The Killing Game

[Danny99]

I'm re-watching this episode currently. It has always been one of my favorites and I'm reminded of why.

It's always fun to see actors getting a chance to play other roles. I especially enjoyed Tim Russ as the bartender and Ethan Phillips as the Klingon. Guest actors Danny Goldring, Mark Deakins, and J. Paul Boehmer, all of which had previous and/or future Trek appearances put in great performances. Who doesn't want to punch Boehmer's Nazi character in the face?

The premise is sometimes hokey. How many times has Trek done Nazi's previous and after this? Does all the holodeck technobabble make a lick of sense? However I believe the episode overcomes these flaws with scenes like Goldring's character explaining to Janeway why he wants to use the holodeck community and the comedy between Neelix, The Doctor, and the Klingons.

Thoughts? Comments?

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

I wish they'd done something other than Nazis and WWII. I just... When I watch the episode, I think 'what's the point?' What did we learn about the characters that was new? What's the personal effect of this story that makes it deserve the two hours? And I can't find an answer.

I wish that instead of the WWII scenario, they'd done a scenario of WWIII, perhaps. Or maybe, for personal resonance, the Cardassian border dispute that Janeway herself saw action in. Something that gave us a better picture of the Star Trek canvas as a whole, some piece of their history that's still 'the future' for us, the audience.

That said, though it's completely gratuitious, I did enjoy Seven's singing.

 

[Kahiara]

In a way though, 'everyday' conflicts to them when meeting other species and their problems were like WWIII. I liked it. I felt it homed a message that should be forgotten but I do admit to having a great interest in the two WWs, especially the second as I find it fascinating (and horrid of course) how human emotions can be swayed so much. It doesn't just take a day; it was a whole atmosphere that swept up a demoralised nation (in Germany's case) and enraptured people and spread outwards.

I liked the fact they addressed it. I mean, I know it's no fun to use the same plots over and over but I felt they did this one entertainingly and - even if their characters didn't develop per say, we saw the characters each use their own abilities in a different way and show their traits in that way and their general nobility in a different cause. They may not have acknowledged that they developed, but they reaffirmed their own character traits and in a way their inaction to 'develop' was an 'action' as they showed survival fight.

I have to say I'm half asleep if these sentences are jumbled.

 

[andersonh1]

I found this story just crazy and enjoyable. Hirogen dressed like Nazis, the holodeck expanded up a few decks, the war bursting out onto the ship, the cleverness with the holographic weapons later on... nothing deep, but tremendously fun to watch.

 

[Praetor]

Eh, I like space Nazis, and the episode had some good performances to hide some gaping plot holes and IMO bad choices.

But, still. Something else would have been cooler. Romulan War anyone?

 

[Guy Gardener]

OH! I get it! Boehmer played a Vulcan working in television during the 50s... At some point he must have been in a WWII movie and... Although he played a similar enough Nazi in ENT: Stormfront, so his appearance could have just been taken form archive footage?

I thought it was fun, but Kim should have blown the ship up after a week of trying and failing to save the day.

A month?

That's a war crime or criminal negligence.

 

[Praetor]

Well, it is Harry. Odds are he'd have died in the explosion, and the kid had already died at least twice by then.

 

[TedShatner10]

After "Scorpion" and "Year of Hell", this was quite a climbdown quality wise and the occupied French town seemed more like a theme park. It was enjoyable in a mediocre way like "Qpid", but Jeri Ryan as a cafe' singer really was something and I heard she is obsessed about France now.

 

[RoJoHen]

I love everything about this episode except the ending. Big holodeck fire fight, and then the holodeck gets turned off. Chakotay: "That's it. It's over." And they walk away. REALLY LAME.

Otherwise, I love this episode.

 

[Kahiara]

I love everything about this episode except the ending. Big holodeck fire fight, and then the holodeck gets turned off. Chakotay: "That's it. It's over." And they walk away. REALLY LAME.

Otherwise, I love this episode.

And the fact that if the holoemitters had been shut down the landscape should have gone with them. That always erks me.

 

[Praetor]

I think GodBen would point out that even more annoying is the fact that the next episode is not about turning the flying holodeck that is Voyager back into a starship.

 

[exodus]

I wish they'd done something other than Nazis and WWII. I just... When I watch the episode, I think 'what's the point?' What did we learn about the characters that was new? What's the personal effect of this story that makes it deserve the two hours? And I can't find an answer.

I wish that instead of the WWII scenario, they'd done a scenario of WWIII, perhaps. Or maybe, for personal resonance, the Cardassian border dispute that Janeway herself saw action in. Something that gave us a better picture of the Star Trek canvas as a whole, some piece of their history that's still 'the future' for us, the audience.

That said, though it's completely gratuitious, I did enjoy Seven's singing.

Most likely because Trek is shown internationally and WWII is the one war that can be related to on that global scale.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well, it is Harry. Odds are he'd have died in the explosion, and the kid had already died at least twice by then.

At the academy, there was probably a training film with a reinactment of Trip Tucker from Enterprise, showing off his swan song, and ther'd be large red letters emblazoned across the screen saying "Bad, bad idea, don't blow up your ship and your own ass for no damn good reason."

 

[Praetor]

^

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

Most likely because Trek is shown internationally and WWII is the one war that can be related to on that global scale.

Uh... maybe I'm just not understanding, but why would there necessarily need to be a 'global relation' factor to the story they're telling? I mean... what specifically was the message that comes across through choosing WWII? I mean, from the viewpoint of a writer, I'd want something that would relate specifically to the characters - it's why I suggested the Cardassian border wars, which Janeway was personally involved in. For her character, she'd be made to relive a traumatic time of her life - there's personal significance in that story, as opposed to going to WWII for the sake of being in WWII and having Seven as a singer in a nightclub.

Give me a story with some meat, not just standard ration bars - I want to be full and satisfied, not just full. The Killing Game is packaged in shiny material, but doesn't leave me satisfied.

 

[Captan_Picard]

I'm re-watching this episode currently. It has always been one of my favorites and I'm reminded of why.

It's always fun to see actors getting a chance to play other roles. I especially enjoyed Tim Russ as the bartender and Ethan Phillips as the Klingon. Guest actors Danny Goldring, Mark Deakins, and J. Paul Boehmer, all of which had previous and/or future Trek appearances put in great performances. Who doesn't want to punch Boehmer's Nazi character in the face?

The premise is sometimes hokey. How many times has Trek done Nazi's previous and after this? Does all the holodeck technobabble make a lick of sense? However I believe the episode overcomes these flaws with scenes like Goldring's character explaining to Janeway why he wants to use the holodeck community and the comedy between Neelix, The Doctor, and the Klingons.

Thoughts? Comments?

love the action and it is interesting to see who they made di what. I liked this ep because of the action more. For what your talking about, Workforce (p1 & 2) topped it out.

It was funny because they gave jainway a new hobby, collecting and buying used Plasma Relay's.

Jainway under her NEW iname, de3cided to move in with a man and she was using it as a decoritive object on a table.

I'm not decortive person. but Im not gonna put a obsolete power distribution unit out as a decoritive object.

Anyway, I give it thumbs up because Kate Macgrew was able to put it on the table and say "You will love it" without cracking up because I would have 2 no end.

 

[TedShatner10]

Give me a story with some meat, not just standard ration bars - I want to be full and satisfied, not just full. The Killing Game is packaged in shiny material, but doesn't leave me satisfied.

That is the problem shared with half the episodes of Voyager, I'm afraid.

 

[Newski]

Don't you like how they set up the Hirogen as this vicious enemies, and an ongoing antagonist, yet they make peace in this episode... Almost immediately, and they only factor into like one more?

And didn't they do the same thing with species 8472?

 

[Praetor]

^More or less.

 

[Mr.Borg]

So...the Hirogen are DEAF or something?? Like the Doc just talks to seven when a hirogen is in te biolab..like they are deaf? And what is the chances that Janeway turns back to Janeway at the moment when she is going to pull the trigger?