Twisted, an alien mind game

[Lynx]

I actually re-watched Twisted yesterday and even before that, I've often been thinking about the fact that it wasn't the ship which was twisted by the Distortion Ring but the minds of the crewmembers.

The ship was never in any danger and wasn't twisted at all as Janeway and the others may have thought. It was their minds who were twisted by those aliens, making them imagine that the ship was a constantly changing maze where rooms changed from one deck to another and it was impossible to reach the bridge.

Maybe those aliens made the Voyager crew members think that the ship was in danger and created those visions of a "ring" crushing the ship just to se how they reacted to a threat.

 

[fireproof78]

Still makes the episode dumb. At least it resolves the apparent non-ending at the end more palatable.

 

[Oddish]

Don't know what the dumbest thing about that one was: Neelix's ultra-possessiveness of Kes, Janeway's telling Harry how awesome he was when she was planning to sink his career, or Tuvok not just going over the stupid ring thingy.

 

[Lynx]

Don't know what the dumbest thing about that one was: Neelix's ultra-possessiveness of Kes, Janeway's telling Harry how awesome he was when she was planning to sink his career, or Tuvok not just going over the stupid ring thingy.

I actually like the episode, a bit spooky.

Neelix is almost funny in his ultra-possesiveness. No wonder that Kes finally dumped him even if it should have happened earlier, most likely some time after Parturition.

I've never thougt about it before but Janeway actually reminds me of a certain boss I had, telling me that I was doing a great job and then choose another person for the post I applied to.

And Tuvok is just himself here!

 

[at Quark's]

I actually re-watched Twisted yesterday and even before that, I've often been thinking about the fact that it wasn't the ship which was twisted by the Distortion Ring but the minds of the crewmembers.

I would say that's not a fact, but an interpretation of what we see on screen. The episode itself never makes clear what 'really' happened, even though I agree your interpretation is a likely one.

I generally do like those 'mess with your mind' episodes, and I also liked how pairs of 'best friends' (at that time) ended up seeking support with one another: Janeway with Tuvok, Chakotay with Torres, Tom with Harry, etc. (if I remember correctly, haven't seen the episode for some time).

 

[Oddish]

I also liked how pairs of 'best friends' (at that time) ended up seeking support with one another: Janeway with Tuvok, Chakotay with Torres, Tom with Harry, etc. (if I remember correctly, haven't seen the episode for some time).

I liked that as well.

 

[Farscape One]

I actually re-watched Twisted yesterday and even before that, I've often been thinking about the fact that it wasn't the ship which was twisted by the Distortion Ring but the minds of the crewmembers.

The ship was never in any danger and wasn't twisted at all as Janeway and the others may have thought. It was their minds who were twisted by those aliens, making them imagine that the ship was a constantly changing maze where rooms changed from one deck to another and it was impossible to reach the bridge.

Maybe those aliens made the Voyager crew members think that the ship was in danger and created those visions of a "ring" crushing the ship just to se how they reacted to a threat.

I'll have to rewatch to be certain, but except for the beginning shot and the very end shot of "TWISTED", you never see a view of the ship outside. That is always a telltale sign that everything happening within the episode is not real (hallucination, holodeck, inside a mind, etc.). This trick was done on every series of the Berman era... TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT.

Examples: "Frame of Mind", "Eye of the Beholder", "DISTANT VOICES", "PROJECTIONS", "VANISHING POINT".

Look at each of those episodes, and you will notice that the only time you see an outside view of the ship or station is when that particularly part of the episode (usually either the very beginning or very end) is the real event going on. Every other act has no outside shots. "Frame of Mind", for instance... the first time we see the Enterprise is after Riker unplugged himself from the bed and called for a beamout. And that was about 2 minutes from the end. Same with "PROJECTIONS"... not a single shot of Voyager until after The Doctor is standing on the empty holodeck with Janeway and the rest.

So your theory has merit.


Additional information: I have just rewatched "TWISTED", and the Voyager itself is only seen as the very first and very last shot of the episode. Plus, The Doctor mentions the possibility of only the crew's perceptions being affected, but he couldn't find out because he could not get to sickbay.

I personally never liked "TWISTED", but one thing I did appreciate was how vastly different the spatial distortion lifeform was. It helped cement the first season of having very different species in the Delta Quadrant: a living nebula ("THE CLOUD"), the lifeform from "HEROES AND DEMONS", disembodied energy beings that consume neural energy ("CATHEXIS"), space dwelling giant creatures ("ELOGIUM"), and here.

 

[Lynx]

I'll have to rewatch to be certain, but except for the beginning shot and the very end shot of "TWISTED", you never see a view of the ship outside. That is always a telltale sign that everything happening within the episode is not real (hallucination, holodeck, inside a mind, etc.). This trick was done on every series of the Berman era... TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT.

Examples: "Frame of Mind", "Eye of the Beholder", "DISTANT VOICES", "PROJECTIONS", "VANISHING POINT".

Look at each of those episodes, and you will notice that the only time you see an outside view of the ship or station is when that particularly part of the episode (usually either the very beginning or very end) is the real event going on. Every other act has no outside shots. "Frame of Mind", for instance... the first time we see the Enterprise is after Riker unplugged himself from the bed and called for a beamout. And that was about 2 minutes from the end. Same with "PROJECTIONS"... not a single shot of Voyager until after The Doctor is standing on the empty holodeck with Janeway and the rest.

So your theory has merit.


Additional information: I have just rewatched "TWISTED", and the Voyager itself is only seen as the very first and very last shot of the episode. Plus, The Doctor mentions the possibility of only the crew's perceptions being affected, but he couldn't find out because he could not get to sickbay.

I personally never liked "TWISTED", but one thing I did appreciate was how vastly different the spatial distortion lifeform was. It helped cement the first season of having very different species in the Delta Quadrant: a living nebula ("THE CLOUD"), the lifeform from "HEROES AND DEMONS", disembodied energy beings that consume neural energy ("CATHEXIS"), space dwelling giant creatures ("ELOGIUM"), and here.

Great observation from you.
I never thought about it before, especially not when it comes to the TNG and DS9 episodes.
But your observation confirns my theory that the ship wan't twisted at all but the crewmembers minds were.

Now I must take a look at Threshold and see if my theory about that episode stands, that it was just a nightmare Tom had after eating too much of Neelix's food the evening before.

 

[Tosk]

But your observation confirns my theory that the ship wan't twisted at all but the crewmembers minds were.

It's potential evidence, but not confirmation.

 

[Farscape One]

It's potential evidence, but not confirmation.

Yes, exactly. As I mentioned, my observation gives Lynx's theory merit (and I personally like the theory), but it is by no means confirmation due to how the episode really doesn't make it that clear.

 

[Akiraprise]

Well, there wasn't a warp core breach. That's pretty good evidence the ship didn't get all twisted.

 

[Tosk]

Well, there wasn't a warp core breach. That's pretty good evidence the ship didn't get all twisted.

We saw Janeway's arm go all Reed Richards and she was fine afterwards. In their minds or in the ship, the twisting seems to allow for malarkey like that.

 

[Lynx]

It's potential evidence, but not confirmation.

I find nothing which contradicts my theory in this case.

 

[Tosk]

With respect, that's still not confirmation.

 

[Farscape One]

I find nothing which contradicts my theory in this case.

I love your theory. Truly, I do... and I didn't think of it before, so it gets even more appreciation from me. But as much as I love the theory, my observation is not confirmation of it being true. The episode just isn't clear enough.