Spirit Folk

DVD, Voyager S6 (Spirit Folk)

A story within a story. The holodeck has always been a good source of a yarn or two, and while it has been overused and regurgitated many times, the old Holodeck malfunction can provide an exciting episode.

When I first saw the Fair Haven episodes I found them a little too silly, a little out of step with the series, maybe taking it too far. But now they stick out as enjoyable jaunts, that further the inner workings of the Trek universe by creating another universe in a universe. Holo-characters coming to the realisation of their nature (or at the least that the visitors to their land are not the same as them), is nothing new, but is always interesting.

It was very satisfying seeing Michael get a tour of Voyager and coming to some sort of understanding. If you tune in expecting a typical Voyager episode you will be disappointed, but if you accept it for what it is - a chance to have fun, and put a slightly different spin on the familiar - you'll have fun as much as the crew do. It is a shame they never returned to the programme, but to do so would have gone further than was needed, as this seems a logical progression and conclusion for the program.

Other program's had been a recurring feature, but none had been left on permanently as long as Fair Haven so it gives another insight into what the Holodeck could be. The only moment which didn't ring true (no, not the Maggie to cow scene), was the Doc being hypnotised by a spoon and an irate Irishman! Probably some kind of internal logic there somewhere, what with him being a hologram an' all... (Yep, in the Voyager Companion it mentions he had become part of the faulty holoprogram when his holoemitter was taken off him).

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