CoffeeCat wrote:Kevin Thomas Riley wrote:And I don't even like the Kazons...
Because they're basically dumbed down Klingons with bad hairdos?
Exactly!
*****
2-16 Meld
Brad Dourif totally steals the show in Meld as the calm and collected psychopath Lon Suder, who committed a random act of murder of a crewmember just because he didn't like the way he looked at him. Never have we seen a character like this on Trek before and that is very appealing to me. Naturally he's not a human since humans in the 24th century are "evolved", so he's made a Betazoid. But that really works better not just because of those creepy black eyes, but who other than a telepathic Betazoid could influence a Vulcan the way he does.
Every Trek show that has Vulcans must inevitably have at least one episode that deals with them losing their emotional suppression. Spock did, Sarek did, T'Pol did and this is Tuvok's turn. Even though he's my least favourite Vulcan I thought Tim Russ did an excellent job here. Finally we got to see some depth to his otherwise boring stoic stiff.
I found it fascinating to have an episode that dealt with aspects of seemingly mindless violence and the workings of an intelligent but extremely disturbed mind. They glossed over the discussion about the death penalty, and maybe that was wise. However what should they do with a violent criminal when the trip home takes 70 odd years? They can't just dump him off lest he'd go on a killing spree in the Delta quadrant so they have to lock him up indefinitely, and allow him to be a drain on their limited resources. As it happens, it turns out they lucked out on that one (see Basics, Part I and II).
While Tuvok strangling holo-Neelix was disturbing I can't help feeling gratified in a macabre sort of way. Come on, I dare any viewer who didn't want to strangle Neelix at one point of another!
The b-plot about a more rebellious Tom Paris running a betting pool on the holodeck would've been unforgettable if it wasn't part of a set up for later developments.
I'll go out on a limb and give Meld a grade of 8- out of 10.
2-17 Dreadnought
This is the third episode centred on B'Elanna Torres and I certainly don't mind. Oddly enough she once again gets to confront herself (the first was in Faces), this time in the form of the intelligent missile she once programmed with her own voice as a Maquis. It was funny watching her trying to essentially outwit herself, even if it got repetitive after a while.
The episode isn't remarkable but fairly average. The plot reminded me of other Trek episodes, especially The Ultimate Computer from the original series, but also of HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
If the writers had any guts they would've allowed for that alien planet to be destroyed by the Dreadnought, but this is modern Trek and they don't do that. But imagine the dramatic possibilities if they all had to live with consequences of that, especially Torres.
B'Elanna also had a nice moment with Tom when they talked about his rebellious behaviour. There is chemistry there. As for Tom Paris, this is obvious a set up for a later pay off, as the previous instances where he behaved strange. For a new viewer it must seem confusing.
So I'll give an average grade of 5 out of 10 for Dreadnought.
2-18 Death Wish
Although John de Lancie is a great actor, I've never liked his character of Q. He's usually a big annoyance whenever he shows up. Sisko punched him in the face when he showed up on Deep Space Nine, but Janeway is more polite.
However this is the first time I can recall a Q episode that's actually pretty decent and, dare I say, interesting. Of course it's not without the usual trickster shenanigans, but for once the Q continuum and its inhabitants are treated as more than obnoxious persons with God-like powers.
The episode deals with Quinn (as he eventually will be called), a member of the continuum, who wants to commit suicide. He's tired of the immortal life and feels, rightly, that the Q continuum has stagnated. The story deals less with the moral dilemma of suicide, assisted or otherwise, than with the implications of immortality. And that's a wise choice in my mind.
It raises interesting philosophical questions. Do we really want to live forever if we think really hard about it? And what would happen to a society of immortals? The visualisation, for the benefit of Janeway and Tuvok, of the Q continuum as a desert road and a worn down house with silent, bored people is quite clever and gets the point home. They have literally all been there and none that, and nothing is left.
Death Wish gives needed depth to both Q and the continuum. Even Q is taken by Quinn's argument, probably because he himself has been something of a rebel before (getting cast out of the continuum on The Next Generation episode Dejà Q). I just wish they'd stayed away from the cameo appearance of Riker, Sir Isaac Newton and some hippie that served no real purpose.
The main problem with having Q on Voyager (and he will return) is that he so easily could send them home, but mustn't lest the show would be over. This is already apparent in this episode when he shows Earth outside the window in the ready room. The reasons for him not helping them (besides being a prick) will become more contrived for each appearance.
I'll give a grade of 6 out of 10 to Death Wish.