Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Season 3, Episode 18
Original Air Date: February 19, 1997
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| via Memory Alpha |
In an effort to improve his bedside manner, the Doctor selects famously compassionate historical figures - Byron, Ghandi, Socrates, T'Pau - to incorporate into his programming. Meanwhile, Kes is falling in love with a trader, Zahir, who offers to take her on grand adventures - away from Voyager. Unfortunately, the good doctor fails to account for the fact that he would take on his heroes' flaws along with their strengths. Two separate, competing personalities emerge in a Jekyll and Hyde tale. The evil one eventually puts both Torres and Kes in grave peril.
Robert Picardo really acts the snot out of this one. As with Brent Spiner (Data), there is danger in letting Picardo out of the box. We see a lot of "look at me, I'm meeeeeean" from ol' Bob here. And I have to admit, I really wanted to watch B'Elanna kick his ass for pawing her. Perhaps another time...
Kes will be leaving the show soon. I'll leave discussion of the particulars until the moment arrives but "Darkling" makes me wonder how far ahead of time the creative staff was at least aware of the possibility. The writers painted themselves into a corner from the beginning with Kes's expected life span and in this episode, she suggests to Janeway for the first time that she may not want to spend the rest of her short life on Voyager. And just as importantly, Janeway responds quite reasonably. After all, Kes isn't Starfleet or Maquis. She's along for the journey by choice and she's certainly earning her keep as the doctor's assistant. There's no reason she shouldn't be free to go whenever she pleases.
Fortunately, not just yet. At this point, I would say Tuvok has overtaken both the Doctor and Kes as the most interesting character but Kes is still comfortably Top 3.
Acting Notes
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| via Memory Alpha |
David Lee Smith (Zahir) was born in Birmingham, Alabama, September 8, 1963. Films include The Man from Earth, Mysterious Skin and A Walk to Remember. Television work includes Savannah, The Naked Truth and CSI: Miami.
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