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| My VOY reviews | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 12 Aug 2013, 13:50 (683 Views) | |
| Kevin Thomas Riley | 12 Aug 2013, 13:50 Post #1 |
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Vice Admiral
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I surprised myself the other day by starting watching Voyager again. It has been many years since I did that, but I do have the complete DVD collection. And since I've reviewed other Trek shows (even if I haven't finished reviewing, except for DS9) I decided to review VOY as well. So here goes, for how long I'll manage to keep it up this time. |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 12 Aug 2013, 13:51 Post #2 |
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Vice Admiral
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Posted Image Season One 1-01-02 Caretaker I normally rank Star Trek: Voyager lowest among the different Trek shows. It comes of as a tired re-tread of stories we've seen many times before, with mostly boring characters and a total waste of the stranded on the other side of the galaxy concept. However, it's been quite a while since I watched it and now that I've embarked on a re-watch it will be interesting to see if that original assessment holds up, especially in view of how disappointed I've become with The Next Generation. Could it be that I'll actually rank Voyager above it when all is watched and done? We'll see after seven seasons, I guess. At any rate Voyager's pilot episode is better than that of The Next Generation, but that is almost a given. Caretaker is however definitely not better than the pilots of Deep Space Nine or Enterprise. The first half is actually pretty good, before they get to the Delta quadrant. It sets up the crew rather nicely. But once they get to the Caretaker array and the Ocampa planet things fizzles quickly. It's like the writers knew that they wanted these people over there but was unable to give it an interesting reason. Why should we care about the Caretaker, let alone why Janeway et al. should? And why should we be invested in the Ocampa? They're just convenient plot devices. Why even sympathise with the Caretaker after all he's done, and eventually fulfil his wish of having the array destroyed? That last part really bugs me. Another and smarter Captain would have come up with a way to destroy the array, save the Ocampa and get themselves back to the Alpha quadrant. For instance they could have destroyed the Kazon vessels with those magic high-yield explosives (tricobalt), used the array to get home and then set off the array's timed self-destruct mechanism. I understand the plot reasons for them not doing so, but it makes them look stupid. So why not use an altogether different reason for them to be stranded 70,000 light-years away without questioning the sanity and competence of the new Trek Captain? I was also disappointed with the main villains (or at least main for as long as it takes the ship to traverse the territory they're active in). The Kazons didn't come off as particularly scary and certainly not clever. They're like rival biker gangs with bad hair. They fail as Ersatz-Klingons as they have none of the things, like honour and culture, which make Klingons interesting. Summing up, I give Caretaker a slightly below average grade of 4+ out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-03 Parallax This was a really wasted second episode opportunity. Instead of showing how the crew dealt with the shocking realisation that they're stranded at least 75 years from home, we're treated to an anomaly-of-the-week™ story which, quite frankly, could have been on any other Trek show. The only thing that reminds us about their predicament is Torres proving to Janeway that she has what it takes to be Chief Engineer despite being a Maquis prone to nose-breaking temper tantrums. At least that part of the episode is interesting, and even a bit moving, especially when Janeway tells Torres about how her former Academy teachers actually appreciated her before she dropped out. I also liked how Chakotay clashed with Janeway over, specifically, Torres and, generally, the Maquis place on the ship. Too bad that won't last long. We also see the possibility of an even more serious conflict between Starfleet and Maquis crew members, something that was inherent in the premise of the show, but that was squandered early on. Why even introduce it if you're not even going to bother doing anything about it? But, like most of Voyager, it was a wasted opportunity. But they did introduce the character of Seska here, and I like her, even if she became a bit cartoonish later on. The story about the ship being trapped inside an event horizon was shock full of obnoxious technobabble, another thing that Voyager has in spades. Apparently the writers thought you can hang most of a story on that, but it turns out you can't. So I will give Parallax a grade of 4- which is probably one point more than it deserves. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 13 Aug 2013, 14:07 Post #3 |
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Vice Admiral
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1-04 Time And Again So we have Paris goading Kim to go on a double date with the Delaney sisters while they pass by a pre-warp planet. And that's it! Seriously, nothing more really happens in this episode. Everything else depicted becomes null and void once the dreaded reset button™ is pushed. This is also a story that might as well have taken place on another Trek show, and it is a big failing for Voyager to have two such mundane stories in their first two regular outings, and this episode especially since it means squat. No one remembers anything about what happened, except maybe Kes who at least has a vague memory of an irradiated planet. But the time travelling paradox is such a tired concept by now. Also, having the aliens essentially looking like humans (and speaking English even after the comm badges/universal translators have been removed) was a bad idea if you want viewers to get excited about this new and unexplored area of space. And don't get me started on Janeway's lecture about the virtues of the Prime Directive, which she then promptly breaks herself, even if it means condemning a civilization to extinction. I will never accept that such an interpretation is a good one, and not a single Trek episode that has depicted this dilemma has convinced me. "Because we say so" isn't an argument. I cannot give Time and Again anything more than a 2- grade. Posted Image Posted Image 1-05 Phage Finally a good Voyager episode that introduces us to a new and fascinating, if horrendous, species. The Vidiians are both terrifying and pitiful with their flesh-eating affliction, the Phage, which makes them hunt down other species and harvesting their organs for survival. That was an interesting and novel concept. But even if you can have some sympathy for their plight, their behaviour is inexcusable and I cannot understand why Janeway didn't punish them for doing what they did, instead letting them go with a stern warning through her misty eyes. Also, making Neelix the victim wasn't a good choice since I can imagine a lot of viewers thinking that the annoying Talaxian might as well die. Still, his banter with the Doctor while he was immobilised using the holographic lung was amusing. They also played up the relationship between Neelix and Kes, but it doesn't feel natural, even if she gave up one of her lungs for him. But making her a nurse for the Doctor was a good move. Now she'll be useful besides growing vegetables. Overall I quite liked the episode though, and will give Phage a generous grade of 6+ out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-06 The Cloud Here we have another episode that might as well have been on any of the other Treks, but I will just have to get used to the fact that Voyager, far from being a unique show, is more of TNG-lite. The plot is a staple of by now tired clichés about misunderstood space creatures, in this case a literal space creature, as in space-dwelling. And we have seen all this before. While I can applaud the writers for acknowledging that the ship's resources are limited it would be nice to see more of it besides Neelix having to cook now that they have to ration replicator usage. But I cannot for the life of me understand why they have energy for an elaborate holodeck program but not for replicating coffee. That's a serious design flaw if ever I saw one. But I must admit to chuckle at Janeway's "there's coffee in that nebula!" I was pleasantly surprised by Neelix at first when he pointed out that they'll never get home if they stop to investigate every little thing, and calling them a bunch of idiots with a death wish. Too bad that didn't last long, as he appointed himself the ship's morale officer. How good can a morale officer you'd want to strangle, especially for being overtly cheerful, really be? I thought Chakotay taking Janeway on a vision trip to find her animal guide was somewhat embarrassing. Already he's tempered from being a decisive rebel leader into becoming Janeway's lapdog. A-koo-chee-moya, my indigenous ass, as I read in someone's signature line once. So I can only give a grade of 3+ to The Cloud. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 14 Aug 2013, 15:12 Post #4 |
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Vice Admiral
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1-07 Eye of the Needle While it was a bit early in Voyager's run to have this kind of we-may-be-able-to-get-home episode, Eye of the Needle works very well and packs a lot of emotional punch, even though the outcome is rather predictable. But the crew's reactions feel real and that is what sells the story. It was a foregone conclusion that they wouldn't be able to transport themselves through the wormhole, but it was rather clever to have the reason being that they would in doing so also be going 20 years back in time, something that would be out of the question. So close and yet so far away… I really liked the Romulan scientist, Telek (played by the always reliable Vaughn Armstrong). He showed sympathy for them and that not all Romulans are bad people. In fact he's a family man, something Janeway uses to persuade him to help them. A pity he wasn't able to even deliver their messages, seeing as he died four years before the launch of Voyager. The b-plot involving the Doctor was also good. Kes picked up on how dissatisfied he was at how he was treated by the crew members. He has already exceeded the narrow confines of his programming as an emergency medical hologram. He is becoming a real person and Kes convinces Janeway to do something to ease his situation. This is the start of one of the most interesting character developments on this show. So what if the EMH basically fulfils the role of the "stranger seeking humanity" that was previously held by the likes of Spock and Data. I like the Doctor, probably my favourite character on Voyager, and Robert Picardo does a great job playing him. Eye of the Needle is easily the best episode so far, and I give it a grade of 7 out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-08 Ex Post Facto This episode was really a yawner. Nothing original to see and it even fails as a run-of-the-mill murder mystery. That's because most good detective stories must allow for the viewer, if he's paying attention, to solve the crime along with the detective. Here, we're not privy to all the information that Detective Tuvok uses to exonerate Paris. I also cannot understand why the culprits would go to such elaborate lengths to pass on information to the enemy when there ought to have been a lot more easy alternatives that wouldn't hinge on a lot of coincidences and luck. And the less said about those stupid-looking alien headpieces the better. 2 is all I can muster up for Ex Post Facto. Posted Image Posted Image 1-09 Emanations The writers obviously tried to make a meaningful episode about what happens when we die, but they failed. It comes off as a statement in favour of the notion that there is no life after death, but somehow they don't go all the way. At least those aliens' beliefs are wrong since their bodies end up inside some asteroids. Also, Janeway (and by extension the writers) in the end mistakes the afterlife for something that might be proven physically, what with her revelation about some neural energy emissions from the bodies into the energy field surrounding the planet. I think most people who do believe in some kind of afterlife (myself included) don't think it is something that can be proven in a physical and scientific way. But it was interesting that the episode also dealt with voluntary euthanasia that in effect isn't so voluntary after all. I do think that if euthanasia would be made legal then we would indeed have to come to terms with the fact that there would eventually be enormous pressure on the sick, the disabled and old people to get themselves killed because of the perceived strain they put on family and society in terms of care and costs. I for one wouldn't want to live in such a horrid place. As for Emanations, I can give it no more than a grade of 2+. Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 15 Aug 2013, 15:33 Post #5 |
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1-10 Prime Factors Well, if this episode doesn't convince people that Janeway is unsuited for her position then I don't know what will. She rigidly adheres to some principle that, if broken, wouldn't really have harmed anyone, and would perhaps have made it possible for Voyager to get back home. Frankly she deserved the almost mutiny she got for not looking out for the interests of her crew. And then she scolds them afterwards! It's not a question whether she can trust people like Torres or Tuvok after this, but if the crew can trust her. But naturally they will because this is a weekly TV show, she's the Captain and it will all be forgotten by next episode anyway. I'm also amazed that the writers did another we-may-be-able-to-get-home episode so soon after Eye of the Needle, when it's obvious they won't when there are many more seasons left to go. So the attempt was doomed to fail for that reason alone, and accomplished with some convenient technobabble explanation. And those pleasure-seeking aliens quickly came off as egotistic and unsympathetic, with the exception of that girl Kim befriended. As for the magistrate guy, he set off creepy vibes from the start and I'm surprised Janeway was initially smitten by him. But then again, her judgement was really lacking in this episode. Given that the aliens have this amazing technology that can transport people tens of thousands of light-years and they are reluctant to share it, it's strange that no one has tried to take it by force. Given how open they are to visitors (and their stories) it wouldn't be much of a secret in this quadrant. Also, since they could allow people like Kim to travel to a planet 40,000 light years away, why wasn't the possibility of transporting the Voyager crew members that distance discussed, even if it meant leaving the ship behind? It might seem like I didn't care much for this episode, but I still think it was a good if not spectacular outing. It finally showed some serious conflict among the crew on a vital matter, and I really liked that Tuvok sided with the mutineers. After all, it was the only logical course of action. So I will give Prime Factors a middle grade of 5 out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-11 State of Flux There's been an embarrassing shortage of really good episodes thus far, so I was happy when State of Flux came around. Finally an episode that dealt with their specific Delta quadrant predicament, the return of a previously seen (although eventually disappointing) enemy and a mystery done right. I do like the Seska character but found the revelation that she's really a Cardassian in disguise somewhat disappointing since I think her reasoning wouldn't hinge on her being a member of an "evil" species. I made the whole thing too obvious. Still, it was rather cleverly done, with the story presenting enough clues for us to tag along but still feel uncertain. Her being alone in that cave where the Kazons also where was something of a Chekov's gun, but could easily have been a misdirection. And her explanations for having the wrong blood sounded perfectly legit, that is until the Doctor set things straight. But I do wonder how she was able to fake her identity for so long. Even the Maquis must try and keep medical records of their people. And no one on Voyager thought it odd that she hadn't been through a medical investigation once the Maquis became crewmembers. Martha Hackett gave a great and convincing performance as Seska. The character felt real even when she chillingly turned once the game was up. And please don't think me a bad person for thinking that she had a lot of valuable points. I actually find it hard to disagree with her about calling Janeway and Chakotay idiots for missing a lot of opportunities to get home, staring with destroying the Caretaker array. Even so, allying yourself, as she did, with the Kazon wasn't the brightest idea considering that the Kazon aren't that, well, bright. Seska was a complex personality and it's too bad that she will become more of your regular garden variety villain after this. And I laughed at this line to Tuvok from the gullible Chakotay: "You were working for her [Janeway], Seska was working for them [the Cardassians]. Was anyone on that ship working for me?" I give State of Flux a grade of 7+ out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-12 Heroes and Demons This is you standard holodeck malfunction™ episode, although technically it suffered from an alien intervention, and once again I wonder why they're still allowed on Federation vessels if they're so prone to accidents. And I admit I'm really tired of holodeck stories overall; they're a lazy excuse for the writers to conjure up some artificial drama. But the episode is somewhat saved by making the Doctor a hero in the tale of Beowulf and Grendel. He gets to shine a little bit and I always like Picardo's performance. He even gets a little holo-romance with Freya the shield maiden, played by Marjorie Monaghan, who would later be in consideration for the role of T'Pol on Enterprise. Again, the crew encounters some misunderstood energy alien life form, and it's one time too many. Alas, this if far from the last time this cliché happens. I admit a chuckled at this exchange: Tuvok: "I would point out there are no demons in Vulcan literature." Chakotay: "That might account for its popularity." I give Heroes and Demons a grade of 4-. The Doctor saves it from a 3. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 16 Aug 2013, 16:04 Post #6 |
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Vice Admiral
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1-13 Cathexis Poor Chakotay, for the second episode in a row he becomes disembodied. That would be a traumatic experience requiring life long therapy for anyone. I dunno, maybe his Indian spirituality helps him cope? Otherwise this is another take on the old alien possession™ motif and not in a particularly new or interesting way. It's both confusing and obvious. It's clear from early on that Tuvok is the possessed one and that the ghost of Chakotay is also running around the ship. And we have yet another alien energy being, although this time it's not so misunderstood. And what was the point of Janeway's Gothic holo-novel in the teaser? It has no bearing on the events of the episode and is ultimately pointless. For this pedestrian outing I only give a grade of 3 out of 10. By the way, Cathexis means "occupation" in old Greek, and that is the most clever part of this episode. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-14 Faces Well, Janeway's stern warning to the Vidiians didn't help, not that I'm surprised! Despite the ravagings of the Phage there is little sympathy one can have for them when they do things like this. But I maintain that they are indeed one of the more interesting new species this quadrant. Roxann Dawson is the one who really gets to shine in this episode, playing both a human and a Klingon version of B'Elanna. It is reminiscent of how Kirk was split in one good and one evil half in the original series The Enemy Within. Like Kirk she comes to the realisation that she needs both halves, even if they're constantly warring within her. Her human side is focused and analytical but also weak and afraid. Her Klingon side is the strong and active one. Neither can survive without the other. One of the most chilling moments in all of Voyager comes when the Vidiian scientist returns to the bound up Klingon-B'Elanna wearing the recently grafted face of Lt. Durst. Now we know why Durst got a somewhat prominent role in both this episode and in the previous one. He was set up so he wouldn't be just another redshirt, but a real character we got to know a little bit about, thus making his ghastly fate even more horrifying. And is it just me or did we see the groundwork being laid out for the future Paris/Torres relationship? He was really quite sweet and protective towards human B'Elanna and before this episode we hadn't seen them interacting much at all. I have to admit to rooting for this couple. Not like I do for Trip and T'Pol on Enterprise, but still… It was a foregone conclusion that B'Elanna would end up with both her halves, but I thought the solution was much too easy, just some DNA grafting by the Doctor. Even for 24th century medicine that sounds unbelievably simple. A big loose end I wanted an answer to is what happened to the other prisoners, especially the friendly Talaxian, and the Vidiians. Voyager didn't just leave once they recovered B'Elanna and Tom, did they? I might be going out on a limb here when I give Faces the highest grade yet for a Voyager episode, an 8- out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 18 Aug 2013, 09:20 Post #7 |
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Vice Admiral
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1-15 Jetrel This was another surprisingly good outing for Voyager, trying to replicate some of the emotion of the excellent Duet from Deep Space Nine. It doesn’t succeed all the way though, in no small measure because they made Neelix the main character. Given that he's been the annoying comic relief up until now, it is a bit hard to take him seriously as this troubled war veteran, even if it does give him some welcome depth. The parallels between the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the metreon cascade on the Talaxian moon, and between Robert Oppenheimer and Jetrel, are almost all too obvious, and quite deliberate by the writers, but they work here. Some of Jetrel's utterings comes directly from Dr. Oppenheimer (like "brighter than a thousand suns"). Jetrel is ultimately a tragic character, about to die from metreon poisoning and trying to overcome his guilt by trying (and failing) to restore his victims from the metreon clouds around the Talaxian moon. And Neelix has to come to terms with the fact that he survived the war by running away from it. Jetrel gets a grade of 7+ from me. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 1-16 Learning Curve This must be one of the weakest season finales on Star Trek since Shades of Gray in the second season of The Next Generation, although Learning Curve isn't nearly as bad as that one was. But as a hook to entice viewers to come back it utterly fails. I should note that this first season has been a shorted one since the pilot aired mid-season in January 1995, thus only encompassing 15 episodes instead of the regular 26. In some markets another four episodes from the second season where added to the first, making The 37's the finale. Anyway, this episode is also the final episode where there is some Starfleet/Maquis tension. After this that whole premise for the show is more or less gone, which is a real shame. I would think that tensions would rise the longer they remained stranded in the Delta quadrant, probably with some Starfleet personnel also getting tired of Janeway way of doing things, but no… Even the rebellious Maquis in this episode are rather weak. Their insubordination is wholly mundane and not very serious. And they put rigid Tuvok in charge of disciplining them like raw cadets, running laps and cleaning with the equivalent of toothbrushes. I'm sorry but it should be obvious you can't treat grown men like that and except good results. And it was fairly predictable that some external threat would make them all come around and bond, including Tuvok. As for the b-plot I found that one completely ridiculous. Fermenting cheese infects the gel-pack circuitry! Come on! And has there been any cheesier line (pardon the pun) on Voyager than Torres: "Get the cheese to sickbay"? Finally, the teaser once again depicts a scene from Janeway's Gothic holo-novel that has no bearing whatsoever to the rest of the story. The first season of Voyager thus ends on a real low note as I give Learning Curve a mere grade of 1+ on my 10-graded scale. Posted Image |
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| sipovic | 18 Aug 2013, 14:05 Post #8 |
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Oh my, dude! I just saw that you started your reviews. You're in for a ride) Just got a flashback 5 years ago when I reviewed this crap :puke: Edited by sipovic, 18 Aug 2013, 14:06.
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 18 Aug 2013, 14:39 Post #9 |
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Vice Admiral
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Heh! :lol: Well, you hadn't seen any of it before. I actually have even if it was many years ago. Thus far it's better than TNG was. |
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| sipovic | 19 Aug 2013, 06:23 Post #10 |
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B
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At least this time I can say something about the topic, not like it was with DS9 |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 19 Aug 2013, 13:08 Post #11 |
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Season one overview It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that I found the first season of Voyager a big disappointment. In fact I found the entire series a big disappointment. No, the big surprise here is that the first season was actually better than I remembered it, at least when I tally up the grades (a 4.40 average). The Next Generation's first season was much, much worse (2.78), and it was on par with the first season of Deep Space Nine (4.82). It is still a below average grade of 4+ though. My main beef is that the showrunners never allowed for the show's premise to work. We have a ship and crew cut away from home and everything still feels like they could run into Picard and the Enterprise next week. They pay lip service to shortages but it doesn't really show, apart from having Neelix as a cook so there won't be a strain on the replicators. Everything still looks nice and tidy. And the inherent conflict between Starfleet and Maquis personnel is soon forgotten, so what was even the point of having it in the first place when you don't dare to do something interesting about it? Most stories could also just as readily have taken place on any other Trek show. They even keep overusing the holodeck! And the technobabble… God, the technobabble! I think Voyager is the show that takes it to the extreme. The characters are generally not very interesting. Either they're too annoying or crazy but often they're just boring. In that I'm reminded of The Next Generation. I will make no secret of the fact that I really don't like Kathryn Janeway, which is a shame considering she's the first female Captain on a Trek show. But she annoyed me to no end, starting with her mannerisms but most of all how inconsistent she was. Some Trek fans have resorted to calling her Insaneway and I'm bound to agree. She often makes rash and stupid decisions on a personal whim and she, and her crew, are often saved by virtue of blind luck, or just for plot reasons. And it starts already in the pilot episode. Chakotay is another letdown. In the first couple of episodes he is more independent and resourceful, standing up for his Maquis compatriots, but he quickly turn into Janeway's lapdog and yes-man. After that he more or less a non-entity with some spiritual Indian characteristics tacked on much like his face tattoo. Tom Paris was also an interesting character at first, with his chequered past and the resentment he initially got from Starfleet and Maquis both. But that was soon forgotten as well. He struck up a nice friendship with Harry Kim though, even if Kim wasn't (and won't be) a very interesting character. I like Vulcan and Vulcans but Tuvok bores me. He is and always will be a stoic stiff. Trek has had interesting Vulcans before, but alas Tuvok isn't one of them. He's just too one note for that. But I have to admit having a soft spot for B'Elanna Torres, clichéd as her character is with amalgamating a feisty Latin and Klingon persona. And for some reason I find Roxann Dawson more attractive with her Klingon forehead than without. One character I do like is the holographic Doctor, with his grumpy personality. Heh, maybe because I can relate? He is probably my favourite character on Voyager. Neelix, however, is not. He's the Jar-Jar Binks of this show, perpetually annoying in almost all the things he does. Or considering he pre-dates the Star Wars prequels, one could say Jar-Jar was the Neelix of the Star Wars prequels. And don't get me started on the inherent creepiness of his relationship with the very much younger Kes. I get the plot reasons for them to have a native guide, but why someone like Neelix? Kes, while cute, doesn't stick out much as a character. She occasionally makes herself useful when she's interacting with the Doctor. I do like the look of the ship, an Intrepid-class vessel, especially the exterior. The interior is still a bit like hotel lounge, but at least I don't get the luxury liner feel I did from the Enterprise-D. I also think Voyager has the best intro of any of the Trek series. Great theme and visuals. |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 20 Aug 2013, 14:32 Post #12 |
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2-01 The 37's This episode was originally intended to be the season one finale, and it shows. It would have worked a lot better that way, and even as a cliffhanger in a two-parter that some of the writers wanted. It certainly would have benefited from that by exploring the theme of remaining. It's still a pretty decent episodes but it has some striking flaws. Having the crew meeting female flight pioneer Amelia Earhart and a bunch of others abducted 400 years ago was a fun, if hokey, idea. Too bad the surprise was ruined by having the opening credits state "Sharon Lawrence as Amelia Earhart". And once we meet her nothing much is made of it besides having her admirer Kathryn Janeway fawn over her. Ever since the beginning of this show I've wondered why all of the crew so readily accepted to tag along for the long ride home. Wouldn't at least a sizeable portion of them want to settle down on some nice planet and making a new life for themselves instead of following the crazy captain on an odyssey that likely would end up with them getting killed? That was never really explored until this episode, but it was so toned down. And in the end no one, not even one, showed up in that cargo bay with their bags packed. Frankly I find that unbelievable, especially considering that Janeway has acted in a manner not exactly boosting my confidence in her. And while the sequence of having Voyager actually land on the planet was cool, I wish they'd used the budget for showing us these three marvelous cities instead. There is no resonance for the thought of the crew, or at least some of the crew, to actually stay behind with this human civilisation if the only thing we get to see of it is a handful of people. There wasn't even any plot point to have them land. There was some contrived technobabble reason given, but despite how harmful the atmosphere might have been to shuttles and transporters, the crew could walk around unprotected in broad daylight. Also, the premise was preposterous. Why on Earth (pun intended) would some aliens from across the galaxy travel to Earth in 1937 and abduct a few hundred people to use as slaves? Weren't there any populated planets located nearby? Even so, I thought The 37's was an entertaining episode and I give it an average grade of 5+ out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-02 Initiations A-koo-chee-moya, an episode centred on Chakotay and the Kazons, what can go wrong? I'd rather say what could go right? Not much as it turns out in this dull story about a sullen Kazon teen (played by Aron Eisenberg, better known as Nog on Deep Space Nine) trying, and failing, to earn his stripes, or name as it happens. The plot is pedestrian and all too predictable. The Kazons prove once again that they are poor substitutes for Klingons. Apparently they could be worse as executive producer Michael Piller forced through a rewrite because they were so underwhelming. The Kazons were supposedly modelled after L.A. gangs. They tried to play up Chakotay's Indian heritage but I just found it awkward. Given his background as a Maquis, freedom fighter and/or (take your pick) terrorist, he could be on of the most interesting members of the crew, but instead he's just so damn bland and boring. He's even worse when around Janeway. And has there been a more embarrassing line of words than "a-koo-chee-moya"? Chakotay is also a hypocrite when he talks to the Kazon boy about all the benefits of the Federation and how proud he is of the Starfleet uniform he had to earn. Ehum, didn't he just throw all that aside when he became a Maquis? Fun fact: This is the first time that one of Voyager's apparently endless supplies of shuttles gets destroyed. Thus I award Initiations with a grade of one shuttle, I mean a grade of 1+. Posted Image 2-03 Projections Once again we have an episode dealing with a holodeck malfunction™ although that's not clear at first. I'm pretty tired of those stories but this one is better than most, probably because it is more a story about the Doctor and his existential dilemma. Here he's lead to believe that he is actually human and that Voyager and her crew are just simulations. However, it feels too dragged out and we had the simulation within the simulation, like a Russian nesting doll, and pretty soon you got lost. And since we know that the Doctor is in fact a hologram, the only suspense was in what way that would be revealed. I did like the presence of Lt. Barclay, even if that was just another hologram. But I already liked Barclay back when he was on The Next Generation. I suppose I can give Projections a grade of 4 though. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 21 Aug 2013, 15:42 Post #13 |
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Vice Admiral
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2-04 Elogium Dear Lord, this episode was awful. Kes goes into premature pon farr… I mean "elogium" and must mate. Although she won't die if she doesn't, she won't have another chance of getting pregnant again. Cue angst from both Neelix and Kes at the thought of becoming parents. I really don't get their relationship at all, which feels creepy to me, so it was impossible to get invested in their dilemma. Ocampan biology makes absolutely no evolutionary sense. They only live for nine years and can only conceive once. That's taking a huge risk. How can they even remain a species when there must be at least two offspring per couple just to keep the same population numbers? Also, I have a hard time finding a more off-putting manifestation of fertility than this elogium Kes goes through. For the b-plot we get yet another space-dwelling creature threatening the ship. Been there, done that, notably on The Next Generation episode Galaxy's Child. For some reason there seems to be a huge concentration of various space-living organisms, both energy and more corporeal, in the Delta quadrant. And of course the episode ends with the revelation that a previously unseen Ensign is pregnant. Elogium has the distinction of being the first episode of Voyager to rate a zero, no grade at all. The worst of the show so far. (-) 2-05 Non Sequitur Harry Kim isn't enough of an interesting character for me to care about what happens to him when he suddenly finds himself in an alternate reality™ where he never made it to Voyager. I'm generally weary of alternate realities if only for the inevitable reset button™. At least Harry will remember what happened afterwards. The reason for him being on Earth is wholly contrived and he eventually gets served a solution by a monitoring alien masquerading as a coffee shop owner. From there on Harry just goes through the necessary technobabbling moves, with a little help from Alternate Tom Paris, to get back. The premise of "what would you do if you had the chance of a better life, but at the expense of your friends" isn't developed much. Kim is just too nice of a guy to be tempted even if he gets to marry his hot girlfriend. But since there was a total lack of chemistry between them, I should perhaps not be surprised. The best part of the episode was the interactions between Harry and a drunken, washed out loser version of Tom Paris. I admit I was a bit amused by this conversation between Libby and Harry: "Where are you going?"; "Marseilles, France."; "What for?"; "I've got to see Paris."; "But you just said you were going to Marseilles." But then I'm a sucker for bad word puns. Non Sequitur receives a grade of 3- from me. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-06 Twisted I know that Twisted isn't a particularly good episode, but for some reason I have a soft spot for it. That stems mostly from the bizarre things where rooms, corridors and even floors become re-arranged in what appears to be random fashions. Sort of like the staircases at Hogwarts. Too bad it doesn't make any sense once we learn what's going on. The changes are just too clean and clear cut, and for a ship getting this twisted it defies belief that it would remain structurally intact. The re-arrangements also don't match the schematics of the twisted ship we see. After a while the episode starts to drag as various characters just walk around aimlessly in the maze the ship has become. Apparently the episode came many minutes too short and they had to add all this filler that slowed down the pace. There were some nice character moments, especially when Chakotay and Tuvok clashed, but nothing extraordinary. However, they ought to get rid of Neelix's jealousy as soon as possible. It makes him even more unbearable than he already is. The ending was also a let down. Exhausting all alternatives they just decide to do nothing and let the contraction take its course. That very inaction goes against most concepts of storytelling where you have to have active characters affecting their own situation. It reminded me of some of the more disappointing aspects of Space: 1999, a show I otherwise have fond and nostalgic memories of. But since this is one of my guilty pleasures I give Twisted a generous grade of 4- out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Edited by Kevin Thomas Riley, 26 Aug 2013, 14:23.
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 22 Aug 2013, 14:31 Post #14 |
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Vice Admiral
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2-07 Parturition The best part of Parturition was that it dealt a final blow to the stupid jealousy/love triangle between Neelix, Kes and Tom Paris. Apparently this was also the main reason for it being produced as even the showrunners by this time had realized that they'd taken that storyline too far. I'm just sorry that before they all got to be friends and make up, we were still treated to yet even more juvenile Voyager 90210 shenanigans. I never understood it. First of all the whole Neelix/Kes thing is weird and a little creepy, and second of all I saw nothing that really sold me on Tom/Kes either. Kes just isn't a very interesting character, even if she is cute. The framing story was mundane and obvious with Neelix and Paris having to work together to save themselves - and a reptilian baby no less. And a third shuttle goes down and we're not even a third into this season yet. Voyager must have a gigantic shuttle bay! But I laughed a bit at this sarcastic reply from the Doctor to Kes: "On my homeworld, it's so much simpler. You choose a mate for life; there's no distrust, no jealousy, no envy, no betrayal...", "Hm. Your homeworld must have very dry literature." I'll give a 2- grade to Parturition and it really should've been a 1 but I'm so grateful that they now killed off Neelix's jealousy. Posted Image Posted Image 2-08 Persistence of Vision There wasn't enough meat in this story to justify a full hour (or rather 46 minutes). First we have what appears to be Janeway going bonkers, hallucinating things, and then everyone else does except the Doctor. And it was all caused by some asshole alien just because he could. The hallucinations just dragged on and were mostly uninteresting. They didn't reveal much about the characters that couldn't have been done in a much better way, like Tom Paris getting no respect from his father the Admiral. And out of left field we have B'Elanna apparently harbouring hidden feelings for Chakotay. Ugh! Thankfully this is the last we see of that terrible Gothic holo-novel Janeway like to play, and despite the holo-characters appearing out of the holodeck (in her hallucinations) they weren't more intriguing. The best part of the episode was that for once Kes is the one who saves the day. I'll give Persistence of Vision a grade of 2- out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image 2-09 Tattoo What is the chance that a human from a very obscure Indian tribe accidentally stranded at the other side of the galaxy would run into aliens who happened to be the ancestors of aliens that a long time ago visited his tribe? It ought to be pretty much non-existent, but fiction (and science fiction) is shock full of such coincidences. We've even seen similar stories before, like in The 37's. Even the original series had Indians in The Paradise Syndrome. But enough already with this cliché! Tattoo was supposed to reveal a lot about the Chakotay character. Unfortunately it isn't very good. It turns out his Indian-ness isn't as deep as we've been lead to believe. He only turned to it after his father died and seems to not know much about it at all, despite having adorned the signature tattoo of his made-up tribe. I liked the b-plot with the Doctor giving himself a man cold to be better able to understand the sufferings of his patients. This is the third episode in a row I give the grade of 2- to. The show better pick up now! Posted Image Posted Image |
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| sipovic | 23 Aug 2013, 07:50 Post #15 |
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I've compared you reviews to mine which I did few years ago. Must say we pretty much on the same page), although I usually reacted more violently to episodes where Janaway did something stupid (which is almost every episode). And I really hate "the 37's" ! And unfortunately the closest GOOD episode would be in season 4, so hang on there) |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 23 Aug 2013, 15:58 Post #16 |
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Vice Admiral
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^ Well, I am frustratingly waiting for when they get to Borg space and meet 7of9. That's in season four, right? ***** 2-10 Cold Fire Well, this is a lot better. Nothing mind-blowing (so to speak) but still an improvement of the latest disappointments. We learned about another Caretaker being out there in the pilot and finally we get to meet her. However, it was obviously clear from the start that it wouldn't mean that Voyager would be sent home. In fact, given how carelessly the first Caretaker treated them I'm surprised that they so willingly went ahead to meet her, even if Tuvok designed a precaution. I actually thought meeting some other Ocampans were more interesting and it's a pity we never got to see more than Tanis, played by Gary Graham, who is better known as Soval from Enterprise, and one or two others. Graham was considered for the role of Captain on both Deep Space Nine and Voyager, before the producers decided on a black and a female, respectively, for those parts. He has an undeniable charisma and a Trek show with him at the helm would have been quite interesting. Given that Kes seriously considered going to stay with them it was odd that she never insisted on going to see what it was like on the array. But I liked her being tempted by the dark side - burning Tuvok was really horrifying - and one has to wonder what will happen to her psionic powers. They were of course diminished once they got away but will they resurface. Also, are all Ocampa like this or is she (and Tanis's people) special? I don't recall anything about the Ocampa from the pilot being anything like this. The ending was a little rushed and it all hinged on blind luck. Janeway showed Trekkian mercy on the female caretaker Suspiria, who then just left. That's an unforgivable gamble with the future of her ship and crew at the stake, especially given how malevolent Suspiria has proven herself to be. At any rate, I think this was a fairly good episode and I give Cold Fire a grade of 6 on my 10-graded scale. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-11 Maneuvers Maneuvers is another decent outing of Voyager, showing a lot intriguing maneuvers from both the Kazon/Seska and the Voyager, notably Chakotay. While the first officer's decision to go rogue and try and fix the mess he feels responsible for doesn't work out like he intended, it was still ballsy and I think a testament to his Maquis background. We see too little of these things that ought to separate them from the regular Starfleet crew. But his actions did put Voyager at greater risk because obviously they wouldn't just leave him alone despite him telling them they should. So they go after him and save his bacon. The ending was disappointing in that him acting wilfully didn't have any consequences, but is allowed to keep his job even though someone like Tuvok would be better to trust in the first officer position after this. Janeway's tepid reaction was apparently a decision by the powers-that-be. It was nice seeing Seska again. She's delightfully devious and threads a fine line with the very male-dominated Kazons (have we ever seen a female Kazon?) and Maje Culluh. Perhaps she really bet on the wrong horse here. Actress Martha Hackett was notably bigger in his episode and while she revealed to Chakotay - and the entire bride crew - that she had impregnated herself with his DNA, it was really a coincidence that she and her character was pregnant. Another bad judgement call that Janeway made was not demanding that the Kazons handed over Seska together with Chakotay. They had all the Majes in custody after all, and they were in no position to refuse had they been given the demand. I'll give Maneuvers a grade of 7 out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-12 Resistance I suppose Resistance was supposed to be a gripping drama about how terrible it is to live in a dictatorship, with the guest-alien a man who's gone mad with grief and regret over the death of his family. But somehow it doesn't grab me and I was mostly irritated at the poor old delusional man and how he got in the way. Equally frustrating was the obnoxious official who was just toying with Voyager and they should have realised that from the start. Instead everything was dragged out to fill the hour. I did like the scenes with imprisoned Torres and Tuvok though, and how they talked about survival strategies and the effects of torture on a Vulcan. Tuvok told her that she had the wrong idea about how Vulcans cope; they just cannot shut things down so they do suffer. We even hear him scream in the background at one time. The episode played out as predictable as you can guess, with an all too easy jailbreak and of course the inevitable sacrifice by the damaged old man so he could finally be redeemed. Resistance gets a grade of 3+ from me. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 26 Aug 2013, 14:22 Post #17 |
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Vice Admiral
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2-13 Prototype When you introduce robots in science fiction, what usually makes or breaks a story is their appearance. Unfortunately for Prototype, their extremely simple and corny look breaks it. They look like guys in suits with some cheap masks spray-painted with silver, more at home on a Captain Proton holo-novel than on a modern Trek show. It was impossible to treat them seriously. Too bad that this had to be a B'Elanna centred story, since I rather like her and think she deserves better material. She's an accomplished engineer and her scientific curiosity is rather infectious, but she's also saddled with way too much technobabble. It turns out these robots are the Cylons of the Delta quadrant, having annihilated their makers and now intent on procreation and warring each other. That last bit was a nice twist but it doesn't save the episode. I will give Prototype a grade of 2 out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image 2-14 Alliances I was pleasantly surprised with this episode that finally dealt with an issue Voyager should have dealt with long ago. Alas, it too little too late and that is why the attempt at building an alliance failed. For this we have the strictly rule-bound Janeway to thank for. There is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with building alliances, especially when you're in such a serious predicament as Voyager is. The Kazon may not be ideal partners, but they (or at least some of them) might have been at an earlier stage, before Voyager got a bad reputation I the quadrant. Here the Trabe might have worked better, especially since it was obvious the Kazons weren't ready. But Janeway throws a hissy-fit after the Trabe ambush at the "peace" conference, very reminiscent of The Godfather Part III, and that was that. OK, I get that she was angry at their deceit but can she really afford to be? Sometimes you just can't pick and choose and have to settle for the lesser or two evils. But in the end she feels she has to lecture the command staff about the benefits of federation principles, but no one looks really convinced. Janeway acted very inconsistent in this episode. First she defended her splendid isolation argument, even flatly stating she'd rather destroy the ship (at a crewman's memorial service with scared and grieving friends and colleagues no less) only to do a 180 degree turn and seek alliances. Then she dissed Maje Culluh because of his sexism, torpedoing that, but still going ahead with a conference. She shouldn't lecture anyone! Still, I liked the political maneuverings and found the Kazon/Trabe background story fascinating. Even if I don't like the Kazons it does explain why they behave like they do. But it is hard to feel sympathy for them. Even if an alliance with the Trabe would have been beneficial, one has to wonder what kind of actual firepower they could contribute with. Their firing through the conference window was wholly inadequate. Most Majes survived. Don't they have torpedoes or something that could have flattened the building (once the Trabe governor had beamed away)? Finally, I don't think they ever recovered the shuttle Neelix used, and therefore they lost a fourth shuttle. Alliances gets a grade of 7+ on my 10-graded scale. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-15 Threshold Oh my, I don't know where to begin. Threshold is arguably the worst episode of Voyager, possibly of the entire franchise. What was Brannon Braga smoking when he came up with it? But I have to admit that sometimes it's so ridiculous that it's funny, in a sad and twisted sort of way. Tom Paris travels at ludicrous speed and mutates into a lizard that has lizard babies with the also mutated Janeway! Wrap your head around that one! There isn't much point in naming all the abject stupidities in the episode, but let me mention a few. First, you cannot break the warp 10 threshold. It's mathematically impossible. In Trek warp 10 is an asymptote on the warp scale, you can never reach it. You can come as close as you can to infinity at warp 9.99999...etc. but not 10. Also, it defies belief that this revolutionary breakthrough could be accomplished by some younger officers in their spare time, stranded on a ship with dwindling resources, when no one else has before. Paris, Torres and Kim are good, no doubt, but come on! And once again Trek makes a mockery of the concept of evolution. Evolution is just a way species adapt to changing circumstances. It cannot be predicted by looking into the DNA, much less be speeded up by travelling at infinite speeds. Only after the fact can you theorise about what happened. Besides, Paris and Janeway didn't as much evolve as they devolved, which in a way sums up what happened to Voyager in this episode. The cure was one of Trek's more unbelievable insta-fixes™. Just shower them with a hefty dose of antimatter and, voilà, lizards no more. If it's that easy, then why don't they all travel at warp 10, get home, and then just dose everyone with anti-protons? But wisely the showrunners decided to just ignore the implications of this episode, as it has been more or less excised from canon. I'll stop here and just say that Threshold doesn't deserve a grade at all. It gets a big fat zero. It's even worse than Elogium, which got the other zero, so I suppose I could say that that episode was a 0+, or 0.33. (-) |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 27 Aug 2013, 15:15 Post #18 |
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Vice Admiral
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2-16 Meld Brad Dourif totally steals the show in Meld as the calm and collected psychopath Lon Suder, who committed a random act of murder of a crewmember just because he didn't like the way he looked at him. Never have we seen a character like this on Trek before and that is very appealing to me. Naturally he's not a human since humans in the 24th century are "evolved", so he's made a Betazoid. But that really works better not just because of those creepy black eyes, but who other than a telepathic Betazoid could influence a Vulcan the way he does. Every Trek show that has Vulcans must inevitably have at least one episode that deals with them losing their emotional suppression. Spock did, Sarek did, T'Pol did and this is Tuvok's turn. Even though he's my least favourite Vulcan I thought Tim Russ did an excellent job here. Finally we got to see some depth to his otherwise boring stoic stiff. I found it fascinating to have an episode that dealt with aspects of seemingly mindless violence and the workings of an intelligent but extremely disturbed mind. They glossed over the discussion about the death penalty, and maybe that was wise. However what should they do with a violent criminal when the trip home takes 70 odd years? They can't just dump him off lest he'd go on a killing spree in the Delta quadrant so they have to lock him up indefinitely, and allow him to be a drain on their limited resources. As it happens, it turns out they lucked out on that one (see Basics, Part I and II). While Tuvok strangling holo-Neelix was disturbing I can't help feeling gratified in a macabre sort of way. Come on, I dare any viewer who didn't want to strangle Neelix at one point of another! The b-plot about a more rebellious Tom Paris running a betting pool on the holodeck would've been unforgettable if it wasn't part of a set up for later developments. I'll go out on a limb and give Meld a grade of 8- out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-17 Dreadnought This is the third episode centred on B'Elanna Torres and I certainly don't mind. Oddly enough she once again gets to confront herself (the first was in Faces), this time in the form of the intelligent missile she once programmed with her own voice as a Maquis. It was funny watching her trying to essentially outwit herself, even if it got repetitive after a while. The episode isn't remarkable but fairly average. The plot reminded me of other Trek episodes, especially The Ultimate Computer from the original series, but also of HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. If the writers had any guts they would've allowed for that alien planet to be destroyed by the Dreadnought, but this is modern Trek and they don't do that. But imagine the dramatic possibilities if they all had to live with consequences of that, especially Torres. B'Elanna also had a nice moment with Tom when they talked about his rebellious behaviour. There is chemistry there. As for Tom Paris, this is obvious a set up for a later pay off, as the previous instances where he behaved strange. For a new viewer it must seem confusing. So I'll give an average grade of 5 out of 10 for Dreadnought. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-18 Death Wish Although John de Lancie is a great actor, I've never liked his character of Q. He's usually a big annoyance whenever he shows up. Sisko punched him in the face when he showed up on Deep Space Nine, but Janeway is more polite. However this is the first time I can recall a Q episode that's actually pretty decent and, dare I say, interesting. Of course it's not without the usual trickster shenanigans, but for once the Q continuum and its inhabitants are treated as more than obnoxious persons with God-like powers. The episode deals with Quinn (as he eventually will be called), a member of the continuum, who wants to commit suicide. He's tired of the immortal life and feels, rightly, that the Q continuum has stagnated. The story deals less with the moral dilemma of suicide, assisted or otherwise, than with the implications of immortality. And that's a wise choice in my mind. It raises interesting philosophical questions. Do we really want to live forever if we think really hard about it? And what would happen to a society of immortals? The visualisation, for the benefit of Janeway and Tuvok, of the Q continuum as a desert road and a worn down house with silent, bored people is quite clever and gets the point home. They have literally all been there and none that, and nothing is left. Death Wish gives needed depth to both Q and the continuum. Even Q is taken by Quinn's argument, probably because he himself has been something of a rebel before (getting cast out of the continuum on The Next Generation episode Dejà Q). I just wish they'd stayed away from the cameo appearance of Riker, Sir Isaac Newton and some hippie that served no real purpose. The main problem with having Q on Voyager (and he will return) is that he so easily could send them home, but mustn't lest the show would be over. This is already apparent in this episode when he shows Earth outside the window in the ready room. The reasons for him not helping them (besides being a prick) will become more contrived for each appearance. I'll give a grade of 6 out of 10 to Death Wish. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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| sipovic | 28 Aug 2013, 10:27 Post #19 |
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Oh my god, I hate "Threshold". It was really season 1 TNG - level embarrassment, but this season grants you 2 even worse (and possibly 2 my most hated VOY episodes ever) episodes - 24 "Tuvix" and 25 "Resolutions", so be prepared. I actually enjoyed "Meld" until "mind meld goes bad", they ruined it after that. But after something awful like "threshold" it really feels great) |
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| Kevin Thomas Riley | 28 Aug 2013, 15:12 Post #20 |
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Vice Admiral
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2-19 Lifesigns Normally I'm not a fan of romance-of-the-week™ stories but Lifesigns is an exception. It's a delightful and moving little tale about how the Doctor found love. The problem is that the lady in question is a disease-riddled Vidiian and it's clear from the start that this will only be a romantic interlude no matter what happens to her. The concept of having a patient's consciousness transferred to a holo-program was novel, although it was accomplished with surprising ease. But then again they can make holographic lungs, so who am I to argue. Robert Picardo manages to avoid what could easily have become embarrassing and awkward and instead I found it all very sweet. And Denara Pel is a lovely lady but, as the story shows us, her beauty isn't just holo-skin-deep. In fact physically her real self has the Phage but that doesn't matter to the Doctor. The episode also managed to elicit sympathy for the Vidiians. Not everyone is like the Vidiians from Faces. They continue with the Rebellious Paris/Treacherous Jonas subplot. I know the payoff but this is really the limit on how far they can stretch out that storyline. Lifesigns receives a grade of 7- from me. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-20 Investigations Finally the minor story arc with Paris and the traitor gets resolved. While it was entertaining I cannot help but feel both a little disappointed and underwhelmed. It's much too tidy and it lacks proper suspense. We all know that Jonas is the traitor after all. The plot orchestrated by Janeway and Tuvok to flush out the traitor hinges on a lot of convenient coincidences that frankly defies belief. How could they be so certain that the Kazons would take the bait, i.e. Paris, as soon as he left the ship? And of course Seska left him in a control room with access to the computer instead of locking him up in a cell, which would've been more prudent. Paris even manages to escape and steal a shuttlecraft. Neelix as an investigative reporter, with a daily TV show, was surprisingly tolerable, but a bit overdone. I did like his fight with Jonas though, that conveniently killed the traitor. I never knew Neelix had that in him. But what does it say about Tuvok's security that Neelix was the one who was able to crack the case in just an episode when Tuvok had been trying for weeks, if not months. Still, for sheer entertainment value, I'll give Investigations a grade of 4+ out of 10. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image 2-21 Deadlock Despite my oft stated misgivings about reset button™ episodes, I quite enjoyed Deadlock. But then again, it's really not a proper reset. Sure both Kim and the Wildman baby remains alive, but they way they did that was pretty clever I thought - the only survivors from the duplicate Voyager! In fact the plot with the two Voyagers was well done, and the episode went along in a frisk pace. My only real complaint is the staggering amount of technobabble to explain why this happened and how the different solutions would work. I was surprised that it was the most badly hurt Voyager that survived, while the other one was so overrun by organ-stealing Vidiians that that Janeway had to initiate the self-destruct. Unfortunately, despite all the damage the surviving ship got, Tuvok even had a run down list with all the beatings they'd taken that surely must have called for a trip to a drydock, it will promptly and inexplicably be repaired by the next episode. This is one of my main complaints about Voyager; the showrunners never bother to treat severe conditions while being lost 70,000 light-years from home seriously. So how are we as viewers going to take the show seriously? I'll give Deadlock a grade of 6 on my 10-graded scale. Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image |
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7:37 AM Jul 11