Meld

DVD, Voyager S2 (Meld)

One of the strongest of the early seasons, this episode has a bit of everything to recommend it. There's the return of Sandrine's, the holodeck program of Tom Paris and the beginning of his aberrant behaviour. He's happy to play up to the old Paris reputation with his gambling ring, even as far as talking back to Chakotay, but it's Kim's disgust with him that shows it means something to him. When you know what's going on you can understand what Kim's reaction must have felt like to Tom, but he keeps up the role because he has to. We don't get to see the resolution of that moment with Kim or the fact he's on report, which adds to the building sense of ongoing plot lines since the reintroduction of Seska. I think this worked well in the series, giving it more sense of progression, and since the ship was on a journey, it needed that to feel like they were getting somewhere, something that was lost in the later seasons when they all but dispensed with that style and returned to a more episodic format.

The first season had begun with arcs, but the second half of that season and the beginning of Season 2 had reverted to 'TNG' levels of individual stories with little or no connection to others. That goes for the Maquis side of the crew, which many felt were too quickly integrated - that's not quite true as there were often dissenters, but they had to tow the Starfleet line or Chakotay would sock 'em! This episode neatly uses the Maquis to its advantage. At first, when the murder is discovered we assume it has something to do with the spy, but it soon becomes much more disturbing. In another nice link we touch base with a familiar race; the Betazoids, through Suder being one (makes you wonder what other known species are aboard - we've already seen Bolians and Bajorans, and I'm sure a female Vulcan walked past in the background in 'Threshold'. Is there a Trill?).

Again, they use background lore in a new way to enhance the story: this Betazoid is different to the standard type as he can't access his own feelings let alone other's. So he's the opposite of the Betazoid genius Tam Elbrun in 'TNG' episode 'Tin Man', who couldn't get other people out of his head and was very animated. Suder is quiet and restrained until violence takes over. We never see Suder do anything violent, the true horror comes from his influence on Tuvok's mind, leading the Vulcan to strangle Neelix in a holodeck recreation. Some might have said they'd love to see it happen in real life, but it's actually very disturbing and an incredible turnaround for the usual serene, certain calm of Tuvok. He is of the Sherlock Holmes archetype, like Spock, Data and Odo before him - he has high physical strength, but even stronger mental faculties; the power of deduction; a knowledge of the criminal mind; a strong sense of justice. But also like those other characters he's a great risk to others when he loses control, becoming more dangerous, more resourceful, devious and unpredictable as any alien or adversary he's faced down for the side of right.

There are many great scenes which show this, the hint of danger and concealed threat giving the episode a discomfiting undertone from early on. When we know the episode is called 'Meld' and we soon find the murderer it's not hard to work out where things are going - he's sure to do a mindmeld and he does. This is one of the most violent melds we've seen, where he comes to kill Suder, ostensibly as an act of justice, but really to satiate his own uncontrolled thirst for violence. Vulcans are very strong, so when his emotional control is temporarily broken down he knows the things he can do and wants to use his power for his own ends, when usually as a Vulcan he keeps such impulses tightly repressed. Equally the Vulcan ability of control creates a new Suder, one who can reason, but still one whose mind is warped.

When Tuvok lets down the forcefield in the brig the 'victim' doesn't cower in the back of the cell, he jumps out and almost runs towards his executioner, wanting to accept the punishment of death. He tells Tuvok that it's not really justice he wants and that violence will take control of him, but it's not a warning, more an explanation of the facts because he knows how Tuvok feels - Tuvok's reasoning mind has cleared Suder's so he can express his own insights. The meld, with Tuvok dragging the Betazoid round the room is even more horrifying than Spock's mental interrogation of Valeris in 'Star Trek VI'. At least in that there was an imperative need for the information; in this Tuvok just wants vengeance. Suder seems to be glad of the pain he experiences, whether he feels the same addictive impulses of violent behaviour as when he was the offender, or feels the impending death will be bliss compared to his life, we don't know, but he looks almost wondering and saintly as he looks up, to who knows where.

Brad Dourif is excellent and fully deserved to come back. Leaving him locked in his quarters for seventy years was never going to be a real solution, so it's just added to the pile of unresolved issues, from Paris' behaviour, to the spy and the Maquis division. Music says it all, and is used so well. When Tuvok is walking to the turbolift, slows and then returns the way he came, we know he's thinking and has resolved to do something. The dark lighting and high contrast of many shots also increases the tension levels. There have been a lot of horror moments this season, and particularly after watching 'TNG' episodes, in which things are pretty comfortable and homely, it's quite a contrast, but then this is the frontier, Voyager is out in absolutely unknown space so it should be more frightening.

In the end the characters pull through, and though there are echoes of the previous story, 'Threshold' - another one which ends with Janeway and a crewmember in sickbay - this has a much more personal aspect to it, with Tuvok ranting about humans and Janeway in particular. He also says he's been studying violence for over a hundred years, which means he must have begun as a child as we later learn he's about 108at the time of this season. I don't know how bad Neelix' singing voice is, but it's important to note that Tuvok didn't react in that holo-simulation until the holo-Talaxian threatened to sing to him every day until he smiled! But that could stem from Tuvok's strong appreciation for music, and that he had an excellent singing voice himself...

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