I just watched Scientific Method and was really entertained by it and surprised at how many jokes it had. What did you think?
I don't remember jokes, I remember Janeway going full on psycho at the end. Of course, Starfleet couldn't court martial her for it, because she'd been under alien influence... but still.
I recently re-watched it. The only thing that ruins the episode is Chakotay's pitiful "old age" makeup and look. It doesn't look anything like aging, he just looks like an elephant's ballsack.
It's funny what sticks with a person in an episode, and how different it is between people. Two months later, I don't remember anything Janeway did. I just remember invisible aliens putting goofy gadgets on people's heads, and Neelix and Chakotay quietly debating whose health problems are worse. Nothing but humor. What did Janeway do at the end that bothered you?
Now I remember that. That was an incredibly bold risk, and it's hard for writers to pull off having a character make that bold of a risk, and normally I'd advise against it. But since Janeway had a chance to size up her opponents and their motivations, I'm of the opinion she had reason to be sure they wouldn't let the whole ship die.
Actually, they're the ones who died. There were two of their ships, and one got pulverized. Figure there were 30 or so "scientists" on it when it went. Considering that Janeway's near psychotic behavior was caused by their experiments (as well as their completely obnoxious refusal to leave once they were discovered), it's a classic example of being destroyed by your own creation.
It certainly had its amusing moments, but I would consider this to be one of Trek's creepier episodes. The whole idea of invisible aliens doing secret experiments on the crew is pretty disturbing. The visuals of scientific equipment sticking out of the people's bodies as they walk around oblivious was spine-chilling. I would put this oneright up there with "Schisms", "Conspiracy" and "Empok Nor" in the horror category.
If I recall the episode correctly, those aliens were trying to flee for themselves at the last instant (but were destroyed in the attempt). They would have let Voyager die, and it was sheer, dumb luck that Voyager survived at all (assuming Tuvok's estimate about their rates of survival were correct). The only excuse Janeway had for her action was that she was driven nearly mad by those experiments.
Correct. I'm writing a story about Janeway having to explain certain actions of hers, and that's basically why she isn't court martialed for that little stunt.
I think what the episode hinted at, but I'm not entirely sure they were fully aware of at the time given the understanding of neuroscience in 1996-7, is that Janeway's brain chemicals, namely, Dopamine is increased. From what we understand at present (year 2020). A massive boost (at what level is unknown in this episode) to Dopamine can lead to psychotic, aggressive symptoms and delusions, even schizophrenic tendencies to some degree . Whether the writers knew this at the time or if it was just some new science that was discovered at the time is unknown to me at least. But the fact Tuvok submits to Janeway's plan is partially unreal for me in that episode. I love Janeway please don't get me wrong, but in this very episode, Tuvok has already seen her symptoms, her lack of judgement. I mean personally. Given the situation, I'd personally prefer Tuvok to quickly engage command and take over as a clear minded and logical officer. He did well against the Vidiians in Season 2 with his plan to detonate the ships and earn the respect of the crew when Chakotay and Janeway were on the planet with the disease. side note. Kate Mulgrew quite smoking around the time of filming the episode Scientific Method and like any good actor, I think she used that to aid in her dishevelled performace of a bear with a sore head Janeway.
Tuvok probably knew that Janeway would remove his head and use it as a volleyball if he got in her way.
This has always been my opinion as well. Don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite episodes of the series, but the shots of the crew walking around with those contraptions on their heads definitely gave me a bit of a "Saw" vibe. I always wished those aliens would've been revisited at some point in another episode, since personally I always thought "Scientific Method" left some unanswered questions. It would stand to reason that they were still in Srivani space after Janeway's stunt with the pulsar (the aliens were never named in the episode but according to Memory Alpha they were named Srivani in the shooting script, and apparently that's carried over into a couple of novels), and I'm not sure I completely believe that they would be like "Yeah let's just let them go" after Voyager "fought back" and destroyed one of their ships. I also always wondered what happened to the one alien they had locked-up in the brig. We never saw her again after Janeway talked to her, and I doubt the crew would have just let her go. I guess the Srivani could have easily just set her free themselves, and that's probably the most likely possibility. But I always wondered if maybe she was left on Voyager when the others took off.
In which case it would have been Chakotay's responsibility to arrest her, put her in the brig, and take over command of the ship
If I remember right, Chakotay was sitting in sickbay, probably wearing a Depend and discussing his medical issues with Neelix.
You do, and it crossed my mind. Still, he didn't appear to be permanently unfit to assume command IMHO. But it did raise a question for me. Assuming No 1 (Janeway) really goes berserk, kills No 3 (Tuvok) and No 2 (Chakotay) is indisposed, who would be the No 4 to whom that duty of arresting Janeway and taking it over would fall?
Torres, Paris, and Kim are the remaining senior officers. Ayala and Carey are both lieutenants (don't know why Harry's a senior officer and they aren't). Any of them might have a case.