DVD, TNG S4 (The Mind's Eye)
Geordi can't even make it to Risa without being abducted by Romulans, forced to endure brainwashing techniques and programmed to assassinate a Klingon target. You have to feel sorry for him. The episode on the other hand has both moments of fascination, and a lack of strong tension, though somehow, on balance I'd still have to say it's a good story, although it chooses a thoughtful, slow-burn approach rather than ratcheting up the tension levels. To start at the beginning I'd like to know why Geordi's shuttlecraft gave him no warning whatsoever of a decloaking Romulan Warbird? You'd think it would be standard procedure, but he was on holiday, travelling to the famous pleasure planet - he even had the computer playing quiz games, so I can accept that normal operations weren't being fully observed.
The Romulan restraint chair is worth mentioning as it successfully provides the brainwashing scene with a threatening and uncomfortable mood. Even so, although La Forge's anguished face and ghastly scream to camera were effective in showing the mental horror he was experiencing I felt we could have done with seeing inside his brain for part of that, not for bloodthirsty visions, but to give it more punch and add to the atmosphere of violation. You could cite the O'Brien episode as an example of that, but this general lack of drive carried through the episode and stopped it from achieving greatness.
It could have been a simmeringly tense build-up to La Forge's deadly mission as the Commander goes about his duties, only the audience aware of his unknowing double-agent state, but it remains interesting, thoughtful, though the theatrical 'he's behind you' direction is all there is to make us wonder what will happen. The exception is during the simulation in which La Forge calmly phasers O'Brien to death in Ten Forward. When we actually see him meet the Chief in the bar on the Enterprise, it's one of the few times we really don't know what he's going to do. Why does he pour his drink on O'Brien? Maybe it's something to do with his mental processes trying to keep the Chief away?
The unfolding universe of 'TNG' is nicely implemented, with the Ferengi, Cardassians and Andorians mentioned, and the status between the Klingons, Federation and Romulans providing the crux of the story: a plot to undermine the Federation/Klingon treaty by the pointy-eared ones. The most brilliant part of all this is the mysterious scenes aboard the Warbird when Geordi's been captured. John Fleck is back again to lend his silky tones as a Romulan and, uncredited, Denise Crosby provides the voice of a mysterious female who remains in the shadows. Who could she be? Why would the Tasha Yar actress be used for a vocal performance? Why are we not allowed to see this character's face? All very stimulating questions that must have given viewers at the time a great deal of debate, but thankfully they only had to wait a couple of episodes for the answer!
There is some nice direction when La Forge proceeds towards his directive, a fish-eye lens adding an unreality to his journey. The actual attack isn't quite so well arranged - it's simply Geordi walking across the Cargo Bay while Worf, on instructions from Data tries to wrestle past a couple of Klingons. In the end Picard has time to grab the phaser and stop him from killing the Klingon governor. I'm not sure it was the most plausible explanation to offer up to someone who had just survived an assassination attempt: we think the Romulans kidnapped our officer and brainwashed him to kill you. Oh, and the Klingon Ambassador was in on it too. But Governor Vagh was quite restrained and thoughtful for one of his race. It was nice to have Picard's assistance of the Klingon High Council brought up, as well as Worf's current situation as an outcast, proving the series did have some degree of continuity and mythology to juggle as it progressed.
***
Monday, 11 April 2011
Investigations
DVD, Voyager S2 (Investigations)
The culmination of the main story arcs of this season is the chance for Mr. Neelix and Tom Paris to be heroic in their own ways - both involve rolling around on the floor with a murderous assailant. Actually I don't think Michael Jonas, the spy, was as bad as he seemed. Although he was a traitor, and he did reluctantly participate, if not instigate, Seska's plan to trap Voyager, there are moments when he could have done worse than he did, such as when he knocks Neelix flying. It may have been that he was simply too busy to finish him off, and he almost got around to it earlier when he was interrupted by the EMH, but he doesn't kill him, and only tries to when he's in a life and death struggle. But he went the way of all tools of evil, plunging to his death in flames of plasma.
Chakotay is the only one not to be thrilled at the revealing of Paris as an agent, pretending to return to his rebellious roots, but it's a great plot twist that makes up for all the times he's had to lie, upset his friends, and not be honest with people. Watching it with the knowledge of what is happening I've sometimes been concerned that it could look obvious that the two storylines were linked, but whatever doubts might have surfaced, I can't deny the high status of this episode which neatly and excitingly pulls off the plans of both sides. This is mainly a Neelix episode as he goes about uncovering stories for his news broadcast 'A Briefing With Neelix', inadvertently endangering the hunt for the spy, but becoming the catalyst which reveals the traitor.
The only negative is that the true nature of Paris' discontent is revealed in a conversation rather than in some action-packed style in the midst of jeopardy which might have upped the ante, but it was important to get the information across clearly. And I would have liked to have seen the Talaxian convoy as it's so rare to get other members of that race. There are certainly many things to praise the episode for, the scenes in which Neelix comes to see if Tom's resolution to leave is true, and especially the sad moments in the transporter room where his three closest friends see him off, the music really making you think this is it. There are plenty of action scenes, fights for survival, ship to ship firefights and effects in the engineering scenes, with smoke billowing and the camera whirling around dramatically in a way that makes you wonder why they didn't make episodes in this style all the time!
A little note of trivia is that the then-Prince Abdullah of Jordan makes a brief appearance as an extra talking to Kim, which is quite fun to know. It often seems a shame, but the best episodes are the ones that rush by without the need for dissection, while lesser episodes provide ample opportunity for debate and review. This is one of the best of the second season, what more to be said?
****
The culmination of the main story arcs of this season is the chance for Mr. Neelix and Tom Paris to be heroic in their own ways - both involve rolling around on the floor with a murderous assailant. Actually I don't think Michael Jonas, the spy, was as bad as he seemed. Although he was a traitor, and he did reluctantly participate, if not instigate, Seska's plan to trap Voyager, there are moments when he could have done worse than he did, such as when he knocks Neelix flying. It may have been that he was simply too busy to finish him off, and he almost got around to it earlier when he was interrupted by the EMH, but he doesn't kill him, and only tries to when he's in a life and death struggle. But he went the way of all tools of evil, plunging to his death in flames of plasma.
Chakotay is the only one not to be thrilled at the revealing of Paris as an agent, pretending to return to his rebellious roots, but it's a great plot twist that makes up for all the times he's had to lie, upset his friends, and not be honest with people. Watching it with the knowledge of what is happening I've sometimes been concerned that it could look obvious that the two storylines were linked, but whatever doubts might have surfaced, I can't deny the high status of this episode which neatly and excitingly pulls off the plans of both sides. This is mainly a Neelix episode as he goes about uncovering stories for his news broadcast 'A Briefing With Neelix', inadvertently endangering the hunt for the spy, but becoming the catalyst which reveals the traitor.
The only negative is that the true nature of Paris' discontent is revealed in a conversation rather than in some action-packed style in the midst of jeopardy which might have upped the ante, but it was important to get the information across clearly. And I would have liked to have seen the Talaxian convoy as it's so rare to get other members of that race. There are certainly many things to praise the episode for, the scenes in which Neelix comes to see if Tom's resolution to leave is true, and especially the sad moments in the transporter room where his three closest friends see him off, the music really making you think this is it. There are plenty of action scenes, fights for survival, ship to ship firefights and effects in the engineering scenes, with smoke billowing and the camera whirling around dramatically in a way that makes you wonder why they didn't make episodes in this style all the time!
A little note of trivia is that the then-Prince Abdullah of Jordan makes a brief appearance as an extra talking to Kim, which is quite fun to know. It often seems a shame, but the best episodes are the ones that rush by without the need for dissection, while lesser episodes provide ample opportunity for debate and review. This is one of the best of the second season, what more to be said?
****
The Host
DVD, TNG S4 (The Host)
The Trill, a race that would become integral to 'DS9', are introduced in this story of body-swopping mayhem that is full of problems. If the Trill as a species are so little known, how is it that only a couple of years later we have the great Jadzia Dax, who must have gone to Starfleet Academy, surely? We find out Sisko was friends with her former host, Curzon, for years, and that he was well-known for his diplomatic missions. It's like they're talking about two different races... In a way they are, because the only two Trill we see in this episode have three-pronged head ridges, in a standard Trek forehead way rather than delicate spots, and would be quite forgettable if it weren't for the secret that they carry within - the symbiont, though I don't think it was named as such, and simply known by its name, Odan.
That's another large inconsistency: later examples of the race were much more about the host, who was improved by the addition of the symbiont, whereas here the host is discarded without mention again! Dr. Crusher, through all her difficulties with the concept of a 'parasite' being, doesn't seem to do anything about the host body she cared so much about, and we don't hear anything about the guy - did he die? It seems once Riker takes on board Odan that he is no longer in control, and Odan is the only cognisant entity, but these things aren't explored. The icky ending could have been so much more poignant if it had been a scene between Crusher and Riker, rather than some guest star who was in and out in one scene, so who cares, but the two crewmates must have had to come to terms with what happened.
The character interactions are a major flaw with the story, since Picard is struck dumb and frowning by Odan's interest in Beverly, the only moment that means anything between them is when he offers his services as a friend. Likewise, Deanna doesn't seem at all bothered by Will's transformation, even encouraging the Doctor to continue their romance, which is completely at odds with how she'd likely behave, but because the episode isn't focused on her, she has to let it all glide by - a sign of poor writing. Saying that she did get one nice moment when she talks about her Father, so it's not all bad, though like I said before, there's no resolution scene when Riker's back to normal which was sorely needed.
It seems the Trill did more than change their spots, they became an almost entirely different culture, so I can only speculate that Odan was of a minor sub-species of the Trill who looked different and had more physical limitations, such as not being able to travel via transporter, or being critically injured by falling off a chair! When it came down to it, I don't see why the crew didn't each take turns with the worm in their belly, thus lessening the danger to each person. I expect the answer to that is that it would weaken the symbiont, and it would create even greater levels of confusion than the process already did, kind of like a bizarre pass-the-parcel crossed with 'The Naked Now', I expect!
Aside from the massive contradictions to Trek lore (even more so when you consider how common it is to see a Trill, even on the Enterprise in the films - they became one of the third-tier races like the Betazoids or the Bolians), the episode really doesn't have a lot going for it. Was that the barber's Crusher and Troi visit for beauty treatment? Was that the famous Mr. Mot in the background? Do we really need a lavish salon on the Federation flagship? Yes, no and no are the answers I would suspect for those queries, but the most important question of all is: is the episode worth bothering with? No, it doesn't make the most of the situation, so that characters appear unconcerned by the huge things happening to their friends, except for Beverly who goes through a whirlwind of emotion. The aliens Odan persuades from warring with each other, would later be a familiar background race on the DS9 station promenade, though I must say, in keeping with the weak story, the representatives didn't seem all that difficult to get along with, so the diplomatic victory wasn't so great after all.
*
The Trill, a race that would become integral to 'DS9', are introduced in this story of body-swopping mayhem that is full of problems. If the Trill as a species are so little known, how is it that only a couple of years later we have the great Jadzia Dax, who must have gone to Starfleet Academy, surely? We find out Sisko was friends with her former host, Curzon, for years, and that he was well-known for his diplomatic missions. It's like they're talking about two different races... In a way they are, because the only two Trill we see in this episode have three-pronged head ridges, in a standard Trek forehead way rather than delicate spots, and would be quite forgettable if it weren't for the secret that they carry within - the symbiont, though I don't think it was named as such, and simply known by its name, Odan.
That's another large inconsistency: later examples of the race were much more about the host, who was improved by the addition of the symbiont, whereas here the host is discarded without mention again! Dr. Crusher, through all her difficulties with the concept of a 'parasite' being, doesn't seem to do anything about the host body she cared so much about, and we don't hear anything about the guy - did he die? It seems once Riker takes on board Odan that he is no longer in control, and Odan is the only cognisant entity, but these things aren't explored. The icky ending could have been so much more poignant if it had been a scene between Crusher and Riker, rather than some guest star who was in and out in one scene, so who cares, but the two crewmates must have had to come to terms with what happened.
The character interactions are a major flaw with the story, since Picard is struck dumb and frowning by Odan's interest in Beverly, the only moment that means anything between them is when he offers his services as a friend. Likewise, Deanna doesn't seem at all bothered by Will's transformation, even encouraging the Doctor to continue their romance, which is completely at odds with how she'd likely behave, but because the episode isn't focused on her, she has to let it all glide by - a sign of poor writing. Saying that she did get one nice moment when she talks about her Father, so it's not all bad, though like I said before, there's no resolution scene when Riker's back to normal which was sorely needed.
It seems the Trill did more than change their spots, they became an almost entirely different culture, so I can only speculate that Odan was of a minor sub-species of the Trill who looked different and had more physical limitations, such as not being able to travel via transporter, or being critically injured by falling off a chair! When it came down to it, I don't see why the crew didn't each take turns with the worm in their belly, thus lessening the danger to each person. I expect the answer to that is that it would weaken the symbiont, and it would create even greater levels of confusion than the process already did, kind of like a bizarre pass-the-parcel crossed with 'The Naked Now', I expect!
Aside from the massive contradictions to Trek lore (even more so when you consider how common it is to see a Trill, even on the Enterprise in the films - they became one of the third-tier races like the Betazoids or the Bolians), the episode really doesn't have a lot going for it. Was that the barber's Crusher and Troi visit for beauty treatment? Was that the famous Mr. Mot in the background? Do we really need a lavish salon on the Federation flagship? Yes, no and no are the answers I would suspect for those queries, but the most important question of all is: is the episode worth bothering with? No, it doesn't make the most of the situation, so that characters appear unconcerned by the huge things happening to their friends, except for Beverly who goes through a whirlwind of emotion. The aliens Odan persuades from warring with each other, would later be a familiar background race on the DS9 station promenade, though I must say, in keeping with the weak story, the representatives didn't seem all that difficult to get along with, so the diplomatic victory wasn't so great after all.
*
Half A Life
DVD, TNG S4 (Half A Life)
Lwaxana's on board, for no particular reason, she's just there. And Picard is treading cautiously round his ship. I love the way Mrs. Troi can still bring out the 'old' reserved Picard, that her exuberant personality can still drive the Captain to feats of inexpressiveness and... er, vague... excuses... We later hear she's snagged a lift on the Federation flagship on her way home to Betazed, but she doesn't seem to be there in her Ambassadorial capacity as she isn't quite treated with the same rank as she has been on other episodes. Still, it's always a laugh to have her along for ride. Or is it?
Dr. Timicin comes aboard for a mission to try some kind of healing experiment on a sun so that his own planet's star can be prevented from destroying the homeworld Kaelon II. Lwaxana takes an instant fancy to him (he is, after all, male, and that's the only excuse she's ever needed!) and provides her usual comic moments through lack of respect for the conventions of Starfleet operations - having her manservant Mr. Homn spread the engineering console with a tablecloth to ensure Timicin, Geordi and Data eat up and stay healthy! Initial impressions begin to waver when the story takes a tragic twist and we learn that this is Dr. Timicin's last possible attempt to save his world before his 'Resolution', a ritual suicide which all members of his race practice at the age of sixty so they can die with dignity.
Lwaxana provides the voice of reason against this barbaric custom, as hard to believe as that is, even citing a hilarious Betazoid tradition involving massive wigs with tiny creatures living in the centre, which was uncomfortable for the wearer and cruel to the creature, as an example of something which had to be stopped, and was, when one lady spoke out. The added incentive is that the Dr. has an idea on how to proceed effectively and save his world, but they don't want to know, and when he requests asylum, cut him off completely, while threatening the Enterprise. His daughter (played by a pre-Ensign Ro Michelle Forbes, a year before she took her most famous Trek role), arrives to try and persuade him to stick to tradition as he taught her to do, which is the last straw for Timicin.
It's easy to forget that things don't end happily, with Timicin resigned to his fate, and nothing left to live for (as even Lwaxana's love isn't enough to sway him from his people's ways), he must leave. Lwaxana touchingly goes with him to attend the Resolution, as all his loved ones will. Though there are a few moments of levity, such as Mrs. Troi's overbearing presence forcing herself onto the large, but quiet visitor, while Riker grins heartily, or when Worf shows his great displeasure and finally rises to the bait explaining his name is Worf, not 'Woof', the majority of the episode is quite fraught and may well feature Majel Barrett's best scenes in the role - when she ferociously upbraids poor Chief O'Brien when he can't allow her to beam down to the planet to take out her anguish on Timicin's people; when she turns to her 'little one' Deanna for advice and comfort, and when she throws argument after argument against Timicin's way of thinking, then ultimately tries to accept his decision. If she hadn't done so before, she certainly proves her great worth as a dramatic actress, imbuing the usually fortress-like, unstoppable force that is Madam Troi with fragility and weakness, much as she would do in 'DS9's 'The Forsaken'.
A strong episode, and it's interesting to note the markings that Timicin's people sport on their person. Though they are more solid lines than spots, they are evocative of the Trill species' spots, which is ironic considering the first appearance of a Trill was in the following episode, and he didn't have spots at all!
***
Lwaxana's on board, for no particular reason, she's just there. And Picard is treading cautiously round his ship. I love the way Mrs. Troi can still bring out the 'old' reserved Picard, that her exuberant personality can still drive the Captain to feats of inexpressiveness and... er, vague... excuses... We later hear she's snagged a lift on the Federation flagship on her way home to Betazed, but she doesn't seem to be there in her Ambassadorial capacity as she isn't quite treated with the same rank as she has been on other episodes. Still, it's always a laugh to have her along for ride. Or is it?
Dr. Timicin comes aboard for a mission to try some kind of healing experiment on a sun so that his own planet's star can be prevented from destroying the homeworld Kaelon II. Lwaxana takes an instant fancy to him (he is, after all, male, and that's the only excuse she's ever needed!) and provides her usual comic moments through lack of respect for the conventions of Starfleet operations - having her manservant Mr. Homn spread the engineering console with a tablecloth to ensure Timicin, Geordi and Data eat up and stay healthy! Initial impressions begin to waver when the story takes a tragic twist and we learn that this is Dr. Timicin's last possible attempt to save his world before his 'Resolution', a ritual suicide which all members of his race practice at the age of sixty so they can die with dignity.
Lwaxana provides the voice of reason against this barbaric custom, as hard to believe as that is, even citing a hilarious Betazoid tradition involving massive wigs with tiny creatures living in the centre, which was uncomfortable for the wearer and cruel to the creature, as an example of something which had to be stopped, and was, when one lady spoke out. The added incentive is that the Dr. has an idea on how to proceed effectively and save his world, but they don't want to know, and when he requests asylum, cut him off completely, while threatening the Enterprise. His daughter (played by a pre-Ensign Ro Michelle Forbes, a year before she took her most famous Trek role), arrives to try and persuade him to stick to tradition as he taught her to do, which is the last straw for Timicin.
It's easy to forget that things don't end happily, with Timicin resigned to his fate, and nothing left to live for (as even Lwaxana's love isn't enough to sway him from his people's ways), he must leave. Lwaxana touchingly goes with him to attend the Resolution, as all his loved ones will. Though there are a few moments of levity, such as Mrs. Troi's overbearing presence forcing herself onto the large, but quiet visitor, while Riker grins heartily, or when Worf shows his great displeasure and finally rises to the bait explaining his name is Worf, not 'Woof', the majority of the episode is quite fraught and may well feature Majel Barrett's best scenes in the role - when she ferociously upbraids poor Chief O'Brien when he can't allow her to beam down to the planet to take out her anguish on Timicin's people; when she turns to her 'little one' Deanna for advice and comfort, and when she throws argument after argument against Timicin's way of thinking, then ultimately tries to accept his decision. If she hadn't done so before, she certainly proves her great worth as a dramatic actress, imbuing the usually fortress-like, unstoppable force that is Madam Troi with fragility and weakness, much as she would do in 'DS9's 'The Forsaken'.
A strong episode, and it's interesting to note the markings that Timicin's people sport on their person. Though they are more solid lines than spots, they are evocative of the Trill species' spots, which is ironic considering the first appearance of a Trill was in the following episode, and he didn't have spots at all!
***
Lifesigns
DVD, Voyager S2 (Lifesigns)
One episode that didn't quite work, but all the same had enough facets to keep your mind busy. It's one of the few that has an A-, B- and C-story, and the A-story is the least engaging. Jonas the spy, and Paris behaving badly are the minor threads running alongside the Doctor's dalliance with Danara, a Vidiian woman whom he is able to save from an early grave. The reason this is disappointing is because the only previous appearances by the fearsome Vidiians, a race that harvest the organs of others to survive a debilitating disease, have been all-out action shows, with serious consequences for anyone at the heart of them. So as soon as you hear the name, you develop expectations that are not met in the slightest, becoming a beauty and the beast tale, in which both roles are played by Danara. As consolation it's worth noting that the kind of episode that was expected from the Vidiians was to arrive a short time later.
Danara is quite different to the other representatives of her people. She's a doctor, someone the EMH is quick to have a rapport with, and she is a benevolent person, travelling to colonies to do what she can for her fellow afflicted, far from the grisly role of collecting specimens for a dependent as some of her race practice. She is sorry for the experience Torres was put through in 'Faces' in which she was split into human and Klingon halves (I still think it's great and so true that the warrior race's DNA is stronger than others and so can be used against the Phage!). Torres is enraged by the Doctor's demand for her brain tissue until Danara's quiet words turn aside her wrath and shame her into helping in whatever way possible.
There are some pleasant moments, not something you'd expect in a Vidiian episode, but this doesn't really fit into that category: it's a Doctor episode, with Tom Paris as second banana, and once again, as in Season 1's 'Heroes and Demons', the Doc has a romance, only this time she's only partially holographic, as the only way to save Danara was to put her neural activity into a simulated body. When she first sees her unblemished face she's quite struck, and although this is supposed to be a touching little romance it seemed more like a patient worshipping her medical saviour. As has been common with the last few episodes we get more references to other Treks, with Dr. McCoy being credited with a certain procedure the EMH uses, and a holographic reproduction of Mars, with Earth visible as a tiny dot.
Tom Paris' increasingly slovenly actions really look suspect here, as he continues to be late (dropping a reference to Wildman's impending birth by joking that he played mid-wife, as an excuse, neatly reminding us of yet another ongoing storyline), and refuses Chakotay's attempt at levelling with him. He even pushes the First Officer to the ground when he lays a restraining hand on his arm, and to the brig he goes! Because I know that it's all a ruse to flush out the spy, it does look transparent as these are the only two plots that keep cropping up, and so close together that they go from a scene where Paris behaves like an idiot again to one in which Jonas is trying to get in touch with Seska on the Kazon ship. If you're not anticipating the resolution of the story then perhaps it does seem like Paris has a bee under his bonnet as this is close to how he behaved in the early episodes. As much as Chakotay might like to dispense some Maquis command style justice on his face (as he did to a Maquis crewman in 'Learning Curve'), he has to operate by Starfleet rules. A shame he's not in the know - Janeway's appearances in this episode are deliberately kept low-key and uninvolved, shaking off the responsibility to her number one, when at any other time she'd be the first to deal with a troubled crewmember.
Though the Doc's romance is a bit unnecessary, it does give us a chance to see Sandrine's again, where he gets some advice from Tom, in one of his more relaxed moments away from baiting Chakotay. He also learns to dance by altering his program, something that he would later learn to have much more control over, the start of his real freedom to express himself, beyond just the important role he has on Voyager. Kes had previously awakened his sense of individuality and rights, and she's by his side again to take him through his misunderstandings - a two year old teaching the learned! Then again, if the Ocampa weren't such a quick study, their society wouldn't have lasted long, with an average lifespan of nine years! I love the way it ends, the Doc dancing out of frame, as we, the audience, need no further explanation or conclusion, since they have a short time together then Danara will leave for her return to her planet where she can help more people.
In those last scenes they do get in some thoughtful dialogue on the subject of living with disfigurement and the importance of life - Danara sees herself as nothing in her own disease-ravaged body, but the Doc wants her to live on, and not 'use up' her brain by staying in the false holographic body for a couple more days. There was obviously another person playing the Phage-infected version of Danara as they appear in the same scene, but I wonder if it was the actual actor who appears in makeup to dance with the Doc at the end, or whether it was the same one that had played the incapacitated role throughout the episode, as we don't hear her speak... There's also some fun with names as Pel names the EMH Shmullus after her uncle, another time the Doc had a name foisted on him, though he didn't seem to mind at the time, he didn't stick with it! And Paris is replaced for being late, by Mr. Grimes - sounds like someone out of Dickens!
**
One episode that didn't quite work, but all the same had enough facets to keep your mind busy. It's one of the few that has an A-, B- and C-story, and the A-story is the least engaging. Jonas the spy, and Paris behaving badly are the minor threads running alongside the Doctor's dalliance with Danara, a Vidiian woman whom he is able to save from an early grave. The reason this is disappointing is because the only previous appearances by the fearsome Vidiians, a race that harvest the organs of others to survive a debilitating disease, have been all-out action shows, with serious consequences for anyone at the heart of them. So as soon as you hear the name, you develop expectations that are not met in the slightest, becoming a beauty and the beast tale, in which both roles are played by Danara. As consolation it's worth noting that the kind of episode that was expected from the Vidiians was to arrive a short time later.
Danara is quite different to the other representatives of her people. She's a doctor, someone the EMH is quick to have a rapport with, and she is a benevolent person, travelling to colonies to do what she can for her fellow afflicted, far from the grisly role of collecting specimens for a dependent as some of her race practice. She is sorry for the experience Torres was put through in 'Faces' in which she was split into human and Klingon halves (I still think it's great and so true that the warrior race's DNA is stronger than others and so can be used against the Phage!). Torres is enraged by the Doctor's demand for her brain tissue until Danara's quiet words turn aside her wrath and shame her into helping in whatever way possible.
There are some pleasant moments, not something you'd expect in a Vidiian episode, but this doesn't really fit into that category: it's a Doctor episode, with Tom Paris as second banana, and once again, as in Season 1's 'Heroes and Demons', the Doc has a romance, only this time she's only partially holographic, as the only way to save Danara was to put her neural activity into a simulated body. When she first sees her unblemished face she's quite struck, and although this is supposed to be a touching little romance it seemed more like a patient worshipping her medical saviour. As has been common with the last few episodes we get more references to other Treks, with Dr. McCoy being credited with a certain procedure the EMH uses, and a holographic reproduction of Mars, with Earth visible as a tiny dot.
Tom Paris' increasingly slovenly actions really look suspect here, as he continues to be late (dropping a reference to Wildman's impending birth by joking that he played mid-wife, as an excuse, neatly reminding us of yet another ongoing storyline), and refuses Chakotay's attempt at levelling with him. He even pushes the First Officer to the ground when he lays a restraining hand on his arm, and to the brig he goes! Because I know that it's all a ruse to flush out the spy, it does look transparent as these are the only two plots that keep cropping up, and so close together that they go from a scene where Paris behaves like an idiot again to one in which Jonas is trying to get in touch with Seska on the Kazon ship. If you're not anticipating the resolution of the story then perhaps it does seem like Paris has a bee under his bonnet as this is close to how he behaved in the early episodes. As much as Chakotay might like to dispense some Maquis command style justice on his face (as he did to a Maquis crewman in 'Learning Curve'), he has to operate by Starfleet rules. A shame he's not in the know - Janeway's appearances in this episode are deliberately kept low-key and uninvolved, shaking off the responsibility to her number one, when at any other time she'd be the first to deal with a troubled crewmember.
Though the Doc's romance is a bit unnecessary, it does give us a chance to see Sandrine's again, where he gets some advice from Tom, in one of his more relaxed moments away from baiting Chakotay. He also learns to dance by altering his program, something that he would later learn to have much more control over, the start of his real freedom to express himself, beyond just the important role he has on Voyager. Kes had previously awakened his sense of individuality and rights, and she's by his side again to take him through his misunderstandings - a two year old teaching the learned! Then again, if the Ocampa weren't such a quick study, their society wouldn't have lasted long, with an average lifespan of nine years! I love the way it ends, the Doc dancing out of frame, as we, the audience, need no further explanation or conclusion, since they have a short time together then Danara will leave for her return to her planet where she can help more people.
In those last scenes they do get in some thoughtful dialogue on the subject of living with disfigurement and the importance of life - Danara sees herself as nothing in her own disease-ravaged body, but the Doc wants her to live on, and not 'use up' her brain by staying in the false holographic body for a couple more days. There was obviously another person playing the Phage-infected version of Danara as they appear in the same scene, but I wonder if it was the actual actor who appears in makeup to dance with the Doc at the end, or whether it was the same one that had played the incapacitated role throughout the episode, as we don't hear her speak... There's also some fun with names as Pel names the EMH Shmullus after her uncle, another time the Doc had a name foisted on him, though he didn't seem to mind at the time, he didn't stick with it! And Paris is replaced for being late, by Mr. Grimes - sounds like someone out of Dickens!
**
Monday, 4 April 2011
Vessel
DVD, Smallville S5 (Vessel)
Okay, so it's the final episode of the season, all the meandering plots of the year come to a head, and of course, it has to have big action, and a cliffhanger which leaves all the characters in jeopardy and excites interest for the next season. I was going along with it to begin with, the teaser features some exciting scenes as Lex is drawn to a field and 'beamed up' as Lana looks on. A good start, I thought, but from experience of most of the season-enders I didn't get my hopes up that this would turn into a good story. Somehow I was still disappointed, even with low expectations, because it doesn't have a story, it's a series of scenes that ought to come from 'Super-Cliche', not Superman. I'm not sure at what point my slight hopes began to sink, but I soon became unconcerned about what was happening, because it was all so melodramatic and corny.
Clark decides to listen to Jor-el once again, one of many character inconsistencies that, in truth, is fairly common on the series, but this episode points the finger at them bluntly: why should he trust Jor-el? For that matter, why should he trust Lionel, who is quick to trot up to his loft in the barn, lay a fatherly hand on Clark, and dispense friendly advice. I was waiting, and still await, the 'real' Lionel Luthor to show himself. He's so open about Lex and his upbringing, such an intense contravention of his persona in other seasons in which everything was held tightly to his chest. Anyway, Clark ends up with a mission to kill Lex because he's the vessel of the title, which Zod will use as a host body, saving them from having to employ some well-known guest actor to play him as I expected. It makes sense in a way, because Lex is the villain of the series, or he has become it, though his 'is he bad, is he good' persona was so much more interesting to watch. Now he's become the standard Evil Villain Template, complete with sneer and long black leather coat.
Clark tells Chloe he may have to kill to Lex, somehow Lana overhears this. I'm not sure where her extreme devotion to Lex comes from, but it was never arrived at believably, and her animosity to Clark is almost shouting at him that he should have trusted her with his secret powers, as Lex has. So much that should have been left unsaid is bluntly spoken onscreen as if there never was any mystery. Okay, so Lana doesn't know about Clark yet, but Lex finds out in the brief rumble he and Clark enjoy in the barn, though it's little more than a shoving match as so many 'Smallville' fights are - one person chucks the other into a wall, then the other person comes back and chucks the first person into a wall. Great. I doubt Lex will even remember about Clark's powers once he comes out of Zod's control.
Amid all the 'intrigue' if you can call it that, Martha has zero to do except for taking a flight on the Luthor jet to some conference or something, with her PA Lois. Once again they openly discuss Lionel and Martha. Of course there has to be a plane in the episode so that something can go wrong with it - in this case they are kidnapped by Fine, or one of the Fine clones, who is the pilot. How exciting, will they survive the lack of oxygen as they slump to the deck in the cliffhanger. You can just tell it's going to be a simple matter to sort that storyline out.
Somehow, Clark chucking the special Kryptonian dagger his Dad gave him at the Fortress of Solitude, into one of the Fine's is what opens the doorway to the Phantom Zone so Zod can inhabit Lex. So what was the point of the dagger, and how was Zod supposed to get out if Clark hadn't done that? It just doesn't make for a cohesive story, and for that reason becomes a jumble of craziness that is far-out and wacky rather than legendary and mysterious. The dialogue doesn't help with some awful lines that could have been taken from any given B-film. As always, I must say I understand that this is all based on a comic book character, and that comic books are full of wackiness, but this is a TV series and it often had its own brand of wackiness that you bought into, but so many times they've crossed the boundaries and it feels ridiculous and out of its own context. It isn't consistent.
Lana shouting at Clark she can't believe she ever loved him was one of the low points. Who cares what she thinks, she's just a puppet these days. Even Tom Welling doesn't come off looking too special, only John Glover's Lionel retains a reality in his manner. We're supposed to accept that Fine's computer virus, which travelled to every system in all the world and switched off all the electricity causes global chaos in a matter of minutes. People are out fighting and looting with a snap of the fingers, it's bizarre! Then we get the final shot, pulling back from the Earth, and you see the lights blinking out across the globe, but surely that's already happened if it's so fast we can see it happening!
Clark, trapped in the Phantom Zone's glass window, spinning off into space isn't a bad visual, and there are moments to enjoy, such as a car smashing into the Daily Planet's basement and Clark shielding Chloe from the glass, catching the car, but these moments are very short and can't make up for the awfulness of so much of it - what happened to the driver of the car? As soon as he's stopped it, he and Chloe resume their conversation, not worried whether anyone saw him perform the feat. And they show visuals of violent uprisings from several cities, which are clearly real stock footage, then cut to Metropolis which looks so fake and small-scale in comparison.
I suppose it might have been worrying if this episode had bucked the trend and proved to be one of the best stories of the season, but I could have lived with that! It's best to remember what you're watching when you view this series, or you can forget how stupid, loud and pointless it can be, but when it's good you forget about these moments. Do I care about what happens next? Lex will rule the world, if only for a short period when Clark will find a way to get back out of the Zone and rescue him from himself. Maybe the other characters will go into the Zone, and... okay, so I can't really predict what will happen, but I'm sure it will be stupid. Will I watch Season 6? As it happens, yes, because I'm halfway through the entire series and it's occasionally quite good. Will I try and get the DVD as cheap as possible? Yes, because once it's been watched it's going on ebay.
I have to ask myself whether Season 5 has been worth watching and the answer is yes, certainly. It had a good run of quality at one point, and though that has dipped up and down, it remains, for the most part, an entertaining diversion, bright in looks, with some of the happiness and good feeling brought back into it. After Season 3, in which my expectations took a nosedive, and Season 4, which had some nice moments, 5 has proved to be a continuation of 4's good work, but also its bad.
**
Okay, so it's the final episode of the season, all the meandering plots of the year come to a head, and of course, it has to have big action, and a cliffhanger which leaves all the characters in jeopardy and excites interest for the next season. I was going along with it to begin with, the teaser features some exciting scenes as Lex is drawn to a field and 'beamed up' as Lana looks on. A good start, I thought, but from experience of most of the season-enders I didn't get my hopes up that this would turn into a good story. Somehow I was still disappointed, even with low expectations, because it doesn't have a story, it's a series of scenes that ought to come from 'Super-Cliche', not Superman. I'm not sure at what point my slight hopes began to sink, but I soon became unconcerned about what was happening, because it was all so melodramatic and corny.
Clark decides to listen to Jor-el once again, one of many character inconsistencies that, in truth, is fairly common on the series, but this episode points the finger at them bluntly: why should he trust Jor-el? For that matter, why should he trust Lionel, who is quick to trot up to his loft in the barn, lay a fatherly hand on Clark, and dispense friendly advice. I was waiting, and still await, the 'real' Lionel Luthor to show himself. He's so open about Lex and his upbringing, such an intense contravention of his persona in other seasons in which everything was held tightly to his chest. Anyway, Clark ends up with a mission to kill Lex because he's the vessel of the title, which Zod will use as a host body, saving them from having to employ some well-known guest actor to play him as I expected. It makes sense in a way, because Lex is the villain of the series, or he has become it, though his 'is he bad, is he good' persona was so much more interesting to watch. Now he's become the standard Evil Villain Template, complete with sneer and long black leather coat.
Clark tells Chloe he may have to kill to Lex, somehow Lana overhears this. I'm not sure where her extreme devotion to Lex comes from, but it was never arrived at believably, and her animosity to Clark is almost shouting at him that he should have trusted her with his secret powers, as Lex has. So much that should have been left unsaid is bluntly spoken onscreen as if there never was any mystery. Okay, so Lana doesn't know about Clark yet, but Lex finds out in the brief rumble he and Clark enjoy in the barn, though it's little more than a shoving match as so many 'Smallville' fights are - one person chucks the other into a wall, then the other person comes back and chucks the first person into a wall. Great. I doubt Lex will even remember about Clark's powers once he comes out of Zod's control.
Amid all the 'intrigue' if you can call it that, Martha has zero to do except for taking a flight on the Luthor jet to some conference or something, with her PA Lois. Once again they openly discuss Lionel and Martha. Of course there has to be a plane in the episode so that something can go wrong with it - in this case they are kidnapped by Fine, or one of the Fine clones, who is the pilot. How exciting, will they survive the lack of oxygen as they slump to the deck in the cliffhanger. You can just tell it's going to be a simple matter to sort that storyline out.
Somehow, Clark chucking the special Kryptonian dagger his Dad gave him at the Fortress of Solitude, into one of the Fine's is what opens the doorway to the Phantom Zone so Zod can inhabit Lex. So what was the point of the dagger, and how was Zod supposed to get out if Clark hadn't done that? It just doesn't make for a cohesive story, and for that reason becomes a jumble of craziness that is far-out and wacky rather than legendary and mysterious. The dialogue doesn't help with some awful lines that could have been taken from any given B-film. As always, I must say I understand that this is all based on a comic book character, and that comic books are full of wackiness, but this is a TV series and it often had its own brand of wackiness that you bought into, but so many times they've crossed the boundaries and it feels ridiculous and out of its own context. It isn't consistent.
Lana shouting at Clark she can't believe she ever loved him was one of the low points. Who cares what she thinks, she's just a puppet these days. Even Tom Welling doesn't come off looking too special, only John Glover's Lionel retains a reality in his manner. We're supposed to accept that Fine's computer virus, which travelled to every system in all the world and switched off all the electricity causes global chaos in a matter of minutes. People are out fighting and looting with a snap of the fingers, it's bizarre! Then we get the final shot, pulling back from the Earth, and you see the lights blinking out across the globe, but surely that's already happened if it's so fast we can see it happening!
Clark, trapped in the Phantom Zone's glass window, spinning off into space isn't a bad visual, and there are moments to enjoy, such as a car smashing into the Daily Planet's basement and Clark shielding Chloe from the glass, catching the car, but these moments are very short and can't make up for the awfulness of so much of it - what happened to the driver of the car? As soon as he's stopped it, he and Chloe resume their conversation, not worried whether anyone saw him perform the feat. And they show visuals of violent uprisings from several cities, which are clearly real stock footage, then cut to Metropolis which looks so fake and small-scale in comparison.
I suppose it might have been worrying if this episode had bucked the trend and proved to be one of the best stories of the season, but I could have lived with that! It's best to remember what you're watching when you view this series, or you can forget how stupid, loud and pointless it can be, but when it's good you forget about these moments. Do I care about what happens next? Lex will rule the world, if only for a short period when Clark will find a way to get back out of the Zone and rescue him from himself. Maybe the other characters will go into the Zone, and... okay, so I can't really predict what will happen, but I'm sure it will be stupid. Will I watch Season 6? As it happens, yes, because I'm halfway through the entire series and it's occasionally quite good. Will I try and get the DVD as cheap as possible? Yes, because once it's been watched it's going on ebay.
I have to ask myself whether Season 5 has been worth watching and the answer is yes, certainly. It had a good run of quality at one point, and though that has dipped up and down, it remains, for the most part, an entertaining diversion, bright in looks, with some of the happiness and good feeling brought back into it. After Season 3, in which my expectations took a nosedive, and Season 4, which had some nice moments, 5 has proved to be a continuation of 4's good work, but also its bad.
**
Death Wish
DVD, Voyager S2 (Death Wish)
Supposedly a forum for the discussion on the ethics of suicide, this isn't really the open-minded debate that it's often remembered as, and I'm glad about that as it would have seemed plain wrong to have these characters advocate such a practice. Janeway makes it clear she doesn't support suicide, as does Tuvok, though his race do sometimes practice ritual suicide. This is at odds with what we know of Vulcan culture and their views on the sanctity of life, but maybe they just sling their katra into someone else and live on in that way? It may be that this isn't a widely practiced or accepted doctrine, rather like the nude pagan holiday Neelix mentioned in a recent episode!
The story starts in a surprising way, and if you didn't know what was coming it could seem quite a threat: investigating a rogue comet they beam a fragment aboard, but it's actually a man, in Starfleet uniform, who walks right through the containment field and announces himself as 'Q'. We know it's not 'the' Q of 'TNG', but true to the constraints of the ship and crew, they don't realise he isn't the Q they've heard of until 'our' Q appears. There are fun and games for a short while as Quinn (the name he chooses) tries to hide from Q in places as diverse as the 'birth of the universe' or as an ornament on a Christmas tree. You could begin to assume that only characters whose names begin with Q are allowed to crossover to this series, since Quark is the only major one to appear to this point, were it not for the fact that Q brings Commander Riker as one of his witnesses in the asylum hearing. That he and the other witnesses pulled from history won't remember when they return to their proper places makes sense to protect the timeline, but it would have helped the Captain to know Starfleet had been informed of Voyager's status.
In the timeline Will Riker's current assignment is unknown since this is the year after 'Star Trek: Generations' when the Enterprise-D crash-landed on a planet, but before the next film which unveiled the Enterprise-E, so it would have been fun to hear exactly what Riker had been snatched away from. Regardless, it's always good to see familiar faces pop up, and Jonathan Frakes was one of the most prolific, appearing in all the spin-offs, the only main character to do that! Q is the other established participant, but although we know so little about his race, the Q Continuum, this episode gives us plenty of fill-in details, even allowing us to see a representation of their own existence. It's so simply done, with the desert road and the filling station, and manages to sum up this supposed omnipotent race succinctly, quite an achievement, since trying to characterise all-powerful beings has always been difficult in the Trek universe. Ah, but they're not omnipotent, as Quinn tells us, saying they are to humans as humans are to races that aren't as advanced. I've always suspected they weren't all they seemed, so often lacking details, that this adds reality to what has always been a difficult concept to ground.
Having Q on board could easily have become ridiculous, since it nullifies the trials Janeway and crew have gone through when he can so easily snap his fingers and take them home. But that's cleverly circumvented by the main issue of asylum and the idea of the Q Continuum versus Quinn, with Janeway as judge. The trip home becomes a bargaining chip for Q to try and win over the Captain, so she'll rule in his favour, forcing Quinn to stay in his comet prison forever. The moment we see Earth, the goal they have strived for, outside the window, and more to the point, Janeway sees it, is one of the most heartbreaking moments. But Q either doesn't understand Janeway or refuses to play a subtler game, evidence that he doesn't really want to win. Janeway ended up stranded simply because she took such a decision of sacrifice and sticking to principles in the first place, this situation is no different, except instead of many lives it's just one. She still makes the same decision, the one she thinks is morally right, granting Quinn asylum even though he wants to die, urging him to live out the mortal life he now has. It would have been useful to have a former Q on board, and Gerrit Graham's self-deprecating, puppy-eyed performance would have been so good to see on a recurring basis.
Q himself has a change of heart, hearing that Quinn's philosophical views were inspired by his own radical behaviour, going against the 'state' as it were, causing mischief for his own amusement until he was punished, as seen on 'TNG' which apparently bent him back into shape, and making him realise he believes more in the individual expression he had before than fitting in with his people. So he says and does all the wrong things he could do, to Janeway, and though this could be attributed to his usual arrogant persona, we gradually see more and more that he opposes the Continuum's view against change. The change being of a Q killing themself, which could alter the society (and would, as we'd find out later), going as far as assisting Quinn's plan. So suicide as an issue isn't really the focus of the story - Quinn didn't even have a good reason, if there could be one, since he was bored with existence, having done everything. The real hub of the debate is about the individual rights as opposed to the directives of the state.
I like that the ongoing story arcs aren't evident in this, and it's a purely one-off tale, though it did have so many connections with other episodes. It's good to have single episodes that tell their story, as well as arcs and continuity, as variety is the spice of life, something the Q Continuum seems to have forgotten, and something that, sadly, Quinn seems incapable of experiencing. It's difficult to comprehend the idea of having done everything and it's a testament to the skill of the writing that these beings are made understandable and sympathetic to us. It helps when such things are mentioned as when Q introduced the Federation to the Borg (though he makes no mention of the impending attack on Earth which was to happen the following year on film!), or that Quinn ignited a hundred year war between Vulcans and Romulans, made the apple drop on Sir Isaac Newton's head, or saved Riker's ancestor, thus being responsible for Will's very existence! There's plenty to enjoy, and previously I thought badly of the episode because I felt it supported suicide. On viewing it now it is definitely anti-, and makes for a thoughtful story even with the circus of fun and games Q episodes generally bring.
***
Supposedly a forum for the discussion on the ethics of suicide, this isn't really the open-minded debate that it's often remembered as, and I'm glad about that as it would have seemed plain wrong to have these characters advocate such a practice. Janeway makes it clear she doesn't support suicide, as does Tuvok, though his race do sometimes practice ritual suicide. This is at odds with what we know of Vulcan culture and their views on the sanctity of life, but maybe they just sling their katra into someone else and live on in that way? It may be that this isn't a widely practiced or accepted doctrine, rather like the nude pagan holiday Neelix mentioned in a recent episode!
The story starts in a surprising way, and if you didn't know what was coming it could seem quite a threat: investigating a rogue comet they beam a fragment aboard, but it's actually a man, in Starfleet uniform, who walks right through the containment field and announces himself as 'Q'. We know it's not 'the' Q of 'TNG', but true to the constraints of the ship and crew, they don't realise he isn't the Q they've heard of until 'our' Q appears. There are fun and games for a short while as Quinn (the name he chooses) tries to hide from Q in places as diverse as the 'birth of the universe' or as an ornament on a Christmas tree. You could begin to assume that only characters whose names begin with Q are allowed to crossover to this series, since Quark is the only major one to appear to this point, were it not for the fact that Q brings Commander Riker as one of his witnesses in the asylum hearing. That he and the other witnesses pulled from history won't remember when they return to their proper places makes sense to protect the timeline, but it would have helped the Captain to know Starfleet had been informed of Voyager's status.
In the timeline Will Riker's current assignment is unknown since this is the year after 'Star Trek: Generations' when the Enterprise-D crash-landed on a planet, but before the next film which unveiled the Enterprise-E, so it would have been fun to hear exactly what Riker had been snatched away from. Regardless, it's always good to see familiar faces pop up, and Jonathan Frakes was one of the most prolific, appearing in all the spin-offs, the only main character to do that! Q is the other established participant, but although we know so little about his race, the Q Continuum, this episode gives us plenty of fill-in details, even allowing us to see a representation of their own existence. It's so simply done, with the desert road and the filling station, and manages to sum up this supposed omnipotent race succinctly, quite an achievement, since trying to characterise all-powerful beings has always been difficult in the Trek universe. Ah, but they're not omnipotent, as Quinn tells us, saying they are to humans as humans are to races that aren't as advanced. I've always suspected they weren't all they seemed, so often lacking details, that this adds reality to what has always been a difficult concept to ground.
Having Q on board could easily have become ridiculous, since it nullifies the trials Janeway and crew have gone through when he can so easily snap his fingers and take them home. But that's cleverly circumvented by the main issue of asylum and the idea of the Q Continuum versus Quinn, with Janeway as judge. The trip home becomes a bargaining chip for Q to try and win over the Captain, so she'll rule in his favour, forcing Quinn to stay in his comet prison forever. The moment we see Earth, the goal they have strived for, outside the window, and more to the point, Janeway sees it, is one of the most heartbreaking moments. But Q either doesn't understand Janeway or refuses to play a subtler game, evidence that he doesn't really want to win. Janeway ended up stranded simply because she took such a decision of sacrifice and sticking to principles in the first place, this situation is no different, except instead of many lives it's just one. She still makes the same decision, the one she thinks is morally right, granting Quinn asylum even though he wants to die, urging him to live out the mortal life he now has. It would have been useful to have a former Q on board, and Gerrit Graham's self-deprecating, puppy-eyed performance would have been so good to see on a recurring basis.
Q himself has a change of heart, hearing that Quinn's philosophical views were inspired by his own radical behaviour, going against the 'state' as it were, causing mischief for his own amusement until he was punished, as seen on 'TNG' which apparently bent him back into shape, and making him realise he believes more in the individual expression he had before than fitting in with his people. So he says and does all the wrong things he could do, to Janeway, and though this could be attributed to his usual arrogant persona, we gradually see more and more that he opposes the Continuum's view against change. The change being of a Q killing themself, which could alter the society (and would, as we'd find out later), going as far as assisting Quinn's plan. So suicide as an issue isn't really the focus of the story - Quinn didn't even have a good reason, if there could be one, since he was bored with existence, having done everything. The real hub of the debate is about the individual rights as opposed to the directives of the state.
I like that the ongoing story arcs aren't evident in this, and it's a purely one-off tale, though it did have so many connections with other episodes. It's good to have single episodes that tell their story, as well as arcs and continuity, as variety is the spice of life, something the Q Continuum seems to have forgotten, and something that, sadly, Quinn seems incapable of experiencing. It's difficult to comprehend the idea of having done everything and it's a testament to the skill of the writing that these beings are made understandable and sympathetic to us. It helps when such things are mentioned as when Q introduced the Federation to the Borg (though he makes no mention of the impending attack on Earth which was to happen the following year on film!), or that Quinn ignited a hundred year war between Vulcans and Romulans, made the apple drop on Sir Isaac Newton's head, or saved Riker's ancestor, thus being responsible for Will's very existence! There's plenty to enjoy, and previously I thought badly of the episode because I felt it supported suicide. On viewing it now it is definitely anti-, and makes for a thoughtful story even with the circus of fun and games Q episodes generally bring.
***
Dreadnought
DVD, Voyager S2 (Dreadnought)
B'Elanna Torres hasn't had a lot of joy with artificial lifeforms recently. In 'Prototype' she was kidnapped by robots and found herself having to destroy the very thing she had created, and in this she is once again pitted against her own handiwork. This time it's even worse - it speaks in her voice! Roxann Dawson has a wonderfully neutral computer voice (later used for a mysterious station on 'Enterprise' in the episode 'Dead Stop' which she also directed), completely at odds with her character's usual fiery demeanour. If there was a suggestion on how to improve this episode I would say the feelings of guilt and frustration should have been stronger and the battle of wits between her and the Dreadnought, more personal and hard-hitting. The story isn't quite the pulse-pounding adventure I remember, neither is it too slow or dull in any way.
Woven into this tale of a renegade Cardassian warhead, rewired to become a renegade Maquis weapon by Torres, now following it's programming despite having been lifted into the Delta Quadrant the same way that Voyager got there, thanks to the Caretaker's beam, there are plenty of good scenes between various crewmembers that reinforce some of the ideas that were established early on in the series and have begun to resurface in recent episodes: We have the Maquis element, from Torres' own mistake in turning the Cardassian's weapon against its makers (without Chakotay's permission), to the current secret threat from Jonas the spy, still trying to contact Seska, but continually fobbed off by his Kazon contact. Then there's Tom Paris' growing sloppy behaviour and hints that he's dissatisfied with his position on the ship, taking on the rebellious attitude that we'd thought left behind by Season 2. Equally he and Chakotay aren't getting along too well, the First Officer rather displeased with his attitude. The ongoing saga of the Doctor's name, or lack of one is mentioned in a lovely funny scene that breaks the episode in gently, reminding us of the baby-carrying Ensign Wildman, while giving the EMH and Kes a bit of banter.
Most importantly perhaps, is the solidarity and friendship shown by Tuvok for his Captain. As we were reminded last episode, they are and have been good friends, so it is only logical that he would be the one to stay behind with Janeway when she orders all hands to abandon ship in a last desperate attempt to avert the deaths of two million people on the planet Dreadnought has mistakenly chosen as its target. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, the self-destruct countdown is a special moment and a private one for the Captain, who goes down with the ship. It's the only option when all others have been tried, and this time Janeway is willing to destroy Voyager, and herself with it, to save the lives, allowing the crew to depart in escape pods. We don't yet have the chance to see this procedure, it didn't happen in Trek until the film 'First Contact', but the scale of the disaster and danger is ably fed through by the reports from Kellan, leader of the targeted planet, of panic and people heading for ports and ships. The futility of their weak defences is demonstrated by the attack by their fighters, easily dispatched by Dreadnought. These selfless acts are all the more noble because they are the best this under-developed race can do, a mere gesture of defiance and bravery.
Janeway's act of self-sacrifice, willing to go down with her ship, is matched by Tuvok's logical assertion that he stay for back-up in case she's injured, and also by B'Elanna, who, though it will likely cost her her life, proceeds to attempt the destruction of the missile from inside. These moments are what make the episode more than it would have been, shown in the way Kellan is initially suspicious of and almost surly with Janeway, thanks to the Kazon rumours about Voyager. Before the end he has seen what quality they are made of and warmly thanks them for their attempts to avert catastrophe. Paris too makes up for any disappointment in his character, by thanking Janeway for all she did for him when it seems this is the last he will see her, though she already knew his true self, though that would be revealed in a few episodes time...
As bold and tragic as the culmination of events seems, once the danger is over there is some hilarity from the fact that Janeway forgot all about the Doc! While everyone else was ordered to flee he was left in sickbay, which is as sad as it is funny as it shows that even now the crew don't quite think of him as an equal. You'd think Kes would have remembered! Production-wise the episode is pleasing since the warhead is designed with the same styles and readouts as DS9. If you watch that series a lot it feels comfortingly familiar, and I especially like the idea Torres has of pitting the old Cardassian part of its programming against her newer Maquis 'personality'. I wouldn't have said Levar Burton's direction was noticeable as I forgot all about the fact that Geordi was behind this production, but it's a nice link whenever a Trek actor directs. One of the most interesting throwaway concepts of this story are the prospect of other Alpha Quadrant ships arriving in the Delta Quadrant, the same way as Voyager. It would later be proved that the ship, along with the Maquis vessel it was sent to find, and now Dreadnought, did not suffer this predicament alone...
***
B'Elanna Torres hasn't had a lot of joy with artificial lifeforms recently. In 'Prototype' she was kidnapped by robots and found herself having to destroy the very thing she had created, and in this she is once again pitted against her own handiwork. This time it's even worse - it speaks in her voice! Roxann Dawson has a wonderfully neutral computer voice (later used for a mysterious station on 'Enterprise' in the episode 'Dead Stop' which she also directed), completely at odds with her character's usual fiery demeanour. If there was a suggestion on how to improve this episode I would say the feelings of guilt and frustration should have been stronger and the battle of wits between her and the Dreadnought, more personal and hard-hitting. The story isn't quite the pulse-pounding adventure I remember, neither is it too slow or dull in any way.
Woven into this tale of a renegade Cardassian warhead, rewired to become a renegade Maquis weapon by Torres, now following it's programming despite having been lifted into the Delta Quadrant the same way that Voyager got there, thanks to the Caretaker's beam, there are plenty of good scenes between various crewmembers that reinforce some of the ideas that were established early on in the series and have begun to resurface in recent episodes: We have the Maquis element, from Torres' own mistake in turning the Cardassian's weapon against its makers (without Chakotay's permission), to the current secret threat from Jonas the spy, still trying to contact Seska, but continually fobbed off by his Kazon contact. Then there's Tom Paris' growing sloppy behaviour and hints that he's dissatisfied with his position on the ship, taking on the rebellious attitude that we'd thought left behind by Season 2. Equally he and Chakotay aren't getting along too well, the First Officer rather displeased with his attitude. The ongoing saga of the Doctor's name, or lack of one is mentioned in a lovely funny scene that breaks the episode in gently, reminding us of the baby-carrying Ensign Wildman, while giving the EMH and Kes a bit of banter.
Most importantly perhaps, is the solidarity and friendship shown by Tuvok for his Captain. As we were reminded last episode, they are and have been good friends, so it is only logical that he would be the one to stay behind with Janeway when she orders all hands to abandon ship in a last desperate attempt to avert the deaths of two million people on the planet Dreadnought has mistakenly chosen as its target. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, the self-destruct countdown is a special moment and a private one for the Captain, who goes down with the ship. It's the only option when all others have been tried, and this time Janeway is willing to destroy Voyager, and herself with it, to save the lives, allowing the crew to depart in escape pods. We don't yet have the chance to see this procedure, it didn't happen in Trek until the film 'First Contact', but the scale of the disaster and danger is ably fed through by the reports from Kellan, leader of the targeted planet, of panic and people heading for ports and ships. The futility of their weak defences is demonstrated by the attack by their fighters, easily dispatched by Dreadnought. These selfless acts are all the more noble because they are the best this under-developed race can do, a mere gesture of defiance and bravery.
Janeway's act of self-sacrifice, willing to go down with her ship, is matched by Tuvok's logical assertion that he stay for back-up in case she's injured, and also by B'Elanna, who, though it will likely cost her her life, proceeds to attempt the destruction of the missile from inside. These moments are what make the episode more than it would have been, shown in the way Kellan is initially suspicious of and almost surly with Janeway, thanks to the Kazon rumours about Voyager. Before the end he has seen what quality they are made of and warmly thanks them for their attempts to avert catastrophe. Paris too makes up for any disappointment in his character, by thanking Janeway for all she did for him when it seems this is the last he will see her, though she already knew his true self, though that would be revealed in a few episodes time...
As bold and tragic as the culmination of events seems, once the danger is over there is some hilarity from the fact that Janeway forgot all about the Doc! While everyone else was ordered to flee he was left in sickbay, which is as sad as it is funny as it shows that even now the crew don't quite think of him as an equal. You'd think Kes would have remembered! Production-wise the episode is pleasing since the warhead is designed with the same styles and readouts as DS9. If you watch that series a lot it feels comfortingly familiar, and I especially like the idea Torres has of pitting the old Cardassian part of its programming against her newer Maquis 'personality'. I wouldn't have said Levar Burton's direction was noticeable as I forgot all about the fact that Geordi was behind this production, but it's a nice link whenever a Trek actor directs. One of the most interesting throwaway concepts of this story are the prospect of other Alpha Quadrant ships arriving in the Delta Quadrant, the same way as Voyager. It would later be proved that the ship, along with the Maquis vessel it was sent to find, and now Dreadnought, did not suffer this predicament alone...
***
The Drumhead
DVD, TNG S4 (The Drumhead)
Sabotage on the Enterprise, a Klingon spy working for the Romulans, a possible traitor aboard and a bit of a rummage in the ship and crew's past three or four years. So why does it have to be so dull? It's almost sacrilege to say such a thing about an episode directed by Jonathan Frakes, but even the direction is lacklustre, for the most part. I sense that may be more to do with the writing than the choice of camera moves, and I say for the most part because this turns into something completely different in the last ten minutes. If the entirety had been as good as the scenes at the end it would be up there with the best of the season. As it is, I can't help feeling it resides more on the lesser side of the season's tally.
I think the blame must fall heavily on the writing because there's very little beyond dialogue to carry the story - no especially attractive visuals, interesting concepts or depth of character, aside from the slurs on Worf's Father, so it becomes one slightly drab scene after another. The opening suggested different, with a view of a courtroom-like chamber on the Enterprise that we've not seen before. Then there's the whole continuity-led charge into the story with a Klingon under suspicion of working for the Romulans, and Worf's current low status in the Empire referenced by this traitor. Then we get a retired Admiral on board who was apparently involved in uncovering the conspiracy of three years ago. Surely that can only mean the events of 'Conspiracy' in Season 1, one of the best episodes of the series and one that was ripe for a sequel. Needless to say none of these plot threads lead anywhere interesting for the majority of the episode.
Not until we get to Picard's standing up to Admiral Satie is there any spark, his careful and considered defence of himself and his crew even while Satie and her Betazoid assistant (played by Bruce French, later to appear as an Ocampan and a Vulcan) try to show him up as an untrustworthy man, not recovered from his Borg experiences and someone who'll break the Prime Directive whenever he feels like it. Who dares to question Captain Picard's loyalty to Starfleet? Only a crazy old woman it turns out, as Satie loses control, embarrassing herself in front of the special security Admiral viewing the 'trial'. It's a sad demonstration of what fear can do and leads to the strong message of the episode: that unreasoning suspicion against anyone even remotely connected with our enemies is wrong, and as soon as individual freedom begins to be eroded it is a terrible thing for all of us. A message for our own time, even stronger than when this episode was first broadcast in 1991!
One of the mistakes of the episode is in its concentration on the guests of the week. If you have recurring characters, as 'DS9' did, such attentions are edifying for a series, adding colour to the main character's lives, but if they are simply one-episode wonders, I don't think it's such a good idea to whittle your cast's appearance down to a few unimportant scenes. The time constraint works against the story too, because there's so much time introducing the various characters and trying to build up a mystery and a bit of suspense (as would more successfully be achieved in such later episodes as 'Suspicions' or 'Eye of The Beholder'), that the interesting stuff when Picard's basically on trial, is pushed right to the end. It could have been so much better if the 'pleasantries' of the story convention could have been dispensed with in exchange for a much more in-depth discussion on the moral sides of the issue. Instead Satie is quietly discredited and Picard has a little conversation to Worf for the audience's benefit to highlight the point of the episode.
The Klingon belief that their culture has weakened since the alliance with the Federation is something that has been touched on before, but would not become a potent force in the ongoing storytelling until 'DS9' Season 4 in which they became enemies, albeit until the greater evil of the Dominion forced them back into the alliance. A similar thing would happen to the Romulans, as happened to the Klingons (when the moon Praxis blew up instigating the Empire's alliance with the Feds), since Romulus blew up in 'Star Trek XI', though we don't know what happened beyond that. It just shows that enemies today can be useful allies of the future...
At one point I thought Wesley was back on board - Dr. Crusher exits the room after giving her testimony and from a distance we see her being friendly with a young man in uniform before he comes in at which point we find out it's Simon Tarses, the quarter-Romulan used as a scapegoat by Satie. The scene with Picard being questioned is when Frakes' directorial skill shows itself, the camera slowly panning the room as he makes his case, then afterwards, when everyone leaves and the camera pulls back away from Satie, alone and disregarded by those that walk by. Slow motion would have worked there! Any positives about the end can't save this, I'm afraid. It's no 'Court Martial', 'Dax' or 'Inquisition', and we never did get that sequel to 'Conspiracy'. Shame.
**
Sabotage on the Enterprise, a Klingon spy working for the Romulans, a possible traitor aboard and a bit of a rummage in the ship and crew's past three or four years. So why does it have to be so dull? It's almost sacrilege to say such a thing about an episode directed by Jonathan Frakes, but even the direction is lacklustre, for the most part. I sense that may be more to do with the writing than the choice of camera moves, and I say for the most part because this turns into something completely different in the last ten minutes. If the entirety had been as good as the scenes at the end it would be up there with the best of the season. As it is, I can't help feeling it resides more on the lesser side of the season's tally.
I think the blame must fall heavily on the writing because there's very little beyond dialogue to carry the story - no especially attractive visuals, interesting concepts or depth of character, aside from the slurs on Worf's Father, so it becomes one slightly drab scene after another. The opening suggested different, with a view of a courtroom-like chamber on the Enterprise that we've not seen before. Then there's the whole continuity-led charge into the story with a Klingon under suspicion of working for the Romulans, and Worf's current low status in the Empire referenced by this traitor. Then we get a retired Admiral on board who was apparently involved in uncovering the conspiracy of three years ago. Surely that can only mean the events of 'Conspiracy' in Season 1, one of the best episodes of the series and one that was ripe for a sequel. Needless to say none of these plot threads lead anywhere interesting for the majority of the episode.
Not until we get to Picard's standing up to Admiral Satie is there any spark, his careful and considered defence of himself and his crew even while Satie and her Betazoid assistant (played by Bruce French, later to appear as an Ocampan and a Vulcan) try to show him up as an untrustworthy man, not recovered from his Borg experiences and someone who'll break the Prime Directive whenever he feels like it. Who dares to question Captain Picard's loyalty to Starfleet? Only a crazy old woman it turns out, as Satie loses control, embarrassing herself in front of the special security Admiral viewing the 'trial'. It's a sad demonstration of what fear can do and leads to the strong message of the episode: that unreasoning suspicion against anyone even remotely connected with our enemies is wrong, and as soon as individual freedom begins to be eroded it is a terrible thing for all of us. A message for our own time, even stronger than when this episode was first broadcast in 1991!
One of the mistakes of the episode is in its concentration on the guests of the week. If you have recurring characters, as 'DS9' did, such attentions are edifying for a series, adding colour to the main character's lives, but if they are simply one-episode wonders, I don't think it's such a good idea to whittle your cast's appearance down to a few unimportant scenes. The time constraint works against the story too, because there's so much time introducing the various characters and trying to build up a mystery and a bit of suspense (as would more successfully be achieved in such later episodes as 'Suspicions' or 'Eye of The Beholder'), that the interesting stuff when Picard's basically on trial, is pushed right to the end. It could have been so much better if the 'pleasantries' of the story convention could have been dispensed with in exchange for a much more in-depth discussion on the moral sides of the issue. Instead Satie is quietly discredited and Picard has a little conversation to Worf for the audience's benefit to highlight the point of the episode.
The Klingon belief that their culture has weakened since the alliance with the Federation is something that has been touched on before, but would not become a potent force in the ongoing storytelling until 'DS9' Season 4 in which they became enemies, albeit until the greater evil of the Dominion forced them back into the alliance. A similar thing would happen to the Romulans, as happened to the Klingons (when the moon Praxis blew up instigating the Empire's alliance with the Feds), since Romulus blew up in 'Star Trek XI', though we don't know what happened beyond that. It just shows that enemies today can be useful allies of the future...
At one point I thought Wesley was back on board - Dr. Crusher exits the room after giving her testimony and from a distance we see her being friendly with a young man in uniform before he comes in at which point we find out it's Simon Tarses, the quarter-Romulan used as a scapegoat by Satie. The scene with Picard being questioned is when Frakes' directorial skill shows itself, the camera slowly panning the room as he makes his case, then afterwards, when everyone leaves and the camera pulls back away from Satie, alone and disregarded by those that walk by. Slow motion would have worked there! Any positives about the end can't save this, I'm afraid. It's no 'Court Martial', 'Dax' or 'Inquisition', and we never did get that sequel to 'Conspiracy'. Shame.
**
QPid
DVD, TNG S4 (QPid)
Q may pretend this was about a lesson on love for Picard, but really it was all for the sake of having some fun! It's not one of the better episodes for Q, because he's just there to cause a bit of trouble, the writers coming up with a new-found conscience to explain wanting to repay Picard and the crew for saving his life. There isn't anything else going on behind the veneer, whereas Q usually has ulterior motives or a real lesson to teach. This doesn't impact the story, but I believe this was one of John De Lancie's least favourite appearances, playing Q the jester, Q the tease, Q the troublemaker, rather than a multi-dimensional Q (I know, I know, they're a race of multi-dimensional beings...).
The real impact comes between Picard and his friend from Risa, Vash. The grave-robber is back to use the Enterprise's visit as an excuse to get into an off-limits archeological site, while having some fun seeing the Captain again. This is better than last season's 'Captain's Holiday' in which they first met, because back then Jean-Luc was free to be himself, on holiday and away from his responsibilities and his crew. Here he has to deal with Vash while retaining his professional dignity, something his crew enjoy immeasurably. In particular Beverly reacts quite strongly to this woman Picard has never spoken about - we see that their friendship has moved on without us realising, she and Picard sharing tea together each morning. Riker is his usual self, immediately approaching Vash on visual contact, reinforcing his reputation.
At one point Picard is trying to go to sleep and Q appears beside his bed. He's never had a double-bed before, but for some reason, namely for the fact that Q casually makes himself comfortable on one side, he has one in this episode. Since last season began to bring a greater degree of confidence to Picard in terms of dealing with others on a personal level, we rarely see the embarrassment or loss of dignity that could be so funny in the early seasons, so it's a joy to see him stutter away when Crusher finds Vash and he, or at any other moment when he's on the back foot thanks to her cheekiness.
The reason everyone remembers this episode is for the Robin Hood recreation, so it's surprising it takes so long to get to that point. It's worth it when we finally do find the senior staff transported to Nottingham Forest, all dressed as merry men, even Data there and suitably tonsured as Friar Tuck, while Picard looks the spitting image of Errol Flynn. It's clear Q's inspiration is the 1938 Flynn film, not just for Picard's little beard, but the way he trots nimbly down from table to floor, or wields a sword expertly. It's amazing the crew know such swordsmanship, but it may be they all enjoy a bit of sword-fighting in the holodeck - even Beverly and Troi seem to be enjoying themselves immensely as they smash pots over the heads of the guards! Q certainly repaid his debt. Not by the 'lesson' learned about love being a weakness, but for showing the 'TNG' crew a good time. He obviously doesn't agree with taking his own advice because he goes off with Vash at the end, the very person he was warning Picard against! This storyline carried through into the first season of 'DS9', about a year and a half later where we discover things haven't been all that smooth between Q and Vash on their travels. Q would take a bit of a break from 'TNG', but as we've now passed into the second half of the series, it seems like it's almost over already, and Q would of course be back before the end.
Picard, here in the middle of the series' run, is still not relaxed enough to be more than the private Captain we've known from the start. But he's certainly progressing to the man who sits down at the Poker table with his crewmates and friends in the final episode - he's closer to Beverly, he's shown he can let people in when he chooses, and it's fascinating to see the man develop over the course of these years we share with him. As a comedy episode this isn't bad, though it can't rival the sheer hilarity of some of the 'DS9' Ferengi episodes or the holodeck recreations of James Bond or whatever, but there is still something of a kick to be had from seeing the regulars dress up in period garb, and there are certainly some good lines (mainly from Worf or about him!), plus some rousing, triumphant Robin Hood-style music, which gives everything even more of an Errol Flynn air. There's also a link to 'The Empire Strikes Back' as Clive Revill, who played Sir Guy of Gisborne was the first actor to appear as Emperor Palpatine (though his face has since been replaced by Ian McDiarmid on the DVD versions, which I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy about!).
***
Q may pretend this was about a lesson on love for Picard, but really it was all for the sake of having some fun! It's not one of the better episodes for Q, because he's just there to cause a bit of trouble, the writers coming up with a new-found conscience to explain wanting to repay Picard and the crew for saving his life. There isn't anything else going on behind the veneer, whereas Q usually has ulterior motives or a real lesson to teach. This doesn't impact the story, but I believe this was one of John De Lancie's least favourite appearances, playing Q the jester, Q the tease, Q the troublemaker, rather than a multi-dimensional Q (I know, I know, they're a race of multi-dimensional beings...).
The real impact comes between Picard and his friend from Risa, Vash. The grave-robber is back to use the Enterprise's visit as an excuse to get into an off-limits archeological site, while having some fun seeing the Captain again. This is better than last season's 'Captain's Holiday' in which they first met, because back then Jean-Luc was free to be himself, on holiday and away from his responsibilities and his crew. Here he has to deal with Vash while retaining his professional dignity, something his crew enjoy immeasurably. In particular Beverly reacts quite strongly to this woman Picard has never spoken about - we see that their friendship has moved on without us realising, she and Picard sharing tea together each morning. Riker is his usual self, immediately approaching Vash on visual contact, reinforcing his reputation.
At one point Picard is trying to go to sleep and Q appears beside his bed. He's never had a double-bed before, but for some reason, namely for the fact that Q casually makes himself comfortable on one side, he has one in this episode. Since last season began to bring a greater degree of confidence to Picard in terms of dealing with others on a personal level, we rarely see the embarrassment or loss of dignity that could be so funny in the early seasons, so it's a joy to see him stutter away when Crusher finds Vash and he, or at any other moment when he's on the back foot thanks to her cheekiness.
The reason everyone remembers this episode is for the Robin Hood recreation, so it's surprising it takes so long to get to that point. It's worth it when we finally do find the senior staff transported to Nottingham Forest, all dressed as merry men, even Data there and suitably tonsured as Friar Tuck, while Picard looks the spitting image of Errol Flynn. It's clear Q's inspiration is the 1938 Flynn film, not just for Picard's little beard, but the way he trots nimbly down from table to floor, or wields a sword expertly. It's amazing the crew know such swordsmanship, but it may be they all enjoy a bit of sword-fighting in the holodeck - even Beverly and Troi seem to be enjoying themselves immensely as they smash pots over the heads of the guards! Q certainly repaid his debt. Not by the 'lesson' learned about love being a weakness, but for showing the 'TNG' crew a good time. He obviously doesn't agree with taking his own advice because he goes off with Vash at the end, the very person he was warning Picard against! This storyline carried through into the first season of 'DS9', about a year and a half later where we discover things haven't been all that smooth between Q and Vash on their travels. Q would take a bit of a break from 'TNG', but as we've now passed into the second half of the series, it seems like it's almost over already, and Q would of course be back before the end.
Picard, here in the middle of the series' run, is still not relaxed enough to be more than the private Captain we've known from the start. But he's certainly progressing to the man who sits down at the Poker table with his crewmates and friends in the final episode - he's closer to Beverly, he's shown he can let people in when he chooses, and it's fascinating to see the man develop over the course of these years we share with him. As a comedy episode this isn't bad, though it can't rival the sheer hilarity of some of the 'DS9' Ferengi episodes or the holodeck recreations of James Bond or whatever, but there is still something of a kick to be had from seeing the regulars dress up in period garb, and there are certainly some good lines (mainly from Worf or about him!), plus some rousing, triumphant Robin Hood-style music, which gives everything even more of an Errol Flynn air. There's also a link to 'The Empire Strikes Back' as Clive Revill, who played Sir Guy of Gisborne was the first actor to appear as Emperor Palpatine (though his face has since been replaced by Ian McDiarmid on the DVD versions, which I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy about!).
***
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