Star Trek: Rise

Episode: "Rise"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 19

Original Air Date: February 26, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Always happy to make nice with the locals while they're passing through, the Voyager crew are helping protect a Nezu colony from an asteroid bombardment.  But there's something fishy going on.  The ship's torpedoes should be obliterating the asteroids and yet fragments are still making it to the planet surface.  A Nezu scientist reports that the asteroids appear to be artificial.  Our friends send down three shuttles on a rescue mission including one led by Tuvok and Neelix.  They are forced to make an emergency landing and that's where the real fun begins.

"Rise" explores the difficult relationship between Tuvok and Neelix.  It's well established by this point in the series that Neelix drives Tuvok crazy.  Neelix is impulsive, moody, gregarious and seemingly unserious: everything that a logical Vulcan abhors.  Now here they are, in a situation in which they absolutely have to work together in order to survive.  For perhaps the first time, Neelix proves his value - as well as the value of his own particular strengths - to the Lieutenant.  It's a big deal.

The story is based on the 1965 film, The Flight of the Phoenix.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Alan Oppenheimer played the role of a Nezu ambassador.  It was his third of three Trek appearances on three different series.  Oppenheimer was born in New York City, April 23, 1930.

Television work includes appearances on Hogan's Heroes, Get Smart and Happy Days.  Film credits include Westworld and the narrator in The NeverEnding Story.  He had an extensive voice acting career, beginning in the 1970s.  He worked on several Filmation shows, including Flash Gordon, Ghostbusters and The Smurfs and yet, interestingly, never Trek's animated series.

Star Trek: Doctor Bashir, I Presume

Episode: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 16

Original Air Date: February 24, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Robert Picardo guest stars as both Dr. Lewis Zimmerman and the Emergency Medical Hologram he created in his own likeness.  The scientist is designing a new and improved medical hologram and wishes to use the handsome and talented Dr. Bashir as the model.  To do the job, Zimmerman requires intimate knowledge of Julian's psyche, including a deep probe of his past.  To this end, Zimmerman invites our doctor's parents to the station for interviews, against Julian's explicit wishes.  In an accidental slip up, Mom and Dad reveal a dark secret: Julian was illegally genetically enhanced as a young child.

Meanwhile, Zimmerman takes a shine to Leeta, forcing Rom out of his shyness to confess his love for her.  Fortunately, she loves him, too, and DS9's happiest and healthiest romance is finally realized.

I have mixed feelings about the Genetically Enhanced Julian storyline.  In the writers' ongoing need to make the character more interesting, I think they went a bit too far with this one.  He's superhuman?  That doesn't make him more likable.  Contrast his with Rom's arc.  We root like hell for Quark's little brother.  At this point, Rom is one of the strongest recurring characters and for DS9, that's saying quite a lot.  The writers didn't change Rom.  They simply put him in circumstances where he'd best be able to shine.  With Bashir, they try too hard.  And so does Julian.  In my defense, the development came as a late surprise for actor Alexander Siddig and he wasn't too happy about it initially either.

But postgaming the episode with our child brought new perspective for me...

They feel the augmentation plotline has parallels with nonconsensual genital surgeries performed on intersex children.  Julian didn't have a choice in undergoing the procedure.  In fact, he didn't even fully understand what had been done to him until later.  The same is true for infants born with non-conforming genitals.  In both cases, the parents have made what is essentially a cosmetic choice motivated by the long-term well-being of the child.

I think it's hard to fault the parents in either case.  We all want what's best for our kids and will go to great lengths to ensure their well-being.  But where is the limit?  For the Trek universe, there's a legal limit regarding genetic enhancement.  Regarding intersex children, parents have all the power, though the medical establishment certainly has influence in the matter.

It's an interesting question - the sort of question Trek should be encouraging all of us to ponder.

One fun note: Fadwa El Guindi (Amsha Bashir) was not a professional actor at all.  At the time, she was an anthropology professor at UCLA.  A casting agent discovered her at a community theater performance and El Guindi auditioned for Trek on a whim.  The episode is her only on-screen acting credit.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Chase Masterson (Leeta) was born Christianne Carafano in Colorado Springs, February 26, 1963.  She graduated from the University of Texas with a BFA.  She made 17 appearances as Leeta on DS9 plus a voice appearance on Lower Decks.  The television resume also includes guest appearances on General Hospital, Sliders and ER.  Her film Yesterday Was a Lie earned her a Best Feature Film Producer award at the LA Femme Film Festival in 2008.

Star Trek: Darkling

Episode: "Darkling"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 18

Original Air Date: February 19, 1997

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

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.  

Squid Perks: Raktajino

Raktajino is Klingon coffee, particularly popular on Star Trek's Deep Space Nine, both the station and the series.  The canon doesn't provide much guidance as to flavor beyond that it's Klingon-strong but, of course, there are numerous recipes online.  I adapted the one at AF's Amazing Food Blog, which incorporates cinnamon, cardamom and allspice.  For the "extra strong coffee," I used espresso and I mixed in the ground spices pre-brewing.  I did not use AF's recommended sugar as we don't really put sugar in coffee at home.

The result was quite pleasant.  The spices add dimension.  It doesn't have the wow flavor kick I was hoping for and I'm not sure what would bring that.  The optional black pepper in the recipe would certainly supply heat but honestly, I'm not a black pepper fan.  Some recipes add alcohol - AF suggests rum, cognac or coffee liqueur.  I doubt that would add much flavor.  I'd just want to go back to bed.

The most important question is whether we prefer raktajino to Captain Picard's beloved Earl Gray tea.  We're planning a Star Trek-themed brunch for Father's Day.  The Purple Penguin and I both prefer the rak.  My wife doesn't care.  So raktajino, it is.  Maybe we'll have a clever idea for making it stronger by Sunday...

Star Trek: By Inferno's Light

Episode: "By Inferno's Light"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 15

Original Air Date: February 17, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Garak episode!

The basics: picking up where the last episode left off, Worf, Garak, Bashir and Martok all manage to escape from the Dominion Internment Camp while the gang back at the station fend off a Dominion invasion with some help from both the Klingons and the Romulans.  There's so much more going on in this extraordinary episode.  Where do you even start?

• The Cardassians, under Gul Dukat's leadership, have cut a deal to become part of the Dominion.
• The prison escape is probably the best narrative in the episode and it is two-pronged.  Garak must contend with his own claustrophobia in rigging the camp's shields to allow the prisoners to transfer back to the runabout, which the Jem'Hadar rather carelessly left in orbit nearby.  Evidently, Andrew Robinson is genuinely a bit phobic and was also sick with the flu so much of his on-screen anxiety was real.  Even so, his is a Patrick Stewart-level man-on-the-edge-of-madness performance.
• Worf is "forced" into fighting each of the guards in turn, satisfying his own lust for battle as well as creating a distraction so Garak can do his thing.  He defeats them all, of course - well, nearly all of them.
• Finally, Worf takes on Ikat'Ika, the First at the camp.  By this point, Worf has earned deep respect from the guards and we also get a glimpse of the guards' disdain for their Vorta superiors.  This ultimate match ends with a memorable line from Ikat'Ika.  He is clearly in the superior position, though Worf refuses to concede: "I yield!  I cannot defeat this Klingon.  All I can do is kill him and that no longer holds my interest."  Wow.
• Garak's story is based on the 1963 film, The Great Escape.
• Meanwhile, back at the station, the impostor Bashir is discovered but almost too late.  He gets away in a runabout and nearly detonates a bomb in the Bajoran sun.  But he is destroyed first.
• Evidently, the rest of the Dominion invasion wasn't real.
• Upon returning to the station, Garak gets a girlfriend!

Seriously, there's a lot going on here.  I'm always amazed by Seinfeld's ability to cram so much material into a 22-minute episode.  Granted, DS9 had twice the time to work with here but even so, it's impressive.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Ray Buktenica played the role of Deyos, the Vorta Commander of the Internment Camp.  Buktenica was born in New York City, August 6, 1943.  Most of his work has been on television, including a recurring role on Rhoda, one of three spin-offs of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the most neglected contender in the GOAT sitcom debates.  He also had a principal role on House Calls and a recurring role on Life Goes On.  The big screen resume is relatively modest in length but he's been in some high-profile films, including My Girl, Heat and Shopgirl.

Star Trek: Unity

Episode: "Unity"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 17

Original Air Date: February 12, 1997

via Memory Alpha

During a shuttle mission, Chakotay and his pilot, Ensign Kaplan, respond to a distress call - and doesn't that always lead to trouble?  When they land on the planet of the signal's origin, they are almost immediately attacked.  Chakotay is knocked unconscious.  When he comes to, the woman attending him is human, and a former Starfleet officer at that.  Soon, it becomes apparent that she and the rest of her community are dis-assimilated Borg drones.  They help Chakotay - indeed, they save his life.  But they also need help from him, and the particular assistance required is a tough sell for Captain Janeway.

"Unity" provides an early glimpse of Voyager's most important story - I mean, apart from the obviously overarching long journey home.  With the Hugh arc, NextGen raised important questions regarding the Borg: is it possible to separate a drone from the collective and what would be the consequences of doing so?  Apart from the series premier, DS9 has mostly ignored the Borg in favor of other fruitful narrative paths.  But soon, Voyager will explore these questions in depth via the character Seven of Nine.

It's difficult for me to look past my own eager anticipation of stories to come and judge "Unity" on its own merits.  That said, I think the episode is genuinely important for revealing to Chakotay the power and the seductiveness of the collective.  As part of his healing, he is joined with them and the experience of total connection is overwhelming.  And beautiful.  Yes, they manipulate him for selfish gain.  But then they leave him alone and it's obvious he regrets that a little.

I also think it relates thematically with Captain Sisko's experience in "Rapture."  The stories are separate, of course, and quite different from each other.  But the power of connection is common to both.  I think of where we are as a society nearly 30 years later.  Many have theorized that Trumpism is a result of too many young men, in particular, feeling disconnected from... everything.  Feeling a part of something larger than oneself: is it a universal human need?  Generations of psychologists and sociologists have asserted that it is.  Both "Unity" and "Rapture" support the thinking.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Lori Hallier played the role of Dr. Riley Frazier, the former Starfleet officer turned Borg drone turned separated drone.  Hallier was born in Victoria, British Columbia, July 8, 1959.  She studied theatre at the University of Victoria, ultimately graduating from the National Theatre School in Montreal.

Hallier's films include My Bloody Valentine, Warning Sign and My Name Is Tanino.  On television, she had recurring roles on Days of Our Lives and Santa Barbara and guest roles on The Dukes of Hazzard, Jake and the Fatman and Matlock.  

Star Trek: In Purgatory's Shadow

Episode: "In Purgatory's Shadow"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 14

Original Air Date: February 10, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Garak episode!

Garak receives an encoded message from Enabran Tain, his old spymaster - surprising since Tain was presumed dead.  Garak and Worf head off in a runabout to the Gamma Quadrant to investigate.  They are captured and placed in a seemingly inescapable interment camp, conveniently the same one as Tain.  And the real General Martok.  And - what's this? - Julian Bashir.

There are many important reveals in this episode, the first of a two-part story.  Most importantly, we learn that the being on Deep Space 9 we had all believed to be Dr. Julian Bashir is, in fact, a Changeling imposter.  Nearly as shocking, if not quite as impactful on the broader narrative, we learn that Tain is not just Garak's mentor.  He's his father.

This week's story ends with a massive Dominion fleet passing through the wormhole.  It would seem the long-anticipated war is about to become a reality.

No one told Alexander Siddig that his character had been taken over by a shapeshifter until the beginning of filming for "In Purgatory's Shadow."  It was a sensible creative decision in order to preserve the deception.  Those who put more thought into these things than I do theorize that the Changeling must have replaced Bashir sometime before "Rapture," four episodes ago.

Ziyal is back.  Before Garak leaves on his crazy adventure, Ziyal confesses deep affection for him, much to her father's horror.  Dukat tries to get her to leave the station, partly to avoid the war and partly to get her away from Garak.  She refuses, standing up to his overbearing attempt at control.  Go, Ziyal!

Acting Notes

via WikiSein

Melanie Smith was the third and final actor to play the part of Ziyal.  "In Purgatory's Shadow" is her first of six appearances.  Smith was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, December 16, 1962.  Before DS9, she'd had a principal role as Emily Stewart on five seasons of As the World Turns and had played Jerry's girlfriend Rachel Goldstein for three episodes of Seinfeld.  Films include Trancers III, Molly & Gina and Night Hunters.  

Star Trek: Blood Fever

Episode: "Blood Fever"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 16

Original Air Date: February 5, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Ensign Vorik attacks B'Elanna Torres.  He is suffering through the pon farr, an intense Vulcan hormonal episode which crops up every seven years.  Torres, in turn, starts exhibiting the same symptoms, a la rabies.  She turns her own attention to Tom Paris.  The episode is, in many ways, an homage to the original series's "Amok Time."

There's a lot of ickiness here.  Consent is evidently not a major concern for a Vulcan experiencing pon farr and Vorik is too easily forgiven for his attack.  There is also a problematic perspective on non-human species (too easily interpreted as "non-white") as animalistic when not properly controlled.  

On the bright side, I appreciate the Doctor's broad and inclusive attitude toward sexual understanding across humanoid species.  We could do with a bit more of that here at home in the 21st century.

The story is another step on the road to B'Elanna and Tom having a more romantic and sexual involvement.  Fortunately, the relationship to come is a lot healthier than what we see here.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Alexander Enberg played the role of Vorik, "Blood Fever" being one of eight appearances for the character.  Enberg also played Taurik in the NextGen episode "Lower Decks."  I think it would have been nice if Taurik's story could have been continued via Voyager but the producers preferred having an all-new character.  Jeri Taylor - executive producer and also Enberg's mother - once suggested that Vorik and Taurik are twin brothers.  In total, Enberg has played four different Trek characters.

Enberg was born in Los Angeles, April 5, 1972.  He is the son of the aforementioned Jeri Taylor and legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg.  Beyond Trek, Enberg appeared in Quincy, M.E., Simon & Simon and Jake and the Fatman.  Films include Pump Up the Volume, Junior and Senseless.  

Star Trek: For the Uniform

Episode: "For the Uniform"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 13

Original Air Date: February 3, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Sisko hunts Eddington, the DS9 security officer who betrayed Starfleet and Sisko specifically by joining the Maquis.  Whenever Sisko gets close, Eddington always manages to sidestep.  Eddington says he wants to be left alone but he also can't help bating our dear captain.  It's quite a game they play.

The Eddington story overall is a good one.  Betrayal is always a meaningful way to kick off a narrative and a manhunt is inherently engaging.  That said, this particular installment is a mixed bag for me.  The quality of storytelling is solid.  But there are elements I find troubling.

First the good.  "For the Uniform" introduces Captain Sanders, commanding officer of the USS Malinche, for his only canon appearance.  Starfleet sends Sanders to take over the Eddington mission from Sisko, seeing the latter as both ineffective and emotionally compromised.  It's a tricky role.  Sanders first approaches Sisko with regret but also with a tinge of a scolding tone.  In the end, he must admit his own failure to catch Eddington and concede the mission is rightfully Sisko's.  His "save me a seat at his court martial line" is a nice face-saving moment, restoring trust between himself and Sisko.  An understated yet effective performance by guest star, Eric Pierpoint.

Now the trouble.  To get his man, Sisko deploys a biological weapon on a Maquis-settlement planet.  That's a war crime, folks, and it sure as hell isn't good Star Trek.  Even his own Defiant crew reacts with disbelief, though they do follow his order.  And this, my friends, is part of the problem with the Sisko as Emissary arc.  If you tell a man he's essentially a god, eventually he'll start to believe you.  Then he'll believe everything he wants is justified as a matter of divine right.

Sound familiar?

"For the Uniform" includes homages to several classic films, including Run Silent, Run Deep, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

For Eric Pierpoint, "For the Uniform" is the second of seven Trek appearances as five different characters on four different series.  Pierpoint was born in Redlands, California, November 18, 1950, though he spent his adolescence in Bethesda, Maryland, not far from where I grew up myself.  He even graduated from Walt Whitman High School, our arch-rival.  For undergrad, he attended the University of the Redlands where he was also captain of the soccer team.  Then he got an MFA from Catholic University.

Pierpoint's best-known role is George Francisco in the Alien Nation series.  Other television work includes Hot Pursuit, Fame and Parks and Recreation.  Films include Windy City, Liar, Liar and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Star Trek: Coda

Episode: "Coda"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 15

Original Air Date: January 29, 1997

via Memory Alpha

On the way back to the ship from an away mission, Janeway and Chakotay get caught in a time loop.  Or is Janeway dying?  Or both?  Eventually, an ethereal entity disguised as her own deceased father strives to lure our captain into the afterlife and away from her Voyager crew.

Honestly, the story for "Coda" is kind of all over the place.  The time loop idea is ultimately meaningless, part of a near-death hallucination.  In fact, did any of what Janeway experienced "really happen"?

And yet there is something meaningful weaved in through it all.  Star Trek has never been shy about exploring death, and not simply the obvious loss aspect either.  Is there an afterlife?  The franchise has, in fact, offered several different answers to that question.  "Coda" suggests the involvement of a higher intelligence.  What is "god" if not a higher intelligence?  Again, this is all well-tread territory for Trek and it won't be the last time for such questions.

"Coda" manages to offer an interesting angle: how does the person dying cope with the fact that she will no longer be a part of other people's lives?  In effect, how does she mourn herself?  For nearly three seasons worth of television, Janeway's primary drive has been getting her crew back to the Alpha Quadrant.  If she dies, she can't help them any more.  She can watch in a ghost state but she can't impact.  She will play no role in their successes or their failures.  Ever-growing loneliness is inevitable.  The only alternative is acceptance and she's not ready for that.

As is so often the case with Voyager, the basic premise is good while elements of the execution fall flat.  First, an obvious narrative oversight: Janeway never catches on to the fact that the one time Kes was able to sense her presence was when Kes physically passed through the Janeway ghost.  Why didn't the captain think to try that again?  The movie Ghost had come out in 1990.  In Ghost, that trick worked - with Whoopi Goldberg's character, no less!  A narrative question has a narrative answer: that wasn't the point of this story.  Whatever.  The inconsistency distracted me.  

Then the funeral speeches from the crew - so moving and so... staged.  It's sweet.  None of it feels organic.  It feels like a school play.  "Okay, it's your turn to emote now..."  DS9 is always effortless.  Voyager rarely is.  I know I just need to move past the differences but it's hard when the gap is evident.  Better actors + better writing = superior narrative flow.  Every time.

But the death stuff is interesting.

Acting Notes

The guest star cannot be blamed for "weak acting."  They brought in a heavyweight for "Coda."

via Blue Bloods Wiki

Len Cariou ("ghost" of Vice Admiral Janeway) was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, September 30, 1939.  He started both acting and directing while he was still in high school.  He graduated from St. Paul's College in Winnipeg.  

After several years at the Guthrie in Minneapolis, Cariou made his Broadway debut in 1968.  He received Tony nominations for his lead performances in Applause opposite Lauren Bacall and A Little Night Music opposite Elizabeth Taylor.  The Tony win finally came in 1979 when he debuted the title role in Sweeney Todd, opposite Angela Lansbury.  Films include The Four Seasons, Prisoners and the Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight.  He's done well on television, too.  He was in the principal cast of Blue Bloods for 14 seasons.  He has had recurring roles in Murder, She Wrote, Brotherhood and Damages.  

Star Trek: The Begotten

Episode: "The Begotten"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 12

Original Air Date: January 27, 1997

via Wikipedia

Quark sells a young changeling - little more than a jar of goo at this stage - to Odo, effectively making our dear constable a parent.  Odo sets about trying to teach his young charge to shapeshift, a bit tricky given that he can't do it himself anymore.  At Captain Sisko's urging, Odo enlists the help of his own Bajoran mentor/father, Dr. Mora.  Meanwhile, Kira gives birth to the O'Briens' baby.

"Begotten" can be challenging to watch at times as it treads on tricky territory. As previously explored in "The Alternate," Odo is highly resentful of Mora.  Before realizing Odo was a sentient life form, the scientist poked and prodded, generally making Odo miserable.  From Odo's perspective, it was an abusive relationship and his anger is understandable.  Mora, on the other hand, is fully convinced that he was doing what he thought was best.  There was no handbook for raising a Changeling so he had to make it up as he went along.  From the Odo-Mora viewpoint, "Begotten" is a story of forgiveness.

But the more interesting and gratifying tale is the relationship between Odo and his child.  Odo takes a gentler approach than Mora had and with gratifying results.  The young Changeling rising up to form Odo's face in a clear sign of affection is one of DS9's most moving moments.  

The episode ends bittersweetly on multiple fronts.  Saddest, the young Changeling dies.  However, in so doing, it dissolves into Odo, restoring the latter's shapeshifting abilities.  Odo's parting with Mora is surprisingly emotional.  They even hug.  Finally, Kira expresses regret over no longer being with the new baby - probably a very real emotional rollercoaster for many surrogate mothers.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Peggy Roeder played the role of Y'Pora, Kira's Bajoran midwife.  "Begotten" is Roeder's only Trek appearance.  Other television guest roles include Wings, ER and Law & Order.  Her most memorable movie role may be the piano teacher in Groundhog Day.  Other films include Eagle Eye, Road to Perdition and The Lake House.

Star Trek: Alter Ego

Episode: "Alter Ego"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 14

Original Air Date: January 15, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Ensign Harry Kim is in love with Marayna, a holodeck character in Neelix's luau program.  He's got it bad.  It's interfering with his work.  He goes to Tuvok for guidance on emotional control.  The Lieutenant goes to the holodeck to check out Marayna.  She ends up falling for Tuvok instead.  Perhaps there is more to Marayna than originally suspected.

"Alter Ego" is a great Tuvok episode.  I'm finding there are a lot of those.  Tuvok provides more in-depth exploration of Vulcan culture and philosophy than Spock ever did.  Kim's questions and especially Marayna's challenges reveal much of Tuvok's own thinking, even bringing new and unexpected self-awareness.   "Alter Ego" also introduces kal-toh, a complicated and beautiful Vulcan strategy game.  

via Memory Alpha

Solution via Memory Alpha

The story is a meaningful continuation of a couple TNG holodeck threads.  Falling in love with a holodeck character hearkens back to "11001001," NextGen's best Season 1 offering.  Such a character taking over the ship is an expansion of Moriarty's efforts in "Ship in a Bottle."

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Sandra Nelson (Maryana) was born in Madison, Wisconsin, December 29, 1964.  "Alter Ego" is her first of two Trek appearances.  She played Phyllis Summers for two years on The Young and the Restless.  Films include Life as a House, De-Lovely and The Wolf of Wall Street.  Other television guest roles include ER, Monk and NCIS.  

Star Trek: Fair Trade

Episode: "Fair Trade"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 13

Original Air Date: January 8, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Voyager arrives at the edge of the mysterious Nekrit Expanse.  Our friends head to a nearby space station to trade for supplies and hopefully gather helpful information for navigating this difficult region of space.  Meanwhile, Neelix is facing an existential crisis.  Do Janeway and company even need him any more now that they've reached a part of the Delta Quadrant he doesn't know?  His anxiety leads to trouble when he runs into Wixiban, an old friend and a connection to Neelix's shady past.

At this stage of the series, the search for Neelix's raison d'être extended to both sides of the camera.  By mid-Season 3, both NextGen and DS9 were well-oiled machines.  Voyager is still an awkward fledgling and unsettled characters are a major issue.  Adding Worf to the DS9's cast was a matter of building on strengths.  Similar bold changes await Voyager in its fourth season.  With historical hindsight, we know what's coming.  But I think even a viewer in January 1997 might have sensed that addition by subtraction was looming.  Neelix has been mostly annoying to this point and I can't imagine that cutting him loose wasn't considered.  If they were going to keep him, they'd better help him find a foothold fast.

Fortunately, "Fair Trade" is a pretty good episode - certainly the strongest Neelix story so far.  Connecting back to his previous life is meaningful.  Voyager is a well-established reform project for several characters: Tom, B'Elanna, Lon Suder, etc.  Why not Neelix, too?  And the way he manages to wiggle out of trouble is genuinely clever.  The crisis point with the Captain in the final scene cuts to the chase: no, Neelsix, casting you off would be too easy.  You need to live with the guilt and rebuild trust.  And I, the viewer, will acknowledge, that's not just an episodic television convenience.  It is genuinely the more interesting narrative choice.

Neelix is a nervous but loyal dog.  He's eager to please, to impress, to love and be loved.  He sees love as something he must earn, then guard jealously.  He whines when threatened or neglected.  He understands the shame he deserves.  He is grateful for forgiveness.

21st Century Notes

We need to talk about the cancellation of Starfleet Academy.  I'll put my cards on the table.  It is the best Star Trek series of the streaming era - indeed, the finest Trek since Deep Space Nine ended.  The stories are rich.  The characters are amazing and refreshingly unpredictable.  The concept is long overdue and the narrative possibilities enticing.  Two separate Season 1 episodes brought me to tears.  A four-season run was already mapped out.

And now, the trolls have killed it.  Paramount will say it was the ratings and to be fair, plenty of amazing shows have met similar fates for crass commercial reasons.  Firefly and Freaks and Geeks come to mind.  Television producers want an adequate return on their considerable investments.  Artistic quality doesn't always sell.  

But good luck convincing me it doesn't run deeper with Starfleet Academy.  The Internet trolls set their sights on the series from Day 1.  And yes, it's well-documented that right-wing interest groups actually pay people to go on social media and be assholes.  The objections are mainly two: a gay Klingon and unconventional women in positions of authority.  

I'm not going to linger too long on the basics of representation because anyone who's actually paid attention knows it's been the whole point of Star Trek since 1966  If you have a problem with extending tolerance to LGBTQIA+ characters, you are not a Trekkie.  You're also on the wrong blog.  If anyone is going to spew any of that shit here, understand that I will not treat your "opinion" as valid.  Your squeamishness harms people.  Period.  Grow up.

via Memory Alpha

And heaven forbid the franchise should finally bring some dimension to Klingon society.  Jay-Den is a pacifist in what has long been projected as a monolithic warrior civilization.  He would rather heal others and watch birds than kill anyone.  That alone would probably have been tough to swallow for the idiots but likely not enough to kill the show.  The much greater sins: he's gay and he occasionally wears gender-nonconforming clothing.  Even worse, no one in-story, his own Klingon family included, gives a shit.  Where is the public shaming?  We all know queer characters must be made to suffer, right?  Hell, if the writers aren't going to do it, the MAGA fuckers sure better do it for them.

The women?  Two of the faculty members, Jett Reno and Lura Thok, are open gay lovers.  Lura Thok is also bi-racial (Spock, anyone?): Klingon and Jem'Hadar.  "Is that even biologically possible for the Jem'Hadar?" the trolls whine.  It's all fiction, dipshit, of course it's possible.  But this sort of deviance is only to be expected in the horrible halls of academia, right?  The trolls' most vehement objections are directed at the Academy Captain and Chancellor, Nahla Ake.  Her crimes?

She walks around barefoot and won't sit properly in the Captain's chair.

No, seriously, that's it.

via Wikipedia

You see, the idiots don't mind a female leader as long as she still adheres to masculine expectations.  Act like a man as much as possible while still looking pretty.  Even a lesbian is borderline acceptable because, well, she wants to sleep with women and that's dude stuff, right?  Now, to be fair, these standards extend deeply into the real world and across all fictional platforms.  Ake is a challenge to the norms and that is exactly what Star Trek is supposed to be, folks.  The entire mission from the beginning has been to push us all just that little bit further out of our comfort zones until it starts to feel normal.  Then push us a little bit further again.  Repeat.  For 60 years.  

Have there been missteps along the way?  Of course.  Have there been obvious opportunities for them to push harder that they didn't take?  You're damn right there have.  But the mission has always been there and it's exactly why so many of us care so deeply.

The fact that a woman who won't sit up straight is enough to kill an otherwise wonderful show says quite a lot about where we are as a society.  It's not exactly an encouraging revelation.

I won't put all of this on the political/religious right just as I can't in the real world.  Morally ambitious though it has been, Star Trek has always reflected the current anxieties of white liberalism.  The color blindness we were taught in the '80s and '90s is mirrored by the attitudes toward "alien races" in the NextGen-era series.  Indeed, the fact that they're still referred to as aliens is revealing.

21st century wokeness has its limits and gender - even more than sexuality at the moment - is a major test of those limits.  Plenty of white "liberals" feel we have gone too far in advocating for transgender people, not because they don't think it's right to do so but because they worry it has made the Democratic Party vulnerable in elections.  This is not my imagination.  I've heard people say it.  This anxiety is cowardly and it is 100% real.  

The trolls know they can push on certain buttons and sow the seeds of doubt in white liberals.  They know they can scare them away from a show like Starfleet Academy with suggestions that it might be going too far on gender.  The ratings are what they are.  But the trolls put a heavy thumb on the scale and it worked.  And the current leadership at Paramount have made clear they're not inclined to stick their necks out in the present political climate.

Season 2 is already in the can so we will get a little more.  There have been fan petitions to save Starfleet Academy but the set pieces have already been sold off.  In the eyes of those with control of the funding, it's all over.  Unfortunately, that's all that matters in the end.

I hope Star Trek survives this setback.  Yes, I know there will eventually be more material.  I mean that I hope the mission itself survives.  

Acting Notes

via Grey's Anatomy Universe Wiki

James Nardini (Wixiban) was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  His films include Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man and voice dubbing in the English-language version of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.  Television work includes Night Court, Cheers and Criminal Minds.   

Star Trek: The Darkness and the Light

Episode: "The Darkness and the Light"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 11

Original Air Date: January 6, 1997

via Memory Alpha

An unknown assassin is hunting Kira's former Bajoran Resistance comrades and taunting her with each successive kill.  Kira is a pregnant woman and therefore should let Bajoran and Starfleet authorities (one of the attacks happened on DS9), pursue the killer rather than taking matters into her own hands.  Right?  We know better, don't we?

There's been a lot of meaningful Kira development recently, particularly in regards to her history with the Resistance.  In "Things Past," knowledge of Odo's unfortunate role in a Terok Nor assassination investigation soured Kira's relationship with the Constable.  In last week's "Rapture," she had a memorable exchange with Kai Winn, a conversation I didn't even cover in my reflection.  The Kai, generally cast as the antagonist in DS9, shames our dear major, sharing her own heretofore undisclosed suffering under the Cardassian Occupation.  In this week's story, Kira is confronted by one of the civilian victims of her own cell's attacks.

The clear message: war is ugly and it's not easy sorting out the good guys.  Kira never asks forgiveness for her role in the struggle.  From her perspective, she was doing a job that needed doing.  But stories like this reveal that her moral standing is not as cut-and-dry as would normally be the case for a Star Trek principal.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Randy Oglesby played the role of the assassin, Silarin Prin.  Oglesby has played seven different Trek characters over four different series, the role of Degra on Enterprise probably the highlight of his career.  Oglesby was born in Memphis, Tennessee, August 31, 1948.  Other television guest appearances include The X-Files, General Hospital and Mad Men.  Films include Independence Day, Pearl Harbor and Argo.  

Star Trek: Rapture

Episode: "Rapture"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 10

Original Air Date: December 30, 1996

via Memory Alpha

On the eve of Bajor's acceptance into the Federation, Captain Sisko has a vision.  The vision leads him to the lost city of B'hala, a site which had eluded archaeologists for thousands of years.  He has more visions - rapturous visions (thus the episode title).  The Prophets are clearly trying to communicate through him as their Emissary.  His own life is at risk, yet he doesn't want to break the connection.  His earthly son Jake is left with a difficult decision.

This episode is vitally important.  Sisko's journey from denial to acceptance of his role as Emissary has been central to his character arc from the beginning.  In "Rapture," for the first time, Sisko fully embraces the reality.  He is the Emissary.  There's no question about it any more.  The implications for his relationships with his family, with Starfleet, with his friends and, of course, with the Bajorans are profound.  

And even with over 2.5 seasons left to go, this shift is another marker of the beginning of the end for this extraordinary Deep Space Nine series.  Being separated from the visioning elicits regret comparable to what Odo felt being separated from The Great Link (see here).  Once again, it is the sort of deep regret that implies a return is inevitable.  For two principals now, we can see points of finality on the horizon - points beyond which we as the viewers are unlikely to be allowed to follow.

I am reasonably certain "Rapture" won't make my Top 10 at series end.  So far, it's only #3 for Season 5 and I know there are still several memorable stories yet to come.  It's another reflection of DS9's remarkable quality.   Not many TOS or TNG episodes are this meaningful.  And it's not just Star Trek.  Very few mainstream television shows have had the courage to go so far down this road.  Like it or not, the Emissary arc is part of what makes DS9 special.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Ernest Perry, Jr. played the role of Admiral Charlie Watley, on hand for Bajor's admission ceremony.  Perry was born in Evanston, Illinois, May 30, 1947.  His films include Liar, Liar, The Color of Money and Dunston Checks In.  Other television appearances include Chicago, P.D., The Chi and Turks.  

Perry passed away in 2023.

Star Trek: Macrocosm

Episode: "Macrocosm"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 12

Original Air Date: December 11, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Captain Janeway and Neelix return from an away mission to find the entire crew suffering from a debilitating virus.  The Doctor accidentally brought it back from his own away mission.  What had been microorganisms have grown and they're reproducing quickly.  Neelix quickly succumbs as well so it's left to the Captain and the Doctor to save the day.

How handy that Star Trek so often has one non-organic life form who is less vulnerable than everyone else, not unlike the Scarecrow and Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.  

"Macrocosm" is a fairly obvious Aliens send up, though the writers have always denied it, likely for copyright infringement reasons.  The Trek creatives were no doubt still stinging from the brush back from the James Bond lawyers regarding "Our Man Bashir."   But Janeway wandering the halls in a tank top with a big, rifle-like weapon while weird creatures are emerging from people's bodies?  Sure looks like Aliens to me.

This episode goes on the long list of episodes other people seem to like but I don't.  The reason is not complicated.  I'm not a fan of horror films.  Indeed, I've never actually watched any of the Aliens movies myself.  So the tropes tend to induce anxiety rather than thrill.  Honestly, I found "Macrocosm" difficult to watch.  But I won't say it's a bad episode - just not my jam.

Acting Notes

via Dexter Wiki

Albie Selznick plays the Tak Tak Consul, representative of a culture who incorporates intricate body movements as part of their language.  Neelix masters the language quickly.  Janeway, not so much.  Selznick Selznick was born in Los Angeles County, January 1, 1959.  "Macrocosm" is his second of three Trek appearances.

Selznick performed as a magician with a group called The Mums for 25 years.  The Mums appeared together in Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.  Most of Selznick's high-profile work has been on television, including appearances on Suddenly Susan, The Young and the Restless and NYPD Blue.

Star Trek: The Q and the Grey

Episode: "The Q and the Grey"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 11

Original Air Date: November 27, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Q appears uninvited in Captain Janeway's quarters, intent on seducing her.  In time, we learn not all is right in the Q Continuum and our old friend sees having a child with our dear captain as the solution to all of the problems.  But wait, there's more.  Evidently, our Q (John de Lancie) already has a Q mate (Suzie Plakson) and she's none too happy about this plan.  Of course, neither is our captain.  To make the Continuum Civil War understandable for "Kathy." as he calls her, Q creates an American Civil War-scape illusion, thus the episode's title, a play on The Blue and the Gray, a 1981 Civil War mini-series.

As previously discussed, I don't share the same reflexive affection for Q as many fans do and his Lothario impression here does little to improve my opinion.  That said, "The Q and the Gray" is fun in its way.  And Kate Mulgrew looks in her element in period dress.

My favorite part of the episode is near the end when the Qs finally mate with each other and Janeway... doesn't exactly avert her glance, though the "show" is certainly underwhelming.  Our dear Kathy has a bit of voyeur in her - or at least a healthy curiosity about how Qs get it on.  Perhaps a bit of both?  Either way, it's funny.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Harve Presnell played the role of Colonel Q, commander of the opposing forces in the Continuum Civil War.  Presnell was born in Modesto, California, September 14, 1933.  He was a child prodigy musician, scoring his first professional opera role at age 16.  He got a bachelor's in vocal performance at USC.

After a few years working as a professional baritone, he was discovered by Meredith Wilson while the latter was working on a new musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  Wilson created the role of Leadville Johnny with Presnell in mind.  Presnell played the part on both stage and screen, where he won a Golden Globe.  Other films include Paint Your Wagon, Saving Private Ryan and Fargo.  On television, he had a principal role on Andy Barker, P.I.  Guest appearances include The Pretender, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Dawson's Creek.

Presnell passed away in 2009 from pancreatic cancer.