The Episode in Which Tom Paris Is Accused Of Murder

[Mario Gianota]

Hi,

I do not remember what the episode is called, but Tom Paris has an affair with the beautiful wife of a respected scientist. My hypothesis is that Tom really did commit the murder and Tuvok got him off it with some bullshit. Why? Well, because he is Tom Paris, obviously. The scientist witnessed his murder with his own eyes, the evidence against Tom was concrete and undeniable. I wonder about this episode. What are your thoughts about Tom's guilt?

 

[NCC-73515]

Ex Post Facto

 

[Mario Gianota]

Ex Post Facto

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. What? What? What? Explain yourself, please.

 

[Court_Vince]

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. What? What? What? Explain yourself, please.

? They just answered your question.

 

[DonIago]

Hi,

I do not remember what the episode is called, but Tom Paris has an affair with the beautiful wife of a respected scientist. My hypothesis is that Tom really did commit the murder and Tuvok got him off it with some bullshit. Why? Well, because he is Tom Paris, obviously. The scientist witnessed his murder with his own eyes, the evidence against Tom was concrete and undeniable. I wonder about this episode. What are your thoughts about Tom's guilt?

I think this is pretty obviously not the conclusion that the writers were going for, but if it's the one you want to draw, nobody can stop you.

 

[Mario Gianota]

? They just answered your question.

No, they didn't. The answer made no sense. It was cryptic. Speak plainly. Duh!

 

[NCC-73515]

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ex_Post_Facto_(episode)

 

[Finn]

To be fair, the op didn't actually ask for the name of the episode.

As for the OP's "head canon", I think it's bull. Tom wasn't that kind of person. He was put in jail for being in the maquis. He was never a violent person. Tuvok wouldn't cover his ass.

 

[Mario Gianota]

To be fair, the op didn't actually ask for the name of the episode.

As for the OP's "head canon", I think it's bull. Tom wasn't that kind of person. He was put in jail for being in the maquis. He was never a violent person. Tuvok wouldn't cover his ass.

I'm not buying your "head canon" theory. Writers bury stuff like this all the time to see if anyone will get it. I don't think you are crediting the writers of the show with enough intelligence. The guys that were hired to work on Star Trek would have been scouted and hunted for. They would have been the best around.

Okay, try this one. It is off topic, but relevant. In Star Trek The Next Generation, there is an episode called "The Perfect Mate". In this episode a beautiful woman is transported via The Enterprise to a powerful man. Predictably, things go wrong with the transport and she is taken out of her container. I believe the Ferengi in the story are a contrivance to ensure that the woman is removed from her container and displayed to the crew. She immediately, goes to work on the crew and has each of them filled with lust for her. Even Picard is not invulnerable to her charm. But, Picard believes quite erroneously that she would obviously prefer a starship captain over the man she is to be delivered to. Picard is hopelessly naive. The intended powerful man turns up to claim the Metamorph and there is a verbal confrontation between him and Picard. Picard still believes that obviously she would prefer a starship captain over him, I mean "Look at you", Picard thinks. The man stands his ground and is extremely threatening to Picard and very dismissive of him. I believe the story by the writers is one of a display by a powerful man, who confronts Picard with "obviously she would prefer me to you. You are just a starship captain Picard. You are nothing. There are hundreds of men like you and only one like me. You're deluded Picard and I know it." Picard is crushed. The writers probably had nothing but disdain for starship captains. They are not unique enough, or even particularly interesting characters. However, most viewers would assume that obviously the Metamorph is entering a life of torture with a man that she does not want. It is this kind of analysis that reveals how much contempt the writers had for the average Star Trek viewer, who just can't see, or think properly.

What did the writers want from the viewers? Discussion and analysis like the above. not the stupid mindless questions that they were given, but a thoughtful and considered analysis. I know you are bright men and probably reading this with great interest. My name is Mario Gianota. I love Star Trek. I am the creator of the Java Programming Language. I know that men like you will know exactly that that is. Bravo, you authors of Star Trek. Bravo. Baffled and still a little puzzled even after all these years. I think deeply.

 

[Finn]

And I don't see your name when looking up the history of Java programming language

 

[Mario Gianota]

And I don't see your name when looking up the history of Java programming language

You lack imagination my friend. I was robbed by Sun Microsystems, my family and other animals. If that is too much for you to handle, then so be it. What can one say about James Gosling other than "Envy is a terrible thing."

 

[cultcross]

I'm Evan Carlos Summers who wrote the episode and that's not what I intended, no. I'm a fairly mediocre writer, but thanks for the compliment

 

[Mudd]

IThe guys that were hired to work on Star Trek would have been scouted and hunted for. They would have been the best around.

Not so in the first case and a dubious assertion based on the evidence in the second. Carry on.

There was apparently a fair amount of disagreement between the producers about the content of this episode and how it presented Tom Paris. The resulting concoction was something of an unsatisfactory compromise.

The folks running Trek during and after its revival on TV in 1987 - including not just the producers and staff but the business folks who managed it - never really were or seem even now to be comfortable with portraying characters possessing the full complement of human motivations and behavior.

 

[Mudd]

I'm Evan Carlos Summers who wrote the episode and that's not what I intended, no. I'm a fairly mediocre writer, but thanks for the compliment

It's good to see you back here, Evan. Your TrekBBS appearances are rare and always illuminating.

 

[cultcross]

Thank you David Bischoff

 

[Mudd]

HIstory of Java.

 

[Lynx]

Ex Post Facto

Excellent episode. I'll give it 5 points out of 5.

The only thing I found a bit weird was the dog. A dog on the other side of the galaxy? No way!
They should have made the creature into something more alien. A lizard or myrmecophagid or something similar.

 

[Finn]

Yeah. They even called it a dog iirc

 

[Mudd]

Yeah. They even called it a dog iirc

There are people on the other side of the galaxy, for god's sake. All of outer space is lousy with people. People who are physically compatible and generate all the right biological cues to get Ensign Horndog all revved up.*

If you'd call them "husband and wife," "woman and man" and "people" you'd call that goddamn fuzzy thing a dog.

*Don't give me that "sailor in port" shit; he's spoiled for choice back aboard the U.S.S. We're-on-the-far-side-of-nowhere-and-probably-will-here.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Hi,

I do not remember what the episode is called, but Tuvok has a transporter rendezvous with the colorful space cook. My hypothesis is that Janeway really did commit murder on Tuvix and got off it with some bullshit. Why? Well, because she is Janeway, obviously. The crew witnessed his murder with their own eyes, the evidence against Janeway was concrete and undeniable. I wonder about this episode. What are your thoughts about Janeway's guilt?