Or... you could start VOYAGER season 3 after "NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG", the fourth episode of DS9 season 5. It will even out that way.
Re-Watching VOY
- Thread starter Lord Garth
- Start date
"Jake's first real taste of war was so traumatic, it sent me running to Voyager!"Or... you could start VOYAGER season 3 after "NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG", the fourth episode of DS9 season 5. It will even out that way.
"Cathexis"
I liked Janeway's Davenport holonovel. It would've been interesting to see that that fleshed out into a full story. While the Early-20th Century is my favorite historical time period, I like the 19th Century too. The rivalry between Janeway's character, Ms. Davenport, and Mrs. Templeton would've been something I'd have liked to have seen. But then, we're talking about my specific tastes. I don't know how many other people here would've been interested in that. Probably not many.
Then there's Chakotay's out-of-body experience. Chakotay's consciousness being out in space reminds me of "Lonely Among Us" from TNG Season 1, even though the execution is completely different. There are two entities onboard the ship this time: Chakotay and whatever the alien is. It was a bit of a light-horror body-possession vibe as well with the alien tries to take over whoever it can to take Voyager into the nebula.
The lights dimmed gave Voyager an interesting look. The darkness added to the creepiness and the feeling of paranoia. Paranoia fueled by not knowing who would be possessed next.
I noticed they gave Durst a lot of lines in this episode and made him prominent in some shots. This was pretty clearly done so that we'd feel like we're familiar with him when he's killed off next episode in "Faces". I'd say it worked!
That's about all I have to say about this episode. Not that exciting, going through the paces, the paranoia made things interesting for a little bit. I give it a 6.
I liked Janeway's Davenport holonovel. It would've been interesting to see that that fleshed out into a full story. While the Early-20th Century is my favorite historical time period, I like the 19th Century too. The rivalry between Janeway's character, Ms. Davenport, and Mrs. Templeton would've been something I'd have liked to have seen. But then, we're talking about my specific tastes. I don't know how many other people here would've been interested in that. Probably not many.
Then there's Chakotay's out-of-body experience. Chakotay's consciousness being out in space reminds me of "Lonely Among Us" from TNG Season 1, even though the execution is completely different. There are two entities onboard the ship this time: Chakotay and whatever the alien is. It was a bit of a light-horror body-possession vibe as well with the alien tries to take over whoever it can to take Voyager into the nebula.
The lights dimmed gave Voyager an interesting look. The darkness added to the creepiness and the feeling of paranoia. Paranoia fueled by not knowing who would be possessed next.
I noticed they gave Durst a lot of lines in this episode and made him prominent in some shots. This was pretty clearly done so that we'd feel like we're familiar with him when he's killed off next episode in "Faces". I'd say it worked!
That's about all I have to say about this episode. Not that exciting, going through the paces, the paranoia made things interesting for a little bit. I give it a 6.
I actually love "CATHEXIS". The dark and creepy and moody atmosphere helps the paranoia, and it really sells the story well.
Plus, another space dwelling lifeform... the Komar. They live in the nebula itself, which I count as space dwelling.
Plus, another space dwelling lifeform... the Komar. They live in the nebula itself, which I count as space dwelling.
"Faces"
This is one of my favorite Vidiian episodes. Their grotesqueness works in the episode's favor. When the main Vidiian essentially falls in love with Klingon Torres, I feel just as repulsed as I'm sure she does. Gives me the shivers.
This episode is also Voyager's answer to "The Enemy Within" from TOS. Dare I say I like the approach "Faces" took better. (Controversial Opinion!) It's easy to split someone into a Good Half and an Evil Half and point out the differences that way. But here, Torres is split into a Full-Human version and a Full-Klingon version, then the episode examines the differences between her Human half and her Klingon half. One side isn't good or evil, one side isn't positive or negative. Both sides just have different strengths.
The Klingon side of Torres is fearless. The Human side of Torres is courageous when it counts. I never thought of the difference between fearlessness and courageousness before, but in the former you don't have to overcome anything whereas in the latter you do. Human Torres blames Klingon Torres for the reason she got kicked out of the Academy. But I think she got kicked out because she has too much of an independent streak and doesn't take nonsense from people and that's not inherently Klingon, it's not inherently Human. They're just personality traits regardless of what you are.
One thing that is a true duality about Torres is that she likes to fight her way out and figure things out at the same time. The Klingon half liked to fight her way out, the Human half liked to figure things out. When you have both, and you can be both, that makes you adaptive, unlike someone who's all one way or all another way. It's a type of complexity laid bare in this episode that I like. Characters with conflicting impulses feel more real to me than characters who don't.
The Vidiians are waaaayyyyy creepier here than in "Phage". The organ processing center. The prisoners kept like cattle and made to do the dirty work, until they can't and have their organs harvested. It feels like it's a slaughterhouse and keeping up your stamina just delays the inevitable. This is a perfect episode to watch during an October.
The thing that really got me was when Durst was taken and then his face was grafted onto the main Vidiian we see in this episode. YIKES!!!!! That just freaked me the Hell out.
Chakotay's rescue of Human Torres, Klingon Torres, and Paris went a little too perfectly, but I was just glad to see them get out of there. There could've been a more suspenseful escape and that's the only thing knocking this episode down.
Loved the character study of Torres, loved hearing more about her background. I give it a 9.
This is one of my favorite Vidiian episodes. Their grotesqueness works in the episode's favor. When the main Vidiian essentially falls in love with Klingon Torres, I feel just as repulsed as I'm sure she does. Gives me the shivers.
This episode is also Voyager's answer to "The Enemy Within" from TOS. Dare I say I like the approach "Faces" took better. (Controversial Opinion!) It's easy to split someone into a Good Half and an Evil Half and point out the differences that way. But here, Torres is split into a Full-Human version and a Full-Klingon version, then the episode examines the differences between her Human half and her Klingon half. One side isn't good or evil, one side isn't positive or negative. Both sides just have different strengths.
The Klingon side of Torres is fearless. The Human side of Torres is courageous when it counts. I never thought of the difference between fearlessness and courageousness before, but in the former you don't have to overcome anything whereas in the latter you do. Human Torres blames Klingon Torres for the reason she got kicked out of the Academy. But I think she got kicked out because she has too much of an independent streak and doesn't take nonsense from people and that's not inherently Klingon, it's not inherently Human. They're just personality traits regardless of what you are.
One thing that is a true duality about Torres is that she likes to fight her way out and figure things out at the same time. The Klingon half liked to fight her way out, the Human half liked to figure things out. When you have both, and you can be both, that makes you adaptive, unlike someone who's all one way or all another way. It's a type of complexity laid bare in this episode that I like. Characters with conflicting impulses feel more real to me than characters who don't.
The Vidiians are waaaayyyyy creepier here than in "Phage". The organ processing center. The prisoners kept like cattle and made to do the dirty work, until they can't and have their organs harvested. It feels like it's a slaughterhouse and keeping up your stamina just delays the inevitable. This is a perfect episode to watch during an October.
The thing that really got me was when Durst was taken and then his face was grafted onto the main Vidiian we see in this episode. YIKES!!!!! That just freaked me the Hell out.
Chakotay's rescue of Human Torres, Klingon Torres, and Paris went a little too perfectly, but I was just glad to see them get out of there. There could've been a more suspenseful escape and that's the only thing knocking this episode down.
Loved the character study of Torres, loved hearing more about her background. I give it a 9.
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"FACES" may be my favorite produced episode of season 1 ("PROJECTIONS" is pretty neck and neck with it.)
I'm sure everyone knows I have said this before, but I'll repeat it... the Vidiians were THE best villains/species VOY created, and one of the best in the franchise. Their entire existence is a moral dilemma. And as a horror fan, bonus points for their look and what they do to people.
I'm sure everyone knows I have said this before, but I'll repeat it... the Vidiians were THE best villains/species VOY created, and one of the best in the franchise. Their entire existence is a moral dilemma. And as a horror fan, bonus points for their look and what they do to people.
Cathexis has its moments, such as the fight on the bridge that ends with Tuvok just phasering everyone, and the EMH unexpectedly revealing his knowledge of Chakotay's tribal customs. But it's mostly just passable Trek. However, Faces is definitely a creepy episode, and presents the Vidiians as the type of villains they should have been.
As I have said, it's a pity that Durst wasn't the ship's head of operations at first... his death would have put Harry (whose rank and inexperience didn't really justify being a department head) in over his head, creating better character development.
Regarding Torres, this episode was the first in her endless treadmill of her having issues with her Klingon side, accepting it, and then having more issues with it. Still it was an above average presentation, and we were early in the show so it wasn't stale yet. So yes, I agree with your rating of 9/10.
As I have said, it's a pity that Durst wasn't the ship's head of operations at first... his death would have put Harry (whose rank and inexperience didn't really justify being a department head) in over his head, creating better character development.
Regarding Torres, this episode was the first in her endless treadmill of her having issues with her Klingon side, accepting it, and then having more issues with it. Still it was an above average presentation, and we were early in the show so it wasn't stale yet. So yes, I agree with your rating of 9/10.
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