Voyager Rant: The Sixth Season (1999-2000)

Star Ratings are out of five (***** is very rare). You are hereby warned that the following rant/reviews may contain "spoiler" content—so if you have not seen the episode(s) in question, read on at your own risk. I may, on occasion, use a mild sw**r w*rd. This series of reviews starts partway into the season, at "Tsunkatse." I may eventually get around to the earlier episodes :-)

5/27/00—Review for: "Unimatrix Zero" (Seven enters a reality known as 'Unimatrix Zero,' which is actually Borg dream-land)

Okay, okay, so we have another Borg episode, and I've complained often enough about overuse of everyone's favorite race of cybernetic lifeforms...so, I'll skip that bit and go straight to the other problems I have with this episode.

It started off on a bad note. Anyone who knows me doubtless also knows that Tom Paris is by far my least favorite character, but I'll try to be objective here...so, on a purely objective basis, why was he the one to be promoted?

Tuvok has surely been the most exemplary member of the crew—doesn't he deserve the rank of Commander? After all, if Troi could do it.... B'Elanna Torres has been a lieutenant for six years, and everyone knows that a chief engineer should be more than that. Of course, perhaps no one deserves to be promoted more than Harry Kim. He has worked diligently for six years in the service of Voyager. He's chief of operations, but still an ensign. Why? My guess is that Robert Duncan McNeil complained to the producers (he certainly did in a recent interview for Star Trek: The Magazine).

But wrongful promotion isn't the only problem with this show. I found the whole premise of the Borg dream-land to be just a little hokey. It's a concept that changes our perception of the Borg forever, and I actually liked them just the way they were. Seven's 'old flame' (for want of a better term) was okay, and I liked his latex (looks like he's part Cardassian, doesn't he?). The lost love aspect of the story could have possibilities, but I can't say I'm all that excited about it.

I'm very worried about Voyager's Chief of Operations. Although I haven't heard that Garret Wang is going to leave the show, the Borg Queen's threat still sent shivers up my spine. And while we're on the subject of the Queen....

Okay, I can understand the Borg Queen speaking out loud to Janeway. I can also understand her talking to Seven, as she did in "Dark Frontier." I'm afraid what I don't understand is why she had to speak out loud to her fellow Borg. We've seen in both Voyager and Star Trek: First Contact that she can communicate very well with her drones without having to utter a syllable. Oh, I know it's for our benefit, but she certainly doesn't know we're eavesdropping...does she?

Good aspects to this episode? Certainly. First, even though I love to complain about the Borg, when they're used well, they're very effective. As I said, this doesn't rate with the top Borg episodes of either Voyager or TNG, but it's a fair entry. Second, one of my biggest wishes has come true: the Delta Flyer was blown up! Yes!!!!!!!! Much bigger thrill than seeing the Defiant blown up on DS9, but then, I actually cared for the Defiant.... Third, the ending: wow! I didn't think they had the guts to assimilate Janeway! Adding B'Elanna was a nice touch (hey, at least it'll keep her away from helm boy for awhile), although I am totally against violence to my favorite Vulcan. Oh, well...can't have everything, can we?

Rating? Oh boy, here we go again. Points taken off for Paris's promotion, the concept of Borg dream-land, and the fact that this is beating the dead horse of the Borg yet again. But I give kudos for destroying the Delta Flyer, as well as the assimilating ending. ****

5/23/00—Review for: "The Haunting of Deck 12" (Neelix tells the Borg kids a scary ghost story)

Oh puh-leeeaaassseee. Neelix tells the Borglets a ghost story—ooh, I was just waiting on the edge of my seat all week for this one!

This falls into the category that I reserve for but a few privileged masterpieces of floppery, like "Blood Fever," or "Course Oblivion," or (my favorite) "The Fight": my GOD what a dumb episode.

The only thing that even made this watchable (and I do mean the only thing) was the talent of the young actors who play the Borg kids. Stupid premise, stupid dialouge, stupid and predictable ending...and it was not even the slightest bit entertaining. Good to see Voyager back to its old self, isn't it?

*1/2

5/20/00—Review for: "Life Line" (The Doctor beams over to the Alpha Quadrant to save his creator)

I know, I know...a week late again. What's my excuse this time? I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. Oh dear, where should I start?

First of all, let me say that Robert Picardo turned in, as always, a brilliant performance. The script was pretty good, with a couple of unfortunate low points, and it's always nice to see our old buddies Counselor Troi and Lt. Broc-o-li again. The scene where the Doctor is impersonating one of those Insurrection masseurs was hilarious, and the talking iguana and the superbug were nice touches.

So, everything seems to be blowing in the right direction...why don't I love this episode? I don't know...I guess it's just that indescribable 'Art neu-Voyager' quality that hangs about it. I mean, that stench that seems to work its way into even the best of episodes these days. God, what am I rambling on about? Anyone who reads this'll have me put in the looney bin....

But seriously, Voyager just doesn't seem to have the same spring that TNG, DS9, and even some of the TOS episodes had about them. I can't really explain it. Sure, TOS was unwatchable some of the time (I cringe when I hear the words "Spock's Brain"), TNG certainly had its low points (two words: "The Royale"), and even my favorite deceased series, DS9, had faults (remember "Captive Pursuit"?)...but none of these compares with Voyager's present state.

So, you ask, why am I even bothering to watch the series, let along write these reviews? Well, as you see, not all episodes are met with the same tirade...and there's this thing called 'hope'....

So, I give "Life Line" a respectable grade: ****

5/12/00—Review for: "Fury" (A VERY angry Kes returns to destroy Voyager)

It has taken me a week to write about this one because I haven't been able to decide whether I love it or hate it. Okay, Kes is back...something I've wished for ever since she disappeared in a flash of light in the fourth season's "The Gift." But unfortunately, this reunion is not everything that I—or many others, I suspect—could have hoped for.

The departure of Kes from Voyager's crew left a gap that Seven of Nine never quite filled. Sure, I like Seven, and apart from the gross overuse that often afflicts her, she's a sound, interesting character. But Seven of Nine is not Kes.

I'm sure that there are a lot of fans out there who would say 'good riddance' to the departure of the Ocampa. Kes was always a little naive, and some would even go so far as to say boring. But I always had a soft spot for the short-lived life form who sailed into the lives of Voyager's crew. She represented something that no one else on the crew can: innocence. When I watched her begin her journey of exploration in "The Gift," the only consolation was that she was doing what inspired her. The value of exploration is surely one of Gene Roddenberry's most enduring messages.

So now, she shows up, three years later, and tries to destroy her old friends, her old teachers and mentors, because she wants to go home.

What a disgrace to her character.

Gone is the inspired, innocent Kes, who embarked on the journey of her lifetime. Now, she comes back, that bubble having been burst, seeking revenge on Janeway and the others for dragging that innocent child away from her home.

Character destruction aside, my bubble was burst as well. When Kes left, at the age of four or so, I assumed that now that she was non-corporeal, she would no longer live for only nine years, as most Ocampa do. But in this episode, we see her at seven years old, and looking it (in Ocampan terms, that is). Gee, I guess I was wrong about that one....

Did this episode have anything good in it? Of course it did; even the worst episodes usually have some redeeming features (except "The Fight"—couldn't find any there). The time travel aspect put an interesting twist on things, and it was good to see the Vidians and Samantha Wildman again (when was the last time we saw her—last season?). And yes, it was good to see Jennifer Lien again, even if her lines were less than stellar.

So, time to assign a rating...a more difficult task than it usually is, given the positive and negative aspects of this show. I take off major points for the characterization of 'Evil Kes' as well as the ending, but add some points for the nostalgia trip. ***

5/1/00—Review for: "Muse" (B'Elanna and Harry crash on 'Poet Planet')

I'll take it for granted that the writers intended no infringement on that old DS9 episode (called "The Muse" I believe). Somewhat unusual idea: B'Elanna crash lands the Delta Flyer on a planet (that alone is worth an extra 1/2 star). B'Elanna can't get the Flyer to fly, and so enlists the help of a local poet to gather raw materials, etc. In return, she serves as his 'muse,' meaning his inspiration for the poetry that he writes. Basically, a mediocre episode, with a few superb moments, not the least of which was Harry Kim's sudden return (he had been ejected in an escape pod, and crashed 200 km away on the same planet, and then walked the distance). As some of you probably know by now, one of my favorite pet peeves about Voyager is the dropped ball concerning the Kim/Torres friendship/relationship/whatever. The early episodes were packed with touching moments between these two, but this friendship disintegrated in the later seasons. It's good to see them together again.

But the overall plot of the show didn't really sing. The ending was a lousy anti-climax that didn't really justify itself in comparison with the rest of the show (oh, please, B'Elanna jumping into the play to 'save' the poet?). I couldn't really figure out why Torres was so surprized at the idea of Janeway and Chakotay...she seemed more ticked off about that than she didn't about Paris/Seven....

Anyway, I have to take off points for the general plot, some of the guest acting, and the ending, but I give kudos for finally wrecking the Delta Flyer (although it'll probably be back next week anyway), and the scenes between Kim and Torres. ****

5/1/00—Review for: "Live Fast and Prosper" (Aliens impersonate Janeway et al)

Sorry for the tardiness of this one, but there's this thing called 'college'....

Well, this one didn't really inspire me one way or the other a whole lot. In other words, it wasn't one of those episodes that I love to bits and therefore can't wait to write about it. On the other hand, I didn't hate it enough to want to write about it either.

The concept (these bad dudes impersonate Janeway and her officers, using this to gain supplies etc.) was interesting, though I wasn't totally impressed by the guest performances. The 'other' Janeway, though somewhat lacking in character, was still more interesting than the 'real' Janeway, though (I didn't see her running around lovestruck about a collection of photons and forcefields).

In all, a mediocre episode, with a few good highlights. ***1/2

3/19/00—Review for: "Good Shepherd" (Janeway takes young junior officers under her wing)

Two good ones in a row? What is Voyager coming to these days?

This show was just as good as last weeks—a "Lower Decks" type look at some of Voyager's junior crew. This one actually touched me in a way that few episodes can. I can actually relate to the three crewmen who join Janeway on the shuttle mission—each of them has a part of me within them. Mister "Theory not practice" reflects a lot of my feelings about my future career in science—I enjoy the theories to no end, but actually getting out there and doing science leaves me cold. The Bajoran is also a lot like me, in that I wouldn't trust myself with the kind of life-or-death work that goes on in a Star Trek episode. Finally, I think there's a bit of the hypochondriac in all of us.

But perhaps the reason why these three people touch me so is because they are normal. They're not the typical save-the-universe-and-look-good type of person that you generally see on Star Trek. They are real people with real problems that we can relate to. They're down to Earth, compared with the unrealistically perfect and heroic senior officers aboard Voyager, DS9, and the ships called Enterprise. These are the little people—the people who we almost never see, but can always relate to.

****1/4

3/19/00—Review for: "Child's Play" (Custody battle over one of the Borglets)

Sorry about the tardiness of this one, but I liked the episode too much to have the urge to rant about it. Besides, this is spring break...I've got better things to do than play around on the 'net...oh, wait, what am I saying?

Anyway, I thought "Child's Play" was one of the best Voyagers in a long time. The only thing I didn't like about it was Janeway's attitude—even before they found out what his parents were going to do to the poor tot, the situation was handled badly. I agreed with Seven, that the boy should have stayed on Voyager no matter what. Just consider all of the problems Seven caused when she first returned to humanity...trying to assimilate people at every turn, break free and return to the collective...and she had a group of competant (maybe) Starfleet officers to restrain her. If the boy had gone berserk on his home planet, I don't give much for the inhabitants' chances.

But, anyway, I liked most aspects of the episode: ****1/4

3/4/00—Review for: "Ashes to Ashes" (Harry falls in love with a dead gal)

My goodness, what have we here? A Harry Kim episode? I thought those had been extinct since the second season....

Silliness aside, this episode was actually very serious and dramatic. I'm actually the last person who wants Harry Kim to fall in love with a secondary character, but it's certainly a step up from last week, when they had him wooing Maggie the cow (er, the Irish holoslut). I'm glad the writers have stopped (at least, for now) dragging Harry through the mud. For once, Garret Wang actually got to shine as an actor, and the story wasn't bad (though most of us could probably guess what the ending would be halfway through the show). As I said before, I didn't much care for the romance in this episode, but then, I'm biased....

The B-story was (surprise) about the Borg kids we picked up a couple of episodes ago. As I said before, I have reservations about these children, since they could very well take story time away from the regulars. But if the writers stick to using them in B-stories most of the time, I see little problem. The B-story is often an important aspect of a Star Trek episode; even if the A-story is something you don't care for, there's still a reason to watch. There can actually be quite a bit of character development in quite a short time in this sort of subplot. Voyager usually isn't too good at coming up with good B-stories, but this one was not too shabby.

Overall, both the A and B-stories were above Voyager average. Mind you, if Lindsay had decided to stay on Voyager, I wouldn't have liked it as much....

***3/4

2/28/00—Review for: "Spirit Folk" (More rubbish from the holotown of Fair Haven)

Ah, yes, Voyager is back to its old self—stupid, stomach turning, and just plain boring. I've mentioned before that I believe Voyager to be a basically reactionary show. I'll just mention it again. The Voyager writers and producers sit back and think...hmm...what would be a good subject that would get a lot of attention? What was popular with TNG? Q. The Borg. So, let's use them! While we're at it, we'll throw in a professional wrestler (that "sport" has been sky-rocketing in popularity recently), and a cute Irish hamlet. After all, anything Celtic is really big at the moment....

I have nothing against the Irish. I love Riverdance and any sort of Celtic music—in all probability a lot more than the average Voyager fan. What I don't like is seeing these things shoved into a science fiction show. Come on, guys, we're watching Voyager because its Star Trek, not because it's Ballykissangel! I won't even go into the wooden acting (no fault of the actors, I'm sure), the stereotyping, the romance thing between Janeway and O'Sullivan, etc. Dragging Harry Kim's character through the mud (he's falling in love with another hologram?) makes this episode even worse. As if all this isn't enough, there are huge problems with the whole premise of this episode. These holographic characters have consciousness...okay, we can accept that; there's a precident for sentient holograms on both Voyager and TNG. But the details of the program, like using those berries to ward off the evil spirits, were simply ludicrous. Did Paris actually program that particular little detail into the computer, or did Starfleet's database, with its limited storage capacity, decide that this little detail should be included. Some may dismiss this complaint, saying that I'm not going along with the spirit of the episode, but please, just listen to what I have to say. This sort of sloppy writing should not be tolerated; it can disrupt the continuity of the show, as well as simply destroying the illusion. Nitpickers have had at Star Trek for years, but Voyager's is riper ground than most.

What do I give this masterpiece of floppery? **

2/20/00—Review for: "Collective" (Introducing: the Borglets)

This episode was not quite as entertaining as last week's "Tsunkatse," but on the other hand, it was no "Memorial" either. It had some genuinely good ideas in it—the Borg children were particularly effective. But on the whole, I'd have to say that it had more problems than highlights.

The episode's very premise—another Borg episode—was enough to turn my stomach. Yes, the Borg children were good, but do we really need to have more rehashing of the same old enemy? According to the writers, Voyager was thrown out of Borg territory by Kes in "The Gift." They seem to have forgotten this small detail, since they keep running back to the Borg every time they get writer's block (and let's face it, that's been happening a lot lately). The writers' reasoning of late seems to be: if ratings are slumping, why not throw in a 'Seven' episode? After all, she's one of the only characters who still has any integrity to stand on. This fact really showed in this episode. The only thing Harry Kim seemed to be good at was taking blows from the Borg—for a minute, I was afraid they'd killed him off (well, at least then, maybe they'd pay more attention to him). We saw more rehashing of old material—the Doctor's protests ('Are you really going to use this virus, Captain? Gee, when you asked me to synthesize it, I thought you were just trying to keep me occupied'), Janeway's horrific over-acting when she sees the Borg cube on the viewer, and Paris's uninspired quips in the middle of a life-threatening crisis. One scene that was almost embarassing was when the away team was playing poker and had to explain everthing to Neelix—not really so that the Talaxian would understand, but so that non-poker-playing fans wouldn't feel left out. Of course, the TNG crew played poker all the time, but somehow never managed to be quite this patronizing.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about "Collective" is the ending. Don't get me wrong—I think that a group of former Borg children could add interesting plot threads and character conflicts. But that is precisely the problem. Star Trek: Voyager is supposed to be an ensemble show, just like the other two 'modern' Treks. Voyager started out this way, with good episodes distributed to each and every one of its characters, but ever since the fourth season, when Seven of Nine came aboard, most characters have been getting the short end of the stick. Chakotay, Harry Kim, B'Elanna Torres, Neelix, and Tuvok have had no more than a handful of decent episodes in recent years. Most stories seem to be going to one of three characters: Janeway, Seven, or the Doctor. Bringing a bunch of Borg kids onto the scene is not going to help the situation. Chakotay and company have few enough stories as it is, without giving away more stories to Seven and her new brood. I'm beginning to wonder if Voyager's writers are afraid to write for the other characters. Obviously, Seven is the easiest to write for, but she's supposed to be one of a team. Are we trying for a repeat of the fourth season? Is this reverting back to the "Seven of Nine Show?"

Overall, a fair episode, by Voyager's current standards. ***1/2

2/14/00—Review for: "Tsunkatse" (Seven takes up professional wrestling)

When I first heard of this episode, I was skeptical. After all, all that the previews seemed to focus on was "The Rock," a pro wrestler who had a guest starring role in the show. Of course, anyone with half a brain would have a negative initial reaction to this, but that reaction turned out to be largely unjustified.

Of late, Voyager's shows have not been all that inspiring to me—last week's "Memorial" made us think, but Janeway ended up making a questionable decision (yeah, what else is new?). "Tsunkatse" was pretty good episode, especially the guest stars...Jeffrey Combs, J. G. Herzler...it's a DS9 fan's dream! Combs turned in a solid performance as the somewhat Vorta-like (no coincidence) manager of a gladiator ring. Herzler was excellent as a seasoned Hirogen fighter. The twist at the end, with Seven ending up fighting her teacher, was great. I also enjoyed the dialouge between Seven and Tuvok—I always like shows with lots of interaction between those two logical beings.

Of course, no episode is perfect. I found the crew's enthusiasm over the fights to be somewhat sickening. They seemed to revel in watching someone kicking the cr*p out of another person—did they really think that it didn't hurt? I realize that they didn't know that it wasn't exactly voluntary, but is it really fitting that Starfleet officers behave this way? Cheering on the contestants as if they were the gladiators of ancient Rome? They usually have such an aversion to the suffering of others (except B'Elanna, of course). Of course, maybe this served as a contrast to their attitude when they saw Seven down there in that ring. But getting a good story out of it does not justify writing an out-of-character script. Unfortunately, this principle seems to have been lost on the Voyager writers of late.

Overall, though, this is one of Voyager's best episodes this season...which makes it one of the best in the last two seasons...not to mention the last three....

Okay, okay, I give it ****1/4.

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