Finally Saw VOY Ep, "Faces," But It Confused Me!

People,

Although I'm a long-time ST fan, there are a few eps of the series I've never seen. Missed most of ENT's third and some of the fourth season, as well as some later DSN and VOY eps. Until yesterday, there was a first season VOY ep I'd never seen: "Faces," where B'Elanna was "split" into her human and Klingon halves. I actually watched it on YouTube.

The pseudo-science behind it seemed rather preposterous, and it evoked shades of the TOS ep, "The Enemy Within." But it was a fascinating metaphor for the kind of internal struggle most people go through when trying to make a decision by either gut instinct or reasoned intellect. Overall, I did like the episode.

Roxann Biggs-Dawson is quite a striking woman as a full human, but strangely, I found her to be even more attractive as a full Klingon. I think she was actually the hottest full-Klingon woman ever in ST. Call me weird.

Another thing I didn't quite understand: How did extracting the Klingon DNA and placing it back in the fully human B'Elanna "revert" her back to her hybrid status? That confused the hell out of me.

Anyone want to take a stab at that? Thanks.

Red Ranger

 

I liked this episode, but as far as the science goes; just accept, as with "The Enemy Within", that science is just being used as a substitute for magic as two halves of a personality are split and recombined. I think it's one of the best episodes in S1; has a genuinely creepy Vidiian villain, and generally a good performance from Dawson as both halves.

 

Kegek,

Yeah, I guess I should just suspend my disbelief! We are talking about a ship rraveling on the other side of the galaxy! Who knows if even fastter-than-light travel is even possible, let alone separating the two halves of a hybrid being!

I also liked how, with the Klingon fangs, B'Elanna's voice as a full Klingon even sounded different. And how the makeup people extrapolated how the Klingon half looked fully articulated.

I also wondered whether the fully Klingon B'Elanna, if she had survived, would have allowed the Doctor to reintegrate the human DNA back into her.

Red Ranger

 

Wow Red , you found full Klingon Be'Lanna hot?

..but she didn't have a big booty.

 

Yeah, go figure! She didn't, but she did have that ridged forehead and wild, curly tresses! Maybe her talking about how Klingon women were sexually aggressive, to get the Vidiian freak show all hot and bothered, just made me hotter than New Orleans in August! -- RR

 

Next time I see you, I'm bringing a can of mace.

 

Yeah, you never know when I might hump your leg!

But seriously, I liked B'Elanna even more as a full Klingon -- although her fully human self (her real self) ain't bad!

Red Ranger

 

I prefer Be'Lanna's more aggressive nature as a Klingon over that of her human side.

 

Ditto! -- RR

 

I wasn't impressed by the Klingon. Maybe it WAS...the...HORRIBLE...de...LIV...ery, but I much prefered the softer, more vulnerable human. It was more of a contrast to what we'd seen from B'Elanna in the past.

 

Yeah, why did she speak like that?

 

I think the problem with the Klingon/Human is a bit like the division of good and evil Kirk in "The Enemy Within". The acting of evil Kirk and Klingon Torres is a little weak, and they're written so we intentionally recognise that human Torres and good Kirk are the true versions of the character - with their alteregos being regrettable but essential parts of their psyche.

 

To address the stilted way the fully Klingon B'Elanna spoke, remember, she had been infected with the phage. From what I recall, even though she was immune to it, it causes her physical pain. So that stilted delivery was Biggs-Dawson trying to convey this. And maybe she wasn't used to the fangs she had to wear. -- RR

 

I thought the point of the split was to show that neither of the Torres' were the "real" version, and they needed both to form the whole one, ever moreso than the Evil Kirk/Good Kirk thing.

Human Torres was a wussy, Klingon Torres lacked controlling ability, etc.

 

Makes sense to me, Anwar.

 

What is the problem, it is the same woman in make-up as a human and make-up as a Klingon. Big deal

 

Well, duh!

I simply meant in the context of the fictional world. I couldn't completely buy into the pseudo-scientfice explanation.

RR

 

Red Ranger, there's already a current topic about 'Faces' here -

http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/showflat.php?Number=8419231#Post8419231

So, I'm closin' this for duplication.