I rather enjoyed this episode (though i could understand those who might hate it) just thought it was a nice little idea albeit, one that felt familiar but then again there are so many Star Trek episodes that look and feel quite similar to other Star Trek episodes One issue i had however, was the fact that not only could they understand each other (universal translator!! ) but more to the point, at the end of the episode, the poet sends one of his lackeys to give B'lanna a note and she reads it....."without inspiration, B'lanna Torres will perish".....how? but yeah, overall, it was good entertaining nonsense i thought Also RIP Kellie Waymire (only just discovered that she passed on....tragic)
Universal translators work telepathically. For realz. That's how Kirk and Spock explained the device in Metamorphosis. My favourite episode. But that's because I thought it was self-criticism, that Menoski (The author) was slapping around the rest of the writers and producers on Voyager for being asshole hacks... And he might have been. He's complaining that sex and violence make for shit stories. How is that not a tailor-made kick in the nuts for Braga and Berman? Never mind. Joe was probably talking about the rest of television that actually made money for their networks.
Loved the ep. Loved the epilogue. CHORUS 1: And so ends the rescue of B'Elanna Torres, half-Klingon. B'Elanna Torres, half-human. B'Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer. KELIS: These stories will continue for as long as we have the breath to tell them, and as long as our patrons remain wise and compassionate. And Voyager will continue on her journey to the gleaming cities of Earth where peace reigns, and hatred has no home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJLUHs3Pi0E [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJLUHs3Pi0E[/yt] Loved the way B'Elanna got into the writing process and the idea of being someone's "muse". Loved Kelis' interpretation of her explanation what it means to be Vulcan and its juxtaposition to Tuvok's efforts on Voyager to find them. Loved her complaint about Chakotay Kissing the Captain. Loved seeing "Star Fleet" and "Maquis" back as a team again. Loved seeing how beat up the Captain was over their loss. Loved B'Elanna's solution to the end of Kelis' story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF13pMAyiFE [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF13pMAyiFE[/yt] Loved the ep!
And not once was the Prime Directive mentioned. "If you can convince them that you are a god, and they're backward enough to believe you, it's fine. No problem."
The technology behind universal translators hurts my brain (and i still wanna know how she managed to read that note...does it translate text too) I often like these types of simple episodes (where they encounter species vastly less advanced rather than the ones that are vastly more advanced......or for that matter, the standard aliens who are bizarrely pretty much on a parr with Federation levels) They're more human and the story is often more compelling and has a point to make (also have a soft spot for "The Thaw" cos it keeps it very simple) Becoming one of my favourites
Universal translators are the funniest plot device of all time. Not only do they translate what you're saying, they make the person's lips appear to be moving as if they're speaking your language. In one story I wrote that was a space opera parody, there was a concept of 'Convenience energy' which causes the plot to work out conveniently for the protagonists. It is the energy source behind both warp engines and universal translators. Muse was a nice idea for an episode but I don't think it was well executed.
I think this was one of Season 6's best episodes. Gotta love the weird guards with their huge metal cylinder helmets. Definately some of the strangest generic soldiers/troopers/security we've seen (though the Mokra looked like evil bikers from a post-apocalyptic yet advanced future and the Ilari guards looked weird too). The plot was interesting, as was the setting (Bronze Age world). Ever notice Torres had a sadistic streak? She's only willing to talk if he risks his life violating his lord's game reserve to get some dilithium and then coerces him to go into debt to get her some gold. She played some Sisko-level hardball there. Gotta love that Master Bratac dropped in too. If you see one Star Trek episode titled 'Muse', make this it (seriously, DS9's "The Muse" is horrible). It seems to be one of the most overlooked/underrated episodes in Season 6. "Riddles" is also quite good (best Tuvok/Neelix episode and one of the few times Neelix actually shines. And he lays on one hell of a guilt trip too).
Wonderful episode. One of the highlights that helps redeem season six's godawful string of opening episodes. As to tasking the rest of the writers and Berman/Braga, I don't know. The only thing I can pin down as possibly against another specific writer is Kelis' envisioning Seven of Nine as the Borg Queen. That is what Ron Moore did in Survival Instinct. Then, where Kelis' version of Seven and Janeway was about peacemaking (possibly the heart of Star Trek,) Moore's was about, well, how people are assholes and should kick themselves for their shameful deeds? Seems a little bit of a stretch to view it as a blast, though. On the other hand, it is very probable that the Protector is either the collective suits at UPN. Maybe Berman, but I can't see anything referring to Braga. There was a little exchange about eschewing dramatic tricks but the episode itself followed the structure outlined in the conversation!