The Killing Game

DVD, Star Trek: Voyager S4 (The Killing Game)

I do so wish the episode was included on the DVD set as one feature-length adventure as they did with other episodes such as 'Dark Frontier' and 'Flesh and Blood,' because although that wasn't the original intent of the writing, it was how it was first shown and I think how I first watched it on BBC2 in 1999, though I can't be sure they didn't just put the two episodes on consecutively. Not having the break with the end credits of part one and the opening credits of part two somehow makes an episode more epic, and at one time was only seen in the pilot of each series, making it seem even more special. With the 'TNG' finale, 'All Good Things…' and the 'DS9' Season 4 opener, 'The Way of The Warrior,' they began to do these long-form episodes beyond just the pilots, adding scale to stories rather than neatly packaging them up tidily and instead allowing them to sprawl out and create a bigger bang, blowing two episodes for one slot. It seemed extravagant, and strangely, it still does. 'Voyager' was the only series to continue that (I think the only other example beyond the ones mentioned was the finale, 'Endgame'), with the 'DS9' finale 'What You Leave Behind' the only other example there (though it made for nice symmetry having the pilot, finale and one episode in the middle of the series to be in this format), and 'Enterprise' really missed out, with just the pilot, 'Broken Bow' being given that attention, and not allowed any other feature-length episode, not even the finale, and 'Discovery' didn't even follow the convention of doing it in the pilot, which makes these episodes stand out.

The nature of bundling two budgets together gave them the chance to be epic, and the concept is startling and bold. The execution isn't quite as astounding as it was when I first saw it, mainly because they went on to do a smaller, yet similar idea with 'Shattered' where they showed different eras of the series as places that could be visited when the ship is split up in time. We only get two settings, and of those only one is genuinely expanded and explored, with the Klingon simulation making use of the well-used cave set. It was more of a reminder that more than one story is playing out, and I can't remember how much is actually part of the story in Part II. If only they could have had the resources and intent to pull of the battle of Wolf 359, which is mentioned in the episode as the next planned simulation, although I expect at the time they'd have mainly used stock footage from 'Best of Both Worlds' and 'Emissary' rather than treat us to whole new levels of ship battles à la 'DS9.' Just imagine recreating the inside of the Borg ship (they'd already done an updated version on the series more than once!), getting Patrick Stewart back to reprise Locutus - okay, that would have been farfetched, he'd never have gone back to episodic Trek in his lifetime… Right…? (Wink, wink). Most likely they could have got some of the 'TNG' cast and it would have been glorious, but it's no good crying about what might have been when there's so much that was.

Like Miles and Julian's Holosuite adventures which went unseen, we hear of the Crusades as one of the settings the Hirogen used, which could also have been fun, but talk is cheap so why not throw it in there? The idea's the main thing: that of using Voyager's twin Holodecks to create a massive play pen for the Hirogen to hunt in. This is where the meat of the story lies. As much fun as it is to see the characters being other people (and we'd see this revisited in Season 7s 'Workforce,' another big two-parter, though one that wasn't nearly as good as this), at heart Trek is about cultures and story. The Hirogen had been very successful in their introductory episodes, brought in as the season's villains, and as was always the case in Trek, there has to be a representative of them that isn't merely bad, but is doing things from a noble motive, even if it conflicts with our heroes. The lead Hirogen has pulled all this off because he sees his culture is stagnating, his people divided in their own private hunts, the society that has stood for so long disintegrating (for one thing, where are the lady Hirogen?). He is a visionary that believes the needs of the hunt can be fulfilled in simulated form - in fact, it's more like enhanced form since the same danger of death and injury exist with the safeties disengaged and can be played out to desired specifications, not to mention the vast library of possibilities that Voyager carries aboard her. So he has pure motives, at least where his own kind are concerned.

He doesn't care if Voyager's crew gets injured or killed, of course, as long as they're fit to continue these war games. I'm not entirely sure what the Hirogen get out of the World War II scenario since they would know whom the Resistance consists of, so it's not a real battle simulation in that regard. It could be seen as at the opposite end of the Klingon version, which is much more about animalistic hand-to-hand fighting than serious strategy, and it does show the extremes contrasted so strongly as they are, just as it shows the extremes in terms of production value: the Klingon sim is pared down to the rocks and gruff violence, while WWII is highly detailed and sophisticated. Too sophisticated for many of the lead Hirogen's men, it seems, as they just want to plough in and shoot rather than allowing the story to unfold. Like the Jem'Hadar Goran'Agar from 'DS9,' this alien leader sees a new way forward that will solve all their problems, but it looks like he's the only one. Such is the way for many Trek visionaries who, as he puts it, can hold onto their past while facing the future. He's the only one concerned with what will become of them, thinking beyond the next hunt, the next kill and immediate pleasures, to the consequences, while the others are happy to continue on to the detriment of them and their race as a whole. Maybe it would have been easier if he'd just told his men of the Borg and headed off to their space, no matter how long it took to get there, as they would be worthy prey.

Janeway is the very epitome of worthy prey, and as we're introduced to her she's in full Klingon garb and genetics, apparently, fighting for the House of Mo'Kai. I love that a little line of dialogue here or there in Trek's vast history can be picked up and played with later down the line, as 'DSC' did with its Matrons of Mo'Kai and L'Rell identifying with that House. I'm pretty sure it was never mentioned again, though it was probably used in the novels years later and it is probably this that 'DSC' is referencing more than a 'Voyager' episode featuring one mention of the House, since they seem keen on 'canon-ing up' the books for some reason, when before they were always considered entirely separate and largely irrelevant except for those that wanted more than the fifty-odd episodes we were getting per year back in the Nineties! Janeway shows 'DSC' how to do a proper bat'leth duel, the camera swinging wildly in on the action and the Captain doing more acrobatics than we usually see her engaged in. Must be all that Klingon DNA coursing through her - we didn't actually get an explanation of why she looked Klingon. It may be that it was simply a cool thing to do, Trek has never been shy of making such moves if they could, and it's a terrific way to kick off the episode so that you have no idea what it's all about. It's one of those teasers that has you wanting to get into the episode right from the off.

The look of characters isn't consistent, as although Janeway is Klingon-ised (it's a tradition for Captains to go undercover as an alien at least once - Kirk and Picard went Romulan, Sisko went Klingon, and Archer… well, I'm sure he was alien-ised in some manner less memorable than the others), as is Neelix, Tuvok and Seven appear in their programs looking like themselves. It could be the Hirogen aren't that bothered about it and the Doctor only has so much time for aesthetics as he needs to concentrate on keeping the crew alive. Around the same time, 'DS9' did an episode where Sisko experienced all his cast as human-looking in Season 6's 'Far Beyond The Stars,' so it could have been done, but it's not a problem and is fun just to see Chakotay with slicked back American General's hair, or B'Elanna with her period hairstyle. As has happened so often with the season, however, this story hinges on Seven of Nine as she's the one the EMH can reactivate while in the holoprogram. Not that I'm tired of her, but you'd think they could find someone else to hang things on a little more than they did. Ensign Kim gets special mention as the only one who's tasked with keeping it all running, and like the crew in 'Year of Hell,' he's battered and worn down, not quite to the point we saw in 'The Chute' where he was wild, but he's been pushed past the niceties stage. He knows they need him and though he might experience a bit of violence, he doesn't mind pushing it and it's good to see him at his most confident and insubordinate, not taking the Hirogen bullying.

The Hirogen were disappointingly turned into more conventional aliens with this one, when previously they'd all been ridiculously huge as if that was their defining characteristic. It makes sense logically that the species wouldn't be homogenised in height any more than other races are always one way, but they were much more imposing as gigantic warriors and it would have been great to keep that going - there's only one that might fit that description, one of the soldiers guarding Kim. They're still vicious and single-mindedly intent on catching prey, and that was the important sociological factor. One thing I do like is the reality within reality that they've created using the Holodecks: they have programs running which they join in, while the Voyager crew experience them as reality until the Doc is able to jam the devices used to keep Seven and Janeway attuned to their holo-characters, so then they're playing roles within a story which is within the program run by the Hirogen, while outside a Resistance is under way in the real world from the Doc and Harry. The parallels are fascinating, as are those between the characters and those they play: Seven is obstructive and doesn't react well to orders from Janeway, as in real life, and Tuvok is a reliable associate, while Neelix is the happy-go-lucky type cycling the streets with the food he's bought (or grabbed as he does with a piece of fruit - the direction is really strong with so much of the external scenes such as that where the camera runs in front of Neelix as he cycles, but also in other ways - the close and secret conversation between Seven and the Doc in Sickbay emphasised by the camera pushed right up close to the pair's faces).

Presumably the pregnancy of 'Brigitte' (B'Elanna), was a holographic one? It was good that they were able to feature Roxann Dawson's real life pregnancy when they'd done so much to hide her away for the season, putting her in an Engineering coat (a bit like Dr. Crusher's medical one in 'TNG'), or stationing her behind consoles, and keeping her out of the action - that's one reason, perhaps, why Seven had so much to do, because one of the female cast members couldn't do as much as usual, so it was fortuitous that Seven became involved at that time and had a fount of uses in both story and dramatic terms. I'm not sure what the pregnancy was useful for from the Hirogen point of view, but then so much of the simulation appears pointless to them, as one of them actually says, but the leader believes it's important to study these war events and learn from them, when they just want to get on with the killing and trophy gathering. This is probably the most alteration the ship ever went through without it being a different timeline, because as well as the leader turning the Ready Room into a trophy room, we see the Holodecks expanded and the explosion rips into the hull of several decks, exposing the surrounding rooms to view! You wonder what an explosion would do to the holographic matrix when the safeties are off, and now we know: it really blows the place up, and in spectacular style rarely seen on Trek!

The filming of the action scenes is very well done, and because the series is so grounded and is generally not full of such things, it makes the experience more free flowing and different without breaking the format. Seeing Tuvok running while machine gunning Hirogen, or Seven rescuing Neelix from overzealous Nazi Hirogen is all done so excitingly. A good guest cast also assists, with Danny Goldring as the lead Hirogen in one of five appearances across 'DS9,' this, and 'Enterprise,' one of what could be termed the regular guest actors (though not as powerful as his role as Burke, a Starfleet soldier Jake runs into in 'Nor The Battle To The Strong'), and J. Paul Boehmer, another actor to have four other roles across 'DS9,' this, and 'Enterprise,' most notably when he played a similar character in 'Storm Front.' I don't know who played Reginald Smith, the English voice on the radio bringing the news (and a coded message to the Resistance), but it was nice to hear a British accent and be reminded of Britain's connection to events in France. I kept trying to see if the bottles of wine were Chateau Picard, as I always do whenever there's a bottle on screen in Trek, but I don't think they were. And could Janeway's 'Le Coeur de Lion' be the same set as Sandrine's? They mention new emitters in parts of the ship, though that was to extend the Holodecks and the Doc hasn't needed more emitters to exist outside Sickbay since he got his portable one from the 29th Century (except in 'DSC' they show that even 23rd Century ships can have holograms all over the place - very poor attention to detail by these modern writers and it puts Trek to shame to ignore its adherence to internal logic and the development of technology). Bring on Part II!

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