The Good: Plot, Moments of character, Most of the special effects, Kate Mulgrew’s performance
The Bad: No other superlative performances.
The Basics: When Voyager finally reaches Borg territory, they discover a passage, occupied by a creature even more vicious than the Borg!
In the bonus features to the third season of Star Trek: Voyager, Jeri Taylor discusses how most of the cliffhanger season finales are written without a clear ending in mind. In the example, she was discussing “Basics, Part 2” (reviewed here!) and I suspect that if she had been asked about “Scorpion,” she would have admitted either that she was about to be replaced or that in Brannon Braga’s script, she somehow missed how all the pieces were put on the board for her and her creation (Kes) to be eliminated in the next season. And yet, “Scorpion, Part 1” is the final episode of Star Trek: Voyager before the appearance and rapid dominance of Seven Of Nine.
I think, following this point, I can count on one hand, two at most, the episodes of Star Trek: Voyager worth watching. In fact, pressed to come up with names, the only two that leap instantly to mind are “Mortal Coil” and “Author Author.” That’s pretty sad both considering that “Scorpion” is the first of two parts and that at this point, the series is not even to the halfway point. Regardless, the idea that the writers didn’t know where the second part was going is ridiculous; it would not have been named “Scorpion” if they had no idea about that.
When two Borg ships are destroyed almost instantaneously, Voyager has no idea for some time. Instead, Janeway is in the Holodeck negotiating with Leonardo Da Vinci for table space in his studio when she is called down to Engineering. There, she is shown footage from a long-range probe Voyager sent out and encountered the Borg! With thousands of Borg-infested solar systems evident in Voyager’s path, the crew is thrilled to discover that there is a barren path through Borg space that they are calling the “Northwest Passage.” As Voyager moves to exploit the Northwest Passage, they are shocked to be passed by by an armada of fifteen Borg ships.
Disturbed by visions of dead Borg, Kes comes to believe that Voyager is headed into a situation where they will encounter something even more horrible. When Voyager encounters a destroyed Borg ship and discover a bio-ship attached to it, her visions appear prophetic. The Away Team that Chakotay leads discovers the malevolent species that is raining death upon the Borg and Kim is wounded by it. Facing the choice of turning back and giving up the journey home, Janeway turns to the Doctor’s medical expertise to create a unique bartering position with the Borg!
“Scorpion” heavily references other Star Trek franchise episodes that deal with the Borg, though none more integrally than “Unity” (reviewed here!), when Voyager encountered an ex-Borg colony earlier in the season. None of the other Borg-related episodes are so indispensible to “Scorpion” that a newbie wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate “Scorpion.”
“Scorpion” is very much about ending Star Trek: Voyager as it has been. The series until now has subtly built a romantic undertone between Janeway and Chakotay. That was only increased when the budding Torres/Chakotay relationship was scudded in favor of the Torres/Paris relationship. While the peak of the chemistry between Chakotay and Janeway was arguably the penultimate episode of the second season, “Resolutions” (reviewed here!), it persisted through “Scorpion.” Over the course of “Scorpion,” when Chakotay disagrees with Janeway’s course of action (and telling her the story of the scorpion), Janeway ultimately rejects Chakotay in that way. Their relationship never recovers from that and it leaves Chakotay free to form the least-organic relationship of the series.
Kes’s premonitions also put an important piece on the board that sets up her departure almost instantaneously in the fourth season. Kes’s reaction to Species 8472 (the biological entities that the Borg are unable to assimilate in “Scorpion”) give her powers a boost in such a way that she is becoming closer to godlike and it is becoming far less satisfying to keep writing her powers off as specific to a proximate species or event. “Scorpion” hardly utilizes Kes, but her few moments in the episode present her as growing significantly in power and psychic aptitude.
The special effects in “Scorpion” are a real mixed bag. The space-based special effects are impressive and most of the make-up is wonderful as well. But, the inside of the biomass/ship is utterly unimpressive and the computer generated alien is not nearly as impressive as it ought to be. Despite what director David Livingston says in the bonus features to Season Three, there is enough of the creature shown to truly disappoint the viewer with the creature’s lack of sophistication. It is not lit well and it moves like a CG creature. Conversely, the computer generated effects of the alien infection is gross and impressive.
On the acting front, “Scorpion” is hardly a wealth of great performances. Poor Garrett Wang is given little to do for most of the episode but lay in Sickbay and look comatose. Robert Picardo has a moment after delivering quite a bit of jargon about the genetics of the alien species where he emotes wonderfully about Kim’s plight. Robert Beltran is originally sympathetic as Chakotay, but when Chakotay turns on Janeway – even in his quiet, understated way – he reverts to delivering his lines stiffly and unconvincingly (which might be why Janeway does not listen to him and run right to bed).
On the other hand, Kate Mulgrew is excellent as Janeway in “Scorpion.” Playing opposite John Rhys-Davies, who is guest starring in the role of Leonardo Da Vinci, and all of the main cast, Mulgrew is intense and empathetic. Much of her performance is quiet and sad as she considers Voyager’s impending fate and when Janeway frames the conflict as one where the most prudent course of action is surrendering and trying to colonize a planet in the Delta Quadrant, Mulgrew is appropriately contemplative. Janeway’s bold plan is actually compelling in “Scorpion” and Mulgrew sells it well.
“Scorpion” neglects another option, though, and that weakens it. Janeway sees three options: go back, use the Northwest Passage, and negotiate with the Borg. Given how the Borg, invested in their conflict with the enemy, have ignored Voyager, flying through Borg space while the Borg focus on their war seems a legitimate option. That that concept is never addressed is disappointing.
Ultimately, “Scorpion” is a set-up for a retooling of the series in the fourth season, but it is a pretty compelling finale in its own right!
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Voyager - The Complete Third Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the entire season here!
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7.5/10
For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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