If Legacy is ever made -- if -- then I hope we get to see Ensign (not a typo!) Kim.
Re-Watching VOY
- Thread starter Lord Garth
- Start date
Thanks to the multiverse you can both get your Kims.
While I understand why writers like to use the crutch of the multiverse to throw our familiar characters into situations they normally would not be permitted to experience I think it gets used far too often. I know they say there is a "prime" universe but it just feels cheap somehow to tell a great story with no lasting consequences.
I wonder what the Harry of "Non Sequitur" would have done if he'd known that his future held six years of frequent suffering, romantic catastrophe, and the potential unjustified ruination of his Starfleet career (@Lord Garth 's prediction, not mine)... would he have been so eager to go back?
The wink should've given away it wasn't a serious prediction. I'm pretty sure that shortly after Voyager got back, he was promoted to Lieutenant.
But anyway, I don't know that being stationed on Earth would be something he'd be thrilled with either, considering it wasn't his first choice. He wouldn't hate his job, but I think he wouldn't love it either. It would be just a job. If he's not willing to stay even for Libby, then I don't know what else would prompt him to stay.
And I think everyone else knows that too. That's why they have been so careful to ensure that the canon fate for "our" Harry is unknown. Once it is, the "forever ensign" game ends, because they can't intelligently justify Harry staying an ensign once they're home.
Maybe, but Harry's smart, and he's got a knack for building things. He helped create Seven's astrometrics lab and the Delta Flyer, among other things. That may be why, despite his high class standing, he didn't get on Voyager in this timeline... the SCE saw his talent and asked for him.
In any case, I figured that the SCE was his alternate choice, just in case someone else got the Voyager post.
That's why there needed to at least be some conflict involved in that episode's plot.
Ome thing I will credit "NON SEQUITUR" for is Harry's sense of survivor guilt. It comes to its fullest in "TIMELESS", so this episode does help establish that character trait.
Oh, definitely. And it's very likely that survivor guilt compels him to do things most of us probably would not. But it just seems odd that he didn't even seem conflicted. Even when barista guy gave him a legit "out".
"Parturition"
Janeway's hair in this episode looks more like how it does later on in the series. Kim's on the flute. And Paris thinks he's in love with Kes! I don't buy Paris/Kes any more than I do Neelix/Kes. Anyway, Janeway has a slight wave going on. Torres has a new wig. Noticing a lot with the hair this episode. Neelix even offers hair pasta.
And Janeway tells the Doctor stop eavesdropping. And I've run out of other things to focus on. So back to the main focus.
Paris and Neelix get into a food fight over Kes. Right. So. This is elementary school in the cafeteria on a bad day. Maybe at most, middle schoolers acting like they're in elementary school on a bad day, and like Kes is Paris' first crush or something. Neither Paris nor Neelix are acting their age.
Immediately afterwards, Paris and Neelix are summoned by the Principal. Sorry, I mean the Captain. Both are wearing hair pasta. In front of Janeway. If this wasn't part of the Re-Watch, I'd be skipping over it. But nope, I'll grit my teeth and bare through it.
So. naturally, Paris and Neelix have to go on a mission together in a shuttle and Janeway -- quite correctly -- tells them to get over their differences.
Kes is upset that Neelix and Paris are fighting over her. All I'll say is that Kes is better than either of them. She doesn't like that Neelix is so insecure. The Doctor says there's nothing she can do about it. I think that's not true. She can set the record straight for Neelix and Paris about how she feels.
Except Neelix and Paris are on a shuttle. They argue some more, the shuttle crashes, we're half-way through the episode, and I'm going to take a short break.
Picking up where I left off. Neelix and Paris find a hatchling, they take care of it until its mother arrives, and they apologize to each other before they're rescued.
It's nice that they make up at the end, but it's not enough to save the episode. I give it a 4.
"Parturition" is a necessary evil. At the end of last production season, it seemed like they wanted to develop a triangle between Paris, Kes, and Neelix where Paris and Neelix would be at odds with each other over Kes. Then, at the beginning of this production season, I think they decided they didn't want to go that way after all, and this was their way of writing themselves out of it.
Janeway's hair in this episode looks more like how it does later on in the series. Kim's on the flute. And Paris thinks he's in love with Kes! I don't buy Paris/Kes any more than I do Neelix/Kes. Anyway, Janeway has a slight wave going on. Torres has a new wig. Noticing a lot with the hair this episode. Neelix even offers hair pasta.
And Janeway tells the Doctor stop eavesdropping. And I've run out of other things to focus on. So back to the main focus.
Paris and Neelix get into a food fight over Kes. Right. So. This is elementary school in the cafeteria on a bad day. Maybe at most, middle schoolers acting like they're in elementary school on a bad day, and like Kes is Paris' first crush or something. Neither Paris nor Neelix are acting their age.
Immediately afterwards, Paris and Neelix are summoned by the Principal. Sorry, I mean the Captain. Both are wearing hair pasta. In front of Janeway. If this wasn't part of the Re-Watch, I'd be skipping over it. But nope, I'll grit my teeth and bare through it.
So. naturally, Paris and Neelix have to go on a mission together in a shuttle and Janeway -- quite correctly -- tells them to get over their differences.
Kes is upset that Neelix and Paris are fighting over her. All I'll say is that Kes is better than either of them. She doesn't like that Neelix is so insecure. The Doctor says there's nothing she can do about it. I think that's not true. She can set the record straight for Neelix and Paris about how she feels.
Except Neelix and Paris are on a shuttle. They argue some more, the shuttle crashes, we're half-way through the episode, and I'm going to take a short break.
Picking up where I left off. Neelix and Paris find a hatchling, they take care of it until its mother arrives, and they apologize to each other before they're rescued.
It's nice that they make up at the end, but it's not enough to save the episode. I give it a 4.
"Parturition" is a necessary evil. At the end of last production season, it seemed like they wanted to develop a triangle between Paris, Kes, and Neelix where Paris and Neelix would be at odds with each other over Kes. Then, at the beginning of this production season, I think they decided they didn't want to go that way after all, and this was their way of writing themselves out of it.
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This is a first and probably last for me ever. I watched half an episode of DS9, namely "The Visitor", stopped it, wasn't in the mood to put on the second half, and put on VOY instead. No, this is NOT to say anything bad about "The Visitor". I just have to be in the right type of mindset and have to mentally prep myself for watching it. Something I don't have to do with...
"Persistence of Vision"
This episode was a slow burn at first but then picked up more and more steam as it went along. By the of it, it occurred to me that this is the most Voyager episode of Voyager up to this point. So much of what's here will be used elsewhere later on. The crew lost in a dream state is something we'll see again in "Waking Moments". Characters seeing specific other characters who are important to them is something we'll see a variation of in "Bliss". Janeway being swept up by a fictional character in a story that takes place in the 19th Century is something we'll see in "Fair Haven" and "Spirit Folk".
At the beginning of the episode, there's even the seemingly hard-headed alien that won't allow them the pass through a certain region of space they say they claim. He looks dark, shadowy, and intimidating. But instead of Voyager being fired upon, they just start seeing things one-by-one. Leaving only Kes with her mental powers and the Doctor, being a hologram, the only ones who can't be affected. Kes is able to overcome any temptation to succumb to the dreams and overcomes when the alien tries to stop her after he tries to stop her, and it makes Kes the one to save the day. I think it was a nice change of pace.
It's interesting who the characters choose to see and what it says about where the characters are at this point in the series. Janeway sees Mark, which reminds us that she hasn't forgotten about him. Tuvok sees his wife. Kim sees Libby. Torres sees a Chakotay that loves her romantically. Paris has no love interest, so he sees his father, who wants to put him down. So, if this alien can't get them someone with a lover, they'll find a way to get them another way, with family. That Kes sees both Neelix and Paris is probably something lingering from the dropped idea of there being a Paris-Kes-Neelix love triangle.
This dream-like state that almost everyone ended up in was slowly built up to. At first, it's only Janeway who's seeing things before she becomes completely lost in what she sees and mentally feels like she's somewhere else. The subtle hints are everywhere at first. Like the cucumber sandwiches and the cup with flowery design on it that looked like it was from Janeway's holonovel.
I like the concept of Janeway's holonovel, but I feel like there should be more to the execution. The language doesn't sound 1800s-y enough, in my opinion. It should sound longer, even more prosaic, overly elaborate, and very flowery. As elaborate as the mansion and as flowery as the cup. There's a lot of time spent in the holonovel and it wouldn't have felt like it was taking up time if they did more with the story in the holonovel itself. I don't care about the kids that much. I want more rivalry with Mrs. Templeton and more steamy romance with Lord Burliegh. But anyway...
At the end of the episode when Kes manages to overcome the alien and the Voyager crew snap back to normal, I appreciated that they weren't able to find out anything more about him. Without being familiar with this area of space, they couldn't even begin to know where or what to look for. Which is taking advantage of the Delta Quadrant setting.
Overall, not a heavy or weighty episode, and it does take a while to get going, but I do like the mind games, getting some glimpses into the characters even if it wasn't that deep, and I like how much they gave Kes to do. The responsibility for saving Voyager was on her. And credit to originating so many types of ideas that I'd come to associate with the series. I give it a 7.
"Persistence of Vision"
This episode was a slow burn at first but then picked up more and more steam as it went along. By the of it, it occurred to me that this is the most Voyager episode of Voyager up to this point. So much of what's here will be used elsewhere later on. The crew lost in a dream state is something we'll see again in "Waking Moments". Characters seeing specific other characters who are important to them is something we'll see a variation of in "Bliss". Janeway being swept up by a fictional character in a story that takes place in the 19th Century is something we'll see in "Fair Haven" and "Spirit Folk".
At the beginning of the episode, there's even the seemingly hard-headed alien that won't allow them the pass through a certain region of space they say they claim. He looks dark, shadowy, and intimidating. But instead of Voyager being fired upon, they just start seeing things one-by-one. Leaving only Kes with her mental powers and the Doctor, being a hologram, the only ones who can't be affected. Kes is able to overcome any temptation to succumb to the dreams and overcomes when the alien tries to stop her after he tries to stop her, and it makes Kes the one to save the day. I think it was a nice change of pace.
It's interesting who the characters choose to see and what it says about where the characters are at this point in the series. Janeway sees Mark, which reminds us that she hasn't forgotten about him. Tuvok sees his wife. Kim sees Libby. Torres sees a Chakotay that loves her romantically. Paris has no love interest, so he sees his father, who wants to put him down. So, if this alien can't get them someone with a lover, they'll find a way to get them another way, with family. That Kes sees both Neelix and Paris is probably something lingering from the dropped idea of there being a Paris-Kes-Neelix love triangle.
This dream-like state that almost everyone ended up in was slowly built up to. At first, it's only Janeway who's seeing things before she becomes completely lost in what she sees and mentally feels like she's somewhere else. The subtle hints are everywhere at first. Like the cucumber sandwiches and the cup with flowery design on it that looked like it was from Janeway's holonovel.
I like the concept of Janeway's holonovel, but I feel like there should be more to the execution. The language doesn't sound 1800s-y enough, in my opinion. It should sound longer, even more prosaic, overly elaborate, and very flowery. As elaborate as the mansion and as flowery as the cup. There's a lot of time spent in the holonovel and it wouldn't have felt like it was taking up time if they did more with the story in the holonovel itself. I don't care about the kids that much. I want more rivalry with Mrs. Templeton and more steamy romance with Lord Burliegh. But anyway...
At the end of the episode when Kes manages to overcome the alien and the Voyager crew snap back to normal, I appreciated that they weren't able to find out anything more about him. Without being familiar with this area of space, they couldn't even begin to know where or what to look for. Which is taking advantage of the Delta Quadrant setting.
Overall, not a heavy or weighty episode, and it does take a while to get going, but I do like the mind games, getting some glimpses into the characters even if it wasn't that deep, and I like how much they gave Kes to do. The responsibility for saving Voyager was on her. And credit to originating so many types of ideas that I'd come to associate with the series. I give it a 7.
This one ranks up there for me too. Slow start as you stated, and the Lord Burleigh holonovel isn't one of my favorite plot threads in VOY, but boy was the villain a jerk. With no tidy bow at the end of the episode and him making his escape we're left pondering how close he came to beating the crew. A dangerous adversary that leans into the unknown of the DQ well. It's always kind of cool when Kes can save the day as well.
I really like how what happened with the Bothan was still a complete mystery. Can't even be certain it actually happened. STAR TREK should have that a bit more often: mystery at the end. (Like TNG's "The Royale" or "Time Squared".) The universe is still mysterious, and no matter how smart we get, we are not going to have everything figured out or explained by the 24th century.
I also love the creepy vibe throughout. That always earns bonus points from me.
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"Tattoo"
Not too many people had tattoos in the olden days. They've slowly become more common over time and now they're everywhere. Some look nice. Some people have gone way overboard. When you're covering your whole body in them, that's going too far IMO. Especially on the face and neck! Some of this stuff, it's like "What the Hell is that?"
I've never gotten a tattoo. My rationale has always been, "Just because I like it now doesn't mean I'll like it when I'm 80." Hell, right now in my 40s I wouldn't like whatever I would've gotten in my 20s. So, I don't do it. You can change your hairstyle, you can change the way you dress, you can put on and take off makeup and what not, I have black nails, but tattoos are permanent. They're forever. They're...
... oh wait. We're talking about the Voyager episode "Tattoo", a.k.a. "The Origin Story of Chakotay's Tattoo"! Sorry!
Well. Since you put it that way...
The A-Plot
I like who they cast as Chakotay's father. Very wise, very spiritual, very patient. Makes you wonder how the petulantly over-the-top 15-year-old version of Chakotay could be his son. Teen Chakotay annoys the Hell out of me. And not just because he's 15. When I stop to think about it: I like 15-year-old Wesley (even though he acted more like he was 12), and I liked Jake and Nog when they were 15. But 15-year-old Chakotay? Nope. Doesn't do it for me. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Maybe it's because he really didn't want to go on an expedition travelling down the Rubber Tree People's path at all. But he would just not let up at all. Oh my God.
I tried to look up the Rubber Tree People on Google. All I got were things that led me back to Memory Alpha and back to Voyager. So it looks like they were made up for the show. On the one hand, it would've been nice if Chakotay was part of an actual tribe that really exists on Earth. On the other hand, I'm guessing the writers never wanted to use a real tribe, so as to not offend said tribe and to leave their options open. This was also the '90s, and we weren't quite out of the woods yet when it came to stereotypes of Native American culture.
Chakotay finds a symbol from the Rubber Tree People on a moon in the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay says the Rubber Tree People's mythology believes the Sky Spirits created that symbol. Whoever put that symbol on that moon left a warp trail, that Voyager follows to a nearby planet. Technobabble mixed with Fictional Mythology. I'd say this is Voyager trying to ground something fantastical to something on a Star Trek level. At face value, it sounds crazy. But DS9 has done the same mixing Bajoran religion and how it can either be explained scientifically or at least on a Star Trek level. It's a matter of what they do with it and what type of story they're trying to tell. What type of message.
I'm sure the message they were trying to send in this episode was well-intentioned: the Native Americans were visited by the Sky Spirits 45,000 years ago. They tell Chakotay they gave his ancestors a curiosity to explore their land. North and South America. Then the Native Americans were conquered and when the Sky Spirits were stumbled upon by Voyager, they though the crew of Voyager were conquerors who were going to wipe them out just like they wiped out most of the Native Americans. Chakotay delivers the Star Trek spiel that Humanity has evolved, they're no longer conquerors, and he's a descending of the Native Americans who the Sky Spirits visited.
It sounds good until you stop and think about it. This episode posits that the Native Americans didn't come up the idea to explore the Americas on their own. They had to be prompted to do so by aliens. That sounds offensive.
Voyager just happening to run into the same Sky Spirits who gave Chakotay's ancestors the tattoo he has, and that he wears to honor his father who also had it... is far too coincidental. Extreme coincidental.
Nice to see that Chakotay believes that his father has finally reached out to him spiritually since he's died, now that Chakotay has made contact with the Sky Spirits, but that also doesn't make much sense.
The B-Plot
The Doctor starts off unsympathetic while Wildman is having discomfort during her pregnancy. The Doctor has no empathy at all. Kes correctly tells him if he'd know what it was like to be sick, injured, or experiencing discomfort, then he'd understand. It leads to a great one-liner, "I don't have a life, I have a program." Then he decides he gives himself a cold. He says he's up to Kes' challenge. Except he's thinking of it as basically just a game, just an exercise.
Bob Picardo is really entertaining as the Doctor being sick. Especially when he thinks something is wrong after the cold goes longer than expected! My favorite part is when Kes tells him she change things so the illness would last longer. I bet the Doctor definitely feels more empathetic after this experience.
Even though it was played for laughs, I actually think the character begins to slowly change starting from this point, now that he's learned empathy.
Overall
I'm going to look at the glass half-full and say the writers were well-intentioned with the A-Plot even though it came out wrong. Some nice location shooting. And pretty good CGI with Voyager caught in a whirlwind when it tried to land on the planet. The Doctor getting sick was an amusing enough filler B-Plot. But none of it is enough when I don't think the episode's premise works and I can't suspend my disbelief. I give it a 5.
Not too many people had tattoos in the olden days. They've slowly become more common over time and now they're everywhere. Some look nice. Some people have gone way overboard. When you're covering your whole body in them, that's going too far IMO. Especially on the face and neck! Some of this stuff, it's like "What the Hell is that?"
I've never gotten a tattoo. My rationale has always been, "Just because I like it now doesn't mean I'll like it when I'm 80." Hell, right now in my 40s I wouldn't like whatever I would've gotten in my 20s. So, I don't do it. You can change your hairstyle, you can change the way you dress, you can put on and take off makeup and what not, I have black nails, but tattoos are permanent. They're forever. They're...
... oh wait. We're talking about the Voyager episode "Tattoo", a.k.a. "The Origin Story of Chakotay's Tattoo"! Sorry!
Well. Since you put it that way...
The A-Plot
I like who they cast as Chakotay's father. Very wise, very spiritual, very patient. Makes you wonder how the petulantly over-the-top 15-year-old version of Chakotay could be his son. Teen Chakotay annoys the Hell out of me. And not just because he's 15. When I stop to think about it: I like 15-year-old Wesley (even though he acted more like he was 12), and I liked Jake and Nog when they were 15. But 15-year-old Chakotay? Nope. Doesn't do it for me. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Maybe it's because he really didn't want to go on an expedition travelling down the Rubber Tree People's path at all. But he would just not let up at all. Oh my God.
I tried to look up the Rubber Tree People on Google. All I got were things that led me back to Memory Alpha and back to Voyager. So it looks like they were made up for the show. On the one hand, it would've been nice if Chakotay was part of an actual tribe that really exists on Earth. On the other hand, I'm guessing the writers never wanted to use a real tribe, so as to not offend said tribe and to leave their options open. This was also the '90s, and we weren't quite out of the woods yet when it came to stereotypes of Native American culture.
Chakotay finds a symbol from the Rubber Tree People on a moon in the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay says the Rubber Tree People's mythology believes the Sky Spirits created that symbol. Whoever put that symbol on that moon left a warp trail, that Voyager follows to a nearby planet. Technobabble mixed with Fictional Mythology. I'd say this is Voyager trying to ground something fantastical to something on a Star Trek level. At face value, it sounds crazy. But DS9 has done the same mixing Bajoran religion and how it can either be explained scientifically or at least on a Star Trek level. It's a matter of what they do with it and what type of story they're trying to tell. What type of message.
I'm sure the message they were trying to send in this episode was well-intentioned: the Native Americans were visited by the Sky Spirits 45,000 years ago. They tell Chakotay they gave his ancestors a curiosity to explore their land. North and South America. Then the Native Americans were conquered and when the Sky Spirits were stumbled upon by Voyager, they though the crew of Voyager were conquerors who were going to wipe them out just like they wiped out most of the Native Americans. Chakotay delivers the Star Trek spiel that Humanity has evolved, they're no longer conquerors, and he's a descending of the Native Americans who the Sky Spirits visited.
It sounds good until you stop and think about it. This episode posits that the Native Americans didn't come up the idea to explore the Americas on their own. They had to be prompted to do so by aliens. That sounds offensive.
Voyager just happening to run into the same Sky Spirits who gave Chakotay's ancestors the tattoo he has, and that he wears to honor his father who also had it... is far too coincidental. Extreme coincidental.
Nice to see that Chakotay believes that his father has finally reached out to him spiritually since he's died, now that Chakotay has made contact with the Sky Spirits, but that also doesn't make much sense.
The B-Plot
The Doctor starts off unsympathetic while Wildman is having discomfort during her pregnancy. The Doctor has no empathy at all. Kes correctly tells him if he'd know what it was like to be sick, injured, or experiencing discomfort, then he'd understand. It leads to a great one-liner, "I don't have a life, I have a program." Then he decides he gives himself a cold. He says he's up to Kes' challenge. Except he's thinking of it as basically just a game, just an exercise.
Bob Picardo is really entertaining as the Doctor being sick. Especially when he thinks something is wrong after the cold goes longer than expected! My favorite part is when Kes tells him she change things so the illness would last longer. I bet the Doctor definitely feels more empathetic after this experience.
Even though it was played for laughs, I actually think the character begins to slowly change starting from this point, now that he's learned empathy.
Overall
I'm going to look at the glass half-full and say the writers were well-intentioned with the A-Plot even though it came out wrong. Some nice location shooting. And pretty good CGI with Voyager caught in a whirlwind when it tried to land on the planet. The Doctor getting sick was an amusing enough filler B-Plot. But none of it is enough when I don't think the episode's premise works and I can't suspend my disbelief. I give it a 5.
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I liked the idea, until some of the plot twists (pun partially intended) stopped making sense, as if the story was giving up on an otherwise cool idea. Was the ship inside of a big space lifeform, or was it some microcosm (pocket universe?) where its inhabitants or someone were trying to communicate?
Plus, I like how they state the ship has its own database - how much of this is a mobile copy of Starfleet's database versus ship-centric is also left to guess, but it's probably the latter. Especially as later episodes do discuss trying to connect to Starfleet's database (vague memory of that).
7 for me as well, though with a couple tweaks it easily could have been a 9 or 10.
Twisted was an intriguing concept, with uneven execution. Harry's wanting to get to the party and Tuvok indulging him was cute. Neelix's jealousy is cringe. The scene at the end, where the crew comfort each other in their various ways, was kind of heartwarming. I'd probably give this one a 7. Maybe 6 if I'm in a bad mood.
"Cold Fire"
There's a Star Trek first in "Cold Fire". A recap for an episode that aired 10 months earlier, namely "Caretaker", and reminding the audience that there's another Caretaker out there.
After Kes is done with a telepathic training session with Tuvok, she reports to Sickbay for duty, then she and the Doctor notice the remnants of the Caretaker responding to the other Caretaker nearby. Looking at the remnants and feels very TOS-like. There were rock-based aliens in "The Devil in the Dark". I'd even include salt cubes the Kelvans turned everyone into in "By Any Other Name". Torres figures out a way to use the remains' reactions as a compass to track down the other Caretaker.
Voyager's journey tracking the other Caretaker takes them to a colony of Ocampa. I recognize the actor who plays Tanis, Gary Graham, as the same actor who would later play Ambassador Soval in Enterprise. He's just as seemingly judgmental of Humans at first too. Tanis had fully believed all the spin about Voyager: supposedly killing the Caretaker, declaring war on the Kazon, and raiding worlds for their resources. If this is the prevailing propaganda in this part of the Delta Quadrant, then I can see why so many races are hostile towards Voyager.
The one oversight that I can think of here is that if Tanis was aware of Voyager, then he surely must've been aware that the Kazon were on the Ocampa Homeworld. If such were the case, you'd think he'd be more skeptical of any news that the Kazon would spread.
Regardless, Tanis admits to Kes that the Voyager crew is nothing like what he expected, he's impressed with what Kes has accomplished, but then the other shoe drops. He wants Kes to stay with them, says she can meet their true potential with them, and reveals that he's 14. Though, I'm not going to lie: hearing a full-grown adult say, "I am 14" is never not going to make me laugh a little. Though, to be fair, I feel the same way about a Jem'Hadar solider telling Dax with a straight face, "I am 8" in an episode of DS9. I can't help it! But all kidding aside, I wonder if the reason they added in the possibility of Ocampa being able to live longer was so that Kes wouldn't have had to have looked like an old woman by the seventh season? Especially if Jennifer Lein would've stayed for the entire run.
Suspiria, the Caretaker who's been taking care of these Ocampa, has helped them to see their true potential. I think it's great that Suspiria was able to help them to become more than who they are. What I'm also curious about is why Suspiria only chose to bring these Ocampa's ancestors with her 300 years ago and not anyone else. There's a story there.
When Tanis was teaching Kes how to move a cup, it reminded me of Gary Mitchell in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (TOS). At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. But, later on, when Tanis said that Kes would eventually look at the Voyager crew the same she looks at pets, I wasn't so sure.
I like is the "wouldn't it taste better hot?" trick. Nice visuals seeing the molecules of the liquid in the cup heat up. Except without Tanis around to guide her, Kes doesn't know how to stop using her enhanced powers. In one of the following scenes when she's trying to show Tuvok what she can do, she can't stop the teacup from heating up and then she makes Tuvok heat up. Every single time I've seen this episode, it's Tuvok's molecules being heated up took me by surprise, and I screamed just like Kes. I imagine it's like putting someone in a microwave!!!
Good on Tuvok for wanting to help Kes improve her mental discipline after this, since he says this incident proves she needs more training. But Tanis uses the accident as an excuse to tell Kes she doesn't belong on Voyager.
In a visceral scene in Hydroponics, Tanis tells Kes to feel the plants and the plants light right up. They're extremely colorful. Extremely vibrant. But, as is now the proving to always be the case with Tanis, something that seems very good is followed by equally bad, and the plants are all killed. I knew there was trouble as soon as Tanis said, "Bring the fire!" Anytime he says that, don't do it! The plants represent Kes being surrounded by death. The fire that she brought about and was surrounded by symbolized Hell. And if this was Hell, then Tanis represents the Devil.
If Tanis is the Devil, tempting Kes, then Suspiria would be Nyx who, according to Greek mythology would be the Goddess of Night, born of Chaos, and she gave birth to several dark figures.
Interesting thing about Suspiria. While the Caretaker in the first episode looked like an old man, Suspiria looks like a little girl. Not only the opposite gender but appearing the opposite age. I'd say she's the opposite in every way, taking the concept of "opposites attract" to one of the furthest extremes.
Suspiria jumps to the conclusion that Voyager killed her mate, tries to kill them, and then Kes uses her telepathic powers stop Suspiria as well as stop Tanis from trying to take her with him. Kes is powerful enough to fight two telepathy battles at once and to drive off Tanis and Suspiria. Suspiria's surprised that Janeway would show mercy to her, then leaves and takes Tanis with her. It was a rushed ending, but I like the concept of Kes fighting on dual fronts through her mental powers, showing how well she can defend herself, and how powerful she can be while still having empathy and caring about all life.
This episode was better than I thought it would be and had far more contextual layers to it than I realized. I seriously didn't expect to like "Cold Fire" as much as I did. This is definitely one of Kes' best episodes so far, and one of Tuvok's best in a supporting role. Even with the rushed ending, I give it a 9.
And now, here's a 1993 song, Cold Fire, by Rush!
There's a Star Trek first in "Cold Fire". A recap for an episode that aired 10 months earlier, namely "Caretaker", and reminding the audience that there's another Caretaker out there.
After Kes is done with a telepathic training session with Tuvok, she reports to Sickbay for duty, then she and the Doctor notice the remnants of the Caretaker responding to the other Caretaker nearby. Looking at the remnants and feels very TOS-like. There were rock-based aliens in "The Devil in the Dark". I'd even include salt cubes the Kelvans turned everyone into in "By Any Other Name". Torres figures out a way to use the remains' reactions as a compass to track down the other Caretaker.
Voyager's journey tracking the other Caretaker takes them to a colony of Ocampa. I recognize the actor who plays Tanis, Gary Graham, as the same actor who would later play Ambassador Soval in Enterprise. He's just as seemingly judgmental of Humans at first too. Tanis had fully believed all the spin about Voyager: supposedly killing the Caretaker, declaring war on the Kazon, and raiding worlds for their resources. If this is the prevailing propaganda in this part of the Delta Quadrant, then I can see why so many races are hostile towards Voyager.
The one oversight that I can think of here is that if Tanis was aware of Voyager, then he surely must've been aware that the Kazon were on the Ocampa Homeworld. If such were the case, you'd think he'd be more skeptical of any news that the Kazon would spread.
Regardless, Tanis admits to Kes that the Voyager crew is nothing like what he expected, he's impressed with what Kes has accomplished, but then the other shoe drops. He wants Kes to stay with them, says she can meet their true potential with them, and reveals that he's 14. Though, I'm not going to lie: hearing a full-grown adult say, "I am 14" is never not going to make me laugh a little. Though, to be fair, I feel the same way about a Jem'Hadar solider telling Dax with a straight face, "I am 8" in an episode of DS9. I can't help it! But all kidding aside, I wonder if the reason they added in the possibility of Ocampa being able to live longer was so that Kes wouldn't have had to have looked like an old woman by the seventh season? Especially if Jennifer Lein would've stayed for the entire run.
Suspiria, the Caretaker who's been taking care of these Ocampa, has helped them to see their true potential. I think it's great that Suspiria was able to help them to become more than who they are. What I'm also curious about is why Suspiria only chose to bring these Ocampa's ancestors with her 300 years ago and not anyone else. There's a story there.
When Tanis was teaching Kes how to move a cup, it reminded me of Gary Mitchell in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (TOS). At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. But, later on, when Tanis said that Kes would eventually look at the Voyager crew the same she looks at pets, I wasn't so sure.
I like is the "wouldn't it taste better hot?" trick. Nice visuals seeing the molecules of the liquid in the cup heat up. Except without Tanis around to guide her, Kes doesn't know how to stop using her enhanced powers. In one of the following scenes when she's trying to show Tuvok what she can do, she can't stop the teacup from heating up and then she makes Tuvok heat up. Every single time I've seen this episode, it's Tuvok's molecules being heated up took me by surprise, and I screamed just like Kes. I imagine it's like putting someone in a microwave!!!
Good on Tuvok for wanting to help Kes improve her mental discipline after this, since he says this incident proves she needs more training. But Tanis uses the accident as an excuse to tell Kes she doesn't belong on Voyager.
In a visceral scene in Hydroponics, Tanis tells Kes to feel the plants and the plants light right up. They're extremely colorful. Extremely vibrant. But, as is now the proving to always be the case with Tanis, something that seems very good is followed by equally bad, and the plants are all killed. I knew there was trouble as soon as Tanis said, "Bring the fire!" Anytime he says that, don't do it! The plants represent Kes being surrounded by death. The fire that she brought about and was surrounded by symbolized Hell. And if this was Hell, then Tanis represents the Devil.
If Tanis is the Devil, tempting Kes, then Suspiria would be Nyx who, according to Greek mythology would be the Goddess of Night, born of Chaos, and she gave birth to several dark figures.
Interesting thing about Suspiria. While the Caretaker in the first episode looked like an old man, Suspiria looks like a little girl. Not only the opposite gender but appearing the opposite age. I'd say she's the opposite in every way, taking the concept of "opposites attract" to one of the furthest extremes.
Suspiria jumps to the conclusion that Voyager killed her mate, tries to kill them, and then Kes uses her telepathic powers stop Suspiria as well as stop Tanis from trying to take her with him. Kes is powerful enough to fight two telepathy battles at once and to drive off Tanis and Suspiria. Suspiria's surprised that Janeway would show mercy to her, then leaves and takes Tanis with her. It was a rushed ending, but I like the concept of Kes fighting on dual fronts through her mental powers, showing how well she can defend herself, and how powerful she can be while still having empathy and caring about all life.
This episode was better than I thought it would be and had far more contextual layers to it than I realized. I seriously didn't expect to like "Cold Fire" as much as I did. This is definitely one of Kes' best episodes so far, and one of Tuvok's best in a supporting role. Even with the rushed ending, I give it a 9.
And now, here's a 1993 song, Cold Fire, by Rush!
Regarding Suspiria raking only a handful of Ocampa with her...
Might be as simple as those being the only ones that truly believed in Ocampa becoming better than they are and not being dependant on the Caretaker.
Easier to build a colony out of a group of like minded people than a group who are at odds fundamentally.
Might be as simple as those being the only ones that truly believed in Ocampa becoming better than they are and not being dependant on the Caretaker.
Easier to build a colony out of a group of like minded people than a group who are at odds fundamentally.
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