The Voyager crew find their molecular cohesion breaking down, just as they are about to reach Earth thanks to their newly-advanced technology.
If you know the concept (which has been fairly well publicised) behind this story, the first 20 minutes are fun to watch but not very intriguing. However, if you don't know that this is a story about the Voyager crew's doppelgangers from the demon class planet (see Demon), it's something of a shock to see a wedding and a major character die early on.
It doesn't end there, of course. This is a neatly written tale that brings the viewer into the real situation gradually, making you like these characters so that you feel suitably upset when they die. The way the story runs is unusual as well, with the ending not the kind you would expect from Voyager, which helps make this story stand out from the rest and provides something of a moving finish. The pacing is excellent, the make-up is effective (although slightly laughable in some cases), and considering this story only uses the regulars, each one is well used.
There are a couple of minor nit-picks, such as how the duplicates managed to reach Earth so quickly, and managed to find Voyager in no time heading back, but it's nothing serious. A change of pace episode that's surprisingly effective.
****
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