Overview – Voyager gets pulled into the Void, a
region of space where there are no stars, planets, or other special anomalies.
Upon arrival they find themselves attacked by an alien ship and have much of
their deuterium and food supplies. It soon becomes apparent that there are
several ships in the Void, and in order to survive ships attack new comers for
their supplies. Janeway seeks to establish an Alliance between different ships,
seeking to work together to find a way out. Meanwhile, the Doctor befriends a
member of a mysterious new species who learns to communicate through music.
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| Voyager being pulled into the Void |
Score: 8/10 – I really enjoyed this episode. It is an
interesting, if not ironic episode. The original premise of Voyager was the
ship would find itself flung to a strange area of space and have to scavenge
for supplies. Well, in the Void, they must do that to the extreme. I like how
when the crew find themselves in this situation, they just roll up their
sleeves and get to work without much angst or panic. I also liked how the
values of the Federation win out in the end, and that cooperation between
different species is what gets them through this trial. I also really liked the
concept of Fantome and his species. While it is a little far-fetched, it is a
creative deviation from the norm. Having the Doctor take him under his
proverbial wing and discover that his species can communicate via musical notes
is a nice change.
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| Discussing among allies |
Relevance - 1 point. We see the Hierarchy again,
using their espionage tools to help Voyager and their new alliance. Other than
that, this episode could almost stand alone.
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| Phantome |
Continuity - 3 points. Character continuity was a bit
hard for me on this. While I totally get Chakotay voicing a concern that trying
to establish a version of the UFP in the Void was risky, Tuvok sharing those
ideas surprised me at first. I would have expected him to fully support Janeway
without question as Tuvok is a long-standing Starfleet officer. Reflecting
further upon it, however, Tuvok does show a great deal of support once the
Captain has made her mind up, so I can ultimately score the point here. Story
continuity and universe continuity also are upheld here.
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| Anari captain Valen |
Character Development – 2 points. Janeway shows that
she will seek to uphold Federation values and standards wherever she finds
herself. She faces some doubt and second guessing again, but this is one of
Janeway’s most endearing qualities. She shows conviction, even when Chakotay
and Tuvok are united in a suggestion that the Federation way of doing things
may not be the best. Even when faced with a failure and setback, Janeway kept
her faith in the values of the Federation. The Doctor also gets some good
moments as the mentor of Fantome, helping him discover a love and use for music.
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| The Doctor has learned to communicate with Phantome |
Social Commentary – 3 points. While the message
is not very subtle, it is very important, especially today. The United
Federation of Planets is based on the idea that different cultures can work
together in spite of their differences. In today’s world we seem to need this
message even more. We are becoming increasingly divided along national, ethnic,
and political lines, and yet when we need to recognize that we are stronger
when we come together in peaceful cooperation.
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| Welcoming a new alliance member |
Cool Stuff – 1 point. Fantome gets a point. He is
played by Johnathan Del Arco, who we previously saw as the Borg who found his
identity, Hugh. His ability to quickly adapt musical notes and transform it
into a language, which he then teaches to other members of his species, is quite
impressive.
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| The Allied fleet |
Rank – Captain (18
points). A
strong episode for Voyager’s final season. After having seen on past occasions
the attempts at alliances falter, it is refreshing to see it work. Definitely
one to watch, although if you do miss it you don’t lose track of the overall
story.
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| The Void |
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