I read Jammer's review, and usually when there's a big hole he catchs it, but maybe the problem is with me cause he didn't say anything and none of the commenters did either. I liked the ep fine but for one thing....THERE ARE ACTUAL SENTIENT BEINGS BEING KILLED HERE...and the Voyager crew is yukking it up.
Do you think Janeway actually cares who she harms/kills on her way home? She was willing to help the Borg develop biological weapons to destroy another race to get home, knowing full well they probably wouldn't honor the bargain. I don't think she's going to cry into her coffee over a few photonic lifeforms given how often she's treated the Doctor with less respect than she would a sonic shower.
The doctor insn't a photonic being, sentient of otherwise. The Doctor is code resting/processing on the buffer inside the walls or in his mobile emitter. His photonic body is just a remote tool he uses to interact with the universe.
Janeway must be stoic, stalwart and steadfast in the face of death as an example to her crew. She must be their strength as they confront unknown dangers and the inevitability of losses she knows they will suffer. She must be the Captain. Unless its 7, then she will rip time to shreds to fix it.
The crew were joking about the scenario, but they at no point allowed more photonic lifeforms to die for their entertainment. Remember like half the Voyager crew died in the first episode. It's kind of like how a surgeon can lose a patient then immediately go joke around with their buddies, when you've seen a lot of people die you stop letting it affect your demeanor. And you simply can't do a parody of black and white B-scifi without making it humorous.
Of course. But then they should have said the failsafes are affecting the photonic lifeforms also and are storing them in some buffer...or...something. So many Voyager eps could be improved with the slightest of handwaves. Also re: Bride of Chaotica, a little more meta-humor would have been nice. At one point they go directly from the holo-deck drama to the Voyager problem with "We're slipping deeper into subspace!! (cue dramatic music)...it's a weird moment. You're thinking, "Wait. are they doing that on purpose?" Throw in a few lines maybe like, "It's always something. anomalies, aliens...come on...what's next? Giant Space Ameoba?"