THE PLOT
When Harry detects a possible wormhole, Voyager deviates from its course to investigate. They do find a wormhole - but it's in a state of collapse, and is already practically microscopic. Despite this, they are able to send a proble through... and that probe is quickly scanned by somebody on the other side!
Harry and Torres manage to establish voice communication. But when Janeway tells the captain on the other side of the wormhole where they are, he refuses to believe them. He insists they are "Federation spies" - leading to the discovery that their would-be savior is a Romulan, deeply suspicious of Starfleet. Janeway persists in trying to maintain contact, however, determined to win the man's trust so that they can at least send messages back home. Then Torres makes another discovery - a chance that they might be able to use the signal from the probe to stabilize transport. If it works, there is a chance they could beam back home!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Janeway: Seeing Harry's excitement over the wormhole, she wants to support him in making something of his discovery. When their investigation of the wormhole leads to communication with the Alpha Quadrant, however, her pursuit of further communication becomes much more intense. I'm reminded of her near-desperate promise to Tuvok to get him back home. Some of that same desperation comes into her voice and gestures as she tries to talk to the Romulan captain, willing him to believe her seemingly impossible story.
I've criticized Janeway several times in these reviews, so let me make clear that this criticism does not extend to Kate Mulgrew, whose performance has been reliable and, in this episode, is excellent. She also does her job as captain by setting aside her prejudices about the holographic doctor when Kes expresses concern about his treatment to her. She promises Kes to look into the matter and, to her credit, follows through on that. On the whole, a rather good episode for her, the first one in which she actually starts to feel like a real character rather than a cardboard construct labelled, "Captain."
Doctor: Is only gradually coming to think of himself as anything other than the Emergency Medical Hologram. He brushes off the rudeness of crew members toward him, and seems to have no reaction at all to the thought that Janeway might reprogram him. When Janeway presses him for how she can meet his needs, he does show some emotion, mainly courtesy of Robert Picardo's excellent nonverbal reactions as the doctor doesn't quite meet Janeway's gaze from that moment. There's a lovely fumbling in his voice as he responds to Janeway's proposal to give control of his activation and deactivation strictly to him, so that he can switch himself off when there's nothing to do and avoid being switched off in mid-task.
Kes: Continuing her work with the doctor, she is proving to be a quick study. She enjoys studying first aid and anatomy, and expresses an interest in attending medical school upon the ship's return to the Federation. She is developing a distinct bond with the doctor, and it clearly bothers her when crew members insist on treating him "like a hypo spray." She makes a point of treating him with politeness and respect, and presses Janeway for better treatment of the doctor. The scenes between Jennifer Lien and Robert Picardo continue to be highlights of the series.
Torres: Tells Harry that the Maquis are as close to family as she has ever had, and that there is no one back home to care whether she is alive or dead. She shows compassion for Harry's earnestness over his wormhole, assuring him that their efforts "will work."
THOUGHTS
Eye of the Needle is not just a good episode. It's a key episode in Janeway's development. Prior to this installment, the only characters who have worked as characters have been Kes, the Doctor, and arguably Neelix (he's annoying as hell, but at least he has a distinct character). The rest of the cast have been 2-dimensional constructs. And despite a good effort by Kate Mulgrew, that has unfortunately extended to Janeway as well.
Until this episode, which does something vital for the health of the series: It makes Janweway into a genuine human being! Mulgrew obviously responds to the material, giving a performance that perfectly balances the emotion of the situation with the restraint required of a ship's captain. When the lead is something more than a cypher, it does very good things for the series as a whole. I just hope this episode is a sign of sustained improvement on that front.
The story works well, moving along at a nice pace and with the characters responding intelligently to each new discovery. There's a rising sense of hope among the characters throughout... which of course means that hope must be brutally dashed at the end, given that the series continues for another 6+ years. I do think the final plot turn, Tuvok's revelation at the very end, is just a bit much, but the other disappointments do create an effective payoff.
A good episode, one which washes away the disappointment of the previous one quite nicely.
Overall Rating: 8/10.
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