Bride of Chaotica!

 DVD, Voyager S5 (Bride of Chaotica!)

One of the rare holes in my viewing of the series on its original BBC run, I didn't see this until I had the DVDs in 2007. I tend to find episodes I didn't have a prior connection to, seen subsequently, have to work a bit harder to impress (I'm thinking more of 'Vox Sola' and 'Rogue Planet' of 'Enterprise' more than this and 'One' - all examples I didn't see until DVD ownership), but by its very nature I never had any lack of appreciation: Trek had celebrated its own past on a number of occasions by the 1998-1999 season, but they hadn't looked at sci-fi's screen origins. I mean you can see why: low production value, hammy acting, cartoonish storytelling and forced narrative to get to cliffhanger endings (hmm, other than production value, I'd say modern Trek has a lot in common with those ancient serials now that I come to think of it! Maybe it's not that Trek is badly written now, it's all just a 'tribute' to its beginnings? Yeah...). But seen through the lens of a later, more sophisticated, realistic, and consistent version, there is a lot of fun to be had, and of course at the same time it can poke fun at itself a little along the way, in the same style that 'Lower Decks' now does, except that that is 'The Adventures of Captain Proton' pretty much every week in the sense that it's all about comedy (surprised they've not done a Chaotica episode, unless they have and I just haven't got to it yet... Or more likely, they'd have to pay the original writers for use of the character - Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky I'd assume, since they're credited with 'Night' when the program was first introduced), and Trek at this time was able to do different tones week to week instead of relying on an entirely new series for each tone! Much more economical.

It's funny to think this episode was one of those co-written by Bryan Fuller, and 'Night' was co-written by Joe Menosky, both to be involved in the modern Trek era, and both casualties of it. There's a tremendous amount to be ungrateful to Fuller about regarding the state of Trek today, but it's always worth bearing in mind that he's also responsible for many a quality 'Voyager' and 'DS9' story, as is the case here. Yes, it is a bit of a bonkers episode (subspace 'sandbars' and photonic aliens from another dimension that can still somehow communicate with, and understand us, is all rather hokey), but it's also the kind of fun knockabout that was best done at this stage of a Trek series when we know everyone well, it's fully established how people are going to react, and just a line here or there fits perfectly. I'm thinking of B'Elanna who has a couple of good little snark moments - saying they can go ahead with their plan now it has Seven's blessing, or replying to the Doctor finding the idea of a place full of photonic life appealing by reminding him if he doesn't succeed he may be taking up permanent residence with them. Actually, on that last one, there could have been a sense of divided loyalties to explore (we did get there in certain episodes like 'Flesh and Blood' or the earlier 'Revulsion'), and we know the Doc won't betray his human friends.

Tom Paris' obsession with 20th Century history and culture was long established so of course he'd get into the sci-fi (wonder what he made of 'TOS'?), dragging Harry Kim along as his sidekick. The sad thing is the series never quite found its regular holoprogram to go back to, they'd have phases, like Sandrine's or the Paxau Resort, but too often the elaborate and intriguing programs such as this and Leonardo DaVinci were used so sparingly - even Fair Haven only came up twice. Whereas 'DS9' managed to develop an ideal site for alternative scenes, in Vic Fontaine's place. I can see why Proton wasn't continued beyond this episode (other than a small throwback in 'Shattered,' though that was due to them exploring different eras of the series), because its low production values are high, if you get my meaning. Yes, it's all basic effects and silly props, but it also has large and detailed sets and elaborate costume design. I'm sure the budget for those original cinema serials would have been tiny in comparison to Trek, but they didn't have the space to keep up such things in perpetuity when they were also doing something different week to week. It's also very far from the kind of program where you could have a group of our characters socialising, an involving storyline that needed full attention. And I'm sure the silliness could have become grating. I enjoy watching films and TV series from every era, but I wouldn't really want to see 'Flash Gordon' or the other serials of the time, and I can see how the concept could easily have outstayed its welcome.

After a couple or three pretty serious, weighty stories it was just the right time to let down the hair (or tie it up and wear webbing in Janeway's case), and have some fun. Oddly, I feel like the idea of using the Holodeck to fool aliens had been done before (and would be again on the series, I think), and I don't just mean the Borg being hindered by holograms in 'First Contact.' My brain is turning to mush so I can't remember all the Holodeck stories where that may have been the case, but I'm thinking 'TNG' maybe. Anyway, it doesn't matter that it's not an entirely original notion, it's all about execution and this was entertaining, not the least because there are in-jokes about contemporary Trek when Paris comments on cliffhangers ("the lost art of hyperbole"), or he and Harry discuss how this Planet X looks the same as the previous planet, since they were so often using the cave set, even in 'Voyager,' though often cunningly redressed to disguise the fact. There's even a joke within a joke since Tom alludes to the fact the previous planet had an erupting volcano, but of course they couldn't do that on a 90s TV budget - although they actually did do it in 'Basics, Part II,' but as a general rule they were a bit stuck compared to what films were capable of achieving at the same period. It's also all about Tom studying how people from the past viewed the future, which is exactly what Trek is, an extrapolation of our future before we're actually there.

I did wonder if there was going to be anything to write about given that it is just B-film cheesy sci-fi, done with our characters, but there were actually a number of points that came to mind as I was watching. For example, and I don't imagine this was deliberately drawing a connection with contemporary Trek's penchant for rolling around when the ship comes under fire, but it didn't seem wise of Harry to be peering into a periscope while the ship's shaking about: that could lead to a nasty injury! And while the tone of the episode is mostly humorous, despite the situation, Janeway does come across as having a bit of a caffeine problem in the manner she's so desperate for coffee. It seems a bit dangerous for a Captain to have such a dependency on what is a drug, albeit not one of the strongest kinds, but still... It is played for laughs, but I can't help seeing the contemporising (if that's a word), of bringing attitudes of the time into sharp relief to make characters more relatable, which is often something I find irritating in modern Trek where they all talk as if they're from today's world, while in the past there was a more formal manner of speech that helped make Trek feel like a period drama, just a period that was in the future. I will say that Janeway was good fun, especially as Queen Arachnia, fully entering into the role, but even dropping in little things such as a reference to her old ship, the Al-Batani (I always remember that line to Paris in the pilot, "I served with your Father on the Al-Batani," so that was nice referencing there).

Another thing I was unsure about, and again makes me wonder if Fuller was too preoccupied with fleshing out exactly what 24th Century life consisted of when you see how 'DSC' does things, was Neelix talking about there only being four working lavatories for the whole ship's complement. For one thing shouldn't they be called 'heads' as naval terminology is usually what Trek takes for its language (Mess, Fore and Aft, etc)? Also, it had previously been referred to as 'waste extraction' on 'DS9,' which could be Cardassian terminology since that's what the station was and you'd expect a harsher sounding term, but I always thought it had something to do with simply beaming waste out of you. Not to say that a lavatory couldn't do that, but it tends to bring to mind what we know it as today. All this to say it's too much discussion of toilets, we don't need to see that (we didn't), or know it. Some things are best left to the imagination. For example, it could just as easily be the case in several hundred years of technological innovation, that food processes would mean there was no longer any waste anyway. But enough on this subject!

It was curious to hear Janeway say to 'give her all she's got,' when talking about getting the ship out of the sandbar, as I didn't think that had ever been said (or a variation), until the alternate Kelvin Timeline Scotty said something similar in one (or more), of those films. It just sounded a bit odd and over the top, but I did appreciate having a clear idea of where the Impulse Engines actually are - at least visually it was suggested the red glowing bits at the rear (aft!), of the ship were they. I don't think that had ever been made clear before, but then I suppose that's because they were using a model and perhaps they'd begun to either use a CGI model for greater flexibility, or CGI additions to the physical model. I must say, Voyager's Bridge crew aren't as responsive and efficient as those of the Enterprise-D - those jack-in-the-boxes would practically leap into the Helm or Conn seats the moment they were vacated, but Janeway had to nod to the Helmswoman before she took Paris' place! Regarding the Holodeck itself, I'd have thought it'd be safer for the Doctor to enter without his holo-emitter since it could have been damaged by the aliens and he could just as easily have transferred his program over. And why would holographic weapons be dangerous to photonic lifeforms? Surely with the safeties on, there would be no damage to anyone who wasn't designed to experience it? I loved the reference to duotronics, which Paris said when fixing the robot's innards, the technology used centuries before the former - that goes back to 'TOS,' Dr, Daystrom's invention for a starship's main computer, still used in the 24th Century, though Voyager would have been more advanced than that I would think, since it had state of the art bio-neural gel packs.

Although this isn't so much of a character story, in keeping with its homage to a more basic time of sci-fi storytelling, occasionally something more meaningful would slip through. Though Janeway is jesting with Dr. Chaotica when she bonds with him, saying it's lonely at the top, you can't help but see some truth in what she's saying, because she doesn't often have someone on the same level as her. Clearly she had no real interest in talking to a silly cartoon character about anything real or serious, but that need to express on a peer level is something that must always have been there and while it's only a little statement and I'm reading into it, it rings true that it's something she'd think of to say. Martin Rayner had been Chaotica in the program's previous appearance in 'Night,' and would return for 'Shattered,' while his servant, Lonzak was played by Nicholas Worth, who'd also had a couple of small roles in 'DS9' and would similarly return in 'Shattered' (he died the same year I first saw the episode, 2007). Apparently, one of the aliens (Alien #1), was played by Jim Krestalude, who'd also been an El Aurian in 'Generations.' I assume he was the thin-faced main guy. I wonder if this is the role Dominic Keating had been up for until Rick Berman decided to keep him for Malcolm Reed in 'Enterprise'? It's only that this guy's face reminded me of Keating, though it's entirely possible this was too far back, quite a while before the later series was even being thought of.

This episode holds the distinction of being one of only two (in the 'original' run, 1966-2005 - must remember to make that distinction since I'm always behind on modern Trek episodes!), to feature an exclamation mark, for whatever that's worth, sharing the honour with one of the greatest 'TOS' stories, 'Operation–Annihilate!' It fits the tone of the story, melodramatic, over the top, pretty silly, but it's all part of the charm. We can be thankful for things like Trek that it moved the genre on and did the kind of thing sci-fi does best, short stories within a well-developed, consistent world. It is sad that Trek of the now (with some slight exceptions - I've really come to enjoy 'LD' for the most part), has reverted to a more simplistic time, despite being cloaked in complication, because that shows how much I wouldn't enjoy this kind of thing as a regular source of entertainment. But as a tribute to the serials of yestercentury, I can throw back my head melodramatically, cackle maniacally, and say 'this is not the last you've heard from meeeee...!'

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