Introduction

What is this show all about? Honestly, it’s tough to say (even after binge-watching for over a month of quarantine)! The series changed direction and purpose somewhere during S2; S3 and S4 have proven often is that Voyager is a series that wanders. With its technical resources (budgets are obviously higher in S4) and mostly strong cast, I think it’s capable of being better. The status quo must occasionally be shattered. We have to feel like we’re going somewhere. We need more characters to be developed, as we’ve seen w/ Capt. Janeway, Seven of Nine, and The Doctor. I want to see this crew taking actions and living w/ the consequences. Characters need to evolve and learn from their pasts. With the end of S4 also came the end of Jeri Taylor’s executive producer duties. Brannon Braga took over the creative processes (becoming showrunner).

Paris and Torres relationship is getting more serious, but it comes across as under-developed; the actors are doing their best. Harry and Neelix have continued to be all over the place; they have their (few) moments, but then return to being annoying (b/c of how they are written). Tuvok needs more time onscreen and better dialogue; we know he can do a lot w/ little (though that’s not fair to the actor). Chakotay didn’t get much to do in S4; he mainly gives moral support to Janeway; the actor wasn’t happy w/ the quality of scripts. Ever since he and Janeway reached that agreement in Scorpion, Part II, Chakotay hasn’t given his opinion or insight, or shown much personality. I’d like to know what he’s really thinking, even if disagreeing w/ Janeway.

Also, the aliens need to be more interesting! The Delta Quadrant races exist solely for the sake conflict. The Hirogen were in 6 eps; they were the primary aliens of this season. Since the Hirogen were pack hunters, their purpose most of the time was to seek out and destroy the starship Voyager, which isn’t a fresh approach to alien encounters. Why can’t we see alien cultures who are peaceful and tell us a little something about humanity? Why are so many aliens stock villain types?

Season 4: Selected Episodes

Episode 1: Scorpion, Part II 

[suffering from neural damage, Janeway puts Chakotay in charge of the ship and the mission]

Janeway: [lying on what could be her deathbed] They’ll push you, they’ll threaten you, but they need you. They need this alliance. You have to make this work. I want you… to make this work. Get this crew… home.

To facilitate the Voyager/Borg alliance, the Borg assign Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) to communicate w/ Capt. Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) while developing a weapon against Species 8472. Meanwhile, as the Doctor’s modified Borg nanoprobes successfully attack Ensign Kim’s (Garrett Wang) alien infection, Kes (Jennifer Lien) continues to experience a psychic link w/ Species 8472 (which gets strong and scary). Through Kes, Species 8472 learns the purpose of the alliance and attacks!

Chakotay: Seven of Nine said that we lacked the cohesion of a collective mind, that one day it would divide us and destroy us – and here we are, proving her point.

Janeway: I’ll tell you when we lost control of this situation, when we made our mistake. It was the moment we turned away from each other. We don’t have to stop being individuals to get through this; we just have to stop fighting each other.

The title refers to the Aesop fable re: the scorpion and the fox (or frog) which we learn in the S3 finale. The music here is intense and gives a sense of foreboding. Mulgrew is great (as always); her decision to ally w/ the Borg was just whoa! Her convo w/ Chakotay (Robert Beltran) in sickbay and then w/ Seven in the Ready Room are standout scenes. Chakotay thinks the Captain is mistaken; this is consistent w/ his Maquis roots.

Episode 2: The Gift

Janeway: [summarizing Tuvok’s report] I’ve got an Ocampan who wants to be something more and a Borg who’s afraid of becoming something less. Here’s to Vulcan stability.

Seven of Nine resists as her natural human physiology begins to regenerate. It’s up to Janeway to convince her to embrace her humanity and join the Voyager crew. Kes’ telekinetic powers grow to such a point that she can no longer control them; she decides she must leave the ship. 

[Janeway shows Seven of Nine the picture of a little girl]

Janeway: Do you remember her? Her name was Annika Hansen. She was born on Stardate 25479, at the Tendara Colony. There’s still a lot we don’t know about her. Did she have any siblings? Who were her friends? Where did she go to school? What was her favorite color?

Seven of Nine: Irrelevant! Take me back to the Borg!

Jennifer Lien leaving the series officially came about when the staff felt that Kes character arc had been taken as far as it would go; the actress was released from her contract. The entire cast was upset by this decision; they took Lien out to dinner and Mulgrew even drove her home. Garrett Wang stated that he was originally the one at risk of being fired, as he and (writer-producer) Rick Berman didn’t get along. Then, Wang was featured in People‘s 50 Most Beautiful People edition, so the producers decided to keep him and write Lien out instead. Ethan Phillips stated that another goodbye scene between Neelix and Kes was taped, but didn’t make it into this ep. This gift refers to Kes throwing Voyager closer toward Earth (9,500 light years or 10 yrs at maximum warp).

Episode 4: Nemesis

Cmdr. Chakotay’s shuttle is hit by enemy cross-fire and crashes on a planet in the midst of a war. One side (the Vori) befriends him and attempts to help him locate his shuttle. He finds himself quickly taking sides; when captured by the other side (the Kradin), he is reminded that every army has its own story. The teleplay for this ep was written by Kenneth Biller; I’ve liked most of his work so far.

This is a “bottle episode” where we follow Chakotay and a group of young Vori soldiers; one is a newbie hesitant about facing the enemy. While the Vori look like humans, the Kradin have a vicious/unpleasant look (despite their good intentions, as we eventually learn). The makeup of the Kradin resembles that of the Nausicaans from TNG: Tapestry, Fek’lhr from TNG: Devil’s Due, as well as the title character from Predator. The Kradin uniforms were reuses of the Mokra uniforms from the S1 ep Resistance.

[last lines]

Chakotay: I wish it were as easy to stop hating as it was to start.

I think this episode is really cool and brings up issues like propaganda, perspective, and brainwashing in times of war. I actually like the different speech. It is part of being able to hear how Chakotay is brought into this different world. The more he uses the language the more is on the side of the Vori. In the Trek universe this could be explained as maybe the universal translators don’t always get it 100% how the Federation would speak.

-Excerpt from IMDB review

Episode 6: The Raven

Amid Janeway’s negotiations w/ a xenophobic race of aliens (the Bomar) for passage through their region of space, talks are disrupted when Seven of Nine (believing herself summoned by the Borg) leaves Voyager to rejoin the Collective, heading into the aliens’ territory. The teleplay for this ep was co-written by Bryan Fuller (a huge fan of the ST universe); it was directed by LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge on TNG).

The Doctor: [to Seven] You could be experiencing some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Janeway: Makes sense. You were assimilated by the Borg. You’ve gone through an intense, prolonged trauma.

Seven of Nine: I was not traumatized, I was raised by the Borg. I don’t see them as threatening. Why would I experience fear?

Seven of Nine’s silver bodysuit was replaced by a more understated/less restrictive brown one; it also had a higher neckline. This story resembles TNG: Brothers, where Cmdr. Data, as the result of being summoned by his creator (Dr. Noonian Soong) takes over the Enterprise. We see Seven experience PTSD, we learn more re: her parents- the Hansons- who researched the Borg for several years.

There are times when Voyager feels like a cheap imitation of the TNG, and there are times when Voyager is good, fun and unique. This is one of the latter. This episode explores the re-adaptation of Seven of Nine’s humanity.

-Excerpt from IMDB review

…Neelix introduces her to the concept of eating food, which is milked for some engaging, low-key humor. (How do you teach someone how to chew and swallow? I’m not sure, but Neelix seems like an appropriate instructor.) Jeri Ryan is a joy to watch here.

These are the types of things that we need to see. Being (A) the new character on the series, and (B) the Voyager take on the humanity commentary and identity seeker—a character vital on any Trek series—are two things that make Seven a fountain of storytelling potential.

-Jammer’s Reviews

Episodes 8 & 9: Year of Hell, Parts I & II

Part I: Voyager enters the “Year of Hell” that Kes reported in S3 E21 (Before and After). A Krenim timeship, lead by Capt. Annorax (Kurtwood Smith), aims to rewrite regional history by selectively wiping out entire species of warp-capable humanoids from ever existing. Though many light years away, Voyager, in protecting itself w/ temporal shielding from a foe, becomes a fly in the ointment of Annorax’ plan for 100% restoration of the Krenim Imperium.

Part II: A year into the battle with the Krenim, a stripped down and barely functioning Voyager w/ a skeleton crew is leading an armada of various species’ ships against the timeship before more damage is done. Meanwhile, as “guests” of Annorax, Chakotay and Paris individually pursue solutions to the crisis from the other end.

[Janeway declines a watch Chakotay has given her as a birthday present]

Janeway: That watch represents a meal, a hypospray, or a pair of boots. It could mean the difference between life and death one day.

Whoa- can you believe how cool and gritty this show could be!? The teleplay was written by Brannon Braga (also co-EP) and his frequent collaborator, Joe Menosky. This was originally supposed to be the S3 finale; there were some minor rewrites, w/ many of Kes’s lines given to Seven of Nine. Braga ideally would’ve had this arc be one season long (UPN said no way); when he wanted to have it as 4 eps (Berman said no- he wanted to keep things episodic). This show’s writers didn’t have the freedom which DS9 had, unfortunately!

The intro narration by Janeway states: “Space, the great unknown. Only now we’re going to know it a little better.” This is a reference to the narration by Capt. Kirk during the intro of each episode of TOS. Seven of Nine tells Kim and Torres that the Borg were present when Zefram Cochrane launched his first warp-driven starship. She claims it is “complicated”- an acknowledgment of the events of Star Trek: First Contact, in which the Borg travel through time to assimilate humans. This is the first (continued) appearance of Janeway’s short hairstyle. Neelix (Ethan Phillips) wears the gold Starfleet uniform, having been commissioned as a security officer. Smith also played the Efrosian Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and DS9: Things Past. His right-hand man is Obrist, played by John Loprieno (One Life to Live).

Tuvok: …I have never understood the Human compulsion to emotionally bond with inanimate objects. This vessel has done nothing. It is an assemblage of bulkheads, conduits, tritanium. Nothing more.

Janeway: Oh, you’re wrong. It’s much more than that. This ship has been our home. It’s kept us together. It’s been part of our family. As illogical as this might sound, I feel as close to Voyager as I do to any other member of my crew. It’s carried us, Tuvok – even nurtured us. And right now, it needs one of us.

This is listed as one of the “Ten Essential Episodes” of Voyager in the 2008 reference book Star Trek 101 by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann. This story was inspired greatly by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The name “Annorax” was derived from the main character Pierre Aronnax; Paris compares Annorax to Captain Nemo (the antagonist of Verne’s story). This ep was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. Ron Moore (a former writing partner of Braga) used this script as an example of how the series should’ve proceeded all along.

This is the only time we see Janeway relieved of command (momentarily) by The Doctor, on the grounds that she is suffering from Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Voyager is shown as being very damaged; acrylic sheets (similar to those used when the sets are in storage) was draped over most of the “clean” bulkheads, and then sprayed w/ charcoal dust to simulate the effects of many explosions. This resulted in many surfaces having a “wrinkled” look (which I noticed on my second viewing).

[1] It showed a nasty, dark side to Star Trek that had rarely been seen before, and was beautifully acted by nearly everyone. …the way this episode is shot, the sense of fear and terror that runs through it is magnificent and not something you would expect from Star Trek.

[2] This was another exciting episode where the crew actually get hurt, including the captain who is badly scarred in a fire. It was just a shame the story couldn’t have been stretched a bit longer as it was good to see the usually pristine Voyager battle-scarred.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Episode 14: Message in a Bottle

Seven of Nine’s discovery of a tenuous link to the Federation excites Janeway. When the normal method for sending messages proves inadequate, sending the Doctor (a hologram) might work. The Doctor beams over to the Prometheus (at the far edge of the Alpha Quadrant), a prototype starship captured by Romulans. The Doctor finds an ally in EMH-2, a new/untested prototype, played by Andy Dick (NewsRadio). EMH-2’s line “I’m a doctor, not a commando!” is a running gag which all doctors in various ST series have said. This ep introduces the Hirogen, a new alien race/adversary to Voyager crew.

Judson Scott (Romulan Commander Rekar) also played baddie roles in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and TNG: Symbiosis. Although the Dominion is referenced in several ST shows, this is the only reference the Dominion War outside of DS9 and Star Trek: Insurrection. This makes sense, since Voyager was stuck in the Delta Quadrant for the entire Dominion War. We see the (new/DS9-style) uniform that’s worn by Alpha Quadrant Starfleet personnel from now on. The crew of Voyager never wears the updated uniforms; this would’ve probably exhausted their limited replicator rations. The show runners probably wanted to keep the older (color on top) uniforms to differentiate from the cast of DS9.

[1] There is a lot of humor in this, but the serious nature of it involves a possible connection to Earth and home. There is some really fun byplay between the two holographic personages and this highlights this episode.

[2] This comedy ends in a success once the doctor returns to Voyager and tells Janeway that he contacted Starfleet in a short scene that’s extremely warm and touching.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Episode 15: Hunters

Through the vast Hirogen communications net (which we learned of in E14), Voyager crewmen receive unexpected letters from home. As many fans have noted, even on the late ’90s, computer networks were well-established. The mail wouldn’t need to be put on a stack of PADDS, but could’ve been distributed via something like an email server. Later, Tuvok and Seven get captured by the tall/intimidating aliens- the Hirogen- who live to hunt and collect trophies of their defeated prey. Tiny Ron (Alpha Hirogen) had a recurring DS9 role as Maihar’du, Grand Nagus Zek’s protective/silent servant. Since this teleplay was written by Jeri Taylor, we get an interesting story (w/ great Janeway/Chakotay scenes) .

[Janeway has learned that her fiancé has married somebody else]

Janeway: I guess I didn’t really expect him to wait for me, considering the circumstances, but it made me realize that I was using him as a safety net, you know, as a way to avoid becoming involved with someone else.

Chakotay: You don’t have that safety net anymore.

Janeway: That’s right. Then again, my life is far from uneventful here in the Delta Quadrant. It’s not like I would’ve had a chance to pursue a relationship, even if I HAD realized I was alone.

Chakotay: You’re hardly alone – and to my way of thinking, there’s still plenty of time.

Janeway: Plenty of time.

Chakotay learns that the Maquis have been decimated by the Cardassian/Dominion alliance. This is good stuff. The fact that all the Maquis back in the Alpha Quadrant are gone now undoubtedly hits the Maquis population on Voyager pretty hard. Chakotay’s reaction to this devastating news is an especially poignant moment.

The letter she receives is from her (former) fiance Mark… It’s not something that Janeway finds particularly surprising; it’s just that the fact it wasn’t surprising doesn’t make accepting the inevitable any easier. Her mention to Chakotay that the letter had such a “finality” was well said—perfectly said, in fact.

-Excerpts from Jammer’s Reviews

Episode 16: Prey

Chakotay: [of the Hirogen] From what I found in their database, diplomacy isn’t a part of their lifestyle. They don’t see us as equals. To them, we’re simply game.

Janeway: It’s time we convinced them otherwise, or like any cornered animal, we’ll show our teeth.

A Hirogen ship meets up with Voyager, but doesn’t attack; there is one severely injured survivor inside. In taking him aboard for treatment, the ship also acquires the successful attacker- a member of Species 8472 (yikes)! There is a look at Species 8472 walking along the ship’s hull; this is a rare shot for a ST show. The crew team up with the Alpha Hirogen (Tony Todd) to hunt it down, but circumstances bring out Janeway’s desire to apply compassion, which puts her in opposition w/ the Hirogen and also Seven of Nine. Todd played Worf’s brother Kurn (TNG and DS9); he also played the future Jake Sisko in DS9: The Visitor. The EV suits are the same ones seen in Star Trek: First Contact.

Although Janeway lectures Seven by saying “it is wrong to sacrifice another being to save our own lives,” that is what she did in Tuvix, where she forced him to sacrifice his life to restore Tuvok and Neelix. She defended that choice by stating that Tuvix was created as the result of a transporter accident and, therefore, less entitled to exist. This ep lets Ryan spread her wings; of course, Seven is freaked out by Species 8472, but she still has the guts to tell her real feelings to Janeway.

[Janeway has asked Seven of Nine to create a singularity, which Seven refuses]

Seven of Nine: I have agreed to remain on Voyager; I have agreed to function as a member of your crew. But I will not be a willing participant in my own destruction or the destruction of this ship.

Janeway: Objection noted. We’ll do this without you.

Seven of Nine: You will fail.

Janeway: And you have just crossed the line!

***

Chakotay: Is your body armor designed to handle rapid pressure fluctuations?

Alpha Hirogen: It can defeat most hostile environments. I once tracked a silicon-based life-form through the neutronium mantle of a collapsed star.

Tom Paris: I once tracked a mouse through Jefferies tube 32.

***

[last lines]

Seven of Nine: It is puzzling.

Janeway: What’s that?

Seven of Nine: You made me into an individual. You encouraged me to stop thinking like a member of the Collective, to cultivate my independence and my humanity. But when I try to assert that independence, I am punished.

Janeway: Individuality has its limits – especially on a starship where there’s a command structure.

Seven of Nine: I believe that you are punishing me because I do not think the way that you do. Because I am not becoming more like you. You claim to respect my individuality. But in fact, you are frightened by it.

Janeway: As you were.

***

The Hirogen here aren’t played anywhere near as over the top as the two Hirogen in “Hunters.” From the moment “Prey” begins, there’s almost a sense that the writers or director or somebody made a conscious effort to tone down the Hirogen to something that’s …well, watchable.

This is a solidly constructed, very focused story that transcends the lightweight nature typical of season four by addressing a moral issue and framing it in the context of a punchy action/adventure premise.

-Excerpts from Jammer’s Reviews

Episodes 18 & 19: The Killing Game, Parts I & II

Part I: The Hirogen capture Voyager, turning it into one big holodeck, and setting up several scenarios using the crew members as prey. The memories of the crew are suppressed by use of implants and they are given new identities consistent w/ the scenario. Only The Doctor is free to save Voyager. 

Part II: As Janeway, Seven, Kim and The Doctor struggle to free the minds of their shipmates, dissension looms between the Alpha Hirogen and his subordinates, particularly w/ Turanj. Janeway’s negotiation for a ceasefire w/ the visionary Alpha Hirogen becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back. As Turanj selects Janeway as his personal prey, the rest of the crew vie against Nazi forces in the ship-wide WWII holodeck simulation. 

Looks like Nazis aren’t played out (old news) in this show! The Hirogen have taken over Voyager and made it into an expansive Holodeck, spreading emitters over many decks. They’ve forced Ensign Kim to maintain this for them, but the emitters suck too much power from the ship’s main systems. The Hirogen shoot, stab, and shunt the crew to Sickbay; the Doctor has an assembly-line to patch them up. Some long-time fans consider this a fun story; others think it lacks subtlety.

The ensemble cast get to wear different hairstyles, period costumes, and (generally) look like they’re having a ball. Janeway is seen as a Klingon in the opening; later, Neelix gathers Klingons to fight the Nazis (which is glorious and hilarious)! Ryan displays her singing talents; she sings “That Old Black Magic” (published in 1942), as well as “It Can’t Be Wrong” (1943), an adaptation of “Charlotte’s Theme” from the soundtrack of Now, Voyager. Seven’s French name is “Mademoiselle de Neuf” (“Miss of Nine”). Dawson was in the final stages of pregnancy in S4, so her pregnancy could be used effectively here, w/o the necessity to film her from the chest up.

This was a good episode even if the WWII setting was a little cliché… at least the problems weren’t due to the holodeck safeties malfunctioning yet again. It also showed some nice character development in the Hirogens when their leader explains how he wanted to use such technology so they wouldn’t spend their lives scattered across the galaxy finding new prey to hunt.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

I would like to agree with those who see the episode as fun. I also think it’s very Trekkian, with its portrayal of the good guys as cleverly subversive, always the rebels. Americans have always pictured themselves as underdogs, fighting for freedom.

This is about as meta as its possible to get – the resistance on the ship mirrored with the resistance on the holodeck, Janeway and Seven’s conflict being played out, B’Elanna and Tom having a relationship – and actually there is some satisfaction in the different layers. Harry may have found his strongest role yet. And the whole thing looks gorgeous.

-Comment from Jammer’s Reviews

Episode 21: The Omega Directive

[Janeway is briefing her senior officers about the Omega molecule, its nature and its dangers]

Janeway: Omega destroys subspace. A chain reaction involving a handful of molecules could devastate subspace throughout an entire quadrant. If that were to happen, warp travel would become impossible. Space-faring civilization as we know it would cease to exist.

[…]

I don’t have to tell you what’s at stake. If a large-scale Omega explosion occurs, we will lose the ability to go to warp forever. We’ve got our work cut out for us.

Voyager’s sensors detect a rare particle capable of damaging subspace and nullifying warp travel. Under a classified directive known only to Starfleet captains and a few others, Janeway leads the ship on a mission to destroy all traces of that particle. Seven of Nine hesitates to destroy it, sharing the Borg reverence of it as the embodiment of perfection.

Janeway’s log entries are encrypted throughout this episode; she mentions Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan‘s Dr. Carol Marcus and the Genesis Device. This is the only time that any captain officially rescinds the Prime Directive! Seven tells Janeway that the Omega Particle means “perfection” to the Borg. Dawson went into labor during the production of this ep; we see Torres in Engineering towards the start, but she’s absent when Janeway briefs the senior officers during the special meeting about Omega.

[last lines]

Seven of Nine: For 3.2 seconds, I saw perfection. When Omega stabilized, I felt a curious sensation. As I was watching it, it seemed to be watching me. The Borg have assimilated many species, with mythologies to explain such moments of clarity. I’ve always dismissed them as trivial. Perhaps I was wrong.

Janeway: If I didn’t know you better… I’d say you just had your first spiritual experience.

…it’s just a solid stand-alone science fiction story that is sensibly written and sensibly executed. It’s entertaining and reasonably thoughtful, particularly with some of the characterizations that arise late in the story. As an episode of Voyager, it’s pretty original; watching the episode, I got the feeling that I hadn’t seen this story before.

I was thoroughly impressed and even moved by the effectiveness of Jeri Ryan’s performance and the writers’ ability to give her such good material. The way Ryan delivers these lines is poignant, showing Seven vulnerable, troubled, and emotional…

-Jammer’s Reviews

Episode 23: Living Witness

[first lines]

Janeway: [in the historical simulation] When diplomacy fails, there’s only one alternative: violence. Force must be applied without apology. It’s the Starfleet way.

When The Doctor’s back-up module is found, his program is brought on-line for the first time in 700 years. In the future, the Kyrian Museum of Heritage teaches a history that writes Voyager as playing a detrimental role in beginning their Great War w/ the Vaskans. The Doctor is the only living witness and sets the record straight, but the new “facts” give way to old tensions from the formerly warring races. The museum curator and The Doctor find themselves amidst violence and destruction! This ep was directed by Tim Russ; it’s very highly-rated and popular w/ fans.

[in the historical simulation]

Janeway: [on the brawl between her senior officers] Save it for the holodeck. We’ve got a war to fight.

Some sets here were also used in Star Trek: Insurrection (then in production), w/ the museum doubling as a Son’a ship. This is the only ep that establishes The Doctor as having a backup. The “inaccurate depiction” of The Doctor is similar to the android Data from TNG. The holographic warship has a Kazon ensign. None of the crew of the warship wear rank insignia on their collars or the combadges on their left breast. The normal gray undershirt worn beneath the Starfleet jumpsuit uniform has been changed to black, and many crew members wear black gloves. Some other differences include different hair (Janeway’s) and a tattoo in the style of the Maori on Chakotay. This ep will (no doubt) remind many of the mirror universe of TOS (Mirror, Mirror), TNG: Yesterday’s Enterprise, and/or several DS9 stories.

Quarren: You’re trying to protect yourself.

The Doctor: And so are you – from the truth! Isn’t it a coincidence that the Kyrians are being portrayed in the best possible light? Martyrs, heroes, saviors… Obviously, events have been reinterpreted to make your people feel better about themselves. Revisionist history – it’s such a comfort.

[1] This episode is about how cultures can come or fail to come to grips with the reality of their past. And how those misconceptions and lies can have a lasting crippling effect on the societies. It also demonstrates how difficult it can be to present the truth when you are addressing people who are investing in a more convenient narrative for their own peace of mind, regarding of the evidence.

It’s a great story topic for science fiction which isn’t very often told in an interesting way like the way we see it in this episode. This episode manages to be one of the more insightful and funny episodes of the series.

[2] Bold, edgy, creative and thankfully not so nice and touchy-feely like too many of the show’s other episodes.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Episode 25: One

Seven of Nine: Holodecks are a pointless endeavor, fulfilling some human need to fantasize. I have no such need.

The Doctor: What you need is some editorial skill in your self-expression. Between impulse and action, there is a realm of good taste begging for your acquaintance.

Yikes, this ep is going to come across as too real (nowadays in quarantine life)! An unavoidable poisonous nebula forces the entire crew into stasis chambers, except for The Doctor and Seven of Nine. She must fight her “collective” mentality to handle being alone for over a month, while combating ship-wide failures, an intruder, and her own fears of individuality and loneliness. The teleplay was written by series co-creator Jeri Taylor and directed by Biller (who was mainly a writer). This plot is similar to Persistence of Vision and Bliss, where The Doctor works closely w/ another crew member (Kes; Seven) while most of the crew is incapacitated.

[The Doctor and Seven are crawling through the Jeffries tubes, which are narrow.]

The Doctor: I’ll complain if I want to. It’s comforting.

We learn that Voyager has traveled 15,000 light years toward home (Earth). The stasis room was a redress of the cargo bay set; stasis units also appeared in Resolutions and The Thaw. The Doctor says: “If you had even the slightest sense of humor, you’d realize I was making a small joke;” Seven replies: “Very small.” This is reminiscent of a scene between Chekov and Spock in TOS: The Trouble with Tribbles. A holographic version of Torres says she joined the Maquis after Chakotay saved her life; this was established in Taylor’s novel Pathways.

[1] This was a good episode which gave Jeri Ryan to show a greater acting range as Seven starts to be effected by the solitude.

[2] Despite being almost a one-woman show, this is a pretty good episode. I particularly liked the conversations between her and the crew during the worst of the hallucinations- they were darkly funny. Worth seeing and unique. And, I appreciate the character development in Seven.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Humans are social creatures- and so, it would seem, are Borg (in a twisted manner of speaking). The transition from being part of the Borg collective to being an individual was difficult enough for Seven; now she’s faced with the prospect of being the lone individual in a high-pressure situation. It is more difficult than she could’ve imagined.

…I’ve found Seven of Nine to be the most believably and interestingly written character on the ensemble. Why is it the writers can’t do these stories for anyone else? Maybe it’s simply that Seven’s quest for individuality and humanity is an inherently interesting topic, and the writers can come up with good material for such a topic relatively easily. In that sense, then, Seven is an asset. They’ve been telling a story about her, which has evolved and taken slow, believable turns. It’s what is known as an “arc.” We need more arcs.

-Jammer’s Reviews

Episode 26: Hope and Fear

Janeway hasn’t managed to decrypt the message from Starfleet (earlier in the season). When the crew meet a friendly/intelligent alien, Arturis (Ray Wise), w/ a talent for languages/patterns, she invites him to take a look at the code. He quickly decodes part of the code, which includes a message about a new Starfleet ship that uses slipstream technology (which could get them home in mos)! It has been dispatched on auto-pilot and is waiting nearby; the U.S.S. Dauntless is fully operational and the crew goes about familiarizing themselves w/ it. Torres and her Engineering team make a replica of the slipstream drive for Voyager, so they can bring it along. Kim eventually discovers a strange piece of alien technology inside Dauntless; this isn’t a Federation ship. It turns out that Arturis wants revenge on Voyager for helping the Borg defeat Species 8472; his race was assimilated by the Borg. He kidnaps Janeway and Seven, then enters the slipstream, traveling toward Borg space! Chakotay and crew follows in Voyager, but they may not be able to go too far.

[1] She [Janeway] and Seven have a heated argument about Seven’s remaining in the Delta Quadrant. This is the one that really feels like a mother arguing with her teenage daughter. The daughter (Seven) wants her independence, or so she thinks, saying she has outgrown humanity, but Janeway knows that, realistically, she couldn’t care for herself out there, and besides, this is really about her fear of not being accepted on Earth.

[2] For me, this episode epitomized what Voyager could have been. What made DS9, or even TNG in a limited way, intriguing was how what they did was permanent: they weren’t warping off at the end of the day, leaving whatever problem behind. Voyager was king of this. Arturis is a tragic character, and there could have been some excellent episodes built off the premise of people trying to exact revenge on Voyager because of their actions, or even helping Voyager.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Basically, what we have here is a plot with pieces that are cobbled together out of unlikely coincidences and prior story events that have been twisted to fit the end result. And the reason for this end result to me seems motivated more by an obligatory need for the creators to revisit the “let’s get home” theme rather than to tell a real story.

…working in “Hope and Fear’s” favor is a great deal of stellar character work and some surprisingly effective closure. I liked, for instance, a lot of the motivation behind Arturis’ need for revenge (even if the methods of his revenge are extremely unlikely). The fact that Janeway’s negotiation with the Borg in “Scorpion” had negative consequences on other Delta Quadrant peoples is an interesting idea, and Arturis’ pointed accusation that Janeway can’t see beyond her own crew’s interests brings forth some valid observations. The use of the Borg collective as a dramatic device to bookend the season also works rather well.

Characteristically, this episode continues to capitalize on the growth of Seven as an individual. Seven fearing the prospect of living in a human society is both relevant and interesting. True, the repeated use of Seven continues to demonstrate how little the creative staff seems to care about the other characters, but it’s still great stuff in a vacuum.

-Jammer’s Reviews