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| Hirogen hunters pursue their prey. |
THE PLOT:
Voyager encounters a Hirogen ship adrift in space. Only the Hirogen Alpha (Tony Todd) remains alive, the other hunter having been decapitated by their prey: A member of Species 8472!
When the starship stops for the Hirogen, its prey takes the opportunity to come aboard, and immediately begins sabotaging life support and gravity on a section of the ship. In such close proximity to his prey, the Alpha demands to be allowed to continue his hunt. Janeway reluctantly agrees - but she insists they make every effort to capture the creature rather than kill it, dismissing the objections of Seven of Nine.
They find Species 8472 quickly enough. But when it uses its telepathic abilities to plea for a safe return to its own dimension, Janeway grants the request and denies the Hirogen its kill. With more Hirogen ships closing fast, however, her moral stand may well result in the destruction of the starship Voyager!
CHARACTERS:
Capt. Janeway: Views the damaged Hirogen ship as an opportunity to improve relations by showing compassion. Which doesn't stop her from being practical enough to also gather some key information about this new alien threat. Scientific curiosity probably drives her initial desire to use non-lethal force against Species 8472. But the creature's plea to return home, its evident desire to avoid further conflict, earns Janeway's sympathy. She is making a genuine moral stand when she protects the creature, and is clearly willing to see it through even when her ship comes under bombardment from other Hirogen vessels.
Seven of Nine: Abhors Species 8472, remembering all too clearly the devastation visited on the Borg: "They destroyed millions of drones, hundreds of our worlds. I have reason to be 'agitated,'" she tells Tuvok. But that's only part of what brings her into conflict with Janeway. She has a very different viewpoint than the captain. The evolving situation is filtered through a tactical viewpoint for Seven, rather than a moral one. She argues against stopping to help the Hirogen, and actually recommends firing on the damaged ship - Kill the enemy while he is weakened. Later, she acknowledges that Janeway's decision was justified... Not because of any likely futile hope of improving relations, but because valuable information was gained. When Janeway orders Seven to assist in returning Species 8472 home, Seven balks, prompting some excellent Janeway/Seven scenes that may redefine their entire relationship.
Tuvok: Tim Russ has come to truly inhabit Tuvok. While this isn't a huge episode for the Vulcan, he gets some very good side moments. I particularly enjoyed his impassive response when his area of the ship loses gravity while he's in mid-sentence. He simply reaches for a handhold and keeps talking, with just a flicker of expression that makes the moment extremely funny. In service to the plot, Tuvok's telepathic abilities allow the wounded Species 8472 alien to communicate, prompting the third act crisis.
Hirogen: Prey offers a much better showing for the Hirogen than Hunters did. They still come across as two-dimensional, driven entirely by the desire to hunt; my reference to the Predator films in the last review seems all too apt. But unlike the blatantly stupid Hirogen who essentially defeated themselves, this episode gives us a genuinely formidable and cunning antagonist in Tony Todd's Alpha. Todd is terrific, seizing on the moments in which we see the Alpha's keen observational skills. He recognizes Seven's abhorrence of Species 8472, and seizes on that to manipulate her. More of this kind of cunning could make this new adversary into a real threat.
THOUGHTS:
"This prey is resilient."
-A Hirogen hunter pays a rare compliment.
Prey opens with one of the best teasers Star Trek: Voyager has offered, a precredit scene that sets the tone, grips the viewer, and remakes the Hirogen as a credible threat all in a few short minutes. This opening is from the point of view of the Alpha, as he and his Beta (Clint Carmichael) track down their prey. The Beta wants to destroy it from a safe distance, lest they "lose the moment." The Alpha wants to experience the glory of finishing this challenging hunt firsthand. They track their prey to an asteroid, where they execute what the Alpha observes is "a flawless kill."
The entire sequence is stunning - Superbly paced and executed by director Allan Eastman, well-acted, genuinely tense. The reveal that the prey is a member of Species 8472 is the perfect bow to slip around this already wonderfully-wrapped package.
The rest of the episode is good, too. Between writer Brannon Braga's script (one of his best) and Eastman's atmospheric direction, the pace remains fast and the tension high thoughout. The exploration of the Hirogen ship reveals the remains of past prey, in a sequence that's genuinely creepy even before Tom Paris stumbles across the Beta's severed head. The interactions between Janeway and the Alpha, and later between Seven and Janeway, are charged with conflict. Janeway and the Alpha create an alliance, but their values are so opposed that each seems to know that they are destined to end up as enemies again. Seven and Janeway are well-established allies, but Seven is so sharply in disagreement with Janeway's decisions that a rift is inevitable. I don't usually think of Braga as a character writer, but he brings levels to the Janeway/Seven relationship that have not been apparent in most previous episodes but which fit their characters completely.
JANEWAY VS. SEVEN:
What makes the Janeway/Seven interactions so strong is that each has a good point. Janeway is the captain, and as such does get to make the final decision. Once her decision is made, it is inappropriate to continue arguing. In this, Seven is guilty of gross breaches of protocol long before Janeway calls her on the carpet. Seven, however, is quite right that Janeway's actions put Voyager at risk. The way the climax plays out, the ship is likely minutes from destruction if Janeway stays her course. Seven argues that she saves the ship by violating orders, and what we see lends real merit to that argument. However, she does violate orders - orders that are entirely consistent with Starfleet protocol. Janeway doesn't show any sign of incompetence or instability, leaving Seven making decisions that are rightly Janeway's. By any reasonable standard, Janeway's final punishment of the former Borg is actually ridiculously lenient.
The final scene of the episode is a great one, as we see Janeway and Seven left as completely alien from each other as Janeway and the Alpha had been. Janeway is clearly hurting at punishing Seven, whom she has protected and nurtured throughout this season. It tortures her that she cannot make Seven even comprehend her point of view. Seven, who has reacted to Janeway as a maternal figure in the past, worrying about winning her approval, now reacts as a rebellious teen might at being grounded. This extends to her final statement, which could easily come from the mouth of a teen daughter during a fight with her mother:
"I believe that you are punishing me because I do not think the way you do, because I am not becoming more like you. You claim to respect my individuality - but in fact, you are frightened by it."
All of this is good material, which should bring even more new levels to the Janeway/Seven interactions in the future - That is, if the series can resist its tendency to reset everything by the next episode.
Overall Rating: 9/10.
Previous Episode; Hunters
Next Episode: Retrospect
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