Threshold

[EnriqueH]

I watch Star Trek to get entertained, primarily.

As such, stuff like plausibility or the correct use of scientific terminology in "science" extrapolated to the future, or even universe continuity take a backseat (though I like it when they get that stuff right, too).

And I must say that even though Threshold really is hilariously bad, at the very least it entertains me. More so, in fact, than many mediocre and unimaginative episodes (with a nasty alien of the week) that aren't even close to being as "bad" as Threshold. Those episodes are just ... bland.

So, to me it serves its purpose. Even though it has some of the worst science, and I would rather consider ït to have "never happened" from a continuity point of view.

(BTW I don't consider the episode to be detrimental to the characters of either Paris or Janeway, as they only started behaving strangely after some really outlandish stuff had happened to them).

I sympathize with your post.

I did say earlier that I wasn't sure if I had witnessed something brilliant or brilliantly bad when I finished the episode, but one thing I did not mention was that: Even though I wasn't immediately sure of what I had just seen, I knew it had shaken me to my core.

Whether it's for good reasons or bad, it definitely made an impact.

Talk about "out of the box". You would think this would've had eternal repercussions on the show and characters. It would've been ballsier if they had followed the current of the episode. The impact of the human race creating a new race of humans and leaving the offspring on the planet. What this bonding meant for Janeway and Paris. It could've changed the show forever.

 

[stardream]

Tom got 3 out of 4 leading ladies on the show, and perhaps 7 would have been his if not that pesky marriage thing. And the EMH only daydreamed about it. Looks like Tom got one over the doc.

Apparently while Seven was beautiful she was still inherently human although you would think her Borgness would have counted for something. Tom's tastes apparently run to alien women.

Weird how he had children with all three of them. Add that to the running list of Tom Paris' accomplishments.

 

[Mytran]

The episode has some bad science without doubt, but it still manages to be entertaining, just like "Spock's Brain" which also gets a bum rep. A dull episode is a far worse episode IMO and Voyager had plenty of those!

 

[TheVortaKeevan]

Now you can forever wonder with the rest of us about what became of Janeway and Tom's offspring. Congrats.

Ah yes their mud pups. I use to have the action figure. I kept the mud pups, but threw Tom away years ago.

You actually HAD that thing!?

It had the coolest accessories for a Playmates Star Trek Action figure at the time.

 

[Deks]

Is it consistent with the' rules' of the Trek Universe? I'm not debating. Just asking. I think it was just so 'out there' even for Star Trek.

I sometimes take it personally when a favorite character gets a bad episode. I held a grudge against Mark Verheiden and Ron Moore for the BSG episode Black Market for a long time. Its a quirk of mine. Don't try to understand it.

Well, I felt it was more or less ok, because it showed the crew researching and experimenting with technology to get back on their own.

It would have been nice to see dedicated research teams on Voyager developing new technologies on a constant basis... heck, the crew SHOULD have invented Slipstream and other wacky technologies all by themselves given what kind of technological resources, science and knowledge they have.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Ah yes their mud pups. I use to have the action figure. I kept the mud pups, but threw Tom away years ago.

You actually HAD that thing!?

It had the coolest accessories for a Playmates Star Trek Action figure at the time.

I'll take your word for it.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

As far as I'm concerned, the moment this episode becomes worthy of no more than drinking game fodder and should be barred from canon is the concept the Doctor gives at the end, that what happens to Paris and Janeway is that they hyper-evolved into non-sapient giant salamanders. That is not how evolution works, evolution is a reaction to environment, not a set and pre-determined course.

Still, I gotta give the make up department their due credit, and the death scene is beautifully acted by Robert Duncan McNeil and Robert Picardo and Jennifer Lien. Plus the Doctor does get a couple of good zingers. Not Voyager's worst, but it really is only good for laughing at it.

 

[sevenstars]

Yay! A Threshold thread.

Only foolish people don't like it or embrace its brilliance.

I'm with hux. And brilliant and brilliantly bad are one.

 

[stardream]

As far as I'm concerned, the moment this episode becomes worthy of no more than drinking game fodder and should be barred from canon is the concept the Doctor gives at the end, that what happens to Paris and Janeway is that they hyper-evolved into non-sapient giant salamanders. That is not how evolution works, evolution is a reaction to environment, not a set and pre-determined course.

Still, I gotta give the make up department their due credit, and the death scene is beautifully acted by Robert Duncan McNeil and Robert Picardo and Jennifer Lien. Plus the Doctor does get a couple of good zingers. Not Voyager's worst, but it really is only good for laughing at it.

Its been described as having the ' best acting in a bad episode.'

I got the impression that Kes would have been willing to give Paris his 'last request' kiss if the atmosphere hadn't been poisonous. That was a bit moving.

If the best we can look forward to is becoming giant salamanders let's all fold in ourselves and have a group existentialist crisis.

 

[WoTe]

Tom got 3 out of 4 leading ladies on the show, and perhaps 7 would have been his if not that pesky marriage thing. And the EMH only daydreamed about it. Looks like Tom got one over the doc.

Apparently while Seven was beautiful she was still inherently human although you would think her Borgness would have counted for something. Tom's tastes apparently run to alien women.

Weird how he had children with all three of them. Add that to the running list of Tom Paris' accomplishments.

And Paris was good enough to get a Commendation from the Captain at the end of the episode

 

[Jedman67]

I used to think it was awful. Maybe I should rewatch it

Sent from my HTC HTC6525LVW Using Ez Forum for Android

 

[Kilana2]

One of my favourites. Finally, a Star Trek episode that understands science, story telling and character. Only foolish people don't like it or embrace its brilliance.

I liked it best when Tom's tongue fell off.

I think that episode is disgusting, especially Tom's mutation. Not one of the episodes I usually want to rewatch. More one of the ones I constantly try to avoid.

I usually don't like any mutation stuff. Harry was also visually mutilated in one of the episodes. Why do I not care?????

 

[WoTe]

Now you can forever wonder with the rest of us about what became of Janeway and Tom's offspring. Congrats.

Ah yes their mud pups. I use to have the action figure. I kept the mud pups, but threw Tom away years ago.

Oh wow this was actually a thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Series-Paris-Mutated-Action-Figure/dp/B001RDX8NU

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

This would easily be in my top 5 episodes.

All the others are about 7