The Delta Flyer crashes, leaving Paris, Tuvok and Ensign Wildman trapped beneath layers of rock, and Neelix must decide how much to tell the Ensign's daughter about her mom's predicament.
Okay, let's run through the bad stuff first. The Delta Flyer crashes. Big shock. It was only built ten minutes ago, and already it's down. And how come this now seems to be Voyager's only shuttlecraft? The scenes of the downed crew trying to survive are very dull, and ultimately pointless, as we know they're going to be rescued. Perhaps another plot was needed. Secondly, Naomi Wildman's holodeck storybook programme is hideously chirpy, and made me want to punch out the lead characters.
Now the good stuff. Scarlett Pomers (Naomi Wildman) is very good in her role, coming across as a very natural and intelligent child. Hopefully we'll see more of her as the season progresses, especially as she's more interesting than half the regulars are after five years.
The tension is kept up well, and you're not quite sure whether Naomi's mother will survive or not, and Neelix's moral dilemma about how much to tell the child is played out well, with Janeway finally having a conversation with the Talaxian in her ready room in which Ethan Phillips gets to show the caring side of Neelix, and exposes some of the character's past. The storybook also makes something of a co,ourful change even though the characters leave something to be desired. I know it's meant to be a children's book, but Naomi comes across as too clever for this sort of thing. An odd episode, that is so unlike past Voyager's that it's worth a look.
***
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