I just watched Year of Hell and Random Thoughts.
I started this series really liking Janeway for her strong will and how she upheld the principles of the Federation. I believed she used her moral compass as guidance because it was the best way to make it home without the ship descending into anarchy.
Now, I'm starting to believe Janeway is just insane and is recklessly putting her crew in constant danger.
My eyes really opened when watching Year of Hell part 2. First Seven points out that the captains bold plan of attack is flawed since the ship is so badly damaged. Overruled. Then the Doctor relieves the Captain of duty, to which Janeway just threatens to shut him off and refuses. (I don't know why the Doctor didn't just alert the entire staff of his decision so Tuvok could assume command.)
Then there's that last moment where she proclaims, suddenly, "If that ship is destroyed, all of history might be restored. And this is one year I'd like to forget."
What? Where did that idea come from? How did Janeway formulate that theory? How could she have possibly known that brute force, like smashing a keyboard on a computer, would just fix everything? (which by the way, is the weakest way out for these writers. Grand Nagus: Shame on you!)
There's no evidence to suggest that this device will just magically make everything right or undo all of it's own changes if it's destroyed. If it had such a protocol, why wouldn't Captain Annorax have uncovered it after hundreds of years? Destroying it might have done nothing, stranding everyone in a timeline where there was no chance in Earth's Hell for Voyager's crew to make it to the Alpha quadrant.
For Janeway to even suggest this idea is crazy. She formed a thought with no basis of inspiration or provocation and assumed it to be true and risked her life and others based on this.
She's done this once before, in Sacred Ground where Janeway just decides to put Kes' life in danger based on the religious nudges of fanatic wisdom. "If it's the Sage's will!" Indeed. Why don't we all live that way, on luck and prayer? "if it's the will of the dice, then it's meant to be! Oh dice, what has your servant done to upset ye so? Hast thou not prayed hard enough? Paid favor at the bar long enough? Dost thou wish my pockets barren?"
So what about Random Thoughts? She didn't seem bad in that episode right? In this episode, B'Elanna has a dark thought that incriminates her on a world of telepaths. Janeway does everything she can to try and resolve the issue and prove B'Elanna's innocence to a panicked constable afraid of losing the order she's proudly achieved. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Picard pretty much damned prime directive to save a stupid, stupid Wesley from getting executed for a crime.
But then, just before the episode was about to end, Janeway seized the moment to remind me that she was insane and here to stay.
Seven approaches and postulates, "Your philosophy of exploration exposes Voyager to constant risk. If you maintain a direct course to Earth and avoid all extraneous contact with alien species, it will increase your chances of survival."
To which Janeway, with a smirk, casually replies, "Well, that would make a dull ride home."
Of all the things that Janeway could have said to justify this (and there are some good reasons) she went with "then our survival story would be booooorrrring! UGH!"
Maintaining excellent restraint by not ridiculing the Captain, Seven counters, "Your Chief Engineer and Security Officer were nearly lost today. That is unacceptable."
Unacceptable indeed Seven. What's Janeways response? Remorse? A hint of hindsight wisdom as she reflects on prior mistakes, wondering what she might've done different to ensure the safety of her crew? A slow sip of coffee while she prepares a moving statement inspired by recent events, tempered by federation principals...
PFFT!
"To you, maybe, but not to me or my crew. Our experience with the Mari gave us an insight into a culture we've never encountered."
Translation: I don't care that B'elanna and Tuvok almost died. I'll risk the lives of the entire crew on this 50 year voyage home just to learn a little bit more about how the Goboworms of Yomamma VI fart.
"Tuvok died learning that Goboworm farts are deadly. It was the Sage's will. Peace!"
Remarkably, Seven didn't choke Janeway.
I started this series really liking Janeway for her strong will and how she upheld the principles of the Federation. I believed she used her moral compass as guidance because it was the best way to make it home without the ship descending into anarchy.
Now, I'm starting to believe Janeway is just insane and is recklessly putting her crew in constant danger.
My eyes really opened when watching Year of Hell part 2. First Seven points out that the captains bold plan of attack is flawed since the ship is so badly damaged. Overruled. Then the Doctor relieves the Captain of duty, to which Janeway just threatens to shut him off and refuses. (I don't know why the Doctor didn't just alert the entire staff of his decision so Tuvok could assume command.)
Then there's that last moment where she proclaims, suddenly, "If that ship is destroyed, all of history might be restored. And this is one year I'd like to forget."
What? Where did that idea come from? How did Janeway formulate that theory? How could she have possibly known that brute force, like smashing a keyboard on a computer, would just fix everything? (which by the way, is the weakest way out for these writers. Grand Nagus: Shame on you!)
There's no evidence to suggest that this device will just magically make everything right or undo all of it's own changes if it's destroyed. If it had such a protocol, why wouldn't Captain Annorax have uncovered it after hundreds of years? Destroying it might have done nothing, stranding everyone in a timeline where there was no chance in Earth's Hell for Voyager's crew to make it to the Alpha quadrant.
For Janeway to even suggest this idea is crazy. She formed a thought with no basis of inspiration or provocation and assumed it to be true and risked her life and others based on this.
She's done this once before, in Sacred Ground where Janeway just decides to put Kes' life in danger based on the religious nudges of fanatic wisdom. "If it's the Sage's will!" Indeed. Why don't we all live that way, on luck and prayer? "if it's the will of the dice, then it's meant to be! Oh dice, what has your servant done to upset ye so? Hast thou not prayed hard enough? Paid favor at the bar long enough? Dost thou wish my pockets barren?"
So what about Random Thoughts? She didn't seem bad in that episode right? In this episode, B'Elanna has a dark thought that incriminates her on a world of telepaths. Janeway does everything she can to try and resolve the issue and prove B'Elanna's innocence to a panicked constable afraid of losing the order she's proudly achieved. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Picard pretty much damned prime directive to save a stupid, stupid Wesley from getting executed for a crime.
But then, just before the episode was about to end, Janeway seized the moment to remind me that she was insane and here to stay.
Seven approaches and postulates, "Your philosophy of exploration exposes Voyager to constant risk. If you maintain a direct course to Earth and avoid all extraneous contact with alien species, it will increase your chances of survival."
To which Janeway, with a smirk, casually replies, "Well, that would make a dull ride home."
Of all the things that Janeway could have said to justify this (and there are some good reasons) she went with "then our survival story would be booooorrrring! UGH!"
Maintaining excellent restraint by not ridiculing the Captain, Seven counters, "Your Chief Engineer and Security Officer were nearly lost today. That is unacceptable."
Unacceptable indeed Seven. What's Janeways response? Remorse? A hint of hindsight wisdom as she reflects on prior mistakes, wondering what she might've done different to ensure the safety of her crew? A slow sip of coffee while she prepares a moving statement inspired by recent events, tempered by federation principals...
PFFT!
"To you, maybe, but not to me or my crew. Our experience with the Mari gave us an insight into a culture we've never encountered."
Translation: I don't care that B'elanna and Tuvok almost died. I'll risk the lives of the entire crew on this 50 year voyage home just to learn a little bit more about how the Goboworms of Yomamma VI fart.
"Tuvok died learning that Goboworm farts are deadly. It was the Sage's will. Peace!"
Remarkably, Seven didn't choke Janeway.
