Homestead

DVD, Voyager S7 (Homestead)

Arguably, the most under-used and under-rated character, some saw Neelix as the Jar Jar Binks of the Star Trek universe: a kind of annoying excuse for comedy, but to those that understood him and his fears of not living up to the 'heroes' that he learned to call his friends, he was someone to identify with. His struggle with identity, if such a thread running through much of the series, can be described, gave him much greater depth than his surface personality of jovial good humour and try-anything attitude belied. He hadn't had Starfleet's rigorous training, but he had a good and stout heart which was brought to the fore thanks to his crewmates and friends on Voyager. He learned so much from Captain Janeway and from Tuvok, among others, yet he was also an essential part of the ship's unexpected transition into the Delta Quadrant, supplying local knowledge and advice which served Voyager well.

Once his knowledge ran out and he became as uncertain of the future as everyone else aboard he came into his own as someone to turn to if they were low and made the uncertainty more bearable. He experienced great sadness when his life's love, Kes, grew beyond him and there was often a loneliness about him from then on, staying up late into the night in the peaceful kitchen and mess that were his professional domain, but even at these times he was quick to put his own thoughts and problems aside for anyone that came in needing to talk.

He was an oddjob man, performing a multi-faceted role in which his considerable skills could be exercised, and which Starfleet would not have been able to quantify, and he made Voyager's journey far from home more pleasurable in any way he could. He understood what they were feeling because he felt the same - he was far from his own home and had little to his life but scavenging until he met Kes, but on Voyager he learned new skills, and though he was happy in many ways he had as much as turned his back on his own people, expecting never to see any of them again. He would always be one of a kind in the Alpha Quadrant, yet he had set himself with a will to do everything possible to help his crewmates in their quest to return to a home that was not his. Until this episode.

All Neelix' best qualities come to the fore - Tuvok shows confidence in him which helps to conquer his self-doubt; he was always a man of action, but his time on the ship has helped him to channel that in productive ways and he was exactly the person this group of Talaxians needed. At the same time Neelix fills an important gap in a family and everything comes right for him. It is terrifically sad when Neelix decides to stay with the asteroid colony, but it was a meaningful decision - no pointless Tasha Yar death or driven-by-need Kes exit, here. Instead a true swansong in which Neelix really is the only help, his ship once again useful, his bravery and selflessness endearing, but also a sense that he has carried out the course of a life on Voyager, contributed much, taken away stronger ethics and belief, his confidence solidified, and is at a mature point of leadership. He came a long way from the selfish, sly imp of the early episodes and his friends know it.

In production terms the reasons for losing Neelix were partly for story in that he didn't belong in the Alpha Quadrant, but also because of the pain Ethan Phillips was experiencing after long-term use of the prosthetics. I don't know whether it's makeup or not, but there was a raw redness that was showing through his skin in recent episodes. The saddest thing is that he never knew if Voyager made it home or not, but his happiness at finding members of his own kind and that important role finding him was perfect for the character.

The writers were good enough to give us the kind of scenes Neelix has been good for, for one last time: his friendly discussion with Tuvok, his late night at the cooking stove of the mess and subsequent talk with the wise Janeway who has understood his dilemma and makes it easy for him to do what he's come to realise he wants. Another chance to see his little ship in action, himself on an Away mission, his realisation that Naomi doesn't need him in the same way that she used to (the only minor omission was Ensign Wildman not being there to wish him well), and especially the warmth of his party host in the teaser, cheering the crew up with First Contact day, and having fun.

Neelix, though his role was less defined, performed admirably, but also made mistakes and showed himself to be more human than most. His presence is missed, and was the foreshadowing of the grief of parting that we as viewers were about to experience as the series wound up. If only each of the characters had received such a send-off as the little Talaxian man who could.

****

Sins of The Father

DVD, TNG S3 (Sins of The Father)

There had been tentative steps towards defining Klingon culture in the series, but none had laid out the Klingon politics and none had presented the viewer with an actual trip to the centre of Klingon society, as this did. In many ways it was a momentous decision to depict such things, as they had been wondered about for years. The episode begins as a sequel to Season Two's 'A Matter of Honor', with a Klingon arriving to take Riker's spot as first officer of the Enterprise, prompting some fun scenes as this stranger experiences human life, and especially food. Guess who's coming to dinner indeed! Burnt, replicated bird meat is as good a description as any for roast chicken, but something tells me Kurn was having a bit of a joke with his hosts, as I'm sure some Klingon food is cooked. The episode swerves radically from this first style when all of a sudden the plot twist hits and it's full steam ahead for Qro'nos, discarding Wesley's wimpy whining and becoming a man's tale!

Charles Cooper as K'mpec is possibly the most convincing Klingon so far, and lent huge gravitas to his part, helped by his natural girth. He'd already been a big Klingon in 'Star Trek V', with that distinctive gravelly voice. The traitor, Duras (as he's always officially known) is the equal and opposite, completely unimpressive as the plotting and scheming deviant whose house retains a lot of power on the High Council, and seeming to be a mere paper Klingon that if Worf chose to could be wiped out. He survives, ready to spread discord in the future in what would become a recurring arc through the series, of Worf's dishonour and wish to become less of an outcast.

That's more than can be said of Duras' hench-assassins, who are dispatched feebly by a weak human and an old woman! Credit must go to Picard for his brave and capable handling of the attack, and brings to mind his early brush with death against the Nausicaans as revealed in last season's 'Samaritan Snare'. I don't know, he goes around with those Klingons and discards all those warnings from Riker about beaming down to planets alone and takes on a dangerous journey he knows could turn nasty. If Riker ever heard tell of the escapade he'd be in the brig!

Kurn is the biggest draw in some ways because we learn more of Worf's personal history, and I never realised that Worf didn't know he had a brother. It always seems that Kurn is shipped off at at the end of his appearances for his own good or whatever, but at least he gets to retain some honour this time. Tony Todd is a great guest star, but he doesn't display quite the heavyweight strength of his later appearances as Kurn, or especially his greatest contribution to Trek as the older Jake Sisko in 'The Visitor'. But his role isn't the focus it at first appears, and this is really Worf's story. It's most affecting when he selects Picard as his back-up after Kurn has a run-in with Duras' troublemakers, and the Captain makes a strong advocate and someone you really would want on your side as much as Captain Kirk would have been for Spock. There are stronger parallels to be drawn with Worf and Spock, as both are outcasts to their people and both seek solace and refuge in the environment Starfleet provides.

The Council Chamber is as big and chunky as you'd hope for from a Klingon hall, the uniforms are bulky and imposing and the whole scenario has a Shakespearean grandeur to it, even in the sparse surroundings. You can't beat a good Klingon opera, and this was the very first one that could truly have that epithet applied.

***

The Offspring

DVD, TNG S3 (The Offspring)

Jonathan Frakes' first directorial attempt isn't bad, but I never believed in Data's ability to create a more human android than himself, one with the faculties to feel and grow and question incessantly. The early parts are funny as Lal struggles to grip basic tasks such as catching a ball, and sad when she learns she is different to the other children. Because of Data's personality the episode is overly analytical and cold until the sentimental ending, and I think this remoteness harms it for much of the episode, only becoming essential to the story at the end when Data cannot feel the loss of Lal as the crew do. The ending nevertheless works, and though we're being manipulated, and it was the obvious route to take, it ironically injects some feeling into an episode otherwise devoid. I can see a sequel in that positronic brain of his where he gets a split personality as Lal decides to find a way out, but that might have taken things too far!

The science lab that would later be so important to 'The Best of Both Worlds' makes its debut here, and there is a noteworthy appearance of the first Andorian female ever seen, and indeed, the first of the race since 'Star Trek IV' I believe, although it was only a holographic representation. It seemed unlikely that Lal, having narrowed down its choices of gender/appearance to four would have such varying options remaining. I expected four females with slight differences in a similar style. The Daystrom Institute scores another mention, though this time it isn't the Institute itself, rather an outpost which indicates the organisation is broader than one location as may have previously been suspected.

I wondered for a while if it might not have been more fun to stick with the scrunched up face of the first version of Lal for the episode instead of jumping to an all but human look, or at least the same gold-hued skin of Data. It was a visual reminder that his daughter was a step forward, as Admiral Haftel was happy to accept. Those in authority invariably come across as overbearing and meddlesome, and the Admiral in this possessed all those questionable qualities and more, only redeeming himself by his unhappiness at Lal's demise (and not, it seemed from the loss of a chance to study her), after he had tried to help save her. It seems to be a standard trait that officials in Starfleet refuse to accept the advice and wisdom of those under their command, and cause trouble by riding roughshod over all protest. Did 'The Measure of A Man' count for nothing? We could speculate that it's something that happens to all people when they become grumpy old men, but the females are just as bad (if not worse). Maybe even Picard will go that way if he ever makes it to the Admiralcy!

**

Yesterday's Enterprise

DVD, TNG S3 (Yesterday's Enterprise)

There may be the introduction of the Enterprise-C, and it may feature a war-ravaged Enterprise-D crew in an alternate timeline in which the Klingons are the enemy, but we all know what this is really about. Denise Crosby didn't get a worthy death in Season 1, so they decided to right that by bringing her back and giving her the kind of send-off she deserved in the first place. And top marks for doing so! But I don't agree with popular opinion that this is an absolute classic and would even say in retrospect that it barely scrapes into that category at all. When you know what's going on and you watch it now it is far less impressive than when it was introduced. Usually the best Trek's are the ones that retain their power even on repeated viewings and while I still enjoy it, it isn't without problems or questions.

Why didn't Picard immediately recognise the 'C' or know who her captain would be? It seems like a sensible thing to know all about your predecessors when you take command of a ship as prestigious as the Enterprise. It can be argued that this is an alternate reality so Picard took command during a period of war and so didn't have the time or inclination to learn about such things. It's quite strange to think that there was a period of time in the real universe when there was no Enterprise out there. The 'C' went missing and the 'D' didn't appear until almost twenty years later, I think because it took so long to create and the designers wouldn't have been expecting to work on the next generation of ships when the 'C' was lost unexpectedly.

Another query would be about the status of Klingon/Federation relations. This was made before 'Star Trek VI' showed how peace came between the Federation and Klingon Empire and this episode suggests that that state was a relatively recent development. It's also been corroborated in some ways by other series' such as Curzon Dax being part of the peace talks according to 'DS9'. So what is the truth? Was there a rift between them at some time in the early 24th Century that was healed later or am I mixing up 'real' universe politics with the alternate timeline? These paradoxes, eh? Tsk.

Guinan's meeting of Tasha, and indeed, any scene with either of them in was gold, especially as she realises her fate was not to be on the 'D'. Maybe I saw a missed opportunity with the other characters - Data has shown great fondness for Yar, but only gets the one scene in the turbolift. The 'C' looks suitable as the previous design of ship and we get to see the old uniforms again, only this time there's evidence of the gap between them and Picard's lot, such as the old style badge on their uniform which acts as a combadge of the modern era. Archer IV is mentioned which is now assumed to be named for Captain Archer of 'Enterprise'.

What drags the episode down a few pegs now is that it's very talky without saying too much to excite beyond the Captain's rousing speech, and the battle scenes are woefully slow and lethargic after the incredible space battles of 'DS9'. That's the peril of reviewing old series' and the essence of the story still pushes and pulls us, mainly thanks to Tasha Yar's presence, and they do make the most of her. But just as important is Guinan's introducing of Worf to prune juice. After this they became inseparable (I mean Worf and prune juice, not Worf and Guinan).

The episode did pave the way for thinking differently about the Star Trek universe and so it deserves recognition for being fairly revolutionary, but maybe doesn't hold up quite as well as some others that are still rightly regarded as classics.

***

Natural Law

DVD, Voyager S7 (Natural Law)

I can't recall the last time Chakotay and Seven were on a mission together, so the main attraction of this story is this novelty pairing, though there's little else to recommend it as it's a fairly standard, uneventful time-filler for the most part. The natives are okay, the settings are a nice mixture of studio greens and location shoot (I'm guessing), but the Chakotay/Seven thing was wasted as a lot of the episode the two are apart and not working together or learning about each other. Also there's no follow-on from Seven's holographic romance with the Commander from 'Human Error' which seems like an oversight. The moral side of the story regarding a pre-warp civilization is important, but really this is only good-looking episode with the two officers in a bright, sunny, lush and natural setting, the weight of the issue not coming through sufficiently - it all looks very nice, but that's about the best that can be said.

There are some very good effects, but the space shots are so rare and offer only brief glimpses, that the Delta Flyer's weaving through space or the short skirmish with Voyager at the end is hardly enough. For a series that only had a limited few episodes before the end you'd expect more from the writers to make the most of every opportunity, and shows that it was perhaps the right time to be concluding the series. It doesn't really do anything new and the sub-plot of Tom being tested as a pilot after a minor local infraction never went anywhere except as an amusing aside.

Chell, the Bolian crewmember has been mentioned more this season than the rest of the series, with another reference here (but no appearance), but there are few things of note like that in this episode. How did Chakotay get the gash in his leg when beaming off the shuttle? They beam comfortably onto the planet, yet he has a neat slice out of his trouser-leg. The most unsatisfactory part of the episode however, is the final scene in which Seven wonders if the Ledosians will duplicate Voyager's technology and turn off the barrier again, disrupting the simple Ventu way of life. There's a bit of a mixed message there because Chakotay just fobs her off with 'at least we're back on Voyager'! That's not very heroic, is it? Surely as representatives of Starfleet they should have considered spending the rest of their days with the Ventu rather than giving the Ledosians the chance of getting through the shield. That would have been a worthy sacrifice, and Janeway would still have found a way to get them out.

**

A Matter of Perspective

DVD, TNG S3 (A Matter of Perspective)

'A Matter of Perspective' is a matter of taste. If you love that detective slant to a Trek story in the manner of the original's 'Court Martial' or the 'Voyager' episode 'Ex Post Facto', then you might enjoy this, but then again it's been done many times and therein lies its flaw. The story isn't bad, and has some reasonable visual effects, but neither is it a riveting watch and those same effects can sometimes look a bit poor - when Riker walks round his frozen holo-self it doesn't look quite right. We know that Riker will be found not guilty by the end, the enjoyment comes from seeing how Picard gets him off - rather like a Cardassian novel we get the same story over and over again and it isn't important what the outcome is, but how it's arrived at. Also like a Cardassian novel it's a bit boring.

Yes, seeing different points of view replayed is a good plot device, but the characters are so dull and about the only time something happens to pique the interest is in Riker getting beaten up by the little old man! Why Starfleet is willing for Dr. Apgar to have an entire starbase to himself is another matter, and if it was supposed to be the alien's own construction it should have been explained why it appeared so similar to the large starbases we're used to seeing in the films. There were three episodes that began with 'A Matter of' and both of the others were better than this.

**

Deja Q

DVD, TNG S3 (Deja Q)

Q is at his best when he's in control and causing trouble, and while I can see that this episode in which he loses his powers and has to cope without them, was inevitable, it doesn't work as well as it could have. The previous Q episode, 'Q Who' would have been very difficult to top, being the one in which he introduces the ship to the Borg. Instead this follows on from an idea in that episode where Q asks to join the crew. This time it's because he's been kicked out of the continuum (another thing foreshadowed by the former episode in which we get the impression he doesn't get on that well with his fellow Q), by another Q, the first time we see another of his race. His whining and difficulty in understanding simple human experiences such as sleep or hunger are quite fun, as are his usual barbed comments to each of the crew, even as far as recognising Dr. Crusher's return to the ship.

The main part of the story, the moon's collision with a planet of rather boring aliens just doesn't have enough weight to it and the seriousness of a global catastrophe never fully comes across. Q just isn't the same when he's not pulling the strings, and like the 'DS9' Q story 'Q-Less' he's nothing to do with the main danger. It's ironic that the only non-living crewmember on the ship, Data, is assigned to Q who is learning what it's like to be human. Perhaps Data learns a little more of life by experiencing Q's term as a human vicariously. The real reason he was sent to look after him was because he was the only one that could stand Q's superiority, inability to see others as equals and bad temper. Also from the previous Q episode is the thread of Guinan's history with him and her lack of compassion on him, sticking him with a fork at the first opportunity!

The effects were certainly special in this one, from the Enterprise falling into the atmosphere to the other Q popping through the bulkhead of the shuttle and especially Q's parting shot of appearing to pop a cigar into Picard's outstretched hand as he gives the usual order to 'Engage'. I never believed in his selfless act or his sentiments towards Data after the android saves his life, but then again both moments could have the edge of Q meaning something less than pleasant - calling Data a better human than himself was a back-handed compliment, and from the look on Q's face I got the impression he'd planned the 'selfless' act to get back into the Q's good graces, so the character didn't really change. For all the enjoyment of seeing Q in pain or in trouble the episode doesn't totally deliver on the opportunity of 'Q as mortal' and is merely enjoyable rather than being a classic like 'Q Who'.

**