Author, Author

DVD, Voyager S7 (Author, Author)

The Doctor's struggles to be accepted as an equal member of the crew were a highlight of the early seasons and made him into the 'breakout' character who became so much more than he began as. Over the years he's become used to being part of the crew and only occasionally, in recent episodes has the subject of holographic rights come to the forefront in such stories as 'Flesh and Blood' and 'Body and Soul' in which holograms prove themselves capable of running their own lives and display the prejudices some races have against photonic life. Now Voyager has found a way to communicate with the Alpha Quadrant more consistently than before, his own buried feelings for his fellow holograms across the galaxy, left to work as menials (as revealed by Lewis Zimmerman, his creator, last season) rises to the surface and though it begins as a comedic examination of the Doctor's pomposity and inaccurate representation of his inspiration it ironically comes round to his actual rights, the very thing he was writing about.

'The Measure of A Man', the 'TNG' episode that early on ruled android Data had the right to explore his existence, is a probable source of the story's ideas, but it was something that needed to be addressed and this is the start of it. Though the Doctor's victory is only partial the episode ends with a thoughtful moment as we imagine all these EMH-Mark 1's being inspired by their brother's musings. The Alpha Quadrant seems closer than ever with the communication which brings Admiral Paris and Reg Barclay back into contact with the ship, and there are much more references to traditonal Trek than there used to be, as if the series is transitioning, preparing. Ferengi, Daystrom, the Bajoran Occupation and more come up in some way, we have a Bolian character and the crew get to talk to their relatives.

This is what makes the episode more enjoyable - by adding in treasured scenes with Kim conversing with his parents and Seven meeting her Aunt Irene. When she calls her Annika there's a thrill there because it's the first time someone has called her that without any other name, and knows her as that. Her background appreciation of the crew's transmissions gradually gives her insight into why she should try and make contact too.

Some of the best moments come from the Doctor's warped authorship of Voyager's adventures, with hilarious pastiches of the main cast. Tuvok wears the Mirror Universe beard, Paris (called Marseilles in this version) is a scumbag with a moustache, Torres a grumpy and violent engineer (no change there then...), Kim a hypochondriac Trill (a bit like his Taresian look from 'Favorite Son'), Seven a redheaded sympathetic, Janeway a harsh crew murderer, but best of all is Chakotay as an angry Bajoran with a huge tattoo on his cheek and an earring with a long chain - the Doc certainly isn't subtle! I would have liked to see what Neelix had been turned into.

The resolution is reminiscent of 'The Measure of A Man', but it is Voyager's own take on it that matters, and though the episode starts off with a self-satisfied, smug Doctor, long before the end I was feeling sorry for him. If only Janeway hadn't told him he could turn his hand to anything at the end there, you never know where it'll lead!

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