^ Ditto. "Macrocosm" FTW. And, I love me some lizard babies. I like "Fair Haven", although I'm kinda meh on "Spirit Folk". "Scientific Methods" is a favorite. Gotta say I didn't really dig "Muse", though. I've never been too wild about Torres.
"wild about Torres" Makes me think of Blood Fever now that could be catogorized as a guilty pleasure.
^ Hmmm, well, maybe if Vorik had imprinted on Janeway and she went after Tom Paris. LOL. Now THAT I'd like to see!
In that case, my "guilty pleasures" have to be "The Thaw", "Parturition" and "Favorite Son", episodes who sometimes are criticized. "The Thaw" is actually a great episode, "Parturition" is a warm and funny episode (I just love the spaghetti fight) and "Favorite Son" is not that bad, a bit spooky and exciting actually.
I like "Muse" too but I like it for the metaphores. The Poet is a representation of Berman, Braga & the rest of the writing staff and how they're giving us insight on how they write by giving us the common elements in dramatic writing. Like the "sudden role reversal". I like the rivalary between the gf actress and B'Elanna as a show of the tempermental nature of what goes on behind the scenes.(Mulgrew, former muse. Ryan, the new? maybe?) The Dictator is us, the audience and how we demand from TPTB and how good stories can influence us. There's allot of great hidden elements in that tale. I have a fondness for "Bliss". I liked the character dynamic and interactions between Seven & Niomi, then Seven and "Ahab". The only quirk is, Niomi seems to disappear by the end of the ep. I like "Spirit Folk" for Robert Picardo. He really is allot of fun to watch in this ep. I crack up everytime he flings open the church doors and yells: "SINNERS!!!" I like "Fury". I always found Kes a little to sweet, a little too dull. I liked seeing Kes' powers. They always hinted that she was powerful, now I got to see it. I don't care if she was stone cold senile like Miss Daisy, this was the Kes I've been waiting for. "Critical Care" The EMH vs. the HMO. A very simple story made genius again by Robert Picardo. "Dreadnaut" This one too me is amazing thanks to Roxanne Dawson. When you consider the computer voice isn't actually there, you grasp just how good of an actress Dawson is. She acting and reacting to nothing and yet playing it as if she really is debating herself. Most of the ep. is a one man play, yet you come way as if it's more.
B'Elanna Episodes like Dreadnaut dont get enouph credit. Roxanna Dawson really is a very talented women
Chalk another one up for Fury. The shot of Kes walking down the corridor in righteous bad-ass anger while the walls violently explode all around her is not just a fantastic visual, but creative enough to have an episode written around it (now how that episode is written in the first place is something else entirely, but ...).
That buzzing sound of the virus always makes my skin crawl. Loved every minute of it!!! I also dig Neelix' correction of continuity. In the jefferies tube when he's getting ill, Janeway scans him and says: "You have fluid in your lungs." Neelix mumbles back"Lung." Singular, reminding her(and us) of the events in "The Phage" and how he now only has one.
Ahem. (Looking around, to see if anyone's noticed) "Displaced", season 3 For many reasons but prime among them are: Tom & B'Elanna, and OF COURSE, Captain Kathryn Janeway. (The two Lts are hiding from their captors in an artic environment) TORRES: I didn't think we were this far from the portal. I don't think I can go any farther. PARIS: You have to keep moving. TORRES: Oh, I'm so sleepy. PARIS: No, B'Elanna, get up. TORRES: No, you go on. I'm just going to rest here. PARIS: If you do that, you'll die. TORRES: No, I'll be fine. I just have to close my eyes for a minute. PARIS: I am not going to let you do this. On your feet now, Torres, that's an order. TORRES: You can't give me orders. We're the same rank. PARIS: I'm a bridge officer, and I have seniority. TORRES: Oh yeah, by two days! PARIS: On your feet, now! Come on, you've been wanting to take a swing at me for days. Now's your chance. TORRES: You're just trying to get me moving. PARIS: You will keep moving. Or do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out? TORRES: Don't even try it. (They are beamed away to the main prisoner compund, and two of their captors are beamed to this frigid environment. Captain Janeway also has herself beamed there.) DAMMAR: Get us out of here. Where's the portal? (To Janeway) You did this! JANEWAY: I've taken control of your translocation system. My tactical officer is standing by, waiting for my next order. DAMMAR: And, and what would that be? JANEWAY: That depends on you. Surrender my ship and release all the prisoners here. DAMMAR: Unacceptable. JANEWAY: All right, stay where you are and greet your fellow crewmembers as we translocate them here to join you. RISLAN: And if we do surrender? JANEWAY: We'll find you a nice warm habitat where you'll be comfortable while we contact the native worlds of your prisoners and arrange for their return. And once we've disabled your translocator, you'll be free to go. (They don't respond) I'm sorry you don't wish to be reasonable. Mister Tuvok, get me out of here and prepare to... DAMMAR: No!Please!
^ JR, I like Displaced too. Partly for that last scene, and partly for "na-na-na-na hey, hey, hey, goodbye." No guilt here either, baby. Before the DVDs came out, I taped that episode when it went into syndication, hand-drew a colorful label for it, and watched it like every week. I usually taped multiple VOY episodes on a single tape, but I always kept that one separate. I might actually know it line-for-line. My favorite part in that ep (next to 42 minutes of Janeway in a sweaty tanktop shooting things with a plastic rifle) was the part when the viruses ran amok in that resort program. Pure gold. Although - why did the viruses buzz?! What, exactly, was buzzing?! I mean, they didn't have wings or anything. They were floating poopy acorn-shaped lumps. And what allowed them to defy gravity?
Did you ever notice how no-one complained how Janeway "emasculated" that macrovirus with her bowie knife?
I feel no guilt over enjoying any episode of Voyager. But many fans would hold me guilty of bad taste in liking all six of the Harry Kim episodes, all of the Neelix episodes and all the death episodes, including Ashes to Ashes and Emanations. Since Ron D. Moore actually wrote Seven of Nine as the Borg Queen in Survival Instinct, that scene may be construed as a swipe at him. Or as a criticism of J/7 as well. I'm surprised no on notes that this pretty much officially acknowledges J/7 as intentional subtext.
The Thaw is one of my very favourite episodes - it's actually very TOS, infact almost a TOS flashback episode eg colours, use of spooky carnival atmosphere, colours, storyline, colours, psychodrama atmosphere ..... oh, did I mention the colours? Some of the doctor episodes are also my favourites. Picardo is such a great actor - it's no wonder he is in huge demand again these days. He plays the lovable arrogant yet intelligent fool so well! Having said that, he can then turn around and pull off some of the most touching scenes and episodes in Voyager eg Real Life, the realisation that Seven regarded him as a friend only.
Seriously. I have to watch parts of "Macrocosm" out of the corner of one eye. 'Cause those buzzing virii remind me of giant bees and I have giant bee issues after a traumatic childhood experience with a B-movie. Pardon the pun. But, sweaty Ripley-Janeway more than makes up for any discomfort the flyin' critters make me feel. ETA: Oh, Froot. Don't suppose we could get a scan of that VHS label, could we? *wicked cackle*