The Void (2)

 DVD, Voyager S7 (The Void) (2)

'Void by name, void by nature' is the impression I had of this episode from memory, and was expecting quite a weak story in consequence, but it's actually one of the purest Treks of the series since it boils down to whether they take the easy, advantageous, and 'realistic' route of behaving as the other ships in this empty region are doing, and pillage anyone weaker to survive. When it comes to survival that's when we're at our weakest in terms of holding to beliefs and ideals: an empty stomach, the quick, but immoral way of filling it, it's a huge temptation, and one Janeway's crew are open to considering. But that doesn't factor in the Captain, the strong-willed, idealistic woman who first stranded them in the Delta Quadrant - she was never going to go back on that attitude for a little comfort and hope. Indeed, she finds hope within the very ideals she strives to uphold, making this a strongly inspirational story. Janeway is not without doubts, we see her expressing the expectations of doubt she expects will come from others, and if Chakotay had forcefully opposed her views and Tuvok had continued putting the boot in about logic dictating a change of strategy (once again showing how ruthless Vulcans can be, and why, despite all their superior skills and abilities, they need the Federation's guidance as much as any race), she might have been persuaded. But that isn't her crew, either, they support her, even if they offer a counter view, no one directly opposes her lead because they're good Starfleet officers, but also they know she's got them through so many trials that they have great faith in her.

Far from being a void, the episode is rich in optimistic pickings, whether it be that continual desire to do right and not prey on the weak, or whether it's the scientific curiosity to investigate something, or in this case, some-one, who may have only tangential relevance for their dire situation. I was touched, for example, by Seven's unthinking decision to give away a portion of her Replicator rations to the mute alien beamed aboard by mistake - all she knows is that he requires food and so she shares what she has with him, a fine Christian attitude that should be an example to all of us! As Janeway later says to illustrate the situation they're in, it wasn't 'efficient' to give away food that could be better used on a valued member of the crew than an unknown stranger, yet she did it anyway: she saw a need and responded. Similarly, Janeway chooses to emphasise their differences to those living a scavenging, predatory life in the void, building an alliance, putting the precious resources they have on the line to accomplish trust and cooperation together, which is key to both their survival and eventual escape entirely. It shows the values and ideals of the Federation in practical use - of course this is a series about just that, so you'd expect them to succeed rather than it be a bleak examination of how they failed, but I kept thinking about how modern Trek would likely take a different tack and wouldn't allow the idealistic nature of things to be the solution, instead more probable to see them compromise and only succeed with great loss, having to sacrifice ideals to save themselves, which would be just as dramatic, but not good Trek.

It does somewhat make you wonder why Janeway hadn't used the alliance tactic in the series as a whole, other than the obvious reality that it would both change the look of the series to have them part of a flotilla of allies, lessen the sense of isolation and danger to them, and most importantly, from a production standpoint, cost a lot more to show multiple ships every time Voyager was seen externally, not to mention the addition of new sets and regular or recurring characters... You can see why such an idea would be avoided, but it would also have made a lot more sense (even if it might have ended up being more like 'Battlestar Galactica' than Trek!), and could have created ever more drama - as we see with this one foray into the idea of an alliance, it's not enough to have the same goal of protection and eventual escape, different personalities and attitudes come into play - Bosaal is picked out as a particularly objectionable sort for his dismissive and superior attitude towards Fantome's people, not recognising them as a sentient group of beings, but mere vermin. But then he's happy to exterminate even those he knows to be sentient as we hear from the provenance of the essential bit of kit he's contributed to the escape plan and Janeway is forced to send him packing with it, using it would be the same as being accomplice to his killings, as hard a position it was to turn down that technology. I didn't quite understand how they got round it in the end, but they came up with some sort of alternative.

It appeared to be hand-waved over with a montage of scenes of things coming together since we don't really understand how Fantome's gang helped them other than to sabotage their enemies, so it was a little pat in the end. There's also some questionable issues to do with beaming and shields in parts of the episode - how did the attackers beam Voyager's supplies away at the start since the ship still had shields? And later, Tuvok says the enemy vessels' shields had been 'penetrated' and Fantome's gang were able to be beamed aboard, but what does penetrated mean! Usually in Trek you cannot under any circumstances beam through a shield (if you could, it would always be short work to drop a Photon Torpedo directly into an enemy Engine Room and detonate it!), although Trek did fudge it a bit over the years, and we know shields can be modulated which suggests it's possible to beam through the 'gaps,' though it's all rather hazy and contradictory. It didn't take away from the excitement of the story, and in all other respects it came up trumps, from the atmospheric visuals of both the ships travelling in complete, starless blackness on the outside, to the dimmed lighting and almost pitch darkness inside (I've never noticed the wrist beacons they use as torches having lights on the back before, so I wonder if that was a new addition?), to the great alien designs - Fantome himself looked somewhat slimy and not something you'd want to touch, General Valen was very reminiscent of a Cardassian, though with silvery skin, and Bosaal with his bisecting cranial ridge down to the chin, while a design I think they'd done before, was nonetheless very effective, especially seen in profile. Plus the return of the Hierarchy potato heads!

The Doctor taking time to develop a language of music with Fantome was also a standout part of the episode, even if the musical notes didn't have the complexity to convey the level of conversations they were supposedly having (though I'm sure the episode's composer, Jay Chattaway, enjoyed the challenge and uniqueness of the 'language' instead of just cranking out the usual background music!). Above all it was a nice showcase for the cast as a whole, very much an ensemble episode since it was a situation that affected them all and there wasn't anywhere to hide (although even here Harry Kim managed to be quite hidden most of the time as he never had anything integral to do). They continue to get the characters right: Janeway with her unassailable confidence, yet not arrogant and occasionally self-searching; the Doctor with his kindness and interest in Fantome (amusing when it's pointed out he hasn't chosen a name in six years, but gives one to Fantome in days!); Seven, similarly (I'm surprised they never brought out an action figure of Gourmet Chef Seven with the apron!); Tom and B'Elanna both with disappointment on their faces at the setbacks and disappointments, yet neither pipes up and expresses frustration with Janeway's methods; Tuvok and his reminder of Vulcan logic; Chakotay, supportive as always, yet still able to bring an alternative view as is his job as First Officer... It was a good mix, and while the dark was best used as temporary atmosphere, I wouldn't want everywhere like that all the time, the visuals sold the futility and how close they were to despair.

The issue of dying for what you believe came up, questioning his Captain, and she says yes, but she's not ready to give up just yet, but it was a good reminder of Starfleet duty and that you've given over your life to the organisation, and that could mean the ultimate sacrifice if it came to it (like Spock or Data). That Janeway considers the Federation Charter a statement of principals rather than practicalities suggests she doesn't have as much belief in it as good guidance for life, but she proves that it is just that since following it led them to alliances and eventual solving of the problem, which shows that perhaps it is practical after all. The idea of everyone in the group despite their disparate views and beliefs, having to work together, was a good message, because it's not about everyone agreeing to believe the same things and have the same attitudes - Bosaal can see Fantome's people as nothing more than vermin if he wants to, that isn't what gets him booted out, but actual violence is the step that goes too far for Janeway. In other words they don't have to agree, and that's maybe the issue nowadays where we're going down a route where everyone must think the same rather than their actions cooperating in general being enough, but then if there are opposing ideologies it's a question of how far to push the rules in whatever direction to accommodate difference of opinion. Anyway, an interesting jumping off point and the nuance of which I again thought would be missing if this were modern Trek.

Some might point to the lack of actual sacrifice in the episode, nobody from Voyager dies, things work as they should, discipline is upheld, and they want more nastiness, a more 'realistic' view and result (although I would point out that our people don't seem particularly uncomfortable with the Hierarchy representatives coming up with a way to spy on any ship at any time - apparently that isn't outside of their ideals!), but on the contrary I felt this was exactly the kind of thing I like seeing in Trek - yes, it's not realistic that everything goes well for them (and in fact, as we saw with the various issues with Valen or Bosaal, they had their trip-ups along the way), but that's why we like Trek, not for hard-edged realism or brooding cynicism that reinforces how glum the outlook of the world is and reflects 'our' experiences, but something that shines out in the darkness, like little Voyager in the void, and reassures and pleases with its show of successful optimism and goodness winning out. It's what Trek's all about. The image of there being no stars would be done again ('Enterprise' had an episode like that), and had been seen on the series before ('Night' - I wish there'd been some reference to that experience and the contrast in Janeway's behaviour here), but it's always a strong visual, shocking compared to what we're used to in Trek - I loved the sense of despair presented with the depiction of Voyager first trying to escape by travelling 'vertically' up the tunnel until it runs out of steam and drops heartbreakingly back down into the dark pool of the void, selling the situation perfectly. The same with sticking to the principals where you're almost thinking maybe Janeway should just allow them to use Bosaal's technology in order to get out, and then part ways feeling bad about it, and at least they escaped, but that just shows how strong the temptation was. Same with her refusal to steal from the enemy when she has a chance and nobly only takes back her own.

We hear that one of the crews Voyager allied with possessed technology that tripled their Replicator efficiency, and when you consider our ship was top of the line only a short time ago when it launched and must therefore have the best Starfleet could provide, cutting edge tech with the Gel Packs, etc, this must be an amazing race of people to be able to out-efficiency the Federation, maybe a more permanent alliance is in order! At least they should mention how well the Replicators are doing in subsequent episodes as we assume they have the knowledge to keep it going now. I liked the design of Fantome's race but for one thing: their chubby fingers didn't look capable of tapping in anything on the little PADDs they were using to communicate musically! But they were well acted, obviously this would have been Jonathan Del Arco's final role in Trek since he never showed up in 'Enterprise' - best known for the ex-Borg, Hugh, in a couple of 'TNG' episodes, he'd return a couple of decades later for 'Picard' Season 1, only to be nastily killed off. Oh well, at least he could come back as Fantome to this day, but it wouldn't have been any good for the 'Voyager' almost-spinoff, 'Prodigy,' since his character doesn't speak! Del Arco wasn't the only actor to return for a role in the next era of Trek as Scott Lawrence (Garon, the first to join the alliance), was in 'Into Darkness' aboard the USS Vengeance, not much of a credit, but it's something, I suppose. And I got the 'Babylon 5' reference with Valen, having watched the entire series (and everything else in that franchise), since last seeing this episode, but forgot the actor who played him, Robin Sachs, was also in that series. This episode wasn't a classic, but it was far from being null and void.

***

Prophecy (2)

 DVD, Voyager S7 (Prophecy) (2)

Theeeeeeere's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow, there's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, cap'n... This is a chance to see what the series might have been like had it been set in the Alpha Quadrant, and there is something appealing about a herd of the warrior race descending on our little ship, especially as at this point in Trek's production there weren't many more of those traditional stories about familiar races due to 'DS9' ending and 'Enterprise' being barely a twinkle in its Daddies' eyes, so for all we knew this could be the only proper Klingon tale we'd ever see, and that gave it added weight and increased its delight. And it is all very Klingon, right from the assured mind of longtime Trek boffin and details enthusiast Larry Nemecek (among others), whose mark you can clearly see in both how well Trek lore is adhered to, and how minor issues were dealt with, leading to a satisfying conclusion that comes down on neither one side or the other in a debate about the efficacy of prophecy. Being a very secular series it of course throws up a lot of scepticism about the realities of faith, belief and tradition, showing up such things, at least in the specific context of this sect, but which can easily be interpreted as an examination of the dangers of such beliefs to upend a society, yet at the same time allow plenty of room for interpretation from a perspective of believers in faith in their own lives, a subtle and balanced approach that means it can be taken various ways.

As we see with the main Klingon sceptic, T'Greth (most of Grethor in his name, meaning Klingon Hell, maybe not a coincidence?), who constantly challenges his leader's assertions about B'Elanna Torres' unborn daughter being the long-sought saviour of their people, the Kuvah'magh. Interestingly, T'Greth was played by Sherman Howard, notable as Captain Endar in 'TNG' ('Suddenly Human'), and another role in 'DS9' ('Shakaar'), while his fellow plotter, Morak (Paul Eckstein), who numbered Jem'Hadar and Hirogen among his roles on both 'DS9' and this, marked his fourth role on 'Voyager.' As the story progresses we find Captain Kohlar is actually leading his people astray, having tired of their generational journey and wishing to put down roots and end the endless search begun so long ago - he's jumped at the unlikely opportunity presented to him in the form of B'Elanna (as she and Tom discussed, the odds of them stumbling on the only ship in the Quadrant with a Klingon aboard were as likely as the odds of the pair of them getting married and having a child in the first place, which appears to me that such odds are an almost impossibility, they were so great, lending credence to the prophecy in the first place), and as Klingons do, burns his bridges at first chance - in this case literally burning his Bridge (and the rest of his ship), by initiating self-destruct, causing Voyager to have no choice but to take them all aboard.

At this point we have to talk about the beauty of the old D7 ships, the class seen in 'TOS,' since this episode is an example in how to update something without losing its essence - it's not ten times bigger than it should be, it actually looks fairly small compared to the broad length of such battlecruisers we'd seen in previous iterations of 24th Century Trek, but it has a little more texture to it. We don't get a really good look at it, partly because it cloaks a lot during its battle with Voyager, and it doesn't last very long, but it just looks right and was a wonderful idea to bring it in, showing the right thinking behind the episode in contrast to that seen in modern Trek where it's all about making things BIGGER and flashier and... less true to the history. At the same time you could complain that the scene where all two hundred Klingons are beamed aboard Voyager was pushing it a little in what Federation tech is capable of. I'm not sure if we'd been in a situation where this ship in particular had needed to beam that many at one time and it did seem a little too convenient, but true to form, the episode comes back around to this unspoken concern many a true 'faithful' may well have had floating around in their heads while watching, and not only clears it up, but makes a virtue of it by turning it into part of the plot! A Klingon looking to take over Voyager craftily comments on how much superior its Transporters are compared to his old vessel allowing Kim to explain they don't usually beam so many due to safety concerns, so bravo for deftness of writing.

I'm not sure it was wise to beam all these Klingons into the Shuttlebay, it could have been dangerous: they might steal the Shuttles to exit the ship, or even blast their way through the doors, and while unlikely, it was a major security concern. I don't think we saw any actual vehicles in that space, so it could be they were beamed to a Cargo Bay or possibly even out into space to accompany the mothership (though we never see any in shots of Voyager, so that's not very plausible). Speaking of security concerns, though, you'd think Tuvok would keep the door to his Quarters locked, especially at a time when unknown Klingons are aboard in large numbers, yet Neelix breezes in while the Vulcan's relaxing in either a robe or his pyjamas with not even a door chime to warn him of the Talaxian's intent, but then I suppose that was the point - if Neelix had been at the door it would have been easier for Tuvok to deny him entry rather than him settling down and emptying his stuff on the floor as he did. I would say this somewhat B-plot was the missing piece of the episode, as having Tuvok and Neelix share Quarters sounds like a great episode idea on its own (I can imagine it happening somehow in ordinary day-to-day operations if there was some kind of radiation leak and no other alternative than for him to come and stay for a few days), harking back to the early days in much the same way as Odo and Quark on 'DS9,' both pairings which weren't explored as much as you might think from the success of their scenes together.

The real B-story is another entry in Harry Kim's difficult path with the opposite sex, this time a statuesque Klingon warrior woman taking a liking to him so that he's reduced to crawling through the Jefferies Tubes to avoid her until Neelix happily takes her off his hands. A questionable side to the story, but then Klingons, especially the female ones, have often been shown to be aggressive in their pursuits, so it's hardly out of character. Klingons aren't supposed to be something we look up to (other than literally), they represent the violence of humanity, but here they also represent the deception of false religion when Kohlar prefers to mislead his people, interpret the ancient scrolls to achieve his end, and all because he wants them to settle on a planet instead of continuing to wander. It doesn't do much for B'Elanna's faith in her Klingon heritage, even though it appears to provide a nostalgic aside when he gets her to join him in praying to Kahless for their ancestors. Some interesting points raised here, since Kohlar wouldn't know that Kahless 'returned' to his people, although I think it was known that he was a clone of the original, or was it, it's been a while since I watched 'Rightful Heir'? Either way, this sect's been out of contact with their culture (might have been fun to have them all be flat-forehead 'TOS' versions of the race to further tie to the 23rd Century from which they came, but I suppose the genetic virus was already active and would have mutated them along with most of the Empire wherever they went), so wouldn't know anything about that, unless they took time to read up on recent Klingon history in Starfleet databases - possible, but not very likely.

The other notion I took from the scene was that Sto-Vo-Kor isn't up to much if the dead can't rest there unless the living honour their memory! You live an honourable life, you die an honourable death and head off to honourable Klingon Heaven, and yet there's still no peace unless someone back home cares enough to pray for you? Tough system! Unless this is yet another interpretation designed to reinforce traditions and faith rather being something of substance - Kohlar's behaviour calls into question Klingon ethics where it concerns their beliefs, and although he's only one man, he's also the leader of this sect that has been travelling for four generations, apparently. There was a slight issue with the timing of it all, since Kohlar claims more than a hundred years ago his Great-Grandfather was part of this sect, but since the race live for two hundred-plus years this guy could still have been around and I'm not sure it adds up that there would be so relatively few after all that time when they can live so long. At the same time they provide an out for this, besides the Klingon predilection for battling anyone that stands in their way: this disease that afflicts them and can come at any time, or so I read it, though it's also referred to like old age. It was a touch convenient that T'Greth would fall victim to it right in the middle of the Bat'leth fight with Paris, and it almost seems like they should either have gone for a battle to the death, or have Tom somehow beat him fair and square, though it's a bit much to believe a human who can barely have picked up the weapon would be trained to proficiency in the little time he had before the fight.

It's possible he regularly trained with a Bat'leth in a Klingon holoprogram to impress B'Elanna, but then again Klingon stuff doesn't tend to impress her and Tom usually prefers more old-fashioned programs. Odd we don't see any kind of training montage with Kohlar coaching him, but I assume time constraints put paid to that. My first thought when T'Greth collapsed was another deception from the master, Kohlar, ensuring victory for the Father of the Kuvah'magh at all costs by poisoning his friend - I do like that they appear to be friends and at least Kohlar calls him that, but there's also so much animosity from T'Greth, while Kohlar barely bats an eyelid, not offended at all. Very Klingon. The episode succeeds in its opening of the eyes of T'Greth to become a full believer in what Kohlar was only using as a useful circumstance, since the Kuvah'magh did save them. I'm not sure if this Klingon prophecy was meant to be for it saving the whole race or just this specific sect, in which case it could be called a self-fulfilling prophecy since if they'd never set out to fulfil it, they'd never have met the Kuvah'magh (unless it was when she's finally born and back in home space, but then certain things couldn't have fallen into place in that scenario). Kohlar came across as a bit of a bad leader in the sense that this group has been on this mission for so long and yet now he wants to sabotage it, even though it's for good reasons and the care of his people that motivates him. There's a good sense of the mysterious nature of prophecy finding a way to come true despite scepticism, but at the same time Kohlar's one of those negative stereotypes of a manipulator - interpret the scrolls to make them consistent with B'Elanna's life, his answer!

There's probably a word for an ordinary character who becomes the significant figure of their race, it's a bit of a trope of sci-fi and fantasy, especially in Trek where we have Sisko the key man in Bajoran religion, Worf (and Picard), integral to Klingon politics, Odo the bridge to his entire people, etc, and now Torres is to be Mother to a Messiah figure (again, unclear whether meant for this one sect or for all Klingons since it doesn't seem like they particularly need a change, being at peace with the Federation, for example). And of course modern Trek is full of 'superheroes' that are super-special - at least it wasn't Torres herself, but her child, and something that could have been picked up on in future had they ever wanted to play with Klingon politics and religion again. As is often the case with Trek, faith is often shown as being blind: what evidence did their ancestors have when beginning their journey, only their faith! But faith in what, why should they give up everything to follow some scrolls without any other kind of proof or motivation? I suppose Klingons are quite stubborn and once they get an idea in their heads they simply follow it to its conclusion, or death, so it's not going against type for them to act this way. In fact the only real fault I can find in the episode is Harry Kim claiming he cut himself shaving, since however they shave, I can't imagine it would be with a naked blade (they are not Klingons!), it would be some super-safe and super-effective technology doing the trimming. But even there, he was just making up stories to hide the fact he'd been bitten by Ch'Rega, so no real problems there other than if the Doc had been taken in, which he wasn't. Qapla'! pItlh!

***

Repentance (2)

 DVD, Voyager S7 (Repentance) (2)

If anyone ever says 'Voyager' couldn't do complex stories or deal with morality this is a great example to hold up in response. Watching it, you experience the conflict of struggling to believe the change of heart (or more specifically, mind), that has overtaken the convicted murderer, Iko, while simultaneously wanting it to be true. And yet also feeling the need for justice and punishment. It could make Trek look rather soft and naive if his was the only story of the episode, that this horrible criminal, intent only on unloosing pain on a hostile universe, should be so easily 'cured,' if behaviour can be seen as something to be cured, and then go on to live a productive life that we'd never know about because the ship is always moving on. If Seven had had her way perhaps Iko could have become a recurring character and shown rehabilitation in action, week to week, but this wasn't really the series for that, and it doesn't end all pat and a nicey-nice showing that remorse and resolve to live right works, happy ending and all (even though life goes on, so it wouldn't have been an ending). But we don't have that reward, Iko has changed, we can be sure through both the medical evidence and with his reaction to a chance to exact revenge on the hardbitten gaoler who is so frosty through experience with these violent men that he won't even admit the chance of a change. It's a harsh lesson, one that Iko won't be able to benefit either himself or his society from, since where he comes from they give all power of sentencing to the victims.

Victimhood was the key point that I took away from this, because it is unpleasant to think that anyone could get away with the full stop on a life of these heinous crimes, no way back, and you don't want to identify and sympathise - there's a good chance the sly, evil man is playing with you, manipulating any way he can. I felt this was a good episode for today's times because for one it's against capital punishment and reminds us of the Federation position, while also spelling out the arguments for such justice when Seven argues with the Doctor who is entirely uneasy about transporting these murderers to execution, perhaps the biggest reason being the chance for redemption. But a society controlled by victims is a society without objective reasoning and without mercy, and it's frightening that we seem to be heading toward that dystopia where every little emotional distress caused someone can be viewed as a crime, whether it was the victim's sensitivity or way of life that caused them to be more susceptible to such distress, or not - the idea of offence being an offence in law. It also means to be a victim is to be in a position of power, a source of recompense for perceived wrongs, rather than strict, objective justice, and shows the result when Iko has no second chance despite all the evidence stating that he should, even if it was to live to make recompense to the victims of his crimes.

But the episode isn't one-sided, it shows the leering face of those who would escape true justice by throwing up excuses, by manipulation of those who would try to help them as Neelix is taken in by Joleg, the self-styled victim of racial profiling - his people are given stiffer sentences, are viewed more suspiciously, are the real victims of society, and while Neelix sees that much of this appears to be true, we're still dealing with a crafty individual who will use whatever means he can to avoid his guilt and sentence. In contrast to Iko, Joleg is charming, polite, good company, but is shown to be just as ruthless when his brother arrives in a tough little ship to break him out, and almost succeeds. While it was necessary for the story and was an exciting part of the episode, none of that made much sense: Voyager is up against one tiny ship, yet somehow it causes enough damage that the forcefields in the Cargo Bay go down! How could that happen with the limited damage it was even able to do, let alone the necessity of such key systems needing to be the last to fail (what about emergency bulkheads sealed by forcefields?). It also makes Starfleet Security look useless that they're unable to prevent a rush of these criminals when they have the weapons (wide-angle stun setting?), and are so easily overpowered. The one other mistake in that sequence was the Phaser Joleg hands to Iko to finish off gaoler Yediq was surely on kill setting, but when Iko instead gives it to Yediq, he shoots the others and it seemed more like a stun (certainly we aren't told, but if Joleg had set it, then he'd have put it on the highest setting and completely vaporised his enemy).

I saw a lot of good Christian values in the willingness of Seven and Neelix to visit those in prison, to dole out civility and respect for them as people rather than merely holding strictly to duty, even if Neelix uses the excuse of protocols in how prisoners are treated - it was going above and beyond for him to play Kadis-kot with Joleg, or to agree to send off the transmission to his brother, and it's not like Neelix to be so easily played, but being aboard Voyager did emphasise the softer aspects of his nature to the extent it was like he'd found a loving family and had let go of the rough edges he'd needed for survival, so it does show that even too much safety and comfort can weaken the instincts, though I'm sure he'd rather it was that way than the alternative of being a drifter who doesn't trust anyone. Seven being willing to assist the Doctor in treating Iko was another great example of the being Janeway had helped to create through her tough love and support - even though Iko had threatened to kill her and held her hostage, or later, the Doctor asking for her help, she remains matter-of-fact and has no strong feelings either way. She doesn't wish to spend any more time in his presence than she needs to, but she's neither frightened nor horrified by him. Part of that must be due to the parallel Seven can't help but see between them, and this is another key element of the plot that raises it above basic action or drama.

She still feels the guilt of what she was made to do as a Borg and showing what mentorship can do for someone, she strives to give Iko the support she received from Janeway when his apparent conversion has become irrefutable. The truth of it is clear in the way he no longer gains pleasure from hurting others and simply wants to die for his sins until Seven helps to show him that there could be a future for him - another strong Christian lesson in the idea of one person being killed for their crimes, and yet Seven has found redemption, despite the unfairness of what she did in the past. Without intending it, the writers created a strong illustration of God's grace, shown in how Seven was treated, rehabilitated and now lives productively having learned how to live, even though she still struggles with feelings of guilt for her past, all very inspiring. It's still perhaps a little too easy to suggest major crime is the result of a 'neurological defect' rather than a choice someone makes, and that Iko was in no way responsible, but that's all part of the moral complexity of the story and would provide ample discussion, as the most interesting Treks do, something we don't really see any more as moral positions are increasingly confused in today's world.

The equivalence of what Neelix' game board might be worth to him as opposed to a detached judge, was another point of interest: to the judge it's merely a board, to Neelix it could be a priceless family heirloom, but you'd also think that such circumstances would be taken into consideration since there's a definite value judgement to be made, if proof could be given. I liked that Tom Paris, Voyager's resident ex-con, mentioned his time in the Federation penal colony and his experience of everyone convicted having a 'story' and not to take them too seriously, but perhaps he could have been more involved in the plot due to his background. Then again, maybe that would have been too obvious, Neelix and Seven's interactions with the prisoners were full of potential, but you could do the same story with each of the series' characters and come up with different approaches each time, the hallmark of a great collection of characters. There's even a new way of looking at the Doctor when he succinctly explains to Iko that he's made of light, which is why Tuvok's Phaser left him unhurt, to which Iko responds wistfully that he wishes he was made of light - a poetic idea that is more than the mere science of holograms can express since it says so much about Iko, not to mention the Doctor. There was one thing about that, though, as the Doc says Tuvok's friendly fire may have caused a feedback loop in his emitters, but surely the emitters are separate so the beam only went through his visible form (for that matter, we know he can lose solidity when he chooses, so it might have been easier to simply walk away from his captor!), if he meant THE emitter it'd have made more sense, but being in Sickbay he wasn't wearing it.

If there're nitpicks to be had, I'd also cite the idea of setting aside the Cargo Bay and building a whole new set of cells! I can understand the Brig might be too small, but can they really afford to expend all that Replicator energy on a temporary building project? It was necessary for the story, and you can tell story is king, and it certainly doesn't affect what is a powerful drama, but with only a few tweaks here and there they could have had a watertight episode that only adds another layer of satisfaction for viewers. I'm also unsure about the Prime Directive being cited since surely that doesn't apply when dealing with a warp-capable species, which these appeared to be, but then the PD tends to be there as a buffer whenever there's some issue to deal with.

Casting added much to the story with Tim De Zarn (whom I'd confused in my mind with Francis Guinan - Zar in 'Live Fast and Prosper'!), who goes all the way back to 'TNG' ('Starship Mine'), in his fourth and final Trek role (to date!), as Yediq, the gaoler who finds himself shocked at the realisation of Iko's genuine reform. Jeff Kober who was so strong as Iko would return in a less memorable role on 'Enterprise' ('Shadows of P'Jem'), Greg Poland (presumably the Security Officer that yells at Yediq to stop beating Iko), had played an Elloran in 'Insurrection,' and the familiar face of FJ Rio was in his fourth of five Trek roles, most notably as semi-recurring Muniz on 'DS9,' whom I best remember him as, but would have one more Trek role in 'Enterprise' (to date!), with very similar alien makeup, perhaps a reuse or modification? If 'Voyager' had had more successes with its morality plays like this one it may have gained a better reputation in those stakes like 'DS9' and 'TNG' (perhaps even 'TOS'), but it's not what I tend to think of the series for, especially as Janeway is so inconsistent across the years, and while at one time the action would have been enough, the way things were shot or the effects work eventually looks basic or of a time, but the power of story never fades. It's almost up there with 'Duet' on 'DS9' as an examination of crime and justice and is something Trek has done so well in the past. The only equivalent I can think of nowadays is the 'SNW' story 'Ad Astra Per Aspera,' a thoroughly boring and wrongheaded courtroom 'drama,' and it's clear Trek's current shape doesn't have much room for anything beyond the action and effects - I imagine in time that will show itself up, while a classic like this one will, and has, stood the test of time.

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