Prey

[Winterwind]

I watched it today, and thought the Hirogen vs. 8472 idea was a pretty cool concept. But the really interesting conflict in that episode is Janeway vs. Seven of Nine. Seven is obviously correct in saying that Janeway's compassion and idealism are risking the crew unnecessarily (as always), but she is obviously wrong to disobey the Captain's orders. It's an interesting and ongoing character conflict (which, by the way, you would never have seen in TOS or TNG, because Gene Roddenberry didn't allow that sort of thing while he was alive).

Actually, character conflict like that is in TOS left, right and centre. GR only became a boring shiny happy people visionary later in life. And TNG really suffered for it in my view.

 

[exodus]

@Exodus - The problem, at least in my mind, arises with trying to bring the sensibilities of the Federation to the relatively lawless Delta Quadrant.

Isn't Trek based on Westerns?
Isn't that the idea in Westerns when they pioneer into the west and bring "civilized culture" to the "savage natives"? Aren't most of the alien cultures in Trek depicted as a little backward and less "cultured" than the Federation? Isn't that's what's being implied when they seek those cultured enough to join the Federation and why the wild lawless Klingons, just aren't ready yet.

Be'Lanna has issues with her Klingon half because her Federation values tell her being Klingon is uncultured and lawless. Worf is accepted until he does something Klingon, then they freak.

IMO that underlying aspect of Trek was always there under the surface.

 

[kimc]

Isn't Trek based on Westerns?

Roddenberry called it a "wagon train to the stars". Now there are some negative comments one can make about wagon trains but for better or worse many of us now live where we do because of them...

 

[Robert DeSoto]

So it's okay to murder one person to save 150 or so?

Kind of has me wondering what you think of Equinox...

Thats a good question. If I was captain, I wouldn't just hand over an innocent person to be killed. But I'm not gonna sacrifice myself or my crew in a hopeless battle either.

I would fire on the Hirogen ships with everything I got and try to warp away with 8472, but if they cripple my ship, I would turn him over to save my crew.

I'd do everything in my power to save his life, but if in the end I can't save him, there's no point in having my whole crew dying with him.

 

[DonIago]

Would your answer change if the Hirogen were after someone who was on the Voyager crew instead of an alien they'd picked up and couldn't communicate with at the time?

I just think it's a very slippery slope. How many aliens could Equinox get away with intentionally killing before it becomes a problem? How many Voyager crewmen can Janeway toss out an airlock in the interests of saving the remainder?