Experiments by the Doctor to add a daydreaming subroutine to his program attract the attention of an alien scout, whose race decide to attack Voyager.
It's a fairly simplistic idea, but it's a Doctor story, and on that basis it usually manages to triumph, and this is no exception. The overall plot is not particularly imaginative, with the ending in particular being reminiscent of original Trek's The Corbomite Maneuver, as the Doctor undertakes a bluff to stave off an attack.
What makes this episode so much fun is the Doctor's imaginings. Whether they're painting Seven in the nude or captaining the Voyager, the concepts are so unexpected that they're extremely funny. The highlights must surely be possibly the funniest Voyager opening sequence ever as the Doctor sings a song to calm Tuvok's pon farr and inject him, and the scene in which he tries to avert a warp core breach and the computer comes out with "Warp core breach sooner than you expect". If only it gave this kind of assistance more often.
Okay, so a string of fantasy sequences don't necessarily make a well-plotted story, but the consistently watchable Robert Picardo shows his range of diverse talents and acting skills bringing a whole new set of characteristics to life, and for that alone this episode is well worth watching.
One thing still bothers me, however. On every other Starfleet vessel, the Chief Medical Officer is allowed to take over if the Captain is incapacitated in some way. Given the lack of frequency of this happening, why is Janeway so loathe to give her holographic CMO the same responsibilities? It seems only fair. Here's to the further adventures of Captain Doctor.
****
Would you like to go to the Star Trek: Voyager Season Six guide, head back to the main TV reviews page, read older reviews in the Reviews Archive or return to the front page?
Get your own Free Home Page