Retro Review: Investigations
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I love Investigations. Don't get me wrong, it's clearly a load of stinkin' pap with numerous holes in it but I enjoyed the whole Seska spy arc and the attempt at serialised storytelling. Maybe I'm blinded by my fondness for the thing.
It is of course ludicrous that Janeway allows Tuvok to entirely undermine Chakotay by keeping him out of the loop. Aside from highlighting her lack of trust in him (in general or just his acting ability) it also demonstrates that Tuvok is actually Janeway's true second in command. Chakotay must have felt like a complete lemon.
In the end, it turns out to be an utterly pointless plan anyway since Neelix was on the cusp of finding out that Jonas is the spy with significantly less effort. Tuvok's plan is moronic, convoluted and entirely dumb. Instead of an enormously complex performance that requires Paris to play malcontent for months and Chakotay to be treated like an idiot, why not just have a much better security officer with a much better plan? It was completely ridiculous. Neither Tuvok nor Janeway come out of this with much credibility.
I agree that the motivations of Jonas are bewildering. What does he get out of this? Assuming Seska succeeds, his best outcome is a place at the grown-ups table in the Seska dictatorship.
Entertaining stuff if entirely silly. More Seska would have been nice.
It is of course ludicrous that Janeway allows Tuvok to entirely undermine Chakotay by keeping him out of the loop. Aside from highlighting her lack of trust in him (in general or just his acting ability) it also demonstrates that Tuvok is actually Janeway's true second in command. Chakotay must have felt like a complete lemon.
In the end, it turns out to be an utterly pointless plan anyway since Neelix was on the cusp of finding out that Jonas is the spy with significantly less effort. Tuvok's plan is moronic, convoluted and entirely dumb. Instead of an enormously complex performance that requires Paris to play malcontent for months and Chakotay to be treated like an idiot, why not just have a much better security officer with a much better plan? It was completely ridiculous. Neither Tuvok nor Janeway come out of this with much credibility.
I agree that the motivations of Jonas are bewildering. What does he get out of this? Assuming Seska succeeds, his best outcome is a place at the grown-ups table in the Seska dictatorship.
Entertaining stuff if entirely silly. More Seska would have been nice.
I hate this botched resolution. Neelix saves the day? Whatever. I make myself dizzy rolling my eyes at this one.
I did like that VOY attempted arcs in the early days. It's a shame that by Basics Part 2, everything had been jettisoned out of the nearest window. They should have built on their mistakes, but then season three happened.
I did like that VOY attempted arcs in the early days. It's a shame that by Basics Part 2, everything had been jettisoned out of the nearest window. They should have built on their mistakes, but then season three happened.
I go back and forth on this one. On the purely surface level I like it. The action, the resolution, even Neelix's bumbling about and the explanation for Tom's behavior. I even like Neelix's sappy tribute to Tom. It can be popcorn fare if you don't look at it too closely.
But then if I start to really think about it a lot of it doesn't make any sense. Tuvok couldn't find the spy? Tom has to revert to his old ways in order to leave the ship in hopes of being captured by the Kazon? Neelix saves the day?
I couldn't understand Jonas either. I thought at first that perhaps he agreed with Seska that all they had to do was give the Kazon some technology so they would leave Voyager alone and let them be on their way but if that was the case why didn't he just figure out a way to give them the replicators on his own? Why communicate with Seska and risk getting caught?
I don't skip it but when I do watch it I try hard not to think too much about it.
But then if I start to really think about it a lot of it doesn't make any sense. Tuvok couldn't find the spy? Tom has to revert to his old ways in order to leave the ship in hopes of being captured by the Kazon? Neelix saves the day?
I couldn't understand Jonas either. I thought at first that perhaps he agreed with Seska that all they had to do was give the Kazon some technology so they would leave Voyager alone and let them be on their way but if that was the case why didn't he just figure out a way to give them the replicators on his own? Why communicate with Seska and risk getting caught?
I don't skip it but when I do watch it I try hard not to think too much about it.
He struck me as sort of a diffident character whenever I saw him until the final chapter. Perhaps, he was simply on the fence as to what he felt was the most justifiable and effective course of action to take, while seeming to be clearly in the dissatisfied camp in the way that command decisions were being made. He did question aiding her with the clear purpose of actually taking aggressive action against the ship all the way until the end of Lifesigns, the episode immediately preceding this one.
Neelix and Tom Paris are the heroes in this exciting episodes where Michael Jonas is finally revealed as the one who are cooperating with the Kazons. Some good action scenes. Exciting from beginning to end.
OK, Neelix is about to mess up everything when he, in his latest obsession as a "journalist" refuses to listen to Janeway and Tuvok when they tell him to stop investigating the thing and Tom's departure is acutually unrealistic. I mean, why should he leave the ship inn the middle of the Delta Quadrant?
Still a very good and exciting episode.
I'll give it 4 points out of 5
Note that the official Paramount Stardate in this episode is totally wrong. According to that, the events in the episode should take place before the events in "Lifesigns" which is impossible. In the Timeline on the Kes Website, I changed the stardate for this episode to 49520.
OK, Neelix is about to mess up everything when he, in his latest obsession as a "journalist" refuses to listen to Janeway and Tuvok when they tell him to stop investigating the thing and Tom's departure is acutually unrealistic. I mean, why should he leave the ship inn the middle of the Delta Quadrant?
Still a very good and exciting episode.
I'll give it 4 points out of 5
Note that the official Paramount Stardate in this episode is totally wrong. According to that, the events in the episode should take place before the events in "Lifesigns" which is impossible. In the Timeline on the Kes Website, I changed the stardate for this episode to 49520.
I noticed offhand how good the Kazon are at beating-up someone. This is another race of high-class hoodlums that are really good at beating the ---- out of you. I must remark how Janeway's trust in Tom is so indelible as to send him on such an impossible mission to the Kazons where he must not only overpower them and trick them, but to escape to tell about it. He had to wrestle a weapon from a Kazon using both arms and then, later, he was wrestling a Kazon on the floor and he gave the Kazon a hard right so he was clear enough to shoot him. This gave him room enough to steal a shuttle and go to Voyager.
I liked the idea of neelix 'saving the day' because it proves to himself he has integrity. He was such a dick that first season. And it shows he can have more depth of thought besides Kes and leola root. However, it's awkward to watch because he himself is awkward. That waddle, hands close to body like a raptor bugs me. XD
Good episode. Neelix - annoying.
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