1V09
Voyager technology is found on a Kazon ship.
Starring: | Chakotay |
Co-Starring: | Janeway, Tuvok, (Seska) |
Featuring: | The Doctor, Torres, Kes, (Carey) |
Cameo: | Kim, Paris, Neelix |
An important show, I think, is defining Star Trek Voyager's identity: subtle continuity and stories that emphasis character over everthing else.
What is this episode?
(1) It's a mystery show, in which the finger of suspicion is skillfully wavered between two different characters. Back and forth is goes, and noone can guess where it will eventually end up.
(2) It's a characters show. The central character is Chakotay. We see both his loyalty to Seska, and his faith in his own judgement, being royally tested.
Does Chakotay come off badly in the episode?
Not really. Who has not been duped or misled by those around them at one point or another? Chakotay's only flaw is that he is too trusting. That is not a flaw. And the fault lies with those who would take advantage of his trust. What matters to me is that when the episode was over, I really liked Chakotay and felt for him.
We learn a few things about life on the ship in this episode. Two references in particular help us to see Voyager as a community. The line "before the rumours get out of hand" emphasises this mentality. Even Carey says, later, that "everybody knows" about Seska being in the cave. In this way Star Trek Voyager captures the feeling of Space:1999 and Battlestar Galactica, two shows about communities cast adrift in space without forewarning. Even Janeway refers to the fact that they are all in this together.
GRADE: A+