Extreme Risk

DVD, Voyager S5 (Extreme Risk)

The amount of references and bringing back of previously established things in modern Trek, especially when it's 'reimagined' or altered to suit the 'Bigger! Better! Faster!' attitude of the wrongheaded Kurtzman era, is wearing (at its worst in 'Lower Decks' which is a constantly overexcited child dosed up on sugar, in the guise of 'enthusiasm' for Trek's past), and so much so that it's almost hard to remember when that aspect of Trek was such a big draw for me. But this episode is like a quiet balm and a reminder of how they used to make such things work so well with subtlety and care, where the story is king, not overdoing it, but playing into and paying off Trek's great history and continuity. For a start, there's the start, where we finally got to see the famed orbital skydiving that was unceremoniously (and for the best, when you consider the beautiful, mysterious and affecting opening that replaced it), dumped from 'Generations,' proof that nothing was wasted in old Trek - it's not Captain, or was it Admiral, or maybe just retired dignitary, Captain Kirk, in the silver-panelled suit, it's B'Elanna Torres. True, the CGI doesn't hold up so well (figures were difficult to sell even into the 'Enterprise' period of the early-2000s), but it is enjoyable to see such an intriguing aspect of Trek culture that never was, finally realised. It's not 'Generations' that I think of most when I consider this episode, however, it's the ties to 'DS9,' which had been light to say the least over the four and a bit years the series' had co-existed.

No doubt if both series' had been done now they'd have had a lot more crossover (although it seems one thing the Kurtzman era is cautious about is just that, as there really hasn't been much interconnectedness in evidence tying together the five series' released so far from the sausage factory, other than connecting to old Trek), and you'd certainly have thought there might be more cross-promotion as 'DS9' drew steadily to its conclusion in parallel with this season of 'Voyager.' The Maquis had been a major arc of that series (and to a smaller extent, part of 'TNG's final days), and by design, meant to set up the fourth TV series with characters like Torres and Chakotay, who, it can be easy to forget, were members of that renegade body. But if 'Voyager' tended towards emphasising the Starfleet bonds (both characters had been in the service), 'DS9' introduced the divisions, ultimately turning into a trilogy of import on a personal level for Captain Sisko. When Cardassia made its pact with the Dominion it didn't take long for the Jem'Hadar, their loyal foot soldiers, to sweep in and wipe out this band of outlaws, and though it occurred offscreen, it was nonetheless a shocking outcome and a devastating demonstration of the kind of unrelenting power and ruthless efficiency of the Dominion, just one feather in their cap when it came to setting them up as the Federation's ultimate enemy. In Season 4 of 'Voyager' the ship finally made contact with Starfleet after years incommunicado, feared lost, so it was then they learned the tragic news of the Federation's war and the loss of all their Maquis brethren (though it's a shame Eddington's name was never spoken on this series).

In a rare case of the series following through on something (almost in opposition to its sister series, 'Voyager' seemed to regard continuing stories with disdain, gradually becoming more episodic and resetting the status quo in most episodes, with some exceptions, while 'DS9' was becoming more and more serialised), especially something from 'DS9' with whom there appeared to be a certain rivalry, they chose to address the aftermath of the Maquis situation, specifically with B'Elanna, and how she's deadened her feelings and gone into a kind of self-harm spiral in order to try and feel something. I'm not sure there was really the evidence to support her course of action as we don't see any of that listlessness or subterfuge until this episode (when of course they came up with the idea), in much the same way that Bashir was revealed to be a Changeling and hadn't acted any different in the one or two episodes in which he's supposed to have been that. In B'Elanna's case we can say she had been able to hide her non-feelings so well that no one suspected and things carried on as normal, and only now after all this time is she succumbing and becoming almost openly distant and withdrawn. It made me think of O'Brien when he admits in 'The Sound of Her Voice' that he's feeling increasingly isolated, except he didn't go off and start kayaking in the Holosuite down Niagara Falls with the safeties off!

It's fitting that someone with Klingon blood would have found violence as a way out, or at least a distraction, and I only wonder what it would have been like if Worf had been aboard (who knows, maybe they'll meet some day considering how many old characters are coming back...), as he would have certainly understood from the Klingon perspective and would probably have taken her into the Holodeck and knocked her about a bit, or allowed her the opportunity to knock him about, to make her feel better! As it is she has no Klingon outlet, only her human friends whom she's successful at fending off until a crisis brings Chakotay into the mix. This was where the episode really took off. It was good to have a 'DS9' connection in that they're paying off on something that happened in that series, with the people who would be concerned in this one, plus very rare appearances of Cardassians (other than Gul Evek, Dr. Crell Moset and that woman in 'Flesh and Blood,' I'd completely forgotten there were any other examples of the race), even if they are holographic. I did find it somewhat of a disappointment they didn't wholeheartedly embrace the connection, however: we don't get a mention of the Dominion and we certainly didn't get to see any Jem'Hadar, which remain one of those rare major races that never appeared in another series (at least until 'Picard' Season 3 when it sounds likely they'll be back since the Dominion are set to play a part). Their ships had been used in a simulation back in Season 2 I believe, but we don't get to see them storming the good old cave set that counts as a location where the Maquis were slaughtered, or even hear their name.

If the 'DS9' connection isn't fully employed (and you'd think they'd be doing more to cross-promote, ready to receive all those viewers bereft that their station-based Trek was over at the end of the season), we do get a nice return to early 'Voyager' where there was a little more personal familiarity and friendship seen between B'Elanna and Chakotay. In keeping with that theme he gives her some rough Maquis treatment, pushing her into the Holodeck to confront the horror of this program she'd created showing the massacre of their comrades. It's forceful, but it's what she needed, like a slap round the face to sting her into reality. Before this she's been talking like the old, rebellious B'Elanna, scornful of the Captain and her overprotective attitude, calling them 'Starfleet' as if she isn't one of them, while Chakotay plays along and indulges her, overriding her removal of Holodeck privileges in order to build his trap. In public Torres has managed to hide her feelings, or is it non-feelings, so that she doesn't erupt in anger as she used to, but she's not in the mood for any of that, cold and contained, rejecting any attempts at friendship from Tom or understanding from Janeway. When I saw the Captain stride into Sickbay with a face like thunder I thought it was going to be one of those 'disappointed in you' speeches, the kind of dressing down she's given to probably each of her crew at one time or another, but while she's stern and hard with her Chief Engineer, Torres coolly bats back whatever inroad she tries to make, like a tennis match of dialogue - it reminds how good the writing could be in Trek when it wasn't concentrated on special effects and action set-pieces as its staple - it was genuinely moving and fascinating to see the verbal manoeuvring on both sides!

Chakotay's the one who knows her better, though, and he can get behind that facade, and does, even down to the point where she has a change of heart and knows she needs to be there when the newly built Delta Flyer must retrieve a specially shielded probe (and of course saves the day), and he puts up resistance to the idea until she 'convinces' him otherwise. It's a return to the days when Chakotay had real power to his character and wasn't just there on the Bridge sitting next to the Captain or smiling in the background. B'Elanna too, could have been lost a little bit in Season 4 where the actress had a baby and Seven took so much of the limelight, and it's wonderful to see these characters getting their due. It's a return to Season 1 in a way, but then we bring them back to the now and it's lovely to see the faith Chakotay has in her. She mock-threatens him at the end, which is exactly what you'd expect from their long friendship and it ends with a heroic victory. Perhaps the only downside is that there's the suggestion she'll now get over the loss. Chakotay's line was a good one: "Losing people is inevitable, and sometimes it happens sooner than we expect," but at the same time it's the dreaded reset button being pushed at the end. I'm not saying I'd want multiple episodes where she's depressed and it takes a long time to get over it, but at the same time it's the kind of thread that could have carried over a little, at least. I loved the way she tried to do something, but couldn't - going to Neelix, who's always happy to listen and just be a friend, but she can't express herself, she remains inwardly trapped, and even Tom can't get through, it's too intensely personal.

Another way the episode could have ended, which might have put more emphasis on her coming through the darkness was if they hadn't been able to retrieve the probe, that the mission was a failure, but at the same time B'Elanna comes back to them, which is many times more important than a piece of technology, and I just wish that extra level had been there where her value was emphasised over material things as that would have added extra poignancy. At the same it's the Trek way to succeed, and it was truly inspirational to see the small crew of the Flyer each doing their jobs and together winning through on their mission, it's that kind of 'small' victory that is so much more accessible and engaging than the kind of universe-ending rubbish that became so prevalent in modern Trek that it has very little connection to reality. It was a different idea than we'd seen before, to have a rescue operation of a vital piece of tech before an enemy can get their hands on it - the guest star was Hamilton Camp as Vrelk, another Malon malingerer, which is yet another link to 'DS9' as he'd been a semi-recurring character there as Leck, the Ferengi assassin. Although it was only a couple of episodes, he made an impact and I'm glad they gave him a role (though imagine if it had somehow been Leck himself, that would have been an interesting development!), and it would be his final appearance in Trek to date. Also nice to have Vorik back, even if he does exist only for B'Elanna to be short with (stop doing that; get out of my seat)!

The big thing was the introduction of Paris' personally modelled new ship The Delta Flyer, created on the fly as a reaction to the Malon's attempts to get the probe back before they do. I can't help wondering if it wouldn't have been quicker to modify one of the shuttlecraft since they were on a deadline, and also, I'm not sure I really buy the Malon as these tech geniuses who can go up against a crack team of Starfleet engineers and have a hope of defeating them, but I will say that that Starfleet spirit of invention and ingenuity in design is something that was great to see again. I know we don't have a lot of information on the Malon, but that has become a little bit of a trap for the writers as not only can they build this ship to do what needs to be done, they're also capable of seeing through Voyager's shields to spy on what they're doing, able to know how far advanced they are compared to the Flyer's development, which is a bit of a hard sell! I did buy their overall position as experts at salvage operations, so maybe that could translate into an ability to build robust technology in double-quick time more than the average alien race, and I liked the idea of waste as a weapon when they let out some of the gas and attack Voyager with it, so there was some level of unique fidelity to our understanding of the culture, what little we've seen, and I appreciate that.

I was a bit confused at first about the probe and how it could have Borg shielding. Was it from the 29th Century drone in the previous episode or was it just Seven's knowledge or development coming through? If the former that would have been some nice continuity, as I suggested before that no capability they had there would come back, but it would've been better to remind us and reference that specially. It turns out it was actually something developed by Tuvok, which does work as he's responsible for the tactical side of things. It seems the Doc's holo-emitter is back to normal as B'Elanna mentions to Chakotay she thought it was him paying a house call. In a way, the Flyer could be said to be Tom and B'Elanna's first birth, except that she doesn't seem as involved with her mental and emotional situation, and many others were involved (we learn Seven can go a week without regeneration if necessary!). At the time I don't think I was that bothered about him including outdated buttons and levers inspired by his Captain Proton program, though I don't think I ever really liked it, and it doesn't make a lot of sense since everyone would have to be trained on this specific layout, and it comes across as a little bit overindulgent (the creep towards what Trek would become later, mark my words!), and also you'd think Janeway would want things to be done by Starfleet procedure. On the other hand they need to be more open to experimentation, having limited resources and without backup, so I can see why she'd be lenient - Tom says he's tired of tapping panels, so I wonder if that was a sly reference back to 'TOS' when they still used that more tactile control system. Shame he didn't mention the 23rd Century (although judging by 'DSC' all eras look the same anyway - urgh!).

The Flyer itself looks quite nice and continues a design tree that includes the USS Defiant (another sign the series was saying it could do what 'DS9' did or am I reading too much into it?), with integrated nacelles that are part of the main hull. Aesthetics versus function was a discussion I'd have liked them to go into in more detail other than just noting Paris' choice of old control panels, but overall it works quite well. I began to see the series as an extension of 'DS9' as time went on, especially in Season 6 when 'Voyager' became the only new Trek on the air and so any sight of something from the Alpha Quadrant (like the grey-shouldered uniforms, technically introduced by 'TNG' in 'First Contact,' but made their own on 'DS9'), was like a continuation. This episode showed they could deal with continuity as well as other Trek if only they chose to, it was a good, personal story that is well acted and has real meaning for the characters. It's couched in an adventure, a race against time (maybe the importance of the probe needed to be played up as probes generally seem ten a penny and no one usually cares if they're lost in action), and the A and B stories neatly connect, so I'd say this was the first real success of the season, as good as 'Night' was, this is the one that shows what they were capable of in the writing and acting stakes.

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