Star Trek: Worst Case Scenario

Episode: "Worst Case Scenario"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 25

Original Air Date: May 14, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Torres discovers a holonovel in the ship's computer based on a Maquis mutiny.  The adventure soon becomes the talk of Voyager, with Janeway's encouragement.  Tuvok, of all people, had created it as a training module in the early days of the mission.  Now he worries it sends the wrong message to the crew.  The Captain, on the other hand, sees it as healthy and much needed entertainment.  She even encourages the author to finish the story.  Unfortunately, our old pal Seska, who appears in holographic form, set a few booby traps in the program before she left the ship.

"Worst Case Scenario" is a lot of fun.  Having Seska back, in particular, is great.  As I've written before, though, I think it's a shame the series mostly backed off of the Maquis-Starfleet tension.  Why plant that seed if you're not going to draw from it more?  I feel the same way about the Tom Paris redemption saga.  Chakotay punched him the first time he saw him on the bridge!  That moment promised more than has been delivered.

But that's no reason not to enjoy "Worst Case Scenario."  Once again, Voyager builds on ideas from NextGen's Moriarty arc and I definitely approve of that.

Production Notes

via Memory Alpha

Richard Dale James was the production designer for 151 episodes of The Next Generation and 168 episodes of Voyager, including this one.  He was born in Fort Worth, Texas, April 7, 1936.  He graduated from Texas Tech.

James and set decorator Jim Mees won an Emmy for TNG's "Sins of the Father" and were nominated for three other episodes.  Voyager highlights include the bridge and the captain's ready room.  Film credits include Getting Even as production designer and Local Hero and The Beast of War as art director.  

James passed away in 2024 at age 88.

Step by Step: Autumn 2026

Vermont is famous for its fall colors.  According to the online trackers, we still have a few weeks to go until peak foliage but I will do my best to document the changes.  I took the two photos below in the same spot six days apart.  As you can see, there's still a lot of green but the progression, once it starts, moves quickly.

Monday, September 21

Sunday, September 27

7 for 7 on fitness goals this week.

Star Trek: Blaze of Glory

Episode: "Blaze of Glory"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 23

Original Air Date: May 12, 1997

via Memory Alpha

General Martok brings an intercepted message to Captain Sisko.  The Maquis have launched cloaked, guided missiles at Cardassian targets.  Both leaders know the fall out from such an attack could be disastrous.  Sisko knows of one man who can help him: the traitor Michael Eddington, currently serving out his sentence in a Federation prison.  Meanwhile, Nog, back on DS9 as a security officer, is struggling to win the respect of the Klingons on the station.

The episode feels like exactly what it is: an effort to tie up the Maquis storyline as neatly as possible so the writers could move on from it.  Eddington gets a noble death, at least in his own eyes (spoiler).  The movement is reduced to single-digit membership, just enough for Voyager if they want to return to the thread, which they never really do.  I'm not much of an Eddington fan - "look at me, I'm so smug."  Thus, I'm okay with moving on, too.  The Nog development is more meaningful, long term.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Gretchen German played the role of Rebecca Sullivan, Eddington's wife.  German was born in Austin, Texas, March 18, 1961.  Most of her work has been on television.  She's had recurring roles on Wings, Almost Perfect and Home Improvement as well as guest appearances on Will & Grace, Family Tree and Pacific Blue among others.  Her films include A Man Called Sarge and What Matters Most.  

Step by Step: Balnea Spa

Happy Equinox!

My wife and I spent some time at Balnea Spa in Bromont, Quebec this past weekend.  I have written about our love for thermal spas before, most expansively here.  For me, there are few things more relaxing than a hot bath.  As phones are typically forbidden within the facility, a spa is a wonderful place to unplug, one's only responsibility giving in to calm, pleasurable sensation.

Given the phone prohibition, my photos are not from the spa itself but from the surrounding area:

7 for 7 on fitness goals this week.

Star Trek: Displaced

Episode: "Displaced"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 24

Original Air Date: May 7, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Crew members are vanishing while strangers, beings calling themselves Nyrians, are just as mysteriously appearing all over the ship.  In time, our friends discover this is a complex and effective hijacking scheme on the part of the Nyrians.  Voyager is quickly overtaken and the entire crew - including even the EMH - find themselves on a prison colony where they're told they'll spend the rest of their lives.  Obviously, that won't do.

"Displaced" is fun with an old school sci-fi feel.  The portals our heroes find to other prison habitats are somewhat reminiscent of the original series episode "All Our Yesterdays."  I half-expected Mr. Atoz and his librarian clones to pop up.  I also enjoy the fact that the leverage Janeway finally finds to hold over the Nyrians is... cold weather (also echoing the TOS story).

Acting Notes

via West Wing Wiki

Kenneth Tigar played the role of Dammar, the leader of the hijackers.  Tigar was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, September 24, 1942.  He received both a BA and a PhD in German literature from Harvard where he was also active in theatre.  "Displaced" is his second of two Trek appearances.

Tigar's films include two Lethal Weapon movies, Primal Fear and Conspiracy Theory.  He has a brief but memorable role in Avengers as German Old Man.  When Loki commands a crowd to kneel before him...

On television, Tigar had a recurring role on L.A. Heat and guest appearances on Cheers, Dallas and ER among others.

Step by Step: Long Sleeves

There are many ways to track the change in seasons.  The days get shorter.  The leaves turn.  One could also track one's own wardrobe changes.  This past Friday was my first day wearing a long-sleeved shirt to work this year and I didn't regret it.  I've been wearing warmer clothes to bed recently, too.  The extended forecast shows highs in the 70s a few days this week but then all 60s the week after, just in time for the equinox.

7 for 7 on goals this week.

Star Trek: Children of Time

Episode: "Children of Time"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 22

Original Air Date: May 5, 1997

via Memory Beta

The crew of the Defiant discover a planet inhabited by their own descendants!  Apparently, our friends will attempt to leave the planet in two days AND encounter a temporal anomaly that sends them back two hundred years AND crash land again on the planet where they'll be forced to remain.  The dilemma that unfolds: do Sisko and company circumvent this scenario?  In doing so, they could go back to their own "current" lives but it would mean the 8,000 current inhabitants would cease to exist.

The story is awfully contrived but there's a broader narrative reason for all this.  Odo's on the planet, too.  Our Odo.  Evidently, Changelings have a much longer life span than most humanoids.  He looks not the same but better.  200 years of shapeshifting practice have paid off nicely.  But that's not even the big deal.

This Older Odo admits to Kira that he loves her and always has.  Current Odo is incapacitated at this time so he is saved the embarrassment of the admission until the end of the episode.  "Children of Time" is a means of hitting fast forward on the Kira/Odo will-they/won't-they romance tale.  Of course, they found the most roundabout Star Trek way to do it.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Gary Frank played the role of Yedrin Dax, Jadzia's descendant and host of the Dax symbiont.  Frank was born in Spokane, Washington, October 9, 1950.  He had a principal role on Family for which he won an Emmy.  He had recurring roles on Fantasy Island, Hill Street Blues and Remington Steele and guest roles on Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote.  Films include Enemy Territory, Deadly Weapon and The Distinguished Gentleman.