LINEAGE: Or, VOY episodes I would like to rewrite

[david g]

Almost verything about this episode is wonderful...especially the valuable and plausible B'Elanna backstory and the superb acting from Dawson and McNeil.

What I cant stand about the episode still irks me on a re-viewing several years later--that the episode turns what B'Elanna wants to do with her fetus and her body into a shipwide crisis and security breach, with Tuvok and his security team needing to break in to rescue B'Elanna's fetus, and with B'Elanna having altered the Doc's programming...this in season 7!

I think that much of the dramatic impact of the episode could have been preserved if it had kept the focus on B'Elanna and Tom, rather than the melodramatics it resorted too.

 

[Admiral Shran]

But, the melodramatics were what finally forced Tom and B'Elanna to talk about their issues. They were kind of essential, IMO.

 

[david g]

The problem is a political one, Shran. The melodramatics ended up making what B'Elanna wanted to do with her body a matter of public debate/concern on the ship. To my mind, it was quite Operation Rescue in tone. For liberal Trek, that was a bit strange...

 

[Admiral Shran]

While from a story-telling viewpoint, I think the melodramatics were necessary, in a political context, I have a lot of problems with it (and Voyager in general, though I still love the show). The problem is that it's often shown that the "state," in the form of Janeway or the chain of command in general, has the right to interfere in individual liberties whenever it wants to.

In Tuvix, Janeway single-handedly decides to kill Tuvix in order to bring back Neelix and Tuvok, even though Tuvix was a fully-functioning sentient being who didn't want to give up his life. In Nothing Human, Janeway decides to ignore the wishes of the patient, Torres, and orders the doctor to perform a medical procedure she knows Torres objects to. In Lineage, the entire chain of command does what's necessary to stop Torres from having an elective medical prodecure.

I think Torres was wrong to try to alter the baby's DNA and should have included Paris more in the decision, since he is the father. However, in the end it should have been her decision, not a matter for the entire ship to decide for her.

 

[brcarthey]

While from a story-telling viewpoint, I think the melodramatics were necessary, in a political context, I have a lot of problems with it (and Voyager in general, though I still love the show). The problem is that it's often shown that the "state," in the form of Janeway or the chain of command in general, has the right to interfere in individual liberties whenever it wants to.

In Tuvix, Janeway single-handedly decides to kill Tuvix in order to bring back Neelix and Tuvok, even though Tuvix was a fully-functioning sentient being who didn't want to give up his life. In Nothing Human, Janeway decides to ignore the wishes of the patient, Torres, and orders the doctor to perform a medical procedure she knows Torres objects to. In Lineage, the entire chain of command does what's necessary to stop Torres from having an elective medical prodecure.

I think Torres was wrong to try to alter the baby's DNA and should have included Paris more in the decision, since he is the father. However, in the end it should have been her decision, not a matter for the entire ship to decide for her.

wait! how did the entire ship decide for her? janeway recused herself and the doctor originally did too until his program was changed. the only time the entire ship became involved was when paris requested tuvok's help to open the sickbay doors. anyone who was acting rationally would not disable the sickbay entrance in order to have a procedure done.

the only question is whether or not tom had a say in the procedure being performed on the fetus since it was still inside b'elanna. if she were having an abortion, many would argue he wouldn't have a say. so why is this different? (for the record, i think he should have a say and was right to stop b'elanna.)

 

[JanewayRulz!]

EMH: There's no valid medical reason to do what you're proposing.
TORRES: I disagree. .........

EMH: What does Tom think about all this?
TORRES: I wanted to see what you thought first.
EMH: As you can see, I'm very dubious.
TORRES: Look, I've done statistical analyses, epidemiology. At least review my work.
EMH: All right, I'll look at it, but in the meantime I suggest you have a talk with your husband.
--------------------
TORRES: This is our child's health we're talking about!
PARIS: It's more than that. You want to change who she is, her individuality, her... You don't want her to be Klingon. That's what this is really about, isn't it? You're trying to protect her from being Klingon because you had a rough time when you were a kid.
TORRES: I was treated like a monster.
PARIS: That isn't going to happen to our daughter. Everyone on Voyager will accept her for who she really is.
TORRES: That's easy for you to say. You're human.
-------------------------

JANEWAY: I'm not exactly sure what you want me to do.
TORRES: I want you to order the Doctor to genetically alter my child. .............

TORRES: That's it. Just dismiss my argument as some kind of hormonal outburst.
PARIS: I didn't mean that.
JANEWAY: Stop it, both of you. The biggest problem you two have isn't ethical, it's marital. I'm happy to offer you advice as a friend, but as your Captain I am not going to overrule the Chief Medical Officer. You two need to work this out.
---------------------------
.....
PARIS: You heard the Captain. We have to work this out.
TORRES: There's nothing to work out. You're getting what you want.
PARIS: What I want is to have a civilized discussion with my wife. Maybe a change of scenery would help. How about the holodeck?
TORRES: That's your solution to everything.
PARIS: At least I'm trying. Look, I don't care where we do it, but we have to talk this out.
TORRES: I am tired of talking, all right?
-----------------------------
EMH: The genetic alterations you've suggested are necessary.
PARIS: On what grounds?
EMH: The clash I mentioned between Klingon and human metabolism? It's more extensive than I realized.
TORRES: How extensive?
EMH: Theoretically, it could lead to complete metabolic failure.
TORRES: But you can fix it.
EMH: By eliminating most of her Klingon genetic material.
--------------------------------
PARIS: The Doctor suggested a treatment for the baby but his findings are very confusing, at least to me. You have some expertise in genetics. Do you mind taking a look at this?
ICHEB: Of course not.
.....
ICHEB: Your confusion is understandable. There's a computational error.
SEVEN: It's not like the Doctor to make a mistake.
PARIS: I didn't think that was possible unless there's some sort of glitch in his program.
SEVEN: I'll run a diagnostic.
.....
SEVEN: It appears to be more than a glitch. I believe the Doctor's program has been tampered with.
PARIS: B'Elanna, this is Tom. Respond. Computer, locate Lieutenant Torres.
COMPUTER: Lieutenant Torres is in Sickbay.
.......
SEVEN: Someone's blocked communications to Sickbay.
PARIS: See if you can deactivate the Doctor.
SEVEN: Access to his program has been restricted

-------------------------------

TUVOK: Why would she alter the Doctor's program?
PARIS: To change his mind about the medical procedure. Computer, open Sickbay doors.
COMPUTER: Unable to comply
TUVOK: Override. Authorization Tuvok pi alpha.
----------------------------
EMH: You're interrupting a medical procedure.
PARIS: Your program has been altered.
EMH: What do you mean, altered?
.......
TORRES: I'm your patient. Your first duty is to me and my baby.
....
PARIS: She's manipulating you, Doc, in more ways than one.
EMH: I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but if there's something wrong with my program.
TORRES: There's nothing wrong with your program.
KIM [OC]: I'm cutting power to the surgical bay, now.
TUVOK: I suggest we deactivate your program until we determine the extent of the alterations.
EMH: I understand. Computer, deactivate EMH.
.............


Child B'Elanna: If you can't stand living with us, then why don't you just leave?
TORRES: And that's exactly what he did.
PARIS; Oh, B'Elanna.
TORRES: Twelve days later, and he never came back.
PARIS: You can't blame yourself for that.
TORRES: Why not?
PARIS: Because he was obviously unhappy about his marriage. He didn't leave just because you told him to.
TORRES: You don't know that.
PARIS: Look, whatever the reason was, I'm sure it was a horrible thing for you to live with. Wait a minute, you don't think? B'Elanna, I am never going to leave you.
TORRES: You say that now but think about how hard it is to live with one Klingon. Pretty soon it'll be two.

--------------------------------

Janeway "decided" to separate Seven Of Nine from the BORG, and to limit Seven's freedom of choice for several years, until she was sure Seven was making choices in her own best interest. Eventually she backed off, even to the point of allowing Seven the opportunity to leave Voyager for the THINK TANK, if she so desired.

Janeway overruled B'Elanna's decision to not accept the help of a Cardassian Mengele, because it was in the best interest of her ship to do so.

Janeway intervened in the case of Tuvix, because she was the only one on the ship who had any right to intercede in the behalf of her two crewmen. As she told the magistrate in "Sacred Ground"... "The Captain of a starship is fully responsible for every member of her crew. " Tuvok and Neelix were members of her crew, and she as their captain had made a pact with them, to risk anything, including her life to protect them. She walked into the fatal biogenic field carrying Kes for that reason. She sacrificed her soul in "Tuvix" for the same reason.

Reading the snippets I've chosen from "Lineage", one can see that B'Elanna's decision to modify her daughter was not rational, not logical, it was emotional.

"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they are NOT out to get you!"

She is not making a balanced decision.

She is lying to her spouse, and her partner in creating this life. She fears deep down he will abandon her child as she herself was abandoned, but she doesn't see that her actions are more likely to create the dreaded circumstance than her child's original genome.

She is doing more than ignoring the impassioned pleas of her spouse, she is ignoring the reasoned suggestions of her Captain and her Physician.

This isn't just about marital deceit. She is creating a potential paradox in the ethical subroutines of their holographic physician. We've seen his trouble accepting his triage decisions which lead to Ensign Jetral's death in "Latent Image" , we've seen his guilt when he was forced to operate on Seven Of Nine, despite no long lasting effects. How would his guilt affect him everytime he encounters the Klingon-less offspring of Tom & B'Elanna? Would he continue to practice medicine? Would he commit computer suicide?

What if everything went as planned, and no-one found out the truth about her lies, would everything be okay? Would the woman who lied be able to continue the subtrefuge, would she be able to grow into the strong woman and spouse and mother that we all wanted her to be, or would she still be that 12 yearold standing by the campfire daring her father to leave?

Tom and B'Elanna needed to talk, needed to do the thing that scared her the most, needed to face the demons in their relationship and conquer them.

That wouldn't have happened if everyone sat on their hands and pretended B'Elanna was "right" just because it was politically correct.

TORRES: I was also wondering. Do you think I could see her one more time? The holographic projection, I mean.
EMH: I don't see why not.
TORRES: She is cute, isn't she?

Yes, she is.

 

[Admiral Shran]

wait! how did the entire ship decide for her?

As JanewayRulz! showed above. Janeway refused to assist her. Seven of Nine, Kim, Tuvok, and Paris actively worked to stop her from completing her plan.

I agree that her decision was wrong and based on emotion, not reason. However, if you're going to allow people to have the liberty of freedom of choice, you have to accept that sometimes they will make the wrong decision. The "state" shouldn't have the right to intervene simply because someone makes a self-harming decision based on emotion.

 

[david g]

Moreover, despite JanewayRulz's lengthy explanation, what's at work in this episode is the *rigging* of B'Elanna's character as unstable, hysterical, duplicitous--in other words, conventionally feminine, and therefore in need of surveillance and discipline from the masculine, rational State.

That I still love this episode and weep at the climax says a lot about VOY's emotional power despite its ideological confusions...

 

[JanewayRulz!]

Are you suggesting that it is okay for someone to commit suicide if they so desire, for whatever reason?

If I, as an outsider to that decision, intervene to stop that suicide, then I am being a masculine controlling state?

Would it be more palatable to you if "Lineage" was rewritten to have TOM want the baby's genetic code rewritten because HE didn't want the child to undergo the emotional trauma his wife underwent during her childhood? B'Elanna could then hold a mirror up to him to expose his inherent racism against Klingons, or sexism against female babies in general.

What if Tom with his own Admiral Daddy isssues, had reprogrammed the EMH to tell his wife that the baby was doomed to die without this procedure, and it was B'Elanna that went to Icheb and asked for advice. While she's awaiting his report, the EMH tells her the procedure MUST begin NOW or the baby will die. As she's walking with Tom into sickbay, Icheb realizes there's an error, and tells his mentor, Seven. Seven calls the sickbay and can't get through so she calls HER mentor, Captain Janeway. The distaff branch of the state, in the form of Janeway and Seven, storm sickbay while Tuvok and Kim work from the bridge to get through the security lockouts on sickbay. Once inside, the EMH is taken offline, Tom is thrown in the brig for lying to his wife, tricking her into accepting an unethical procedure and brainwashing the EMH into doing it.

Tom spends the rest of the voyage in the brig, because its the only place on Voyager he's safe from the woman who used to love him, and B'Elanna raises her Klingon-Human child in the bosom of her protective half Klingon Mother, doting Human grandmother, and efficient Borg Aunt.

Yes, there is freedom of choice in society, and on Voyager, but the freedom has its limits.

As Janeway told B'Elanna in "Barge of the Dead", "There's a limit to how far I'll let religious practices go aboard this ship. If your belief system required you to sacrifice a child to your gods I wouldn't allow that, either."

The fear that "any" restriction on a freedom will be a slippery slope to complete domination, or "any" easing of a restriction will lead to complete debauchery and the downfall of civilization as we know it, is often used by both sides in modern politics.

IMO, both are wrong. When you watch "Lineage", I suggest you don't think "society", think of the story as it was presented.

What if everything went as planned, and no-one found out the truth about the lies, would everything be okay? Would the being who lied be able to continue the subtrefuge, would that person be able to grow into the strong officer and spouse and parent that we all want, or would that person still be that frightened 12 yearold daring his/her father to leave?

I doubt wanting approval from one's father is "conventionally feminine". The Father figure is as equally strong in a child's life as the Mother figure, or Admiral Shran's signature line would not be as heartbreaking as it is.