Blood Fever

DVD, Voyager S3 (Blood Fever)

Klingon and Vulcan cultures are important subject matter, and continue to be integral in reminding us that this is a Trek series, not just any old lost in space sci-fi, but though these connections mean a lot and are great for linking back to the familiarity of the Alpha Quadrant, it is the simple ending that really makes this episode stick in the memory: the corpse of a Borg drone is found, and the possibilities of meeting this menace of menaces come rushing to the forefront. In a way it's surprising that the Borg weren't brought up before, at least as a warning to the crew by Captain or Security Chief, since they were trapped in a quadrant known to be from whence the Collective emanated. I believe it was due to the choice of the Borg as villains in the 'next' Trek film that was on the horizon, that such definite threats weren't pointed out earlier, but it wouldn't have hurt to discuss future threats they'd likely encounter. By now 'First Contact' had proved a smash hit and the Borg were back on the agenda, so they could tease us with this ominous sign. With hindsight you can see the clues, the indigenous population's talk of mysterious, destructive invaders that didn't colonise the place; their wish to mask all signs of life on their planet; the interest in and distrust of Tuvok's elbow implant (had we heard of that before - did we hear of it again?), the Away Team's weapons and ship's specifications.

I'd thought the episode ended with a 'Star Trek II' shot, descending into the jungles of the planet to rest on the Borg remains that only we, the viewer, know about, but it was much more definite than that with Chakotay doing a 'Captain, I think you should get down here' moment, and Janeway in no doubt about it being Borg. The Borg were one prospect that hung over the series from its beginning for those who remembered their lore, but so was the Pon Farr, the Vulcan blood fever of the title in which every member of that species had to take a mate or die as seen in 'TOS' episode 'Amok Time.' Another trope that had to be exploited to some people, but to others a logical continuation of the consequences of living in the Trek universe, with a Vulcan back in the main cast again it had to be dealt with in some way. And hardly a trope - 'TNG' had almost eschewed Vulcans from its stories in an effort to strike out on its own ground rather than relying on past glories, and 'DS9' had Cardassian, Bajoran and Klingon culture to investigate leaving little time for anything of the Vulcans. Which left Trek's most defining race to 'Voyager,' and if they didn't address the consequences of the Pon Farr to those of the race who are too far from the homeworld to reach it before death took them, who else would? A veil can be drawn over the weak entry into the canon from 'Enterprise,' but they were always in a difficult spot of not wanting to 'discover' something that was yet to be learned of in 'later' series'.

As we find out here, the privacy for the condition is so strong that even fellow Vulcans don't ordinarily discuss it as it is their only return to the barbaric origins of their race, and so anathema to their calm, logical minds. Tuvok has to be talked into even showing any interest in poor Vorik's situation, and the younger Vulcan is as embarrassed about Tuvok having to involve himself (if embarrassed is the right word), as Tuvok is uncomfortable in invading his privacy with intimate questions which shouldn't have to be asked. The various solutions that come up overlook one obvious one: we know there are female Vulcans aboard (I've seen at least one on the series, though not until the latter seasons), so why couldn't Vorik have chosen one of these? The clue is in Tuvok's predicament, though we wouldn't see the results of his wrestling with Pon Farr until much later: he's married, with children, and Vulcans mate for life. We have to assume that all the female Vulcans already had a mate back home, so it would be impossible for Vorik to establish a telepathic bond with them, even if the conventions of his people would allow it.

From some angles the choice of Vorik going through the Pon Farr rather than the expected choice of Tuvok, was a masterstroke, allowing us to see a Klingon (or half-Klingon), go through it instead. In other ways you might wish that Tuvok had been the one to experience the indignity, especially as Vorik's recent addition makes it appear he was only created for this purpose - I can't remember how much he appeared after this, but it wasn't as regularly as these last few episodes. Writers want to surprise an audience, not go through the predicted motions, and their choices here are more like those of 'DS9.' Perhaps the only difference if that series had done it is that Vorik would surely have died and Torres would have had more than uncomfortable silences with Tom Paris in a Turbolift to deal with. The fact the blood fever is purged without either combatant having to die waters the harsh ritual down somewhat, when on 'TOS' only Kirk's death could break Spock's fever. A 'third option' is also introduced, besides taking a mate, or ritual combat: extreme meditation. Incidentally, it doesn't work, as Vorik still doesn't go back to normal, maybe he was too young and inexperienced to be able to have enough control (Kolinahr training needed?), and his desire remained strong enough that he would fool the Doctor into thinking a holographic alternative had sufficed, deviously and resourcefully taking out communications, transporter, and even shuttles in his urge to ensure Torres be his mate! Scary dedication, and something it would have been good to see, like when Data takes over the Enterprise in 'Brothers.'

The seedy topic of holographic mating is fortunately not explored, and indeed, the episode's theme isn't portrayed gratuitously as I'm sure it would be today. But the mere suggestion of that as an alternative opens a whole Holodeck of worms. Such things weren't unheard of, Quark often trying to lure customers to his Holosuites with talk of lurid programs, but the Doc does take great pleasure in the whole situation. Pleasure isn't the right word, he's fascinated as someone with a new hobby, completely unthinking about his 'lab specimen's' feelings as he talks with relish about the situation as if it's a great experiment, a trait that he would display more and more on the series, often having to be reminded that his patients aren't just there for his interest! It's the opposite extreme of how his character began unfeeling, no bedside manner, just treat the illness. Now it's become too much interest, and again, not considering the patient's wellbeing except for the medical complaint (though he did show discretion by asking Torres to leave before his consultation with Vorik - did Kes also leave, I didn't see her go?). Something that didn't ring true were human values being ascribed to a nonhuman character - the Doc for one, when Tuvok claims his view on Vulcan privacy about the situation is a very human judgement, and when Vorik explains his wish to mate with B'Elanna as a wedding proposal in human terms, but she's only half-human! Tuvok had a point with the Doc, as he'd just called Vulcan attitudes to mating Victorian, something rather anachronistic (we don't tend to say something is Cromwellian, do we?!).

While pointing out inconsistencies, one of the biggest has to be the cave accident. Just before Paris, Torres and Neelix, smartly dressed in those exercise uniforms first seen in 'Learning Curve' when Tuvok was training the Maquis, start their descent into a deep chasm to find gallicite (I kept thinking of Captain Boday, the Gallamite with the transparent skull from 'DS9'!), they joke about how safe Starfleet technology has taken all the fun out of rock-climbing. Then Neelix' piton comes loose and he plummets to his… slight injury, taking Torres with him. And then Tom offhandedly says the piton must have malfunctioned. Oh, really! So if Starfleet tech is so safe why is it not working properly?! I think the direction of the scene could have done with a little more clarity in the course of events - the way it's shot the chasm they're rappelling into appears huge and dark, then the accident happens after a short while and Neelix falls about two or three metres and just has a broken leg. I also thought Torres was rushing to his rescue when she zips after him, but she was actually falling. I'm sure in reality they'd been climbing a little way before the fall. That's my only complaint with the direction, Andrew Robinson doing a great job in his second (and final?), Trek episode. It's fun to note that he dealt with the subject of Klingon mating from both a male and female point of view, since his Trek debut as a Director had been 'Looking For Par'Mach in All The Wrong Places' on 'DS9' only a few months previous, all about Worf and Grilka, and now it was B'Elanna. The only regret is that they didn't shoehorn in a Garak cameo as a holographic spy the EMH talks to in finding out about secret Vulcan practices!

The cave set, so much used, sometimes maligned, finds use again, and again they successfully transform it into a new style with moss and growths on the roof and walls, dripping water, and rocks that look as though they have a weight to them (when Chakotay was pushing through the rockfall to reach Paris and Torres I was thinking Tom should move away because if one of those fell on his foot he'd know it!), new angles and alien technology integrated into it - the only recognisable part was the small, circular cave mouth which we've seen a few times ('Tattoo,' 'Innocence,' etc), but a successful use of lighting (also seen in Vorik's darkened quarters), to create a real darkness lit only by the wrist beacons helped sell it, and sell it well. Robert Duncan McNeill must have kept a note of his experiences in filming the rock climbing because years later he'd be directing a similar scene (though more elaborate), for 'Enterprise.'

The aliens, too, were of a high quality, introduced like Rambo coming out of the mud wall in 'First Blood Part II,' they made an impact immediately. The tension of the moment was heightened by having more than one level, with the Away Team captured by suspicious aliens, but also the unpredictable Torres stalking up and down like a caged tiger. Tuvok really should have got a firm grip on her arm instead of allowing her to pace about! The aliens were called the Sakari, which sounded too close to the Sikarians (the first season friendlies with space-folding technology they weren't willing to share), but other than that they had a good look to them, a cross between a shapeshifter that's cracked and dried out, an animal-like face, and a mini Kazon hairdo. They also had the amazing ability to vanish into their surroundings as we see (or don't see!), when Torres fights one of them, knocking him to the ground, and by the time she and Paris have looked round they've all gone, with Tuvok and Chakotay, too! I had thought a rockfall had been the reason they got separated, so again, maybe more definite directing was required to make things clear, though it's only a minor issue.

The less said about the 'heated' discussions in the cave, the better, but once we get into the open air let no one ever call Tuvok a party pooper again, for he's the one that advocates the ritual combat between Torres and Vorik that saves both their lives, much to Chakotay's uncertainty - this was a perfect moment to revisit the distrust and animosity between him and Tuvok that had initially promised much but that we almost never saw, that deeper level of character conflict not reached, the surface, physical battle having to suffice in that scene. I like that even after a hundred years since Kirk's experiences, and with Vulcans as the most seemingly prevalent species besides humans in the Federation, so little is known about their rituals. In our society today in which privacy is becoming a thing of the past thanks to the splaying out of people's lives online, the ability so many have to record things around them, CCTV, satellites, even Google Maps, as useful as it is, and a generation growing up that don't expect anything to be kept secret or private, assuming everything is their right to know, Vulcan's ability to keep personal their ways is inspiring, and not Victorian at all. One of the things about the species I've always admired is that they seem to be so knowledgeable, always having the answer, they don't like loose chatter or the need to say things for the sake of it, and if they were completely open they would lose some of that impression of power. So here's to the Vulcans, they may not always be right, but they work through their problems in a calm and measured manner (excepting Pon Farr, of course!).

No wonder the race don't like to touch, with such heightened telepathic tendencies, often activated by the tips of their fingers (something else about the race 'Enterprise' tended to forget), a telepathic bond stronger than a physical or emotional one. The episode gives us something 'TOS' couldn't - two Vulcans dealing with the situation, which gave us so much insight into the culture. You would think that in all the centuries of Vulcan warp travel that Pon Farr would have come up as an important consideration, because there must have been others that were caught short in space, too far from home or their mate. Did they used to take a mate with them on long journeys, or keep track of how far they were from home in order to be back before the seven year cycle came around? It makes you wonder if Tuvok has his nightly rounds to do: visit Kes and give her advice on lighting a candle or boiling a teacup (maybe it should have been her Vorik attacked, then she and Neelix might have got back together - nothing good ever happens atop Engineering, that was where Neelix fought Jonas!); tuck Kim into bed with another delivery of candles (perhaps the reason Kim isn't seen - he's still recovering from his experience in 'Alter Ego'?); Mr. Suder for mental help - no, cross him off, he's dead; and now Vorik for Vulcan hearts to hearts, in a constrained, dispassionate way. I do love the shot of the two of them facing each other in profile, yet a distance between them and looking straight ahead, a great image of the closeness, yet distance between the pupil and mentor.

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