Alliances

DVD, Voyager S2 (Alliances)

Right from the opening seconds we're plunged into pitched battle with Voyager fending off a Kazon attack, one of many they've had to fight recently, we learn, forcing Chakotay to suggest they should act more like the Maquis and form an alliance with some of the Kazon sects, altering the balance of power in the area, but giving their ship a safer journey. Although Janeway is initially opposed to such a move away from Starfleet principles of non-interference she's surprised to learn Tuvok agrees with the Commander. This shouldn't be too surprising as the Vulcan has occasionally shown he's willing to bend Starfleet rules in this situation, as he did to try and procure alien folding space technology in Season 1 episode 'Prime Factors'.

It's wonderful to see the friendship that was set up in 'Caretaker', but has rarely been used since, when Janeway comes to him for advice. It gives him the chance to unfurl the vastness of the Trek universe by tying himself into 'TOS' continuity telling her he was a young man in the days when Spock proposed peace between the Klingons and Federation - Tuvok actually spoke out against Spock (wish we'd been there to see that!). This episode is almost like a reboot back to the values and conflicts of the pilot, since we have Janeway going to Tuvok, and Chakotay advocating Maquis tactics, and even the old Maquis versus Starfleet argument has begun to rage again when some crewmembers crawl out of hiding from behind their cooperative smiles. I always suspected things hadn't been as easy to come together as the series made out, but sadly there hadn't been many recurring characters to show the varying viewpoints through much of the first season, or indeed, this one, so it's good that Hogan and Jonas are allowed to come into play here, two characters that would be returning occasionally this season.

Talking of recurring characters, Seska, the one true and constant villain, alongside her irritated Maj Cullah, is back, as devious as ever, telling Cullah the baby inside her is his, though we know she stole Chakotay's DNA not so long ago. She fills the Maj's head with bold plans, but he always manages to let his chauvinism ruin it for him. Yes, he thinks, I'm sure Janeway will grant my request to station some Kazon troops on Voyager as an exchange! An alliance with their sworn enemies was never going to happen so I'm suprised Janeway even factored Seska and the Nistrim into her plans - in all their encounters they'd only ever wanted to get Voyager's technology to gain superiority, so it's a bit unlikely they'd agree to provide the ship with a nice, safe escort out of Kazon space!

It wouldn't have been as enjoyable without Seska and Cullah, she trying to keep him from making stupid gestures, and he failing to see his mistakes. If Chakotay was right, and Janeway were to really think like a Kazon leader she'd have to start hating herself and saying "I'm not taking orders from a woman" at her reflection in the mirror, before conceding authority to Chakotay, then whispering plots and plans into his ear in a devious manner. Chakotay might have liked that. The other plot point to be introduced this episode (aside from Seska deceiving Cullah about the baby), was the traitor Jonas, who first tries to make contact with Seska here. Positive impressions are reinforced about him since he holds back the angry Hogan in the mess hall after the touching ceremony for the most recent casualty, with the haunting whistle and Chakotay making a poignant speech - this kind of thing is what Voyager has missed from many of its episodes, the ability to have caring moments that make the crew real, beyond the main characters, while also being able to use the regulars well, give us plenty of action, and tie into ongoing arcs. It's more like a 'DS9' episode than the usual standalones, and because of that it's so much better.

Mabus is another character which is deceptively shown in a good light, his concern over Neelix when the Talaxian is thrown into the Kazon prison, and his honest face and obvious care for his people mark him out as a good guy - he reminded me of Shakaar on 'DS9', down to Earth and plain-spoken (with the same floppy hair!), and you believe him as much as Janeway does, so it comes as quite a shock when his cold, calculating plan to kill off the Kazon leaders comes to light. That sequence with the gunship blasting into the meeting room is something that should be attempted more on Trek. I don't mean gunships should be in every episode, but that kind of bold, strategic moment, with Voyager sending some photon torpedoes from orbit to hit the hovering Kazon ship makes the scale of the event so much bigger and more real.

I don't think it could have been all the Kazon leaders as I'm sure there would be more sects than just five or so, but maybe some couldn't come or wouldn't. Jal Surat shouldn't be there since he was beamed into space by Cullah just a short time ago, but he's apparently been rescued and doesn't bear a grudge, unless this is his twin brother! Mabus' plan still would have been unlikely to work from what we've seen of the Kazon. The factions territory and size shifts all the time, and probably their leaders too, so new ones would soon have forced their way to the top of each faction. We do finally get some background on the race, which fleshes them out, and provides a modicum of sympathy for them, as Trek is so good at doing to its enemies. The Trabe were just as bad as the Kazon, keeping them in ghettos and treating them badly, so it's their fault the Kazon became angry enough to rise up against them, thus plunging the area into constant instability.

Mabus didn't seem a vengeful sort of man, he seemed to genuinely believe killing off their leaders would weaken the Kazon enough to give the Trabe chance to settle somewhere, but in reality it would just provoke them even more, just as the failed assassination attempt must have done. So it leaves Voyager in a worse position than before, since the Kazon would all want them dead now, but Janeway's great speech at the end, exhorting her crewmates to stick to the principles of Starfleet is a strong and upbeat way to finish, also reassuring us with the news that supplies and energy are high. If nothing else, the time it took to organise the alliance talks gave Voyager a chance to catch breath, and it can now speed off into the sunset secure in the knowledge that, for the moment at least, their Starfleet principles will guide them as they always have. Though if Paris was at the helm in that last shot I wonder if he'd been at the synthale again - the ship was listing drunkenly into the distance rather than smartly warping off! Maybe that's the start of his undercover operation to weed out the spy?

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