Voyager Seasons 4-6
Deep Space Nine Seasons 6-7
Star Trek: Insurrection
Note: These are from brief, unedited comments posted on Facebook. Some of the grammar may be a little clunky – I hadn’t intended on archiving these anywhere, but I’ve popped them here as some people enjoyed them!
Episode 500: Message in a Bottle (VOY)
Oh my God. OK, so I know Andy Dick isn’t exactly flavour of the month, but separating the art from the artist – the Dick/Picardo team-up is fantastic, and hilarious, and this is probably the best comedy episode of Voyager. Yay yay yay.
Episode 501: Who Mourns for Morn? (DS9)
A rare dramatic Ferengi episode, although as always there’s an element of comedy, as Quark wrestles with Morn’s inheritance. Another filler in DS9 as they struggle to figure out what to do when the show isn’t in full-on war mode, but it’s an admirable one.
Episode 502: Hunters (VOY)
Nice balance between action-packed Hirogen stuff, and the crew finally hearing from loved ones back home. Some moving stuff here, if unsurprising (hardly shocking that Mark’s moved on, for example). I didn’t like this episode at the time because it felt like we were moving away from the show’s core premise, but we’re now in season 4 so I don’t think it’s wrong for them to move things along a little!
Episode 503: Far Beyond the Stars (DS9)
Highly rated, and justifiably so. For once Trek steps away from allagories and metaphors and just comes all out and say how shit it is to be a person of colour. Its’a fabulous drama that, if you lop off the start and end, doesn’t have or need any sci-fi- trappings at all. Everyone is brilliant, including of course Brooks. If I’m really picking holes (and it’s a struggle) it’s that Brooks spread himself too thinly starring and directing here, and some of the direction is a little pedestrian. But really, this episode deserves all the applause it gets.
Episode 504: One Little Ship (DS9)
Silly episode but a light hearted one taking inspiration from every “person shrunk to insect size” film ever.
Episode 505: Prey (VOY)
Some TNG-style moralising as we wonder whether or not to save the life of the enemy. It’s OK, and based on a good idea, just not enough in there to hold attention for an hour.
Episode 506: Honor Among Thieves (DS9)
Easy excuse to let Colm Meaney play a different character. But on the other hand it’s a really good story, so they do make a lot of the concept.
Episode 507: Retrospect (VOY)
Very cool stuff for Picardo here as he sticks up for Seven of Nine’s mistaken memories without question. We’re swept along with it all for a while too – and I always like it when the audience is fooled.
Episode 508: Change of Heart (DS9)
Probably a very good episode, and based on the synopsis it has some good “my duty or my wife” stuff going on. Unfortunately Worf/Dax bores me to sleep so I find it very hard to concentrate enough to form a reliable opinion here.
Episode 509: The Killing Game (VOY)
Episode 510: The Killing Game, Part II (VOY)
Star Trek does love its “planet of the Nazis” trope – but honestly this is by far the best, with all the actors completely invested in brand new characters. This basically might as well be a WW2 movie, with a little bit of Voyager at the start and end to explain why. And all power to it for the courage to just have some fun there.
Episode 511: Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night (DS9)
Kira time travels and learns some unsettling things about her mom. I’m glad they keep the flashback-type episodes to a minimum, as they’re more special when they come. This is a good one and although it’s predictable (like they’d have her travel in time to find out Kira Sr was squeaky clean) it gives some solid stuff for Visitor.
Episode 512: Vis a Vis (VOY)
Light hearted body swap episode giving McNeill some fun material. Pretty frothy stuff overall.
Episode 513: Inquisition (DS9)
The introduction of Section 31. Although frankly I find the whole concept of Section 31 to be completely at odds with Gene’s vision of the future, I can’t deny that this episode has some great twists and Bill Sadler is fab!
Episode 514: The Omega Directive (VOY)
No, sorry, nodded off a bit. What? Seems a bit messy and all over the place.
Episode 515: In the Pale Moonlight (DS9)
It’s a faaaaake! Oh my goodness what a brilliant episode. I’d forgotten how good. Avery Brooks and Andrew Robinson are both fantastic, and what a great plot and a way of storytelling. Outstanding. Maybe my favourite DS9? Oh, and to Moore’s point that he thought the title sounded good and he had no idea it was invented for Batman – LOLZ. As soon as I read the title I thought “eh? Why the Batman reference?” They even make a point in the film that it’s meaningless. Hah.
Episode 516: Unforgettable (VOY)
Voyager does the Silents years before Moff. A great idea, and such a lovely mystery it’s a surprise Trek has never done this one before.
Episode 517: His Way (DS9)
Like a weird spin on the b-plot of Outrageous Okona. I find Vic Fontaine a bit crowbarred into the final seasons of DS9, and his conning of Odo is transparent as anything but… eh, it’s an OK episode and it’s nice to finally get the will-they-won’t-they out of the way.
Episode 518: Living Witness (VOY)
Absolute classic. On the surface it’s a fun episode where the cast get to play against type (closest Voyager can get to the Mirror Universe), but it’s also got some really interesting stuff in it about historical revisionism, truth, and whether or not it’s really important in the long run.
Episode 519: The Reckoning (DS9)
Ah, I dunno, something about prophets and pah’wraiths. The whole thing kinda bores me. I know this is starting to set some stuff up for the end of the series but I’m just not fussed.
Episode 520: Demon (VOY)
Copies of Paris and Kim don’t know they’re copies of Paris and Kim. Done before, and better, in Whispers, but this is still plenty fun.
Episode 521: Valiant (DS9)
Even in wartime, I find it hard to believe a bunch of cadets could take over a ship like this… but if you can suspend disbelief long enough, it’s a good concept for an episode and has a moving ending.
Episode 522: One (VOY)
Seven of Nine and the Doctor look after the ship while everyone else sleeps. It’s a bit of a weird one, but it has some cool moments, some good comedy as Seven experiments with small talk.
Episode 523: Profit and Lace (DS9)
Oh god no. This isn’t even one of those “aged badly” things. This was always a misfire. From the opening where Quark pressures his staff into sex (look, Quark was always shady, but in a comic way – #metoo was not a joke even before it was called #metoo), then all the “man dressed as lady and starts getting tearful and girly lolz” gags which are just lazy, plus some “straight guy fancying dude in dress” larks for good measure. No no no. What were they thinking?
Episode 524: Hope and Fear (VOY)
A fun episode, but quite low key for a season ender. Feels like a mid season show. The slipstream ship is a neat design.
Episode 525: Time’s Orphan (DS9)
Great concept, my only issue is that now I have a son about Molly’s age, I’m convinced the O’Briens should be an absolute mess after their daughter has to grown up alone on an alien world. Like it doesn’t matter how much strength they can muster to help her reintegrate, they should just be completely broken. But I guess that would be less fun viewing.
Episode 526: The Sound of Her Voice (DS9)
Gorgeous character piece (the b-plot too). Although I was convinced the twist at the end was going to be that it was a Dominion plot to learn Alpha Quadrant secrets, not that someone had seen Frequency too many times.
Episode 527: Tears of the Prophets (DS9)
Everything gets thrown into the mix here – they KNOW this is the last season finale they’ll do and they just want to set up as many cool plots for the next season as possible don’t they? Jadzia’s death is marvellously Yar-like in its complete irrelevance. Character is sacrificed a bit, as is really coherent plot, it’s just a lot of good ideas thrown at the wall ready for the final season. And that’s absolutely fine.
Episode 528: Image in the Sand (DS9)
Episode 529: Shadows and Symbols (DS9)
Good two-parter to open the final season. Image is oddly quiet but sets things up well for Shadows. The return of Benny Russell is a welcome one, as is that of Brock Peters, and Worf gets some good material mourning for Jadzia. We’ve seen plenty of deserts in recent years of Trek but the stuff on Tyree is well shot. Ezri immediately makes a good impression as the adorkable replacement for Jadzia, and almost makes us forget we lost a lead actress for the final damn season (see also Ivanova/Lochley). Showdown with the Romulans good; Kira/Odo cuteness less good. I can’t remember how everything gets tied up in the next 23/24 episodes but I’m looking forward to the final mile now!
Episode 530: Night (VOY)
The idea that nothingness would drive the crew so mad seems unbelievable at first, but it’s sold so well by the writing and performance. Great concept, and marvellous to see Janeway having a crisis of confidence at last. The other plot (not even clear if it’s the A or B plot) with the two groups of aliens is meh whatever.
Episode 531: AfterImage (DS9)
Not a particularly gripping plot but a great character piece for Ezri to get her firmly established so we can get past Jadzia and get on with the rest of the season.
Episode 532: Drone (VOY)
Slightly different approach to a Borg episode, and manages to get us a slightly new insight into their world. And yay, Borg Sphere back! Not an amazing episode by any means, but fun enough.
Episode 533: Take Me Out to the Holosuite (DS9)
Baseball. Up there with 60s Vegas as being a totally self-indulgent whim on the part of the DS9 producers. I kinda want to hate this BUT it’s so much fun and it comes in the middle of a lot of very serious episodes, it’s a welcome palate cleanser.
Episode 534: Extreme Risk (VOY)
OK, this is pretty tough viewing for anyone who’s self-harmed or loved someone who’s self-harmed. It’s extremely well-written and handles a brand new topic for Trek, that I hope did some good in helping some people understand themselves. Roxann Dawson gets some of her best material here, and Beltran does admirably as the friend trying to understand something completely incomprehensible.
Episode 535: Chrysalis (DS9)
…and hot on the heels of Extreme Risk, another episode that’s very hard to watch. Bashir falls in love and manages to complete overwhelm the recipient of his feelings. It’s a stark reminder that love can be a selfish thing. Faith Salie is amazing as someone hired to play a non-speaking role but then brought back to lead an episode. Bravo.
Episode 536: In the Flesh (VOY)
Fun fun fun, and always great to see Water Reclamation Park in LA show up as Starfleet. Plus Boothby’s back, and Kate Vernon is a joy as ever (BSG fan here). Species 8472 is kinda dull, and it’s fine they get sidelined after this, but a good way to bow out.
Episode 537: Treachery, Faith and the Great River (DS9)
Obviously I love Jeffrey Combs (who doesn’t), so a Weyoun focussed episode is bound to be a treat of sorts. This one doesn’t grab me as much as it should do though. Odo has some good material as he wrestles with the idea of being a god of sorts, but it feels all a bit too late. It’s mainly all setup for The Final Chapter though…
Episode 538: Once Upon a Time (VOY)
Mixed feelings here. It’s a Neelix episode, which is often not a good thing, and Trek never seems to do in-universe kiddie fiction (ie in this case the Flotter stuff) well – it’s just all a bit cringy. Wildman’s goodbye to Naomi, though, is heartbreaking, and there’s some good emotional stuff to be had with Naomi herself and new Naomi Scarlett Pomers makes an immediately strong impression.
Episode 539: Once More Unto the Breach (DS9)
Urgh, big old Klingon episode. These just haven’t been that fun since the TNG trilogy of stories about Worf’s return to grace. I can’t quite place my finger on why I drift away from this one, as John Colicos is fab.
Episode 540: Timeless (VOY)
Really fun idea (erm, so good Voyager reused it for their series finale, but we’ll get to that). Good to see a time travel story tipped on its head, and also not showing lots of cool futurey stuff, just two characters… Some great effects when Voyager crashes too!
Episode 541: The Siege of AR-558 (DS9)
Big battley episode (albeit hand to hand rather than in space) which never appeals to me that much, although I can see how it appeals to fans of the genre. This is mainly good for what happens to Nog as setup for Paper Moon.
Episode 542: Infinite Regress (VOY)
Seven of Nine develops multiple personality disorder in a transparent attempt to give Jeri Ryan something different to do. It’s ok.
Episode 543: Covenant (DS9)
Dukat becomes a cult leader. The man’s getting more plot development in the second half of the final season as he has in the whole second half of the series. This is a great concept for an episode and sets up everything for the final dozen…
Episode 544: Nothing Human (VOY)
Wow, Voyager tackles some heavy moral stuff here, as we question if it’s ok to use medical knowledge gained during atrocities. As with all good moralising, everyone is right, and everyone is wrong. I honestly don’t know where I was left feeling, which is perfect.
Episode 545: Thirty Days (VOY)
I like the concept of the framing story, but I’m not a big fan of Paris and I don’t find the actual story itself especially engaging. Plays like a mid-quality mid-series TNG.
“Episode” 546: Insurrection (TNG)
Unlike the films that come before and after, this definitely feels like a TNG episode, just with a bigger budget. There’s some real fun to be had here amongst the action stuff, a cool twist, and some fine guest stars. It just all feels a bit “small”, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Episode 547: Counterpoint (VOY)
Exciting, tense and great to see a romance for Janeway. I also love the way this is structured, throwing us into the middle of a longer story which unfolds in front of us. Good solid episode.
Episode 548: It’s Only a Paper Moon (DS9)
This is the episode that makes me realise DS9 is actually THE most Star Trek of all the Treks. When I was growing up and other kids were joking about me liking a show about space battles, I was quick to remind them that “well akshally” it’s all about PEOPLE. Nog’s journey through this episode – admittedly with the backdrop of the 60s Vegas stuff that I find tedious – is absolutely fantastic and unmissable viewing. Rare to see Trek do anything so powerful.
Episode 549: Prodigal Daughter (DS9)
An Ezri-focussed episode, and unfortunately what she needs in her one season is a solid run of strong stories to help us get to know her. This is not a strong story. Kevin Rahm is a great guest star though and lights up the screen.
Episode 550: Latent Image (VOY)
Star Trek does Red Dwarf’s Thanks for the Memory. It starts as a cool mystery, then turns a corner into a emotional drama about the Doctor facing a huge moment of growth. Smart and snappy. Love it.
Episode 551: Bride of Chaotica! (VOY)
Silly silly episode. I’m not big on the Captain Proton stuff anyway, and it doesn’t stand up to an entire episode.
Episode 552: Gravity (VOY)
Fab opportunity for some material for Tuvok, as he falls in love, giving him some actually stuff to do for the first time in several seasons. The time dilation device is a bit bolted on but it’s fine so why not.
Episode 553: The Emperor’s New Cloak (DS9)
The Mirror Universe, which I love, has long outstayed it’s welcome. This is an OK coda though, as it throws in some Ferengi fun too, and Combs and Shawn are both fab as ever… kudos to deBoer too, who makes a good impression as Mirror Ezri.
Episode 554: Bliss (VOY)
Creepy episode, that also has the feeling of some of the cheesier mind control episodes of TOS. Fun and some good action.
Episode 555: Field of Fire (DS9)
A MUCH better Ezri episode than Prodigal Daughter, thank goodness. A cool (and genuinely surprising) murder mystery with some solid material for our Trill.
Episode 556: Dark Frontier (VOY)
Epic battle stuff, obviously trying to stand up to what DS9 is doing at the moment, but in the usual more frothy Voyager way. Nice to see the Borg Queen back, and there’s some good drama with Seven considering rejoining the collective, and more about the Hansens (undermining Q Who but whatever) – big stuff but a little overrated.
Episode 557: Chimera (DS9)
Odo befriends another Changeling. Feels like this episode would have been more at home several seasons ago but it takes us to some good places in the Odo/Kira relationship and shows us that racism is alive and well in the 24th century.
Episode 558: The Disease (VOY)
Poor old Harry Kim can’t catch a break can he? Falls in love with terrible consequences. Good to see the episode tackling (with some level of subtlety) the age old question of how Kirk bonks all those alien women – does have everyone have the same reproductive organs? (No). Garrett Wang is great, and gives a believable performance, and guests Musetta Vander and Charles Rocket are memorable.
Episode 559: Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang (DS9)
Love a good heist movie? Then this is pretty damn good.
Able to see through a transparent bit of self-indulgence on the part of the production team? Yyyyyyeah.
Episode 560: Course: Oblivion (VOY)
Unsettling sequel to Demon, with some intriguing philosophical stuff about what makes us us. Really thought provoking not to mention bleak.
Episode 561: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (DS9)
Subterfuge, plotting, Romulans, Sloan and Dr Bashir. Some good twists.
Episode 562: The Fight (VOY)
Urgh. Since I have no interest in boxing, the concept really doesn’t grab me. This episode has the potential to have some interesting stuff for Chakotay but unfortunately a misfire.
Episode 563: Think Tank (VOY)
Of COURSE I love Jason Alexander but I’m afraid he’s wasted here. Could be any old character. It’s a fun little episode but ultimately comes across as filler.
This is the point where DS9 ‘The Final Chapter’ begins. The next 8 episodes plus the double length finale are often described as a 9-parter. Usually my micro-reviews cluster multi-part stories but in this case it’s more of a connected arc, with ‘last time on…’ only appearing in a few, so I’m reviewing these separately. As always, watching in strict airing order anyway, with Voyager episodes in between.
Episode 564: Penumbra (DS9)
A solid start to the final block of episodes. Damar starts to turn on his Dominion allies, Sisko prepares to settle down with Kasidy and Worf and Dax get captured. Being the start of an arc, not much gets resolved but it’s certainly an intriguing opening.
Episode 565: ‘Til Death Do Us Part (DS9)
Winn and Dukat get jiggy while Worf and Dax wrap up any outstanding feelings they have and prepare to be used as a “gift” to the Dominion. Loving the new threads getting introduced at such a late stage, and while the Ezri/Worf stuff is almost “overdue”, we need to clear the way for a happy ending for Bashir.
Episode 566: Strange Bedfellows (DS9)
Damar decides to turn against the Dominion, and more of Dax/Worf and Winn/Dukat. Highlight of this episode is Winn effectively throwing herself onto Kira for support.
Episode 567: Juggernaut (VOY)
Hard to concentrate on this stuff when there’s such awesome stuff kicking off in the Alpha quadrant. It’s an OK episode but definitely feels like filler by any standards.
Episode 568: Someone to Watch Over Me (VOY)
Gorgeous little episode. It’s a well-worn cliche as the Doctor teaches Seven how to love but ends up falling for her himself, but Picardo and Ryan both do fab with it. I do find it a little creepy that a socially awkward character with a childlike mind is being taught how to have sex – they often go there a bit with Seven but it’s at its worst here – but if we overlook that it’s a really charming episode.
Episode 569: The Changing Face of Evil (DS9)
Damar calls on the Cardassians to start a rebellion (a long-building mirror to the Bajorans many years ago) and the Ezri/Bashir/Worf triangle edges onwards. We can definitely feel a building tension to the ongoing storyline in this one, and not before time. This episode almost feels like the end of a four-part storyline setting everything up nicely for the final five/six.
Episode 570: 11:59 (VOY)
A nice excuse for Mulgrew to play a (mostly) very different character in a different situation. The storyline itself is sweet and a nice diversion from the harder sci-fi stuff that usually fills Voyager.
Episode 571: When it Rains… (DS9)
Kira helps Damar prepare his own resistance (and looks damn natty in a Starfleet uniform) and Odo’s illness tragically comes to the fore. Bashir’s failed attempts to get help from Starfleet Medical is pretty damn bleak but believable, and the Pah-Wraiths blinding of Dukat (and subsequent back-turning by Winn) is fab.
Episode 572: Relativity (VOY)
Who doesn’t love a good time travel plot? Seven of Nine runs around playing action hero, we get some cool recreations of old sets, hair etc and Bruce McGill is a fine replacement for Capt Braxton.
Episode 573: Tacking Into the Wind (DS9)
Cool undercover shenanigans breaking into a Breen base to steal a weapon… and after years of great eye-bulging delivery, Gowron is killed (by Worf no less!). Ezri confronting Worf on the state of the Klingon Empire is huge, and it basically summarises what we’ve known for years – the whole “honour” thing is a big load of fictional BS right through the 24th century shows.
Episode 574: Warhead (VOY)
Great opportunity for Picardo to ham it up as the visual representation of an evil mad bomb. Despite the silly concept it’s genuinely pretty tense a lot of times, every time we think the Voyager crew are going to beat it and get repeatedly foiled.
Episode 575: Extreme Measures (DS9)
Bashir and O’Brien play around inside Sloan’s mind. High concept sci-fi stuff in the middle of all the battles, which makes it stick out a bit, but it’s a solid story, with some good stuff on the O’Brien/Bashir friendship and always great to see Bill Sadler.
Episode 576: Equinox (VOY)
Episode 579: Equinox, Part II (VOY)
The idea that there’s ANOTHER Starfleet ship flying around and it’s taken six years to bump into them is crazy shit, so this episode should annoy me… but it’s a well handled concept and John Savage is brilliant, as is Picardo as EvilEMH. So it balances out. What happens to the crew they integrate though? Missed opportunity.
Episode 577: The Dogs of War (DS9)
Great lead in to the series finale, tying up some loose Ferengi ends and with a hilarious opportunity for Quark to quote THAT line from First Contact. Plus two Jeffrey Combs characters in one episode, genius!
Episode 578: What You Leave Behind (DS9)
OK. So after a shaky start, I really came to love DS9 this time around, and this is generally a strong editing. I will deduct points for the weird pacing (the episode basically ends after 60 minutes, ready for goodbyes over the final 30, but then slots in Sisko’s battle with Dukat in the middle of it for 4-5 mins) and the fact that I really could have done without Sisko ascending to become a god or whatever BUT… apart from that, a solid ending all round and one that honestly leaves me OK that the show never went onto the movies. It’s truly the most human of the Trek shows so far and I’m gonna miss it…
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And now, with the exception of Star Trek: Nemesis, no more hopping between different series mid-season until the 2020s…
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Episode 580: Survival Instinct
“It’s got me by the hair!”
The writers are trying really hard to come up with different Borg plotlines now instead of just accepting that they’re a one note villain. There’s some good performances here from three that broke from the collective but can still hear each other, but ultimately it’s a bit of a plodding episode.
Episode 581: Barge of the Dead
Oh goodness what is this about? Klingon afterlife? B’Elanna rescuing her mother from the river Styx? Just… yyyyeah.
Episode 582: Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy
The Doctor daydreams and some aliens accidentally hack into them. Loads of fun – Emergency Command Hologram, the ladies fawning over him, yes! A comedy episode that hits the mark.
Episode 583: Alice
A slightly silly concept, as Tom basically falls in love with a shuttlecraft, but like all the best high concept stuff, it works well because McNeill just throws himself into it head first.
Episode 584: Riddles
A very sweet episode with some good stuff for Tim Russ, as Tuvok basically reverts to being a child. It should be irritating as hell but I like it, and Neelix giving up a brief friendship with him is tragic.
Episode 585: Dragon’s Teeth
Ancient war, most of the civilisation in stasis – very cool idea but you can tell they flip flopped between it being 1 and 2hrs, and what they landed on is just too cramped.
Episode 586: One Small Step
Something about a Mars mission. Honestly bored me senseless. What?
Episode 587: The Voyager Conspiracy
Oh wonderful! Seven turns full-on tinfoil hat as she joins the dots (plausibly too, as with all the best conspiracy theories) and realises Janeway, or maybe Chakotay, or maybe the whole Federation, is against her. Funny, dramatic, and everyone’s having a great time.
Episode 588: Pathfinder
Marvellous to see Reg and Deanna back in action, as the show starts to get a bit bolder in bringing Voyager emotionally closer to Earth. They couldn’t have gotten away with this earlier, but in its sixth season it’s a welcome development, and just begs for the Pathfinder team to be seen again soon (which of course they will be). Tom hearing his dad say he’s proud of him makes me wish my own dad hadn’t died so young. It’s a tough moment, sensitively done.
Episode 589: Fair Haven
Oh good grief. Plonet of the Oirish (except in a holodeck). It’s all very TOS (and Up the Long Ladder). American TV depictions of Ireland are often cringy and this is no different. All distracts from what should be a nice offbeat love story for Janeway.
Episode 590: Blink of an Eye
LOVE this concept (even if it’s borrowed from a similarly named TOS episode). Voyager orbits a planet over several centuries and accidentally influences their development. It’s genius, it’s entertaining, and Daniel Dae Kim is a joy to watch.
Episode 591: Virtuoso
I have a love/hate one with this. It’s so silly in places, with the Doctor becoming a celebrity and doing a mini convention (and even Janeway and Seven having a very knowing discussion about fandom) but Picardo does his best, and there’s some genuinely funny bits in the middle of the cringe.
Episode 592: Memorial
Good episode about PTSD and other anti-war stuff, but didn’t Voyager do this plot a few seasons ago?
Episode 593: Tsunkatse
Wow. The Rock plays The Rock in Star Trek. Just… wow. What were they thinking?
Episode 594: Collective
Introduction of the Borg children. Not a plotline I care for, so this episode isn’t standout for me.
Episode 595: Spirit Folk
Despite my issues with the episode Fair Haven, I adore this return to it. The characters are enjoyable (if still being written as stereotypical Irish bumpkins) the plot rockets along fast enough that you barely notice it’s a retread of Elementary Dear Data, and at the end I genuinely wanted them to keep returning to the program in later episodes. Sadly not to be.
Episode 596: Ashes to Ashes
What a brilliant idea – bringing back a friend from the dead and giving them the chance to say goodbye. Kim Rhodes is so instantly likeable that she fits right in with our view of the crew, despite her suffering from the common trope of non-serialised shows, introducing an important character who was there but never mentioned before (see also Latent Image). Garrett Wang gets some good material too. Lots of great stuff to unpack here.
Episode 597: Child’s Play
Hm. The first 30 mins of this play out as basically the exact same plot we just saw, as Icheb returns to his original home much to the sadness of his new “family” (Seven) who wants him back. Weird playing this episode back to back with Ashes to Ashes. Mark Sheppard is always good value though and I didn’t see the twist coming.
Episode 598: Good Shepherd
A cross between TNG: Lower Decks and VOY: Learning Curve, featuring some failing crew members. I have to say, I’m 100% with Chakotay that if they’re failing, pushing them on an Away Mission might not be the answer – maybe they’d be happier exploring other responsibilities onboard ship. As a result, the whole premise falls apart for me.
Episode 599: Live Fast and Prosper
A fun episode giving the team the opportunity to spoof Voyager. Not much more to it really, just an amusing caper. And why not.