daily activities, including precisely timed slots for "fun". It's amusing, though her fixation on efficiency feels a bit overdone. Icheb emerges as a kind of spokesperson for the younger ex-drones, while Rebi and Azan remain mostly silent. It's already clear the twins are not intended to become more important. Mezoti, on the other hand, initially resembles a miniature version of Seven, only to gradually challenge her strict regimen. This culminates in a charming moment when Mezoti sculpts Seven's face from clay instead of the assigned geometric shape. At this point of the series, it also seems like there is a subtle rivalry between Mezoti and Naomi Wildman, who is about the same age, as they may compete for the role of Seven's closest companion.

Overall, "Ashes to Ashes" works surprisingly well despite all the valid complaints about about how extremely its premise strains continuity.

Annotations

Rating: 7

 

Child's Play

Synopsis

"Child's Play"

Stardate not given: Voyager manages to get in touch with the parents of Icheb, one of the four former Borg drones. The young man enjoys his astrophysics studies on Voyager under Seven of Nine's supervision. He doesn't feel like returning to a Brunali agrarian colony without highly developed equipment. Icheb only reluctantly agrees to meeting his parents as the ship has arrived. Seven shares this sentiment. She is also concerned about the transwarp conduit near the planet, which may allow the Borg to attack any time. Icheb beams down to the colony and spends some time with his family, upon which he changes his mind and decides to stay and pursue a career in genetics, a field that is crucial on the planet, to grow crops in a barren environment. As Voyager has already left, Mezoti casually mentions to Seven that Icheb was assimilated while on a starship. This is in contradiction to what the parents told about him having been on the planet when it happened. Further inconsistencies become apparent, and Seven persuades Janeway to turn around. When Janeway asks to speak to Icheb, he is nowhere near the colony. He can be located on a ship that is on a course straight for the transwarp conduit. Icheb has been genetically altered to spread a pathogen among the Borg, which is the only reason for his existence. After his return, his parents intend to use him as a weapon once again. Voyager intercepts the Borg sphere that emerges, beams out Icheb and beams a photon torpedo onto the Brunali ship, whose explosion heavily damages the enemy vessel. Icheb stays on Voyager.

Commentary

Only one episode later, here is another story of someone struggling to find their true home. "Child's Play" is initially about Icheb's reluctance to return to his parents. The former drone has quickly found a new home and a new family on Voyager, and a field of study he couldn't pursue any longer on his parents' farm. He hardly remembers his former life anyway, having spent some time in a Borg maturation chamber, essentially skipping puberty. His parents are kind, but there is initially nothing that would connect Icheb to them. The question arises but is never openly posed whether Icheb would have the right to choose himself whether to return to his family or stay on Voyager. Everyone silently expects that he would eventually decide the former. Well, everyone except for Seven of Nine. She is reluctant to let him go, although that must have always been the plan. She makes up reasons why he wouldn't have a fulfilling life and wouldn't be safe on that planet and gets into arguments about it with Janeway. Seven argues that Icheb's parents are irresponsible for living in a Brunali colony close to a warp conduit, and she compares them to her own parents who studied the Borg until they got the whole family assimilated. I think the analogy is a bit crude and may be another layer Seven adds because she simply can't let go of Icheb, a young man with a lot of potential for whom she has developed motherly instincts.

It is no surprise that Icheb begins to like the simple life in the agrarian colony and develops an interest in genetics. He decides to stay with his Brunali family. Seven is sad and disappointed, but she accepts it. The story could be over now, except that it would have been predictable and boring. There just has to be a twist. The ostensibly loving parents have a diabolical plan with Icheb. He carries a pathogen since birth, and being used as a weapon against the Borg is the only purpose of his existence. The idea is not entirely new, as members of Species 6339 sacrificed themselves in a similar way in "Infinite Regress", but being himself the weapon is arguably more dramatic than "only" carrying an infected technical device.

As shocking as it may be, I like this resolution in two regards. The first is that her instincts don't fail Seven this time, quite unlikely only lately in "The Voyager Conspiracy". While her objections regarding the boy's safety and his lack of education may have been exaggerated, her mistrust of his parents was justified. This is particularly satisfying, considering how her relationship to Icheb would further develop in the series. The second reward is the consistency with "Collective", an episode that makes a lot more sense in hindsight now that we know who brought the pathogen into the Collective. I cherish whenever the series harks back to something instead of coming up with new particles (or even new crew members) every week.

Well, the finale of the episode is a bit rushed. It is also quite unimaginative to use the old trick with the photon torpedo that explodes aboard the transport ship, as already in "Dark Frontier". The Borg are outwitted with too much ease once again. Overall, "Child's Play" is a routine episode that comes up with an unexpected twist towards its end, too late to unfold its true potential.

Annotations

Rating: 5

 

Good Shepherd

Synopsis

"Good Shepherd"

Stardate 53753.2: Voyager passes a stellar nursery with a cluster of gas giants, which Captain Janeway decides to explore. During Seven of Nine's shipwide efficiency check Janeway discovers that three underperformers among the crew have never been on an away mission. Mortimer Harren is rather interested in cosmology than in his engineering job, Tal Celes feels incompetent and uncertain about everything she's doing, and Billy Telfer is a hypochondriac. Janeway assigns the three to a mission to the protostars with her on the Delta Flyer. The Flyer, however, gets damaged by an unknown phenomenon and loses most of its antimatter. Harren believes the ship was hit by a dark-matter protocomet that would be attracted to the ship's antimatter. He recommends to eject the warp core to avert further damage. Yet, Janeway doesn't want the Delta Flyer to be dead in space. Tal Celes suggests to investigate the ripped off hull fragment, which remains inconclusive, however. Then an alien lifeform enters Telfer's body. It later breaks free and seeks to modify the environmental controls to survive. Harren kills the creature against Janeway's orders. The Flyer escapes to the rings of a gas giant where Janeway hopes to harvest radiogenic particles to restart the warp core. But the ship is pursued by the aliens. When Janeway orders the three junior officers to the escape pods, Tal and Telfer decide to stay. Harren steers his escape pod in the direction of the aliens to create a diversion. Janeway reverses course and beams him aboard again, just before initiating a shockwave that hurls the ship into open space again and repels the attackers. The four wake up in sickbay without having sustained serious injuries.

Commentary

"Good Shepherd" is Voyager's take on the "Lower Decks" theme - quite literally, as we see deck 15 for the first time, a part of the ship where the least prominent crew members work and which Janeway is clearly unfamiliar with. I appreciate the decision to give these individuals more attention. I also don't mind that a similar concept has been explored before, notably in the first-season episode "Learning Curve"." That earlier episode focused more on bringing the new Maquis crew members into line. It was about discipline, whereas "Good Shepherd" centers on motivation. It would have been a nice touch to bring back one of the crew from "Learning Curve" or include at least one reluctant ex-Maquis among the underperformers Janeway engages with, since the two issues are related.

Anyway, in the context of the story, it does make more sense that these crew members are Starfleet. Unlike the Maquis, they consciously chose to join and remain in the organization, though none of them expected to end up stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Mortimer Harren has no interest in space exploration and only came aboard because the research institute he applied to required a year of practical experience. Tal Celes suspects she was accepted due to her Bajoran heritage despite her mediocre Academy performance. Billy Telfer seems more enthusiastic about serving on a starship than Harren and more competent than Tal, but he's a chronic hypochondriac who realistically wouldn't have lasted long on Voyager either.

On further thought, one aspect that bothers me is how late this episode arrives in the series. It would have been more effective in an earlier season. Wouldn't these three have evolved in some way after six years in the Delta Quadrant? Telfer, for instance, would have had many opportunities to address his imagined illnesses or seek therapy (though he claims to fear that too). Also, he has survived encounters with the Kazon, the Borg, Species 8472 and the Hirogen, so what could still frighten him? Tal Celes should have found better support with data and equations than relying on Telfer. By now, she shouldn't be losing sleep over her shortcomings. As for Harren, I can imagine he genuinely prefers staying on deck 15, absorbed in his cosmology equations and his (probably few) duties - because no one seems to care. Yet, with Seven aboard since season 4, he might have found someone to talk to who shares his analytical mindset. The setup isn't quite as plausible as it could be.

Still, the story works for me, and I value Janeway's commitment to caring for these crew members and refusing to leave anyone behind, even if that realization comes late. Unfortunately, once the characters and their issues are introduced, dialogues and actions become repetitive. Telfer constantly reaches for the medical tricorder. Tal repeatedly laments her lack of intelligence. Harren never misses a chance to piss off Janeway and the others. There is no real development until the episode's end. And even then, it's unclear whether Telfer has truly overcome his hypochondria. We don't know if the mission boosted Tal's confidence or rather accomplished the opposite. Harren's apparent self-sacrifice of taking the escape pod to confront the attackers suggests growth, but I doubt he's become more sociable. It's realistic that the three wouldn't change dramatically. Still, the episode would have benefited from a more conclusive wrap-up or a follow-up in a later episode. Tal does appear two or three more times, but ultimately, they all vanish on the lower decks just as they were brought into focus in "Good Shepherd."

Overall, the story of these three "problem children" and Janeway's effort to reach them works reasonably well despite my reservations. What doesn't work is the space anomaly and the aliens of the week, which feel especially contrived. When I first watched the episode, I hoped Harren would be right and that it was "only" a physical phenomenon. That explanation had a semblance of scientific plausibility and would have sufficed to resolve the plot. But the writers couldn't resist introducing yet another space-dwelling creature and chose Telfer of all people to be possessed by it, leading to the unconvincing conclusion that this traumatic experience somehow cured his hypochondria.

Annotations

Rating: 4

 

Live Fast and Prosper

Synopsis

"Live Fast and Prosper"

Stardate 53849.2: Two alien impostors, who are dressed up as Janeway and Tuvok, beam down to a Telsian mining colony. They agree to deliver dilithium in exchange for Telsian bolomite that is urgently needed to help the orphans on the Narva colony according to their words. Their ship leaves orbit with the bolomite. They never had the intention to provide dilithium. Meanwhile on Voyager, several systems begin to malfunction. B'Elanna traces the problem to a heating unit that Neelix acquired from "Sister Dala", who was talking of orphans she wanted to help. Orek, the chief of the Telsian mining operations, comes aboard and accuses Janeway of breaching the trade agreement, mentioning the story about the alleged orphans. Janeway now knows who they have to look for. When Dala (aka "Janeway") and her accomplice Mobar (aka "Tuvok") were dressed as monks, they not only gave Neelix and Tom the defective heating unit; they also managed to download the Delta Flyer's database, which provided them with everything they needed to know to pose as Starfleet officers. While Dala, Mobar and Zar (aka "Chakotay") are dealing with a dissatisfied customer named Varn, who holds their fake "Delta Flyer" with a tractor beam, Voyager appears on the scene. As the two ships are struggling to take control of the impostors, the latter manage to escape. But Seven still gets hold of Dala and beams her into the brig. Dala remains uncooperative, even as Janeway tells her she would be turned over to the Telsians. When Neelix visits her in the brig, she uses this opportunity to run away with the actual Delta Flyer. But her escape was staged. As she is back on her ship and she, Mobar and Zar proceed to the place they store the stolen goods, it turns out that Dala is actually the EMH in her disguise, who arrests them with Tuvok's help. Tom has already taken the true Dala into custody on the Delta Flyer.

Commentary

"Live Fast and Prosper" quite possibly features the funniest teaser of the entire series. Dala as "Janeway" and Mobar as "Tuvok", with their oversized comm badges and ill-fitting uniforms, are priceless. They instantly evoke the image of fans cosplaying at conventions. As improvised as their uniforms are (not to mention their version of the Delta Flyer), their ability to communicate with unsuspecting aliens and their grasp of Starfleet principles is nearly flawless. They have clearly studied their roles well.

The episode remains highly entertaining, even though its course is predictable. Janeway is outraged that aliens are impersonating Starfleet officers, who not only cheat their trade partners but even sell Federation memberships. She pursues the impostors and eventually captures her doppelgänger Dala, confronting her in the brig. I enjoy this face-off. Unlike previous instances, especially her explosive reaction to Ransom's actions in "Equinox", Janeway remains composed, perhaps even slightly amused, as she speaks to the woman who stole her identity. It seems she has learned something about measured responses. After all, there are far worse threats in the Delta Quadrant than a few con artists, even if they tarnish Voyager's and Janeway's reputation.

Everything else wraps up nicely. Tom and Neelix, who were initially duped by Dala and Mobar, get a chance to turn the tables. Ultimately, the impostors are outwitted using their own tactics when the Doctor impersonates Dala and thereby tricks Zar and Mobar into revealing the location of the stolen goods. Last but not least, Mobar comes face-to-face with Tuvok and appears genuinely impressed to meet his role model.

Mobar seems to have absorbed a fair amount of Tuvok's Vulcan philosophy, becoming somewhat like him. He wears his Starfleet uniform throughout and repeatedly delivers lines that the real Tuvok couldn't have phrased better. Dala, by contrast, is focused on the loot. She never seems to have fun in her role and may simply be a skilled actress capable of mimicking Janeway. She also appears weary of working with her two accomplices. Zar, finally, only sporadically plays his role as Chakotay and doesn't seem to exert much effort to be convincing. He seems to enjoy the con as long as it's successful. Altogether, the three impostors are distinct and far more engaging than the typical villains of the week.

The secondary plot involving Neelix and Tom's misfortune is less compelling. Their remorse and embarrassment over being tricked feels authentic, but the idea of fooling the Doctor with a shell game is absurd. Trying to prove that even the Doctor can be deceived comes across as a childish way to compensate for their failure. Another weak point is the heating coil Neelix obtained from Dala, which causes malfunctions across the ship - eerily reminiscent of his infectious cheese in "Learning Curve." A more effective choice might have been for the coil to simply catch fire, clearly demonstrating its poor quality and providing the lead that Janeway needs.

Annotations

Rating: 8

 

Muse

Synopsis

"Muse"

Stardate 53896.0: On the search for dilithium, the Delta Flyer with B'Elanna Torres has crashed on a planet that is home to a pre-warp civilization. A poet named Kelis finds the injured Starfleet officer, who he sees as an "Eternal", and listens to the Flyer's log. This inspires him to write a stage play about her: "The Away Mission of B'Elanna Torres". It becomes a great success with his patron, who wants Kelis to continue the story the following week. B'Elanna initially wants to get rid of Kelis, but she then decides to help him write the sequel "The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres" in exchange for dilithium and materials he provides to repair the subspace transmitter. One of the actresses, who is in love with Kelis, discovers the Delta Flyer and tells B'Elanna to stay away, otherwise she would expose her as an "Eternal" to the patron. Harry, whose escape pod has landed 200 kilometers away, arrives with an emergency transmitter. He and B'Elanna manage to boost the signal to reach Voyager. Meanwhile, Kelis has learned of his patron's plans to go to war, which he intends to change with the new play. In his story, Captain Janeway discovers that Seven of Nine is the Queen of the Borg, but spares her life to put an end to the war. However, Kelis is also going to kill off B'Elanna. Against Harry's advice, B'Elanna appears on the stage herself. She gets exposed as announced, but the patron thinks this is a clever twist in the play. She eventually gets beamed away to Voyager.

Commentary

The bare story of the shuttle crash in "Muse" is boring and forgettable, and not really a topic worth talking about. Fortunately, the episode doesn't dwell on it. Instead, it dives into something much more interesting - how stories can shape people and cultures. Well, nothing too decisive or exciting seems to happen after Kelis has run into his muse B'Elanna, but that's just the charm of the episode. The play within the play is fascinating in many aspects. First of all, it is fun. While Star Trek has been borrowing elements from Greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama for decades, it is only fair that classical theater returns the favor and turns Star Trek into a stage play. I always knew that Starfleet language possesses poetic qualities. Most of all, I enjoy "Seven of Nine, Queen of the Borg" revealing her secret to the audience, and "Janeway" secretly telling the audience that she already knew about it.

As unusual and amusing as it is to see Trek stories performed on stage, by actors with masks and supported by a chorus, it is equally credible and plausible that the simple people on this planet are fascinated by the story of the "Eternal" B'Elanna Torres, and that the ensemble would choose these means to perform it. I think it was intentional that the alien scenery resembles ancient Greece, and their understanding of both mythology and the arts is much the same. Moreover, as in many cultures on Earth, a cruel ritual in the temple was first moderated and subsequently became popular as a play, irrespective of its original meaning. Like in "Blink of an Eye" earlier this season, it doesn't turn out to be a drawback that the alien culture is too human-like. On the contrary, the analogy to Earth shows how the fantastic and unknown may enrich the arts just as much as it may lead to scientific discoveries and social progress, all of which are interconnected.

"Muse" is also successful in somehow reconciling the modern concept of sci-fi with ancient literature. The rules and methods of performance may be considerably different, but at its core, a good story is always most important. Thus, it is possible to present Star Trek as a "cheap" stage performance without losing much of its significance. Moreover, Kelis's traditional plot elements of "mistaken identity - a character who is someone else", "discovery - the moment when that identity is revealed", and "reversal - a situation that turns from good to bad in a blink of an eye" are not so different in our culture and time either. It is an nice twist that exactly these elements unintentionally become part of "The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres" when B'Elanna's true identity is revealed and the patron interprets it as part of the play.

Probably every author in every epoch tries to achieve something beyond mere entertainment. This purpose of art and literature becomes even more important once it is no longer meant to primarily serve or please the gods. If the gods no longer determine everyone's destiny (or are no longer believed to) then caring about the world and themselves becomes the responsibility of the people. We don't know how far their society is actually advanced, but Kelis may be one of the first to be genuinely concerned about his world, something that already has a long tradition in the Federation. In Kelis's play, Janeway refrains from killing the Borg Queen aka Seven of Nine. It is clear he has found just the missing bit of inspiration to pursue his goal from the Starfleet database, as well as from his muse. As for the salubrious effect the play is supposed to have on the patron, I'm glad it doesn't lead to an overly simplistic and naive conclusion that the stage performance prevents a war. This would have been just as corny as Kelis's idea of everyone kissing everyone else in the original version of his second play. Many plays impressing many patrons may have a lasting effect, though. If there are more people like Kelis, progress can't be detained.

So much for the rather intellectual comparison of modern science-fiction TV with ancient Greek tragedy. I'm anything but an expert on the latter, so I may have missed several aspects. There is, however, one tip of the hat that I definitely understand. Kelis's group performs a new play at the same time next week, and this sounds a lot like the Star Trek airing schedule. Is it meant to show that great minds think alike, or is the chaotic way "The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres" is created a hidden excuse that not every weekly show can be perfect? Also, Kelis, although he fundamentally understood everything about Starfleet, is very creative in changing established characters - something Star Trek authors are sometimes said to do as well.

As an afterthought to this essentially unchanged old review, new Star Trek repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, especially in Strange New Worlds. This classic demonstrates that it can be done in a meaningful and respectful way. Although "Muse" is not quite among the greatest episodes, it has aged well and its qualities are undeniable when compared to similar efforts in modern Trek.

Annotations

Rating: 6

 

Fury

Synopsis

"Fury"

Stardate not given: A small vessel approaches Voyager. The pilot identifies herself as Kes. She asks Janeway for help but then goes on a collision course. Kes forcefully enters engineering, kills B'Elanna and uses the tachyons inside the warp core to initiate a time travel. Two months after Voyager's arrival in the Delta Quadrant, Kes poses as her younger self. She transmits tactical data to the Vidiians that would enable them to capture the ship and crew, in exchange for safe passage to Ocampa for young Kes. Tuvok starts to have premonitions, upon which Janeway initiates scans of the his environment, which confirm that these are caused by tachyons and that time travel is involved. As the Vidiians attack Voyager and prepare to the board the ship, the crew desperately tries to find the saboteur. Chakotay spots two lifesigns of Kes in the airponics bay, upon which Janeway confronts the Kes from the future. She has become bitter about the course of her life and wants to take revenge on the Voyager crew while saving her younger self. Kes's telekinetic powers leave Janeway no choice but to kill her. She and Tuvok secretly talk with young Kes, and they come up with a strategy to prevent the time travel from happening again. In the present, when Kes is just about to pursue her plan again, Janeway and Tuvok, now with the knowledge of the past, manage to stop her in time and convince her that her life is not all that bad.

Commentary

Whenever a character returns from the dead, from a parallel universe or from another time, we expect something extraordinary like the captain's summit in "Star Trek: Generations" or Tasha's memorable appearance in TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise". VOY: "Fury", in contrast, shows hardly anything original or interesting. It is much like a poor reissue of "Relativity"; only Braxton has been replaced with Kes, and much of the weird and funny plot complications of the exciting season 5 episode were simplified. This makes the logical flaws even more striking, although they were present in "Relativity" likewise.

The time travel problems of "Fury" are obvious. But the grandfather paradox is something we have gotten used to. The more annoying issue is that Kes seems to have undergone yet another strange metamorphosis since she vanished at the beginning of season 4. In "The Gift" she evolved to some sort of higher being. Her shuttle was destroyed, while she evidently survived the explosion and must have entered a different realm of existence. Her powers were that advanced that she could hurl Voyager thousands of light years across Borg space. Now she reappears, at the end of her regular lifespan and aged like a normal Ocampa, in a shuttle that she obviously needs to travel through space and to transport herself aboard Voyager. Only some telekinetic powers are left - conveniently just as many to still pose a lethal threat while not making her invulnerable, so Janeway has the chance to kill her with a phaser. Moreover, Kes has become bitter and cruel. That is definitely not the always kind woman we used to know. It is just not credible that a person can change that much. But the problem gets even worse. Aside from my frequent comments on free will and on the inevitable change of the timeline once the future is known (most notably in my analysis of "Before and After"), my particular problem is why young Kes, in the second turn, evolves to the very same bad old Kes regardless and, at the very same time (just after Janeway has replicated Tuvok's birthday cake) pursues the very same revenge plan. She would have had plenty of time to reconsider her own future, which would have been definitely different in one way or another.

It is even less plausible that in the end bad old Kes can be convinced to refrain from her plan to betray her friends to the Vidiians. It's just a few words that appease her, after she has made a conscious decision and has launched a devilish revenge campaign with the goal to get her former friends butchered by the organ thieves? Star Trek frequently shows villains who change their minds, but this is among the least credible instances of the trope ever. Summarizing, Kes's motivation remains a complete mystery at any time. I can't tell whether I can understand the story logic, whether I'm supposed to understand it or even want to understand it.

Another thing I don't like are Tuvok's premonitions, whose nature does not become plausible. They may be partially explained by old Kes's presence or by the tachyons, but why does he see things from the future even she can't know, like the Borg children? Since his visions don't play a great role in the plot anyway, they are nothing more than just the scary scenes of the week.

There are a few aspects I like, though. Continuity is good, since the first season is overall well reconstructed, including Janeway's bun, Lt. Carey's presence (Is he dead, or why does he only show up in flashbacks?), the Doctor's acceptance problems, Samantha Wildman's pregnancy, the Vidiian ship (although this specific type didn't show up until season two) and the correct rank pips.

Annotations

Rating: 2

 

Life Line

Synopsis

"Life Line"

Stardate not given: Lewis Zimmerman, creator of the EMH, is terminally ill. Reginald Barclay establishes a temporary comm link with Voyager, using the MIDAS Array, whose signal gets boosted by a pulsar. When the Doctor learns about Zimmerman's illness, he thinks he may have a cure for him, using Borg cellular regeneration techniques. He persuades Janeway to send his program to the Alpha Quadrant for one month, in place of the planned messages from the crew. As he arrives in the holography lab at Jupiter Station, Zimmerman refuses help from the EMH Mark I that he regards as inferior, as there is already an EMH Mark IV. After unsuccessfully trying to convince him for two weeks, Barclay enlists the support of Deanna Troi to change Zimmerman's mind. They tamper with the Doctor's program to make him appear unstable. Zimmerman repairs the damage and recognizes that the EMH with his unusual experiences may be able to help him likewise. The therapy is promising, and the Doctor gets transferred back to Voyager in the next communication window.

Commentary

This is already the third appearance of Reginald Barclay in the series, who is gradually becoming more important for Voyager than he was on TNG. It is also the second installment after "Pathfinder" in a small story arc about his work on the project to establish a communication link with the ship in the Delta Quadrant, and the support he receives from Deanna Troi. Our Doctor goes on his second away mission to the Alpha Quadrant after "Message in a Bottle". And he meets Lewis Zimmerman, the man who created him, in person for the first time. Zimmerman previously appeared in DS9: "Dr. Bashir, I Presume?" and as a diagnostic hologram in "The Swarm". "Life Line" is firmly embedded in the continuity of the series. It draws very much on established character traits and character relations, rather than telling a surprising story.

Zimmerman is as stubborn and sarcastic as the Doctor. As Deanna expresses it in a unusually desperate way: "You're both jerks!" I am happy that her part in this episode is more decisive than it was in "Pathfinder", although she and also Barclay keep a lower profile than we may have expected. The two jerks clearly take the center stage, and this is just funny because it sort of doubles the fun we usually have with the Doctor on Voyager. Well, their bickering does get somewhat repetitive after a while.

Overall, the situation is rather tragicomic. Not only is Zimmerman terminally ill. It also becomes clear that he doesn't like to be among people, unlike his holographic clone. He tells Barclay: "You don't have any friends", although he could say just the same about himself. It looks like his dedication to holographic research and his misanthropy amplified each other, so that he ended up in an all-holographic environment where he could create and delete his friends as he liked it. Still, he forged a friendship with the holographic woman Haley and kept her running for as long as nine years. And after all, Zimmerman and Barclay obviously like each other. They are both lonely, although I think the reasons are different.

The tragicomic aspects are worked out well, although one of them doesn't completely convince me. The failure of the EMH Mark I is said to have devastated Zimmerman. But isn't this first hologram still an important milestone, and groundbreaking work to be proud of, for which Voyager's Doctor is the best possible proof? In my view, the obsolescence of the Mark I is made a big deal primarily for the punchline about holograms with his face scrubbing plasma conduits.

What's most enjoyable about the episode is the countless little details, including Zimmerman's holographic environment with his assistant Haley, a talking iguana named Leonard, an Ellora woman as first seen in "Star Trek: Insurrection" who turns out to be a disguise of the Doctor, and an irksome spy fly as a running gag until the Doctor kills it. I like the "phone call" sequence from Earth to Voyager at the beginning. It is satisfying to see some eye-candy now and then, and not 100% of the time filled with action or dialogue. I also dig Jupiter Station. The design is quite convincing, considering that these may be surplus starship hulls, or at least components fabricated in the same fashion, to ease the construction.

Annotations

Rating: 7

 

The Haunting of Deck Twelve

Synopsis

"The Haunting of Deck Twelve"

Stardate not given: All systems are shut down as Voyager enters a Class-J nebula. Neelix takes care of the four children in the cargo bay, whose regeneration units go offline likewise. He doesn't give them a satisfactory explanation why Voyager has to enter that nebula and why the ship needs to cut power. In order to distract them, he tells a scary story of a mysterious energy lifeform that boarded Voyager in a nebula similar to the current one. Voyager was about to collect deuterium and had already cleared the nebula, when malfunctions affected various systems on the ship. Members of the crew were struck by energy discharges and sections of the ship filled with poisonous gas. Janeway recognized that the apparently erratic voice messages from the computer system were an attempt to communicate with her. The entity was trying to say that it wanted to be taken back to the nebula. But as Voyager arrived, the nebula had dissipated. The energy lifeform then took over all systems and everyone had to abandon ship. But it kept Janeway aboard because someone had to maintain the ship's systems. When Janeway refused, the entity almost killed her but eventually changed its mind. Since then, it was allegedly confined to deck 12, section 42, off limits to anyone but senior officers. Back in the present, after clearing the nebula and powering up the ship again, Neelix comes to the bridge, reporting that the children are all right. He looks at the nebula and says: "Well, I hope it lives happily ever after."

Commentary

"The Haunting of Deck Twelve" is unusual - at least at first glance. The framing story centers on Neelix and the four Borg children he is caring for, while systems are being shut down on the whole ship, leaving their cargo bay in darkness. Neelix's main task appears to be to calm the children, who might be afraid of the dark. So far, so good. But the children don't actually need that kind of emotional support, since the former Borg tend to view the situation rationally. It also seems counterproductive that they stay alone with Neelix in the cargo bay, rather than, say, in the mess hall with other people, if the goal were to ease their fear. It never becomes really clear what Neelix's actual assignment is or why he is being so evasive, even though he presumably knows why Voyager is going into that nebula.

But I need to take a step back. The horror story Neelix tells the children apparently did happen. There really was an energy-based lifeform that came aboard in another nebula, nearly took over the ship and threatened the crew with electric discharges and toxic gas. The ending of the episode, where Neelix goes to the bridge and says goodbye to the lifeform, makes that fairly clear. Yet Neelix not only avoids telling the children the truth about the current mission (returning the lifeform), he recounts the possibly true and frightening story of the lifeform and the dramatic events on Voyager with a wink and a nudge. He includes deliberate(?) inaccuracies, which Icheb notices and which lead him to dismiss the whole thing as fiction. But why? Why would Neelix hide the truth? And if he's going to tell it anyway, why pretend it's made up? That doesn't make sense to me.

Beyond the question of Neelix's motives for telling the horror story, there is also a stylistic issue. Neelix describes many events in detail that are also visualized on screen. But he wasn't present and couldn't realistically know about them, even if he had studied the logs (which he had no reason to do and likely wouldn't have been allowed to). Since all of this is supposed to have actually happened, it would have been more believable to present it from Neelix's perspective. As it stands, we're left questioning how much of it really happened, which is unsatisfactory.

So the framing story may seem like a nice idea, it has its moments but it doesn't make much sense. The embedded story, on the other hand, is totally unimaginative. It is much like the events from "The Cloud" (Voyager gets into trouble after entering a nebula to replenish energy resources), "Cathexis" (an energy lifeform tries to get back to its nebula), "Twisted" (a mysterious lifeform disables the ship and forces the crew to crawl through the Jefferies tubes), "Macrocosm" (Sarah Connor Janeway fights the alien intruder until her last breath) and a few more episodes cobbled together. As hard as I try, there is zero originality in it. We have all of it seen before, and executed much better. Also, the horror elements are rather unconvincing and mostly consist of lame jump scares.

In light of all of the above issues it may have been a more rewarding twist to reveal in some fashion that Neelix combined all of the above true stories to one, or to let the children find out just that, rather than there being an actual scary stowaway on deck 12. In that case, the main story would have been somehow representative of Voyager's adventures and also self-ironic. The way it is actually narrated and resolved, "The Haunting of Deck Twelve" is a unnecessary filler.

Annotations

Rating: 2

 

Unimatrix Zero I/II

Synopsis

"Unimatrix Zero I/II"

Stardate not given: A virtual place called "Unimatrix Zero" is the refuge for a number of Borg drones while they are regenerating, but this paradise is about to be destroyed when the Queen notices the absence of these drones from the collective mind. The renegade drones ask Seven of Nine for help. She spent five years in Unimatrix One herself where she fell in love with a fellow drone, Axum. Janeway devises a plan to spread a nanovirus that would allow the Borg to keep their memories and individual thoughts after their regeneration so that some sort of resistance movement could be formed. Together with B'Elanna and Tuvok she infiltrates a Borg tactical cube. The Delta Flyer is destroyed, and the three officers are assimilated. Their individual thoughts still intact with the help of a neural suppressor, they proceed to the central plexus of the cube and release the virus. Tuvok, however, receives subconscious messages from the Borg Queen and reveals their plan. The Queen begins to destroy whole infiltrated Borg ships to force Janeway to surrender. Janeway gives Chakotay a cue that Unimatrix Zero can't exist any longer, and he disrupts the interlink frequency, thereby destroying the Unimatrix, but preventing the renegade drones from being detected. With the help of the Klingon drone Korok, who has taken command over his sphere, the three officers can be freed from the tactical cube just before the Queen orders its self-destruction.

Commentary

Are they completely out of their minds? Voyager conducts a suicide attack against a heavily armed tactical cube, and Janeway, B'Elanna and Tuvok have no problems with allowing themselves to be assimilated? We have seen Voyager in many extreme situations, but this time they went totally over the top, and it was even fully voluntary. There should have been fierce controversies whether the goal justifies all these dangers and sacrifices, but unlike it was the case in similar situations in earlier episodes (most notably in "Scorpion"), there was nothing like that here. There were only three brief and not really controversial discussions between Chakotay and Janeway, B'Elanna and Tom, Tom and Chakotay, ending with everyone assuring their support for everything. It is undeniable that the crew has grown together in their six years on the ship, but I wonder if this includes following their leader into death when she is waging her private little war. Keeping in mind that Axum's original intention was just to maintain Unimatrix Zero, Janeway's extended plan to destabilize the Borg Collective doesn't just violate "half a dozen of Starfleet protocols". Even before it becomes obvious that there would be no way of preserving Unimatrix Zero, she already has in mind to use this weakness against the Borg instead of just letting things go. She doesn't really seem to realize that the drones in Unimatrix Zero are individuals and maybe not all of them would like to die in her fight against the Collective. It is much of Janeway's very own feud with the Borg, and the Borg Queen gladly takes up the gauntlet.

The basic idea of "Unimatrix Zero" is fascinating though. In every totalitarian system there is still room for a resistance movement, one whose essence is not really fighting with weapons but free thinking, like it was the case in Orwell's 1984. The Borg Collective is no exception, and it is just too large that certain circumstances wouldn't allow at least a few of its drones to keep part of their individuality. The parallel to the groundbreaking movie "Matrix" is undeniable too. Unfortunately the missing tension in character actions and interactions as well as the inadequate easiness of attacking Borg cubes, being assimilated and restored again plus many unnecessary inconsistencies spoil much of the premise. The writers and producers obviously tried to repeat the success of "Dark Frontier", but the latter episode was definitely the better drama with much more pointed dialogues. One reason for the direction "Unimatrix Zero" had to take was certainly that it appeared a bit more dramatic to the viewer when Tuvok, B'Elanna and Janeway were assimilated in the cliffhanger at the end of the season without the knowledge that it was intentional. On the other hand, Chakotay's statement "So far, so good" was a clear hint that this was part of the plan. If the mission had really failed at this point, it would have been a sarcastic remark we could least of all expect from him.

Aside from the general criticism there are countless particular errors and flaws in the episode, maybe more than ever before. First of all, why is Tom promoted and not Harry, considering Tom's occasional misbehavior, in particular his almost fatal obsession with "Alice"? How come that Seven's dream here should have been her first one, although she clearly dreamt in "One" before? How can Seven be contacted from Unimatrix Zero, considering she has been severed from the Collective? How and why did she suppress her memory of this place so long? During the episode the virtual environment becomes more and more like the real world. How do "virtual bat'leths" and "virtual assimilation tubules" work inside Unimatrix Zero? Why don't Axum and Korok simply use "virtual disruptors" to defend themselves and the Borg who came there just release a "virtual multikinetic mine" to destroy the whole thing? How can a physical nanovirus -as opposed to a computer virus- be delivered throughout the Collective? If it is possible though, the same may have been achieved by simply releasing it inside Unimatrix Zero! Voyager fires phasers from all possible and impossible locations, even from the nacelles. When Janeway orders B'Elanna to release the nanovirus, she says "Download the virus", which should mean "upload", of course. Tuvok's birthrate of stardate 38774 is way off, no matter if we compare it to TOS, movie or TNG stardates. Moreover, Tuvok is said to be born on "Vulcanis Lunar Colony". Well, "Vulcanis" was a preliminary name used for Vulcan very early in TOS, but "Vulcan has no moon". ;-) What is Neelix doing on the bridge during the crisis? Don't they have any capable Starfleet officers to operate the console? In "Infinite Regress" the function of the vinculum seemed to be much the same as of the central plexus, so why did they have to invent still another device? Axum's vessel is on the border to Fluidic Space. How can there be a specific border to a parallel dimension to and from which gates can be opened anywhere, as seen in "Scorpion"? Finally, how in the world can Korok take command of his sphere? There is nothing like a command structure that he can use to influence the other drones. On the other hand, Hugh's individuality (TNG: "I, Borg", "Descent") allowed him to "infect" other drones too, but here the effect is much more definite and much faster.

Nonetheless, the episode has its memorable moments too. I like the teaser very much that has some impressive shots of Unimatrix One and yet another variant of assembling the Borg Queen. Although the Borg are easily eluded once again, it is always a pleasure to see Susanna Thompson as the Borg Queen - still a formidable villain. I don't bother that she acts quite emotionally and takes things personally. If she is really the incarnation of a collective mind, I would be rather astonished if she did not behave like that. My favorite scene is the Queen's visit to Unimatrix Zero - the serpent in paradise. The tactical cube and the central plexus, consisting of an array of green glowing rods, are quite cool. The man who leads the Borg in Unimatrix Zero into a trap is a Caatati (from "Day of Honor") - at least a bit of continuity. Seven mentions that Axum's ship is in the (drum rolls!) *Beta* Quadrant. It seems the quadrant is not quite as forgotten as we thought. And finally, it is interesting to see how Seven tries to be more Borg than her friends in Unimatrix Zero who will wake up in full armor. Given Seven's reluctance to being human, we can only imagine how passionate Seven's and Axum's affair must have been. As the Doctor said with a bitter smile: "He's a very lucky man."

Annotations

Rating: 6

 


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