DVD, Enterprise S2 (The Catwalk)
Nothing to do with fashion, it's about the limits of the NX-01 almost becoming a liability in one of the best stories of the season. Combining a situation which was easy to avoid in the later series', since they could all warp away from such a phenomenon (though not always, a la 'Voyager' episode 'One' where the crew's put in stasis to survive a storm), with the opportunity of expanding our knowledge of the ship, showing us areas we've never seen before, mixing in a bit creepiness, a spot of action and finding time to marvel at the beauty of the natural force Enterprise must travel through. About the only downside is the look of the aliens, which isn't special in any way, but doesn't really detract.
Tempers do begin to fray in the close quarters and stuffiness of the catwalks, but although Reed starts moaning about everything from the lack of facilities to the food, things never kick off in the way they did in 'The Ship' on 'DS9,' though the circumstances are different. In that, the crew were besieged with few supplies and an enemy intent on their destruction, while this is more of an enforced camping trip, as Archer describes it. You get the impression, up until the complication of the alien incursion, that he was quite enjoying roughing it with his crew, while T'Pol was merely tolerating the circumstances. It's nice the way she ends up joining them for the film night, even translating the plot for those not keeping up, something she would never have done last season. It shows she is, if not warming, certainly becoming more than neutral to the crew.
Everyone has their scenes, even Porthos and Phlox' creatures aren't forgotten. It's not exactly explained whether both catwalks are filled - it would make sense with the number of crew aboard, but presumably the other catwalk didn't know what happened, unless they were in communication with Archer's side. The scale of the ship and complement, as well as the vastness of the storm field, are exceptionally well realised, with brilliant montages of the crew bustling about in the time they have to get under cover and lock everything down, and the views we get of the storm are as good as the Badlands. Travis continues his reputation for haunting expressions and space experience when he talks so forebodingly about a storm his family's ship went through, and also shows off his piloting skills once again. Hoshi is apprehensive, but no longer a worry for the Captain, and Trip gets down to his diplomatic work as best he can manage!
I'd need a notebook to keep track of the many nuggets of information that are carelessly tossed out throughout the episode, but among them, we learn there are something like 19 billion Denobulans living on the one and only continent of their home planet (perhaps confirming John Billingsley's belief that very few members of the race go off-world); the first ambassador to Earth was Solkar (Archer knows his Vulcan history!); T'Pol mentions the last time she was 'camping' was for her kahs-wan, the ritual Spock went through in 'The Animated Series'; perhaps the Edosian eels come from Edo, a planet visited in the first season of 'TNG'; the Vulcan ship destroyed by a similar spatial phenomenon was called T'Plana, very similar to the ship that made first contact with Earth, the T'Plana Hath; and most importantly, we gets to see chef in person, though not his head and shoulders (he was thickset enough to be Riker, adding to my speculation that William T. went back in time and had another career on the NX-01! - See 'These Are The Voyages…'). Chef's galley is also used again, improbably as the setting for a phaserfight, getting trashed in the process, and Archer shows that iPad's are used for watching water polo in the future (but vertically, not horizontally? Crazy!).
I love the idea of the catwalks, these walkways in the nacelles, as it's fascinating to see the nooks and crannies of the ship, as much as the regular settings we know and love. It's quite moving to see the ship all shut down and abandoned, and this adds something to the scene in which Trip descends into the dark, but not empty corridors with only minutes to spare before he succumbs to poisoning. Danny Goldring, another of the company of actors that have played many roles on the various incarnations over the years, returns to this series again after playing a Nausicaan in Season 1, and makes the cranky old leader of the Takrit soldiers a formidable presence. The music adds much, and everything works towards a different kind of episode, and more importantly, uses Enterprise's weaknesses as strengths.
***
Monday, 30 May 2011
Ensign Ro
DVD, TNG S5 (Ensign Ro)
The events of this episode have so much more resonance and weight to them thanks to the echoes that peal off into the future history of Trek, and this series too. Ensign Ro is a proud, but redeemable figure that does makes the right choice thanks to someone trying to get to know her and forcing trust her way. When she first comes aboard I was wondering why her Bajoran earring is on the left ear (later to be revealed as a Pah-Wraith symbol, but just as easily suggestive of a rebellious nature, but one which still holds her own culture dear), and why Riker comes down so heavily on her wearing it at all, since we've seen other Bajorans in Starfleet who did wear it. Riker was probably being especially strict with her to show he wasn't going to be messed about, and as a sign of his contempt for her within the bounds of acceptable discipline. I love the way she earns the right to wear it by the end, though she still chooses to wear it in the left so maybe she really was a Pah-Wraith worshipper! Or not.
The introduction of the Bajorans (or the Bajora, or the Bajarans as various people call them through the course of the episode!), was, in some ways as important as the Borg for the amount of importance they would have for the future, giving 'DS9' a solid base and providing us with some memorable characters from the race, and continues the grounding begun last season with the Cardassians and the story of that area of space. There is a quiver of anticipation throughout the story because these are the first, tentative steps towards revealing a history that brought depth to minor races in Trek like few others before - perhaps only the Klingons were to rival them in this regard. Who would have thought at the time that these human-like people with funny creases in their noses would become so integral to not only a spinoff series, but the entire Alpha Quadrant thanks to the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole. But that's another story!
Here, there is a little roughness round the edges of the established history. We get plenty of details, but we're told things like the Bajorans were chased off their planet and left to wander through the galaxy as refugees. This would later be proved only partially true as many Bajorans were caught up in the Cardassian Occupation, perhaps even most Bajorans. There are some fascinating little insights into the race, from the vocally damaged terrorist leader, to Keeve Falor on the colony and there is much pleasure to be had spotting or listening out for people that were used in the 'Terok Nor' books, some of which was set during this time (recommended!). The complexity of the plot is a plus point, and there's so much more to it because of the sinister puppetry in the background, though it should never be a surprise that an Admiral turned out to have ulterior motives! I wonder if they were ever brave Captains that suddenly went sour when they were stuck behind a desk, or whether they skipped that rank - maybe certain people were made to be Admirals…
I mentioned the Borg earlier, and for good reason, as there are parallels to be seen with them - Ro is almost Picard's Seven of Nine, a person that doesn't initially want to make any friends, but comes to be a trusted and valued crewmember, though those aspects of her were still to come. Guinan is the other, as her people also became refugees thanks to the Borg. Guinan's appearances here are among her finest contributions, giving Ro no choice about becoming her friend, choosing to go to her when everyone else could only see the bad history she brought with her, and taking her side despite, perhaps because of that. Magical.
Section 31 was what came to mind when we uncover the machinations of the Admiral - that shady organisation would only have been interested in the survival of the Federation, and at a time when Starfleet was relatively weak thanks to the Borg attack a year earlier, they would have wanted to appease the Cardassians and keep the borders safe. It also reminded me of 'The Drumhead,' except this time it really was a conspiracy. Initially I wondered if it could be a plan to get the Federation to intercede in the Bajoran situation against the Cardassians by provoking them to war, but that would have been too easy.
The walk and talk on the planet was nicely done, though if you watch the background you can see the same people going back and forth! In fact, in the last shot of the episode we see a long shot of the colony and one man is walking in a straight line into the middle of the screen, then stops and walks back the way he came! And as for the common cold, I'm sure Dr. Crusher once said it had been cured long ago. I know Admiral Kennelly had some Cardassian virus, but Picard says his Aunt had a remedy for a cold so it was still prevalent in her time, clearly. None of the rough edges can dent what is a fine story, and though the ramifications of what was introduced here would dwarf this little tale, it still holds up well, and on its own merits.
***
The events of this episode have so much more resonance and weight to them thanks to the echoes that peal off into the future history of Trek, and this series too. Ensign Ro is a proud, but redeemable figure that does makes the right choice thanks to someone trying to get to know her and forcing trust her way. When she first comes aboard I was wondering why her Bajoran earring is on the left ear (later to be revealed as a Pah-Wraith symbol, but just as easily suggestive of a rebellious nature, but one which still holds her own culture dear), and why Riker comes down so heavily on her wearing it at all, since we've seen other Bajorans in Starfleet who did wear it. Riker was probably being especially strict with her to show he wasn't going to be messed about, and as a sign of his contempt for her within the bounds of acceptable discipline. I love the way she earns the right to wear it by the end, though she still chooses to wear it in the left so maybe she really was a Pah-Wraith worshipper! Or not.
The introduction of the Bajorans (or the Bajora, or the Bajarans as various people call them through the course of the episode!), was, in some ways as important as the Borg for the amount of importance they would have for the future, giving 'DS9' a solid base and providing us with some memorable characters from the race, and continues the grounding begun last season with the Cardassians and the story of that area of space. There is a quiver of anticipation throughout the story because these are the first, tentative steps towards revealing a history that brought depth to minor races in Trek like few others before - perhaps only the Klingons were to rival them in this regard. Who would have thought at the time that these human-like people with funny creases in their noses would become so integral to not only a spinoff series, but the entire Alpha Quadrant thanks to the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole. But that's another story!
Here, there is a little roughness round the edges of the established history. We get plenty of details, but we're told things like the Bajorans were chased off their planet and left to wander through the galaxy as refugees. This would later be proved only partially true as many Bajorans were caught up in the Cardassian Occupation, perhaps even most Bajorans. There are some fascinating little insights into the race, from the vocally damaged terrorist leader, to Keeve Falor on the colony and there is much pleasure to be had spotting or listening out for people that were used in the 'Terok Nor' books, some of which was set during this time (recommended!). The complexity of the plot is a plus point, and there's so much more to it because of the sinister puppetry in the background, though it should never be a surprise that an Admiral turned out to have ulterior motives! I wonder if they were ever brave Captains that suddenly went sour when they were stuck behind a desk, or whether they skipped that rank - maybe certain people were made to be Admirals…
I mentioned the Borg earlier, and for good reason, as there are parallels to be seen with them - Ro is almost Picard's Seven of Nine, a person that doesn't initially want to make any friends, but comes to be a trusted and valued crewmember, though those aspects of her were still to come. Guinan is the other, as her people also became refugees thanks to the Borg. Guinan's appearances here are among her finest contributions, giving Ro no choice about becoming her friend, choosing to go to her when everyone else could only see the bad history she brought with her, and taking her side despite, perhaps because of that. Magical.
Section 31 was what came to mind when we uncover the machinations of the Admiral - that shady organisation would only have been interested in the survival of the Federation, and at a time when Starfleet was relatively weak thanks to the Borg attack a year earlier, they would have wanted to appease the Cardassians and keep the borders safe. It also reminded me of 'The Drumhead,' except this time it really was a conspiracy. Initially I wondered if it could be a plan to get the Federation to intercede in the Bajoran situation against the Cardassians by provoking them to war, but that would have been too easy.
The walk and talk on the planet was nicely done, though if you watch the background you can see the same people going back and forth! In fact, in the last shot of the episode we see a long shot of the colony and one man is walking in a straight line into the middle of the screen, then stops and walks back the way he came! And as for the common cold, I'm sure Dr. Crusher once said it had been cured long ago. I know Admiral Kennelly had some Cardassian virus, but Picard says his Aunt had a remedy for a cold so it was still prevalent in her time, clearly. None of the rough edges can dent what is a fine story, and though the ramifications of what was introduced here would dwarf this little tale, it still holds up well, and on its own merits.
***
Point of No Return
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Point of No Return)
I was beginning to watch the series regularly with these episodes and I certainly remembered this episode fondly. Sometimes you can have just as much fun in the confines of our planet Earth as you can gate-ing off to other worlds. This time the aliens have come to us, with the introduction of Martin Lloyd, who is both a jab at extreme fandom ("I have to go through the gate") and conspiracy theories, something some viewers will probably identify with. There's even the slight nudge at the programme itself, something that would be taken to new and extreme levels when Martin made his inevitable comeback.
While this outing isn't as funny as the later appearance, it keeps us guessing about whether this odd character with his paranoid tendencies is a 'nut job' to coin an O'Neill phrase, or truly alien. The gag is, of course, that what he says is true. I wanted to find out more about his fellow soldiers, and why they had decided to hide out permanently on Earth by self-destructing their ship, as well as how they were able to thrive and get their hands on all that technology. 'Murray' also makes his debut, the alter ego of Teal'c with the hat - not sure why he quickly hides his tattoo from the soldier after showing Martin, though. The soldier is part of a team trying to uncover the alien craft, so he must have been part of the Stargate programme.
The story is a little slow, with the only excitement generated by the SG-1 team hightailing it out of a building thinking it's about to explode, diving for cover, then finding Martin was mistaken! It has plenty of funny moments, whether it's Carter and Daniel pleading ignorance of Teal'c's symbiont ("Did you draw that yourself? Is that a duck?"), or Murray and Jack's babysitting of Martin, the series' strength is in its irony and under-acting, mixed with traditional sci-fi, and this is one of the best examples of an Earth-based episode.
***
I was beginning to watch the series regularly with these episodes and I certainly remembered this episode fondly. Sometimes you can have just as much fun in the confines of our planet Earth as you can gate-ing off to other worlds. This time the aliens have come to us, with the introduction of Martin Lloyd, who is both a jab at extreme fandom ("I have to go through the gate") and conspiracy theories, something some viewers will probably identify with. There's even the slight nudge at the programme itself, something that would be taken to new and extreme levels when Martin made his inevitable comeback.
While this outing isn't as funny as the later appearance, it keeps us guessing about whether this odd character with his paranoid tendencies is a 'nut job' to coin an O'Neill phrase, or truly alien. The gag is, of course, that what he says is true. I wanted to find out more about his fellow soldiers, and why they had decided to hide out permanently on Earth by self-destructing their ship, as well as how they were able to thrive and get their hands on all that technology. 'Murray' also makes his debut, the alter ego of Teal'c with the hat - not sure why he quickly hides his tattoo from the soldier after showing Martin, though. The soldier is part of a team trying to uncover the alien craft, so he must have been part of the Stargate programme.
The story is a little slow, with the only excitement generated by the SG-1 team hightailing it out of a building thinking it's about to explode, diving for cover, then finding Martin was mistaken! It has plenty of funny moments, whether it's Carter and Daniel pleading ignorance of Teal'c's symbiont ("Did you draw that yourself? Is that a duck?"), or Murray and Jack's babysitting of Martin, the series' strength is in its irony and under-acting, mixed with traditional sci-fi, and this is one of the best examples of an Earth-based episode.
***
Beneath The Surface
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Beneath The Surface)
For once 'Stargate' does something before 'Star Trek', but where 'Star Trek: Voyager' turned the idea of the main characters forgetting who they are and working for an alien workforce into epic two-parter territory, this sticks to one episode, and I think the idea was more suited to that, because where can you take the story? We're just waiting for them to remember things that will make them question this existence they're living, and eventually find a way out. There's nowhere else to really go with such a story.
This was actually one of the episodes I'd already seen, and I didn't think much of it then, and I don't think much of it now. It's okay, it works fine, it looks good - all hot, red, sweaty lighting, smoke and sparks and grimy clothing, rather like the real world in 'The Matrix'. There's a bit of nice music, some nice production values with the administrator's grand office a strong contrast to the dingy depths below, and the CGI set extension of the city was accomplished. But there were problems with the story - why have such thin windows covering the working area? If someone had thrown something hard at them from below, or if something had dropped out of one of the buildings above, they would have shattered as they did when O'Neill shot them. I didn't get the overload sequence either: Teal'c collapses after turning a wheel on a steam pipe, so why didn't someone simply turn the wheel back instead of messing around with an evacuation, leaving it up to Jack and Daniel to smash a lever off and save the day?
'The Simpsons' gag was amusing, and there was plenty of the usual banter, and we even get a little scene between Hammond and Dr. Frasier, which was nice, but there's a strong feeling of a story that isn't going anywhere, or more precisely is extremely obvious about where it's going. I made me question what would happen to the whole society when the workers were removed, surely they would just find more? I have to remind myself that this isn't 'Star Trek' so there's less likely to be moralising and fretting over consequences, but then again, neither is there a great deal of action. Although the Carter/O'Neill thing is touched on it makes the idea seem less appropriate since it wouldn't be good for Jack to be leading a team without impartiality as it could put them all at risk. Not that that really matters as it's not the real military, but it just struck me.
**
For once 'Stargate' does something before 'Star Trek', but where 'Star Trek: Voyager' turned the idea of the main characters forgetting who they are and working for an alien workforce into epic two-parter territory, this sticks to one episode, and I think the idea was more suited to that, because where can you take the story? We're just waiting for them to remember things that will make them question this existence they're living, and eventually find a way out. There's nowhere else to really go with such a story.
This was actually one of the episodes I'd already seen, and I didn't think much of it then, and I don't think much of it now. It's okay, it works fine, it looks good - all hot, red, sweaty lighting, smoke and sparks and grimy clothing, rather like the real world in 'The Matrix'. There's a bit of nice music, some nice production values with the administrator's grand office a strong contrast to the dingy depths below, and the CGI set extension of the city was accomplished. But there were problems with the story - why have such thin windows covering the working area? If someone had thrown something hard at them from below, or if something had dropped out of one of the buildings above, they would have shattered as they did when O'Neill shot them. I didn't get the overload sequence either: Teal'c collapses after turning a wheel on a steam pipe, so why didn't someone simply turn the wheel back instead of messing around with an evacuation, leaving it up to Jack and Daniel to smash a lever off and save the day?
'The Simpsons' gag was amusing, and there was plenty of the usual banter, and we even get a little scene between Hammond and Dr. Frasier, which was nice, but there's a strong feeling of a story that isn't going anywhere, or more precisely is extremely obvious about where it's going. I made me question what would happen to the whole society when the workers were removed, surely they would just find more? I have to remind myself that this isn't 'Star Trek' so there's less likely to be moralising and fretting over consequences, but then again, neither is there a great deal of action. Although the Carter/O'Neill thing is touched on it makes the idea seem less appropriate since it wouldn't be good for Jack to be leading a team without impartiality as it could put them all at risk. Not that that really matters as it's not the real military, but it just struck me.
**
Precious Cargo
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Precious Cargo)
I've always considered this down there with the worst of 'Enterprise' episodes, and watching it again hasn't changed my mind, but when you have such low expectations you sometimes appreciate the good parts a little more. As such, I quite enjoyed it to begin with, it was more exciting than I remembered and the villains of the piece had a leathery depth to them that made them better than the average guest appearance. Whether it was the lead villain's false pleasantry (reminding me somewhat of Gul Dukat), or his partner's duping by Archer and T'Pol (very Kirk and Spock, I thought), the scenes with these aliens were the highlights, and we were even treated to a bit of fistfight in which the alien Captain shows that his race don't just look bony, as his face absorbs several blows from Trip.
With highlights inevitably come lowlights, and Trip's rescue of the ungrateful and annoying plank that was the Princess of Krios Prime, was definitely that. There was a feeling of 'The Original Series' story 'Elaan of Troyius' about it, even down to Trip teaching her a bit about good manners. That wasn't a great episode either, so it's no surprise that having a spoiled brat along for the ride didn't make for gripping TV, especially as Trip is so laid back - he even likes playing the mouth organ in his quarters when he's off-duty!
There are some early signs of the ruthlessness later shown by Archer in his treatment of the prisoner. He keeps him in the airlock (don't they have a brig yet?), and then performs an elaborate charade in which T'Pol (arriving in her regal robe, the attire we first meet her in during the pilot episode), is supposedly a harsh law-giver for the area that will kill crewmembers for minor infractions! Okay, so this is all a joke on the hapless alien, but it shows that Archer isn't above a bit of deception or threats to get what he wants, something that would be played out more and more with the Xindi arc next season.
Though the escape pod Trip and 'Her Majesty' escape in looks rather like a dustbin, the descent onto a 'Dagobah'-type planet had a believable feeling of dropping like a stone, and the planet set looked very real. Some nice camera angles throughout the episode use the widescreen well thanks to some wide-angle lenses, whether it's in the pod or the 'interrogation' room, and the camera spins round the bridge in the early action sequence - I especially like the moment the deputy alien tries to leave Enterprise and Reed shows up with a redshirt to cut him off diplomatically. I knew I recognised one of the aliens, and the name Leland Crooke rang a bell - he was a Vorta in a late 'DS9'. We also see the Universal Translator, this time in the form of a hand pad device with a communicator attached. The only real mystery of the episode is why the Princess looks so much like a Trill, with those spots going down her temples and neck, because there's no mystery in the story itself, and no depth - Trip isn't too anxious to prove himself a 'perfect gentleman' this time, which is all rather unrealistic given the circumstances. It all makes for an underwhelming experience, but not perhaps the absolute worst it could be.
**
I've always considered this down there with the worst of 'Enterprise' episodes, and watching it again hasn't changed my mind, but when you have such low expectations you sometimes appreciate the good parts a little more. As such, I quite enjoyed it to begin with, it was more exciting than I remembered and the villains of the piece had a leathery depth to them that made them better than the average guest appearance. Whether it was the lead villain's false pleasantry (reminding me somewhat of Gul Dukat), or his partner's duping by Archer and T'Pol (very Kirk and Spock, I thought), the scenes with these aliens were the highlights, and we were even treated to a bit of fistfight in which the alien Captain shows that his race don't just look bony, as his face absorbs several blows from Trip.
With highlights inevitably come lowlights, and Trip's rescue of the ungrateful and annoying plank that was the Princess of Krios Prime, was definitely that. There was a feeling of 'The Original Series' story 'Elaan of Troyius' about it, even down to Trip teaching her a bit about good manners. That wasn't a great episode either, so it's no surprise that having a spoiled brat along for the ride didn't make for gripping TV, especially as Trip is so laid back - he even likes playing the mouth organ in his quarters when he's off-duty!
There are some early signs of the ruthlessness later shown by Archer in his treatment of the prisoner. He keeps him in the airlock (don't they have a brig yet?), and then performs an elaborate charade in which T'Pol (arriving in her regal robe, the attire we first meet her in during the pilot episode), is supposedly a harsh law-giver for the area that will kill crewmembers for minor infractions! Okay, so this is all a joke on the hapless alien, but it shows that Archer isn't above a bit of deception or threats to get what he wants, something that would be played out more and more with the Xindi arc next season.
Though the escape pod Trip and 'Her Majesty' escape in looks rather like a dustbin, the descent onto a 'Dagobah'-type planet had a believable feeling of dropping like a stone, and the planet set looked very real. Some nice camera angles throughout the episode use the widescreen well thanks to some wide-angle lenses, whether it's in the pod or the 'interrogation' room, and the camera spins round the bridge in the early action sequence - I especially like the moment the deputy alien tries to leave Enterprise and Reed shows up with a redshirt to cut him off diplomatically. I knew I recognised one of the aliens, and the name Leland Crooke rang a bell - he was a Vorta in a late 'DS9'. We also see the Universal Translator, this time in the form of a hand pad device with a communicator attached. The only real mystery of the episode is why the Princess looks so much like a Trill, with those spots going down her temples and neck, because there's no mystery in the story itself, and no depth - Trip isn't too anxious to prove himself a 'perfect gentleman' this time, which is all rather unrealistic given the circumstances. It all makes for an underwhelming experience, but not perhaps the absolute worst it could be.
**
Monday, 16 May 2011
Darmok
DVD, TNG S5 (Darmok)
A starship Captain transported against his will to a planet where an alien Captain is also stranded; a lack of communication at first, and an understanding reached before the death of the alien... this must have taken strong inspiration from 'Arena' in 'TOS' in which Kirk battles the Gorn, before refusing to kill him, only this is the story told in a more cerebral way to suit this series, just as the action adventure suited 'TOS'. The circumstances and resolution are, for the most part the only similarities, indeed, the Gorn Captain had the complete opposite intention to the Tamarian - the first wanted to kill the human Captain, while the second was willing to die to get his message across and begin the road to understanding between their peoples. And a good job is done by Paul Winfield in the role - he had also played Captain Terrell in 'Star Trek II'.
There are problems with the concept. What kind of alien race could survive with a language of examples, of metaphor? No wonder they had never made much sense when they stumbled across other Federation ships (seven times in a hundred years, was it?), and makes you think they were an isolationist race, and one that had no wish or need for interaction with others. Why did this change, and why was the Tamarian Captain (I keep wanting to call him Darmok!), prepared to risk so much to change this state of affairs? Perhaps there were internal troubles with his people, just as the Klingons only resorted to calling on the Federation when their moon blew up.
It all makes you wonder about the state of the Tamarians and how they might have gone on to form relations with the Federation. Maybe they saw the Federation as an obvious target to begin friendly talks with in the quadrant because it would mean access to so many races within it. I do question why no other starship crew had managed to make the leap to metaphor, but the previous encounters may have been brief and not advocated by such a staunch supporter as this Captain was. I would have liked to know what the result of his death was, and whether an alliance was successfully formed, but the episode was really just a showcase for one idea, though a good one, and I imagine they could have become irritating if seen in other stories.
The main idea wasn't the only thing to like, there were plenty of little things, and one big thing in the ugly shape of the invisible creature, an Excalbian-like being, that was very well realised, its brief appearances and attacks, bringing real danger to bear on the Captains. Its savage blows unfortunately didn't make material damage to the Tamarian, I imagine they were more like energy attacks than a beast's claws, but he could have done with a bit of roughing up in the makeup department. Not that the Tamarians looked particularly good, it was only the intelligence and bravery of their Captain that makes them believable and sympathetic so that when he dies it is a sad moment. But it's Picard's excitement at deducing their way of speaking and his connection with the alien that makes the story come alive, and his translation that saves the ship from destruction and ends the episode on a high - we understand as well as the Captain and the Tamarians, and the words take on new meaning and leave a warm feeling.
Riker comes across as a less Starfleet Captain than expected, resorting to violence and precipitating such a conflict that his ship is almost destroyed, though the Tamarian ship didn't look like it was ever going to trouble the Enterprise - in fact it was a rather well-used model having been seen before and after the episode on this and other series', back when models were physical items that had to be built at great expense. The scenes on the Enterprise are actually what let the side down to some degree, as they are just treading water, waiting for Picard's breakthrough, seeing the character's go through their various motions (and why couldn't Data reach Picard's conclusion?) that they must do to ensure their Captain's safety, but do we need to see that? Maybe if Picard's beaming to the planet had been part of the plan, then a B-story could have occurred on the ship, where they would have had no knowledge of his difficulties, but it would have been a hard task to do that and keep the jeopardy, thus losing the strong ending.
Picard's fancy new uniform jacket makes its debut here, and a good job too, or he'd have been even colder down on the planet. Good timing for Starfleet Wardrobe (if such a department exists). The jacket may have been the inspiration for the film/late-'DS9' era uniforms, the best ever made, so maybe we have more to thank the episode for than expected? Jacket on Picard in 'Darmok', you might say.
***
A starship Captain transported against his will to a planet where an alien Captain is also stranded; a lack of communication at first, and an understanding reached before the death of the alien... this must have taken strong inspiration from 'Arena' in 'TOS' in which Kirk battles the Gorn, before refusing to kill him, only this is the story told in a more cerebral way to suit this series, just as the action adventure suited 'TOS'. The circumstances and resolution are, for the most part the only similarities, indeed, the Gorn Captain had the complete opposite intention to the Tamarian - the first wanted to kill the human Captain, while the second was willing to die to get his message across and begin the road to understanding between their peoples. And a good job is done by Paul Winfield in the role - he had also played Captain Terrell in 'Star Trek II'.
There are problems with the concept. What kind of alien race could survive with a language of examples, of metaphor? No wonder they had never made much sense when they stumbled across other Federation ships (seven times in a hundred years, was it?), and makes you think they were an isolationist race, and one that had no wish or need for interaction with others. Why did this change, and why was the Tamarian Captain (I keep wanting to call him Darmok!), prepared to risk so much to change this state of affairs? Perhaps there were internal troubles with his people, just as the Klingons only resorted to calling on the Federation when their moon blew up.
It all makes you wonder about the state of the Tamarians and how they might have gone on to form relations with the Federation. Maybe they saw the Federation as an obvious target to begin friendly talks with in the quadrant because it would mean access to so many races within it. I do question why no other starship crew had managed to make the leap to metaphor, but the previous encounters may have been brief and not advocated by such a staunch supporter as this Captain was. I would have liked to know what the result of his death was, and whether an alliance was successfully formed, but the episode was really just a showcase for one idea, though a good one, and I imagine they could have become irritating if seen in other stories.
The main idea wasn't the only thing to like, there were plenty of little things, and one big thing in the ugly shape of the invisible creature, an Excalbian-like being, that was very well realised, its brief appearances and attacks, bringing real danger to bear on the Captains. Its savage blows unfortunately didn't make material damage to the Tamarian, I imagine they were more like energy attacks than a beast's claws, but he could have done with a bit of roughing up in the makeup department. Not that the Tamarians looked particularly good, it was only the intelligence and bravery of their Captain that makes them believable and sympathetic so that when he dies it is a sad moment. But it's Picard's excitement at deducing their way of speaking and his connection with the alien that makes the story come alive, and his translation that saves the ship from destruction and ends the episode on a high - we understand as well as the Captain and the Tamarians, and the words take on new meaning and leave a warm feeling.
Riker comes across as a less Starfleet Captain than expected, resorting to violence and precipitating such a conflict that his ship is almost destroyed, though the Tamarian ship didn't look like it was ever going to trouble the Enterprise - in fact it was a rather well-used model having been seen before and after the episode on this and other series', back when models were physical items that had to be built at great expense. The scenes on the Enterprise are actually what let the side down to some degree, as they are just treading water, waiting for Picard's breakthrough, seeing the character's go through their various motions (and why couldn't Data reach Picard's conclusion?) that they must do to ensure their Captain's safety, but do we need to see that? Maybe if Picard's beaming to the planet had been part of the plan, then a B-story could have occurred on the ship, where they would have had no knowledge of his difficulties, but it would have been a hard task to do that and keep the jeopardy, thus losing the strong ending.
Picard's fancy new uniform jacket makes its debut here, and a good job too, or he'd have been even colder down on the planet. Good timing for Starfleet Wardrobe (if such a department exists). The jacket may have been the inspiration for the film/late-'DS9' era uniforms, the best ever made, so maybe we have more to thank the episode for than expected? Jacket on Picard in 'Darmok', you might say.
***
Scorched Earth
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Scorched Earth)
At first I thought this was going to be another 'away mission' to one of those slightly boring human-like races they like to use once in a while - rustic, low levels of technology, the Stargate team help them or get into trouble with them, and eventually a way is found to either get away or part amicably. The first season had a lot of these and, thankfully, there have been less over the seasons, but I wasn't far wrong from my initial impressions. Everything seemed to be moving like treacle and I just wanted them to get on with whatever plan they were going to come up with to stop the advance of the alien ship from terraforming the Ankaran's adoptive planet.
Things pick up a little when the team visit the mysterious vessel, and the set design was very nice indeed, all sparkling white futuristic decor, spare, but exuding great advancement. Brian Markinson adds 'Stargate' to his 'DS9' and 'Voyager' sci-fi roster, and though he played Lotan as a bland character, it was fitting for the fact he was a 'robot' in the form of the Ankarans (with their unique golden eyes). I was expecting some kind of compromise to be reached, but it wasn't a very intellectually stimulating episode so I just let the current drag me along. There were some scenes to enjoy, as Daniel introduces the 'newborn' to the way of life of the people in whose image he was made.
While Lotan doesn't exactly gain sympathy for the victims of his programmers plan, he does gain understanding thanks to Daniel pulling a Captain Kirk and getting him to see the logic of finding a better solution. The only dramatic entanglements come from O'Neill's plan to use a Naquita generator to try and blow up the ship, even while Jackson is trying to give him another alternative. If Jack was going to listen to anyone it would be Samantha Carter, but she doesn't really try too hard to convince him, so I felt she could have pushed a bit more, though it goes against the grain to question a superior officer, and a friend, like that. I shouldn't think Jack's decision to carry on with the plan even though Daniel was still aboard is going to cement their 'friendship' either, though things like this have happened before.
It makes a change to have a strong moral dilemma in the series, but it didn't make for strong storytelling, and even the lovely scenery can't make up for the lack of pace and the brightness of the weather with Ankarans wandering around as if everything was fine, continuing their daily tasks, did nothing to create a feeling of impending doom. Still, it ends happily, so no harm done.
**
At first I thought this was going to be another 'away mission' to one of those slightly boring human-like races they like to use once in a while - rustic, low levels of technology, the Stargate team help them or get into trouble with them, and eventually a way is found to either get away or part amicably. The first season had a lot of these and, thankfully, there have been less over the seasons, but I wasn't far wrong from my initial impressions. Everything seemed to be moving like treacle and I just wanted them to get on with whatever plan they were going to come up with to stop the advance of the alien ship from terraforming the Ankaran's adoptive planet.
Things pick up a little when the team visit the mysterious vessel, and the set design was very nice indeed, all sparkling white futuristic decor, spare, but exuding great advancement. Brian Markinson adds 'Stargate' to his 'DS9' and 'Voyager' sci-fi roster, and though he played Lotan as a bland character, it was fitting for the fact he was a 'robot' in the form of the Ankarans (with their unique golden eyes). I was expecting some kind of compromise to be reached, but it wasn't a very intellectually stimulating episode so I just let the current drag me along. There were some scenes to enjoy, as Daniel introduces the 'newborn' to the way of life of the people in whose image he was made.
While Lotan doesn't exactly gain sympathy for the victims of his programmers plan, he does gain understanding thanks to Daniel pulling a Captain Kirk and getting him to see the logic of finding a better solution. The only dramatic entanglements come from O'Neill's plan to use a Naquita generator to try and blow up the ship, even while Jackson is trying to give him another alternative. If Jack was going to listen to anyone it would be Samantha Carter, but she doesn't really try too hard to convince him, so I felt she could have pushed a bit more, though it goes against the grain to question a superior officer, and a friend, like that. I shouldn't think Jack's decision to carry on with the plan even though Daniel was still aboard is going to cement their 'friendship' either, though things like this have happened before.
It makes a change to have a strong moral dilemma in the series, but it didn't make for strong storytelling, and even the lovely scenery can't make up for the lack of pace and the brightness of the weather with Ankarans wandering around as if everything was fine, continuing their daily tasks, did nothing to create a feeling of impending doom. Still, it ends happily, so no harm done.
**
Vanishing Point
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Vanishing Point)
...And it was all a dream. The awful cliche of it all! But somehow this still ticks along and comes out as a good instalment. This is all due to the drive of the episode, which is invisible, literally - not the story, or the (admittedly very good) disappearing effects, but the music - it's superb and holds what is really just a standard bottle show, together, whether it's using a creepy X-Files piano or action music when Hoshi tries to avert the catastrophe, it makes an okay premise into a good one. The direction helps, with a few good shots such as characters staring right through Hoshi, or the camera whizzing between each section of what could only have been a bomb, but the music must garner the most praise.
It shows what a fertile imagination Ensign Sato has, what with creating this Cyrus Ramsey, supposedly the first person to be transported long distance (of 100 metres), and if anything, I wanted the creepiness to be ramped up. It was a good idea to get to the state of Hoshi's disappearance slowly; at first she's not heard over a lively meal table when she asks to sit down, and later T'Pol takes a while to become aware of her presence, until she actually sees herself vanish completely. Her fears manifest in disappointment from the Captain, another crewmember taking over her role (Crewman Baird, who may have been named for Stuart Baird, who would have been directing 'Star Trek Nemesis' at the time), as well as people ignoring her. The physical unease was another aspect that could have been taken to a higher level than simply seeing her hands or body flash in or out of existence, but then it would have been difficult to sustain the reality of the situation, which they were trying to do, to keep us wondering if it really was a transporter accident or not.
It's a shame the pale white, saurian aliens she conjures up weren't real because they looked great, the ribbed white heads contrasting with bright red eyes. I was a bit disappointed they never saw Hoshi as I thought they did and either chased her or tried to do something to her, but it was only my memory doing some wishful thinking. There were other items of interest in the episode - we get to see the gym, and Hoshi imagines up a guilt-stricken Trip who blames himself for not letting her transport up from the planet first, which gives the actor a chance to emote a little bit. It was also fun to see a further addition to the 'transporter club' as Hoshi and Trip join the Captain and Reed in taking the plunge, the effects for which are especially detailed and pleasing on the eye.
The episode's strength is its effects work and managing to maintain a degree of weirdness, plus we get to see Hoshi's Father (played by the reliable Keone Young, the famous Buck Bokai in 'DS9'). The downside is that we don't really learn much about Hoshi, except what we already know - that she will conquer her fears if the ship is in danger, and I suppose this was a confidence boost along the way to her losing that jitteriness that had already begun to move into the background by this stage of the series. I would have liked to have found out more about the ruins on that planet, though.
***
...And it was all a dream. The awful cliche of it all! But somehow this still ticks along and comes out as a good instalment. This is all due to the drive of the episode, which is invisible, literally - not the story, or the (admittedly very good) disappearing effects, but the music - it's superb and holds what is really just a standard bottle show, together, whether it's using a creepy X-Files piano or action music when Hoshi tries to avert the catastrophe, it makes an okay premise into a good one. The direction helps, with a few good shots such as characters staring right through Hoshi, or the camera whizzing between each section of what could only have been a bomb, but the music must garner the most praise.
It shows what a fertile imagination Ensign Sato has, what with creating this Cyrus Ramsey, supposedly the first person to be transported long distance (of 100 metres), and if anything, I wanted the creepiness to be ramped up. It was a good idea to get to the state of Hoshi's disappearance slowly; at first she's not heard over a lively meal table when she asks to sit down, and later T'Pol takes a while to become aware of her presence, until she actually sees herself vanish completely. Her fears manifest in disappointment from the Captain, another crewmember taking over her role (Crewman Baird, who may have been named for Stuart Baird, who would have been directing 'Star Trek Nemesis' at the time), as well as people ignoring her. The physical unease was another aspect that could have been taken to a higher level than simply seeing her hands or body flash in or out of existence, but then it would have been difficult to sustain the reality of the situation, which they were trying to do, to keep us wondering if it really was a transporter accident or not.
It's a shame the pale white, saurian aliens she conjures up weren't real because they looked great, the ribbed white heads contrasting with bright red eyes. I was a bit disappointed they never saw Hoshi as I thought they did and either chased her or tried to do something to her, but it was only my memory doing some wishful thinking. There were other items of interest in the episode - we get to see the gym, and Hoshi imagines up a guilt-stricken Trip who blames himself for not letting her transport up from the planet first, which gives the actor a chance to emote a little bit. It was also fun to see a further addition to the 'transporter club' as Hoshi and Trip join the Captain and Reed in taking the plunge, the effects for which are especially detailed and pleasing on the eye.
The episode's strength is its effects work and managing to maintain a degree of weirdness, plus we get to see Hoshi's Father (played by the reliable Keone Young, the famous Buck Bokai in 'DS9'). The downside is that we don't really learn much about Hoshi, except what we already know - that she will conquer her fears if the ship is in danger, and I suppose this was a confidence boost along the way to her losing that jitteriness that had already begun to move into the background by this stage of the series. I would have liked to have found out more about the ruins on that planet, though.
***
The First Ones
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (The First Ones)
It was a sad episode to see Dr. Rothman, the Reg Barclay of Stargate, killed off, but I must put my hands up and claim that I suspected he might turn out to be a Goa'uld, as unlikely as that may seem. I guess they meant he was always a Goa'uld during the mission on the planet, rather than since we've known him, which wasn't long, but with larvae swimming around in the river it's much more sensible to assume it was on this planet that he became one. He wasn't in many episodes, but he was good fun, being in awe of the 'hero' characters and forever stumbling with everything. He was much more assertive when we see him in this episode, so it's safe to glean from that that he wasn't himself at any point in the episode.
The story won points for its lush location shooting, but that's a given and it was the less common cocktail of strong scenes that made it better than the standard episode - there is humour, as always, but there was also a real sense of danger in Dr. Jackson's interaction with the primitive Unas, whether it was the excellent design and implications of the creature, or the environment it inhabited. The creature looks like it could really do Daniel some harm with those vicious teeth and huge claws (though I'd love to know how it tied the knot in his rope binding!). The scenes in the river when Daniel swims across to escape, unaware of the Goa'uld below the surface, actually brings some proper suspense to the series which sometimes it doesn't achieve. Teal'c gets to look cool again by staff-zapping a larvae that leaps from the water, without even turning round, and his insistence that all the SG members tie themselves up brings great chill to the danger of possible infiltration.
Being away from technology always helps, as nothing can sell a primitive, forest landscape better than a primitive forest landscape. The natural reality smoothly enhances the look and feel of the episode but most importantly, the Unas are finally given a worthwhile story that plays to their strengths after the previous two made them seem simply monsters. We get to see their caveman culture, learn some of their guttural language and they are some of the most alien, but believable lifeforms we've seen on the series. Any seeming mistakes are cleared up in the story - I felt the Unas looked a bit on the small side compared with the ones we've seen before, but it's a juvenile example of the species, and we do get a full-size version at the end. Also, I questioned Teal'c's decision to tie up the SG team and leave them prey to anything, and my fears seemed confirmed when Hawkins easily snaps his bonds, but it was all a ploy to unmask the Goa'uld, so I enjoyed the intelligent writing, that shows they understand the characters and style of the series enough to have fun with it, and us.
Previous adventures made me ambivalent to the Unas, but the new information about them, as well as adding to the series, also managed to create a good-looking, adventurous story, and even started me hoping we'd see more of them. Season 4 is shaping up well so far.
***
It was a sad episode to see Dr. Rothman, the Reg Barclay of Stargate, killed off, but I must put my hands up and claim that I suspected he might turn out to be a Goa'uld, as unlikely as that may seem. I guess they meant he was always a Goa'uld during the mission on the planet, rather than since we've known him, which wasn't long, but with larvae swimming around in the river it's much more sensible to assume it was on this planet that he became one. He wasn't in many episodes, but he was good fun, being in awe of the 'hero' characters and forever stumbling with everything. He was much more assertive when we see him in this episode, so it's safe to glean from that that he wasn't himself at any point in the episode.
The story won points for its lush location shooting, but that's a given and it was the less common cocktail of strong scenes that made it better than the standard episode - there is humour, as always, but there was also a real sense of danger in Dr. Jackson's interaction with the primitive Unas, whether it was the excellent design and implications of the creature, or the environment it inhabited. The creature looks like it could really do Daniel some harm with those vicious teeth and huge claws (though I'd love to know how it tied the knot in his rope binding!). The scenes in the river when Daniel swims across to escape, unaware of the Goa'uld below the surface, actually brings some proper suspense to the series which sometimes it doesn't achieve. Teal'c gets to look cool again by staff-zapping a larvae that leaps from the water, without even turning round, and his insistence that all the SG members tie themselves up brings great chill to the danger of possible infiltration.
Being away from technology always helps, as nothing can sell a primitive, forest landscape better than a primitive forest landscape. The natural reality smoothly enhances the look and feel of the episode but most importantly, the Unas are finally given a worthwhile story that plays to their strengths after the previous two made them seem simply monsters. We get to see their caveman culture, learn some of their guttural language and they are some of the most alien, but believable lifeforms we've seen on the series. Any seeming mistakes are cleared up in the story - I felt the Unas looked a bit on the small side compared with the ones we've seen before, but it's a juvenile example of the species, and we do get a full-size version at the end. Also, I questioned Teal'c's decision to tie up the SG team and leave them prey to anything, and my fears seemed confirmed when Hawkins easily snaps his bonds, but it was all a ploy to unmask the Goa'uld, so I enjoyed the intelligent writing, that shows they understand the characters and style of the series enough to have fun with it, and us.
Previous adventures made me ambivalent to the Unas, but the new information about them, as well as adding to the series, also managed to create a good-looking, adventurous story, and even started me hoping we'd see more of them. Season 4 is shaping up well so far.
***
Monday, 9 May 2011
Watergate
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Watergate)
Mayborn turns up in his least anticipated appearance so far, in a freezer in the middle of a Siberian base! That was the surprise of the episode, but annoyingly we don't find out what he was doing there and why he was part of the Russian Stargate test! Nor do we find out how Russian/American relations were after this incident and there's very little closure all round because of the abrupt ending. It is quite a good story however, with plenty of ideas and pretty good production values - impressions of a parachute jump (though we aren't shown them actually falling through the air, which was probably too much to expect of a TV budget a decade ago), a Russian base in Siberia, and most dramatically, a fully underwater sequence on an alien world.
Marina Sirtis joins Rene Auberjonois in crossing over from one universe with 'Star' in the title, to another, and does a fine job of a Russian accent, looking severe with her hair tied back, like in Season 1 of 'TNG'. The character doesn't really have much depth to her, her main function being to explain the plot, and these scenes (mainly early on), do drag the story down. We don't find out a great deal about the Russian's knowledge of the Stargate programme, except that they've known about it for a while, and have files on all the main participants, so there could potentially be a lot of material to mine, and presumably we'll find out Mayborn's connection soon.
Intelligent water is a good way to make a lifeform dangerous and the reveal was unexpected. I felt the idea of an 'abandoned' Siberian base with people going round controlled by this water could have been a much superior action show with all kinds of terror in the dark. Instead it's played as a mystery, in a very cerebral way (suitable for a guest actor from 'TNG'), which is, nonetheless, entertaining thanks to the usual ironic remarks and the main characters doing their usual stuff. The strength of the episode is in its great effects, showing a mini-submarine entering the Stargate and moving into a submerged location on the other side. The lighting in the sub was especially attractive, though the base was far too bright - it should have been dingy and worryingly shadowy. The water and steam effects of the creature were also strong, and the fact that they were on a mission on another part of Earth made it special for that alone. Add the Russian intrigue and some fairly claustrophobic moments and it was a good episode, though not wholly strong.
***
Mayborn turns up in his least anticipated appearance so far, in a freezer in the middle of a Siberian base! That was the surprise of the episode, but annoyingly we don't find out what he was doing there and why he was part of the Russian Stargate test! Nor do we find out how Russian/American relations were after this incident and there's very little closure all round because of the abrupt ending. It is quite a good story however, with plenty of ideas and pretty good production values - impressions of a parachute jump (though we aren't shown them actually falling through the air, which was probably too much to expect of a TV budget a decade ago), a Russian base in Siberia, and most dramatically, a fully underwater sequence on an alien world.
Marina Sirtis joins Rene Auberjonois in crossing over from one universe with 'Star' in the title, to another, and does a fine job of a Russian accent, looking severe with her hair tied back, like in Season 1 of 'TNG'. The character doesn't really have much depth to her, her main function being to explain the plot, and these scenes (mainly early on), do drag the story down. We don't find out a great deal about the Russian's knowledge of the Stargate programme, except that they've known about it for a while, and have files on all the main participants, so there could potentially be a lot of material to mine, and presumably we'll find out Mayborn's connection soon.
Intelligent water is a good way to make a lifeform dangerous and the reveal was unexpected. I felt the idea of an 'abandoned' Siberian base with people going round controlled by this water could have been a much superior action show with all kinds of terror in the dark. Instead it's played as a mystery, in a very cerebral way (suitable for a guest actor from 'TNG'), which is, nonetheless, entertaining thanks to the usual ironic remarks and the main characters doing their usual stuff. The strength of the episode is in its great effects, showing a mini-submarine entering the Stargate and moving into a submerged location on the other side. The lighting in the sub was especially attractive, though the base was far too bright - it should have been dingy and worryingly shadowy. The water and steam effects of the creature were also strong, and the fact that they were on a mission on another part of Earth made it special for that alone. Add the Russian intrigue and some fairly claustrophobic moments and it was a good episode, though not wholly strong.
***
Basics, part I
DVD, Voyager S2 (Basics, part I)
In its day this was an absolute classic and one of my favourite all-time episodes of the series. Not since the pilot had there been such sweeping plot movements, a collection of so many good things about the series, and a proper full-scale battle with Voyager outgunned by three Kazon lunkers (I like to think that's what they call that class of ship!). The Doctor goes 'overboard' in a holographic mix-up, Tom Paris bravely goes back for Talaxian help in the midst of the battle, and the plan to draw some of the firepower away from Voyager's shields by projecting false ships around it worked well. Perhaps one of the greatest things about the episode is the way it ends, Janeway and her crew stranded, alone except for curious cavemen and dinosaur-like lizards, on an inhospitable volcanic landscape without even two combadges to rub together. I'll bet Chakotay and Janeway were wishing they were back on the planet they got stranded on last episode - at least there they could have been working on a nice log cabin in between stints in the bathtub!
Nowadays the excitement level doesn't quite reach fever pitch - I can't help but have seen so many TV and film productions that it's chipped away at what was exceptional fifteen years ago. Although the action isn't as spine-tingling, I couldn't help noticing how professional everyone is under pressure. None of these quiet character asides (unless you count Suder, who seems as creepy as ever: "I just wanna do something for the ship!"), or slow scenes of plot extrapolation - everyone does their jobs as the camera flies around the bridge or engineering, orders are spouted out and all the evidence is there of a well-oiled crew at the top of their game. There's a steady mood of danger growing through the events, exacerbated by the appearance of Tierna, a Kazon who was apparently more loyal to Seska than to his own leader. Apart from that irregularity his story checks out. As the Doc says, he'd have had to be willing to breathe in noxious fumes until death if it was a ploy. It turns out he was willing to die as he whips off his toenail which concealing a needle, and sets off the chemicals in his bloodstream - suicide bomber or hero of his people? Was he threatened with a slow death if he didn't comply, or was he a Kazon fanatic? We'll never know.
We don't often get Chakotay's weird Indian wafflings, but this one is a particularly nice scene when he talks to his Father about the child and his Dad makes him realise that a child has no knowledge or blame. I like to think Chakotay merely imagined what his Father would have said to him in a dream rather than actually talking to him, but it was a great moment and a real shame Kolopak never showed up again. It was also one of the scenes that stand out for the lighting and direction with Kolopak's face almost covered in deep shadow - this strong contrast was used very effectively throughout the episode, to the extent that I mentally chuckled when Cullah, upon taking over Voyager comments on it being so dark and wants someone to turn the lights on! There are other strong visual moments too, in the landing of the ship, and the vast elliptical shadow it casts, the view of the saucer section used as a ceiling under which Cullah speaks to Janeway and some of the crew, as seen from a low angle is memorable.
Maje Cullah really gets the best scenes out of all the episodes he's been in, Seska, now engrossed in fondling her baby infant, plays second fiddle to his eye-rolling and exasperation, though it's still a shocking moment when he backhands the Captain showing her the 'respect' due a Kazon woman now she no longer has the leverage of her technology. He even gets to fully revel in his prize of the USS Voyager by laughing a hearty, evil laugh as he sinks back into the comfy Captain's chair, his victory, at least for the moment, complete. But Starfleet survival skills being what they are, and ingenuity being rampant among Federation types, and the possibility that Tom Paris' shuttle might just have made it to safety, means Cullah should enjoy his triumph while he can. He shouldn't have forgotten that the series is called 'Star Trek: Voyager' after all.
****
In its day this was an absolute classic and one of my favourite all-time episodes of the series. Not since the pilot had there been such sweeping plot movements, a collection of so many good things about the series, and a proper full-scale battle with Voyager outgunned by three Kazon lunkers (I like to think that's what they call that class of ship!). The Doctor goes 'overboard' in a holographic mix-up, Tom Paris bravely goes back for Talaxian help in the midst of the battle, and the plan to draw some of the firepower away from Voyager's shields by projecting false ships around it worked well. Perhaps one of the greatest things about the episode is the way it ends, Janeway and her crew stranded, alone except for curious cavemen and dinosaur-like lizards, on an inhospitable volcanic landscape without even two combadges to rub together. I'll bet Chakotay and Janeway were wishing they were back on the planet they got stranded on last episode - at least there they could have been working on a nice log cabin in between stints in the bathtub!
Nowadays the excitement level doesn't quite reach fever pitch - I can't help but have seen so many TV and film productions that it's chipped away at what was exceptional fifteen years ago. Although the action isn't as spine-tingling, I couldn't help noticing how professional everyone is under pressure. None of these quiet character asides (unless you count Suder, who seems as creepy as ever: "I just wanna do something for the ship!"), or slow scenes of plot extrapolation - everyone does their jobs as the camera flies around the bridge or engineering, orders are spouted out and all the evidence is there of a well-oiled crew at the top of their game. There's a steady mood of danger growing through the events, exacerbated by the appearance of Tierna, a Kazon who was apparently more loyal to Seska than to his own leader. Apart from that irregularity his story checks out. As the Doc says, he'd have had to be willing to breathe in noxious fumes until death if it was a ploy. It turns out he was willing to die as he whips off his toenail which concealing a needle, and sets off the chemicals in his bloodstream - suicide bomber or hero of his people? Was he threatened with a slow death if he didn't comply, or was he a Kazon fanatic? We'll never know.
We don't often get Chakotay's weird Indian wafflings, but this one is a particularly nice scene when he talks to his Father about the child and his Dad makes him realise that a child has no knowledge or blame. I like to think Chakotay merely imagined what his Father would have said to him in a dream rather than actually talking to him, but it was a great moment and a real shame Kolopak never showed up again. It was also one of the scenes that stand out for the lighting and direction with Kolopak's face almost covered in deep shadow - this strong contrast was used very effectively throughout the episode, to the extent that I mentally chuckled when Cullah, upon taking over Voyager comments on it being so dark and wants someone to turn the lights on! There are other strong visual moments too, in the landing of the ship, and the vast elliptical shadow it casts, the view of the saucer section used as a ceiling under which Cullah speaks to Janeway and some of the crew, as seen from a low angle is memorable.
Maje Cullah really gets the best scenes out of all the episodes he's been in, Seska, now engrossed in fondling her baby infant, plays second fiddle to his eye-rolling and exasperation, though it's still a shocking moment when he backhands the Captain showing her the 'respect' due a Kazon woman now she no longer has the leverage of her technology. He even gets to fully revel in his prize of the USS Voyager by laughing a hearty, evil laugh as he sinks back into the comfy Captain's chair, his victory, at least for the moment, complete. But Starfleet survival skills being what they are, and ingenuity being rampant among Federation types, and the possibility that Tom Paris' shuttle might just have made it to safety, means Cullah should enjoy his triumph while he can. He shouldn't have forgotten that the series is called 'Star Trek: Voyager' after all.
****
Resolutions
DVD, Voyager S2 (Resolutions)
A bold beginning gives us Janeway and Chakotay abandoned to their fate on an alien world, suffering from a fatal virus only staved off by the planet itself, meaning they must spend the rest of their lives there while Voyager continues home under the captaincy of Tuvok. I've always thought a Vulcan Captain would be fascinating. We've seen the like before of course - in the pilot of 'DS9' Sisko serves under a Vulcan Captain, and Spock made it to that rank in the films, but we've never had a series with a Vulcan in the Captain's chair. They are so in command anyway and able to make the big decisions with equanimity, and the conflict with a crew of emotional beings is a big draw for the concept. I notice Tuvok doesn't change into a Captain's uniform and pips, almost as if he hasn't yet come to terms with leaving his Captain and First Officer behind.
It's a reassuring thought to have Tuvok aboard, as his lifetime of experience, calm detachment and ability to step into the place of the Captain is a bonus for the ship. They know that if anything does happen to their leaders there is at least one man competent and able to step into those shoes. Not that the crew gave him an easy time of it! Harry Kim in particular makes his strong feelings known, but then he's always had a special attachment to Janeway, a surrogate mother, a firm, but guiding hand at the start of his career, much as she is a friendly voice for Kes. 'The Galileo Seven' from 'The Original Series' is a possible inspiration - in that story Spock is in command of the titular shuttlecraft which crashes on a dangerous planet and he must keep his more emotional crew mates under control when they become mutinous at his seeming lack of regard for their lives. People used to showing emotions themselves find it difficult to accept those that don't, especially when they are telling them what to do, as both Spock and Tuvok discovered.
Though Tuvok doesn't display the loss of his friend and Captain he feels it keenly, but knows his duty is to carry out her last orders. I empathised much more with him than the crew - Kim and the others think him uncaring because of the lack of response for them to relate to, which is, in a way, racist, since they aren't allowing for his people's ways and beliefs, allowing their own anger and helplessness to cloud their judgement. The scene Tuvok seems most like a Captain to me is when Kim comes to his dark quarters as he relaxes late at night in a Vulcan robe, appearing very regal and removed. The crew's best experience of his captaincy is when he takes up the idea to rendezvous with the Vidiians and when he reacts to the deception with aplomb. Far from being 'strong-armed' into the decision in the way Kim went about it, it is Kes' gentle persuasion that opens his eyes to the need to take his crew's ideas into account, and when he does that he goes for it completely, accepting all the responsibility - though the crew think he doesn't care about them, his whole reasoning is to act in their best interests, and he comes to see that the reward is worth the risk.
Tuvok has often had to temper Ensign Kim's enthusiasm and the young man's anger is what must be dealt with this time. It's funny that it should be Tom Paris who warns Harry when he's stepping over the line on the bridge in a role reversal for their characters. B'Elanna on the other hand goes into denial, wanting to put what's happened into the past and move on. Chakotay is much the same, but in his case it isn't out of turmoil, but out of peace that he accepts the reality of their situation. This shows that being with Janeway herself is what has given him peace, and not just joining his and her 'tribes' together as he puts it so eloquently in his story. He is one of the best people to be stranded, though as we know from 'Tattoo' he hated living the outdoor life when his Father made him as a teen. But he picked up a lot of survival and living experiences from the wild, from his own people and from Starfleet training (as would be seen in the next episode...).
He very quickly relaxes into their new life, teasing Janeway when she calls it the wild, since they have so much technology to aid them. The episode is strange in that he and Janeway seem to embrace life as if it's a holiday away from the responsibilities of command, and in a way it is. It frees them for a short time and shows them new possibilities, but it's also quite sad because they learn to accept what has happened and plan a long life together and then suffer the wrench of having to return to their old lives and the professional distance appropriate to their ranks - the scene on the bridge where they don't even look at each other, she just gives out orders and he acknowledges them, says it all.
We don't see the build up to the episode where they first find out they're bitten, the Doctor struggles to find a cure and they go through all the crises of thought about what it means for them, so perhaps that's why it seems they settle to it a little too quickly. Some opportunity for really powerful acting might have been missed, but the episode is still an all-rounder, a good story with scenes for all the characters and a bit of action thrown in at the end in what could be the last proper encounter with the Vidiians. It allows us to see a returning non-Starfleet character in Dr. Denara Pel, which is difficult to do due to Voyager's direction of travel away from places they've been.
Like 'Tuvix' it suggests the idea of two people being forced to live together and makes us ponder how other combinations would have fared - had it been Tuvok and Kim stranded I'm sure the Vulcan would have retained the command structure, for example. One of the saddest unresolved issues in the series is that of Janeway and Chakotay, and ironically the episode title seems to suggest the writer's thoughts on the matter, but Voyager's unique situation of travelling alone, a microcosm of the Federation, could have made a husband and wife leadership an acceptable proposition. Instead it did at least show that Chakotay had found what he couldn't in other parts of his life in serving Janeway, and that she equally needed him in their great journey home.
***
A bold beginning gives us Janeway and Chakotay abandoned to their fate on an alien world, suffering from a fatal virus only staved off by the planet itself, meaning they must spend the rest of their lives there while Voyager continues home under the captaincy of Tuvok. I've always thought a Vulcan Captain would be fascinating. We've seen the like before of course - in the pilot of 'DS9' Sisko serves under a Vulcan Captain, and Spock made it to that rank in the films, but we've never had a series with a Vulcan in the Captain's chair. They are so in command anyway and able to make the big decisions with equanimity, and the conflict with a crew of emotional beings is a big draw for the concept. I notice Tuvok doesn't change into a Captain's uniform and pips, almost as if he hasn't yet come to terms with leaving his Captain and First Officer behind.
It's a reassuring thought to have Tuvok aboard, as his lifetime of experience, calm detachment and ability to step into the place of the Captain is a bonus for the ship. They know that if anything does happen to their leaders there is at least one man competent and able to step into those shoes. Not that the crew gave him an easy time of it! Harry Kim in particular makes his strong feelings known, but then he's always had a special attachment to Janeway, a surrogate mother, a firm, but guiding hand at the start of his career, much as she is a friendly voice for Kes. 'The Galileo Seven' from 'The Original Series' is a possible inspiration - in that story Spock is in command of the titular shuttlecraft which crashes on a dangerous planet and he must keep his more emotional crew mates under control when they become mutinous at his seeming lack of regard for their lives. People used to showing emotions themselves find it difficult to accept those that don't, especially when they are telling them what to do, as both Spock and Tuvok discovered.
Though Tuvok doesn't display the loss of his friend and Captain he feels it keenly, but knows his duty is to carry out her last orders. I empathised much more with him than the crew - Kim and the others think him uncaring because of the lack of response for them to relate to, which is, in a way, racist, since they aren't allowing for his people's ways and beliefs, allowing their own anger and helplessness to cloud their judgement. The scene Tuvok seems most like a Captain to me is when Kim comes to his dark quarters as he relaxes late at night in a Vulcan robe, appearing very regal and removed. The crew's best experience of his captaincy is when he takes up the idea to rendezvous with the Vidiians and when he reacts to the deception with aplomb. Far from being 'strong-armed' into the decision in the way Kim went about it, it is Kes' gentle persuasion that opens his eyes to the need to take his crew's ideas into account, and when he does that he goes for it completely, accepting all the responsibility - though the crew think he doesn't care about them, his whole reasoning is to act in their best interests, and he comes to see that the reward is worth the risk.
Tuvok has often had to temper Ensign Kim's enthusiasm and the young man's anger is what must be dealt with this time. It's funny that it should be Tom Paris who warns Harry when he's stepping over the line on the bridge in a role reversal for their characters. B'Elanna on the other hand goes into denial, wanting to put what's happened into the past and move on. Chakotay is much the same, but in his case it isn't out of turmoil, but out of peace that he accepts the reality of their situation. This shows that being with Janeway herself is what has given him peace, and not just joining his and her 'tribes' together as he puts it so eloquently in his story. He is one of the best people to be stranded, though as we know from 'Tattoo' he hated living the outdoor life when his Father made him as a teen. But he picked up a lot of survival and living experiences from the wild, from his own people and from Starfleet training (as would be seen in the next episode...).
He very quickly relaxes into their new life, teasing Janeway when she calls it the wild, since they have so much technology to aid them. The episode is strange in that he and Janeway seem to embrace life as if it's a holiday away from the responsibilities of command, and in a way it is. It frees them for a short time and shows them new possibilities, but it's also quite sad because they learn to accept what has happened and plan a long life together and then suffer the wrench of having to return to their old lives and the professional distance appropriate to their ranks - the scene on the bridge where they don't even look at each other, she just gives out orders and he acknowledges them, says it all.
We don't see the build up to the episode where they first find out they're bitten, the Doctor struggles to find a cure and they go through all the crises of thought about what it means for them, so perhaps that's why it seems they settle to it a little too quickly. Some opportunity for really powerful acting might have been missed, but the episode is still an all-rounder, a good story with scenes for all the characters and a bit of action thrown in at the end in what could be the last proper encounter with the Vidiians. It allows us to see a returning non-Starfleet character in Dr. Denara Pel, which is difficult to do due to Voyager's direction of travel away from places they've been.
Like 'Tuvix' it suggests the idea of two people being forced to live together and makes us ponder how other combinations would have fared - had it been Tuvok and Kim stranded I'm sure the Vulcan would have retained the command structure, for example. One of the saddest unresolved issues in the series is that of Janeway and Chakotay, and ironically the episode title seems to suggest the writer's thoughts on the matter, but Voyager's unique situation of travelling alone, a microcosm of the Federation, could have made a husband and wife leadership an acceptable proposition. Instead it did at least show that Chakotay had found what he couldn't in other parts of his life in serving Janeway, and that she equally needed him in their great journey home.
***
Tuvix
DVD, Voyager S2 (Tuvix)
One of the hardest decisions a Captain has to make is the balance of lives, of who should live and who should die. Captain Janeway has never baulked at making the hard choices, it's what makes her a great Captain. Her first major act was to strand her crew in the Delta Quadrant to save an alien race, effectively cutting off the crew's lives as they knew them, so she's not a stranger to the far-reaching implications of her judgments. In a turnaround of Quinn's request for asylum and suicide a few episodes back, Tuvix' wish to live at the expense of Tuvok and Neelix is one of the hardest she has faced. And yet it's not that hard really - Tuvok and Neelix were/are integral members of the Voyager community and their resources are more useful coming from two entities than one, even though Tuvix was a melding of the best qualities of both, and arguably complimented each other's abilities. All the arguments are ever so slightly weighted against Tuvix' right to life. The biggest quandary is posed by the 'Starfleet way' as Tuvix phrases it: that Tuvok and Neelix would both willingly sacrifice themselves for others, but on the other hand there is the statute to respect all lifeforms. What is more important, respecting new lifeforms or what they were before if that sacrifices them?
On a purely visual level, Tuvix is a wonderful meshing of the two characters, both in the fascinating makeup that leaves viewers staring curiously all the time he's onscreen, and the understated, but accurate depictions of both personalities and gestures. Tom Wright does enough to remind us of them, but it doesn't turn into parody or become silly. His performance must be applauded for he melds the traits, mannerisms and even forms of speech of the two characters without them taking over - there's enough of it to remind you of them, but Tuvix has his own style and behaviour that is as fascinating to watch as his bulbous, Goblin-like Uruk-Hai head! Indeed, his gentle, pleasant persona demonstrates that it's the inside that counts, although this makes Janeway's decision so much harder. It might have been better if Tuvix had arrived comatose and uncommunicative rather than helpful and eager to please. Only when he is betrayed, as he sees it, by his friends who want Tuvok and Neelix back, do we see the frightening side of him, his face screwed up in anger and disbelief, but even then he is forced, perhaps as much by habit in obedience, as physical restraint, because presumably he would have retained the superior Vulcan strength, yet is overpowered by two human security officers.
In some ways the criticism could be that the episode doesn't take the concept far enough (perhaps a regular problem with this series), preventing it from reaching classic status. It's more than a novelty thanks to the integration of several ongoing elements of the series - Tuvix understands the Doctor's difficulty in choosing a name; Kes' short lifespan, which could be over by the time a cure is found for Tuvix, a part of her character not often taken into consideration; The Doctor's initial inability to comprehend the toll Tuvix' presence is on Kes, and his private realisation as he sees her from across sickbay; Chakotay of all people becoming good friends with Tuvix, since he didn't get on that well with Tuvok. There are also some very strong scenes, Janeway and Kes' especially.
Janeway is in a difficult position since she has no one of her own rank to relax with, to let down her hair and be herself and not have to maintain distance and keep a strong persona for the crew. But Kes is not an ordinary member of her crew, she is, to all intents, a child and someone, like Harry Kim, that Janeway feels especially responsible for. Kes manages to provide an environment of innocence and directness that allows the Captain to show her personal side a little bit - her balance between hope to return to Mark and giving up, accepting life in the Delta Quadrant is the reality for the short- and long-term future. Kes' unique position allows her to show this vulnerability, represented by seeing her 'defrocked' - they seem to love showing Janeway in her nightdress, but it's done in a way that doesn't undermine her authority as ship's Captain. I would suggest only Captain Archer was seen more often in his pyjamas (or equivalent)!
The idea of merging two characters to form a new person is an excellent sci-fi plot, and that it should be such contrasting personalities as logical, restrained Vulcan Tuvok, and exuberant Neelix is a masterstroke, if an obvious way to go. It promotes all kinds of speculation on other mismatches. What would it be like to combine Quark and Odo, Spock and McCoy, Worf and… Wesley? Similar themes had been played out before, such as the complete opposite of splitting Kirk into two, a 'good' and a 'bad' half. McCoy had dealt with Spock's mind inside his own during the film 'Star Trek III', and were it not for the fact that transporter malfunctions had almost become an in-joke in themselves thanks to their propensity to provide dangerous problems to solve, you'd think this story would have been done before. It wouldn't have mattered if it had, and is one argument that Trek could go on forever - you can do the same stories with different characters to create a new outcome, new experience or a new perspective on a familiar topic.
The other way in which speculation can take hold over this episode is the 'what if?' of Tuvix having remained aboard. Perhaps if this were a 'DS9' story they might have allowed the character an arc over half a season or a few episodes, to explore him and the other characters through him. If they had come to accept that their crewmates had been subsumed indefinitely into this new creation much more conflicted and emotional haggling could have ensued, taking what we saw of Kes' hard time adapting to Tuvix in the episode to new levels. If they had done this they could still have used the actors, perhaps showing Janeway talking to a holographic Tuvok when in need of advice, or going through a mindmeld with Tuvix if that were possible. Maybe Tuvok could come to her in dreams too, and Neelix could be represented by flashbacks and more episodes of 'A Briefing With Neelix' that he'd already recorded, or personal messages for Kes that she finds. It would have been quite a radical thing to do, though there were precedents for altering characters fundamentally, such as Odo when he becomes a 'solid', losing his shapeshifting abilities, though only for a time.
The question of the depth of Tuvix' loyalty is another facet of speculation, because although he is diligent and attentive to duty I have to wonder if his new life, once he had completely won over the crew, and more specifically, Kes, might have paled a little - would he have wanted to explore the new possibilities by leaving the ship? One thing that gave me a mental chuckle was the opening scene featuring Tuvok and Neelix getting on as 'well' as ever. It was a good job Tuvok had recovered from his experiences in 'Meld' in which he strangled a holographic Neelix when his ribbing became too much and he began to sing, just as he does in the scene in the teaser of this episode! This was probably Tuvok's toughest assignment of the series - an Away Mission with Neelix!
'Voyager' continually dropped in hints and references to all other branches of the Trek mythos, and pleasingly so - just because they are so very far away, doesn't mean they shouldn't remember their heritage, and it's especially noticeable in this season. This episode mentions Andorians (through their amoebas), and Jupiter Station, a place that would become much more closely linked with this series' history, since it was the home of the Doctor's creator. There is also some continuity to other episodes of this series, or lack of it - Neelix' digging into Vulcan songs couldn't have been very exhaustive since he credits a funeral dirge as being the most cheerful, yet Tuvok sang 'Falor's Journey' but a couple of episodes ago, which was much more upbeat than that! The Science Lab is shown, possibly for the first time. Add in a bit of Shakespeare, Tuvix' speech about the right to exist seemingly inspired by Shylock's in 'The Merchant of Venice'. Rather than 'prick us, do we not bleed', it's 'do I not cry out when I stub my toe', but the sentiment is there.
The ending as Janeway walks out, having done the deed, taken the responsibility, the sagging weight of it clear after she's stepped out the door, is strong, but it leaves the story feeling incomplete since we don't have Neelix and Tuvok's point of view of the situation. This suggests they have no memory of what happened which is an added weight to Janeway's decision, as Tuvix was complete and separate rather than a symbiotic Trill-like sharing of bodies and thoughts. That Tuvok and Neelix haven't learnt anything through not knowing what happened is a big flaw in the episode, because, as Michael Piller would have said "what do we learn about the characters?" and when Tuvix is long gone, his 'parents' would still need fleshing out. The similarities and differences between Tuvok and Neelix warranted exploration, as seen in later episodes, such as 'Riddles'. While the episode is not a classic because of such pieces missing on the journey to reach it's potential, it at least has the distinction of being one of the most leading stories for discussion, and long after the computer effects of later Borg installments have lessened the drama of such action-oriented shows, this will still be provoking debate in spades.
***
One of the hardest decisions a Captain has to make is the balance of lives, of who should live and who should die. Captain Janeway has never baulked at making the hard choices, it's what makes her a great Captain. Her first major act was to strand her crew in the Delta Quadrant to save an alien race, effectively cutting off the crew's lives as they knew them, so she's not a stranger to the far-reaching implications of her judgments. In a turnaround of Quinn's request for asylum and suicide a few episodes back, Tuvix' wish to live at the expense of Tuvok and Neelix is one of the hardest she has faced. And yet it's not that hard really - Tuvok and Neelix were/are integral members of the Voyager community and their resources are more useful coming from two entities than one, even though Tuvix was a melding of the best qualities of both, and arguably complimented each other's abilities. All the arguments are ever so slightly weighted against Tuvix' right to life. The biggest quandary is posed by the 'Starfleet way' as Tuvix phrases it: that Tuvok and Neelix would both willingly sacrifice themselves for others, but on the other hand there is the statute to respect all lifeforms. What is more important, respecting new lifeforms or what they were before if that sacrifices them?
On a purely visual level, Tuvix is a wonderful meshing of the two characters, both in the fascinating makeup that leaves viewers staring curiously all the time he's onscreen, and the understated, but accurate depictions of both personalities and gestures. Tom Wright does enough to remind us of them, but it doesn't turn into parody or become silly. His performance must be applauded for he melds the traits, mannerisms and even forms of speech of the two characters without them taking over - there's enough of it to remind you of them, but Tuvix has his own style and behaviour that is as fascinating to watch as his bulbous, Goblin-like Uruk-Hai head! Indeed, his gentle, pleasant persona demonstrates that it's the inside that counts, although this makes Janeway's decision so much harder. It might have been better if Tuvix had arrived comatose and uncommunicative rather than helpful and eager to please. Only when he is betrayed, as he sees it, by his friends who want Tuvok and Neelix back, do we see the frightening side of him, his face screwed up in anger and disbelief, but even then he is forced, perhaps as much by habit in obedience, as physical restraint, because presumably he would have retained the superior Vulcan strength, yet is overpowered by two human security officers.
In some ways the criticism could be that the episode doesn't take the concept far enough (perhaps a regular problem with this series), preventing it from reaching classic status. It's more than a novelty thanks to the integration of several ongoing elements of the series - Tuvix understands the Doctor's difficulty in choosing a name; Kes' short lifespan, which could be over by the time a cure is found for Tuvix, a part of her character not often taken into consideration; The Doctor's initial inability to comprehend the toll Tuvix' presence is on Kes, and his private realisation as he sees her from across sickbay; Chakotay of all people becoming good friends with Tuvix, since he didn't get on that well with Tuvok. There are also some very strong scenes, Janeway and Kes' especially.
Janeway is in a difficult position since she has no one of her own rank to relax with, to let down her hair and be herself and not have to maintain distance and keep a strong persona for the crew. But Kes is not an ordinary member of her crew, she is, to all intents, a child and someone, like Harry Kim, that Janeway feels especially responsible for. Kes manages to provide an environment of innocence and directness that allows the Captain to show her personal side a little bit - her balance between hope to return to Mark and giving up, accepting life in the Delta Quadrant is the reality for the short- and long-term future. Kes' unique position allows her to show this vulnerability, represented by seeing her 'defrocked' - they seem to love showing Janeway in her nightdress, but it's done in a way that doesn't undermine her authority as ship's Captain. I would suggest only Captain Archer was seen more often in his pyjamas (or equivalent)!
The idea of merging two characters to form a new person is an excellent sci-fi plot, and that it should be such contrasting personalities as logical, restrained Vulcan Tuvok, and exuberant Neelix is a masterstroke, if an obvious way to go. It promotes all kinds of speculation on other mismatches. What would it be like to combine Quark and Odo, Spock and McCoy, Worf and… Wesley? Similar themes had been played out before, such as the complete opposite of splitting Kirk into two, a 'good' and a 'bad' half. McCoy had dealt with Spock's mind inside his own during the film 'Star Trek III', and were it not for the fact that transporter malfunctions had almost become an in-joke in themselves thanks to their propensity to provide dangerous problems to solve, you'd think this story would have been done before. It wouldn't have mattered if it had, and is one argument that Trek could go on forever - you can do the same stories with different characters to create a new outcome, new experience or a new perspective on a familiar topic.
The other way in which speculation can take hold over this episode is the 'what if?' of Tuvix having remained aboard. Perhaps if this were a 'DS9' story they might have allowed the character an arc over half a season or a few episodes, to explore him and the other characters through him. If they had come to accept that their crewmates had been subsumed indefinitely into this new creation much more conflicted and emotional haggling could have ensued, taking what we saw of Kes' hard time adapting to Tuvix in the episode to new levels. If they had done this they could still have used the actors, perhaps showing Janeway talking to a holographic Tuvok when in need of advice, or going through a mindmeld with Tuvix if that were possible. Maybe Tuvok could come to her in dreams too, and Neelix could be represented by flashbacks and more episodes of 'A Briefing With Neelix' that he'd already recorded, or personal messages for Kes that she finds. It would have been quite a radical thing to do, though there were precedents for altering characters fundamentally, such as Odo when he becomes a 'solid', losing his shapeshifting abilities, though only for a time.
The question of the depth of Tuvix' loyalty is another facet of speculation, because although he is diligent and attentive to duty I have to wonder if his new life, once he had completely won over the crew, and more specifically, Kes, might have paled a little - would he have wanted to explore the new possibilities by leaving the ship? One thing that gave me a mental chuckle was the opening scene featuring Tuvok and Neelix getting on as 'well' as ever. It was a good job Tuvok had recovered from his experiences in 'Meld' in which he strangled a holographic Neelix when his ribbing became too much and he began to sing, just as he does in the scene in the teaser of this episode! This was probably Tuvok's toughest assignment of the series - an Away Mission with Neelix!
'Voyager' continually dropped in hints and references to all other branches of the Trek mythos, and pleasingly so - just because they are so very far away, doesn't mean they shouldn't remember their heritage, and it's especially noticeable in this season. This episode mentions Andorians (through their amoebas), and Jupiter Station, a place that would become much more closely linked with this series' history, since it was the home of the Doctor's creator. There is also some continuity to other episodes of this series, or lack of it - Neelix' digging into Vulcan songs couldn't have been very exhaustive since he credits a funeral dirge as being the most cheerful, yet Tuvok sang 'Falor's Journey' but a couple of episodes ago, which was much more upbeat than that! The Science Lab is shown, possibly for the first time. Add in a bit of Shakespeare, Tuvix' speech about the right to exist seemingly inspired by Shylock's in 'The Merchant of Venice'. Rather than 'prick us, do we not bleed', it's 'do I not cry out when I stub my toe', but the sentiment is there.
The ending as Janeway walks out, having done the deed, taken the responsibility, the sagging weight of it clear after she's stepped out the door, is strong, but it leaves the story feeling incomplete since we don't have Neelix and Tuvok's point of view of the situation. This suggests they have no memory of what happened which is an added weight to Janeway's decision, as Tuvix was complete and separate rather than a symbiotic Trill-like sharing of bodies and thoughts. That Tuvok and Neelix haven't learnt anything through not knowing what happened is a big flaw in the episode, because, as Michael Piller would have said "what do we learn about the characters?" and when Tuvix is long gone, his 'parents' would still need fleshing out. The similarities and differences between Tuvok and Neelix warranted exploration, as seen in later episodes, such as 'Riddles'. While the episode is not a classic because of such pieces missing on the journey to reach it's potential, it at least has the distinction of being one of the most leading stories for discussion, and long after the computer effects of later Borg installments have lessened the drama of such action-oriented shows, this will still be provoking debate in spades.
***
Redemption II
DVD, TNG S5 (Redemption II)
Worf doesn't come off in a very positive light. He questions his Captain and younger brother, Kurn, sounds a bit (I hesitate to say it) cowardly, or at best 'conscientious' which is not the Klingon way, in his various dealings, and (it's painful to say it), he looks a little bit soft compared to the other Klingons… Urk, that was difficult to accept - he gets bested by only two Duras family-hired Klingons, which doesn't even match what Picard did, and then it takes all his effort to deck a Romulan guard, allowing Lursa and B'Etor time to escape! Kurn and Gowron have to keep egging him on and reminding him of his heritage and he generally sticks out like a sore thumb. Maybe that's why he was so quick to ask for a return to Starfleet duty?
Data, the other fish out of water in the episode, fares significantly better than his colleague. Though he must put up with a First Officer of equal rank and equally high levels of bigotry and racism ("we don't accept Klingons as Counsellors, so why should we accept an android as Captain?"), and only loses his temper a couple of times. What's that, loses his temper? But surely Data doesn't have a temper. Whether it was his own little experiment in emulating the correct expressions at a time of dissent, or whether that guy was so obnoxious and un-Starfleet as to actually provoke a reaction in the emotionless man, he certainly let loose a sharp tongue and a brace to the mainsail! It might have been that guy was so cross because he didn't get his own seat to sit in, and Data might have wished for better than a redress of the Enterprise's Battle Bridge, but with Klingon ships, Romulan ships and the High Council, I imagine set-building took up a rather large chunk of the budget!
The look and scope of the episode was enhanced by the extensive use of non-Enterprise locales. The best was the Klingon party, which was typically rowdy, violent and loud, showing us famous traditions such as head-butting and drinking with the enemy that would become familiar in succeeding seasons. The Romulan side of it isn't so well catered for, but we still get to see a bit of a Warbird, though still not enough to give a sense of what the bridge layout is, or how many decks they have. Not that that's a concern amidst all this political turmoil. But it's actually the quiet scenes that stand out for me as the best: Guinan seeks out Picard just at the moment he is most alone with all his main men off commanding other ships, to give him her unique personal insight into the fate of the Enterprise-C, and Commander Sela comes aboard to give the Captain her personal history and clear up the bizarre, but brilliant similarity between her and Tasha Yar, gone, but as ever, not forgotten! It's brilliant to hear the fate of a character that was already dead, came back in an alternate timeline, went back in time and then became involved in an important historical event.
I'm not sure it was fair to pin the blame on Picard for all the events, because we don't know that Sela was the driving force behind the Romulan desire to destabilise the Klingon/Federation treaty, and to be precise she wasn't sent back by this Picard, but his alternate self from a war-torn timeline. And to be even more precise she went back against the Captain's advice anyway! Maybe Guinan just wasn't happy at having her intuition questioned so she decided to make up that bit about it being Picard's fault as he'd never know one way or the other! It all rings true of 'Star Trek Nemesis' and Shinzon's being angry at his human genetics. Like Picard and Worf last episode (and Spock in 'Star Trek XI'), Sela was walking a bit of a tightrope between two worlds. Perhaps she felt she needed to prove herself to her fellow Romulans and so spearheaded this strategy? She seemed to show some regret at getting her Mum executed.
There's something special about Worf and Kurn entering into battle in a Bird of Prey, even if they do get pounded. The brothers working side by side wasn't something we were going to get, since they were of two different cultures really. Although the Klingon scenes are fairly energetic they hadn't yet got the essence down properly - the ships are too light, bright and tidy, the essential atmosphere hadn't quite been nailed down on a TV budget, but it was getting there. What wasn't getting there was in some of the attitudes displayed: basically the female characters are given short shrift while the men all get to be involved in the battle plans, or that's the way it comes across, which is quite strange for 'Star Trek'. Yes, there were female characters in positions of importance, but the only ones that get lines are Troi and Crusher in a brief moment with Picard. It's also most unsettling to have a Starfleet Lieutenant Commander, trained at the Academy, with a career of exploration behind him, presumably, purveying such strong anti-Android sentiments!
The effects are less than impressive once again, with the unwieldy models having a slow battle and the sun not looking particularly attractive or with a sense of scale. The raining down of energy bolts on Klingon buildings was pretty good however, and the story keeps things moving nicely. Questions remain as to the fate of Lursa and B'Etor, and even more so Toral, but they'd all be back in the future. Riker getting the chance to command at last isn't given much space to unfold, relegated to a viewscreen conversation, but Picard and he do share a warm look when he leaves the Ready Room, so that conveys some of the situation. O'Brien's importance continues to rise, as now he takes over Worf's position at Tactical. I wonder if this was part of a deliberate agenda to increase his profile in readiness for his move to the new series 'DS9', the following season? For some reason new, swishy trails were added to the logo for this season. I'm not sure whether that was a good move or not. And the title isn't 'Redemption, part II' as usual, missing out the 'part'...er part.
The whole business with the sensor net of ships was very unrealistic to me, since space is so BIG! How was that little fleet going to cover the whole of the Romulan/Klingon border to prevent ships slipping through? You can say that this was the closest part of the border to where the Duras supporters needed back-up, but even then it can't have been too difficult to go around or above this little net in space. I also found it hard to accept that Picard would so easily take Worf back - he did, after all, resign his commission, not take a leave of absence as has happened at other times. Still, Picard knew what a good officer he was, and was no doubt impressed with his refusal to, in his eyes, murder the helpless Toral who was too young to stand a chance.
Maybe I'm misjudging Worf. He comes away from playing with the bad boys with his integrity intact, and while he's not yet the almost-invincible super-hard warrior of 'DS9' he had to grow into that naturally and believably. He had some 'fun', he did what he saw was right at the time, so you'd think Kurn and Gowron could give him a bit of a break!
***
Worf doesn't come off in a very positive light. He questions his Captain and younger brother, Kurn, sounds a bit (I hesitate to say it) cowardly, or at best 'conscientious' which is not the Klingon way, in his various dealings, and (it's painful to say it), he looks a little bit soft compared to the other Klingons… Urk, that was difficult to accept - he gets bested by only two Duras family-hired Klingons, which doesn't even match what Picard did, and then it takes all his effort to deck a Romulan guard, allowing Lursa and B'Etor time to escape! Kurn and Gowron have to keep egging him on and reminding him of his heritage and he generally sticks out like a sore thumb. Maybe that's why he was so quick to ask for a return to Starfleet duty?
Data, the other fish out of water in the episode, fares significantly better than his colleague. Though he must put up with a First Officer of equal rank and equally high levels of bigotry and racism ("we don't accept Klingons as Counsellors, so why should we accept an android as Captain?"), and only loses his temper a couple of times. What's that, loses his temper? But surely Data doesn't have a temper. Whether it was his own little experiment in emulating the correct expressions at a time of dissent, or whether that guy was so obnoxious and un-Starfleet as to actually provoke a reaction in the emotionless man, he certainly let loose a sharp tongue and a brace to the mainsail! It might have been that guy was so cross because he didn't get his own seat to sit in, and Data might have wished for better than a redress of the Enterprise's Battle Bridge, but with Klingon ships, Romulan ships and the High Council, I imagine set-building took up a rather large chunk of the budget!
The look and scope of the episode was enhanced by the extensive use of non-Enterprise locales. The best was the Klingon party, which was typically rowdy, violent and loud, showing us famous traditions such as head-butting and drinking with the enemy that would become familiar in succeeding seasons. The Romulan side of it isn't so well catered for, but we still get to see a bit of a Warbird, though still not enough to give a sense of what the bridge layout is, or how many decks they have. Not that that's a concern amidst all this political turmoil. But it's actually the quiet scenes that stand out for me as the best: Guinan seeks out Picard just at the moment he is most alone with all his main men off commanding other ships, to give him her unique personal insight into the fate of the Enterprise-C, and Commander Sela comes aboard to give the Captain her personal history and clear up the bizarre, but brilliant similarity between her and Tasha Yar, gone, but as ever, not forgotten! It's brilliant to hear the fate of a character that was already dead, came back in an alternate timeline, went back in time and then became involved in an important historical event.
I'm not sure it was fair to pin the blame on Picard for all the events, because we don't know that Sela was the driving force behind the Romulan desire to destabilise the Klingon/Federation treaty, and to be precise she wasn't sent back by this Picard, but his alternate self from a war-torn timeline. And to be even more precise she went back against the Captain's advice anyway! Maybe Guinan just wasn't happy at having her intuition questioned so she decided to make up that bit about it being Picard's fault as he'd never know one way or the other! It all rings true of 'Star Trek Nemesis' and Shinzon's being angry at his human genetics. Like Picard and Worf last episode (and Spock in 'Star Trek XI'), Sela was walking a bit of a tightrope between two worlds. Perhaps she felt she needed to prove herself to her fellow Romulans and so spearheaded this strategy? She seemed to show some regret at getting her Mum executed.
There's something special about Worf and Kurn entering into battle in a Bird of Prey, even if they do get pounded. The brothers working side by side wasn't something we were going to get, since they were of two different cultures really. Although the Klingon scenes are fairly energetic they hadn't yet got the essence down properly - the ships are too light, bright and tidy, the essential atmosphere hadn't quite been nailed down on a TV budget, but it was getting there. What wasn't getting there was in some of the attitudes displayed: basically the female characters are given short shrift while the men all get to be involved in the battle plans, or that's the way it comes across, which is quite strange for 'Star Trek'. Yes, there were female characters in positions of importance, but the only ones that get lines are Troi and Crusher in a brief moment with Picard. It's also most unsettling to have a Starfleet Lieutenant Commander, trained at the Academy, with a career of exploration behind him, presumably, purveying such strong anti-Android sentiments!
The effects are less than impressive once again, with the unwieldy models having a slow battle and the sun not looking particularly attractive or with a sense of scale. The raining down of energy bolts on Klingon buildings was pretty good however, and the story keeps things moving nicely. Questions remain as to the fate of Lursa and B'Etor, and even more so Toral, but they'd all be back in the future. Riker getting the chance to command at last isn't given much space to unfold, relegated to a viewscreen conversation, but Picard and he do share a warm look when he leaves the Ready Room, so that conveys some of the situation. O'Brien's importance continues to rise, as now he takes over Worf's position at Tactical. I wonder if this was part of a deliberate agenda to increase his profile in readiness for his move to the new series 'DS9', the following season? For some reason new, swishy trails were added to the logo for this season. I'm not sure whether that was a good move or not. And the title isn't 'Redemption, part II' as usual, missing out the 'part'...er part.
The whole business with the sensor net of ships was very unrealistic to me, since space is so BIG! How was that little fleet going to cover the whole of the Romulan/Klingon border to prevent ships slipping through? You can say that this was the closest part of the border to where the Duras supporters needed back-up, but even then it can't have been too difficult to go around or above this little net in space. I also found it hard to accept that Picard would so easily take Worf back - he did, after all, resign his commission, not take a leave of absence as has happened at other times. Still, Picard knew what a good officer he was, and was no doubt impressed with his refusal to, in his eyes, murder the helpless Toral who was too young to stand a chance.
Maybe I'm misjudging Worf. He comes away from playing with the bad boys with his integrity intact, and while he's not yet the almost-invincible super-hard warrior of 'DS9' he had to grow into that naturally and believably. He had some 'fun', he did what he saw was right at the time, so you'd think Kurn and Gowron could give him a bit of a break!
***
The Thaw
DVD, Voyager S2 (The Thaw)
In contention for the scariest episode of 'Star Trek', although with repeated viewings the shock value is lessened, the nightmarish situation and style can still fascinate in an unsettling manner. The horror is psychological rather than gory (such as 'TNG's 'Conspiracy'), bright, but unpredictable rather than dark and textured (such as 'DS9's 'Empok Nor') with little action rather than carnage or visceral displays of danger (such as 'Enterprise's 'Impulse'). No, it remains one of the most disturbing because it echoes the reality of some people's lives - those trapped in abusive situations, perhaps bullied or tortured, even mental prisoners of their own mind or drugs, imprisoned in a world that is almost impossible to escape and at the mercy of their tormentors.
The first scene with Tom and Harry in his quarters was a filler taken from 'Death Wish' when that overran. It becomes a more interesting scene when you know that because Tom was still acting up at that point, so his bored attitude can be read differently in that context than it was as part of this episode. Early on, the theme of the episode is hinted at in the music, which is quiet and portentous, while the lighting on the ship has been toned right down for higher than usual contrast. I had forgotten the episode involved an ice planet, the title having more connotations than the thawing of fear. I also thought the stasis pods (surely used on 'TNG' and seen again on 'DS9'!) were found in an underground cavern rather than them being beamed aboard into a Cargo Bay. I tend to think that a mission down to the depths of the planet with an Away Team in environmental suits discovering the pods would have heightened the atmosphere and edged it closer to being a classic.
As always with these pods, they have to be wiped to reveal their contents and there's always got to be at least one dead body to emphasise the danger to the others. So things aren't far from the familiar, but they soon become very unfamiliar when Harry and B'Elanna visit the artificial world to which the minds of the survivors are linked. Why didn't they come out when they were prompted? Could this place be so idyllic they didn't want to leave or is there another reason? The episode could have been quite different if the inhabitants refused to leave because they'd learnt to enjoy the false reality more than the real world, and I'm sure there have been episodes with that kind of storyline ('It's Only A Paper Moon' perhaps?), but this took the altogether more unsettling route.
The colonists are trapped by their own fear, a manifestation of which appears as a chaotic clown, played excellently by Michael McKean. Like the Joker in 'The Dark Knight' he is sadistic, but isn't easy to quantify as he shifts his personality around on a whim. The usual problem with makeup occurs: the pinkness of the mouth and around the eyes lessens the effect, but otherwise I love the design. Two of the guest actors would be recognisable to those that pay attention - Thomas Kopache (Viorsa), in the similarly downtrodden role of Kira's old Father, and I noticed Carel Struycken (Mr. Homn in 'TNG') was in it, which I hadn't realised before as he's in a full-body costume, but it's fun to hear his voice since Homn doesn't speak.
The weirdness is well played by the background artists, and I imagine for anyone with a fear of clowns, this would be as nightmarish for them as for the characters! The real feeling of being held hostage in a nightmare is ably played out, the most striking moments being the clown's talk to Harry about what he saw that he shouldn't have seen as a child, while he's strapped to a bed and an over-sized scalpel is about to be used on him (until the Doctor appears to drain all the fun and menace from the situation - he fulfils the same role that Tuvok did for the children in 'Innocence'), and when the Doc tries to prevent Viorsa from being dragged to the blade to have his head cut off - no matter how hard he pushes away the circus performers, and how much he drags Viorsa away, they relentlessly come for him and he's pulled slowly out of the Doctor's hands. The same is true when B'Elanna tries to hit out at a clown, but her strong blows make no impact like in a dream, and she and Harry are powerless, carried away by the mob of hands.
We learn a few things about Kim which are usually left unsaid, if sometimes hinted at: the he misses his girlfriend Libby (seen earlier in the season in 'Non Sequitur'), feels Janeway is like a Mother to him, and hates being the 'baby' of the crew. The ageing makeup as the Clown makes him old was really very accomplished, as good as the old Bashir in 'Distant Voices', but that poor baby the clown throws around - I'd love to know if he's still traumatised by that scene at fifteen or so years old! I like the way they throw in a reference to a 'TNG' planet with Galorndon Core (and another thing Trek did before 'Stargate', using the name Chulak, later known as Teal'c's homeward on that series!). The biggest parallels must be with the film 'The Matrix' which has a very similar premise. If Kim is Neo, who is Morpheus? It can only be the EMH, both bald, and both holding the answers and being able to move in and out of the artificial world.
The final scene in which Janeway pulls the biggest trick on the Clown is one of the best, and also one of the best endings for a 'Voyager' episode. I had forgotten how she did it without sacrificing herself, but it works, using the Clown's technology against him, and at the same time ending the episode at the same moment the program is ended - very effective, like a magician's final flourish. The credit music allows us a moment to draw breath after such a tense end! And what she says about fear existing to be conquered, and that Starfleet Captain's don't know fear, are also very true sentiments.
***
In contention for the scariest episode of 'Star Trek', although with repeated viewings the shock value is lessened, the nightmarish situation and style can still fascinate in an unsettling manner. The horror is psychological rather than gory (such as 'TNG's 'Conspiracy'), bright, but unpredictable rather than dark and textured (such as 'DS9's 'Empok Nor') with little action rather than carnage or visceral displays of danger (such as 'Enterprise's 'Impulse'). No, it remains one of the most disturbing because it echoes the reality of some people's lives - those trapped in abusive situations, perhaps bullied or tortured, even mental prisoners of their own mind or drugs, imprisoned in a world that is almost impossible to escape and at the mercy of their tormentors.
The first scene with Tom and Harry in his quarters was a filler taken from 'Death Wish' when that overran. It becomes a more interesting scene when you know that because Tom was still acting up at that point, so his bored attitude can be read differently in that context than it was as part of this episode. Early on, the theme of the episode is hinted at in the music, which is quiet and portentous, while the lighting on the ship has been toned right down for higher than usual contrast. I had forgotten the episode involved an ice planet, the title having more connotations than the thawing of fear. I also thought the stasis pods (surely used on 'TNG' and seen again on 'DS9'!) were found in an underground cavern rather than them being beamed aboard into a Cargo Bay. I tend to think that a mission down to the depths of the planet with an Away Team in environmental suits discovering the pods would have heightened the atmosphere and edged it closer to being a classic.
As always with these pods, they have to be wiped to reveal their contents and there's always got to be at least one dead body to emphasise the danger to the others. So things aren't far from the familiar, but they soon become very unfamiliar when Harry and B'Elanna visit the artificial world to which the minds of the survivors are linked. Why didn't they come out when they were prompted? Could this place be so idyllic they didn't want to leave or is there another reason? The episode could have been quite different if the inhabitants refused to leave because they'd learnt to enjoy the false reality more than the real world, and I'm sure there have been episodes with that kind of storyline ('It's Only A Paper Moon' perhaps?), but this took the altogether more unsettling route.
The colonists are trapped by their own fear, a manifestation of which appears as a chaotic clown, played excellently by Michael McKean. Like the Joker in 'The Dark Knight' he is sadistic, but isn't easy to quantify as he shifts his personality around on a whim. The usual problem with makeup occurs: the pinkness of the mouth and around the eyes lessens the effect, but otherwise I love the design. Two of the guest actors would be recognisable to those that pay attention - Thomas Kopache (Viorsa), in the similarly downtrodden role of Kira's old Father, and I noticed Carel Struycken (Mr. Homn in 'TNG') was in it, which I hadn't realised before as he's in a full-body costume, but it's fun to hear his voice since Homn doesn't speak.
The weirdness is well played by the background artists, and I imagine for anyone with a fear of clowns, this would be as nightmarish for them as for the characters! The real feeling of being held hostage in a nightmare is ably played out, the most striking moments being the clown's talk to Harry about what he saw that he shouldn't have seen as a child, while he's strapped to a bed and an over-sized scalpel is about to be used on him (until the Doctor appears to drain all the fun and menace from the situation - he fulfils the same role that Tuvok did for the children in 'Innocence'), and when the Doc tries to prevent Viorsa from being dragged to the blade to have his head cut off - no matter how hard he pushes away the circus performers, and how much he drags Viorsa away, they relentlessly come for him and he's pulled slowly out of the Doctor's hands. The same is true when B'Elanna tries to hit out at a clown, but her strong blows make no impact like in a dream, and she and Harry are powerless, carried away by the mob of hands.
We learn a few things about Kim which are usually left unsaid, if sometimes hinted at: the he misses his girlfriend Libby (seen earlier in the season in 'Non Sequitur'), feels Janeway is like a Mother to him, and hates being the 'baby' of the crew. The ageing makeup as the Clown makes him old was really very accomplished, as good as the old Bashir in 'Distant Voices', but that poor baby the clown throws around - I'd love to know if he's still traumatised by that scene at fifteen or so years old! I like the way they throw in a reference to a 'TNG' planet with Galorndon Core (and another thing Trek did before 'Stargate', using the name Chulak, later known as Teal'c's homeward on that series!). The biggest parallels must be with the film 'The Matrix' which has a very similar premise. If Kim is Neo, who is Morpheus? It can only be the EMH, both bald, and both holding the answers and being able to move in and out of the artificial world.
The final scene in which Janeway pulls the biggest trick on the Clown is one of the best, and also one of the best endings for a 'Voyager' episode. I had forgotten how she did it without sacrificing herself, but it works, using the Clown's technology against him, and at the same time ending the episode at the same moment the program is ended - very effective, like a magician's final flourish. The credit music allows us a moment to draw breath after such a tense end! And what she says about fear existing to be conquered, and that Starfleet Captain's don't know fear, are also very true sentiments.
***
Innocence
DVD, Voyager S2 (Innocence)
Tuvok is one of the most comforting presences on the series and these reassuring qualities are highly important when he finds himself stranded on an alien moon with some equally abandoned children. We learn plenty of things about Vulcans, and specifically about Tuvok and his own children. His children are well-behaved and as logical as would be expected, Tuvok admits he is not complete without their presence, and much to the amazement of his three child-like wards, he tells them he never gets frightened. The child actors do a good job, assisted by some very true childish dialogue (in the best possible sense of course), and the resolution of the story is typical of the great science fiction ideas.
The lush moon set is very close to convincing us that this is indeed an outside set, though it had been used in other episodes in the season, such as 'Tattoo'. The Drayans prove to be a conflicted race - usually averse to all outside contact they have strict beliefs, but their leader is intrigued by Janeway's story and lets down her guard long enough to become annoyed that her people's practices have been interfered with when Tuvok's shuttle is found on the moon. Their clothing is in keeping with their belief that the physical life is just a brief part of the whole existence, with veils and shrouds seeming to cover them, especially the faces.
This all adds up to showing the Drayans in a bad light, especially when it appears they leave defenceless children on the moon to die. Appearances are often deceiving and they certainly were in this case. Tressa and the other children's concerns are true to childhood - not understanding what's happening and fear for their circumstances, but when the twist comes and we find out that the children are actually old people, since the Drayan's ageing process is in reverse, this way of behaving is equally true of old people coming to the end of their lives. The story ends beautifully as Tressa, the only one still living, finishes her time with Tuvok, as comforting as ever, helping her accept her natural course of life.
The episode has some fun with shuttlecraft, showing us no less than three - Tuvok's old box, the Drayan shuttle, and the sleek Tom Paris-piloted one at the end. We even get to see it leaving Voyager out of the docking bay and, for this series at least, quite a bit of flying through the atmosphere. There are questions posed by the episode - on life and death, and whether B'Elanna could really stand going off on a mission with Neelix (I imagine it was something like when Kira and Bashir first went off on a Runabout together!), and how the Drayans were born: were they just 'created' out of the energy, appearing in the caves, or did they give birth to wizened old husks that gradually became younger?
Tuvok once again disagreed with the most famous Vulcan, by showing doubt in the katra - Spock would beg to differ since if his katra hadn't been transferred to Dr. McCoy he'd have never come back to life! It's probably a very rare event in Vulcan lore, and maybe classified information in Starfleet... Most importantly of all, Tuvok demonstrates his fine singing voice (Tim Russ, after all, was a singer), and even without his Vulcan lute, he's good value. After the previous episode's strong ensemble feel, this is definitely a one-man show for Tuvok, though Janeway handles the B-story diplomatically as ever, but surely the Prime Directive would call for the sacrifice of one crewman to uphold the Drayan's demands that no one land on the moon?
***
Tuvok is one of the most comforting presences on the series and these reassuring qualities are highly important when he finds himself stranded on an alien moon with some equally abandoned children. We learn plenty of things about Vulcans, and specifically about Tuvok and his own children. His children are well-behaved and as logical as would be expected, Tuvok admits he is not complete without their presence, and much to the amazement of his three child-like wards, he tells them he never gets frightened. The child actors do a good job, assisted by some very true childish dialogue (in the best possible sense of course), and the resolution of the story is typical of the great science fiction ideas.
The lush moon set is very close to convincing us that this is indeed an outside set, though it had been used in other episodes in the season, such as 'Tattoo'. The Drayans prove to be a conflicted race - usually averse to all outside contact they have strict beliefs, but their leader is intrigued by Janeway's story and lets down her guard long enough to become annoyed that her people's practices have been interfered with when Tuvok's shuttle is found on the moon. Their clothing is in keeping with their belief that the physical life is just a brief part of the whole existence, with veils and shrouds seeming to cover them, especially the faces.
This all adds up to showing the Drayans in a bad light, especially when it appears they leave defenceless children on the moon to die. Appearances are often deceiving and they certainly were in this case. Tressa and the other children's concerns are true to childhood - not understanding what's happening and fear for their circumstances, but when the twist comes and we find out that the children are actually old people, since the Drayan's ageing process is in reverse, this way of behaving is equally true of old people coming to the end of their lives. The story ends beautifully as Tressa, the only one still living, finishes her time with Tuvok, as comforting as ever, helping her accept her natural course of life.
The episode has some fun with shuttlecraft, showing us no less than three - Tuvok's old box, the Drayan shuttle, and the sleek Tom Paris-piloted one at the end. We even get to see it leaving Voyager out of the docking bay and, for this series at least, quite a bit of flying through the atmosphere. There are questions posed by the episode - on life and death, and whether B'Elanna could really stand going off on a mission with Neelix (I imagine it was something like when Kira and Bashir first went off on a Runabout together!), and how the Drayans were born: were they just 'created' out of the energy, appearing in the caves, or did they give birth to wizened old husks that gradually became younger?
Tuvok once again disagreed with the most famous Vulcan, by showing doubt in the katra - Spock would beg to differ since if his katra hadn't been transferred to Dr. McCoy he'd have never come back to life! It's probably a very rare event in Vulcan lore, and maybe classified information in Starfleet... Most importantly of all, Tuvok demonstrates his fine singing voice (Tim Russ, after all, was a singer), and even without his Vulcan lute, he's good value. After the previous episode's strong ensemble feel, this is definitely a one-man show for Tuvok, though Janeway handles the B-story diplomatically as ever, but surely the Prime Directive would call for the sacrifice of one crewman to uphold the Drayan's demands that no one land on the moon?
***
Redemption
DVD, TNG S4 (Redemption)
The preceding season's cliffhanger had left the writers in a difficult position by dint of being the best episode of the series - how could they possibly live up to such an ending? Looking at the series it's clear that the second best seam to mine after the Borg, were the Klingons, the most revered race in Trekdom. Already there had been a move towards the weighty politics of the Empire, with Picard becoming integral to the choosing of K'mpec's successor and by Worf's covering up of the truth behind the Khitomer Massacre to prevent the very thing that threatens the peace of the quadrant: civil war. With the Romulans backing the opponents of rightful heir to power, Gowron, it mixed the right elements to prevent colossal disappointment from taking hold, doing its best to use these favoured aspects of Trek to craft a worthy successor to 'The Best of Both Worlds' cliffhanger.
It didn't succeed, of course, as very few cliffhangers can live up to that tale of Picard kidnapped by the Borg, but it is still a tale worth watching and has a fantastic final sequence of events in which Worf resigns his commission to stand with Gowron against the Duras family, and what looks like Tasha Yar comes out of the shadows to be revealed as the mysterious Romulan of 'The Mind's Eye'! Yar had never been forgotten since her early departure and death in Season 1, being mentioned several times a season (or seen in the form of Data's precious holo-message), eventually returning in one of the most convoluted resurrections to be seen in Trek. It's fitting to the character and actress that the writers could come up with her appearance once again, in a connection to 'Yesterday's Enterprise' that still fries brains today. What appeared to be the face of Tasha in the final scene has as much narrative punch as you could hope for in an end of season cliffhanger.
Much of the episode doesn't reach the same level of drama, with much talk of Klingon politics, divided loyalties and some weak space action that looks painfully slow and creaky compared to later 'DS9' episodes or, of course, the films, limited as they were by the technology of the time. But if the constraints are accepted the performances still come through, and the characters carry our greatest sympathy - Picard who is involved to a degree in the Rite of Succession, but can't step over the boundary and drag the Federation in to support one side or the other thanks to the Prime Directive, and Worf, whose main concern of restoring the family honour is at odds with his duties as a Starfleet officer. I always find it a little bit hard to swallow that the Klingons would ever have allowed Picard into their private rituals, but it does show the stature he carries in the Empire (much as Kirk was considered a worthy adversary, and Sisko, a respected ally), and elevates him to almost legendary status above being a mere ship's Captain.
Worf's inner conflict between his Klingon heritage and human upbringing has always been there (a mirror of Spock's own duality, and later, Odo's situation with his people), but he's always kept it in check and almost always chose the Starfleet way (except when he fought and killed Duras). Slowly, as time moved on, he became more enamoured by the Klingon side and his personal quest for, yes, as the title states, 'redemption'. It's quite a shock when he chooses to leave the Enterprise and fight for Gowron, but very effective and affecting when members of the crew line the corridor from the turbolift to the transporter room, his friends there to see him off in full Starfleet style. Seeing the other characters in the transporter room reminds you that they aren't well served - Beverly, Deanna and Geordi don't have a line in the episode! Crucially you're so busy following the Klingon soap opera that they aren't really missed, but I imagine it might have been a bit disappointing at the time not to see the others better integrated into what was their last episode of the season.
Many things of note occur, including a typically perverse scene with Guinan who comes to the phaser range (not seen since Season 2?) to help Worf understand what he wants to do. It doesn't have the power of some of her scenes (such as 'The Best of Both Worlds' where she gives reassurance to Picard on the eve of battle), but as usual her unique brand of insight helps the person who is in a quandary. The Klingon homeworld is visited once again, as well as the High Council Chamber (and we actually get to see it lit with a green glow in the matte painting instead of the usual red, perhaps as a subtle gesture to indicate the Romulan involvement), which is as imposing and impressive as ever. There are also the first appearances of the Duras sisters, Lursa and B'Etor, though they don't look or sound as confident and slick as we see them in later episodes. Worf's brother Kurn makes himself useful and Toral would go on to plague the 'DS9' crew in 'The Sword of Kahless'. The Klingon regalia is as grand and ancient as ever, and it's pleasing to see inspiration taken from the films in the form of Gowron's spinning command chair and Worf's reference to kellicams as a measure of distance!
Picard deals admirably with all parties, he and Worf carrying the episode along on their shoulders with support from Gowron. The ongoing saga of the Klingons unfolds a chunk at a time and this is a solid and enjoyable end to a strong season which had fully found its footing and had begun to push the envelope, ever so slowly and cautiously, but it had definitely begun and would see the series' middle age remembered as probably its best time.
***
The preceding season's cliffhanger had left the writers in a difficult position by dint of being the best episode of the series - how could they possibly live up to such an ending? Looking at the series it's clear that the second best seam to mine after the Borg, were the Klingons, the most revered race in Trekdom. Already there had been a move towards the weighty politics of the Empire, with Picard becoming integral to the choosing of K'mpec's successor and by Worf's covering up of the truth behind the Khitomer Massacre to prevent the very thing that threatens the peace of the quadrant: civil war. With the Romulans backing the opponents of rightful heir to power, Gowron, it mixed the right elements to prevent colossal disappointment from taking hold, doing its best to use these favoured aspects of Trek to craft a worthy successor to 'The Best of Both Worlds' cliffhanger.
It didn't succeed, of course, as very few cliffhangers can live up to that tale of Picard kidnapped by the Borg, but it is still a tale worth watching and has a fantastic final sequence of events in which Worf resigns his commission to stand with Gowron against the Duras family, and what looks like Tasha Yar comes out of the shadows to be revealed as the mysterious Romulan of 'The Mind's Eye'! Yar had never been forgotten since her early departure and death in Season 1, being mentioned several times a season (or seen in the form of Data's precious holo-message), eventually returning in one of the most convoluted resurrections to be seen in Trek. It's fitting to the character and actress that the writers could come up with her appearance once again, in a connection to 'Yesterday's Enterprise' that still fries brains today. What appeared to be the face of Tasha in the final scene has as much narrative punch as you could hope for in an end of season cliffhanger.
Much of the episode doesn't reach the same level of drama, with much talk of Klingon politics, divided loyalties and some weak space action that looks painfully slow and creaky compared to later 'DS9' episodes or, of course, the films, limited as they were by the technology of the time. But if the constraints are accepted the performances still come through, and the characters carry our greatest sympathy - Picard who is involved to a degree in the Rite of Succession, but can't step over the boundary and drag the Federation in to support one side or the other thanks to the Prime Directive, and Worf, whose main concern of restoring the family honour is at odds with his duties as a Starfleet officer. I always find it a little bit hard to swallow that the Klingons would ever have allowed Picard into their private rituals, but it does show the stature he carries in the Empire (much as Kirk was considered a worthy adversary, and Sisko, a respected ally), and elevates him to almost legendary status above being a mere ship's Captain.
Worf's inner conflict between his Klingon heritage and human upbringing has always been there (a mirror of Spock's own duality, and later, Odo's situation with his people), but he's always kept it in check and almost always chose the Starfleet way (except when he fought and killed Duras). Slowly, as time moved on, he became more enamoured by the Klingon side and his personal quest for, yes, as the title states, 'redemption'. It's quite a shock when he chooses to leave the Enterprise and fight for Gowron, but very effective and affecting when members of the crew line the corridor from the turbolift to the transporter room, his friends there to see him off in full Starfleet style. Seeing the other characters in the transporter room reminds you that they aren't well served - Beverly, Deanna and Geordi don't have a line in the episode! Crucially you're so busy following the Klingon soap opera that they aren't really missed, but I imagine it might have been a bit disappointing at the time not to see the others better integrated into what was their last episode of the season.
Many things of note occur, including a typically perverse scene with Guinan who comes to the phaser range (not seen since Season 2?) to help Worf understand what he wants to do. It doesn't have the power of some of her scenes (such as 'The Best of Both Worlds' where she gives reassurance to Picard on the eve of battle), but as usual her unique brand of insight helps the person who is in a quandary. The Klingon homeworld is visited once again, as well as the High Council Chamber (and we actually get to see it lit with a green glow in the matte painting instead of the usual red, perhaps as a subtle gesture to indicate the Romulan involvement), which is as imposing and impressive as ever. There are also the first appearances of the Duras sisters, Lursa and B'Etor, though they don't look or sound as confident and slick as we see them in later episodes. Worf's brother Kurn makes himself useful and Toral would go on to plague the 'DS9' crew in 'The Sword of Kahless'. The Klingon regalia is as grand and ancient as ever, and it's pleasing to see inspiration taken from the films in the form of Gowron's spinning command chair and Worf's reference to kellicams as a measure of distance!
Picard deals admirably with all parties, he and Worf carrying the episode along on their shoulders with support from Gowron. The ongoing saga of the Klingons unfolds a chunk at a time and this is a solid and enjoyable end to a strong season which had fully found its footing and had begun to push the envelope, ever so slowly and cautiously, but it had definitely begun and would see the series' middle age remembered as probably its best time.
***
Window of Opportunity
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Window of Opportunity)
Every once in a while everything comes together to create a really good, solid episode with a story that features hilarity and sadness, and which really draws you in. 'Stargate' does 'Groundhog Day' and it's pretty much as good as that sounds (the film even gets a reference by O'Neill at one point). Many science fiction series' have tackled the time loop episode, successful versions coming from 'TNG' and '7 Days' to name two, simply because it's a delightful premise. Yes, there's danger in the fact that anyone who was experiencing the same events over and over would turn gradually insane, but there's also great freedom in a universe in which the 'looper' can do anything without any consequences.
It actually takes quite a while before O'Neill realises this freedom and begins to take advantage, whether that's cycling round the base out of uniform, playing golf with the 'gate as the hole, or kissing Major Carter. Obviously there are limitations to the series, so that Jack wasn't likely to step into the White House and give the President a piece of his mind, or jet off to some desert island, so playing golf and learning to juggle are realistic, if not that great a payoff for the situation. On the other hand he was supposed to be learning how to read the time loop machine's instructions in order to shut it off, but very few episodes of anything make me laugh out loud and this is one of them.
I was primed with the loop after loop of Jack getting bored in Daniel's lecture and juggling with bits of paper, then juggling more confidently like he'd really picked it up while Teal'c looks on disapprovingly, then finally both of them are juggling in tandem! But it was Jack's assertion that he was 'taking this loop off' that really got me going - it's such a brilliant concept and very true to the character. The planet scenes, though filmed on a tight set, are opened up by the gorgeous molten orange sky-scape that bathed their desert combats in its light and made their scenes there so much sharper and brighter than in the dull base lighting.
Even when I thought things were going to descend into cliche (in the confines of a time loop episode), Malachi, the instigator of the machine turns out not to be power-hungry, or even wanting to travel back in time to save his dead wife. All he wants is to see his wife again for the short time she had left, and once O'Neill manages to break through his single-mindedness and point out the illogic of his wish, he stops the machine. Otherwise he'd be in a constant loop himself: going back to his wife, seeing her die, then learning to operate the machine again. Jack brings in the death of his son, a rarely mentioned event that defined him, and such tying together of established facts only enhances this thoroughly enjoyable episode and makes us think about the prison we'd find ourselves in if we could relive the same moments over and over. And over.
***
Every once in a while everything comes together to create a really good, solid episode with a story that features hilarity and sadness, and which really draws you in. 'Stargate' does 'Groundhog Day' and it's pretty much as good as that sounds (the film even gets a reference by O'Neill at one point). Many science fiction series' have tackled the time loop episode, successful versions coming from 'TNG' and '7 Days' to name two, simply because it's a delightful premise. Yes, there's danger in the fact that anyone who was experiencing the same events over and over would turn gradually insane, but there's also great freedom in a universe in which the 'looper' can do anything without any consequences.
It actually takes quite a while before O'Neill realises this freedom and begins to take advantage, whether that's cycling round the base out of uniform, playing golf with the 'gate as the hole, or kissing Major Carter. Obviously there are limitations to the series, so that Jack wasn't likely to step into the White House and give the President a piece of his mind, or jet off to some desert island, so playing golf and learning to juggle are realistic, if not that great a payoff for the situation. On the other hand he was supposed to be learning how to read the time loop machine's instructions in order to shut it off, but very few episodes of anything make me laugh out loud and this is one of them.
I was primed with the loop after loop of Jack getting bored in Daniel's lecture and juggling with bits of paper, then juggling more confidently like he'd really picked it up while Teal'c looks on disapprovingly, then finally both of them are juggling in tandem! But it was Jack's assertion that he was 'taking this loop off' that really got me going - it's such a brilliant concept and very true to the character. The planet scenes, though filmed on a tight set, are opened up by the gorgeous molten orange sky-scape that bathed their desert combats in its light and made their scenes there so much sharper and brighter than in the dull base lighting.
Even when I thought things were going to descend into cliche (in the confines of a time loop episode), Malachi, the instigator of the machine turns out not to be power-hungry, or even wanting to travel back in time to save his dead wife. All he wants is to see his wife again for the short time she had left, and once O'Neill manages to break through his single-mindedness and point out the illogic of his wish, he stops the machine. Otherwise he'd be in a constant loop himself: going back to his wife, seeing her die, then learning to operate the machine again. Jack brings in the death of his son, a rarely mentioned event that defined him, and such tying together of established facts only enhances this thoroughly enjoyable episode and makes us think about the prison we'd find ourselves in if we could relive the same moments over and over. And over.
***
In Theory
DVD, TNG S4 (In Theory)
This is a novelty, albeit a Patrick Stewart-directed, Data-focused novelty. You'd think that such a fine combination would be enough to make it a classic, but it doesn't. It's the 'Data in love' episode, or to be as precise, as the Android would be, it's about someone falling for Data. The drippy Jenna D'Sora doesn't have much going for her and is one of the many hundreds of faces that pass in and out of our view as we travel around the Enterprise. She could be anyone and, just as she realised she didn't truly 'matter' to Data in the ways she wanted, she doesn't matter to us because she's a stranger and does little to gain our sympathies, whereas Data has them from the start.
So what can I say that's good? The story, which was really just a pretext upon which to hang the main plot of Data and Jenna, takes the ship into a beautiful region of space full of pretty colours and, as it happens, destructive dark matter that is invisible, but can disrupt normal space. This leads to an unfortunate death by a crewmember, who falls to her death in a corridor floor, instantly crushed. There is also the occasional visual effect of sections of the ship becoming affected by the pockets of dark matter - a ripple of transparency running through a corridor or console, an up-close, internal view of Picard's shuttlecraft nacelle, or most spectacularly the Observation room's chairs and table pushed into a pile by the windows!
It's also a pleasure to see Keiko and O'Brien chatting about their married life, Data's cat Spot, and though Stewart's direction is functional rather than stylish, I did like the shot which begins at the end of Jenna's flute, slides across each performer, and circles round in a pull-back to reveal the audience. To be fair, the penultimate episode of a season tends to be a little bit muted as the budget and creative thinking is saved for the finale, so it would be mean to criticise it too harshly. It does have a few fun scenes to enjoy, such as Data's round of advice from the main characters (including Guinan), and Worf's polite threat. But I can't disguise that it's a rather forgettable entry in what has been one of the stronger seasons.
**
This is a novelty, albeit a Patrick Stewart-directed, Data-focused novelty. You'd think that such a fine combination would be enough to make it a classic, but it doesn't. It's the 'Data in love' episode, or to be as precise, as the Android would be, it's about someone falling for Data. The drippy Jenna D'Sora doesn't have much going for her and is one of the many hundreds of faces that pass in and out of our view as we travel around the Enterprise. She could be anyone and, just as she realised she didn't truly 'matter' to Data in the ways she wanted, she doesn't matter to us because she's a stranger and does little to gain our sympathies, whereas Data has them from the start.
So what can I say that's good? The story, which was really just a pretext upon which to hang the main plot of Data and Jenna, takes the ship into a beautiful region of space full of pretty colours and, as it happens, destructive dark matter that is invisible, but can disrupt normal space. This leads to an unfortunate death by a crewmember, who falls to her death in a corridor floor, instantly crushed. There is also the occasional visual effect of sections of the ship becoming affected by the pockets of dark matter - a ripple of transparency running through a corridor or console, an up-close, internal view of Picard's shuttlecraft nacelle, or most spectacularly the Observation room's chairs and table pushed into a pile by the windows!
It's also a pleasure to see Keiko and O'Brien chatting about their married life, Data's cat Spot, and though Stewart's direction is functional rather than stylish, I did like the shot which begins at the end of Jenna's flute, slides across each performer, and circles round in a pull-back to reveal the audience. To be fair, the penultimate episode of a season tends to be a little bit muted as the budget and creative thinking is saved for the finale, so it would be mean to criticise it too harshly. It does have a few fun scenes to enjoy, such as Data's round of advice from the main characters (including Guinan), and Worf's polite threat. But I can't disguise that it's a rather forgettable entry in what has been one of the stronger seasons.
**
Deadlock
DVD, Voyager S2 (Deadlock)
There is a tension early on in the episode, despite the deceptively calm opening scene in which a heavily-pregnant Ensign Wildman helps Neelix with various problems in the mess (he mentions using replicators as the airponics yield has been low - I wonder if that's because Kes burned up the plants in 'Cold Fire'?). I don't know whether it was because I knew Wildman would give birth in this episode, but I was just waiting for the moment when she needs to be rushed to sickbay. From that moment the action grips and doesn't let go for a good ten or fifteen minutes, like a Bourne film. Its pace jabs along like a boxer on the run, the teaser goes on for quite some time, only breaking off for the opening credits just at the moment you most want to see more, as the problems on Voyager escalate and wounded crewmembers stagger into sickbay.
Knowing this to be the best Vidiian episode of the series I had forgotten how little the organ-harvesting aliens appear. Though I thought the initial damage was being caused by them, it isn't, and they don't actually cause any trouble until near the end, when we get to see what a Vidiian attack from a full-sized warship could be like - people being chased through corridors like cattle; anyone they find mercilessly shot down and coldly evaluated for their worth, measured in healthy body parts. They are only there at the end, but the shadow of the Vidiians is cast early on, causing the ship to seek refuge in a plasma storm, its green, shimmering space-wonder beauty belying a deadly trap.
The irony of the story is that Voyager is destroying itself without any outside assistance - two versions of the ship occupy the same location in time and space, which is as difficult to get your head around as time-travel and alternate universes! Trust Brannon Braga to come up with a mind-bending sci-fi spectacular with oodles of action, suspense and what may be the most dramatic and exciting tale since the pilot, and one of my favourites from the entire series. He cut his teeth on 'TNG', but it wasn't until 'Voyager' that he began to create these blockbuster action-thrillers heavily dosed with threat and ideas. There is some evidence to suggest he might have had some quiet inspiration from the 'DS9' episode 'Visionary' which had been produced only the previous year. Both episodes have a character going from one 'reality' to another and ending up replacing their dead counterpart (O'Brien in that, Kim in this), and both see the central vehicle obliterated (DS9 is blown up by the Romulans, Voyager self-destructs - that was done so well as the hulking Vidiian ship yawns over the smaller victim and they attack it just as they do individuals on board, by boring in!).
Minor characters such as Wildman and Hogan are nicely used, slotting into the jigsaw like useful pieces, in a way that later seasons tended to shy away from. But it really enhances the episode to show more characters we care about being injured or in distress. All the main characters give excellent support for the story, and not one outshines the others so that the episode could be said to be a true ensemble. So many aspects of the episode I wish could be in every episode because they show what the series is capable of achieving. The EMH proves heroic (he is programmed to be so when the situation requires it, after all!), performing a foetal transport (cool concept), saving the baby so it can go with Kim to the surviving version of the ship, and generally proving an excellent professional. Likewise B'Elanna, who carries on despite having seen her friend Kim sucked into space. Janeway on more than one occasion has to concede defeat, though which of her does it more I can't keep track of - abandoning the bridge as it collapses around her, and taking the grave decision to self-destruct Voyager, twice over. All this and she gets flipped out of her command chair, oh the indignity of it all!
The 'small' fact of Voyager's first birth, the beginning of it's possible future as a generational ship is only a footnote in all the mayhem, yet of course it would go on to be more important as the series continued. At this stage the poor, half-Ktarian creature (cute little forehead horns included) doesn't even have a name. I like the way they find time to reference series continuity and running jokes such as the Doc asking Kim if the EMH on his version of the ship had a name! Kim replies he didn't have time to ask, which some have highlighted as a blooper since Kim was part of that Voyager as long as the dead Kim was on the 'real' Voyager, but I surmise that he meant he had never got around to asking if the EMH had come up with a name, and that would probably be true of the deceased Kim too, since it's extremely rare to see him in sickbay and he probably shares the least number of scenes with the Doctor. The ensign gets to show off his heroics just like Tom did against the Kazon in the last episode, this time bursting into sickbay, phasering a Vidiian, rolling under a console to avoid an enemy blast and popping up to fire at the second Vidiian!
To add to the fun we get two Kes' and then two Janeway's - captain's always seem to meet each other at some point: in Kirk's it happened many times, and Picard too. I don't recall Sisko meeting himself much, but with such an explosive personality the universe would probably have imploded! This wouldn't be the last time Janeway met herself either, it seems to be something most captain's make a habit of. One thing that stood out to me that Janeway does and that I can't imagine any other captain would do, is making a blanket for the new baby. She is able to keep her motherly side, yet also exudes command and can make the tough decisions, shown to great effect in this episode. I enjoyed hearing her mention walking home from a tennis match in a storm as that comes from Jeri Taylor's semi-canon book 'Mosaic'.
All in all this is not just a well-judged action story (I hesitate to say perfectly-judged as there are a few scenes in the middle in which eyes may glaze over for a few seconds as the tech-speak takes over, but not for long), not just the best use of a villain to this point, not just the chance for all the characters to display their professional qualities, not just a chance to see Voyager all mangled and messed up (let me guess - like me you thought the clean, pristine Voyager was going to be the one to survive?), not just an allowance for the ongoing story and personalities to be dipped into (Janeway exhorting her counterpart to get her crew home was brilliant), and not just a rollicking science fiction concept to addle your brain. No, this is all that, mixed up in a blender with a touch of weird for flavouring. And just remember: weird is part of the job.
****
There is a tension early on in the episode, despite the deceptively calm opening scene in which a heavily-pregnant Ensign Wildman helps Neelix with various problems in the mess (he mentions using replicators as the airponics yield has been low - I wonder if that's because Kes burned up the plants in 'Cold Fire'?). I don't know whether it was because I knew Wildman would give birth in this episode, but I was just waiting for the moment when she needs to be rushed to sickbay. From that moment the action grips and doesn't let go for a good ten or fifteen minutes, like a Bourne film. Its pace jabs along like a boxer on the run, the teaser goes on for quite some time, only breaking off for the opening credits just at the moment you most want to see more, as the problems on Voyager escalate and wounded crewmembers stagger into sickbay.
Knowing this to be the best Vidiian episode of the series I had forgotten how little the organ-harvesting aliens appear. Though I thought the initial damage was being caused by them, it isn't, and they don't actually cause any trouble until near the end, when we get to see what a Vidiian attack from a full-sized warship could be like - people being chased through corridors like cattle; anyone they find mercilessly shot down and coldly evaluated for their worth, measured in healthy body parts. They are only there at the end, but the shadow of the Vidiians is cast early on, causing the ship to seek refuge in a plasma storm, its green, shimmering space-wonder beauty belying a deadly trap.
The irony of the story is that Voyager is destroying itself without any outside assistance - two versions of the ship occupy the same location in time and space, which is as difficult to get your head around as time-travel and alternate universes! Trust Brannon Braga to come up with a mind-bending sci-fi spectacular with oodles of action, suspense and what may be the most dramatic and exciting tale since the pilot, and one of my favourites from the entire series. He cut his teeth on 'TNG', but it wasn't until 'Voyager' that he began to create these blockbuster action-thrillers heavily dosed with threat and ideas. There is some evidence to suggest he might have had some quiet inspiration from the 'DS9' episode 'Visionary' which had been produced only the previous year. Both episodes have a character going from one 'reality' to another and ending up replacing their dead counterpart (O'Brien in that, Kim in this), and both see the central vehicle obliterated (DS9 is blown up by the Romulans, Voyager self-destructs - that was done so well as the hulking Vidiian ship yawns over the smaller victim and they attack it just as they do individuals on board, by boring in!).
Minor characters such as Wildman and Hogan are nicely used, slotting into the jigsaw like useful pieces, in a way that later seasons tended to shy away from. But it really enhances the episode to show more characters we care about being injured or in distress. All the main characters give excellent support for the story, and not one outshines the others so that the episode could be said to be a true ensemble. So many aspects of the episode I wish could be in every episode because they show what the series is capable of achieving. The EMH proves heroic (he is programmed to be so when the situation requires it, after all!), performing a foetal transport (cool concept), saving the baby so it can go with Kim to the surviving version of the ship, and generally proving an excellent professional. Likewise B'Elanna, who carries on despite having seen her friend Kim sucked into space. Janeway on more than one occasion has to concede defeat, though which of her does it more I can't keep track of - abandoning the bridge as it collapses around her, and taking the grave decision to self-destruct Voyager, twice over. All this and she gets flipped out of her command chair, oh the indignity of it all!
The 'small' fact of Voyager's first birth, the beginning of it's possible future as a generational ship is only a footnote in all the mayhem, yet of course it would go on to be more important as the series continued. At this stage the poor, half-Ktarian creature (cute little forehead horns included) doesn't even have a name. I like the way they find time to reference series continuity and running jokes such as the Doc asking Kim if the EMH on his version of the ship had a name! Kim replies he didn't have time to ask, which some have highlighted as a blooper since Kim was part of that Voyager as long as the dead Kim was on the 'real' Voyager, but I surmise that he meant he had never got around to asking if the EMH had come up with a name, and that would probably be true of the deceased Kim too, since it's extremely rare to see him in sickbay and he probably shares the least number of scenes with the Doctor. The ensign gets to show off his heroics just like Tom did against the Kazon in the last episode, this time bursting into sickbay, phasering a Vidiian, rolling under a console to avoid an enemy blast and popping up to fire at the second Vidiian!
To add to the fun we get two Kes' and then two Janeway's - captain's always seem to meet each other at some point: in Kirk's it happened many times, and Picard too. I don't recall Sisko meeting himself much, but with such an explosive personality the universe would probably have imploded! This wouldn't be the last time Janeway met herself either, it seems to be something most captain's make a habit of. One thing that stood out to me that Janeway does and that I can't imagine any other captain would do, is making a blanket for the new baby. She is able to keep her motherly side, yet also exudes command and can make the tough decisions, shown to great effect in this episode. I enjoyed hearing her mention walking home from a tennis match in a storm as that comes from Jeri Taylor's semi-canon book 'Mosaic'.
All in all this is not just a well-judged action story (I hesitate to say perfectly-judged as there are a few scenes in the middle in which eyes may glaze over for a few seconds as the tech-speak takes over, but not for long), not just the best use of a villain to this point, not just the chance for all the characters to display their professional qualities, not just a chance to see Voyager all mangled and messed up (let me guess - like me you thought the clean, pristine Voyager was going to be the one to survive?), not just an allowance for the ongoing story and personalities to be dipped into (Janeway exhorting her counterpart to get her crew home was brilliant), and not just a rollicking science fiction concept to addle your brain. No, this is all that, mixed up in a blender with a touch of weird for flavouring. And just remember: weird is part of the job.
****
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