The Good: Excellent character story, Good acting
The Bad: Plot is a little weak
The Basics: When Chakotay finds evidence of Indians in the Delta Quadrant, he recalls time spent with his father that might lead him to their location.
Before Star Trek: Voyager began, there was a lot of good buzz about the show. It would feature a female captain, a full Vulcan (who just happened to be black), a human/Klingon hybrid, a holographic character and two aliens we'd never seen before. Added to the mix was going to be a Native American Indian and that was an ethnicity not often featured in the Star Trek franchise. Chakotay, the Indian first officer, who was a Maquis freedom fighter, was one of the first characters whose concept was buried following the pilot episode. Like Tom Paris's rogue nature, the intrigue of having a full-blooded Vulcan, the Native American Maquis just was washed over by much more interesting characters or characters that had someplace to go. Chakotay, with the episode "Tattoo," is illustrated fairly consistently to be equivalent of Star Trek: Voyager's Geordi; a character whose best moment is in the initial concept.
The U.S.S. Voyager is in search of a material to help the warp coils last longer when it finds markings at an abandoned alien encampment. The markings resemble markings from Chakotay's tribe and when a warp signature is detected near the planet, the crew of Voyager opts to follow. The trail leads them to a planet with structures similar to Native American huts, but made of technologically sophisticated materials. Chakotay, remembering life with his father, soon believes he may be in a place to make a discovery of tremendous proportions.
"Tattoo" is one of the less derivative episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and that makes it a stronger general episode. Like Star Trek's "The Paradise Syndrome" (reviewed here!), it explores the idea of Native American Indians being influenced by alien races. Here, there are similarities to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Chase" (reviewed here!) in that the idea that Chakotay's tribe was directly "tweaked" at the genetic level by powerful aliens generates much of the story.
What is unsatisfying about "Tattoo" is that it feels like a long way to go for so simple an idea. Chakotay has spiritual revelation is pretty much the plot and the story is treated in a somewhat plot intensive way as opposed to genuinely exploring the character elements. The flashbacks serve to inform the character only with specific plot knowledge that allow Chakotay to survive and contact the aliens he is waiting for. In this regard, the episode is somewhat lagging and the resolution seems both obvious and forced. "Tattoo" holds up poorly over multiple viewings.
What is done right with this episode is everything else. Chakotay becomes a character that is more than just "Generic Native American Officer." Chakotay has a backstory that is accessed and this is one of the rare occasions in the Star Trek franchise where the viewer sees a character with their parents. It's actually refreshing to see Chakotay up and doing things other than saying "yes, ma'am."
But more than that, Chakotay becomes characterized as a character with a spiritual side and a spiritual history, also something the Star Trek franchise is not too strong on. Chakotay's spiritual side has been developing since the first season when he described the spirit guide concept to Captain Janeway, was paid a lip service to in "Initiations" (reviewed here!) and here is given the chance to flourish some.
When the plot is not overbearing, this becomes a good character study of a man who is finding his path through a situation where he has been somewhat lost spiritually as well as physically. Chakotay uses his curiosity and strength to guide him and it's nice to see him motivated.
What sells much of the episode is the performance of actor Robert Beltran. Beltran has been relegated to the background for much of the second season and here with a fairly decent script, he illustrates his ability to perform. Beltran infuses Chakotay with a realistic amount of curiosity, sheds some of the character's stoicism, and allows him to move with more fluidity than in previous episodes. Beltran makes Chakotay less stiff with a more relaxed sense of body language, a better sense of stride and a level of emotion that the viewer has not seen from him before. It's a refreshing change of pace and this is one of the sterling performances Beltran is allowed in the entire series.
The alien-of-the-week that pops up at the very end is somewhat bland, but realistic. Much of the episode works because it tries to develop Chakotay and it's accessible to anyone who likes a decent character story. This is, in some ways, a coming-of-age for Chakotay and it's one of the better attempts to do that that Star Trek: Voyager does. It's accessible to all audiences - everything the viewer needs is within this episode - and likely to be enjoyed by anyone who likes science fiction at the very least.
Were it only a little less plot-heavy, "Tattoo" could have been a real gem.
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Voyager - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the sophomore season here!
Thanks!]
7/10
See how this episode stacks up against others in the Star Trek franchise by visiting my Star Trek Review Index Page!
© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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