**
Much like Next Generation started its final season concluding the lackluster "Descent," Voyager returns to the Borg as a threat with nothing quite as much at stake as in earlier and later stories featuring the Collective.
Basically, Seven is reminded about another part of her past as a drone, a relationship she had and a whole underground scene that Janeway immediately recognizes as a potential weapon against the Borg. So she gets herself assimilated (sort of) to set up the cliffhanger.
It could have been better, and in this instance revealing a hidden part of a character's past seems a little forced, and hardly seems to really matter to Seven (personally, I would have at least ended this story with that love interest at least making recurring appearances during the final season), and the whole plan not a worthy comparison to either "Scorpion" or "Endgame."
But like I said, there was precedent in the franchise, just not a very good one. Forget "Descent," and just try to find out for yourself if "Unimatrix Zero" added something worthwhile to Voyager.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Susanna Thompson
Memory Alpha summary.
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Showing posts with label Star Trek: Voyager Season 6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Trek: Voyager Season 6. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Voyager 6x25 "The Haunting of Deck Twelve"
*
Neelix got very little to do during the sixth season, and the closest he got to his own episode (besides "Riddles," which he shares with Tuvok) was this entry, which is him telling a story to the young passengers (which at this point was certainly swelling), and the story turns out to be a fairly generic Star Trek tale. Worth watching but not remembering, really.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Zoe McLellan
Scarlet Pomers
Memory Alpha summary.
Neelix got very little to do during the sixth season, and the closest he got to his own episode (besides "Riddles," which he shares with Tuvok) was this entry, which is him telling a story to the young passengers (which at this point was certainly swelling), and the story turns out to be a fairly generic Star Trek tale. Worth watching but not remembering, really.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Zoe McLellan
Scarlet Pomers
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x24 "Life Line"
***
The Doctor finally meets his maker, who also looks incredibly like Robert Picardo, in this quasi-sequel to "Pathfinder," returning the viewer to the Alpha Quadrant, as well as Reg Barclay, Deanna Troi, and Admiral Paris.
True, we'd seen Lewis Zimmerman before (see the Deep Space Nine episode "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?"), but this is the first time actually see him in Voyager (besides the delusional appearance earlier in the series that also established Barclay as significant once again in Star Trek).
Some fans might have considered the whole thing a little too similar to what Next Generation did with Data and his own creator, Noonien Soong, but as Voyager typically did, this story and the relationship at its core, made more sense (at least the physical similarities, angry villagers), and as a bonus, is the first push The Doctor gets to the strong work he receives throughout the remainder of the series, returning him to glorious form after a little bit of foundering.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Dwight Schultz
Jack Shearer
Memory Alpha summary.
The Doctor finally meets his maker, who also looks incredibly like Robert Picardo, in this quasi-sequel to "Pathfinder," returning the viewer to the Alpha Quadrant, as well as Reg Barclay, Deanna Troi, and Admiral Paris.
True, we'd seen Lewis Zimmerman before (see the Deep Space Nine episode "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?"), but this is the first time actually see him in Voyager (besides the delusional appearance earlier in the series that also established Barclay as significant once again in Star Trek).
Some fans might have considered the whole thing a little too similar to what Next Generation did with Data and his own creator, Noonien Soong, but as Voyager typically did, this story and the relationship at its core, made more sense (at least the physical similarities, angry villagers), and as a bonus, is the first push The Doctor gets to the strong work he receives throughout the remainder of the series, returning him to glorious form after a little bit of foundering.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Dwight Schultz
Jack Shearer
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x23 "Fury"
****
Remember Kes? Well, this is the episode that makes the crew wish they didn't, and vice-versa, because she makes her first (and final appearance) since her departure at the start of the fourth season, when everyone thought she was going on a lovely and magical journey of self-discovery.
Having a former series regular come back is rare enough in the franchise, it's got to be considered fascinating every time it happens. Fans at the time were horrified to see Kes turn into such a spiteful creature, but with the only other precedent for this being Tasha Yar, it was bound to be a risky move for the series.
But really, it not only makes sense, how "Fury" handles the situation, it makes all the sense in the world. Maybe after two seasons it was easy to forget just how unstable and fragile Kes really was (though there were certainly long stretches where she seemed to be the most rational person in the room). It might be easy to forget that her journey was into uncharted territory, and that she rarely demonstrated the ability to explore it without significant difficulties and guidance from, say Tuvok. In fact, considering how she regularly caused distress in others (Neelix, The Doctor, Tom Paris), should it really be a surprise that she would do it again?
"Fury" is that rare moment when Star Trek acknowledges that not everything ends up perfect after the end of an episode. Deep Space Nine was a seven-season example of this, but for most of the franchise, it was easier to believe that our intrepid crews did in fact solve all the problems they came across; when it seemed like a happy ending, then it probably was. Kes proved in very dramatic fashion that this wasn't even necessarily true of characters we'd known for years. (Just imagine what actually happened to Sisko's crew; even Worf didn't stick around as a mere Klingon ambassador for longer than it took for another reunion with Picard; but then, Pocket Books has done a lot of exploring how that worked out.)
Yes, Star Trek is the hopeful message Gene Roddenberry always envisioned, but even in the original series, not all reunions were happy (hello, Christopher Pike!). Consider "Fury" the biggest challenge Voyager ever gave to the franchise mandate.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Jennifer Lien
Memory Alpha summary.
Remember Kes? Well, this is the episode that makes the crew wish they didn't, and vice-versa, because she makes her first (and final appearance) since her departure at the start of the fourth season, when everyone thought she was going on a lovely and magical journey of self-discovery.
Having a former series regular come back is rare enough in the franchise, it's got to be considered fascinating every time it happens. Fans at the time were horrified to see Kes turn into such a spiteful creature, but with the only other precedent for this being Tasha Yar, it was bound to be a risky move for the series.
But really, it not only makes sense, how "Fury" handles the situation, it makes all the sense in the world. Maybe after two seasons it was easy to forget just how unstable and fragile Kes really was (though there were certainly long stretches where she seemed to be the most rational person in the room). It might be easy to forget that her journey was into uncharted territory, and that she rarely demonstrated the ability to explore it without significant difficulties and guidance from, say Tuvok. In fact, considering how she regularly caused distress in others (Neelix, The Doctor, Tom Paris), should it really be a surprise that she would do it again?
"Fury" is that rare moment when Star Trek acknowledges that not everything ends up perfect after the end of an episode. Deep Space Nine was a seven-season example of this, but for most of the franchise, it was easier to believe that our intrepid crews did in fact solve all the problems they came across; when it seemed like a happy ending, then it probably was. Kes proved in very dramatic fashion that this wasn't even necessarily true of characters we'd known for years. (Just imagine what actually happened to Sisko's crew; even Worf didn't stick around as a mere Klingon ambassador for longer than it took for another reunion with Picard; but then, Pocket Books has done a lot of exploring how that worked out.)
Yes, Star Trek is the hopeful message Gene Roddenberry always envisioned, but even in the original series, not all reunions were happy (hello, Christopher Pike!). Consider "Fury" the biggest challenge Voyager ever gave to the franchise mandate.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Jennifer Lien
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x22 "Muse"
*
This is a rare instance of an episode centering on B'Elanna Torres that could just have easily starred a different character. This is not to say that Roxanne Dawson is atypically bad in the episode, but that there's nothing particularly relevant to Torres in the story, which otherwise is a fairly typical if somewhat interesting Star Trek story about an alien culture trying to make sense of its place in the universe, and the general value of art. Again, I'm not saying that it's a waste of an episode, but that there's not a lot to sell it on. Move along!
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Kellie Waymire
Memory Alpha summary.
This is a rare instance of an episode centering on B'Elanna Torres that could just have easily starred a different character. This is not to say that Roxanne Dawson is atypically bad in the episode, but that there's nothing particularly relevant to Torres in the story, which otherwise is a fairly typical if somewhat interesting Star Trek story about an alien culture trying to make sense of its place in the universe, and the general value of art. Again, I'm not saying that it's a waste of an episode, but that there's not a lot to sell it on. Move along!
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Kellie Waymire
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x21 "Live Fast & Prosper"
**
This is such a brilliant episode, and one that only Voyager could have told, about the actual repercussions of representing something on a long journey that in this region of space doesn't actually exist. What I'm talking about is Janeway making a point to represent her ship being part of Starfleet, which in the Delta Quadrant (even to the Borg it's irrelevant, naturally), which by definition is supposed to denote a fleet (Enterprise touched on some of the pitfalls of this, too, while Kirk went out of his way to pretend just the opposite).
So a couple of opportunists start doing the obvious and perverting Voyager's legacy, and well, like I said, it's brilliant, a must-see for any fan of the series.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
This is such a brilliant episode, and one that only Voyager could have told, about the actual repercussions of representing something on a long journey that in this region of space doesn't actually exist. What I'm talking about is Janeway making a point to represent her ship being part of Starfleet, which in the Delta Quadrant (even to the Borg it's irrelevant, naturally), which by definition is supposed to denote a fleet (Enterprise touched on some of the pitfalls of this, too, while Kirk went out of his way to pretend just the opposite).
So a couple of opportunists start doing the obvious and perverting Voyager's legacy, and well, like I said, it's brilliant, a must-see for any fan of the series.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x20 "Good Shepherd"
****
Janeway started the season at her lowest possible point, alienating herself from both the crew and viewers by going off the deep end and nearly betraying her Starfleet ideals. No, she was not the first Star Trek captain to go on an obsessive quest against a foe, but she does seem to have come off the worst from her particular experience in it.
Throughout the sixth season, Janeway has the chance to rebuild herself, and perhaps nowhere more clearly than in "Good Shepherd," in which she discovers that there are several members of the crew who've slipped through the cracks and feel just as alienated as she did in "Equinox."
This is also the "Lower Decks" episode of the series (as in the seventh season episode of Next Generation), or Janeway's personal "Learning Curve" (the episode from the first season in which Tuvok seeks to turn around the bad attitudes of a few Maquis crewmen).
If none of those are reasons to watch the episode, then you're not really trying.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Zoe McLellan
Memory Alpha summary.
Janeway started the season at her lowest possible point, alienating herself from both the crew and viewers by going off the deep end and nearly betraying her Starfleet ideals. No, she was not the first Star Trek captain to go on an obsessive quest against a foe, but she does seem to have come off the worst from her particular experience in it.
Throughout the sixth season, Janeway has the chance to rebuild herself, and perhaps nowhere more clearly than in "Good Shepherd," in which she discovers that there are several members of the crew who've slipped through the cracks and feel just as alienated as she did in "Equinox."
This is also the "Lower Decks" episode of the series (as in the seventh season episode of Next Generation), or Janeway's personal "Learning Curve" (the episode from the first season in which Tuvok seeks to turn around the bad attitudes of a few Maquis crewmen).
If none of those are reasons to watch the episode, then you're not really trying.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Zoe McLellan
Memory Alpha summary.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Voyager 6x19 "Child's Play"
****
"Child's Play" is the Borg episode Voyager had been working toward since the third season, something it could almost do with Seven but not quite, the fullest exploitation of being in the Collective's home territory of the Delta Quadrant.
"Hope and Fear" had been pretty close to the mark earlier, but it's in "Child's Play" where the psychology of having the Borg in your backyard really hits home. Here we learn just how Icheb became assimilated in the first place, and it's pretty despicable, but at the same time almost understandable.
Here's a spoiler alert:
It's his parents who set him up for it, in the hope of crippling the Borg with a virus. Hey, Janeway does the same thing, several times, until it finally works.
It's a fascinating insight into the real effects of the Borg. If "Best of Both Worlds" had remained the definitive statement, that would have been fine, but short of finally discovering just how the Collective was formed in the first place, there's no more essential story to be told than more than just the trauma of assimilation, but how those who hear it on the news, so to say, actually react to it. It's like a War on Terror story told more than a year early. Like all those Deep Space Nine stories about the Bajoran Resistance, it's a continually relevant tale that the later Star Treks never really got credit for.
If "Child's Play" doesn't convince you that the sixth season of Voyager wasn't as worthless as you heard, then there's nothing else I can say.
But I'll keep trying!
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Manu Intiraymi
Memory Alpha summary.
"Child's Play" is the Borg episode Voyager had been working toward since the third season, something it could almost do with Seven but not quite, the fullest exploitation of being in the Collective's home territory of the Delta Quadrant.
"Hope and Fear" had been pretty close to the mark earlier, but it's in "Child's Play" where the psychology of having the Borg in your backyard really hits home. Here we learn just how Icheb became assimilated in the first place, and it's pretty despicable, but at the same time almost understandable.
Here's a spoiler alert:
It's his parents who set him up for it, in the hope of crippling the Borg with a virus. Hey, Janeway does the same thing, several times, until it finally works.
It's a fascinating insight into the real effects of the Borg. If "Best of Both Worlds" had remained the definitive statement, that would have been fine, but short of finally discovering just how the Collective was formed in the first place, there's no more essential story to be told than more than just the trauma of assimilation, but how those who hear it on the news, so to say, actually react to it. It's like a War on Terror story told more than a year early. Like all those Deep Space Nine stories about the Bajoran Resistance, it's a continually relevant tale that the later Star Treks never really got credit for.
If "Child's Play" doesn't convince you that the sixth season of Voyager wasn't as worthless as you heard, then there's nothing else I can say.
But I'll keep trying!
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Manu Intiraymi
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x18 "Ashes to Ashes"
*
Another time fans called foul was this one, when someone they'd never met before was then retroactively said to be a good friend of Harry Kim's. If she was such a good friend, why had we never seen her before?
For one thing, Harry spent most of the series as the galaxy's biggest rube, someone who could only let loose around the irreverent Tom Paris. But that suggests that he otherwise didn't have a life before the first episode of the series, when we in fact know he had a fiancee on the other side of the galaxy, and therefore probably less socially awkward than he could sometimes suggest. If, then, he had other friends, chances are they were a little more normal than Tom Paris, generally speaking. Practically speaking, there's no reason to suspect that we should ever know everything a fictional character has going for them. After all how well do you know the neighbors you do know? Name the street they grew up on!
Anyway, just needling away at flawed logic now. People who want to complain about something will find more reasons than actually exist. The fact is, having a character in these particular circumstances exist as presented in a random episode makes a lot more sense than anything else the writers could have done. Short of killing off a main character and bringing them back (oh, wait, that's what "Fury" does a few episodes later) later on for a brief reprise, doing it with someone the fans had never seen before, but having a link to someone we had, makes all the sense in the world. We're learning everything about them as we need to know it. Emotional investment can only go so far in an episode that otherwise demands the viewer to ask more questions about the strange alien culture encountered than the character who's been forced into it. There have actually been other episodes like this, just not done this way.
"Ashes to Ashes" brings a lot of fascinating ideas to the surface. It may not be the greatest episode, and maybe someone else could have been the guest star's friend than Harry (imagine if it had been Janeway, or, again, Chakotay). But there ends up being a lot more said about Harry than anything else. And that's something Harry could always use more of.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Another time fans called foul was this one, when someone they'd never met before was then retroactively said to be a good friend of Harry Kim's. If she was such a good friend, why had we never seen her before?
For one thing, Harry spent most of the series as the galaxy's biggest rube, someone who could only let loose around the irreverent Tom Paris. But that suggests that he otherwise didn't have a life before the first episode of the series, when we in fact know he had a fiancee on the other side of the galaxy, and therefore probably less socially awkward than he could sometimes suggest. If, then, he had other friends, chances are they were a little more normal than Tom Paris, generally speaking. Practically speaking, there's no reason to suspect that we should ever know everything a fictional character has going for them. After all how well do you know the neighbors you do know? Name the street they grew up on!
Anyway, just needling away at flawed logic now. People who want to complain about something will find more reasons than actually exist. The fact is, having a character in these particular circumstances exist as presented in a random episode makes a lot more sense than anything else the writers could have done. Short of killing off a main character and bringing them back (oh, wait, that's what "Fury" does a few episodes later) later on for a brief reprise, doing it with someone the fans had never seen before, but having a link to someone we had, makes all the sense in the world. We're learning everything about them as we need to know it. Emotional investment can only go so far in an episode that otherwise demands the viewer to ask more questions about the strange alien culture encountered than the character who's been forced into it. There have actually been other episodes like this, just not done this way.
"Ashes to Ashes" brings a lot of fascinating ideas to the surface. It may not be the greatest episode, and maybe someone else could have been the guest star's friend than Harry (imagine if it had been Janeway, or, again, Chakotay). But there ends up being a lot more said about Harry than anything else. And that's something Harry could always use more of.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x17 "Spirit Folk"
**
Here's one of those episodes where disgruntled fans typically pointed when trying to indicate just how horrid the sixth season really was. They considered it a farce, our crew stuck on the holodeck in a bad parody of an Irish village. What the heck was the point?!?
The point might have eluded those guys, but "Spirit Folk" actually has a lot going for it. Continuity-wise, even, several. For one, it's a followup to "Fair Haven," the episode earlier in the season where this program debuted. No, not much more for Janeway to learn, but it's the latest obsession for the crew, the latest hangout, after Sandrine's and the Captain Proton adventures.
And who's to blame but Tm Paris and his trusted hanger-on, Harry Kim? In fact, that's this episode's real draw, that we get another Tom & Harry lark, which was a favorite if usually under-used plot for the series. From the start, they were an unlikely pair. Harry was an innocent, Tom was anything but. It was Harry's belief in Tom that helped turn the former convict around, and helped keep him there, no matter the subsequent obstacles. If Harry had any career frustrations, he only had to look at Tom to know these concerns were fairly spurious in comparison. Mostly they just liked to have a good time. Captain Proton was true nonsense compared to Fair Haven.
But Fair Haven was a testing ground for how far they could push each other, and that's what this one's really about. And for what it's worth, "Spirit Folk" is not the embarrassment you were led to believe.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Richard Riehle
Memory Alpha summary.
Here's one of those episodes where disgruntled fans typically pointed when trying to indicate just how horrid the sixth season really was. They considered it a farce, our crew stuck on the holodeck in a bad parody of an Irish village. What the heck was the point?!?
The point might have eluded those guys, but "Spirit Folk" actually has a lot going for it. Continuity-wise, even, several. For one, it's a followup to "Fair Haven," the episode earlier in the season where this program debuted. No, not much more for Janeway to learn, but it's the latest obsession for the crew, the latest hangout, after Sandrine's and the Captain Proton adventures.
And who's to blame but Tm Paris and his trusted hanger-on, Harry Kim? In fact, that's this episode's real draw, that we get another Tom & Harry lark, which was a favorite if usually under-used plot for the series. From the start, they were an unlikely pair. Harry was an innocent, Tom was anything but. It was Harry's belief in Tom that helped turn the former convict around, and helped keep him there, no matter the subsequent obstacles. If Harry had any career frustrations, he only had to look at Tom to know these concerns were fairly spurious in comparison. Mostly they just liked to have a good time. Captain Proton was true nonsense compared to Fair Haven.
But Fair Haven was a testing ground for how far they could push each other, and that's what this one's really about. And for what it's worth, "Spirit Folk" is not the embarrassment you were led to believe.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Richard Riehle
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x16 "Collective"
**
If Icheb hadn't actually returned and become a fairly major character in the series, "Collective" might go down as a fairly repetitive Borg episode for Voyager. Once again drones are reclaimed from the infernal hive mind, reclaiming their own identities, however reluctantly.
As it is, Icheb, among the several pint-sized Borg to be rescued, actually does become significant, not just because he receives a spotlight episode of his own a little later, but because he's the latest passenger the crew accepts and embraces as one of its own. Sometimes mistaken for a monotone Wesley Crusher, Icheb has his own legacy to contribute, as the observer who actively contributes to the growth of those around him, the missing link, for instance, that allows Seven to move on from her remaining limitations. He even makes a man out of Q's son!
But "Collective" on its own might be skippable, except that for the series and Icheb, you need to see it to know where he came from. If you care enough to know how mundane it really is.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Manu Intiraymi
Memory Alpha summary.
If Icheb hadn't actually returned and become a fairly major character in the series, "Collective" might go down as a fairly repetitive Borg episode for Voyager. Once again drones are reclaimed from the infernal hive mind, reclaiming their own identities, however reluctantly.
As it is, Icheb, among the several pint-sized Borg to be rescued, actually does become significant, not just because he receives a spotlight episode of his own a little later, but because he's the latest passenger the crew accepts and embraces as one of its own. Sometimes mistaken for a monotone Wesley Crusher, Icheb has his own legacy to contribute, as the observer who actively contributes to the growth of those around him, the missing link, for instance, that allows Seven to move on from her remaining limitations. He even makes a man out of Q's son!
But "Collective" on its own might be skippable, except that for the series and Icheb, you need to see it to know where he came from. If you care enough to know how mundane it really is.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Manu Intiraymi
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x15 "Tsunkatse"
***
It always amused me that fans put up such a big stink about "the wrestler" appearing in an episode of Star Trek. "The wrestler" happened to be The Rock, who went on to become an enduring box office star, Dwayne Johnson. Obviously there was a certain amount of prejudice going on in these views. "Tsunkatse" on one level is only another version of "Arena," and Johnson is more or less the episode's version of a Gorn, just an opponent for the featured series regular (in this case Seven) to combat. There's very little for Johnson to actually do in an acting capacity. Not that he would have embarrassed himself otherwise.
He's not even the only noted guest star in the episode. Jeffrey Combs and J.G. Hertzler, beloved character actors who'd been featured in Deep Space Nine, made their first franchise appearances since the end of that series nearly a year earlier (both would return in Enterprise, Combs in a featured recurring role). That alone makes this episode notable for me. Hertzler plays a captive Hirogen, the first seen in the series since the fourth season, in a scenario that echoes how his Klingon warrior in DS9 was discovered by Worf.
About the only element about this episode that isn't essential is Seven's role in it. She's a pretty random character to have been featured (in many ways, it would have made much more sense for it to be Chakotay), but there's a nifty new outfit for her in it, if you keep track of that sort of thing.
Otherwise, disregard what you may previously have heard about this one. Just watch it.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Jeffrey Combs
J.G. Hertzler
Dwayne Johnson
Memory Alpha summary.
It always amused me that fans put up such a big stink about "the wrestler" appearing in an episode of Star Trek. "The wrestler" happened to be The Rock, who went on to become an enduring box office star, Dwayne Johnson. Obviously there was a certain amount of prejudice going on in these views. "Tsunkatse" on one level is only another version of "Arena," and Johnson is more or less the episode's version of a Gorn, just an opponent for the featured series regular (in this case Seven) to combat. There's very little for Johnson to actually do in an acting capacity. Not that he would have embarrassed himself otherwise.
He's not even the only noted guest star in the episode. Jeffrey Combs and J.G. Hertzler, beloved character actors who'd been featured in Deep Space Nine, made their first franchise appearances since the end of that series nearly a year earlier (both would return in Enterprise, Combs in a featured recurring role). That alone makes this episode notable for me. Hertzler plays a captive Hirogen, the first seen in the series since the fourth season, in a scenario that echoes how his Klingon warrior in DS9 was discovered by Worf.
About the only element about this episode that isn't essential is Seven's role in it. She's a pretty random character to have been featured (in many ways, it would have made much more sense for it to be Chakotay), but there's a nifty new outfit for her in it, if you keep track of that sort of thing.
Otherwise, disregard what you may previously have heard about this one. Just watch it.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Jeffrey Combs
J.G. Hertzler
Dwayne Johnson
Memory Alpha summary.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Voyager 6x14 "Memorial"
"Memorial" is one of those episodes you can absolutely skip, as it really adds nothing at all.
Generally speaking, it's a standard message about the horrors of war, and maybe on that level it might be viewed for comparison with the number of times, say, Deep Space Nine did it (as early as its first season), but it's just so generic and doesn't even have a strong central if random lead role like "Nemesis" did with Chakotay in the fourth season.
So here's one you can skip.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Generally speaking, it's a standard message about the horrors of war, and maybe on that level it might be viewed for comparison with the number of times, say, Deep Space Nine did it (as early as its first season), but it's just so generic and doesn't even have a strong central if random lead role like "Nemesis" did with Chakotay in the fourth season.
So here's one you can skip.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x13 "Virtuoso"
*
After being the character with the best character work throughout the series, The Doctor was due for an episode that generally works and speaks to his particular situation, but maybe wasn't all that necessary.
Basically he thinks he can get more respect from a random visiting alien culture, and so makes the decision to leave the ship, only to discover his horrible mistake. It's the basic plot of his need for validation and expanded rights, but at a more frivolous angle.
It's certainly entertaining, but not exactly essential.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
After being the character with the best character work throughout the series, The Doctor was due for an episode that generally works and speaks to his particular situation, but maybe wasn't all that necessary.
Basically he thinks he can get more respect from a random visiting alien culture, and so makes the decision to leave the ship, only to discover his horrible mistake. It's the basic plot of his need for validation and expanded rights, but at a more frivolous angle.
It's certainly entertaining, but not exactly essential.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x12 "Blink of an Eye"
**
A lot of Star Trek fans like to complain that any Star Trek series repeats the same general format as a predecessor. By that I mean that four out of the five live action shows took the exploration format and ran with it. It was fine when Next Generation did it. Deep Space Nine sat in one place. Then Voyager went back to exploration, and so did Enterprise, even if they had other layers to the narrative. What's the point? Genre fans perhaps don't watch Law & Order. The point is there's always another cool way to do the same basic story. (If there weren't, many millennia of storytellers wouldn't exist.)
"Blink of an Eye" is one of the more awesome visits to a random alien world in the whole of the franchise. There's a key difference in this world, in that it spins far quicker than the average, and so civilization rapidly progresses in the time it takes our crew to dislodge their ship from its orbit, so that the episode is really about progress and impact, a more ambitious story than is typical.
You don't need to love Voyager to love "Blink of an Eye," and so it's essential viewing regardless of whether or not you like any of the characters (The Doctor has an understated subplot that may be worth noting), just so long as you love Star Trek.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Daniel Dae Kim
Memory Alpha summary.
A lot of Star Trek fans like to complain that any Star Trek series repeats the same general format as a predecessor. By that I mean that four out of the five live action shows took the exploration format and ran with it. It was fine when Next Generation did it. Deep Space Nine sat in one place. Then Voyager went back to exploration, and so did Enterprise, even if they had other layers to the narrative. What's the point? Genre fans perhaps don't watch Law & Order. The point is there's always another cool way to do the same basic story. (If there weren't, many millennia of storytellers wouldn't exist.)
"Blink of an Eye" is one of the more awesome visits to a random alien world in the whole of the franchise. There's a key difference in this world, in that it spins far quicker than the average, and so civilization rapidly progresses in the time it takes our crew to dislodge their ship from its orbit, so that the episode is really about progress and impact, a more ambitious story than is typical.
You don't need to love Voyager to love "Blink of an Eye," and so it's essential viewing regardless of whether or not you like any of the characters (The Doctor has an understated subplot that may be worth noting), just so long as you love Star Trek.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Daniel Dae Kim
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x11 "Fair Haven"
**
Consider how she began the season, Janeway really needed a break, and that's exactly what she got in "Fair Haven."
A lot of fans latched onto the later episode "Spirit Folk" as indicative of what made the season so generally appalling, and joked that the Captain had a romance with a hologram, but actually watching "Fair Haven" is a strong argument that these sentiments are spurious at best.
In the early seasons, Janeway had a fiance in the Alpha Quadrant and a budding romance with Chakotay. Both were subsequently taken from her, and the strain of the voyage was displayed in episodes like "Night," and the sad fact is that she probably suffered the most out of everyone for the decision she made in "Caretaker." "Fair Haven" represents the first break she had in six seasons, and is an appropriately complicated tale for someone in as complicated a situation as Janeway.
I won't go so far as to say it's essential viewing, but for both the season and the series, it wouldn't have made any sense for it not to happen. For Janeway, it's a defining episode, to be sure, and I've said elsewhere, the whole season seems to have been dedicated at the very least to settling thorny issues from the past and preparing everyone for the conclusion. Yes, you can skip this one and still follow the thrust of things, but not if you want to know or care about Kathryn Janeway.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Richard Riehle
Memory Alpha summary.
Consider how she began the season, Janeway really needed a break, and that's exactly what she got in "Fair Haven."
A lot of fans latched onto the later episode "Spirit Folk" as indicative of what made the season so generally appalling, and joked that the Captain had a romance with a hologram, but actually watching "Fair Haven" is a strong argument that these sentiments are spurious at best.
In the early seasons, Janeway had a fiance in the Alpha Quadrant and a budding romance with Chakotay. Both were subsequently taken from her, and the strain of the voyage was displayed in episodes like "Night," and the sad fact is that she probably suffered the most out of everyone for the decision she made in "Caretaker." "Fair Haven" represents the first break she had in six seasons, and is an appropriately complicated tale for someone in as complicated a situation as Janeway.
I won't go so far as to say it's essential viewing, but for both the season and the series, it wouldn't have made any sense for it not to happen. For Janeway, it's a defining episode, to be sure, and I've said elsewhere, the whole season seems to have been dedicated at the very least to settling thorny issues from the past and preparing everyone for the conclusion. Yes, you can skip this one and still follow the thrust of things, but not if you want to know or care about Kathryn Janeway.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Richard Riehle
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x10 "Pathfinder"
****
In the many sweeping generalizations of the last half-decade of the franchise before the J.J. Abrams reboot, it's always been unfair to suggest the sixth season of Voyager as both a colossal failure and waste of time, and you can look no further for contradiction than "Pathfinder," the episode that began the crew's last leg of the journey home.
There's a lot of things to like about this one, actually, or if you're still being obstinate, then at least consider it noteworthy. Dwight Schultz, for instance, returns to the series (after making a more random appearance in the second season episode "Projections") and the franchise as the ship's unlikely savior. Then again, maybe he wasn't so unlikely. Originally a beloved if neurotic recurring character in The Next Generation, Reginald Barclay was a brilliant engineer who kept getting in his own way, finally tapping into his potential with a little prodding from the combined efforts of Captain Picard's crew. He made an appearance in First Contact, but seemed destined to remain known as the guy who was once nicknamed "Broccoli" (and not affectionately).
Some fans considered "Pathfinder" to be a character regression for the guy who first made a name for himself retreating to the fantasies of the Holodeck, Barclay once again preferring to hang out with holograms rather than real people. Yet they really missed the point. In a roundabout way, what he was really doing was integrating what had once been his biggest failing with his greatest strength, and in the process solved the riddle of how Starfleet could locate and establish regular contact with the wayward crew in the Delta Quadrant. It was a fete of brilliance that he could never have achieved serving aboard a starship. No offense to Scotty or La Forge, but this is an accomplishment of far greater important than making an engine sing even in the midst of a crisis.
Anyway, Barclay is joined by Marina Sirtis (making the first of three appearances in the series), once again portraying Deanna Troi, saddled with the task of figuring out the most peculiar officer in the fleet one more time. The episode also features the debut of Richard Herd in the role of Admiral Owen Paris, former colleague of Captain Janeway and Tom Paris, making the implicit case that father no longer so harshly judges son in his efforts to oversee the success of this project.
Subconsciously, "Pathfinder" was a huge development in the series, making what the show would never be able to do without limiting the dramatic impact of finally getting home in the finale possible by finally opening contact with home.
It's essential viewing in every sense of the word, a clear highlight of the series, something a skeptical fan can use if they want to approach with an open mind, a break from the regular format, a giant step forward for an established character...you name it.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Dwight Schultz
Marina Sirtis
Richard Herd
Memory Alpha summary.
In the many sweeping generalizations of the last half-decade of the franchise before the J.J. Abrams reboot, it's always been unfair to suggest the sixth season of Voyager as both a colossal failure and waste of time, and you can look no further for contradiction than "Pathfinder," the episode that began the crew's last leg of the journey home.
There's a lot of things to like about this one, actually, or if you're still being obstinate, then at least consider it noteworthy. Dwight Schultz, for instance, returns to the series (after making a more random appearance in the second season episode "Projections") and the franchise as the ship's unlikely savior. Then again, maybe he wasn't so unlikely. Originally a beloved if neurotic recurring character in The Next Generation, Reginald Barclay was a brilliant engineer who kept getting in his own way, finally tapping into his potential with a little prodding from the combined efforts of Captain Picard's crew. He made an appearance in First Contact, but seemed destined to remain known as the guy who was once nicknamed "Broccoli" (and not affectionately).
Some fans considered "Pathfinder" to be a character regression for the guy who first made a name for himself retreating to the fantasies of the Holodeck, Barclay once again preferring to hang out with holograms rather than real people. Yet they really missed the point. In a roundabout way, what he was really doing was integrating what had once been his biggest failing with his greatest strength, and in the process solved the riddle of how Starfleet could locate and establish regular contact with the wayward crew in the Delta Quadrant. It was a fete of brilliance that he could never have achieved serving aboard a starship. No offense to Scotty or La Forge, but this is an accomplishment of far greater important than making an engine sing even in the midst of a crisis.
Anyway, Barclay is joined by Marina Sirtis (making the first of three appearances in the series), once again portraying Deanna Troi, saddled with the task of figuring out the most peculiar officer in the fleet one more time. The episode also features the debut of Richard Herd in the role of Admiral Owen Paris, former colleague of Captain Janeway and Tom Paris, making the implicit case that father no longer so harshly judges son in his efforts to oversee the success of this project.
Subconsciously, "Pathfinder" was a huge development in the series, making what the show would never be able to do without limiting the dramatic impact of finally getting home in the finale possible by finally opening contact with home.
It's essential viewing in every sense of the word, a clear highlight of the series, something a skeptical fan can use if they want to approach with an open mind, a break from the regular format, a giant step forward for an established character...you name it.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Dwight Schultz
Marina Sirtis
Richard Herd
Memory Alpha summary.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Voyager 6x9 "The Voyager Conspiracy"
***
This is one of the most brilliant episodes of the series. It's not one of the best, but yes, it's one of the most brilliant. You owe it to yourself to see it if you have any interest in Voyager.
Basically, Seven makes a huge mistake and becomes paranoid to the point where she tries to figure out why exactly she ended up on Voyager, questioning the motives of Chakotay and Janeway, pulling all the things fans assumed the writers had forgotten into a sharp new perspective, and eventually ending in a poignant moment shared between Janeway and Seven in which their relationship is nicely summed up.
No other Star Trek ever did something like this, which is so clever it borders on meta, and does not even feature Q. So many fans tried to claim the writers had no idea what they were doing, or how to tell a good Voyager-specific episode, and then "The Voyager Conspiracy" comes along.
To be clear, if you love the series you'll love this episode. What's the worth of adding a character later on in a show's run? To give some fresh perspective. But this one goes above and beyond the call of duty.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
This is one of the most brilliant episodes of the series. It's not one of the best, but yes, it's one of the most brilliant. You owe it to yourself to see it if you have any interest in Voyager.
Basically, Seven makes a huge mistake and becomes paranoid to the point where she tries to figure out why exactly she ended up on Voyager, questioning the motives of Chakotay and Janeway, pulling all the things fans assumed the writers had forgotten into a sharp new perspective, and eventually ending in a poignant moment shared between Janeway and Seven in which their relationship is nicely summed up.
No other Star Trek ever did something like this, which is so clever it borders on meta, and does not even feature Q. So many fans tried to claim the writers had no idea what they were doing, or how to tell a good Voyager-specific episode, and then "The Voyager Conspiracy" comes along.
To be clear, if you love the series you'll love this episode. What's the worth of adding a character later on in a show's run? To give some fresh perspective. But this one goes above and beyond the call of duty.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x8 "One Small Step"
*
Every now and again Star Trek likes to remind everyone that its stories set in the future have a parallel in the future, our own time's explorations of space, an homage to the hard work and dedication that either seems to be well-funded and widely respected, or under-funded and virtually ignored (we've been in the latter period since Columbia).
"One Small Step" isn't the best of those episodes, but it's a worthy addition to the fold.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Phil Morris
Memory Alpha summary.
Every now and again Star Trek likes to remind everyone that its stories set in the future have a parallel in the future, our own time's explorations of space, an homage to the hard work and dedication that either seems to be well-funded and widely respected, or under-funded and virtually ignored (we've been in the latter period since Columbia).
"One Small Step" isn't the best of those episodes, but it's a worthy addition to the fold.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Phil Morris
Memory Alpha summary.
Voyager 6x7 "Dragon's Teeth"
**
This is one of the sixth season episodes that actually provoked a positive reaction from otherwise skeptical-at-best fans, since it's an experience that could have happened on any Star Trek, but the experience seems right for Voyager and seemed to introduce a new threat that might have come back later on for more.
"Dragon's Teeth" does not spawn any return engagements. It's a standalone episode, to be clear. The crew stumbles across another species locked in suspended animation, decides to awaken it, and discovers that this was a very bad mistake. There's even another chance that they can use this experience to get a little closer home, but no dice, once again. They learn their mistake and narrowly survive and are once again off on their merry way. In some ways a very typical and therefore potentially forgettable entry, but stands out just enough where you will thank yourself for viewing it. Not essential, but definitely won't leave you hating the show.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Robert Knepper
Memory Alpha summary.
This is one of the sixth season episodes that actually provoked a positive reaction from otherwise skeptical-at-best fans, since it's an experience that could have happened on any Star Trek, but the experience seems right for Voyager and seemed to introduce a new threat that might have come back later on for more.
"Dragon's Teeth" does not spawn any return engagements. It's a standalone episode, to be clear. The crew stumbles across another species locked in suspended animation, decides to awaken it, and discovers that this was a very bad mistake. There's even another chance that they can use this experience to get a little closer home, but no dice, once again. They learn their mistake and narrowly survive and are once again off on their merry way. In some ways a very typical and therefore potentially forgettable entry, but stands out just enough where you will thank yourself for viewing it. Not essential, but definitely won't leave you hating the show.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Robert Knepper
Memory Alpha summary.
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