Re-Watching VOY

[Farscape One]

I also love "PRIME FACTORS", though I'd give it a 9. (Mostly because there are more deserving 10s in the series, and I wouldn't want to seem like I'm giving them out like candy on Halloween.)

One thing I have to give credit to is Torres at the end. She was taking full responsibility for everyone, which was a big growth moment for her. Had Tuvok not stepped in and corrected her on who the highest ranking person involved was, she was going to take the full brunt of Janeway's anger. That is the moment when she truly earned her Chief Engineer position... not because she was great at engineering, but because she was taking responsibility as a leader of her team.


Regarding Seska...

I agree with you. She was an excellent villain for VOYAGER. A real shame she was killed off when she was.

 

[Lord Garth]

I also love "PRIME FACTORS", though I'd give it a 9. (Mostly because there are more deserving 10s in the series, and I wouldn't want to seem like I'm giving them out like candy on Halloween.)

Looking at the list of episodes, "Eye of the Needle" and "Prime Factors" are the only two episodes I expect to give a 10 during the first season. I originally wasn't going to with "Prime Factors" either but then I realized, the more I thought about it, it has everything I'd want an early Voyager episode to have. The interpersonal conflicts are spot-on, and it's a great examination into what makes each of the focused characters tick.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

All these season 1 episodes getting a 10 has me looking forward to seeing some 12s and 15s by season 4!

(I would give State of Flux an 8 though).

 

[Lord Garth]

I had no idea that two constituted "all these 10s".

Season 4 is my favorite season. That's the one I really can't wait to get to. Seasons 2 and 3 have some wild ups-and-downs. Season 5 has stuff I love and stuff that really rubs me the wrong way. Seasons 6 and 7 are kind of steady, though I prefer S7 over S6.

Season 1 has a habit of alternating between "I love it!" and "That episode was just kind of there."

In a strange way, to be brutally honest, I think this'll actually make the VOY Re-Watch a little bit more fun for me than the DS9 Re-Watch!

 

[Farscape One]

I had no idea that two constituted "all these 10s".

Season 4 is my favorite season. That's the one I really can't wait to get to. Seasons 2 and 3 have some wild ups-and-downs. Season 5 has stuff I love and stuff that really rubs me the wrong way. Seasons 6 and 7 are kind of steady, though I prefer S7 over S6.

Season 1 has a habit of alternating between "I love it!" and "That episode was just kind of there."

In a strange way, to be brutally honest, I think this'll actually make the VOY Re-Watch a little bit more fun for me than the DS9 Re-Watch!

Seaaon 4 is my favorite, too. It had the fewest duds. (Really, only one comes to mind.) Season 5 is right behind having only a few duds.

I think season 1 is much stronger than most people say. Season 2 is probably my third favorite season... a lot of great character stuff in there.

Seaaon 6 is where I completely disagree with you... there was nothing steady about that season. It's the most schizophrenic season in the franchise. (You get good, then great, then bad, then good, terrible, decent, horrible, great, meh, bad, awesome, bad, great, meh, terrible, good, okay... the quality ofveach episode was wild and all over the place.)

Season 7 was pretty steady... a steady meh. But I would call it a better season 7 than TNG.

Season 3 was so weak... the weakest one certainly. The first episodes are great, and so are the last few. Everything in between was so bland, with only a couple good ones.

 

[Oddish]

I actually liked the early seasons.
- Yes, I liked Seven. But I liked Kes, too.
- Other characters besides Seven and the EMH were focused on.
- They were still running with the resource scarcity concept.
- Janeway had the bun of steel. Her later hairstyle was fine, but generic career woman.
- It wasn't @#*$!-ing stupid that Harry was still an ensign.

 

[Farscape One]

I actually liked the early seasons.
- Yes, I liked Seven. But I liked Kes, too.
- Other characters besides Seven and the EMH were focused on.
- They were still running with the resource scarcity concept.
- Janeway had the bun of steel. Her later hairstyle was fine, but generic career woman.
- It wasn't @#*$!-ing stupid that Harry was still an ensign.

Agreed on all counts... except the bun. Her ponytail she had from early season 3 to early season 4 ("FUTURE'S END" - "SCIENTIFIC METHOD") was her best style.

 

[Oddish]

Yes, the ponytail was attractive as well. Had a hint of elegance to it.

 

[Lord Garth]

I'm changing my rating for "Prime Factors" from a 10 to a 9. Not because of anything anyone said, but because I realized that the one thing missing from it was Chakotay's take on whether or not Voyager should use the Spatial Projector to get home. Fortunately, the next episode more than makes up for the lack of focus on Chakotay last time.

"State of Flux"

I think Seska had four reasons for helping the Kazon. 1) A desire to get home, 2) To build allies in the Delta Quadrant, 3) Torres was adjusting too well to Starfleet and wasn't going to help her break the rules anymore, and 4) Chakotay showed how much he was going to follow Janeway. Chakotay especially. Seska tries to give him some soup, using ingredients taken from Neelix's kitchen, and Chakotay becomes super by-the-book. Seska can't manipulate him (or Torres) and it becomes crystal clear to her.

When Seska and Chakotay are fighting off the Kazon at the beginning of the episode in the cave, all I could think of was a line from Better Call Saul: "Have to make it look real!"

Later on, it's discovered someone was trying to give the Kazon replicator technology, then Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok launch an investigation into finding out who tried to give the Kazon replicator technology. Their two suspects are Seska and Carey. I'd say Odo is a better-skilled investigator than Tuvok, but Tuvok's no slouch either, then they catch Seska in the act. It was procedural for sure, but I appreciated seeing the procedure, eliminating different suspicions one-by-one until they figure out what really happened.

Martha Hackett's acting was top-notch. From denial, to trying to appeal to Chakotay's feelings, and then going into full Cardassian mode and telling Janeway what they'd do if it was a Cardassian ship. Then she escapes to the Kazon-Nistrim. I'm glad she did, because it drastically improves any time Voyager encounters the Kazon going forward. Running into the Kazon means running into Seska. And a good thing, because Maje Culluh didn't leave much of an impression on me.

When Chakotay and Tuvok talk about Seska pulled the wool over both of their eyes, I thought it made for nice button to end the episode with. That's what happens when the Maquis aren't too choosy about who they have helping them.

I'm going back-and-forth on whether or not I want to give this episode a 7 or an 8. It's the flip of a coin but because of how manipulative Seska was, I'm going to go with an 8.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

When you said you were downgrading Prime Factors to a 9, I assumed at first it was because State of Flux had caused you to recalibrate your scale. It's not my favourite episode of Voyager, but it's my favourite story in the first season by a long shot. It takes everything set up so far, Voyager's resource problems, the Maquis, the Kazon, Seska, and uses them to build a properly compelling story that could have only be told on this series.

For me it's a fantastic episode and a high point for Voyager that won't be topped any time soon. So yeah, I'd probably give it an 8 as well.

 

[Farscape One]

"STATE OF FLUX" is a great one for me. Seska was the best single person villain of the show. (The Vidiians will always rank as the best to me.)

 

[Oddish]

Indeed, Seska was a great villain. She deserved better henchmen and a less ignominious send-off.

And while I have personally enjoyed using her as Voyager's resident Zachary Smith, there are other ways they could have gotten more mileage out of her.

I also think they should have done more with Carey than having him just turn into B'Elanna's sycophant after they effectively promoted her for ASSAULTING him. My idea would have been for him and the problem Maquis to jump ship in "The 37's". If we're going to do the "One Big Happy Crew" business, at least provide an explanation.

 

[Lord Garth]

"I don't like bullies, I don't like threats, and I don't like you, Culluh." I remembered that line, but I forgot it was from this episode! I have to use that somehow somewhere, next time I get an opening.

I also think they should have done more with Carey than having him just turn into B'Elanna's sycophant after they effectively promoted her for ASSAULTING him.

I feel bad for Carey. Being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, he got the shortest end of the stick. And then, a few episodes before they finally get home, he's killed off.

 

[Oddish]

"I don't like bullies, I don't like threats, and I don't like you, Culluh."

No one did threats and intimidation as well as Kira did, but Janeway wasn't half bad.

 

[Farscape One]

No one did threats and intimidation as well as Kira did, but Janeway wasn't half bad.

Proof Kira was the best at threats...

In the opening for "THE QUICKENING", Quark was a bit afraid of Worf but still was fairly calm. But when Kira made her threat, he immediately grabbed O'Brien's tool and started to work.

 

[Lord Garth]

"Heroes and Demons"

Voyager's first big holodeck episode, and you can't go wrong with Beowulf. The 6th Century setting makes for a great Medieval backdrop, with the forests that look like they're from a stage play, and the interior of the castle. Then there are the sword fights, where the Doctor can't fight to save his life, but one of the hard-headed warriors' swords can't cause any harm to him.

I only have two nitpicks, but they don't detract from my enjoyment: The Doctor doesn't sound familiar with Beowolf, but you'd think he'd be able to download the story into his memory and know it instantly. The same with learning how to fight. He should be able to quickly learn how to be able to fight and hold his own against any warrior or beast. I explain it away as he hasn't fully exceeded his programming yet, which wasn't designed to accommodate fighting ability or literature beyond medical texts.

The energy being subplot: interesting that the energy beings are sentient lifeforms and Janeway deduces they captured one of them without even knowing it. The way they translate the solution into Medieval terms was an inspired move. The Doctor claims that he's using a talisman to present the beast, a.k.a. "Grendel", when he returns the lifeform to his people.

The real highlight of the episode is Freya, a female warrior who stands up for The Doctor and is willing to sacrifice herself to save him. It's nice to have someone who's welcoming instead of doubting. And who can be an ally in battle.

The Doctor came up with a name for himself before he went on the mission to save Kim, Chakotay, and Tuvok in the holonovel of Beowulf: Dr. Schweitzer. I think he should've kept the name, but that's just me. Really, the easiest thing to have done would've been to call himself Schweizer Zimmerman. Easy. But they didn't want The Doctor to have a name, and I know that's a tip of the hat to Doctor Who.

Garrett Wang had the easiest episode this week. Kim was only in one scene! "Where was I?"

One more thing, then I'm done: the castle in this episode makes me really want to visit King Richard's Faire in Carver, MA. It's Renaissance-themed, so almost 1,000 years after when Beowulf was written, but the imagery I have in my head is the same and I think it would be fun.

Overall, I enjoyed this as a light-weight holodeck episode. I give it an 8.

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BTW, if I were living in Star Trek's 24th Century, I'd avoid the holodeck like the plague. Something's always going wrong with it! I'd stick to non-interactive entertainment on a 2-D screen. If that would end up making me old-fashioned, so be it.

 

[Oddish]

But they didn't want The Doctor to have a name, and I know that's a tip of the hat to Doctor Who.

He was supposed to be Dr. Zimmerman, after his creator. But I think they decided to feature the real deal instead. Personally, I thought the "forever nameless" Doctor wasn't quite as bone headed an idea as "forever ensign" Kim... but that didn't make it smart.

My preferred name for him was Shmullus, because it would have been a nice way to honor the Vidiian woman who affected his evolution so profoundly. But, Schweitzer wasn't bad. And hey, I even liked Van Gogh.

 

[Lord Garth]

I'm debating in my head if I should review "Projections", "Elogium", "Twisted", and "The 37s" as part of Season 1 as they were intended, or part of Season 2 as they ended up being? All it really ends up effecting is the Season Review, when I get to it.

That and if I see them before or after I play catchup in the For All Mankind Thread in the SF&F Forum.

 

[Farscape One]

I'm debating in my head if I should review "Projections", "Elogium", "Twisted", and "The 37s" as part of Season 1 as they were intended, or part of Season 2 as they ended up being? All it really ends up effecting is the Season Review, when I get to it.

That and if I see them before or after I play catchup in the For All Mankind Thread in the SF&F Forum.

And by extension, the 4 holdovers of season 2 as a season 2 review.

I'm personally more about going with the production intention... particularly in this case, as it was a UPN decision that held those episodes over.

There's also more space dwelling lifeforms in season 1, which seemed to be the theme to help make the Delta Quadrant a bit more mysterious. ("ELOGIUM" and "TWISTED" have space dwelling ones.) So I think that helps the feel and mood of the season.

 

[Lord Garth]

And by extension, the 4 holdovers of season 2 as a season 2 review.

I'm personally more about going with the production intention... particularly in this case, as it was a UPN decision that held those episodes over.

There's also more space dwelling lifeforms in season 1, which seemed to be the theme to help make the Delta Quadrant a bit more mysterious. ("ELOGIUM" and "TWISTED" have space dwelling ones.) So I think that helps the feel and mood of the season.

I've decided I'll do the holdovers for both seasons in the season they were produced not the season they aired. This will create a four episode gap for Voyager at the end of DS9 S5 and VOY S3... but I have a solution: "Q Who", "The Best of Both Worlds", and First Contact can be slotted in to close the gap. Problem? Solution!