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.

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