Star Trek: The Swarm

Episode: "The Swarm"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 4

Original Air Date: September 25, 1996

via Memory Alpha

The Doctor is losing his memory.  Most alarming, he's forgetting his medical programming but he's also forgetting his more personal experiences on Voyager.  Fortunately, there's a diagnostic program for the EMH on the holodeck, including a holographic Lewis Zimmerman, the man who created the Doctor in his own image.  Meanwhile, Captain Janeway and her crew must find their way through the territory of beings who don't take kindly to the intrusion.

"The Swarm" is pretty solid, the second Voyager writing credit for Michael Sussman who penned the excellent "Meld" for Season 2.  Obviously, it's a meaningful vehicle for the Doctor.  We learn he's developed a love for opera, performing La Boheme on the holodeck.  We get to know his creator better.  We are reminded of his considerable growth since the beginning of the series.  It is also a great story for Kes, the ultimate hero of the tale.  She cares for her holographic friend deeply and she's a strong advocate for his rights and well-being throughout.  The episode was written as an Alzheimer's allegory and Kes was excellent in the caretaker role.

I'm likely to get a bit wistful regarding Kes throughout Season 3...

The ethical dilemma of whether or not to travel though another society's air space is meaningful.  As Tuvok points out, doing so is a violation of Starfleet directives.  Neither for the first time nor the last, Janeway plays the "we're a long way from Starfleet right now" card, prioritizing the long-term well-being of her ship and crew.  The dilemma presents a genuinely interesting long-term question regarding Voyager's entire premise.  Does the crew's situation exempt them from Starfleet regulations?  A purist would say no.  But goodness knows, Star Trek would be a lot less fun if the captain(s) never bent or broke the rules, right?  That's kinda the point of it all.  Weigh all of the strong arguments, then make the call.  The Starfleet brass always seem to forgive them in the end.

A note for Mulgrew: a few times in the episode, we see a slanted smile.  It happens enough that one imagines it was a conscious choice.  Unfortunately, whatever the intent, it lands as patronizing and even aloof, particularly in a tense situation.  Hopefully, the directors/producers told her it wasn't working.  I'll keep an eye out for it in future episodes. 

Acting Notes

via Scrubs Wiki

Carole Davis played the role of Giusseppina Pentangelli, a fictitious 22nd century soprano, Mimì to the Doctor's Rodolfo in the holographic opera.  Davis doesn't get much screen time - a shame because she's a lot of fun, really playing the "diva" energy to the hilt.  I can't find any indication one way or the other as to whether they used her actual singing voice in the episode.  (They did use Picardo's.) Davis is a singer, even had a dance hit with "Serious Money" in the '80s.  However, I don't know if she has classical training.  It would seem a shame not to cast the real deal for such a small part but we've all seen stranger.

Davis was born in London, February 17, 1958.  After a successful modeling career, she hit the big screen in 1982 with Piranha II: The Spawning.  She also made appearances in The Flamingo Kid and Mannequin.  Other television credits include The A-Team, Sex and the City and Angel.  

Davis was pals with Prince and even has co-writing credit on one of his songs: "Slow Love."  She's an accomplished writer as well, boasting articles for The Jewish Journal, American Dog Magazine and Newsvine.

Squid Eats: May Day

via May Day

May Day in Burlington offers a menu based on local, seasonal ingredients.  It's on North Winooski Avenue, an increasingly hip part of town.  When we first moved to Vermont, the best reason to go was the laundromat.  Now, there are several nice restaurants, including a great Vietnamese place where the aforementioned laundromat used to be.  

On our most recent visit, we ordered mussels (more or less obligatory for us when they're on the menu) and a couple of specials: a beef tart and a pork tenderloin dish.  The mussels were heavenly and thankfully they gave us plenty of bread for sop.  The specials were fine - nothing too excited but fine.  We got an order of fries by mistake - herby, which was good, but a little too salty.

Overall, it's a pleasant dining experience.  Wait staff is personable and professional.  We'll be back.

Star Trek: The Chute

Episode: "The Chute"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 3

Original Air Date: September 18, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Kim and Paris are wrongly convicted of a terrorist attack, sentenced to prison plus a neural implant that slowly drives them insane.  There are no guards.  The inmates are completely at one another's mercy.  Meanwhile, Janeway and friends hunt down the true culprits, then hatch a plan to free their crew mates.

Star Trek's fascination with criminal justice continues.  "The Chute" is a compelling jail break story.  Both Harry and Neelix (good thing someone remembered his ship was still in the cargo hold) get satisfying heroic moments.  The story's not especially memorable but overall, I'd say I prefer it to last week's.  

One point worth addressing: many slash fiction writers have been drawn to the Harry-Tom relationship as one with homoerotic undertones, pointing to "The Chute" as evidence.  First, let me be clear: I would have no problem with such a relationship developing.  Indeed, I would welcome it.  I certainly appreciate the longing for representation, however subtle, by those in the queer community.  That said, I am troubled when any affectionate, nurturing or protective relationship, no matter the sex or gender of the parties involved, is automatically perceived as sexual.  I see danger in such an attitude.  We should all be able to experience and appreciate a broader spectrum of intimacy than society generally acknowledges or allows.  Fiction - especially 1990s American televised fiction - is too limited in this area.  And it's often the consumer, rather than the creator, who is limited in their view.

Acting Notes

via WikiSein

Don McManus played the role of Zio, a temporary ally for our friends in the prison.  McManus was born November 8, 1959 in San Diego.  He graduated from Yale.  His films include The Shawshank Redemption, National Treasure and Air Force One.  Television appearances include Northern Exposure, Seinfeld and Frasier.  

Squid Mixes: Obituary

An Obituary combines gin, dry vermouth and absinthe with a lemon peel garnish.  It is yet another in the large family of Corpse Reviver cocktails.  We got our recipe from Rebekah Peppler in The New York Times who informs us the drink is also sometimes known as Death in the Afternoon.  

My wife is the one who found the recipe and requested the drink, a bit of a surprise given her usual aversion to anise.  The absinthe is the flavor carrier here, though it's light.  A stronger gin (I used Seagram's Extra Dry) might compete better though I don't think that would be the right choice at our house.  We both enjoyed the result - perhaps worth remembering as a martini variant, too.

Sadly appropriate for the name of the drink, I have sad news to share.  One of our beloved cats, known here as The Little Squirt (black kitty with a tiny white priest collar - relatively camera shy compared to The Scamp, our most obliging cocktail model), recently passed away.  The house always feels out of balance if we don't have two cats so we got another not long afterwards.  He's an extremely affectionate adult male ginger who is presently eager for me to stop typing so I'll pet him.  We're still getting to know each other so I don't have a good code name for him yet.  Stay tuned.

RIP, little one...

Star Trek: Flashback

Episode: "Flashback"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 2

Original Air Date: September 11, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Tuvok has a mental breakdown on the bridge accompanied by flashbacks to letting go of a girl before she fell from a precipice, an incident he doesn't remember.  Janeway mind-melds with him in order to help probe the past.  We go back to his days on the USS Excelsior where he served under none other than Captain Hikaru Sulu.

"Flashback" pushes hard on the nostalgia button.  We get both Sulu and Janice Rand in Undiscovered Country-era uniforms.  We get Kang.  It was all in honor of Star Trek's 30th anniversary and the homage was effective.

But that's really it.  What else is there here?  "Flashback" gets a lot of love on best-of lists but I don't see it.  The memory anomaly is all explained away with technobabble.  It was just a gimmick, a device to get to Sulu with no real value of its own.  The acting's good.  The background development for Tuvok is good.  It's fun without being meaningful.  I want meaningful.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Jeremy Roberts played the role of Lt. Cmdr. Dmitri Valtane, the same character he played in Undiscovered Country.  "Flashback" was his third and final Trek appearance.  He was born Jeremy Thompson in Birmingham, Alabama, September 18, 1954.  Other television appearances include CSI: Miami, Xena: Princess Warrior and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Other films include Sister Act and Blackout.

Squid Perks: Happy Place Cafe

In the evening, Vermont Comedy Club is Burlington's premier stand-up comedy venue, providing a full bar and plenty of pub food for its patrons.  During the day (8-3, Wed-Sun), the "bar" transforms into Happy Place Cafe, an ideal spot for a quick refreshment before our last afternoon of movies at this year's Vermont International Film Festival.  

I went low-octane this visit, ordering herbal tea.  My wife got a London Fog, having been denied the pleasure at lunch (Jericho Cafe and Tavern - formerly Village Cup - got rid of their espresso machine. What gives?).  She also ordered a doughnut twist and I got a nibble.  All was satisfying.

Burlington hardly needs another coffeehouse but Happy Place Cafe is worth remembering simply because there was hardly anyone there.  No waiting in line.  We sat right at the bar.  Quick service.  Perfect.

Star Trek: Basics, Part II

Episode: "Basics, Part II"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 1

Original Air Date: September 4, 1996

via Memory Alpha

The story begun with Season 2's finale continues.  While most of the Voyager crew is in survival mode on their new home planet, the Doctor, unexpectedly escaped detainee Lon Suder and Tom Paris team up to regain the ship from Kazon control.  

Initially, there was talk of extending the story of the crew's new life away from the ship over several episodes.  I'm glad the idea was scrapped.  While complications are to be expected - and necessary to fulfill the needs of episodic television - the overall trajectory of our heroes' journey should always be incremental progress back to the Alpha Quadrant.  

This is a strong start to the season.  The survival story is satisfying, especially as our friends find a way to gain the trust of the native inhabitants.  Even though the exile only lasts one episode, the first glimpse of Voyager coming back to rescue them is genuinely moving.

The episode also marks the end for several storylines, namely Suder's, Seska and the Kazon.  I think moving on from the last two was essential.  As noted above, the overall trajectory should be homeward and sticking to the same region of space for too long is a hindrance.  Suder's demise, however, seems a shame.  I suppose if you can't see where to move forward on a certain narrative path, it makes sense to move on.  But character death - most of the time, anyway - means you can never revisit the idea at all.  

Losing some ideas means making room for others.  Let's hope they're good ones.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Scott Haven played the part of a Kazon engineer.  The episode is one of five Trek appearances, including the film First Contact.  Haven was born January 8, 1964.  Haven had recurring roles on both Beverly Hills, 90210 and JAG.  Films include The Babe, Watch It and Lansky.