Andre Bormanis Channels Brannon Braga For Star Trek: Voyager’s Dream/Inception Episode: “Waking Moments!”

The Good: Initially creative and interesting idea, None of the acting is bad
The Bad: No character development, Predictable reversals and plot
The Basics: When Voyager enters the space of a race of aliens who sleep and manipulate dreams, Chakotay is charged to stop them in his “Waking Moments.”


Star Trek (the franchise) was often ahead of the pop culture curve, even Star Trek: Voyager. So, while the masses may have found a story like Inception (reviewed here!) fascinating and original, to fans of Star Trek Voyager it was an old hat concept. One of the reasons for that was “Waking Moments.” “Waking Moments” was a Star Trek: Voyager episode that dealt with creatures that influenced dreams.

Unfortunately for Star Trek: Voyager, writer Andre Bormanis and director Alexander Singer, “Waking Thoughts” is pretty much spoiled for the audience by the expectations viewers have based on the works of Brannon Braga within the Star Trek franchise before this episode aired. In other words, Brannon Braga’s reality bending episodes within the Star Trek franchise not only raised the bar, they defined a pattern of reversals that quickly became predictable (some would say “one trick pony”). As Braga gained influence as an executive producer on Star Trek: Voyager, it seems like the writers tried to simply mimic his style and form to get work on the air and Bormanis’s “Waking Moments” is a prime example of that.

Tuvok, Kim, Janeway, and Paris all have nightmares that ultimately involve an alien that none of the crew have encountered before now. Tuvok appears on the bridge naked, Janeway sees images of the crew who died, Paris dreams of being in a shuttle accident and Kim has a sexual fantasy about Seven Of Nine. They all see a strange alien at the end of their dreams and when Kim does not awaken from his, the senior staff comes to believe they are under attack. Chakotay, having had experience with lucid dreaming, takes responsibility for communicating with the alien race. Told what the border to alien space is, Chakotay awakens and moves Voyager out of their space.

But when Voyager encounters an alien ship that outmatches the ship, Chakotay quickly realizes that he is still asleep. He and the Doctor team up to find the source of the alien’s powers to keep the crew asleep. If Chakotay can remain awake and the crew of Voyager can come to control their dream, they might survive!

The technique Chakotay utilizes to determine that he is still asleep is to see Earth’s moon. Given that, the seasoned viewer knows that with Star Trek: Voyager’s penchant for predictable reversals, Chakotay will continue to see the moon and what he assumes to be reality will continue to be upset. Unfortunately, “Waking Moments” fails to surprise because its attempt to surprise the audience is more obvious than impressive. Like so many episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, it uses the same pattern of reversals and, as a result, it becomes something terribly predictable.

“Waking Moments” is entirely plot-based, with no character development. In fact, some of the potential character elements are either obvious or eye-rollingly bad ideas for the characters to whom they are applied. Harry Kim has a thing for Seven Of Nine, so it is pretty obvious that he would have a fantasy about her. Similarly, every captain in the Star Trek franchise regrets the deaths that surround their decisions. So, that Janeway sees generic dead crewmen is also predictable. But Tuvok appearing on the bridge naked as an expression of his unconscious insecurities seems utterly ridiculous. There is no logic to a Vulcan being insecure about nakedness. Even more important, for that to be a subconscious insecurity of a security officer seems even less realistic.

So, Chakotay bears the brunt of the episode, but it is not even focused on his character. While the rest of the crew works to understand the plot device, Chakotay attempts to put an end to the same plot device. Neither of these threads requires the crew to grow or evolve. As a result, Chakotay is simply the one guy who can execute the plot. That Tuvok can realize he is in a dream and then not wake up from it is also inconsistent with established Vulcan abilities.

“Waking Moments” is not poorly acted, which is what saves it from the complete doldrums, but there are no superlative performances or concepts. The result is an unfortunately blasé and predictable episode that is not likely to leave fans or newbies at all satisfied.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Voyager - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the gamechanging middle season here!
Thanks!]

3.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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A Ridiculously Typical Metaphor Episode Does Not Entirely Hold Up As More Than “Random Thoughts!”

The Good: Interesting concept, Moments of performance
The Bad: Character aspects are jumbled, Metaphor is obvious, Too much filler
The Basics: “Random Thoughts” is a disturbingly average episode of Star Trek: Voyager that does not rise above its limitations.


The Star Trek franchise is famous for creating episodes that are social commentaries by disguising the issue they are addressing beneath a veil of another issue. Star Trek began the tradition in the original series when writers disguised episodes that were actually about the Vietnam war and ethnic issues. In the spinoff series’, writers created episodes, like “The Outcast” (reviewed here!) that addressed gay rights and gender identification issues by creating an androgynous alien race. One of the more mediocre attempts to make social commentary that was not a complete loss was the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Random Thoughts.”

“Random Thoughts” eventually makes explicit that it is a commentary on Blue Laws, laws that make behavior deemed “immoral” by a community illegal. The explicit thesis of the episode is that just because something is illegal does not mean it will not be done; it will only be done in private and make criminals of those who wish to explore that behavior. While this is an interesting concept and one that is honorable for the producers of Star Trek: Voyager to attempt to explore, writer Kenneth Biller simply does not land it. This is too simple a concept and as a result, “Random Thoughts” is fleshed out with pointless scenes with awkward characterizations that feel like exactly what they are: filler.

The U.S.S. Voyager arrives at Mari Homeworld where they are trading for hardware B’Elanna needs for the ship and food that Neelix wants to acquire. The Mari are a highly telepathic race who have virtually eliminated crime and have managed to regulate violent thoughts to the point where they are illegal. But when a stranger bumps into Torres, she has the mental image of throttling the interloper, which causes the man to go and beat another person to a bloody pulp. When Chief Examiner Nimira determines that the cause of the death was the violent thought from Torres, B’Elanna is incarcerated pending a medical procedure that will eliminate the violent thought from her mind!

As Torres waits for the brain alteration, Paris attempts to enlist Chakotay in a jailbreak and Janeway looks for a legal solution to their predicament. Tuvok’s investigation of the incident points to the merchant, Guill, who seems to be in possession of the same violent imagery that Nimira found in the killer. In interrogating Guill, Tuvok makes a disturbing discovery about Mari society.

I usually like complicated, serialized episodes, but “Random Thoughts” is not that. Instead of an episode that explores the ramifications to each crewmember of either possessing violent thoughts or B’Elanna’s incarceration and pending mental alteration, “Random Thoughts” is a very limited idea that is stretched into a full episode. Unfortunately, Kenneth Biller and director Alexander Singer seem to be at a loss to make the additional scenes feel organic and “Random Thoughts” ends up as an erratic mess that has an obvious message and ends earlier than the running time.

So, for example, Paris – who now has a very serious romantic relationship with Torres – reasonably wants to mount an escape attempt. He witlessly approaches Chakotay on the bridge (in front of other officers) about going behind Janeway’s back to make a jailbreak. Chakotay’s response treats Paris like a five year-old, as he allows Paris to sit in Janeway’s seat (big deal to an adult who is fixated on saving the life and brain of the woman he loves!) and even when he has Paris concoct a jailbreak plan, the idea goes nowhere. At least Paris is smart enough and well-written enough to acknowledge that he is being given busy work by Chakotay!

In a similar vein, Seven Of Nine appears in the episode in one of the most pointless exchanges between her and Janeway of the entire series. It is almost like Biller and Singer realized they had gotten through almost an entire episode with Seven having only a single scene and they said, “We’d best get our money’s worth out of those bre . . . that actress!” So, Seven Of Nine pretty pointlessly closes the episode with Janeway in a scene that mostly kills time and repeats a theme already presented in other episodes since Seven Of Nine came aboard.

Star Trek (franchise) veteran Gwynyth Walsh appears as Nimiri and the role is a distinctly different one from her portrayal of the Klingon B’Etor, which is nice. But it is Tim Russ who is given the most work to do in “Random Thoughts.” He rises to the occasion as Tuvok, but unfortunately, Tuvok is terribly mischaracterized in the episode. While Vulcans have passions and violent impulses, Tuvok is essentially characterized as a psychopath who keeps himself in check in “Random Thoughts” and the level of violence the character wrestles with apparently makes him on the level of Lon Suder from the prior seasons! Russ manages to play the part convincingly enough that most fans might not even notice how extreme his character’s sudden twist is!

Ultimately, “Random Thoughts” is a good idea, but too simple of an idea to sustain the full hour episode and what is put in to get it up to the needed time, alas, does not benefit the episode.

For other works with Gwynyth Walsh, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Tin Man
Star Trek: Generations
“Firstborn” - Star Trek: The Next Generation
“Past Prologue” - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
“Redemption II” - Star Trek: The Next Generation
“Redemption” - Star Trek: The Next Generation

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Voyager - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the gamechanging middle season here!
Thanks!]

5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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The Other "Nemesis" In Star Trek Is A Pretty Lame Star Trek: Voyager Episode.

The Good: Decent dialect, Decent overall antiwar message
The Bad: Very obvious reversals, No real character development, None of the acting is at all superlative.
The Basics: The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Nemesis" is one of the most utterly forgettable of the series and while it focuses on Chakotay, it does not truly enhance his character.


Poor Robert Beltran. Beltran played Chakotay on Star Trek: Voyager and while initially he was an intriguing character, it rapidly became clear that the writers did not know what they wanted to do with him. By the third season, Chakotay did little in regard to his Native American Indian heritage and by the fourth season, of which "Nemesis" is the fourth episode, Chakotay seems to have even forgotten he was a Maquis.

"Nemesis" takes a long time to get around to having Chakotay remember he was a Maquis and unfortunately, the episode is not even a particularly interesting Chakotay one. It does, however, afford the viewer the first chance in the fourth season to go a full episode without seeing Seven Of Nine, which is always a plus. Alas, "Nemesis" does not make good use of Chakotay or its lack of Seven Of Nine. Instead, it is heavily populated by guest actors and a plot that is virtually impossible to care about.

Hunted in the woods by what appear to be human military officers who speak much like Yoda (though with a much more masculine pitch), Chakotay finds himself in a war zone. There, the human-like military officers hunt the Nemesis, an alien race that is beastlike and, supposedly, evil. Chakotay is slowly inundated with their propaganda and conditioned to be a soldier for them. However, the military plot may not be all that it seems and Chakotay soon finds himself embroiled in the way and forgetting himself.

There is, alas, not much plot beyond that. "Nemesis" is a very bland military story that involves lots of shooting with little blood or explosions and truly is about the process by which Chakotay is conditioned to join an alien military. With the plot being so simple, "Nemesis" fleshes out the episode with long scenes of dialogue that take the viewer a moment to understand just what they are actually saying. But after the first scene with the odd word swaps, the viewer quickly understands what the aliens are saying and the dialogue seems mostly drawn out exposition.

There is not superlative acting in "Nemesis" and less character development. Robert Beltran gives a particularly unconvincing performance as the beleaguered Chakotay. He barely holds his own against the awkward child actor in the scene after he reaches a settlement. Beltran is stiff throughout the episode and that makes the episode lack a real emotional core.

Because this is, in many ways, a brainwashing episode, there is no character development in "Nemesis." The episode is tightly plot-centered and it feels very much like a Brannon Braga episode (Kenneth Biller actually wrote it) with its lame dependence upon reversals for any sense of originality. Sadly, the reversals are more obvious than original.

Ultimately, "Nemesis" is a troublingly simple episode and because it has no real emotional core or originality, one is left with very little to say about it. While the make-up and special effects in "Nemesis" are decent, they are not enough to justify watching this episode, even for fans of the Star Trek franchise.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Voyager - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the gamechanging middle season here!
Thanks!]

1/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Not Quite As The Name Suggests, “Worst Case Scenario”’s Muddy Middle Makes For Average Star Trek: Voyager

The Good: Clever initial concept, Decent effects, Fair acting
The Bad: No real character development, Exceptionally weak middle results in a second half that is almost a completely different episode.
The Basics: “Worst Case Scenario” is by no means the worst of Star Trek: Voyager, but it is less incredible than some fans make it out to be!


One of the guest stars in the modern Star Trek era once made the crack at a convention that because the show was science fiction, they enjoyed the fact that their character being killed off still got them two more callbacks to reprise the character. That always amused me and I suspect that someone in the writing department of Star Trek: Voyager heard the remark and decided to apply it very literally to Martha Hackett’s character of Seska. The first of her two post-mortem appearances is “Worst Case Scenario.”

To the credit of director Alexander Singer and writer Kenneth Biller, they make decent use out of Martha Hackett as Seska. “Insurrection Alpha” is a pretty clever initial concept and the twist that involves the holographic Seska is a decent one.

B’Elanna Torres is walking the ship when Chakotay approaches her and leads her into a conversation that involves the idea of betraying Janeway and helping him take over the ship. As Janeway leaves the ship for the first time in the hands of Chakotay (the first explicit clue that not everything is exactly as it seems), Chakotay makes his move and Torres sides with him in the mutiny, stunning Harry Kim. As they work to subdue the StarFleet crew, Chakotay offers the crew the opportunity to join him or be put off the ship . . . when Paris joins her.

Paris is thrilled by the idea of the Holodeck program and he tries the scenario out on his own, immediately rebelling against Chakotay. But when Tuvok takes credit for the scenario, Paris is frustrated that the Holo-novel does not have a discernable end. In trying to conclude the story, Paris and Tuvok discover that Seska found the simulation while she was aboard and reprogrammed it, which may have mortal consequences for Paris and Tuvok!

Chakotay’s speech when he takes control and tries to enlist the StarFleet crew is a hilarious commentary on Star Trek: Voyager. The holographic Chakotay declares that he will not stop to investigate every spatial anomaly and that he won’t follow StarFleet regulations, prioritizing the trip home instead. Given how many of the spatial anomalies have not panned out for the crew and how many pointless encounters with alien races have only slowed the ship down, the speech is a pretty delightful lampoon of the actual series.

Tuvok’s attitude, as well as Janeway’s, is an intriguing one. The fact that Chakotay and Janeway are both amused by the program is a telling one and it’s enjoyable that by this point in the series both believe it is pretty harmless and entertaining. Moreover, the idea that Tuvok would have stopped writing the program because the two crews started working together is one of the more subtle lampoons Biller puts in. After all, by the second episode the two crews were working remarkably well together.

The episode gets into some trouble, though, when Tuvok and Paris begin debating the whole creative process. The middle section of “Worst Case Scenario” does more to illustrate that the episode could be a worst case episode and when Paris and Tuvok attempt to edit the program, the usual “Holodeck disaster conceits” apply. “Worst Case Scenario” goes from being something clever or audacious to a very trite, obvious and familiar style of episode originally pioneered in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

When the Holographic Seska takes over, the episode becomes banal and only Hackett really gives a good go of it. Robert Beltran, who starts the episode charismatically, becomes surprisingly monolithic in the latter half. While moments like the psychopathic Doctor within the program are instantly amusing, it is essentially the same thing Star Trek viewers have seen in Holodeck Disaster episodes before.

Tuvok taking an optimistic view late in the episode is somewhat out of character, though much of the episode has a reasonable view of Tuvok and his motivations. Tim Russ, despite the character inconsistencies, is very consistent with his performance throughout the episode. Russ plays Tuvok in one of him more delightfully logical and unemotive performances of the series.

Ultimately, “Worst Case Scenario” is erratic, but not unpleasant; it is like “escapist fiction” within the context of Star Trek: Voyager. In this regard, it comes out at average; it is fun while it is on, but ultimately less substantial than the best episodes of the series.

[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!
Thanks!]

5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Star Trek: Voyager's Other Lame Third Season Episode Featuring The Doctor Is "Darkling!"

The Good: Robert Picardo's acting, Character moments between Neelix and Kes
The Bad: Kes/Neelix thing isn't really explained, Conflict has simple resolution, No real character growth
The Basics: When the Doctor alters his programming, he goes insane and menaces Torres in the hope that he can remain that way in an underperforming Star Trek: Voyager.


Despite the fact that the Emergency Medical Hologram - The Doctor - was the breakout character of Star Trek: Voyager, just because he racked up the scripts and the attention on the show did not mean that he was always treated well. Earlier in the third season of Star Trek: Voyager, the EMH experienced a memory wipe (sort of) in "The Swarm" (reviewed here!). I suppose this was revenge inflicted upon the Doctor for dominating such episodes late in the second season as "Lifesigns" (reviewed here!). Fortunately, as the series progressed and the Doctor continued to dominate, paired as he was with Seven of Nine, his role became more substantial and resulted in fewer duds. Unfortunately, with "Darkling," there is a pretty solid dud for viewers to agonize over.

Voyager is listlessly heading home when it stops at a planet occupied by the Mikhal Travelers, a fairly dull alien race. It is at this time that the Doctor attempts to improve his bedside manner by adding personality programs to his matrix from notable benevolent historical personas, like Ghandi. Unfortunately for the crew - especially Torres and Kes - the Doctor instead goes quite insane, captures the Chief Engineer and menaces her so that she will delete his old programming so he can maintain his psychopathic persona.

And Kes and Neelix are broken up, but who really cares, right?

Star Trek: Voyager's insistence on not being serialized becomes pretty annoying in "Darkling." The Doctor and Torres have a weird relationship that revolves around her ability to reprogram him at her will, something she essentially recommended in "The Swarm." So while the Doctor puts everyone else at his mercy for medical attention - though Kes acts as nurse for him still - the Doctor is at Torres's mercy whenever he has a medical emergency. Here, his alternate personality attempts to coerce the engineer with fairly boring results.

The reason "Darkling" is so boring is that Star Trek: Voyager is not edgy. The Doctor is not going to successfully kill Torres or even maim her in a permanent way while he is not himself. Not going to happen, it's simply not that kind of show. That means anyone who watches Star Trek: Voyager with any regularity is going to be more bored than shocked when the conflicting personalities within the Doctor (2.0) make him act out in crazy ways. Instead of being kept in suspense when the EMH paralyzes Torres, the viewer feels paralyzed and forced to wait it out.

It's a long - feeling - wait. This episode has some serious problems with pacing. When the episode is not focused on the Doctor playing his Mr. Hyde routine, "Darkling" is focused on Kes. Kes, now no longer dating Neelix, begins to explore her options with the local folks on the planet and they're a pretty bland bunch, but I suppose it's a step up for her from Neelix. I've no real problem with the idea of Neelix and Kes parting ways, but it does seem to come up rather abruptly after no (visible) problems. Sure, the pair had all the sexual chemistry of an uncle and his niece, but from the first episode, they were together and they claimed to be in love. So, what happened? "Darkling" does not give us any real satisfying answers.

Indeed, it seems like the Doctor has more of a problem with Kes's newfound free spirit nature than Neelix does. That seems weird, especially considering the lengths Neelix was willing to go for Kes in episodes like "Elogium" (reviewed here!). Regardless of that, Kes's exploration of romance with one of the natives on the planet is uneventful and unexciting.

But this leads the viewer to wonder, "What's the point?" Neither plot is resolved with anything remotely satisfying. The writers and producers wanted Kes single, but for what purpose? It doesn't add anything terribly interesting to her character to see her cavorting with a new alien in cheap prosthetics.

And the whole plot with the Doctor is resolved with remarkable ease - which makes some sense - but without any hint of genuine consequence. His attempted murder of Zahir and Kes is laughed off as a quirk of the reprogramming and the ship goes on as if nothing ever happened. While it behooves the viewer to forget this episode, it was made and it is part of the series. As a result, it (sadly) has to be considered canon.

The only remarkable aspect of "Darkling" is the acting. Robert Picardo gives a distinctly different performance as the demented EMH than he does as the usual acerbic and sarcastic Doctor. He makes his eyes angry and he has a real sense of tension to his body language. Indeed, were it not for my familiarity with the rather lame plot resolutions on the show, Picardo's performance might have convinced me that the Doctor could do genuine harm to . . . well, everyone.

Similarly, Roxann Biggs-Dawson plays it cool as Torres. In scenes playing off Picardo, she gives the impression he actually has restrained her and that her life is in jeopardy. Dawson has a strength to her that makes her character's defiance "read" as quite real. Her scenes are a treat to watch.

But even those performances are not enough to bring me to recommend this. It's just a bad episode. Fans of drama or "Jekyll and Hyde" stories are not likely to find anything redeeming and fans of science fiction will see the end coming a mile away. Indeed, this is another episode with a painfully simple conflict resulting in a ridiculously easy resolution.

Fortunately, there's always the next episode . . .

[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!
Thanks!]

3/10

For other Star Trek reviews, be sure to check out my Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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A Derivative Special Effect's Festival Sinks Star Trek: Voyager's "Macrocosm!"

The Good: Moments where it is simply fun to watch, It's cool and action packed.
The Bad: Special effects are lousy, No real character development, Lacking in real menace, Just disappointing
The Basics: Despite decent acting and pace, "Macrocosm" is more likely to bore science fiction and Star Trek viewers than entertain them.


Once upon a time, there was a little film called Aliens (reviewed here!) wherein a woman was given a big gun and she spent an hour running around blowing up all sorts of latex aliens that were scary looking and gross. The movie made a lot of money and is generally credited as starting the whole "summer blockbuster" thing. And . . . oh, wait, this is Star Trek: Voyager and not Aliens, it's almost hard to tell. After all, in "Macrocosm," Captain Janeway strips down to her tank top and runs around with a big honkin' phaser rifle shooting at flying baseball and basketball-sized viruses for an hour in a way that is clearly meant to imitate Ellen Ripley in Aliens.

When Captain Janeway and Neelix return from negotiations with the Tak Tak, they find the crew inert and the ship essentially adrift. Coming aboard, they discover that the U.S.S. Voyager has become infected by a macrovirus (a larger than normal virus several centimeters in diameter). Janeway, feeling her ship is threatened by these little monsters that are flying around the ship, makes it to SickBay where the Doctor provides her with an antigen weapon to use against them. Janeway then must shoot her way through the ship to get the antigen bomb to the optimum location to kill the beasties.

This is basically a poor redux of Aliens in a Star Trek: Voyager setting with the obvious attempt to garner an audience who will not see Janeway as a stuffy diplomat but rather a full-blooded action hero with the ability and willingness to do anything to save her ship. Regular viewers know that Janeway will do anything necessary to save her ship, other than ignoring a single obstacle that comes before Voyager to get her crew home, so the over-the-top firefight Janeway gets into with the macroviruses is more ridiculous than insightful. Janeway and her crew have fought more interesting battles, most notably in "Deadlock" (reviewed here!).

This is one of those sad attempts to make an episode that is exciting and special effects-filled on a television budget and it's embarrassing to watch now. The computer generated macroviruses fly around the ship lit from all angles in a way that screams "Look at me! A computer animator made me! Please, oh please, think I'm real!" Only the least discriminating viewer is likely to fall for these sloppy bugs.

Even more sad than the macrovirus being a basic reused science fiction element, this idea is not even new to the Star Trek franchise. The original Star Trek delved into the idea of giant single-celled organisms with the mother of all amoebas back in "The Immunity Syndrome" (reviewed here!). So the only fundamental difference here is that rather than encountering a virus so big it could attack the ship, we have viruses that act more like mosquitoes that look real bad.

It's a silly, simple plot and it is executed without finesse or intrigue, in a way that leaves the viewer ultimately feeling like "Oh, is that all?" Watching Janeway running around with a phaser rifle shooting these little pests is not terribly entertaining and for forty-three minutes Star Trek: Voyager does not even attempt any character development. As a result, the show does not add anything to the larger pantheon of Trek and it is hardly indispensable for viewers of Star Trek: Voyager.

And sure, it's entertaining in a kind of "boys night out," dumb entertainment way. I can even see a "girl power!" interpretation of it where it's exciting to watch a woman run around shooting things, but honestly, it's a concept that is easily described, simply and ridiculously executed and is barely entertaining.

What it does have going for it is the performance by Kate Mulgrew. Unlike a lot of early CGI shows, Mulgrew manages to keep an appropriate eye line for the little nasties that are hunting her, so the show looks right in that regard. It is easy enough to believe Mulgrew as an action hero running through the halls shooting the alien of the week. It might not do anything for her character, but she portrays Janeway with the same serious sense of investment that makes the viewer believe in her.

Outside Mulgrew, most of the main cast sits this one out and plays it wounded. This is very much a Janeway episode and it's a shame that this one - one of the last ones before the impending "Seven Of Nine Show" begins - is such a waste.

[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!
Thanks!]

4/10

For other Star Trek reviews, be sure to check out my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Simple Problems With Simple Solutions Leave The Viewer Disappointed With "The Swarm"

The Good: Good acting, Awesome looking aliens
The Bad: Both the a-plot and b-plot are obvious, Resolution, Tone
The Basics: When the U.S.S. Voyager encounters a lame alien race and the Doctor begins to rapidly degrade, the solutions seem obvious and the episode pointless.


Perhaps the most tiresome aspect of Star Trek: Voyager is the way the ship continues to encounter aliens-of-the-week that: 1. Neelix has heard about, 2. Is an adversary rumored to be so powerful that ships that encounter them never return, and 3. The U.S.S. Voyager enters their space, finds a way to defeat them within forty-three minutes and the race is never heard of again. Either the Delta Quadrant is filled with the most xenophobic races who are committed to never revenging transgressions upon their space or there ought to be a fleet of something like twenty different race's ships hot on Voyager's tail ready to blow the ship up! The latest example in this pantheon of pathetic menaces previously thought to be unstoppable is "The Swarm."

Witlessly voyaging home takes the U.S.S. Voyager through a tachyon detection grid of an alien race that soon appears, angered by the starship's transgression. Suddenly beset by a swarm of a thousand tiny ships that are draining the ship's power by attaching to the hull, Janeway finds her options limited and the ship imperiled. Unfortunately, the Swarm seems to be having an effect on The Doctor and his programming is losing stability and memory, causing Kes and Torres to activate an engineering subroutine that presents a holographic Dr. Zimmerman, the lead engineer who designed The EMH. While Janeway struggles to save the ship, Kes struggles to save the Doctor as the unique entity he has become.

The problem with "The Swarm" begins with the idea that the solution is obvious almost from the moment the alien ships appear. Star Trek has used the idea of the strength-of / interdependency-as-weakness angle to villains before, most notably with the Borg in "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II" (reviewed here!). Here the concept behind the Swarm seems ridiculously easy even for a layperson; you have a ton of tiny ships that might individually be easy to destroy, but the sum of them becomes overwhelming. The inverse to that, that once they begin draining Voyager they are interlinked in a way that can be exploited as vulnerability, seems like an obvious hypothesis that seems to take the main crew a ridiculously long time to get around to exploring.

But more than that, "The Swarm" confuses the issues with a b-plot (timewise, it might actually have the priority of being the a-plot) that is resolved quite poorly for the taste of viewers of drama or science fiction. The Doctor is essentially dying, suffering from memory loss either as a result of the Swarm or simply from having been on constantly for years (it's not entirely clear what the link between the two plots is). The Emergency Medical Hologram was supposed to be for short term use and now, over two years out, the EMH is beginning to break down. Enter the holographic Dr. Zimmerman, a diagnostic program whose existence surprises everyone, including the viewer.

The problem here becomes that the moment the intact and functional Dr. Zimmerman appears, the problem of the degrading hologram is lessened to the point of making the solution so obvious, it's surprising that it takes Torres any time at all to conceive of the solution. The issue here is supposed to be that the Doctor has outperformed his programming, growing well beyond his original limitations. In fact, when the episode begins, the Doctor is practicing his opera singing. This irritates the holographic Dr. Zimmerman because this is well outside the original specifications of the program, but the whole argument seems in some ways pedantic. I love the character of The Doctor, he's easily my favorite character on the show. But of any character, the Doctor makes sense to be one who could occasionally be entirely rebooted and the fact that the resolution to the episode does not put him as a completely different character is in some ways disappointing.

In short, the plot here sets the episode up to be vastly more complex and menacing than it ends up being, on both plots.

The notable aspect of "The Swarm" is that it does introduce Dr. Lewis Zimmerman (in one form or another) as an on-screen character. He returns to the series later on as well as a guest shot on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" (reviewed here!) and he is a fun character, well acted by Robert Picardo. Picardo does an excellent job performing in this episode, often playing off himself as the EMH and Zimmerman. He's clever and a talented actor enough to make the whole process look effortless.

Sadly, Picardo's acting is the superlative aspect of "The Swarm" and the only thing worth recommending. The plot is so obvious as to be insulting and the villains are so easily foiled as to be utterly lacking in menace. At least they look cool, which arguably, they do.

Otherwise, this is an episode it's more than safe to pass by; I recommend leaving it off your "to watch" list.

[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!
Thanks!]

4/10

For other Star Trek reviews, check out my Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Star Trek: Voyager's Near Miss With Perfection Comes In The Form Of "Resolutions"

The Good: Excellent character story, Intriguing concept, Good plot, Exceptional acting
The Bad: The monkey, yes, there's a monkey!
The Basics: With Star Trek Voyager's near miss of "Resolutions," Janeway and Chakotay start a relationship on a distant world they become stranded on.


Every now and again, television series' will team up and coordinate an idea around whatever the anticipated summer blockbuster is. Trends rise and fall, experiments on television and media occur all of the time and sometimes, there are some serious lemons that reverberate through pop culture. After Ross lost his monkey on Friends, the monkey seemed to pop up for episodes on other shows and whether or not it is the same monkey that appears in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Resolutions," it is irrelevant; the episode aired around the same time as the post-Ross monkey-cameos on television and as a result, it suffers from that.

The U.S.S. Voyager finds itself stopped in orbit around an alien planet where Janeway and Chakotay are being kept in suspended animation. It seems that they've both been bitten by an insect and now are unable to leave the planet lest they die from an environmentally-specific toxin that is now in their systems. The Doctor, baffled by this medical mystery, is reluctantly forced to concede his inadequacy and admit that he has no solution to the problem.

Captain Janeway does, though. Captain Janeway prioritizes the lives of her crew, turns Voyager over to Tuvok and sends the ship on its merry way. Janeway and Chakotay are left with enough supplies to survive and they begin a life anew on this alien world, where Janeway promptly begins her own scientific research into trying to find a cure. Aboard the U.S.S. Voyager, Tuvok finds Harry Kim to be a thorn in his side when the Ensign suggests a bold strategy; contacting the Vidiians to enlist their aid in finding a cure. As Tuvok becomes accustomed to commanding the ship, Janeway and Chakotay become closer in their new home.

"Resolutions" is a quiet episode of Star Trek: Voyager that does what too few episodes of this series even attempts; it creates and maintains a strong, character-driven story that involves characters interacting. Problems are met through characters discussing ideas, agreeing and disagreeing and they are not solved through weapons or cheap special effects shots. No, this is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager where the writers are given the opportunity to write something engaging on how the principle characters interact and the episode flies.

There are two essential character relationships focused on in "Resolutions:" Janeway and Chakotay and Tuvok and the U.S.S. Voyager's crew. Tuvok is put in command, which makes sense as he is Janeway's most trusted and oldest confident aboard the lost ship. Tuvok makes for a great dramatic choice as he is a Vulcan, unused to dealing with an emotional crew like the StarFleet/Maquis crew of Voyager. Tuvok is a strong, reasoned character left in charge of a group of very illogical people who are ruled by their emotions.

That Tuvok's primary foil is Harry Kim, the eager young ensign, plays extraordinarily well. The debates that rage between the two of them remain focused on youthful optimism and the wisdom of experience. As Kim lobbies heavily for Tuvok to approach the Vidiians, Tuvok wisely counters with recent precedents (like "Deadlock" - reviewed here!) and the realities of the horrific enemy the Vidiians represent. Ultimately, though, the humanity of the Doctor's romance with the Vidiian Dr. Pel (in "Lifesigns" - reviewed here!) comes into play. This makes for a nice, tight plot that utilizes a sense of consequences to recent episodes and it plays well with the fans. Even without seeing those two prior episodes, the viewer will not be lost at all; the episodes references the relevant contexts and events of those episodes.

The real story of "Resolutions" is the planetbound one and it works wonderfully! As Janeway adapts to rediscovering her origins as a scientist, Chakotay seeks to serve her as a companion and potential lover/partner. Chakotay's aid and advances create the creature comforts Janeway quickly becomes accustomed to in her new role as a private citizen. In short, "Resolutions" becomes a love story between Janeway and Chakotay and the tension and romance between them is very real and quite strong.

Ironically, this episode represents the peak of their relationship. Last weekend, I was in Las Vegas for a giant Star Trek convention and Kate Mulgrew (who played Janeway) talked about how the Janeway/Chakotay relationship simply could not last and she apologized to Robert Beltran (the actor who played Chakotay) for his part declining in the later years of the series. This episode flies in contrast to the actresses notion that the relationship simply could not work and it also represents the peak of the Chakotay character.

What brings this episode to the brink of perfection is that the character elements are kept front and center. Tuvok does not simply become a pushover for the crew's whining, Janeway does not give up trying to find a cure and Chakotay does not give up pursuing Janeway. It's a strong, character-driven story and it does everything a great character study and romance ought to do.

And on their planet, Janeway and Chakotay find a little monkey. The idea for its presence is not a bad one. Janeway seeks to capture the monkey to find out how it survives the same toxins that keep Janeway and Chakotay bound to the planet. But there's at least one scene too many featuring the mammal and it causes one to cringe even years later. But then, no one is rewatching "Resolutions" for the trendy monkey.

Not every series has a perfect hour of television, indeed, most do not. Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (which had arguably the greatest hour of television of all time with "Duet" - reviewed here!) set the bar high by each having at least one perfect hour of television. The assumption seemed to be that Star Trek: Voyager would just inherit greatness as a result of being a part of that franchise. "Resolutions" is the closest it comes and it robs the viewer of the potential perfect hour of television with a trendy appearance by a small, cute monkey that could have been better used resolving some of the character aspects of the Janeway/Chakotay relationship.

[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!]

9.5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, be sure to check out my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing.

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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(Frequently And Wrongly) Deemed The Worst Star Trek: Voyager Episode, "Threshold" Manages To Satisfy.

The Good: Excellent acting, Decent effects, Interesting idea
The Bad: Poor execution of idea, No real character development, Plot heavy, Lack of follow-up
The Basics: A perfectly average episode, "Threshold" illustrates the consequences of breaking the unbreakable speed limit set by the galaxy.


One of the basic ideas of the Star Trek franchise is the idea of the warp drive, a faster than lightspeed travel method that alters the shape of space to make it faster to go through. Star Trek scholars generally agree that there are two different warp scales and that warp speeds in the Star Trek: The Next Generation time (24th Century) are on a faster scale than the warp speeds of the Star Trek time (23rd Century). Those who hypothesize most on this suggest that the "transwarp drive" from the U.S.S. Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (reviewed here!), set a new standard for the warp drive and the scale was adjusted accordingly. So enters Star Trek: Voyager to the warp speed weirdness with the episode "Threshold," which many fans and critics consider the worst episode of the series.

Tom Paris, along with Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Kim, retrofits one of the shuttlecraft with what is believed to be a stable transwarp engine. The shuttlecraft is believed to be able to go faster than warp ten and break an unbreakable barrier. Encouraged by Janeway, Paris takes the shuttlecraft Drake up to warp ten and he disappears. The shuttlecraft returns moments later and Paris is celebrated as a new hero for accomplishing what no one ever had and the crew begins to think this might make getting home fast a reality. Unfortunately, Paris soon begins to mutate in ways that the Doctor cannot comprehend, nor stop. As Paris begins to hyper evolve, the crew fears they might lose him and the experiment and the future of the U.S.S. Voyager lean toward failure.

"Threshold" is one of those episodes that is slighted by a lot of people with little genuine cause. Despite the fact that it deals with the development of a new propulsion method, like "Star Trek The Next Generation's" "New Ground" (reviewed here!), and combines it with something quite close to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Genesis" (reviewed here!), "Threshold" is one of the more original episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and it seldom gets credit for that. More importantly, this episode illustrates exactly what one would hope for and expect from the crew of a starship stranded on the other side of the galaxy; they are desperately innovating to attempt to get home quicker. It's very StarFleet.

The episode is clearly based on the Einsteinian theory of physics, which postulates that at the speed of light, one would occupy every point in space simultaneously (it if could be achieved). Indeed, Paris describes the sensation of existing across the galaxy as best he can with a complete inability to describe the magnitude and depth of it. I actually liked that; Paris picks out some details he recognized, but is at a loss to describe much else of his experience.

But this leads to the first real problem with "Threshold;" the science of it might be backed by Albert Einstein (in a weird way), but the engineering of it is utter b.s. The Drake is retrofitted with almost no structural changes and the magic device by which Paris breaks the transwarp barrier is a dilithium crystal that does not stress as much. Beyond that, it's simply a matter of Paris making the ship go faster. How? He simply does not slow down. This is the equivalent to suggesting that a race car driver who puts the pedal to the metal and simply does not let up will continue to accelerate until they break the speed of light. If that sounds ridiculous to you, now you know how "Threshold" looks to so many fans of Star Trek: Voyager.

But then we get to what so very many people object to with this episode. When Paris returns to Voyager, he begins to evolve at an accelerated pace, quickly becoming some strange, amphibious being. I have less of a problem with this than most people. It bugs me more that Paris breaks the transwarp barrier simply by not putting on the brakes. If he's going to break the barrier, I say it's cool that there are consequences for breaking the barrier. And of all consequences, hyper evolution is at least an interesting and original idea.

The problem is, it's not so great a consequence as to sell the audience on the idea that the experiment was a failure. What "Threshold" lacks is a consequence to realistically keep the crew of Voyager trapped in the Delta Quadrant. After all, what is the disincentive to the crew to simply continue to use the transwarp shuttle to fly crewmembers back to the Alpha Quadrant and then be cured of the hyper-evolution once they get there? Put simply, at the end of "Threshold," there is no reason why Paris cannot bring the crew of the starship Voyager home, even if he's ferrying them one at a time (or in groups of five).

The practical answer, of course, is that this is the second season of a show holding a network aloft that is contracted for a seven year run. You can't get the crew home so quick. Bummer. This leads to the only other problem with "Threshold" and that is where it falls in the series; this episode lacks any consequences. Paris never has a flash of insight into an impending danger that he recalls from his time spent occupying every point in the galaxy. The experiment is never attempted again and it smacks of pointlessness.

What works, though, is the acting. This episode focuses very much on actor Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris. There is virtually no character development - other than suggesting what has been evident since the pilot, that Paris is a rogue made good who has turned his life around - but still McNeill does great with his performance. McNeill plays the hyper-evolving Paris wonderfully, emoting beautifully with his eyes when the character can no longer talk. McNeill is able to connote desperation expertly with his body language and he makes the episode watchable.

This is a good episode for anyone who likes science fiction in general, though it will have limited appeal to those who are not fans of the adventurous aspects of space travel. The only element that might be esoteric for non-fans of the series is the brief appearance by Michael Jonas, a traitorous officer who details the transwarp mission to the villainous Kazon.

This is a good episode for those willing to keep an open mind and it's entertaining, despite its faults.

[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!]

5.5/10

For other Star Trek episode reviews, be sure to check out the Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Token, Er, Chakotay, Gets A Story Worthy Of A "Tattoo!"

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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The Ultimate O'Brien Torment Story Is “Hard Time!”

The Good: Amazing acting, Nice idea, Great character development
The Bad: None. This is a great, perfect episode.
The Basics: In a truly great episode, O'Brien returns to the station after having twenty-five years of prison memories put in his mind.


Every year on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, there was an episode where O'Brien was tortured and basically had the puss pounded out of him in one fashion or another. In the second season, there were two very memorable episodes entitled "Whispers" and "Tribunal" which set the bar exceptionally high for the writers to try to top as far as abusing O'Brien went. Near the end of the fourth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the writers manage to make a piece of perfect O'Brien psychological torment in "Hard Time."

In "Hard Time," O'Brien finds himself released from twenty-five years of prison on a distant planet only to learn that he was never actually in prison. The Agrathi sentenced O'Brien and then plugged him into a simulator that made him believe he was in prison. Returning to Deep Space Nine, O'Brien finds his skills rusty and his ability to interact with others almost nonexistent. As he attempts to re-intigrate with the station and the life he once knew, he relives the worst moments of his mental incarceration until he has a full breakdown and is pushed to the point of taking his own life.

It's a rare thing for a season of television to have two perfect episodes, but the fourth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine certainly does. Earlier in the season, there was the amazing episode "The Visitor" and now "Hard Time." The fourth season is a continuation of actors, characters, writers and directors largely coming together in a continuing stride that makes the show great. "Hard Time" is an important part of that. It manages to take a fairly established concept on the show (tormenting O'Brien) and turns it into something original and incredible.

The acting in "Hard Time" hinges on Colm Meany's performance and he delivers constantly in this piece. There's not a single moment in the episode where the viewer does not believe his heartache, loss and confusion. Meany uses his facial expressions, body language and voice to deliver some of his most passionate, angry and dejected lines in the series. Meany once again reinforces our expectations of him as an actor with his realistic impersonation of a man caught out of time.

O'Brien has always represented a tether on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to the present. In "Hard Time," O'Brien portrays a person we may easily empathize with. He's a man waking up from a deception easily analogous to realizing a partner has been having an affair for many years or someone who learns of some childhood abuse after many decades. Here, O'Brien's frustration and horror are intense and it seems very real.

Supporting O'Brien on his quest for a return to normalcy is his wife Keiko and Dr. Julian Bashir. Keiko tries to be supportive of her husband when she learns there is no treatment for what he went through and Dr. Bashir attempts to monitor O'Brien's treatment and counseling while still being a good friend to him. Attempting to integrate the man who has apparently been alone for over two decades is a task that challenges Bashir in different ways from how it affects O'Brien.

Rosalind Chao plays Keiko wonderfully in "Hard Time," making her appearance worthwhile. Chao is amazing as the concerned wife of O'Brien. She uses her facial expressions to play a wide array of emotions in the scenes she is in that lack lines, simply expressions and movements. She seems real and concerned throughout. Alexander Siddig manages to make Bashir more than the carefree young doctor he usually appears as. Here he comes through as an intelligent and compassionate man who is doing his best to look out for his wounded friend.

In addition to having so much great in this episode in the way that O'Brien works toward revealing the secret of what truly happened to him in prison that made him so devastated, "Hard Time" is deficient in mistakes. There's nothing working against this episode. The few science fiction premises are easily and quickly explained, opening the piece up to anyone who enjoys a great drama. All of the actors are giving their best and they manage to deliver wonderful performances. The characters are interesting and engaging. There's nothing to complain about in this episode.

Anyone who likes a good psychological drama will enjoy "Hard Time." It's difficult not to consider this part of the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine considering its quality, this is an essential episode for understanding O'Brien's character.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the turnaround season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

10/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please be sure to visit my Star Trek Index Page!

© 2012, 2008, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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“Starship Down” Makes The Argument That What The Enterprise Needs, The Defiant Does Not

The Good: Character work, Special effects, Acting
The Bad: Plot, Pacing
The Basics: When the Defiant is crippled in battle, the crew is separated from one another and forced to try to save the ship without aid in “Starship Down.”


In Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s fifth season, there was a desire to strengthen the characters on the show and an episode was contrived where various characters would be put in a position that forced growth upon them. The episode was called "Disaster" and it had the desired effect, the Enterprise was crippled and the characters were focused on the entire time and they were forced to develop. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which is always character intensive, inexplicably decided to replicate the episode. Perhaps even more troublesome; the series did it twice, on the station in "Civil Defense" and now aboard the Defiant in "Starship Down."

While the Defiant is conducting negotiations with the Karema in the Gamma Quadrant, it is attacked by the Jem'Hadar. Caught off-guard and determined to protect the Karema ship, the Defiant is taken into a nearby gas giant. Severely crippled, the Defiant finds itself in dire straits: Captain Sisko is seriously wounded with only Kira to keep him conscious on the destroyed bridge, Dax and Bashir are trapped in a turbolift below decks where it seems they will freeze to death, Worf is put in command in engineering and Quark and the Karema businessman Orinthar are stuck in the mess hall when a Jem'Hadar torpedo lodges itself in the wall and could detonate at any point.

The real problem with "Starship Down" is its sheer lack of necessity. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine does not need an episode that focuses all on character; it does that almost every single week. So, the plot feels a bit contrived. It's like fishing for a speech in Congress; people are talking all of the time there, you don't have to troll for it. A "character episode" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a regular occurrence.

Add to that, the pace in "Starship Down" seems a bit off. That is, this is a situation that ought to feel very tense; the ship is crippled, the people are separated and wounded and there are still ships out there ready to attack. Given that, we ought to have some feeling of menace and be worried for our heroes. But the episode never gets into stride, never getting tense enough for us to buy.

What it lacks in tension and mood, it more than makes up for in character substance. In a strangely easy to watch segment, Kira surrenders to failure and actually opts to pray for Captain Sisko because she has no other alternatives. While as a general statement, this might be disturbing, it fits Kira's character and it reinforces beyond all other indications that she IS an outsider and not used to this type of situation. Put Kira in a mountain cave and she can lead an attack or defense, put her on a starship and she is somewhat less competent.

Worf's experience in dealing with engineers is decent, but seems overstated. Expecting that Worf has never had to order around engineers is not quite as bad as forcing the viewer to suspend our disbelief to the point of accepting that after thirty years among humans, Data had never heard "guts" used as a euphemism for intuition, but it seems somewhat unlikely. Then again, Worf has worked in engineering ("Lonely Among Us" from Star Trek: The Next Generation) and commanded in security, but not explicitly commanded in engineering before.

The best moments of character come in the scenes between Quark and Orinthar. Here Quark has a chance to successfully do what it is he's supposed to be able to do well. That is, we see him wheeling and dealing and it's refreshing to see Quark be convincing in a business manner in a way we've never been privy to before. Quark actually uses the opportunity of the disaster to illustrate a point to Orinthar and as a result, we have a sense of his finesse that has been lacking in the usual episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. There's a wonderful bit of explicit illustration of the cunning and conniving that Quark supposedly has that makes him worth Odo's attention for all of these years.

The acting here comes through given that many of the scenes are so very focused on the characters. Even the extras in "Starship Down" seem to have been cast well, especially the Defiant engineers. They use their facial expressions well to captivate their disappointment, frustration and whimsy. They are a great contrast to Michael Dorn who does not use his face for emoting in this episode. Instead, Dorn relies almost entirely on his voice for his presentation and that works well, too.

Alexander Siddig and Terry Farrell deserve credit for their performances, though they do not have a lot in terms of airtime. Still, they manage to very convincingly play their characters freezing to death and asphyxiating. Similarly, Nana Visitor gives a frustrated performance that at the very least convinces the viewer of Captain Sisko's jeopardy.

But in the end, "Starship Down" proves that if you pay for decent guest actors, you'll get great results. James Cromwell plays Orinthar opposite Armin Shimerman's Quark. As a result, the pair plays off one another very well, with two of the most professional actors given the chance to really dive into their characters. Cromwell makes a great Karema.

"Starship Down" is likely to be enjoyed more by people who were not fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or any of the Star Trek series' because it is more likely to seem new and different as opposed to something that has been done before. Either way, the viewer gets a better-than-average episode of television that focuses very tightly on characters trapped in situations working desperately to get out of them. While this episode does mark the finale to the quasi-romantic relationship between Dax and Bashir, it is not a part of the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the turnaround season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

For other works featuring James Cromwell, please visit my reviews of:
The West Wing - Season 6
Six Feet Under
L.A. Confidential
Star Trek: First Contact
"The Birthright, Part 1"
"The Hunted"

7/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie or DVD set reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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