Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Season 2, Episode 8
Original Air Date: October 30, 1995
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| via Memory Alpha |
The Captain is running herself ragged. She's distracted, exhausted, not eating well, etc. The Doctor orders leisure time so she heads to the holodeck to indulge in her holonovel. Unfortunately, the Gothic story within a story proves less than stress-relieving when her employer, Lord Burleigh, declares his love and makes a pass at her.
The plot thickens once Janeway exits the program. Elements from the holonovel - cucumber sandwiches, a coffee cup, Burleigh's voice - start popping up in the "real" world. Soon the entire crew is suffering hallucinations, some indulging fears or anxieties, others deep desires. Memorably, Torres and Chakotay indulge in a passionate tryst. This is all due to the meddling of a malevolent being.
While there is decidedly less comedy involved, the episode reminds me of TNG's "The Naked Now" and its own inspiration, TOS's "The Naked Time." Why stretch out character development over time when you can dump the entire notebook into a single episode? There isn't much of lasting meaning on offer here. Paris has daddy issues - huge surprise. A Torres/Chakotay romance will never be pursued - thank goodness. The writers saw "Persistence of Vision" as a meaningful exploration of Janeway's need to move on from her life with Mark, her fiancé back home.
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| via Memory Alpha |
The one genuine treat: Carolyn Seymour, one of this blogger's favorite recurring guest stars, makes her last of five Star Trek appearance, this time as Mrs. Templeton, the evil housekeeper in the holonovel. In one of Janeway's hallucinations, Mrs. Templeton appears at the doorway to the Captain's quarters, clearly intent on stabbing her. The two tussle. Evidently, the scene was great fun for both actresses.
Acting Notes
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| via Memory Alpha |
Michael Cumpsty (Lord Burleigh) was born in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, though he spent much of his childhood in South Africa. He moved to the states for college, graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Most of Cumpsty's high-profile work has been on stage. Broadway credits include Artist Descending a Staircase, Racing Demon and Copenhagen. He won a Tony for his role in End of the Rainbow. In fine Trek tradition, his Shakespeare credentials are stellar, including the title roles in Timon of Athens, Richard III and Hamlet. Television work includes One Life to Live, All My Children and L.A. Law. Films include The Ice Storm, Flags of Our Fathers and The Visitor.
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