The main reason I found "Memorial" interesting was that it brought up a thought-provoking moral issue. Should they tear down the memorial to prevent others from experiencing the same trauma the crew did, or should it be preserved, if only to honor the 84 genocide victims?
I believe that Janeway made the right decision but that her comparison to the fields at Gettysburg was flawed. The rows of white crosses at Gettysburg representing the lives lost in war can be viewed by anyone who wishes to see them. The memorial, however, literally forces passers-by to relive the horrors experienced during the planet's war. It was a wise idea to place a warning buoy in orbit.
Okay, now I'll start at the beginning. I really enjoyed the scene where a grumpy Harry Kim is admonishing Tom for leaving a dirty plate in the replicator. The alien Janeway called "photogenic" was so cute. I loved Tom's television set and B'Elanna telling him that the warp core overloaded and the crew all got assimilated was pretty funny.
It seems as if the writers couldn't make up their minds as to which members of the crew had been affected. The Doctor explained that 39 crewmembers had been experiencing hallucinations, and then Tuvok stated that the entire crew had been affected. Near the end of the episode, Chakotay mentioned that half of the crew had been "traumatized" by war memories.
So, did Tom and B'Elanna ever make up? They kind of left that subplot hanging.
I found "Memorial" very interesting and new. It was a unique story idea and I applaud Brannon Braga for his (almost) perfect script.
Bottom Line: Makes you think
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"Memorial" reminded me a little of "Nemesis" with all the shooting scenes in the forest. I really didn't care for either episode.
There were a few nice scenes with Harry complaining about the cramped quarters aboard the Delta Flyer with the 3 other guys, and I like when he accused Tom of leaving a dirty plate in the replicator.
I also liked the B'Elanna/Tom interaction. It was nice to see them doing something together: I wasn't sure if they were dating or not anymore...
There were a few discrepancies I found. Why did the Delta Flyer crew start remembering things before the others on Voyager? Also, just how many people were being affected by the memories? Tuvok said that it was the entire crew, whereas the Doctor said that 39 crewmembers had begun to experience the memories. Near the end, however, Chakotay said that half the crew had been traumatized. What gives? It looked like Seven, the Doctor and Tuvok weren't affected at all....
I liked the alien inscription on the memorial statue:
Words alone cannot convey the suffering.
Words alone cannot prevent what happened here from happening again.
Beyond words lies experience.
Beyond experience lies truth.
Make this truth your own.
I was glad that Janeway decided to keep the Memorial but erect a warning buoy. It was the right thing to do.
An okay episode, but not one I'll be watching again soon.
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