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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph To Boldly Trek Where Many Geeks Have Gone Before- VOY: Drive, Repression & Imperfection

Discussion in 'Community' started by The2ndQuest , Jun 25, 2006.

  1. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000


    VOY 307/304: The Swarm
    -Premise: The Doctor suffers from a computer malfunction; Voyager is attacked by a swarm of alien warships.
    [​IMG]

    -T2Q Comments: I'm really tempted to subtitle these aliens:
    "Well, we're here, now what do we do?"
    "Well, we might as well ****ing shoot them, i suppose."
    "Good call."

    The Doctor is being played a bit broad here, even factoring in what it's supposed to convey. So Janeway suggests they modulate their shields to avoid the phaser fire being reflected back at them...but the whole point that they couldn't use torpedos before was because shields were drained/offline...so, how can this plan work?

    Well, the Doctor's plotline was completely unconnected to the Swarm story (and actually makes the slight attempt at cross-over with Kess's brief appearance on the bridge even more laughably obvious- no we can't spare someone for your subplot, Kess, we're kinda under attack).

    The Swarm enemies have potential but I'm guessing this is the last we see of them. Still, a nice change of pace for an encountered race- and at least they weren't forehead aliens. Still, despite the potential of them and the novelty of meeting the Doctor's creator, this is very much an Average episode.

    Trivia: Many facets of the Doctor's subplot were suggested by Picardo- including Zimmerman and the opera singing. Picardo provides all his own singing here. Foundation Imaging became the regular CGI supplier for Voyager from this episode onwards. This is the first time anybody says "EMH". This episode takes place before Futiure's End (as per comments made by the Doctor in Future's End) though the stardates suggest otherwise. Picardo regretted that the avoidance of serialized plot arcs prevented them from following through on the aftermath of this episode for the Doctor.




    DS9 506/505: The Assignment
    -Premise: After returning from the Fire Caves on Bajor, O'Brien finds that a Pah-wraith has seized control of Keiko's body and forces him to do her bidding or else face the death of his wife.
    [​IMG]

    -T2Q Comments: "Besides, I have to be operating in surgery..."
    "On who?"
    "I'll find someone."

    So Miles was possessed by an entity in TNG's Power Play and Keiko had to deal with it- now it's Miles turn to deal with Keiko being controlled- probably just coincidental but it'll be interesting to see if they bring that up at all..

    "My lips are sealed. Nobody will get anything out of me. Not even my name!"
    "Rom, everybody on the station knows your name."
    "...rrright. But I won't confirm it!"

    Kinda odd that Dax would ask Miles about his birthday over the comm here instead of asking him the last time she saw him, which would have been the day after the party.

    Not-Keiko says the wormhole aliens won't even see the blast coming- but they're 4th dimension entities, wouldn't they ALREADY have seen it happening? Cool effect with the station firing. Keiko's spasms aren't very convincing. The Highlander, she is not.

    I'm disappointed Power Play wasn't worked into the story but the idea of the Wraiths are an interesting addition to the Bajoran mythology, and I understand they'll be returning down the road in the story. Definitely Essential.

    Trivia: Original version of the story had Keiko visiting a planet of non-corporeal beings and once accompanies her before taking her hostage (instead of possession). Another "O'Brien Must Suffer" episode. Writing the teleplay crystalized when they determined the tone to be "everyone comes over for a party when you're having a huge fight with your wife and she acts as if everything is perfectly normal".

    The director of this episode would go on to direct almost 40 episodes across all 3 Trek shows- including 9 season finales. Though this is the first episode to mention the Pah-Wraiths/Pagh-Wraiths, the concept actually dates back to season 1's The Nagus, whose teleplay originally mentioned them, their caves and an early version of their cast-out concept. It was revisited here, not wanting to make the possessing entity a one-off alien.

    Nana Visitor went into labor during the production of the episode, necessitating a Bajoran holiday presided over by Kira to be rewritten as Miles' birthday. This episode is set in Sept 2373, as per DS9: Whispers establishing Miles' birthday to be in Sept.


    Up next: VOY 308 & 309: Future's End, Parts I & II.


    The Babylon Project Log:

    -Space stations ending with a numerical designation that are of commerce ports in nature (prominently featuring a casino area), near a giant swirling blue vortex passageway (wormhole/jumpgate) used for travel and a location of advanced creation (prophet temple/Great Machine).
    -Hard-edged female second in command, pessimistic, sarcastic security chief. somewhat ethnic doctor.
    -Characters named Dukat/Dukhat
    -A spiritual race recently coming free of occupation by a more militaristic civilization, the conflict of which led the spiritual race to become more militant themselves.
    -Gambler conman (Quark/Londo) has somewhat fluctuating antagonistic friendship with hard-edged chief of security (Odo/Garabaldi).
    -Characters played by Julie Caitlin Brown have a long-standing grudge against a notorious murderer who has prolonged their life at the expense of others through scientific experimentation (Rao Vantika/Jha'dur "Deathwalker").
    -The term "Changeling" has significance in relation to early parts of both series (the B5 pilot "the Gathering" and DS9's "Vortex" & beyond), though applied to different elements (technology versus a species).
    -A main character slowly constructs a device (chrysalis/clock) piece of piece in their quarters while conversing with a subordinate .
    -A main character often referred to as Chief (Miles/Garibaldi) has a recurring assistant (Neela/garibaldi's Aide) who is a plant by another faction that attempts to bring about political change by assassinating a prominent rival leader (Bariel/Santiago) in the first season finale so that one of their faction may replace him (Adami/Clark). Their plot is uncovered by the Chief character.
    -The Circle/Homeguard Bajoran for Bajorans, vandalism with a symbol; subdues and brands an alien on the middle of the forehead with their logo
    -Second Season opens with a command officer (Sinclair/Kira) being reassigned from the station to be among the religious order of a species heavily involved with the operation of the station, partly due to prophecy
    -A near-human alien race has their hair up in a fan-style to represent social status.
    -A character played by Julia Nickson (Catherine/Cassandra) romances (or attempts to romance) the commander of the station (Sinclair/Sisko).
    -Characters have discussion of higher and lower lifeforms awareness of each other to that of ants (Odo & Kira/G'Kar & Catherine Sakai).
    -3rd Season Premiere introduces a new prototype warship for use by the station's crew using technology from other races (Vorlon/Romulan), in response to the appearance of a powerful new enemy race (Shadows/ Dominion)
    -Image of female commanding officer of station used (or attempted to be used) in an erotic hologram program against her knowledge/wishes.
    -Shady Political Organization develops it's own fleet of ships in secret without knowledge of the military (Obsidian Order/Psi Corps)
    -During a time travel story in the 3rd season, the Commander of the station becomes/takes on the identity of a key historical figure.
    -An alien brings (or is speculated to have brought) knowledge of the future to the past that is passed on by others as religious prophecy amongst a spiritual people.
    -A main character uncontrollably flashes forward in time and attempts to use those visions to change future events (Miles/Several)
    -The Doctor must, through strength of will, fight his way through a potentially fatal wound inflicted by a one-shot criminal, guided by vision(s) of a familiar face(s) representing a different facet of his mind. (Bashir/Franklin)
    -The opening title sequence involves people in spacesuits doing external repairs to the station to convey a sense of scale
    -Weapon systems of the station are upgraded for a coming battle
    -Weapon systems on the station of similar design emerge from hidden ports
    -The station, after harboring political/military refugees/fugitives, must defend itself in battle (both against ships and boarding parties) against former allies. Re-enforcements to the attacking forces are known to arrive just as allied re-enforcements do so, forcing the resolution to the battle to make the attacking forces standdown.
    -A warrior of alien traditions joins the main cast about midway through the series.
    -A main character is involved in a "lesbian" relationship in an episode that aired in October 1995.
    -The main character (Sheridan/Sisko) serves under a high ranking Earth military officer played by Robert Foxworth (Hague/Leyton), who is attempting a coup against the Earth's government.
    -A guest character undergoes a mindwipe/death of personality. (chronological viewing also results in this episode being back to back with the VOY episode that features Brad Douriff, who plays the guest character on B5)
    -Labor disputes attempted to be resolved "by any means necessary" via enforcers.
    -A main alien character becomes more human through a drastic physical change.
    -The main enemy of the series (Shadows/Dominion) attempt to destabilize opposing forces by inciting war between factions by controlling/manipulating/allying with the rulers of one (or both) sides.
    -The advanced alien race worshipped as holy figures have a cast-off (or opposing) faction/race villified by the same races (Vorlons/Shadows; Minbari, Narns, etc).
     
  2. Mika-El-Hakim

    Mika-El-Hakim Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Keiko ep was annoying., the Swarm was decent.

    I really wish they would revisit DQ races in the comics or books.
     
  3. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    There is a series of books dealing with a Federation mission (which includes Voyager, I believe) heading back into the Delta Quadrant to followup on Voyager's original journey. Presumably some DQ races are revisited there (though obviously in reverse order).
     
  4. Mika-El-Hakim

    Mika-El-Hakim Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Not really with the exception of the talaxians who gave us Neelix.
     
  5. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Haven't read the books myself, just vaguely aware of them/their general premise.
     
  6. Mika-El-Hakim

    Mika-El-Hakim Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2012
  7. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000

    VOY 308: Future's End, Part I
    -Premise: After encountering a Federation timeship from the future, Voyager is flung back to 20th century Earth.
    [​IMG]

    -T2Q Comments: Given how much the line was promoted in the trailers and TV spots for TNG's most popular film, it's impossible to see this title without thinking of the Borg Queen saying "Watch your future's end!"

    I hate to say it... but doesn't that portable radio seem a bit too advanced for 1967? Federation "Timeship"... always the next logical step for the franchise.

    "According to astrometric readings...the year is 1996."
    Funny how that sounds so ominous, ha. You know... not just setting this during the year it aired but also in the city the show is made just seems a bit too much. One or the other, not both.

    Janeway and Chakotay's reaction to the 90's punks seems a bit out of place, given the hairstyles and decorations of the races they've worked with or encountered. I mean, a punk gets a strange "my mom" look, but she never blinks at the Water Klingons' coral reef disastacular?

    Wait...is that Sarah Silverman?! This episode just got more awesome. Janeways got a bit of a Shatner delivery at times here, doesn't she? "He and Tom will have to get there using more... conventional means."

    They're kinda going for a mad Doc Brown approach with this guy...not sure it works entirely. surely Sarah Silverman's character would have something to drive better than than that van? Feels like they're recycling something from another time travel episode.

    I seriously half-expected Neelix to switch to footage of the OJ chase. At least Harry's comments kinda addresses the lack of film/TV interest by Star Trek characters. I think this office the same set as the office in Past Tense, as well as maybe Harry's fake apartment.

    Interesting notion they suggest of the 20th century tech boom being the result of 29th century tech analysis- in a way, Starfleet has Skynetted itself into existence. Nice to see that 29th century tech can still give an advantage over 24th- the idea of using a transporter beam as a communications link holds potential.

    It's time travel- Definitely Essential.

    Trivia: This two-parter was originally planned to be the season 2 cliffhanger/season 3 opener but was saved for the 3rd season.

    Braga intended to use this two-parter to set a trend of making their two-part episodes be epic as a tradition, to start turning the show around by focusing less on the Maquis and the character angst of being lost and focusing more on stuff thats more fun to watch and write. As a result, the idea of Voyager in 1996 seemed (at the time) like an insane, high-concept idea that would be fun to watch- something they never would have thought of attempting on TNG or early Voyager.

    Berman thought it appropriate that a man willing to destroy the environment of the solar system be played by one of the most commited conservationists in Hollywood. Silverman was attracted to the role for it being different than what she was normally offered (sitcoms). She also was able to relate to her character's unfamilairty with the characters as Sarah was unfamilair with Voyager's crew herself, whle later in the second episode she would be more familair with them both ionscreen and in real life. Even after 16 hour work days, Sarah would stay on set to watch Kate Mulgrew work.

    The crew discover they're in the past by picking up radio transmissions instead of starfleet signals- the same way Kirk and crew figure it out in Tomorrow is Yesterday. This is the 3rd Trek story (after Assignment Earth and The Voyage Home) to be completely contemporary (though a few other episodes were-near contemporary, within 1-3 years).

    Despite being set in 1996, these episodes don't mention the Eugenics Wars which should be happening, according to Space Seed. The writers chose not to falsify the present. They also didnt want to bog down the episodes explaining the Eugenics Wars to the majoirty of the audience (which, according to research, apparently were irregular viewers of Voyager and not hardcore fans). However, as a nod, Rain's room has a model of the Botamy Bay near her window and a photo of it's launch stuck to her filing cabinet.

    A subtle gag: when Harry contacts the surface team after recieving the "Greettings from Earth" message, all the Angelenos walking past reach for their cellphones to answer them as the Captain's communicator beeps.

    Spock to Kirk in ST4: "What does it mean, exact change?" Tuvok to Paris here: "What does it mean, groovy?" Janeway refers to 90's technology as "stone knives and bearskins", the same comment made by Spock in City about 30's tech. This episode has the only mention of the word "teleport" anywhere in the Star Trek franchise. This two-parter was the first produced to air during sweeps, which would become an annual event for Voyager.



    VOY 309: Future's End, Part II
    -Premise: Janeway tries to prevent Henry Starling from launching the timeship without altering the past.
    [​IMG]

    -T2Q Comments: Surprising that they're at least acknowledging the Doctor's recent memory loss. This episode seems to have suddenly become almost a Doctor episode. The transport sequence isn't too shabby.

    Aaand... they've crashed into a proto-Tea Party militia, ha.

    "And YOU- Mr Leisure Suit."
    "There's a name I hadn't considered."

    "Chronowerx stock... is about to crash." ..."I guess you can kiss your trade franchise goodbye". Maybe it's a 90's thing.

    "Divine intervention is unlikely."

    The editing on the jump scene is terrible, making the actual jump not even close to being necessary...

    "I never experienced that timeline." and that right there is why a 29th century show would be great- it has it's own built-in Trek-lovin reset button without using a reset button.

    Ok, overall, not bad- not the best they've done, but the tension dealing with the consequences they're trying to prevent is not effective at all because we only hear about what will happen, we dont see it- and even if we had seen it, we don't care about the 29th century because we've never visited there before- it makes it come across much more obvious as the excuse for time travel that it actually is.

    Stuff like the truck/car chase had potential as an action sequence but was filmed poorly. Sarah Silverman may be hot here but she's obviously just getting started on her acting- she's serviceable here (no, I didn't mean it like that, filthy mind!) and has a few good moments, never terrible. Definitely Essential.

    Trivia: This arc originally included a third & fourth part, but was reduced to 3, then 2, following studio concerns (they weren't fans of even 2-parters, let alone 4). There would have been a storyline with Paris and Tuvok trapped in a convenience store while it was being ambushed by gang members, and the militia subplot would have been expanded.

    They considered bringing Rain (Sarah's character) aboard Voyager but Berman vetoed that idea (something he ultimately regretted, following fan dissapointment that she didn't join the crew). Picardo devised a joke that didn't make it into the episode: wanting the Doctor to be on the bridge for the first time, and subconsciously sit in the Captain's chair, as it just because it was the best place to look at the bridge from, and Janeway's "what are you doing?" reaction.

    First Contact, with the previously mentioned line from the Borg Queen, came out the week after this episode aired. Janeway leaves her combadge, her tricorder and the Doctor's holographic combadge behind. 7th chance for Voyager to return home. Rain mentions Mission: Impossible, which featured Leonard Nimoy for 2 seasons.

    Regarding the continued use of the mobile holo emitter, Picardo remarked that he was pleased fans embraced the idea and didn't write letters complaining that the continued use of 29th century tech was clearly breaking the Temporal Prime Directive.

    Silverman stated that she would have welcomed the chance to reprise the role if the possibility presented itself through cedible means, but would have been too scared to join the Voyager crew as Sarah was generally very anxious about commitment.


    Up next: DS9 507: Let He Who Is Without Sin..., DS9 508: Things Past & VOY 310: Warlord.


    Time Travel Log:

    -TNG: All Good Things... (alternate 3.5 Billion Years Ago; Jean Luc-Picard & Q; from alternate-2370)
    -TOS: All Our Yesterdays (2700 BC, Sarpedion Ice Age; NCC-1701 crew; from 2268)
    -TOS: All Our Yesterdays (Undefined 17th Century-esque Sarpeidon; NCC-1701 crew; from 2268)
    -TNG: Time's Arrow, part I (1893; NCC-1701-D crew; from 2368)
    -TOS: The City on the Edge of Forever (1930: NCC-1701 crew; from 2267)
    -DS9: Past Tense, Part II (1930; NX-74205 Defiant crew; from 2371)
    -DS9: Little Green Men (1947; Quark's Treasure crew; from 2372)
    -DS9: Past Tense, Part II (1967; NX-74205 Defiant crew; from 2371)
    -TOS: Assignment Earth (1968: NCC-1701; from 2268)
    -TOS: Tommorow is Yesterday (1969: NCC-1701; from 2267)
    -ST4: The Voyage Home (1986: The Bounty crew, formerly of NCC-1701; from 2286)
    -VOY: Future's End, Part I (1996; Aeon; from Alternate 29th Century)
    -VOY: Future's End, Part I (1996; NCC-74656; from 2372)
    -VOY: Future's End, Part II (1996; Aeon; from 29th Century)

    -DS9: Past Tense, Part I (2024; NX-74205 Defiant crew; from 2371)
    -DS9: Past Tense, Part II (2024; NX-74205 Defiant crew; from 2371)
    -DS9: Past Tense, Part II (2048; NX-74205 Defiant crew; from 2371)
    -TOS: The Tholian Web (2154 (Mirror Universe): NCC-1764 Defiant; from 2268)
    -TOS: The Naked Time (2266: NCC-1701 goes back in time 3 days; from 2266)
    -DS9:Trials and Tribble-ations (2268: NX-74205 Defiant crew; from 2373)
    -TNG: All Good Things... (alternate 2364; Jean Luc-Picard; from alternate-2370)
    -TNG: Time Squared (2365: Picard goes 6 hours into the past; from 2365)
    -TNG: Yesterday's Enterprise (2366 (Standard & FKW Universes); NCC-1701-C goes forward through a temporal rift; from 2344)
    -TNG: Captain's Holiday (2366; Vorgons; from 27th Century, approx. 2666)
    -TNG: Future Imperfect (False-2383; Will Riker. NCC-1701-D; from 2367)
    -TNG: A Matter of Time (2368; Berlinghoff Rasmussen; from 22nd Century, using 26th Century technology)
    -TNG: Cause and Effect (2368; NCC-1701-D ends up 17 days in the future after timeloop; from 2368)
    -TNG: Time's Arrow, part II (2368; Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens; from 1893)
    -TNG: Firstborn (2370; Alexander; from 2410)
    -TNG: All Good Things... (2370; Jean Luc-Picard from alternate-2370)
    -VOY: Time and Again (2371; NCC-74656 crew go back in time 1 day; from alternate-2371)
    -DS9: Visionary (2371; Miles flashes forward in time between 3.5 & 5 hours six times; from 2371)
    -VOY: Eye of the Needle ( 2371; data and Romulan; from 2351)
    -ST7: Generations (2371; Picard and Kirk through the Nexus from 2371 & 2293)
    -TNG: All Good Things... (alternate 2395; Jean Luc-Picard & Q; from alternate-2370)



    Alternate Universe Log:

    -TOS: The Alternative Factor (Anti-Matter Universe)
    -TOS: Mirror, Mirror (Mirror Universe)
    -TOS: The Tholian Web (Mirror Universe & "Solo-Kirk" Universe)
    -TNG: We'll Always Have Paris (Simultaneous Continuum universes, "Manheim Dimension")
    -TNG: Yesterday's Enterprise (Federation-Klingon War universe)
    -TNG: Remember Me (Beverly Crusher-created Warp Bubble Reality)
    -TNG: Cause and Effect (failed timeloop occurances)
    -TNG: Timescape (aliens from alternate timeline, alternate outcome of Enterise's destruction)
    -TNG: Parallels ("Original" universe, "Surprise Party w/Chocolate Cake" universe, "Surprise Party w/Yellow Cake" universe, "9th place Concussion" universe, "Blue Dress/Moved Battle Painting" universe, "Blue Uniform/Moved Starship Painting"; "Married w/no kids" universe, "First Officer Worf/Married with Children" universe; "Borg-Controlled" universe, "Altered Original" universe)
    -DS9: Crossover (Mirror Universe)
    -TNG: All Good Things... (alternate 3.5 Billion Years Ago, alternate 2364, alternate-2370 & alternate 2395)
    -DS9: Past Tense, Parts I & II (Alternate Federationless 2371)
    -DS9: Visionary (Alternate 2371 outcomes including the destruction of DS9; resulting from Miles' timeflashes)
    -DS9: Through the Looking Glass (Mirror Universe)
    -VOY: Emanations (Vhnori dimension)
    -ST7: Generations (alternate "Destructon of Veridian III" timeline)
    -VOY: Non Sequitur (alternate Kim Earth)
    -DS9: The Visitor (alternate death-of-Sisko timeline)
    -DS9: Shattered Mirror (Mirror Universe)
    -VOY: Future's End, Part I (Alternate 29th Century)


    Voyager Resources:

    Torpedoes: (Starting with 38, as of The Cloud)
    -1 fired in The Cloud (37 remain)
    -3 fired in Alliances (34 remain)
    -7 fired in Dreadnought (27 remain)
    -3 fired in Resolutions (24 remain)
    -3 fired + 1 "Dispersal Pattern Sierra" (5 torpedos according to Yesterday's Enterprise, but we'll assume a minimum of 2) in Basics, Part I (between 16-19 remain)
    -1 fired in Future's End, Part II (between 15-18 remain)
     
  8. timmoishere

    timmoishere Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 2, 2007
    I found this awesome pic today:

    [​IMG]


    I'm doing my own re-watch of TNG; I started in August and I just finished Season 5 last night. Pretty soon I get to move on to DS9, yay!
     
  9. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    I hope to get another update posted relatively soon. The computer with my project and episode files is not in a room we have a generator running to.
     
  10. Hero of Tukayyid

    Hero of Tukayyid Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 23, 2012
    Those timeships are the coolest looking ships in all of Sta Trek as far as i am concerned.
     
  11. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Are you talking about the small craft seen in these episodes, or the larger ships, like the Relativity, that shows up later on in the series?
     
  12. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Sorry once again for the long delay. Between the storm back in the fall, moving, computer repairs and the holidays, it's been a crazy few months. I've had this and the next couple updates written up for awhile, just haven't been able to get them posted.


    DS9 507: Let He Who Is Without Sin...
    -Premise: While Worf, Dax, Bashir, Leeta, and Quark vacation on Risa, Worf decides to join a radical fundamentalist group determined to start a political revolution on Risa.
    [​IMG]
    -T2Q Comments: "Do not hug me."

    Return to Risa.

    "Worf, this is our guest star. She's recently been erased."

    While kinda amusing, the whole breakup ceremony subplot kinda drags- and the ceremony itself just has that generic "we made this up" monotone to it. Worf's story mentions the Gault colony, which was first mentioned way back in TNG: Heart of Glory.

    The "don't you walk away from me" thing doesn't seem earned- Worf was not in with them so deeply or at long enough a length for a deep enough sense of betrayal to form.

    So, not an unwatchable episode but a good one, either...it's decent from a Worf perspective, though, so Average.

    Trivia: Story concept inspired by the 1947 play A Moon for the Misbegotten, which depicted the destructiveness of alcohol and sexuality. Many of the cast and crew wished they could take a second crack at the episode, being unhappy with the results- believed to be partly due to the restrictions on addressing sexuality given the timeslots and markets they aired in in some places.

    Nana Visitor had just given birth to Siddig's child the night before he shot the breakup scene, leaving him unfocussed. Terry Farrell cannot be in direct sunlight for very long, often requiring a shelter tent to be nearby during location shooting, but the crew forgot to set one up for the scene on the beach, requiring Rene to hunt one down himself.

    An alternate version of the scene where Worf walks in on Leeta and the Risian companion featured Leeta naked in a bath tub (as seen in the promotional spot).

    Same writer who wrote TNG: Captain's Holiday which first showed Risa. The scene with Quark and the Risian females mirrors a scene in TOS: Shore Leave with McCoy. Curzon's manner of death is revealed here. Second time someone has said "When in Rome..." to Worf, after Riker says it in TNG: Justice.



    DS9 508: Things Past
    -Premise: Sisko, Odo, Dax and Garak are trapped seven years in the past on Terok Nor, but everyone thinks that they're condemned Bajorans, and only Odo's memory can save them.
    [​IMG]-T2Q Comments: Garrak! Huzzah! Ooo, more insights/"flashbacks" to Terok Nor. Bit of a Quantum Leap scenario almost. I would be grateful for this 70's Show Cardassian to call Quark "Dumbass".

    "Spoonhead?!"

    I won't say this often, but the one real flaw to the story is the lack of Kira- her presence at the end is the emotional punch to the story, but she doesn't appear at all in the episode until then, so it lacks the structure to make it excellent.

    Due to the insight into the semi-flashback nature (and I have to assume the partial reversion of shapeshifter biology on Odo's part might be significant), Definitely Essential.

    Trivia: Directed by Levar Burton. Jokingly referred to as "Nightmare of Odo Street" during production. Mirrors Necessary Evil, with this episode revealing a dark secret from Odo during the occupation to Kira, while NE did the reverse.

    Initial concept had the characters wake up from a dream to find out they were still in a dream, in each other's, with Odo's being the master dream. The episode's concept came from the desire of the writers to sully Odo's character to a degree.

    Though some mistook Dukat's portrayal here as part of an effort to make to make him more than a villain, the intention was just to convey that Dukat believes himself to be the hero of his own story- a dictator that wants to be loved by the people he's oppressing.



    VOY 310: Warlord
    -Premise: Kes is taken over by the mind-force of an obsessive rebel.
    [​IMG]

    -T2Q Comments: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NEVER HAVE A SHOT WITH NEELIX MAKING THAT FACE FOLLOWED BY THE CAMERA PANNING *DOWN* AGAIN! EVER!

    So was the teaser just an excuse to show off Neelix's fake feet? One small thing that I just picked up on- Tuvok specifies "the radiation inside the alien vessel is rising to toxic levels.".. does he really need to specify "alien" vessel? It's the only other ship around them, there are no Starfleet vessels to be found here, and every race they encounter in the Delta Quadrant is an alien (forehead technicalities notwithstanding). Heck, technically, *he* is an alien as well. Kinda hits me as sloppy writing, meant to convey something to casual audiences in a cliched way that isn't required by the situation.

    They seem to have Kazon-inspired hairdstyles... After the seasons-long jealous Neelix stuff, the Neelix/Kes split seems abrupt (and though Neelix's response does show he's matured beyond those earlier habits, it doesn't seem earned). Ok, given that Kes's actions were part of some ploy or Power Play-like scenario, I retract some of my previous comments (although Neelix's responses still don't feel earned).

    God, this black guy's entrance looks/acts so cheesy.. and the stupid hairdo accentuates this problem. He's obviously a recycled Klingon actor, and his actions just don't translate outside the armor/makeup.

    This son-of-the-target actor almost has a bit of Malkovich to him.

    The choice for them not to followthrough with the kiss makes me wonder: Was it to avoid fanservice? Or did they feel they had to pull back on that? Or did they merely feel it'd be repeating what DS9 did?

    I find it interesting that Warlord Kes here is more kinetic, always running around and jumping up and hopping onto things- I wonder if that was a conscious decision, or a necessity to accommodate her smaller frame and the faster paced actions she needed to do here?

    Ok, given they do the brief Tuvok/Kes kiss, they're obviously not shy about potential fanservice/shipping.

    Wait, how can the device extract the warlord's consciousness from the brother without the brother having received the implant necessary for the device to work?

    Well acted end scene, though one can't help but be skeptical about the comments of this changing Kes and the events not being forgotten- they made similar promises about Geordi on TNG and they dropped it as soon as the credits rolled.

    Good Episode, But Not Ncessarily Essential.

    Trivia: One of the few episodes to focus mostly on the villains. The lack of closure to the Neelix/Kes relationship, while noted by cast members, was mostly ignored by the writers who just wanted to move on.


    Up next: DS9 509: The Ascent, VOY 311: The Q and the Grey & VOY 312: Macrocosm.

    Voyager Resources:

    Crew: (152 People, as of The 37's)
    -Death Wish: Quinn/Q2 joins the crew (153 remain), then commits suicide. (152 remain)
    -Alliances: Kurt Bandera, dead. (151 remain)
    -Meld: Darwin, dead. (150 remain)
    -Investigations: Michael Jonas, dead. (149 remain)
    -Deadlock: Wildman baby born. (150 remain)
    -Innocence: Ensign Bennet, dead. (149 remain)
    -Basics, Part I: Bridge crewmember shot, presumed dead (148 remain)
    -Basics, Part II: Hogan, Suder & blue uniform crewmember, dead (145 remain)
    -Warlord: Martin, dead. (144 remain)
     
  13. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    (gonna post another update quick to help make up for some lost time...)



    DS9 509: The Ascent
    -Premise: Trapped on an inhospitable world, Quark and Odo must work together to survive. Meanwhile, Nog returns to the station from Starfleet Academy.
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    -T2Q Comments: Nog returns and Odo arests Quark. Odo annoying and teasing Quark is always amusing, but you gotta love how much he's enjoying it.

    So if you're concerned a bomb will explode if you try to transport it... why would you remain standing so close while attempting the transport? I think they reused some of the crash POV footage from Generations. The escalating squabble-turned-fight, while not terrible, coms across as expected. It's too easy an obstacle to introduce.

    The Nog/Jake subplot is resolved much too easily and in quite a mundane fashion. So, while there's some ok Odo/Quark stuff, I don't think it really pays off anything (I mean, I can't help but compare this to the B5 episode where Londo and G'Kar are trapped and injured in an elevator- nothing is resolved there but the character interaction excels beyond the base concept, unlike here). Average.

    Trivia: Waiting for Godot was the template for this episode's story. The outdoors scenes were filmed on Mt Whitney, at 14,495 feet- the resulting pressure effect on the Quark head nearly made Armin pass out, but was able to continue filming thanks to on-set medics. The location was actually as hot as 65 degrees during filming.

    Quark offers to teach Odo how to play Fizzbin- the card game invented by Kirk in TOS: A Piece of the Action. Jake's story mentioned here shares the same title as the second episode of the series: Past Prologue. This is the final DS9 episode to regularly feature the uniforms created for the series (though they would continue to be used on Voyager for the rest of it's run).



    VOY 311: The Q and the Grey
    -Premise: Q has a novel idea for ending civil war in the Q Continuum: have a child with Captain Janeway.
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    -T2Q Comments: I believe I remember the gist of this episode if this ends up being the Q civil war story- I remember being surprised that it wasn't a Season 7 TNG episode as I had initially misremembered it during my viewing of that series.

    Q being a tad bit rapey, in a Pepe LePew sorta way.

    "Oh, Kathy, don't be such a prude. Admit it- it has been awhile."
    "And it's gonna be awhile longer."

    "You're playing hard-to-get!"
    "As far as you're concerned, Q, I'm impossible-to-get."
    "Goodie! A challenge!"

    I see they're still possibly hinting at Chakotay/Janeway, or at least referencing it. "Is it the tattoo? Because mine's bigger!"

    "My advice would be to give up before you embarass yourself anymore than you already have." kind of a an inadvertent meta comment on the devolution of Q as a sinister character to a comical one. Along that train of thought, just having Q with his arms around Harry and Tom like that so casually, and them to just brush him off so softly and walk away... just seems damn strange considering an omnipotent trickster being is in their immediate space. He's Q, not Harry Mudd.

    "You, Bar Rodent!"

    The concept of Q needing a half-Q/half-human to take the Q to the next level seems to oddly forget the half-Q girl from TNG.

    "My crew and I will get home. We're committed to that. But we're going to do that through hard work and determination. We're not looking for a quick fix."
    Bullcrap! Bullcrap! Wormholes, plural? Caretaker's mate? Asking to use the teleportation technology?

    "You! Helm boy!" Tom's expression is outstanding.

    Ok, so the crew now know how to increase their shields by a factor of 10. There is literally no way (outside of Q magic or time travel- neither of which occur here) that they can ignore that little factoid in future episodes.

    Not sure if the proper term would be TOS friendly, so, i guess one could describe the Q mating procedure as a literal banging of fingers? Wonder if Janeway would have agreed to that had she known.

    Q still should have sent them home at this point as thanks. Even if this hadn't been the outcome, it's hard to justify not banging the alien that can send the just-under-150 or so crew members under your command home and save them years-to-decades of their lives, regardless of gender.

    The episode kinda humanizes the Q too much for my tastes and makes the Q Continuum a little too literal, despite being an abstraction. Also gotta wonder why the superovas (as far as we know) were only centered in the Delta Quadrant.

    Not the worst Q story but not the best either. Definitely Essential.

    Trivia: Title references the civil war poem "The Blue and the Grey". The female Q was played by the same actress who played K'Ehleyr and the Vulcan Dr. Selar on TNG- the female Q comments on both species. de Lancie liked the episode but disagreed with some choices, like showing the baby Q at the end.

    First episode of VOY to air almost directly after the release of a Trek film (Caretaker aired 2 months after Generations, while this episode aied only 5 days after First Contact came out). Harry mentions they are only the 3rd starship in history to witness a supernova, and were the closest. The original Enterprise and Enterprise D crews witnessed the others, however, the D's viewing was stated to be closer than Harry's estimate of Voyager's.

    While in the civil war interpretation of the Q continuum, the weapons they wield are likely to technically be the most powerful weapons ever used by humanoids. First confirmation that that the Romlan Star Empire once had an Empress. Q's nickname for Chakotay, "Chuckles", stuck somewhat among fans. The female Q is unofficially nicknamed "Suzy Q" after the actress, Suzie Plakson. In a Peter David novel, "I, Q", she is referred to as Lady Q, and Q's, child is referred to as "q".



    VOY 312: Macrocosm
    -Premise: When viruses grow to a meter in length and begin attacking the crew of Voyager, Captain Janeway and The Doctor must retake the ship.
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    -T2Q Comments: This intro would have been much more effective if they hadn't shown the silly gestures and one-off alien- sometimes not showing something is more effective than showing it (a strange lesson to be suggesting to a franchise that, more often than not, tends to have things not shown/have them occur offscreen due to budgetary limitations...).

    Wait, was she 3 levels from the bridge before deciding to go all the way down to engineering to arm up?

    Seems a bit strange that the biofilters would contain something in a state that would be capable of infecting the transporter buffer and other systems- kinda defeats the point, no? Tom's quick incrimination of Torres seems out of place.

    "Who designed this ship anyway?"

    Sicking the virsues on that holo resort thats been around the past few episodes is kinda funny. Kind of a quick "all is well" ending but I liked this one- though it's first half was more interesting than it's second. Good Episode But Not Necessarily Essential.

    Trivia: The Tak Tak's body langauge was inspired by the inside joke of Kate Mulgrew's habit of placing her hands on her hips. Braga had initially planned the episode to be one without any dialogue, just a cinematic, fun episode that avoided heavy-handed dialogue and moralistic plots. This proved to be too difficult, though, so several acts of dialogue were included.

    This was the show's first real test of focusing on CGI aliens. The splatter effect was achieved by filling alien mockups with goo and explosives. Though the producers were pleased with the final effects, the effects team themselves were dissatisfied with the result. The success of this episode and the CGI macroviruses paved the way for Species 8472.

    Neelix's Good Morning Voyager show here mentions an "inversion nebula" to be encountered in the coming weeks. Such a nebula would appear in the next episode, Alter Ego. Frst appearance of non-compression phaser rifles on VOY.

    Up next: DS9 510: Rapture, DS9 511: The Darkness and the Light & VOY 313/314: Alter Ego.
     
  14. timmoishere

    timmoishere Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 2, 2007
    Any chance you'll be updating this again sometime? My DS9 marathon has caught up to your list, so I'd like to read more!
     
  15. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    I've got a busy month ahead of me with school but Ill try to get something posted. I still have a good chunk of episodes already viewed, it's just a matter of finding time to convert my notes into formatted updates. (which can take longer than one might think- Memory-Alpha's BTS content in their VOY episode entries are quite extensive reads compared to those for the rest of the franchise).
     
  16. Darth_Omega

    Darth_Omega Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 19, 2002
    You can always put the Voyager episodes write ups on hold, that would save a lot of time. :p
     
  17. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
  18. Darth_Omega

    Darth_Omega Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 19, 2002
    Just curious how far ahead are you by now (which was the latest episode you've seen?)
     
  19. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    The last 3 I watched was DS9 516: Doctor Bashir, I Presume, VOY 318: Darkling & 320: Favorite Son. The past couple semestershas been hectic, paired with moving, so I haven't really watched any episodes since the holidays. I'll have a break later in May when I should start hitting them up again, though.
     
  20. Alpha-Red

    Alpha-Red Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2004
    I've been going through DS9 as well, and I just got to the part where Sisko grows a beard and loses his hair...and my god is it jarring.

    Also, why does the USS Defiant have a little flashlight on top of it?
     
  21. timmoishere

    timmoishere Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 2, 2007
    My favorite DS9 episodes so far (midway through season 5) are The Way of the Warrior, The Die Is Cast, Nor the Battle to the Strong, Duet, and For the Cause.
     
  22. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Yeah those have all been outstanding.
     
  23. Alpha-Red

    Alpha-Red Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2004
    Way of the Warrior was weird...it's like the Klingons just went completely mad with bloodlust and decided to do the one thing that would benefit the Dominion.

    (if it's revealed later that they've been infiltrated by the Founders, don't tell me)
     
  24. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    No spoilers, but for me, it didn't come across as coming out of left field. I mean if the Klingons are this huge warrior race, with it's culture and traditions so deeply rooted in battle and conquest, then would they really be content as a whole with coexisting in peace with it's neighbors? The only reason they pursued peace in the first place in the last TOS film was because they were in danger of extinction. IMO, the Dominion gave them the perfect excuse to go back to their warrior ways and they took it.
     
  25. Alpha-Red

    Alpha-Red Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2004
    Hmm, actually that brings to mind "Blood Oath" where the older Klingons said that their society was changing, that the old ways aren't really practiced anymore, and says something to the extent of "whereas we once struck fear into everyone around us, now we serve Klingon food to other species as a novelty".