DVD, Voyager S2 (Resistance)
For the most part this comes across as a standard planet-based story, with an Away Team captured or in hiding from the unfriendly local security force. The way it was shot, with close-ups and hardly any establishing shots of the locations, such as the prison or the market, makes the place seem claustrophobic and a bit small scale - would the head of security really be patrolling this small town market when there could be an entire planet of towns to hide in? So Janeway might have had difficulty getting out of the town, but it would have been good to see more of the place to give a larger perspective. The introspection does serve one particular character, who becomes the centre of our attention - Caylem, a little old man who has become slightly confused after his wife and daughter were both captured, and his gentle care of Janeway, thinking her his daughter is a sad, but warm thread running through the story, culminating in his unfortunate death in the prison break, though Janeway is able to set his mind at ease in the most touching way before he goes. I love the scene in her ready room at the end in which she holds the necklace he gave her, which belonged to his wife, showing without the need for words, how much the encounter meant to her, and how she will not forget his bravery. It's better to have a closing scene like that rather than just go off to the next stop.
Though Kes and the EMH don't feature at all, the other characters all get some good moments, whether it's Neelix being part of the shady goings-on to get the material they need, Chakotay in charge up on the ship with Kim as his right-hand man, or the unlikely pairing of Tuvok and Torres. She has to hold herself back a few times when provoked in the prison cell, and only Tuvok's calm reasoning stops her from launching a pointless assault that would probably get her killed. There's quite an uncomfortable moment as we see her in the cell when Tuvok's been taken for interrogation and she hears a loud cry - even a Vulcan can't withstand all levels of pain, as he later admits, though he never gives up the information the Mokra want. I wonder if Torres' Klingon blood would have been as effective?
The Mokra are standard black-clothed, booted, menacing villains, but their leader has a hint of humour, or is that cruel pleasure, in his eyes, his highly restrained demeanour and voice, belying his true power. I liked their biker outfits, with the large black helmets and fast-firing little guns. It was also good to see Neelix wearing his big coat from the pilot episode - it probably smells quite pungently, but in a comforting way, I like to think. B'Elanna appeared to be wearing her Maquis clothing from that episode, too, and Tuvok looks quite tough in his t-shirt, long before he got to dress so casually in 'Future's End'!
Joel Grey's performance as Caylem is the stand out attraction of the episode, as we learn to care about him over the course of our brief time spent with him, something which isn't always achieved with guest roles. Glenn Morshower who was the red-headed guard Janeway distracts had been in 'TNG' - he was Ensign Burke in 'Peak Performance', Orton in 'Starship Mine' and also the navigator of the Enterprise-B in 'Star Trek: Generations', so he certainly got around! Alan Scarfe, who played the leader of the enemy forces had also been in that series as Romulans Admiral Mendak in 'Data's Day' and Tokath, a Romulan in 'Birthright'.
***
Monday, 21 March 2011
Upgrades
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Upgrades)
Wish-fulfilment technology gives the SG-1 team wings (not literally), but proves too good to be true, as usual. Is Vanessa Angel famous? I'd never heard of her but she's credited as a special guest star, playing Enys of the Tok'ra. We don't get to see Carter senior, which is a shame, but there's plenty to entertain as it is, when Jack, Sam and Daniel all find they have superpowers thanks to the Tok'ra's salvaged technology from an extinct people. Of course, the reason they became extinct turns out to be the fact the armbands wear off after a time, and the team picked just that moment to go off and take out a new ship that Apophis is having built. Fortunately Teal'c, who couldn't use the devices due to his symbiont (the reason the Tok'ra wanted humans, as they don't have symbionts), comes to the rescue.
There are elements of 'The Matrix' (when O'Neill takes on Teal'c at boxing and moves at superspeed), 'The Champions' (an old TV series from the 60s in which two men and a woman discover they've developed super-abilities and go off to complete missions using them), and even 'Spiderman' ('with great power comes great responsibility') and 'Smallville' (the effects of them dashing around are similar, as is the superior strength, sadly no x-ray vision though!), even 'Star Trek' (they seem to use Vulcan nerve pinches on members of the base to knock them out), so there's a great mix of opportunities to demonstrate their power, from reading an entire book in a few seconds, to writing one in a few minutes or typing so fast a computer can't keep up. Unfortunately they're kept walled up at the base until they break out and get into a barfight, sadly not seen - we just get the comedy sound effects and a view of the bar's entrance.
As ever there's plenty of humour with the four main characters trading plenty of banter in their restrained, ironic way, and though the story of people finding new technology, testing it out and getting hooked until it malfunctions is another tried and tested sci-fi plot, fun is the over-riding feature here, Jack especially getting to enjoy himself. The effects are pretty good, apart from the CGI view of the ship under construction, which doesn't look real enough, General Hammond gets to stick up for his people, and Dr. Fraiser shows she cares (not to mention we get to see Sergeant Siler knocked flying down the stairs by accident when O'Neill pats him on the shoulder, which, though chilling, was also funny).
***
Wish-fulfilment technology gives the SG-1 team wings (not literally), but proves too good to be true, as usual. Is Vanessa Angel famous? I'd never heard of her but she's credited as a special guest star, playing Enys of the Tok'ra. We don't get to see Carter senior, which is a shame, but there's plenty to entertain as it is, when Jack, Sam and Daniel all find they have superpowers thanks to the Tok'ra's salvaged technology from an extinct people. Of course, the reason they became extinct turns out to be the fact the armbands wear off after a time, and the team picked just that moment to go off and take out a new ship that Apophis is having built. Fortunately Teal'c, who couldn't use the devices due to his symbiont (the reason the Tok'ra wanted humans, as they don't have symbionts), comes to the rescue.
There are elements of 'The Matrix' (when O'Neill takes on Teal'c at boxing and moves at superspeed), 'The Champions' (an old TV series from the 60s in which two men and a woman discover they've developed super-abilities and go off to complete missions using them), and even 'Spiderman' ('with great power comes great responsibility') and 'Smallville' (the effects of them dashing around are similar, as is the superior strength, sadly no x-ray vision though!), even 'Star Trek' (they seem to use Vulcan nerve pinches on members of the base to knock them out), so there's a great mix of opportunities to demonstrate their power, from reading an entire book in a few seconds, to writing one in a few minutes or typing so fast a computer can't keep up. Unfortunately they're kept walled up at the base until they break out and get into a barfight, sadly not seen - we just get the comedy sound effects and a view of the bar's entrance.
As ever there's plenty of humour with the four main characters trading plenty of banter in their restrained, ironic way, and though the story of people finding new technology, testing it out and getting hooked until it malfunctions is another tried and tested sci-fi plot, fun is the over-riding feature here, Jack especially getting to enjoy himself. The effects are pretty good, apart from the CGI view of the ship under construction, which doesn't look real enough, General Hammond gets to stick up for his people, and Dr. Fraiser shows she cares (not to mention we get to see Sergeant Siler knocked flying down the stairs by accident when O'Neill pats him on the shoulder, which, though chilling, was also funny).
***
Monday, 14 March 2011
Mercy
DVD, Smallville S5 (Mercy)
There have been far too many nasty films in recent years featuring torture storylines in which people get kidnapped and have to play gory mind games in order to survive, and now this series has got in on the act. Thankfully it works reasonably well as a device to put Lionel on centre stage and gives him a strong role to play, culminating in the shock of Clark rescuing him and Martha from a plummeting lift in full view of the man, and there's no get-out clause in which he loses his memory of the incident as has happened several times before, to him and most of the other characters. Although there is a final scene in which Lionel is shown to be clutching his head in an 'I've got something seriously wrong with me' way, so there's still a chance he could be made to forget. I actually wondered if somehow Jor-el had taken over his mind as he has seemed different this season, less focused on the business dealings, in fact more like a 'good guy' than when he supposedly turned over a new leaf last season. I took it to be just a continuation of the oddness in the way certain characters have been written, but perhaps I'm not giving John Glover credit for subtly altering his performance?
As well as the horror film overtones I wonder if perhaps the writer had seen some of the series that 'Smallville' creators Al Gough and Miles Millar had worked on here in England - namely 'BUGS' in which a blue-faced avatar is used for extortion purposes, and to frighten via onscreen prompts? Perhaps 'Countdown' should use the idea of a victim in a water tank instead of the famous clock as that might get them more viewers...
As soon as the mystery kidnapper was introduced my mind was reeling through the possibilities, but I have the impression they used Michael Rosenbaum's voice in the mix, at least at first, because it really gave the impression of him. As time went on I began to wonder if it could be someone we haven't heard from in a while, such as Lex' half-brother Lucas, although it was a long shot. Once we see the security rep it became clear it was most likely to be him as no other non-regulars had appeared and it follows the pattern of most of the episodes, in which the unassuming minor role is revealed as the mastermind. Nil points for originality I'm afraid, but the intensity of the scenes made it rattle along quickly and gave John Glover the chance to act. I know the name Lauro Chartrand from the credits, it certainly rings a bell, and the bad guy looked familiar...
Clark doesn't feature much, but it worked fine, and Lionel made a good lead. We've rarely seen such major moments as Lionel knowing about Clark, Clark doing something so dramatic to save him and Martha, or when Lex overhears in front of Clark his Dad saying how special Clark is to the world! And then he gets a final slap in the face as his Dad basically says Clark's the kind of son a Dad would want! Lionel has known about Clark as Kal-el for over a year, we learn, so it's good to get that confirmed at last, the uncertainty had often been used to tease us. The big question is whether he was really acting selflessly, for so long an unlikely scenario, or did he know the gun wasn't loaded? Either way it worked for Martha, who was softer on him than she had resolved to be. I began to suspect it was all a set up by Lionel to confirm Clark's identity with his own eyes, but that wouldn't make sense if Cole had to be restrained after finding his plan hadn't worked. That doesn't guarantee Luthor senior can be trusted, as he's always out for himself, as Clark points out. Things are never simple with Lionel as we know, and only time will tell.
The episode was well shot, and because it was mostly psychological the effects weren't needed as much, with more on-set stunts used, such as the water tank. I did think the train crashing into the limo didn't look quite real, but on the whole the intense nature of the situation came across quite well. All it needed was a contemporary vocal track and some happy scenes to end with and it could almost be an episode from the glory days.
***
There have been far too many nasty films in recent years featuring torture storylines in which people get kidnapped and have to play gory mind games in order to survive, and now this series has got in on the act. Thankfully it works reasonably well as a device to put Lionel on centre stage and gives him a strong role to play, culminating in the shock of Clark rescuing him and Martha from a plummeting lift in full view of the man, and there's no get-out clause in which he loses his memory of the incident as has happened several times before, to him and most of the other characters. Although there is a final scene in which Lionel is shown to be clutching his head in an 'I've got something seriously wrong with me' way, so there's still a chance he could be made to forget. I actually wondered if somehow Jor-el had taken over his mind as he has seemed different this season, less focused on the business dealings, in fact more like a 'good guy' than when he supposedly turned over a new leaf last season. I took it to be just a continuation of the oddness in the way certain characters have been written, but perhaps I'm not giving John Glover credit for subtly altering his performance?
As well as the horror film overtones I wonder if perhaps the writer had seen some of the series that 'Smallville' creators Al Gough and Miles Millar had worked on here in England - namely 'BUGS' in which a blue-faced avatar is used for extortion purposes, and to frighten via onscreen prompts? Perhaps 'Countdown' should use the idea of a victim in a water tank instead of the famous clock as that might get them more viewers...
As soon as the mystery kidnapper was introduced my mind was reeling through the possibilities, but I have the impression they used Michael Rosenbaum's voice in the mix, at least at first, because it really gave the impression of him. As time went on I began to wonder if it could be someone we haven't heard from in a while, such as Lex' half-brother Lucas, although it was a long shot. Once we see the security rep it became clear it was most likely to be him as no other non-regulars had appeared and it follows the pattern of most of the episodes, in which the unassuming minor role is revealed as the mastermind. Nil points for originality I'm afraid, but the intensity of the scenes made it rattle along quickly and gave John Glover the chance to act. I know the name Lauro Chartrand from the credits, it certainly rings a bell, and the bad guy looked familiar...
Clark doesn't feature much, but it worked fine, and Lionel made a good lead. We've rarely seen such major moments as Lionel knowing about Clark, Clark doing something so dramatic to save him and Martha, or when Lex overhears in front of Clark his Dad saying how special Clark is to the world! And then he gets a final slap in the face as his Dad basically says Clark's the kind of son a Dad would want! Lionel has known about Clark as Kal-el for over a year, we learn, so it's good to get that confirmed at last, the uncertainty had often been used to tease us. The big question is whether he was really acting selflessly, for so long an unlikely scenario, or did he know the gun wasn't loaded? Either way it worked for Martha, who was softer on him than she had resolved to be. I began to suspect it was all a set up by Lionel to confirm Clark's identity with his own eyes, but that wouldn't make sense if Cole had to be restrained after finding his plan hadn't worked. That doesn't guarantee Luthor senior can be trusted, as he's always out for himself, as Clark points out. Things are never simple with Lionel as we know, and only time will tell.
The episode was well shot, and because it was mostly psychological the effects weren't needed as much, with more on-set stunts used, such as the water tank. I did think the train crashing into the limo didn't look quite real, but on the whole the intense nature of the situation came across quite well. All it needed was a contemporary vocal track and some happy scenes to end with and it could almost be an episode from the glory days.
***
Outcasts
TV, Outcasts (2011) TV series, 8 episodes
I was initially resentful of this programme as I suspect it was the replacement for 'Survivors', a series I was enjoying quite a lot when its third season was cancelled, leaving with a cliffhanger. I hoped this would be a worthy successor, but after watching the first episode and almost falling asleep from the lack of explanation and interest, where you had to guess what was going on, not particularly hard as the characters had a habit of telling their story in the most banal way possible. Everyone was either serious and dull or cheeky and annoying, and there was nothing in it to make me think this was going to be a good series. I stuck with it anyway as I like to give things a chance, not to judge a series by its first episode, but I was not rewarded for my patience as the next two episodes were equally as dull so that I actually didn't look forward to watching it on the Monday and Tuesday evenings it was shown. The characters continued to irritate, the bad guy was so obviously the bad guy, and while much of the time the opposite of what might have been expected was the route chosen, the story remained deathly dull.
Episode 4 rolled around and for the first time I actually enjoyed an episode, the one with the 'AC' with mental problems. I began to care about some of the characters. President Tate's constant frown no longer bothered me, I liked Cass and Fleur and the story, while hardly gripping, did engage my interest. Sadly, most people don't have that level of patience to allow them to reach episode four when three have been so poor, so the ratings dropped and after episode 5 the series was shunted into the graveyard slot of Sunday evenings at 10:25, from the prime time 9:00pm slot on Mondays and Tuesdays. This was a shame, as episodes 5, 6 and 7 continued the enjoyment factor begun in episode 4. The mystery of the planet began to make sense, there were some nice scenes, such as the first pilot who had been living alone on this planet and had appeared in Fort Haven, then ended up walking into the sea in a sad death scene. Cass had become a fun and sympathetic character and the bad guy was being stonewalled and under suspicion by some, so that the irritation 'he's behind you!' factor was vastly decreased.
It may be that because people were savaging the series (when they were bothered to comment on it at all), saying mainly negative things, this attracted me to it even more. It had gone from being a flagship BBC series to a niche sci-fi show, relegated to a late slot that few people except those interested in finding out what was going to happen, would watch, and somehow this made it seem like a better proposition, as those still watching were the chosen, patient few, rewarded for sticking with it. I'm not going to say it was better than 'Survivors', (although it scored over other recent BBC sci-fi, such as submarine drama 'The Deep' and 'Paradox'), or that it was original, or even that it contained many strong science fiction ideas. But I will say that it was worth watching, remained pretty tasteful (little harsh language or innuendo, unlike, say, 'Life On Mars'/ 'Ashes To Ashes'), and made me want to see each new episode. I'd even like to see more of these characters, which is a big turnaround from my early impressions. Of course that's never going to happen now that it is officially a failure.
The series continued to take surprising turns even into the last episode where President Tate chose Jack, head of the expeditionary force, as his successor, over Stella. A wise move, as this allowed Julius Berger a chance to show what he really thought of the soldier man, leading Jack to realise where his true loyalty should lie. The last episode ended on a cliffhanger, something which shouldn't be attempted unless a second season is guaranteed or it becomes an annoyance to those still interested. I can guess that the new ship, crashing down towards Port Haven might have taken a few people out, meaning they didn't need to bring back all of the characters (thus saving money), and that Berger probably would have escaped in the chaos to cause trouble again.
The 'host force' of the planet was interested in seeing what the humans did next, which was a weak way of continuing the tension between them, since they would be more likely to just find another way to wipe out the population rather than effectively concede a temporary defeat. And with Fleur revealed to be an AC and joining her fellow enhanced men, she might have been a catalyst for detente between them and the humans. Regardless of the way it ended there was plenty still to tell about those characters - I'd have liked more flashbacks to their lives on Earth, as Tipper experienced - the 'mind machine' never came into it again for some reason - such as Cass' guilty actions for the cartels. Sadly, with such a weak opening gambit the series was doomed and it's about as likely of returning as 'Survivors' is of getting a Season 3. Having seen all eight episodes I would have to say that I'm disappointed it won't be coming back.
***
I was initially resentful of this programme as I suspect it was the replacement for 'Survivors', a series I was enjoying quite a lot when its third season was cancelled, leaving with a cliffhanger. I hoped this would be a worthy successor, but after watching the first episode and almost falling asleep from the lack of explanation and interest, where you had to guess what was going on, not particularly hard as the characters had a habit of telling their story in the most banal way possible. Everyone was either serious and dull or cheeky and annoying, and there was nothing in it to make me think this was going to be a good series. I stuck with it anyway as I like to give things a chance, not to judge a series by its first episode, but I was not rewarded for my patience as the next two episodes were equally as dull so that I actually didn't look forward to watching it on the Monday and Tuesday evenings it was shown. The characters continued to irritate, the bad guy was so obviously the bad guy, and while much of the time the opposite of what might have been expected was the route chosen, the story remained deathly dull.
Episode 4 rolled around and for the first time I actually enjoyed an episode, the one with the 'AC' with mental problems. I began to care about some of the characters. President Tate's constant frown no longer bothered me, I liked Cass and Fleur and the story, while hardly gripping, did engage my interest. Sadly, most people don't have that level of patience to allow them to reach episode four when three have been so poor, so the ratings dropped and after episode 5 the series was shunted into the graveyard slot of Sunday evenings at 10:25, from the prime time 9:00pm slot on Mondays and Tuesdays. This was a shame, as episodes 5, 6 and 7 continued the enjoyment factor begun in episode 4. The mystery of the planet began to make sense, there were some nice scenes, such as the first pilot who had been living alone on this planet and had appeared in Fort Haven, then ended up walking into the sea in a sad death scene. Cass had become a fun and sympathetic character and the bad guy was being stonewalled and under suspicion by some, so that the irritation 'he's behind you!' factor was vastly decreased.
It may be that because people were savaging the series (when they were bothered to comment on it at all), saying mainly negative things, this attracted me to it even more. It had gone from being a flagship BBC series to a niche sci-fi show, relegated to a late slot that few people except those interested in finding out what was going to happen, would watch, and somehow this made it seem like a better proposition, as those still watching were the chosen, patient few, rewarded for sticking with it. I'm not going to say it was better than 'Survivors', (although it scored over other recent BBC sci-fi, such as submarine drama 'The Deep' and 'Paradox'), or that it was original, or even that it contained many strong science fiction ideas. But I will say that it was worth watching, remained pretty tasteful (little harsh language or innuendo, unlike, say, 'Life On Mars'/ 'Ashes To Ashes'), and made me want to see each new episode. I'd even like to see more of these characters, which is a big turnaround from my early impressions. Of course that's never going to happen now that it is officially a failure.
The series continued to take surprising turns even into the last episode where President Tate chose Jack, head of the expeditionary force, as his successor, over Stella. A wise move, as this allowed Julius Berger a chance to show what he really thought of the soldier man, leading Jack to realise where his true loyalty should lie. The last episode ended on a cliffhanger, something which shouldn't be attempted unless a second season is guaranteed or it becomes an annoyance to those still interested. I can guess that the new ship, crashing down towards Port Haven might have taken a few people out, meaning they didn't need to bring back all of the characters (thus saving money), and that Berger probably would have escaped in the chaos to cause trouble again.
The 'host force' of the planet was interested in seeing what the humans did next, which was a weak way of continuing the tension between them, since they would be more likely to just find another way to wipe out the population rather than effectively concede a temporary defeat. And with Fleur revealed to be an AC and joining her fellow enhanced men, she might have been a catalyst for detente between them and the humans. Regardless of the way it ended there was plenty still to tell about those characters - I'd have liked more flashbacks to their lives on Earth, as Tipper experienced - the 'mind machine' never came into it again for some reason - such as Cass' guilty actions for the cartels. Sadly, with such a weak opening gambit the series was doomed and it's about as likely of returning as 'Survivors' is of getting a Season 3. Having seen all eight episodes I would have to say that I'm disappointed it won't be coming back.
***
Maneuvers
DVD, Voyager S2 (Maneuvers)
This tale, which brought Seska and her master, Maje Cullah of the Kazon, back into the series is quite good, but unremarkable in terms of what there is to say about it. Chakotay gets to be a hero, there's an exciting attack on Voyager and a daring raid in which transporter technology is stolen, and Torres gives some impassioned (but not beyond the bounds of protocol - she seems more acclimatised to Starfleet working than Chakotay for a change!) defences of her friend and first officer, and the Kazon arc gets going this season with various sects coming into play and mention of the Trabe, the Kazon's first enemies. Deep Space Nine also gets a brief mention when a Federation signal is discovered, and at this relatively early stage certain people still get excited and hopeful about the prospect of Starfleet finding a way to contact them.
Seska appears for the first time in her true Cardassian identity after she was unmasked as a spy in Bajoran disguise last season. She still has concerns for Chakotay, B'Elanna and some of the Maquis, though we might choose to disbelieve what she says, she does go to the trouble of impregnating herself with some stolen DNA of Chakotay, as if in a desperate desire not to lose contact with those on Voyager. And if there is that connection she wishes, it is set to provide more trouble both for Voyager and the Kazon. Chakotay acts more in the vein of the Maquis with his decision to sort out Seska alone, but he stops at destroying the stolen component, handing himself in to Seska. Why didn't he keep moving, attempt to disable the Kazon vessel and steal one of their own shuttles? It might not have got him very far, and if Voyager was alerted that he had a chance they would be more likely to disregard his warning and come after him. He may also have had a long term plan to gain Seska's trust and get her to see that the Kazon would kill her once she was of no more use, perhaps initiating a plan for both of them to escape?
I may be putting more thoughts into Chakotay's head than were there, but Janeway and the crew were there to save him, despite Tuvok's logical advice to follow the first officer's plan and not come after him. This was the logical thing to do, but is it a continuance of the distaste between the two officers that existed at first. Tuvok also points out to Chakotay that while Seska used him thanks to her intimate knowledge, perhaps he could do the same. Chakotay fortunately accepts this with a grim smile, knowing it's true, so he seems to accept Tuvok doesn't really have a personal vendetta against him, whereas at one time he would have done. Another crewmember lets Janeway down in the footsteps of Tuvok and Harry Kim, and others would take that sheepish walk into her ready room for a dressing down at one time or another. Even Janeway herself would let the side down on one or two occasions ('Night'; 'Equinox'). All the characters appear, but only Chakotay, Torres and Janeway feature heavily, although Tuvok gets to take on the Kazon when they board, and the occasional action scenes do keep the momentum going.
***
This tale, which brought Seska and her master, Maje Cullah of the Kazon, back into the series is quite good, but unremarkable in terms of what there is to say about it. Chakotay gets to be a hero, there's an exciting attack on Voyager and a daring raid in which transporter technology is stolen, and Torres gives some impassioned (but not beyond the bounds of protocol - she seems more acclimatised to Starfleet working than Chakotay for a change!) defences of her friend and first officer, and the Kazon arc gets going this season with various sects coming into play and mention of the Trabe, the Kazon's first enemies. Deep Space Nine also gets a brief mention when a Federation signal is discovered, and at this relatively early stage certain people still get excited and hopeful about the prospect of Starfleet finding a way to contact them.
Seska appears for the first time in her true Cardassian identity after she was unmasked as a spy in Bajoran disguise last season. She still has concerns for Chakotay, B'Elanna and some of the Maquis, though we might choose to disbelieve what she says, she does go to the trouble of impregnating herself with some stolen DNA of Chakotay, as if in a desperate desire not to lose contact with those on Voyager. And if there is that connection she wishes, it is set to provide more trouble both for Voyager and the Kazon. Chakotay acts more in the vein of the Maquis with his decision to sort out Seska alone, but he stops at destroying the stolen component, handing himself in to Seska. Why didn't he keep moving, attempt to disable the Kazon vessel and steal one of their own shuttles? It might not have got him very far, and if Voyager was alerted that he had a chance they would be more likely to disregard his warning and come after him. He may also have had a long term plan to gain Seska's trust and get her to see that the Kazon would kill her once she was of no more use, perhaps initiating a plan for both of them to escape?
I may be putting more thoughts into Chakotay's head than were there, but Janeway and the crew were there to save him, despite Tuvok's logical advice to follow the first officer's plan and not come after him. This was the logical thing to do, but is it a continuance of the distaste between the two officers that existed at first. Tuvok also points out to Chakotay that while Seska used him thanks to her intimate knowledge, perhaps he could do the same. Chakotay fortunately accepts this with a grim smile, knowing it's true, so he seems to accept Tuvok doesn't really have a personal vendetta against him, whereas at one time he would have done. Another crewmember lets Janeway down in the footsteps of Tuvok and Harry Kim, and others would take that sheepish walk into her ready room for a dressing down at one time or another. Even Janeway herself would let the side down on one or two occasions ('Night'; 'Equinox'). All the characters appear, but only Chakotay, Torres and Janeway feature heavily, although Tuvok gets to take on the Kazon when they board, and the occasional action scenes do keep the momentum going.
***
Galaxy's Child
DVD, TNG S4 (Galaxy's Child)
One of those episodes where nothing much happens, but in such a nice, comfy way that you can watch in a dozing state and it's never going to challenge you or excite or do much of anything really - it just happens. That might sound like a real bore, but it's more like a well-worn blanket, cosy and pleasant. It's a sequel to the previous season's 'Booby Trap' in which La Forge called up a hologram of the Enterprise's main designer and became attached to her. This time it's the real deal, Dr. Leah Brahms herself, and from the moment she steps on board you can imagine what she's going to say when she inevitably finds out about Geordi's holographic version of her! That was the stand out moment of the episode, as funny as it is excruciatingly uncomfortable for Geordi. Thankfully he's such an easygoing sort that he's not one to bear a grudge at her outburst, and they make up their differences in the time-honoured way of joining together to save the ship from destruction in a sort of off-hand, five minute job.
The peril wasn't important, and neither was the child of the title, a space-borne organism that becomes rather attached to the Enterprise. It looked real enough, as did the asteroid field which they transport it to, with others of its kind waiting there. It must be pre-CGI, but it looks like a computer model rather than a physical one - those production bods were geniuses; in their own way they were the Starfleet engineers of real life! I'm not sure how Dr. Brahms was so easily able to join the Enterprise when in a short space of time it's come to an unexplored region and an unknown creature, but who cares?. Susan Gibney would later be on 'DS9' in another role, but this was probably her best-known 'Star Trek' piece, and another downer for Geordi as he sits alone in the corner of Ten-Forward.
**
One of those episodes where nothing much happens, but in such a nice, comfy way that you can watch in a dozing state and it's never going to challenge you or excite or do much of anything really - it just happens. That might sound like a real bore, but it's more like a well-worn blanket, cosy and pleasant. It's a sequel to the previous season's 'Booby Trap' in which La Forge called up a hologram of the Enterprise's main designer and became attached to her. This time it's the real deal, Dr. Leah Brahms herself, and from the moment she steps on board you can imagine what she's going to say when she inevitably finds out about Geordi's holographic version of her! That was the stand out moment of the episode, as funny as it is excruciatingly uncomfortable for Geordi. Thankfully he's such an easygoing sort that he's not one to bear a grudge at her outburst, and they make up their differences in the time-honoured way of joining together to save the ship from destruction in a sort of off-hand, five minute job.
The peril wasn't important, and neither was the child of the title, a space-borne organism that becomes rather attached to the Enterprise. It looked real enough, as did the asteroid field which they transport it to, with others of its kind waiting there. It must be pre-CGI, but it looks like a computer model rather than a physical one - those production bods were geniuses; in their own way they were the Starfleet engineers of real life! I'm not sure how Dr. Brahms was so easily able to join the Enterprise when in a short space of time it's come to an unexplored region and an unknown creature, but who cares?. Susan Gibney would later be on 'DS9' in another role, but this was probably her best-known 'Star Trek' piece, and another downer for Geordi as he sits alone in the corner of Ten-Forward.
**
Cold Fire
DVD, Voyager S2 (Cold Fire)
This is an ideal episode to resume Season 2 from if you've been away from 'Voyager' for a while as it begins with a brief recap of their situation stranded in the Delta Quadrant thanks to the alien known only as the Caretaker. One of the goals set by Janeway at the end of the pilot was to find the Caretaker's mate who, he told them, had left for new places, and here early in the series we meet her already! If anyone thought it was going to be a quick ticket home then they were mistaken, the ship wasn't going to be swept back so easily as that, even if Suspiria, as she called herself, had the ability to do so. Turns out she's a bit of a nasty type, though she might be reacting to the undeserved rumours that have been spread by persons unknown that Voyager is a ship of death that kills and plunders as it sees fit. No guesses who might be responsible for those!
While we learn a little more about the Caretaker, his race named as the Nacene, and the reputation of the ship, we also explore Kes a bit more. Her telepathic abilities aren't the only powers she has the potential for, as Tanis, leader of the band of Ocampa that live with Suspiria, helps her to see. Not only that, but he gives hope that her character could survive beyond the allotted nine years that is the span of an Ocampan life - he himself is fourteen, while his Father lived to the grand old age of twenty. Played by Gary Graham, a few years before his recurring role on 'Enterprise', Tanis suits his style a little more than Soval the Vulcan, in my view. His strength is in his emotive, but mysterious delivery as if so much more is going on behind his eyes, whereas Soval was a bit one-note, mostly coming across as an irritated high-up sort. Vulcan culture is tapped into in this episode thanks to Tuvok aiding Kes in the exploration of her mental abilities, giving some humour when we see the most experienced, serious member of the crew, trying to keep the youngest and most gleeful on track.
A shock comes from Kes' lack of control of her power, turning her liquid-heating onto Tuvok inadvertently, almost killing him. This is more frightening because it occurs in the domestic, peaceful setting of the Vulcan's quarters, in which the episode, in a pleasing symmetry, begins and ends. Though Kes' power diminishes once Tanis is no longer there to magnify it, he has shown her what she could be capable of, a signpost for the future, and not just the good qualities it could bring, but the dark side that comes with it - a warning and a lesson. Though Tuvok claims at the end that the dark side is important to us all, and without it we couldn't see the light, that's all nonsense. The darkness can't understand the light, and the light evaporates the darkness. I just thought I ought to point that out as it's easy to let comments like that wash over you, and the danger is they can seep into your sub-conscious and influence you into wrong ways of thinking.
Visually the episode is as good as ever, with both prosthetic work in Kes' damage to Tuvok, and visual effects, seen in the airponics bay where seeds bloom into colourful plants or are withered by the 'fire in your mind'! Suspiria who appears as either a little girl or a writhing serpentine creature, morphs very effectively between the two. Characters speaking in a voice that doesn't fit their appearance is always unsettling, but her presence with the Ocampa made me wonder what role she actually plays. Was she actually not such a bad sort, just out to protect and enhance them, or were they her servants that she kept in thrall for all those generations in the three hundred years she'd been there? That side of the equation isn't explored, the only information is gleaned from what Tanis says about her, and the fact that she takes him with her when fleeing the ship. I also wonder if the writers were hoping for a return at some point which may have been their reasoning for Suspiria to show wonder at Janeway's decision not to harm her when she was in her power. This could have led to peace between them in a future meeting, but it never happened. I believe this was also the last we ever saw of Ocampa other than Kes. Tanis reminded me of a Vorta, his graceful, but sly movement similar, as well as his face. He was about as trustworthy as one of them too!
This is a definite Kes episode, with Tuvok and Neelix as secondary - the Talaxian shows more restraint in his jealousy after the experience with Tom Paris in 'Parturition'. Before, he would have exploded at the suggestion Kes should go and live with her Ocampan brethren, but he remains most restrained for Neelix. All the characters were a part of it and it combines the best elements of the series - its initial goal, a possible way home, with new details on some of the races they had encountered and how they are viewed at this current stage of the grand journey.
***
This is an ideal episode to resume Season 2 from if you've been away from 'Voyager' for a while as it begins with a brief recap of their situation stranded in the Delta Quadrant thanks to the alien known only as the Caretaker. One of the goals set by Janeway at the end of the pilot was to find the Caretaker's mate who, he told them, had left for new places, and here early in the series we meet her already! If anyone thought it was going to be a quick ticket home then they were mistaken, the ship wasn't going to be swept back so easily as that, even if Suspiria, as she called herself, had the ability to do so. Turns out she's a bit of a nasty type, though she might be reacting to the undeserved rumours that have been spread by persons unknown that Voyager is a ship of death that kills and plunders as it sees fit. No guesses who might be responsible for those!
While we learn a little more about the Caretaker, his race named as the Nacene, and the reputation of the ship, we also explore Kes a bit more. Her telepathic abilities aren't the only powers she has the potential for, as Tanis, leader of the band of Ocampa that live with Suspiria, helps her to see. Not only that, but he gives hope that her character could survive beyond the allotted nine years that is the span of an Ocampan life - he himself is fourteen, while his Father lived to the grand old age of twenty. Played by Gary Graham, a few years before his recurring role on 'Enterprise', Tanis suits his style a little more than Soval the Vulcan, in my view. His strength is in his emotive, but mysterious delivery as if so much more is going on behind his eyes, whereas Soval was a bit one-note, mostly coming across as an irritated high-up sort. Vulcan culture is tapped into in this episode thanks to Tuvok aiding Kes in the exploration of her mental abilities, giving some humour when we see the most experienced, serious member of the crew, trying to keep the youngest and most gleeful on track.
A shock comes from Kes' lack of control of her power, turning her liquid-heating onto Tuvok inadvertently, almost killing him. This is more frightening because it occurs in the domestic, peaceful setting of the Vulcan's quarters, in which the episode, in a pleasing symmetry, begins and ends. Though Kes' power diminishes once Tanis is no longer there to magnify it, he has shown her what she could be capable of, a signpost for the future, and not just the good qualities it could bring, but the dark side that comes with it - a warning and a lesson. Though Tuvok claims at the end that the dark side is important to us all, and without it we couldn't see the light, that's all nonsense. The darkness can't understand the light, and the light evaporates the darkness. I just thought I ought to point that out as it's easy to let comments like that wash over you, and the danger is they can seep into your sub-conscious and influence you into wrong ways of thinking.
Visually the episode is as good as ever, with both prosthetic work in Kes' damage to Tuvok, and visual effects, seen in the airponics bay where seeds bloom into colourful plants or are withered by the 'fire in your mind'! Suspiria who appears as either a little girl or a writhing serpentine creature, morphs very effectively between the two. Characters speaking in a voice that doesn't fit their appearance is always unsettling, but her presence with the Ocampa made me wonder what role she actually plays. Was she actually not such a bad sort, just out to protect and enhance them, or were they her servants that she kept in thrall for all those generations in the three hundred years she'd been there? That side of the equation isn't explored, the only information is gleaned from what Tanis says about her, and the fact that she takes him with her when fleeing the ship. I also wonder if the writers were hoping for a return at some point which may have been their reasoning for Suspiria to show wonder at Janeway's decision not to harm her when she was in her power. This could have led to peace between them in a future meeting, but it never happened. I believe this was also the last we ever saw of Ocampa other than Kes. Tanis reminded me of a Vorta, his graceful, but sly movement similar, as well as his face. He was about as trustworthy as one of them too!
This is a definite Kes episode, with Tuvok and Neelix as secondary - the Talaxian shows more restraint in his jealousy after the experience with Tom Paris in 'Parturition'. Before, he would have exploded at the suggestion Kes should go and live with her Ocampan brethren, but he remains most restrained for Neelix. All the characters were a part of it and it combines the best elements of the series - its initial goal, a possible way home, with new details on some of the races they had encountered and how they are viewed at this current stage of the grand journey.
***
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