Re-Watching VOY

[DonIago]

"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" (1991)

The music right from the first frame seems so ominous. Cliff Eidelman is an incredible composter. It's criminal that he was never brought back. It gives a sense of the real gravity of this outing, rather than having the usual type of Star Trek score. It adds to Star Trek VI really feeling like An Event.

Then the film literally begins with a bang. The explosion of Praxis. It's one of those things where you have to be caught up in the moment. If Praxis was in orbit of Qo'noS, then the explosion of Praxis should've wiped out all life on Qo'noS instantly. End of movie. But ignoring that, ILM's special effects were first rate. Thinking about what the explosion would really do is only something I normally think of after the fact. The shaking of Sulu's cup of tea and then shattering was a nice touch as the energy wave from the explosion of Praxis approaches the Excelsior. I take the shattering of the cup to symbolic of the shattering of the times as the Federation and Klingons knew them.

Shout out to Hiro Narita as the Cinematographer. All of his shots look great. Interior, exterior, on-location, it doesn't matter. He's another person I wish they could've brought back later. If Nick Meyer wanted a dramatic or intense shot, Hiro Narita always delivered.

Having Nick Meyer back as Director was a treat. In several scenes, his directing made it feel like like I was on a ride, like with the Excelsior being caught up in an energy wave at the beginning of the movie with all the chaos it ensued, or the final showdown between the Enterprise and the Bird-of-Prey at the end. Throw in some sequences in the middle as well: 1) from Kronos One losing gravity to the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon, 2) Kirk and McCoy were trying to escape Rura Penthe with Martia, including the prison break, their journey on the harsh frozen planet's surface, and the fight between Kirk and Martia-as-Kirk and 3) The search on the Enterprise for the gravity boots the assassins wore. All of those scenes are extremely visceral and never get old, no matter how many times I watch them.

Other times, his directing looked like it was trying to set the mood and frame up the drama. There are two specific examples that come to mind. First, the dining scene with Klngons onboard, where Gorkon and Spock want it to go one way, as both want a better future, and then Chang wants it to go another away as he constantly tries to needle Kirk to get him to say the wrong thing, Chang vs. Kirk at the dinner table reminds me of Khan vs. Kirk at the dinner table in "Space Seed" where Khan says social gatherings are nothing more than warfare concealed. In this movie, Chang says all warriors are cold warriors. The second scene, which is as much about mood and atmosphere as it is about the drama is Chang prosecuting Kirk in the Klingon Courtroom Scene. The darkness, the set design, Chang's intensity, catching Kirk in the least flattering ways possible, and the sense of doom as the ominous Judge partially hidden in dark shadows pronounces Kirk and McCoy's sentence to Rura Penthe for the rest of their natural lives. When the Klingons keep chanting, "Kirk! Kirk! Kirk! Kirk!" that says it all. They don't want justice. They want blood. They've wanted it since Star Trek IV and now was their chance. To quote one of the Starfleet Admirals, "It's a damned show trial." Once again, these scenes never get old.

Kirk's story arc, and the less than flattering way he's presented, is the emotional core of the film. He's bitter and hardened after the death of his son in Star Trek III. It went from the Klingons just being adversaries to something a lot more personal. You don't really see it that much in IV and V, but you REALLY see it here. I view it as Kirk's grief comes and goes in waves. There are high tides and there are low tides. Star Trek VI was a high tide. He'll go through the diplomatic mission, but he hates it. Some will say, "Kirk wouldn't have been like this in TOS!" And they're right. He wouldn't have been. But his son hadn't been killed yet. And he hadn't had 25 more years of experiences with the Klingons added yet either. This Kirk isn't in the same place mentally as he was in during TOS. At all. Unlike in the series, where the episodic nature of '60s TV demanded he stay the same from week-to-week, in the movies he was allowed to change. So, I take no issue with Kirk feeling so bitter and having to learn how to come to grips with changing times. Unlike a lot of other people, I think Kirk's arc where he has to overcome his prejudice against Klingons comes from a natural starting ground.

Spock also goes through some changes. On multiple fronts. He's continuing on the journey that started in the first Star Trek movie where he began The Motion Picture by seeing logic as the end-all/be-all and then ended it by realizing there could be more. In this movie, he tells Valeris that logic is the beginning of wisdom instead of the end. He's also leaving the Enterprise and I assuming pursuing a path that leads to him becoming an Ambassador by TNG. This is something else that fits his character arc. In TOS, he said that he didn't want to be Captain. He also always had difficulty in the role or faced resistance whenever something happened to Kirk. That left Spock stuck in First Officer mode, making Starfleet a dead end with nowhere up to go in Starfleet after the Enterprise. So, choosing a different career path makes sense for him and reaching out to Gorkon was a good start for that.

Sulu's role as Captain of the Excelsior was nothing but new material for him. Being in command, charging to the rescue as the cavalry, and being willing to assist the Enterprise crew however he can. McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, and Chekov are their usual selves, so not much to say there. They also all get their scenes to shine in the film.

I know that Valeris was originally supposed to Saavik, but I appreciate that she was a new character rather than Nick Meyer casting a Third Saavik. While it's true that it makes her the most likely suspect for the audience when trying to figure out who the conspirator on the Enterprise is, it adds to another scene in a way that I've never seen mentioned before. Spock says that he was prejudiced by Valeris' accomplishments as a Vulcan, meaning that he just assumed she'd be great, all well and good... but I also think, on a more personal level, that Spock thought Valeris would be just like Saavik. And she wasn't. Spock is truly hurt when he realizes this. You see this he's enraged at Valeris and smacks the phaser out of her hand when they find out she's the conspirator. And you see it before, during, and after he mind-melds with Valeris while trying to find out more information. Spock goes too far with the mind-meld, I think, because of how disturbed he was at her.

The idea that members of the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans would conspire to remain enemies was something that confused me when I was a kid. They were already working together, so how could they be against peace. But as an adult, I understand that it's because they're benefitting off the war machine. Just like in Real Life. I was told that in all of the United States' history, it's only in peace for 17 of its 250 years. That means war is big business. War is responsible for people's careers. They don't want a world without war. Which makes them enemies to the very concept of Star Trek, making them fitting adversaries, on a meta level, for the last Star Trek movie with the original cast.

That brings us to Chang: the true face of the conspiracy to assassinate Chancellor Gorkon, attempt to assassinate the Federation President, and prevent peace in the Alpha Quadrant. I didn't know until later that William Shatner worked with Christopher Plummer in Shakespearian Theater. They had to be thrilled to be working together in this movie. Christopher Plummer brings a real flare and sophistication to his role, and it makes him one of the most memorable Star Trek Villains. Some people might say Chang's constantly quoting Shakespear is a little bit too much, but I'm not one of those people. For most of the film, he has the upper hand on Kirk, and it makes him a formidable opponent. The entire fight between the Enterprise and Chang's Bird-of-Prey was intense. The most intense moment was when that Klingon torpedo literally pierced right through the hull of the Enterprise's saucer and the music that went along with it. It gets my heart pounding every time. I don't care how elaborate they make CGI battles now, nothing will ever beat that. Then, as the music tenses up, and Spock and McCoy have their torpedo ready, Kirk says "Fire!" and it has me completely captivated as the torpedo says "To be or not to be!" and his ship is finally destroyed with an explosion shot so nice, they use it in the next movie too!

It feels appropriately frantic after that as the Enterprise crew beams down to the Khitomer Peace Conference to stop the assassination of the Federation President, including Kirk's literal leap to rescue the President and Scotty taking down the would-be assassin. At the end, after Kirk gives his speech, Azetbur, Gorkon's daughter, says he's restored her father's faith and Kirk says she's restored his son's. I think Kirk and Azetbur were on a parallel journey in this movie. Kirk had to set aside his feelings about what happened to his son to move toward a new future and Azetbur had to set aside her feelings about what happend to her father to move forward to a new future as well. As everyone claps, it feels truly earned. This was an appropriate final movie.

I know the allegorical theme of the end of the Cold War dates the movie, but I don't think it affects the quality of it. There are other things I can nitpick as well, but those are all things after the fact. Whenever I watch this movie, I still enjoy it, despite any flaws. It's my fourth favorite Star Trek movie behind The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, and First Contact.

By and large enjoyed and agree with this. A bit surprised that you didn't comment on David Warner (who had just appeared in the prior film) as the Klingon answer to Abraham Lincoln. Less surprised that you didn't comment on Rosanna DeSoto's perfromance as Azetbur.

 

[Lord Garth]

A bit surprised that you didn't comment on David Warner (who had just appeared in the prior film) as the Klingon answer to Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln (my favorite President) and Gorbachev.

Bleh. You're right. That was an unintentional oversight. I'll find a way to work it in tomorrow. I'm spent right now.

 

[Lord Garth]

I've just added the paragraph about Gorkon. It's the seventh paragraph down, between the paragraphs I have about Kirk and Spock. There are some more things I want to say about TUC, this time surrounding the film instead of the film itself.

TUC is the first Star Trek movie I saw in the theater as a fan. I was 12. I'd been taken to see TFF in the theater, but I wasn't a fan yet and it didn't convert me. Whereas by the time I went to see TUC, I'd already seen all the other movies, I was hooked, I'd just seen Spock on TNG, and I couldn't wait to see this one. I had a Star Trek VI T-shirt, I already bought the comic book adaptation, and I had the novelization. Plus, the trailer I'd seen for the movie during the 25th Anniversary Special (anyone else remember that?), along with all the behind-the-scenes coverage, had me super-excited, I couldn't wait to see it. Afterwards, I bought the Starlog Magazine's special issue devoted to TUC, complete with interviews from the cast and crew. I had everything.

I went to see Star Trek VI on Opening Day after school, with my mother and my brother. Then I went with my uncle to see it on Christmas Day. Coincidentally, the same day the USSR fell. Then I went to see it for a third time at a second-run theater in the late-winter or early-spring, something like that. My father finally watched it, when I rented it the day after it came out on VHS. Would've been the day of, but it was rented out by the time I got to the store, so I had to wait.

Then, one random night in the Summer of 1992, as I was flipping through cable channels, I came across George Takei on the Home Shopping Channel of all places! It was so weird. He talked about all kinds of things but also mentioned a Captain Sulu series. It had me interested. I got a little taste of it that summer anyway, since DC Comics put out a string of issues with Sulu now Captain of the Excelsior. So that gave me a chance to see a little of what it would be like. But a comic book isn't the same as live action. Which was why I was looking forward to "Flashback" and why I'd been hoping for a completely new adventure with Sulu.

 

[DonIago]

I still think TUC had not just the best trailer I've seen for any Trek film thus far, but one of the best trailers I've seen for any film. The narration is both well-written and well-delivered, and the scenes used were very well chosen, and it's great when they blend into the shot of the E preparing to go to warp.

 

[Qonundrum]

"Meld"

Suder's finally here! Tom Paris' mini-arc which leads up to flushing out Jonas starts! And what I am going to start this review off with? Neelix getting on my nerves again! Pestering Tuvok and saying he'll never rest until gets Tuvok to smile. And the pestering is starting to border on harassment. I'm on Tuvok's side.

Part of me would bet that the "Neelix fun death scene" was a response by the makers of the show in, what's the word, "trolling" the people who hated the character. Or maybe it wasn't, given the balance and tone and entirely of the show and presentation and, yeah, I like Neelix. Either way, as a fan of Neelix, it was damn good writing and acting to turn a fan fantasy into a holodeck trick.

But enough with that, and onto the real hook. Torres calls Tuvok down to Engineering, where a grisly murder has been uncovered. I already knew what was coming, since I know the episode. But for someone watching this the first time, it would probably be a sharp turn from out of left field.

I'd not seen it since forever, save for two clips (Neelix' fun-time neck crunch and Tim Russ's award-deserving speech as Tuvok to Janeway), so the reveal - in proper horror movie style - still suitably shocks. Or is the word, "Suderbly"?

Aside from Alien: Resurrection, I don't think I've ever seen Brad Dourif play anyone who wasn't crazy. And even in the Alien movie, what he was doing was crazy (helping in trying to weaponize Xenomorphs). And he delivers the crazy in this episode. It's like the role of Suder was written with Brad Dourif specifically in mind. Tuvok is completely perplexed when Suder gives the reason for killing someone as, "I didn't like the way he looked at me."

Tropey or Typecast or other T-words aside, he's still Terrific. Always use one's strengths. If Brad liked the show and a role was tailor-made, this really did Sud'er him...



(...I also have to stop using those dreadful puns...)

I think the Doctor is right. We evolved from predators. Suder can't repress those animal instincts. As soon as someone looks at him wrong, he kills them. He's out in the wild. He's in the jungle. To be honest, I'm surprised he managed to hold out until the middle of the second season. An assessment that Tuvok ultimately agrees with.

Or some form of mental illness, DSM-V stuff or whatever version was the norm back in 1996. True, humans still evolved and it's nice to see the show reflecting that, and many variables would and do exist.

Plus, "Worst Case Scenario" deserved to be sooner in the series' run as well.

I'll also say I think Chakotay made a mistake in not telling Janeway, Tuvok, and the Doctor about Suder much earlier. I understand that Chakotay didn't want to make things difficult for his fellow Maquis crew, but Suder's issues didn't have anything to do with that. I don't fault the episode, though. This is a character flaw specific to Chakotay in that he was trying too hard to have all the Maquis crew's backs.

It's another decent and nuanced touch, IMHO.

After Tuvok mind-melds with Suder, Tuvok's feelings begin to come to the surface. At first, it's thinking Suder deserves more punishment than what is feasible on Voyager. Janeway knows Tuvok well enough that she immediately picks up on it.

A great fake-out when Tuvok goes to the Holodeck and Neelix acts super-Neelix-y. What makes it such an effective fake-out is that Neelix is already so over-the-top that going slightly moreso doesn't even make anyone think anything is going on. On the surface, it seems like he's just being more annoying than usual. Then Tuvok does what a small part of him has probably wanted to do all along, and strangles Neelix to death! Computer, end program.

It's 100% sheer brilliance and brilliantly done, from script to screen. It's a perfect fit and cause.

When Tuvok sees Suder in the brig, Suder talks about how appealing violence is, since it doesn't require logic and how liberating it feels. He tries his hardest to make it sound good. The only appeal I see is when an aggressor is stopped and can no longer cause you harm. Here, Suder is the aggressor. He never stops to think about how "liberating" or "satisfying" it would feel for someone innocent to be on the other side of said violence. How liberating is that? Liberating maybe because you can do whatever you want. Satisfying you can do whatever you want. But that's it. On a starship, he most certainly can't do whatever he wants. Maybe that's made killing someone on Voyager feel that much more satisfying to do, because it was harder.

Tuvok had a point about a motive always being there, even if the story was trying to bypass the irrationality of unrelated emotional states being a possible motive in of itself. Random killings can and do happen, even if it's hard for humans to rationalize.

After the exchange with Suder, Tuvok goes to his quarters, relieves himself of duty, and smashes everything in said quarters. We don't see any of it and when Janeway visits him, we see the state Tuvok has left things in. Symbolizing Tuvok's own wrecked, mental state. I had an easier time buying Tuvok's ravaging of his quarters here than Odo's in DS9's "Crossfire". Though it's interesting that the two security chiefs wreck their quarters in such close proximity, airdate-wise. Tuvok has had over a century of repressed violent emotion which is being influenced, albeit unintentionally, by a murdering psychopath.

Writers cribbing notes? Given both series' differences, it is a coincidence - usually the new show takes ideas from older ones (e.g. "Starship Down" based and improving on "Disaster" for example, or "Dramatis Persona" being an inferior rehash of "Sarek", IMHO of course.) But rarely simultaneously. Then again, two Trek shows being developed simultaneously, to make a drinking game out of the number of close proximities in plot points wouldn't get even the most gleeful drinker from getting even remotely inebriated.

The camera pans across everything Tuvok has done, then stops on the shadow of Tuvok, like something Alfred Hitchcock would do if he were directing. That was a great shot. Even better is we can't see Tuvok himself. He's hiding in a corner, unseen, as he tells Janeway not to enter. As if he's some hoodlum on the street, lurking around the corner. It's genuinely scary when Tuvok tells Janeway not only how many martial arts he knows but how many ways he can kill someone using just a finger. I bet Suder would love to know all the ways he could kill someone using these methods. Then Tuvok rises, has sweat all over him, veins bulging, and his eyes look like those of a killer. None of it is special effects. Just really good makeup and really good acting. Tim Russ nails it.

^^this

Then Tim Russ nails it again in the next scene. When Tuvok is in Sickbay, with his emotional suppression removed and his telepathic abilities blocked, he becomes intrigued with the primitive Vulcan state, tells Janeway she's wrong for letting Suder live, and offers to kill Suder for her. He also says that Humans disgust him. There's a kernel of truth in everything he says. I think the normal Tuvok would think that Suder needs to pay for his consequences. I do think that Humans (in general) annoy Tuvok to some degree, he puts up with them at worst and tolerates them at best in a lot of cases. Things he'd never say with his inhibitions intact.

The story is chock full of minutiae-driven details and facets, and yet it never feels bogged down, bloated, slow, ineffectual, etc. Only engaging and intriguing. It couldn't be as easily done on the other Trek shows, partly because of the groupings of the people on board. Plus, we already had Tam Elbrun, who was another fantastic character for other reasons to bounce off the others with. Nothing about Suder feels tired or worn out, contrary to the belief that Trek was in burnout mode at this time.

In the middle of the night, Tuvok sneaks out of Sickbay, and heads off to kill Suder. The line of the show is when Suder says, "I'm ready to die, but are you ready to kill?" It's as if Suder is goading Tuvok to kill. Tuvok tries to rationalize it as Suder deserves to die, but Suder says that once Tuvok kills he'll want to keep killing and he'll have to give up his place in civilized society. I think Suder can't stand the thought of being confined to Voyager for rest of his life, wants to be killed, and thinks that if he's going down, then he's going to take the person who Tuvok was up until this episode down with him.

Fortunately, in the end, Tuvok doesn't kill Suder, Tuvok recovers, and Suder is permanently confined to his quarters. This episode was a great vehicle to show off Tim Russ' acting range. Something he doesn't get to do too often as Tuvok. It asks tough questions and doesn't give easy answers. I give it a 10.

And the moralplay, which Tuvok gets to relay of course. Everything about this episode is so solid, right down to the core. 10/10 is one of the few times I'd think the rating was too low, even if 10 is the best a story could get.

I should mention something about the Paris sub-plot, beyond the fact that it exists. He really leans into the Bad Boy image with the betting pool at the pool table. It was a good move not to have Jonas in this episode. On repeat viewings it would've made things too on-the-nose that both were connected.

It's nice to see fallible humans again. Definitely some shades of TOS but in new ways that TOS couldn't do, and it all just fits superb either which way.

 

[Lord Garth]

Writers cribbing notes? Given both series' differences, it is a coincidence

I personally don't think they were cribbing notes. I do think it's a coincidence. From what I can tell, there didn't seem to be any communication between the DS9 and VOY writing staffs unless one was writing about something in the other's territory; and that wouldn't have been the case here.

It's just amazing how the timing worked out between Odo and Tuvok wrecking their respective quarters. If I weren't doing re-watches of DS9 and VOY at the same time, it would've flown completely under my radar.

Plus, "Worst Case Scenario" deserved to be sooner in the series' run as well.

I actually think "Worst Case Scenario" is in the perfect spot. I consider it to be the last episode of Early-VOY. And so, I think it serves as a nice bookend. Looking back at how things could've gone, before the series looks forward to its next stage. The "Scorpion" two-parter changes the series permanently, and with Seven of Nine that change is seen in every episode except "Nemesis" (not to be confused with the movie), which is why I consider it to be the true dividing point.

 

[Lord Garth]

I've been binge-watching For All Mankind in the lead-up to Season 5. I'm in the groove. I'm exactly half-way through Season 3.

So what do I do when I get home? Do I keep going with FAMK or do I watch "False Profits"? Well... I should say keep watching FAMK. But nope. Have to keep the Re-Watch Threads going, so I'll take one for the team and watch "False Profits".

I'm making a great sacrifice. Let it be so noted.

 

[Farscape One]

I've been binge-watching For All Mankind in the lead-up to Season 5. I'm in the groove. I'm exactly half-way through Season 3.

So what do I do when I get home? Do I keep going with FAMK or do I watch "False Profits"? Well... I should say keep watching FAMK. But nope. Have to keep the Re-Watch Threads going, so I'll take one for the team and watch "False Profits".

I'm making a great sacrifice. Let it be so noted.

Or you could finish FOR ALL MANKIND season 3 and go to "FALSE PROFITS".

Thread will still be here. As will those of us reading the reviews.

 

[Lord Garth]

Or you could finish FOR ALL MANKIND season 3 and go to "FALSE PROFITS".

Thread will still be here. As will those of us reading the reviews.

"Armageddon will have to wait for another day." Not that I needed much convincing!

 

[Lord Garth]

I watched more For All Mankind last night, until I got too tired and my body told me to stop. Then I woke up, and put on "False Profits", and watched it from my bed. It didn't deserve my getting up properly for it. is it just as bad as I remembered and just as bad as everyone said? The answer is a definitive YES.

"False Profits"

Okay. I can see what they were trying to do. Two Ferengi got lost back in the TNG Days and ended up in the Delta Quadrant. They thought it might be a good idea to follow up on that, it seemed liked a natural fit, have Voyager run into them, and then there's the excuse they need to do a Ferengi episode.

The only problem is they did everything wrong. The two Ferengi, I'm not even going to refer to them by their names because that would require looking them up, act like horrible TNG Ferengi. Except, they had the Ferengi quoting Rules of Acquisition and they had the Ferengi acting like they were in a DS9 Ferengi Comedy Episode. Which the Voyager writers can't pull off. If you want a good Ferengi Comedy Episode that was already around during this point, watch DS9's "The House of Quark", "Prophet Motive", "Little Green Men", or the then-upcoming "Looking for par'Mach In All the Wrong Places" which just so happens to be the next DS9 episode I'll be reviewing. Those got comedy right. Nothing the Voyager Writers did here was funny.

The Ferengi weren't funny, their servant wasn't funny, the guy with the fake eye-patch wanted to be funny but he wasn't, and Neelix as a Ferengi wasn't funny either. I didn't laugh or crack a smile once.

The people on this planet of the week viewed the Ferengi as Gods because of their advanced technology and because the Ferengi co-opted their religion, cornered the market on it as Janeway said, and fully took advantage of these people. But this is also a farse. In no religion that I know of are their Rules of Acquisition like "Exploitation begins at home!" I imagine they have to have some sort of religion. Probably several religions. And if their religions are anything like ours, then the Ferengi doctrine would come off as extremely sinful. The writers just decided to go with "These people see the Ferengi as Gods!" and left it at that. They didn't think it through or they thought, "Who cares? Just enjoy the episode!" Except I can't enjoy the episode if you don't make it funny, you don't make it entertaining, and it's just stupid.

More stupidity after that. If the Ferengi have really studied this planet's somehow sole religion, they should've studied the whole thing to make sure there was nothing the people of this planet could get them on. Things like being tied up and burned at the stake until they "ascend", like when they're beamed up.

The Ferengi aren't the only characters to not read things all the way through. Neither does Neelix. If he had, he could've found something in the 285 Rules of Acquisition to use when he pretended to be the Grand Proxy rather than winging it, coming up with a "299th Rule" and making the Ferengi suspicious. There's a saying, "learn the rules before you break them." It's something I take to heart because then if you're going against the rules, or amending them, you're doing it intelligently. Neelix didn't.

Then the stupdiest part of all. After the Ferengi and their shuttle are rescued by Voyager, the Ferengi take out security, evade Tuvok's security team, retrieve their shuttle, go through the Wormhole, end up back in the Alpha Quadrant... and what about Voyager? Well, apparently Voyager can't even handle two Ferengi, can't stop them, and somehow can't even make it to the Wormhole before they do! Voyager was incompetent all the way through during this entire sequence, after the rescue. It makes Janeway look bad, it makes Tuvok look bad, it makes everyone look bad.

I don't think Voyager should be like DS9. I don't think it should be another DS9. That's not what it was meant to be, so I'm not asking for that. With the Maquis tensions resolved, and the idea that they're trying to get home understood, Voyager is a normal Starship Show, like TOS and TNG, except far away from everything else. I'm going to say this right now: Voyager works better when it's a '90s version of TOS than it does when it's TNG Part II. Something about them being out there alone, not to the mention there were already seven seasons of TNG immediately before Voyager.

So, taking all of that into account, in this episode should've taken a different approach. Instead of writing what was basically another TNG Ferengi Episode with their poor understanding of DS9 Ferengi grafted on to it, they should've asked themselves: "What would a Ferengi Episode have been like if it were done on TOS?" You'd only see them once and probably never again, just like TOS. So only get one shot at it, just like TOS. And just like Voyager, before they re-established contact with the Alpha Quadrant much later.

If I were doing this, I would've borrowed a few pages from the playbook of TOS Season 2. A light comedy episode on a Parallel Earth. I'd keep the same Ferengi except when they land on this planet, they do what Quark wanted to do in "Little Green Men": they end up running the planet in short order. Not because they were worshipped as Gods, but because they managed introduce new technology to this planet, make a profit off it, and buy their way into power through a corrupt oligarchy.

I'd have represented the Ferengi at their absolute worst. I'd make them like the shadiest businessmen and the most corrupt politicians of the Gilded Age. So, this planet would be similar in development to the late-19th Century, making them more intelligent than to just assume the Ferengi are Gods. And, given that this would've been a 19th Century style society, the patriarchy would be all-encompassing. Not only would the Ferengi be sexist towards Janeway, so would the inhabitants. Making Janeway's job harder. But there would be a growing segment of the population against being taken advantage of.

If one of the people, the main person who talks to the Ferengi was frustrated with them, then Janeway could get through to him, especially if he was starting to have his doubts and felt taken advantage of by the Ferengi himself. Janeway could give a speech just like Kirk would've and the Ferengi would've lost their position of power. Then, in a twist just like TOS, the Ferengi are killed instead of taken back by Voyager. So, the inhabitants have regained control of their own planet, the Ferengi are out of the picture, and the Voyager crew doesn't look incompetent. And I just thought of all of this on a whim. Given more time, I could think of even more things to add to it. The point is, "Flase Profits" didn't have to be as bad as it was. it's like the writers didn't even try. It was good enough to them to say, "Let's just have the Ferengi!" and call it a day. It was lazy writing. I probably put more effort into writing this review than they did writing this episode.

Overall, looking at how thoroughly they screwed up, I'd say I have to give this episode a 2.

Why not a 1? There are some even worse episodes still to come. But that's for another time.

 

[Farscape One]

I watched more For All Mankind last night, until I got too tired and my body told me to stop. Then I woke up, and put on "False Profits", and watched it from my bed. It didn't deserve my getting up properly for it. is it just as bad as I remembered and just as bad as everyone said? The answer is a definitive YES.

"False Profits"

Okay. I can see what they were trying to do. Two Ferengi got lost back in the TNG Days and ended up in the Delta Quadrant. They thought it might be a good idea to follow up on that, it seemed liked a natural fit, have Voyager run into them, and then there's the excuse they need to do a Ferengi episode.

The only problem is they did everything wrong. The two Ferengi, I'm not even going to refer to them by their names because that would require looking them up, act like horrible TNG Ferengi. Except, they had the Ferengi quoting Rules of Acquisition and they had the Ferengi acting like they were in a DS9 Ferengi Comedy Episode. Which the Voyager writers can't pull off. If you want a good Ferengi Comedy Episode that was already around during this point, watch DS9's "The House of Quark", "Prophet Motive", "Little Green Men", or the then-upcoming "Looking for par'Mach In All the Wrong Places" which just so happens to be the next DS9 episode I'll be reviewing. Those got comedy right. Nothing the Voyager Writers did here was funny.

The Ferengi weren't funny, their servant wasn't funny, the guy with the fake eye-patch wanted to be funny but he wasn't, and Neelix as a Ferengi wasn't funny either. I didn't laugh or crack a smile once.

The people on this planet of the week viewed the Ferengi as Gods because of their advanced technology and because the Ferengi co-opted their religion, cornered the market on it as Janeway said, and fully took advantage of these people. But this is also a farse. In no religion that I know of are their Rules of Acquisition like "Exploitation begins at home!" I imagine they have to have some sort of religion. Probably several religions. And if their religions are anything like ours, then the Ferengi doctrine would come off as extremely sinful. The writers just decided to go with "These people see the Ferengi as Gods!" and left it at that. They didn't think it through or they thought, "Who cares? Just enjoy the episode!" Except I can't enjoy the episode if you don't make it funny, you don't make it entertaining, and it's just stupid.

More stupidity after that. If the Ferengi have really studied this planet's somehow sole religion, they should've studied the whole thing to make sure there was nothing the people of this planet could get them on. Things like being tied up and burned at the stake until they "ascend", like when they're beamed up.

The Ferengi aren't the only characters to not read things all the way through. Neither does Neelix. If he had, he could've found something in the 285 Rules of Acquisition to use when he pretended to be the Grand Proxy rather than winging it, coming up with a "299th Rule" and making the Ferengi suspicious. There's a saying, "learn the rules before you break them." It's something I take to heart because then if you're going against the rules, or amending them, you're doing it intelligently. Neelix didn't.

Then the stupdiest part of all. After the Ferengi and their shuttle are rescued by Voyager, the Ferengi take out security, evade Tuvok's security team, retrieve their shuttle, go through the Wormhole, end up back in the Alpha Quadrant... and what about Voyager? Well, apparently Voyager can't even handle two Ferengi, can't stop them, and somehow can't even make it to the Wormhole before they do! Voyager was incompetent all the way through during this entire sequence, after the rescue. It makes Janeway look bad, it makes Tuvok look bad, it makes everyone look bad.

I don't think Voyager should be like DS9. I don't think it should be another DS9. That's not what it was meant to be, so I'm not asking for that. With the Maquis tensions resolved, and the idea that they're trying to get home understood, Voyager is a normal Starship Show, like TOS and TNG, except far away from everything else. I'm going to say this right now: Voyager works better when it's a '90s version of TOS than it does when it's TNG Part II. Something about them being out there alone, not to the mention there were already seven seasons of TNG immediately before Voyager.

So, taking all of that into account, in this episode should've taken a different approach. Instead of writing what was basically another TNG Ferengi Episode with their poor understanding of DS9 Ferengi grafted on to it, they should've asked themselves: "What would a Ferengi Episode have been like if it were done on TOS?" You'd only see them once and probably never again, just like TOS. So only get one shot at it, just like TOS. And just like Voyager, before they re-established contact with the Alpha Quadrant much later.

If I were doing this, I would've borrowed a few pages from the playbook of TOS Season 2. A light comedy episode on a Parallel Earth. I'd keep the same Ferengi except when they land on this planet, they do what Quark wanted to do in "Little Green Men": they end up running the planet in short order. Not because they were worshipped as Gods, but because they managed introduce new technology to this planet, make a profit off it, and buy their way into power through a corrupt oligarchy.

I'd have represented the Ferengi at their absolute worst. I'd make them like the shadiest businessmen and the most corrupt politicians of the Gilded Age. So, this planet would be similar in development to the late-19th Century, making them more intelligent than to just assume the Ferengi are Gods. And, given that this would've been a 19th Century style society, the patriarchy would be all-encompassing. Not only would the Ferengi be sexist towards Janeway, so would the inhabitants. Making Janeway's job harder. But there would be a growing segment of the population against being taken advantage of.

If one of the people, the main person who talks to the Ferengi was frustrated with them, then Janeway could get through to him, especially if he was starting to have his doubts and felt taken advantage of by the Ferengi himself. Janeway could give a speech just like Kirk would've and the Ferengi would've lost their position of power. Then, in a twist just like TOS, the Ferengi are killed instead of taken back by Voyager. So, the inhabitants have regained control of their own planet, the Ferengi are out of the picture, and the Voyager crew doesn't look incompetent. And I just thought of all of this on a whim. Given more time, I could think of even more things to add to it. The point is, "Flase Profits" didn't have to be as bad as it was. it's like the writers didn't even try. It was good enough to them to say, "Let's just have the Ferengi!" and call it a day. It was lazy writing. I probably put more effort into writing this review than they did writing this episode.

Overall, looking at how thoroughly they screwed up, I'd say I have to give this episode a 2.

Why not a 1? There are some even worse episodes still to come. But that's for another time.

You're more generous than I am. This is easily a 1.25, possibly a 1 for me. Precisely because it makes the crew look like buffoons.

One of the barometers I use for 'worst' episodes is if it makes a character look truly bad or assassinates a character in a big way. It's why "THE RECKONING" is my most hated episode of DS9, why "Rascals" ranks near bottom of TNG, why "VIRTUOSO" ranks among the worst of VOY, and why "UNIMATRIX ZERO" ranks among not just the worst of VOY but in the entire franchise.

 

[Lord Garth]

You're more generous than I am. This is easily a 1.25, possibly a 1 for me. Precisely because it makes the crew look like buffoons.

One of the barometers I use for 'worst' episodes is if it makes a character look truly bad or assassinates a character in a big way. It's why "THE RECKONING" is my most hated episode of DS9, why "Rascals" ranks near bottom of TNG, why "VIRTUOSO" ranks among the worst of VOY, and why "UNIMATRIX ZERO" ranks among not just the worst of VOY but in the entire franchise.

That makes sense and is fair. My main barometer when I'm looking at "which is worse?" is what's more painful to watch? For me, I might as well give it away: the most painful, cringe-inducing VOY episode for me to watch is "The Disease". I'll be trying my hardest not to shut it off with that one.

But anyway, yeah. It's interesting comparing notes about the race to the bottom.

 

[Farscape One]

That makes sense and is fair. My main barometer when I'm looking at "which is worse?" is what's more painful to watch? For me, I might as well give it away: the most painful, cringe-inducing VOY episode for me to watch is "The Disease". I'll be trying my hardest not to shut it off with that one.

But anyway, yeah. It's interesting comparing notes about the race to the bottom.

"THE DISEASE" is no prize, either. But two things help that episode.

First, interesting concept: the Varro. Could have become Voyager's future if things didn't go more their way. Second, Musetta Vander. Easy on the eyes, always loved seeing her in shows. (STARGATE SG-1, HIGHLANDER, BABYLON 5, XENA.)

 

[Qonundrum]

"Lifesigns"

In Brief: The A-Plot with the Vidian woman, Denora Pel, was great. The B-Plot with Paris was wearing out its welcome at this point. I wish these two plots were in different episodes, so this whole one could be focused on Pel.

Having watched this and "Investigations" in that order but otherwise going in reverse-order for the discs because... weird, I am... I'm looking forward to how the wearing out will feel more prevalent.

The Pel subplot was really good overall, but did start to feel dragged out and padded at times. Perhaps it needed to be, though that ending more than made up for the story feeling like it went out of steam halfway in. It's a great concept, combined with using her as a hologram for not just a psychological exploration but even giving the EMH program... a... love... interest... that somehow works even though it's like watching a YouTube video of two AI sessions talking back and forth going nowhere because they're not going to do any baryon multiplication for a hot nuclear chemical reaction, snarf snarf...

The conversation between the Doctor and Kes about Pel gave an opportunity for real growth with the Doctor. Even though he wasn't programmed for romance, his adaptiveness has now allowed for it, and Kes encourages him to pursue a relationship with Pel. But then, the Doctor tells Pel -- in a matter-of-fact way -- "I feel attracted to you and I wonder if you felt the same the way?" And right in front of Kes! I can't hold it against the episode or the Doctor. He's in uncharted territory. The look on Kes' face is priceless. Her facial reaction was the same as mine. Then Pel says she thinks they should keep their relationship professional. But it's not what the Doctor said, it's how he said it and went about it.

^^this, excellent point and reminder on the EMH. Great acting too (ditto for the episode in general!)

The B-Plot: Oh, my God. This is the point where the Paris and Jonas subplots really begin to wear out their welcome. Had this been in a different episode, I'd be more forgiving, but not here. Let the main story with "Lifesigns" stand on its own! Paris shows up late again, Chakotay wants to do something about it, Paris gives him attitude, he shows up late again, Chakotay says he's relieved, they get into an altercation, and Paris is taken to the brig.

I loved that scene! Insubordination to the max. I had no idea that all this winding up to be the best take on the fake-out since "The Enterprise Incident" (spoiler alert three decades later?? )

At this point, when the series was first airing, I was wondering what was going on with Paris. After I knew what was really going on, seeing what happens here feels especially cringe-worthy.

Given you're watching these in proper order, that's probably the case. Casual viewers who may have missed an episode arguably makes this a more complex scenario... or people like me watching each season's disc in reverse sequential order despite watching each episode on the disc in near-chronological order,

Then there's Jonas. He finds out Seska's been getting his messages after all. The groundwork for "Basics" is laid when she says she wants to kidnap Voyager because she doesn't want to raise her child on a Kazon ship. Then she tells Jonas to sabotage something, which we never get see. To be continued?

I was wondering where this would head, and I'm still a few episodes from the finale where I remember the cliffhanger, anyway.

Overall: This should be a 10. The B-Plot is too intrusive, too grating, and too tonally different from the rest of the episode. If it wasn't for the Re-Watch Thread, I'd skip over those scenes. But, for completeness, I can't. So, two points off. I give this episode an 8.

The padding/slowdown in the middle did too much for me, but - maybe it's because viewing order - the overall Pel theme plus the time to fiddle with Tom - made it a 7~8 for me. Above average, when all is said and done, but I'm glad I kept watching. Almost had hit the FF button, though. YMMV.

 

[Farscape One]

Interestingly enough, "INVESTIGATIONS" was produced directly before "LIFESIGNS"... which also means there were back to back Vidiian episodes for VOY!

(Best race that show created.)

 

[Qonundrum]

I think I'll have more people on my side with "Tuvix" than I thought. I mentioned where I stand on that subject several years ago. If you remember, you remember. Otherwise, you'll find out when I get there.

This wasn't part of my plan, but I'm going to re-watch "Investigations" next. That's where my mind is already at anyway, so why not? I'll do two DS9 episodes next week to balance things out. Have to keep everything in sync!

"Investigations"

First off, what I said above about the B-Plot intruding too much in "Lifesigns" might've made it sound like I probably hate "Investigations", but that isn't true. I just thought the two stories didn't go well together. Taken on its own terms, I think there's a good idea within "Investigations" and the whole Jonas/Paris arc. It just comes down to a matter of the execution of said idea.

Fair points. As I rewatch (Season 2 is underrated!) I wonder if I will remember or re-assess later...

My overall summary before reacting to your points as I suspect I'm in for some good thinking material from your input: Yeah, a couple of plot ideas I had presumed were in use, was ultimately correct but the clever plot twists holding the reveals back more than made up for it. So many scenes I was so invested and hooked that I was yelling for or against certain characters on screen, whereas I was struggling to stay away or begging my cat to jump up onto my lap to induce me to nap during the previous episode. Glad kitty just sat there gawking at me wanting a dollop of whipped cream from that damn pie I felt I needed to shovel down my gullet while gawking...

Neelix begins a new series where he updates the crew on what's going on with Voyager. We'll overlook that Neelix is recording on a camera with what looks like 240i resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio. It's all frothy, feel-good, breezy stuff. Kim tells Neelix he should go for something with more substance, so Neelix dabbles into journalism, where he uncovers that someone has been sending uncoded transmissions somewhere. Specifically, someone informing the Kazon that Paris has left Voyager to serve on a Telaxian ship.

I immediately thought this was a Neelix episode... contrary to popular belief, he's not his always-happy self, which is a plus. Which is not to say I dislike his happy self (I'm one of a few who do)... it was a cool idea to do little YouTube-wannabe videos like that, though why the video camera REC had whizzy blue things animating on the bottom, which would be distracting to any cameraperson or director... but for the audience, whizzing animated things are cool. Probably. Well, doubly probably, if any of the whizzy blue things started whizzing on the lounge chairs it'd get pretty gross. And smelly... eww...

It gives Neelix something to do, that's true, but I think all of it was unnecessary. Drop all the Neelix scenes, then take the scenes related to the Paris/Jonas storyline from "Lifesigns" and put them here, at the beginning of the episode. Then those scenes would feel like they'd be somewhere that fits better and it still gives the setup of Paris looking like he wants to leave Voyager. Jonas sabotaging the magnetic constrictors even picks up directly from when Seska told him to do that in the previous episode.

In terms of consolidating stories, I can dig it, but here's why I love it:

Neelix had a reputation from fandom and this story and series helps to combat that in a positive way. At least for the audience perspective. True, it could have been Kes or any other crewmember, or playing "plotting pattycake" and let the computer dating service episode be its sole plot (but how would you stretch that to a full length episode and not end up padding or running out of facets or tangents to talk about?)

In short, yup: You'd read it right. It's a 4th wall gag by letting Neelix get both his tv show as well as Inspector role, but done in such a good and character-expanding way, especially compared to the 24th century Federation crew that would render this a stale outing. Or that's how I perceived it, anyway.

Jonas, the character not the actor who plays him, seems so fake when Neelix asks him about if anyone could send anomalous transmissions. That should've made Neelix suspicious of Jonas immediately. Right then and there. Instead, Neelix falls for the trap Jonas set for him, and thinks it was Paris who sent transmissions to the Kazon instead of him. That's two other things Neelix should've realized: 1) evidence can be planted (how could this not even occur to him?) and, 2) the first answer he finds might not be the right one. I know because the show has told me Jonas is the traitor. Neelix on the other hand, because of the type of life he had before Voyager, should've had the street smarts to know as well.

If reality can be stranger than fiction... we the audience see it as fake, but would Neelix?

Good point on evidence being planted -- that had crossed my mind early on, and I was waiting for some time when Paris would finally get the treatment, but I felt they held it back pretty well.

Yeah, I will fully agree that the episode already showed the baddie (Jonah inside this whale of a ship) and that dampers things a bit, but then the next trick is to deflect or subvert expectations. I remembered Jonah and knew, but the story (at least for me) remained engaging, plus it's giving us more meat for Neelix's character and without slathering in sappy about it.

I felt Neelix was in-character, but maybe I need to rewatch more episodes. But at the same time, are the Haakonian streets the same as humanity's? Or even then? We never got much of Neelix with his backstory. I'd have been more concerned had it been Tuvok or B'Elanna was duped so easily, as that'd be a story worthy of first season TNG's twaddle right there.

When Neelix's overenthusiastic journalism makes it sound like Paris is the one who betrayed Voyager to the Kazon, Janeway wants Tuvok to get him into her Ready Room ASAP. Chakotay's there too. And that's when Janeway and Tuvok tell Neelix -- and Chakotay! -- what's really going on.

I adored how Neelix was in the dark, something the audience was not clued in on. Ditto for the revelation of Chakotay's as well. It does make up for how we all know who the baddie is, while waiting to see how things pan out and all this time there was a covert operation that we didn't know about.

I did wonder at times why everyone was oh-so-sure that Paris was not guilty as everyone was stoic. I should take off a point, and yet in the 24th century they're trying to get all the facts before emoting and that's handled a lot better than a lot of TNG had.

On the other hand, the only thing bigger was to have Paris indeed go bad... but we guessed that right enough once we see Seska. Loved how the gizmo Paris had was a bomb and not a communication relay or recording device, though - yeah - why he'd be put into a room with such equipment... the Kazon are either that dumb or they were monitoring. Given how many times Trek (esp. TOS) discusses channels being monitored, the latter was the easier guess, but I was too busy being all smiles in the overall presentation. But I'm a sucker for this type of storytelling. One bigluscious lolly. Metaphorically, anyway, and NOT a Tootsie pop so don't do what Mr Turtle did...

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Why none of the animal farm there could lick the question, I don't know, but I just did a Family Guy joke. Family Guy jokes are cool... (Well, early on...) also, it took one whole minute to hawk a lolly? Those were the days!

Chakotay has a lot more restraint than he should've. He should've looked a lot more furious that Janeway and Tuvok kept him out of the loop. Again! It's actually the second time they've pulled the wool over his eyes. The first time being "Caretaker". A reaction with the same level of intensity from "State of Flux" would've been perfect here. "You were working for her. She was working for them! Was anyone on that ship working for me?!" But nothing. Janeway tells Chakotay they needed a good performance while Paris was pretending to act up.

Yeah, the 24th centuryisms that 90s Trek put in did get a bit overdone. I was too busy drooling, but that's not important right now. Great point about "State of Flux", which I need to get to at some point...

That said, watching in bizarro order, as told, I still loved the scene and - yeah - not being told in advance definitely helps keep the chance of line flubs and other giveaways minimal.

Going back to "the modern take on 'The Enterprise Incident', I still love how they built it up over (more than just 2) episodes, and it's not about a cloaking device that they can make work in 5 minutes but something more tangible.

Going back to earlier in the episode, I kept thinking to myself, Paris must've felt really shitty inside when Neelix, Kes, and Kim all thought he was leaving for real. And he had play it straight. It's painful but it's a good type of painful. This had to be tearing Paris up inside. On the other hand, people who care about Paris might feel upset that they were led along by this ruse for so long. Even if that act was strictly under Janeway's orders.

^^this

That'd be incredibly hard to do and they pulled it off really well. I was still waiting for shoes to drop, but the setup and leaving was beautifully executed.

Hmmm, wasn't this around the same time that - over on DS9 - they were fathoming having a bogus Bashir brought in by the Founders? (Similar trope but different handling and plot path...)

Despite making Neelix look gullible for not being able to pick up on things, "Investigations" has Paris and Seska picking things up very quickly. Neither trusts each other, and Seska's suspicions are proven correct when she finds Paris sending transmissions to Voyager.

Fair point. People are people, but the rivalry between Paris and Seska was really well-acted, though I was waiting for when she'd come out accordingly. VOY could be envelope pushing at times (that DNA stealing scene is still a gut punch), but by now we all knew it'd be status quo again by the end. And yet, Pari's escape scene had me hooked and did feel genuinely dangerous for him.

The last unintentionally goofy part of the episode is when Jonas tries to kill Neelix in order to keep from being exposed. They make Neelix look like he doesn't have a dirty bone his body (which isn't true) while Jonas becomes an incompetent fighter. Jonas was with the Maquis, he's probably dealt with Cardassian violence and attacks, and you're telling me he can't win in a fight against Neelix? Sorry, but there's no way Neelix would've stopped Jonas if it was all going to come down to fisticuffs.

I'm hoping Neelix doesn't but I've yet to rewatch season 1... even if he had a dirty bone, all those big juicy good ones make up for it... Jonas seems to be VOY's equivalent to Eddlington, though as much both are meant to be loved to be hated, Eddington's better. Still, I forgot the actor's name, but that eerie smile he wore at times was just perfectly done. (the murder attempt with that mini plasma flamethrower had me on edge...)

That said, yeah - the story has the action scene for Neelix and the power of plot armoring compelled at the end. The story managed to bypass some potentially alternate scenes, it might have helped if someone stepped in at the last moment (Tuvok overriding the door controls with superuser access after other methods failing, because drama - or not telling those around you what the SA account password is, even if it's also tied to voice) or something to get around this as - go figure - Jonas gets the old "I've fallen off the rail" trick and into the convenient plot device. Too easy...

But Neelix manages to save himself, Jonas is stopped, Paris is rescued, and it's revealed that everything Paris had been up to for the past several weeks was just an act. If I were Paris' closest friends, I'd feel betrayed to be strung along like that.

Just like a Brady Bunch or Rainbow Brite episode, it always ends up so nice and tidy.

The Paris faking it until making it subplot going on for weeks is a long time, but on the other hand it wouldn't have worked if they just had him acting up for 2 weeks. TOS already showed how a one-off episode couldn't sell it as Kirk was right as rain all along.

We don't see the epilogue where Paris makes up, but you're right in that the act had no implications of misunderstandings... like "Three's Company" except this isn't a sitcom.

A note to Neelix: this is why you don't report things until you have all the facts! Otherwise, your rampant speculation doesn't match up with anyone else's, and it's only making things worse by adding more speculation on top of other speculation.

Bingo. It's too easy for even humans to do, and it explains why other characters weren't presuming Paris being guilty - not because of the power of plot but because they're looking for all the facts, despite circumstantial evidence or speculation.

Overall: "Investigations" isn't a favorite of mine, but it isn't terrible. So many things I would've done differently, but I'm fine with some of what we got, even though it was mixed in with some stuff I didn't want and left out a lot I think we should've had. I give it a 6.

I'll likely be rewatching this sooner rather than later because I was hooked. The flaws you're mentioning will likely be more noticed. Some plotting issues were, but felt made up for by other aspects. That might not feel the same on next viewing. I just love the fact they gave Neelix something meatier to do. Better than when Dr Crusher got to play the role of super sleuth, which felt forced and corny.

9/10

 

[Farscape One]

Count me as being among the fans of Neelix.

Him and Lwaxana are spiritual siblings (lost many members of their family, very joyful and exuberant but also using that to hide the pain they feel).

I can see why people would call him annoying at first, but I never saw him as that.

 

[Qonundrum]

Not an episode I was looking forward to, and one I usually skip, so I haven't seen this one in a while. But, here we go!

"Elogium"

I hadn't heard of it, I must have missed it, so I started watching it...

That's when I remembered, in 1995, not even getting through the pica scene and turning the channel...

Made it through the dirt eating thrill only to sit through one of the more bizarre hours of television... which thankfully took itself seriously, but it's such a mixed bag with too much time spent on one subplot (how two radically different species in terms of body organs and lifespan differential and everything could begin to be compatible), too little on another (you know, a generational ship that alone could have been the A-plot with ease), some character reminiscing (Tuvok probably got the best material in this episode), and the hokey science idea that we've seen time and time again before (space-faring fritters) that somehow tie into the Kes subplot... also, how many of VOY's crew have boink buddies stationed on DS9 or other readily-known Trek locations because the universe is so small for Janeway's 3 hour week tour... really, 3 weeks... may as well call Chakotay "The Professor" and then wait a handful of years to call you-know-who "Ginger"... (Kes is clearly the Mary Ann trope...) On the plus side, quiet in-jokes like 3-week tour are far refreshing after the constant bombardment of 47-somethings (TNG's in-joke to M*A*S*H 4077.).

Good acting all around, especially considering the material...

The A-Plot: First off, right off the bat, Neelix is jealous of seeing Paris hanging out with Kes. So jealous that it turns into the beginning of a story arc. Okay, on one level I get it, I understand, but I have to be honest here: Neelix sounds more like an overbearing parent than a jealous boyfriend. "I see the way he looks at you, I used to be the same way!" If Kes wasn't 2, he might as well have said "When I was your age!" and then go on a rant about how "Back in my day... " It's like Neelix is treating Kes like his teenage daughter. I might as well say this now and get it over with: I don't buy their relationship, not as a couple, and I see zero romantic chemistry between them. Zero.

After all this, Kes finds bugs in the vegetables that were picked up from a planet's surface, Neelix angrily tells her to get rid of them, and she does so by starting to eat them. Then her eyes bug out. Cue opening credits. What are we in for?

Based on camera angle leading to unintentional audience reaction, possibly a comedy. Except it wasn't. But if roaches painted pink or blue are tasty and, like potato chips you can't eat just one, it's all good. Until the cholesterol tests come in and how come every frickin' Earth dish is universally compatible for every creature in the galaxy when, on Earth, lots of ingredients or dishes that are perfectly healthy for us would harm or kill a beloved pet, yet baked potatoes, anything chocolate, etc, have zero problems across the galaxy.

But at least the episode takes all its themes and plays them out seriously.

Lots of food! That's what we're in for! Huge cravings! Just like the space-faring aliens in the B-Plot! Among other things, she's eaten six bowls of mashed potatoes. I wish I could do that and get still away with it. As a teenager, I could eat a ton and still look borderline anorexic. Now, if I eat even slightly too much, I have to exercise or go on a long walk to make sure it gets burned off. Middle-age sucks. Anyway, Kes is eating and eating and eating and eating, so Neelix has to bring her to Sickbay. On the one hand, nice to see Jennifer Lein do something different. On the other hand, it's just so silly and out-of-character for Kes.

Yeah, the story's plot points are given all the wrong amounts of time to simmer in, and the food stuff was just the first course of stupidity in this episode. Not to mention, Tuvok looked uncharacteristically annoyed in his scene about the lunch special.

Middle age... wait for the hormonal imbalances to kick in. Our bodies are like the Liberator and all we need is our own personal Kerr Avon to tell us that when we compensate for one thing, another then goes out of whack and before you know it, it all goes out of control. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! But that's depressing, so I'm going to go eat a bucket of chocolate fudge ice cream while my dog and cats gawk at me and it with those friggin' looks of utter sadness that remind me why I don't eat around them because the ingredients are toxic to them... maybe I'll adopt Data's Spot. I mean, it can eat anything... just turn the tv set into a dimensional portal and off we go. Actually, check that, since ice cream is made of milk, said dog and cats will give me those looks of udder sadness... there, I got that out of my system and feel better now, so I'm moo-ving on... (I know, I'll stop milking that dumb joke now...)

In Sickbay, Neelix becomes super-overbearing, not even being an inch away from the Doctor while he examines Kes, constantly distracting him. I'm with the Doctor, "You're making it impossible for me to think, much less treat my patient! I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Then Neelix becomes outraged. "You can't talk to me that way!" The Doctor threatens to call Security. Yup. Neelix would be that irate customer at the store, causing a scene in front of everyone to see. He'd be exactly that type of person...

Now there's a reason to loathe Neelix. Yes Neelix, he's the doctor, give him space and time to do, you know, his frigging job and he's trying to help and you are impeding him! Yes, we see Neelix cares, and there's an idea in there somewhere about being too controlling, but it just doesn't land.

... and then he goes onto the bridge to make a scene! He's complaining to Janeway and it's the equivalent of "I'm going to speak to the manager!!!" This is just my opinion, but Kes should've broken up with Neelix WAY before the third season! Around now would've been the perfect time, especially with the way Neelix is acting here. "It's a matter of extreme urgency!" Sounds just someone I know who was harassing a friend of mine non-stop at one point about stuff they also believed was essentially of "extreme urgency!" All the detail I'm going to give about that, but the point is Neelix reminds me of toxic people I know in real life. Not a good look!

^^this

Neelix meant well, but good grief he acts like Wesley Crusher's little and never-talked-about stepbrother at times in this one.

Then we find out that Kes is going through the Elogium and her body is prepping for fertilization so she can have a child. It only happens once in an Ocampan woman's life, so if she's going to have a child, she says, it has to be now.

Now nature is replete with different styles of reproduction. And yet the one issue that this episode shies away from is how two such disparate beings could conceive a child... other Trek episodes squeak in a throwaway line about needing medical help and maybe implies here (but at a genetic level so early in the developmental process and not just tinkering with organ transplants), but other episodes discuss radical differences that such a genetic companion seems technically impossible, not merely improbable. The next time you see a rat getting busy with a goose that just waddled out of the cookie factory, let me know. Hell, for all the flak that "AI" gets, it came up with a better story on how mammals and avian life forms can't create new life (much less a new epic lifeform that could destroy us all, moo-hahahahaha! Oh...)

Neelix is trying to find any way to worm his way out of it. He never thought his life was stable enough to have a kid, even though his life on Voyager would provide that stability, he asks if she thinks a starship is the right place to raise a child, tries to make it sound like Kes would have to give up her studies in Sickbay, he worries that someone would have to constantly watch over the kid... and Kes correctly tells him that he's just looking for excuses to not have a child. As far as watching over the kid, yeah, Neelix, Kes is right, "That's called being a parent." I'm not a parent and even I know that. He's thought he'll just let Kes do all the work of raising the child. Another reason why I think Neelix is toxic for her!

^^this

One good thing to come out of Neelix having to think about fatherhood is asking Tuvok about his own experiences as a father. What it's like to raise them, how much of his mind is occupied by them, and how he's had as much to offer his daughter as he does his three sons. It gives Neelix a lot of insight and is the best scene of the episode.

Ditto!

Then Neelix becomes excited about becoming a parent and Kes has to get her feet massaged for an hour by the Doctor. The massage ritual is weird, but what's not weird is Kes suddenly becoming nervous about having a child because now she's looking at it about to seriously become a potential reality versus just an idea. Then she asks a pointed question, which the scene it's in stops at: "How can I help a child grow up when I haven't fully grown up myself?" Between Kes having to have a child now or never and asking if it's too soon, it's like dealing with teen pregnancy, a young professional, and going into menopause all at the same time. She's going through three very different stages of life all at once.

On the plus side, the episode wiggles out of its way to tell us that space minnows were emitting Treknobabble thingies the same way guppies excrete ammonia so even though the process was triggered indirectly by them, it might trigger again by season 4 or 5. Good timing for bringing in Seven, then.

The B-Plot: Voyager has encountered a space-faring species that loves to eat whatever it can. They call it a swarm. Janeway wants Voyager to pull back a little, give them some distance, then the swarm pulls Voyager in. Eventually, they notice several of the smaller lifeforms attaching themselves to a larger one. Like attaching themselves to a mate. They view Voyager as someone similar, like a mate.

The only thing impressive was how mature they made the dialogue involving their propulsion sound, but once the little fritters digest the treknobabble particles, they can't warp anywhere (nor should or could they).

The shields get to below 40% and it's said that another hit will cause buckling. Guess what hits again and there's no buckling? TEASE!!!

As always, Trek glosses over or avoids this tiny detail of outer space ecology. That, or this tiny swarm would grow and grow forevermore and fill the entire galaxy in a matter of multiple millennia. (I just looked outside and saw a big blob. Worse, they look like space cows...)

When the larger lifeform starts attacking Voyager, Tuvok recommends they push back and Ensign Wildman (first appearance!) agrees, saying that's what the larger lifeform expects. So, Voyager bumps against the lifeform and it bumps back harder. Then Chakotay suggests that Voyager act submissive, then the larger lifeform leaves it alone and the smaller lifeforms attached to Voyager detach and leave. To quote Tuvok, "It seems we've lost our sex appeal." I don't know if my mind's playing tricks on me, but I remember that being part of the UPN Promo for this episode! Either way, I can see them having it in the preview. UPN, mid-'90s, it was definitely in there!

Tuvok's comment was amusing, using colloquialism that he believed the crew would find funny, and was proven right by everyone going briefly into Smirk Mode as a result. Nice moment of humanity underneath the 24th centuryisms, without going over the top with it. Then again, not many Vulcans appreciate humor and many more VOY episodes demonstrate that... maybe the floating fritters outside the ship affected him too (or not).

As far as the aliens and the red nebula they were in: it doesn't look bad for 1995, but it doesn't hold up well today. Some CGI on DS9 and VOY is passable, but this was something where you just have to roll with it.

Rolling with Babylon 5 and decades' worth of Land of the Lost and Doctor Who, it's just easier for some of us old fogies.

Back to the A-Plot: While Voyager was trying to lose its sex appeal (never thought I'd ever start off a sentence like that!), Kes decided off-screen that she didn't want to have a child after all. Turns out during a sickbay scene we didn't see, the Doctor figured out that Kes' Elogium wasn't real, it was caused by the energy emitted from those life-forms, so Kes and Neelix can have a child later on if they want to.

Kudos to the story for being brave and/or dumb enough to try this metaphor and allusion, it just doesn't land. And yet there's clearly a good story thanks to certain scenes and elements. But is sure is a mess, messier than a newborn's diapers.

Now imagine going through puberty twice, and not in the cool "Backwards" way that Red Dwarf taught us!

Procreation, mating, and having children is the driving force for both the A-Plot and the B-Plot. And this is the first time it's brought up as an issue on Voyager, which brings us to...

Voyager: The Next Generation. At the beginning of the episode, Chakotay having a problem with "fraternization" and brings it up to Janeway after he sees a male and female officer kissing each other in the turbolift. I think Chakotay should realize that in the worst-case scenario (other than being destroyed), Voyager could be away from home for 75 years. Not only is Janeway right that pairing will start -- and people don't want to be lonely -- but, elephant in the room, eventually the current crew would become too old, so eventually they'd need a next generation to crew Voyager... which means pairing off should happen and they should start having babies.

Eventually, Janeway and Chakotay talk about this issue again in the Captain's Ready Room, and that conversation spins out of the possibility of Neelix and Kes having a child. They talk about possibility that Voyager might become a multi-generational ship. Chakotay probably had it in his mind, "I can't think about us being out here forever, we're going to get home as fast as possible! We'll find a way!" And Janeway herself probably didn't pause to think about it until now. So, I think we saw them finally actually realizing this in real time.

The button at the end of this episode is that Ensign Wildman tells Janeway that she's pregnant. She didn't know until now, and her husband is on Deep Space Nine. It's a good thing this is a pregnancy that takes longer than nine months, since the baby (eventually to be Naomi!) is half-alien.

The two subplots do fit into this nicely, and yet this main part is the thing that needed the most attention by far. VOY is unique enough to make it a plot point and the episode was amazingly mature about the processes elsewhere in the episode.

Overall: Even though this episode was held back for the second season, it was produced for the first season and needed to be a first season episode. The first season is the time to bring up the possibility of Voyager being a multi-generational ship. The first season is the time to bring up a woman being pregnant whose husband is in the Alpha Quadrant. It's also the time to find out how serious the relationship between Neelix and Kes actually is and if they're the right pair for each other. I think they're not, and I'm glad Kes eventually realizes this later.

I didn't like this episode when I was 16. There was nothing I could relate to. There's still not much I can relate to, personally, but I can understand it a lot better now. Which makes it both better and worse at the same time. Either way, it's still not my type of episode. Other than Ensign Wildman being pregnant, this episode has a silly B-Plot, and the A-Plot feels too much like wanting to have its cake and eat it too. This episode does make some very good points in some of the character scenes, but they're not helped by what's going on around them. I give it a 4.

Around now, during first run, was when I really began to start noticing Voyager's up-and-down quality. I used to joke that Voyager was a lot like New England Weather. As the saying goes over here, "If you don't like it, wait a minute," and it'll change!

The direction was really good, as was the acting, but even the wonderfulness of Winrich couldn't save everything in the script.

Yeah, 4 or 3 for me. The ideas are there, some novel, but their handling is a mess.