Remember

DVD, Voyager S3 (Remember)

An episode of two halves, but one that improves significantly as it goes along. I can take or leave Torres' dreams and the fairly telepathic aliens Voyager happens to be ferrying home. Originally a 'TNG' script, and you can see the template for that series coming through, especially considering Voyager doesn't usually transport dignitaries, diplomats or alien groups since they don't have the looseness of purpose that the Enterprise-D had. It's quite nice to see Voyager doing something like that simply because it is a novelty. But the aliens didn't have a good look to them, and one species had actually been done very similar to them only two seasons ago in Season 1's 'Ex Post Facto' (the 'jay-cloths around the face' look), so they weren't very striking. When you consider 'TNG' had done a very similar story in 'Violations' (and many other episodes in all series' could bear resemblances), it's not different enough to stand out, although forced telepathic contact is always a strong dramatic narrative device.

The only things that did stand out about the early part of the episode were the casual clothes we see the crew sporting. It's the first time we see Janeway in her white outfit, the first time we see the jackety clothes of Harry, Tom and Chakotay, but I'm not sure if we'd seen Tuvok's rich blue 'pyjama' look before. These clothes would be used again in future. The music-making was a lovely sequence, although there's the slightest hint that these people are not above forcing their will on others albeit in the way of showing off, when the leader demonstrates his ability to pass on his vast musical skill to the Captain. The mystery of B'Elanna's dream story and blackouts is handled reasonably well, but the episode doesn't take off until we get past the smooching and into the real issues at hand: as the shocking truth slowly reveals itself we see another life played out, one in which I couldn't decide which was the greater evil: was it the woman selling out her boyfriend because he was different? That she stood chanting at his public execution? Or did the most chilling moment come when she's older, telling young children the lies her people have built up about their treatment of the 'Regressives,' perpetuating the revulsion and dehumanisation of those different to themselves?

The title of the episode was unremarkable before I watched it, but during the episode it really jumped out and hit me. It's such a simple sentiment, but so powerful and vast at the same time. The simple directive to 'remember' is all that was needed to evoke a strong reaction. The story is obviously inspired by Holocaust denial, but it doesn't lose its power to shock by being based in science fiction. The most important and hopeful ending comes out of the horror - this season's episodes have been going out on a high on a number of occasions, and with the memories of the old woman passed onto a younger one, the true history of what happened will not die.

I like that Torres charges in and accuses Jor Brel of the atrocities, wildly swinging around in the middle of a circle of people, allowing her righteous anger and outrage to flow freely, as her Season 1 self so often did. Season 3 Torres has generally learnt a lot of restraint, has found her place aboard the ship and has settled in well, so this is a chance to revisit her early themes, even down to Janeway dealing with her outburst. Janeway sees there's nothing they can do to change the society, but you can see she's neither happy at B'Elanna's behavior, nor the Enarans themselves, but understands Torres' view, though not to the extent Torres does because she hasn't experienced the memories. Roxann Dawson does a great job, running through various characters in the story - the old woman when she was young and under her Father's sway (Bruce Davison, who would later be in 'Enterprise'); an older one, fully accepting what her people say about what happened; a worried Torres, uncertain about what's happening; and an angry tornado desperate to do something.

B'Elanna's confrontation with Jor Brel showed that it's often not enough to throw the truth into the faces of people that can be so subtle and deceptive, twisting her words, plausibly denying and smothering what is true. The only way to really change the society was to talk quietly to one person, share the memories and hope that it would continue, rather than blasting forth for radical change. As ever with so many of the episodic series', we'll never know what happened to the Enarans, but I suppose it was enough to show that someone would try to find out what was behind the curtain of deception.

One other thing I must comment on is poor Harry Kim. Early on it seems like it might turn into a Harry episode, but he doesn't even get a B-story, and for once there's an alien girl that he gets on with! He was only there to get Jessen to listen to B'Elanna, which is a shame, but I'm not saying I'd have liked the episode better if it had been a Harry 'romance' story, far from it, but it would have been nice for him to have more to do. As a story it remains powerful, and while rough around the edges in terms of aliens and deep storytelling, it has that distinct 'Star Trek' morality to it that elevates it above other more sci-fi, less issue-driven episodes.

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