5-24. Relativity.

Seven meets a future version of herself
who is on a mission to save Voyager!

Original Air Date: May 12, 1999. Teleplay by: Bryan Fuller, Nick Sagan, Michael Taylor. Story by: Nick Sagan. Directed by: Allan Eastman.


THE PLOT:

The USS Voyager is undergoing its final round of maintenance at the Starfleet dry dock in Utopia Planitia before its launch. Admiral Patterson (Dakin Matthews) is giving the young Captain Janeway a tour of her new command... while Seven of Nine runs scans, searching for something while attempting to avoid Janeway's attention.

Seven is actually working with the crew of the Relativity, a Federation timeship from the distant future under the command of Captain Braxton (Bruce McGill). A time traveling saboteur has planted a device on Voyager that will result in the ship's explosion five years into its mission. The bomb is invisible to the naked eye, but it can be detected by Borg implants - which is why they have recruited Seven.

The Utopia Planitia jump has allowed them to identify where the bomb was planted. Now they need to find out when it was placed, so that they can catch the saboteur in the act and remove all disruption to the timeline. The most likely time period comes when Voyager was in the midst of a Kazon attack, with the criminal using the chaos to mask the infiltration.

This time, Seven is able to intercept the saboteur - only to be shocked by the villain's true identity!


CHARACTERS:

Capt. Janeway: We see three versions of Janeway: pre-Caretaker and fresh to her new command; in late Season Two, on edge over constant conflict with the Kazon; and the current version, the veteran captain. Fresh-faced young Janeway is eager to get out into space, to test what her new ship can do, and (unspoken) to prove herself. Season Two Janeway is adjusting to the reality of losing people during an ongoing situation that has to have her doubting her own choices and whether she'll be able to get the ship through the crisis. It's the current, more experienced Janeway who is the most relaxed. Even when she learns of time distortion affecting her ship, she seems calmer than the Kazon-era version in dealing with the situation.

Seven of Nine: I should be annoyed that this makes three Seven-centric episodes out of the past five... except I'm not, because Jeri Ryan's Seven is one of the best-written and best-acted characters on the show! She holds the focus of this very busy episode, treating the story with suitable seriousness while making the most out of her character moments: brushing off Lt Carey's awkward attempts at flirting, for instance, or pleading with Kazon-era Janeway to trust her even though doing so isn't logical. Her most prominent trait is her refusal to give up. As she tracks the saboteur across three different time streams, she is advised that each shift puts a greater physical strain on her. She curtly replies that she's aware of the risks, and she still insists on continuing even when she can barely manage to stand.

The Doctor: The middle part of the episode settles on the present-day Voyager. This portion shifts focus from Seven to the Doctor, who is the first crew member to discover that things aren't as calm as they seem. It starts small, as several crew members come down with bouts of "space sickness." As crew members continue appearing with complaints, he realizes that something is wrong - and after he's called to a medical emergency only to find that it hasn't happened yet, he realizes that time distortion is involved. This is all well executed, and Robert Picardo seems to enjoy the chance to play detective.

Capt. Braxton: Has dealt with Janeway before, and he ended up stranded on 20th century Earth as a result. After years of "rehabilitation," he's been recast as a bigger name actor and given a new command. Despite his past issues with Janeway, he seems dedicated to stopping Voyager's destruction. When his second-in-command points out how much danger he's putting Seven in, he responds that doing nothing will result in the deaths of Seven and her entire crew, and he's as crisp and efficient as Seven while administering the mission. He does let his resentment toward Janeway show when Seven asks about involving her, however. "That woman has been responsible for three major temporal incursions... She's reckless. She has no regard for the integrity of the time frame... Avoid contact!"


THOUGHTS:

I actually feel a bit sorry for the villain of the piece - or at least, the earliest version of the villain. Like Janeway and Seven, we see multiple versions from the present and the future. The thing is, it's the present version who is first arrested... and this individual has done absolutely nothing wrong and has no intention of doing anything! The arrest is made for "crimes you're going to commit" - meaning that, very likely, this person's entire life is ruined because of a timeline that hasn't happened and that, by the episode's end, has been averted. Nice that Voyager is saved; I guess it just sucks to be the entirely innocent version of the person arrested for the troubles!

Outside of that, I really enjoyed this episode. Relativity juggles multiple versions of multiple characters across multiple time frames, and it does so without getting bogged down in exposition or technobabble. It's fast, fun, and exciting - and actually rather well-structured.

It opens in the past, rapidly establishing multiple mysteries: Why is Seven present before Voyager's launch? What is she investigating, and who are the people she's communicating with? A few answers are quickly given when the Relativity and its far-future crew are introduced. Only then, close to fifteen minutes in, do we move to the present Voyager as Janeway and the Doctor grapple with the time distortion mystery.

This middle act, which is in many ways the true beginning of the story, is well placed. It's the slowest portion of the episode - but by this point, the mysteries of the first Act propel us along. It's also the one part of the episode not focused on Seven. Spotlighting Janeway and the Doctor for a ten-minute stretch keeps this from feeling like "The Seven of Nine Show," which has become an intermittent pitfall. The time distortions themselves create some engaging scenes: a ping-pong ball that hangs in midair, Chakotay phasing into three versions of himself for a second while expositing to Janeway, and the moment with the Doctor being called for an emergency before it actually happens. The action rises until the ship finally seems doomed...

At which point we return to Seven on the Relativity, with us now feeling the urgency of her mission after seeing the consequences if she fails. It's an effective structure, made more so when we return to familiar scenes at the end, and the sturdy overall construction keeps the plot on track even as individual bits happily indulge in time travel nuttiness.


OVERALL:

A part of me can't quite get past the injustice visited upon the episode's villain (well, the innocent version of the villain, at least). Outside of that, though, Relativity is good, fast-paced fun, a rare Voyager episode that didn't bore me for even one second. It's the Star Trek equivalent of a well-made summer blockbuster, and I was happy to go along for the ride.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: 11:59
Next Episode: Warhead

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4-16. Prey.

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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