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Today's Episode: Living Witness or "We coulda had this insteada Endgame?"
Brief Synopsis: The Doctor awakens in the distant future to find that Voyager is blamed for horrible atrocities.
Synopsis/Review:
Well here it is, largely considered one of the best Voyager episodes ever made. It's been probably about three years since I've seen it, so I'm eager to refresh my memory of it. I'll try not to let general opinion sway how I feel about it.
We begin the episode with an evil-Janeway (what else is new? Har har!) speechifying on the benefits of violence when diplomacy fails. She's got a Keanu-haircut, black leather gloves, no comm-badge, and a bad-attitude. A random-forehead-alien tries to get her to agree to helping him capture a man named Tedrin. Evil-Janeway agrees, and asks for info on her new enemies: The Kerian (or something to that effect)
On the Evil-Bridge (watch for a quick glimpse of an evil-Voyager Kazon crewmember), Voyager encounters the Kerians, and Evil-Janeway decides to Evilly blow them up. I go evil-crazy with evil-prefixes, someone evil-help me. I'm going evil-mad!
Evil-Janeway begins to attack the Kerian, to which random-forehead-alien pleads that his gripe is with Tedrin, not his people. Evil-Janeway does not care. She's EEEVIL!
An Android-Doctor loads up a [technobabble] weapon, and Evil-Voyager attacks the Kerian planet.
Everything freezes, and a new random-forehead-alien narrates what happened the day the "Warship Voyager" attacked. How Evil-Janeway went on a rampage in their major cities, performing person-splitting surgeries on every person she could find! It was horrible!
It appears that we're on a museum tour, where a guide offers up broken information about Voyager: Crew compliment of 300+, assimilated species and forced them to work as slaves, things like that. It's not hard to see the analogy for real life here, though thankfully it's a little more subtle in this episode than in other such "message" episodes. This is probably due, in part, to the overall humorous look at the "evil Voyager." We're too busy looking at how wierd everything is to notice that we're getting sledgehammered over the head with a message, and that is a good thing. So far, it's a message episode done well.
In the evil-simulation, Evil-Janeway is well on her way to killing over 300,000 people, when the original random-forehead-alien of the opening sequence protests her act of genocide. She calls for an ensign (aforementioned Kazon guy) to take him off to the brig.
Evil-and-giving-off-a-homosexual-vibe-Harry and Evil-Chakotay work on torturing the location of Tedrin out of a captured Kerian. The poor guy is yet another non-speaking extra, as even his grunting and groaning is DUBBED IN, because otherwise they'd have to pay him more. It's kinda distracting, at least to me.
Evil-Doctor uses a [biobabble] to induce pain and suffering into the captured man, melting his eyeballs and all sorts of nasty stuff. Apparently the man gives up the information needed (off-screen of course. Gotta save that money for the next big explosion) as Chack-oh-tay relays the information to Evil-Janeway.
A group of Kerians beam onboard and takes over Engineering (even when they're evil, Voyager has got pretty crappy security) and lock out all access. Evil-Janeway calls for a Borg [cool-sounding directive] and a fully assimilated Seven heads up a group of Borg to go take back Engineering. They do, because "Resistance is futile"
Please make a note: This is probably the last episode where the Borg were able to accomplish anything of any worth, and it wasn't even real. [IMG]http://www.duhspot.com/users/smiley/s/cwm/3dlil/cry.gif[/IMG]
Tedrin and an unknown woman are captured off-screen, and Evil-Janeway goes to "question" them. Tedrin-the-good wonders why Evil-Janeway would be doing these horrible things to his people. Despite the obvious answer of just plain being evil, it's also because the random-forehead-alien has offered the crew a way home, and she assures Tedrin that he would do the same in her place. "Spoken like a true martyr," Evil-Janeway says.
Tedrin and the unnamed woman are dropped to their knees, and Evil-Janeway orders him one last time to surrender. He refuses, so she shoots them both in the back, allowing Tedrin time to whisper dramatically, "We will prevail."
The shocked random-forehead-alien looks on in horror, and the simulation ends, bringing us back to the future (It's your kids Marty!) and the guide at the museum. He explains that over 2 millions Kerians were killed over the brief conflict. The "Baskin" or "Vaskin" leaders (not sure which he said, closed captioning doesn't seem to work on UPN reruns) occupied their land for centuries, with the Kerians still "struggling" to gaing equality. Two Baskins look on, looking slightly ashamed. The guide thanks everyone for their time, and the small group disperses to look at the rest of the exhibit, as we focus on a piece of metal inscribed with "USS VOYAGER"
BUM BUM BUM.
After a bit of browsing, Baskin man gets into an argument with the guide, ranting about how it's unfair that his people are portrayed as the villains in the simulation, and that there is no real proof to back it all up. The Guide disagrees, revealing that an active data-storage device was recently found, and that it could potentially prove everything he's said. The Baskin man wonders aloud what would happen if it were to disprove, to which the Guide replies they would change their views accordingly. The Baskin man seems unconvinced, muttering "I'm sure you will" before leaving.
Later on, the Guide starts up the Voyager simulation and enters the "Engine room" to work on extracting the information from the data-storage devide previously mentioned. After poking it with flashing light doohickeys, he realizes that it's a program, or more precisely: A hologram. And one that's compatible with their techology! What luck! :p
He activates it, and our friendly neighborhood Doctor shows up. He is quickly shocked at the presence of a Kerian, and tries to call security for help. After a moment, the Guide explains to him that it's all a simulation, and that he found his program in a data-storage device.
Now of course, this is the big continuity error of the show. The Doctor doesn't HAVE a backup device. In fact, it's been stated several times that it's virtually impossible to back up the Doctor.
But, for the sake of the story, we'll forget about that...for now.
Anyway, the Guide explains to the Doc that he his program, or rather, his "backup program" has been inactive for over 700 years. The doctor refuses to believe it (and why not, he's has his fair share of tricks pulled on him in the past" and runs out of Engineering, only to find himself in the museum.
After coming back from commercial, the Doctor appears to accept where he is, or at least believes it. The Guide (did they ever give him a name?) points out that on his world, artificial life is considered sentient, so the Doctor may have to be punished for his crimes. The Doctor is incredulous, and begins pointing out all the flaws he's seen so far in the museum, most specifically that Voyager was a warship trying to get home to Mars. He asks for a chance to defend himself, and to see the simulation of what they think happened.
The Doctor is appalled at the simulations crude representation of the crew, and begins his version of the events. He claims that they were in the middle of drafting a trade agreement with the Vaskin (baskin?) when the Kerians suddenly attacked, picking that moment to start the war. He also claimed that the only thing Voyager was interested in was trying to extricate themselves form the conflict while maintaining the trade agreement, and that they certainly never attacked anyone.
The Guide is not convinced, telling the Doctor to wait until he sees the entire simulation before passing judgement.
After the Doc sees the end of the simulation, with Evil-Janeway killing Tedrin and the unnamed woman in martydom, the Doc gets into an argument with the Guide. Both accuse the other of trying to protect themselves, the Guide refusing to believe anything that the Doctor says. He shuts down the Doc's program while he pleads with him to check the medical tricorder they have on display.
After the commercial break, the Guide records his thoughts in a "dictation." He is beginning to have doubts about the validity of his views about Voyager, based on both the earnestness of the Doctor, and the fact that they were wrong about his being an Android.
The Guide later reactivates the Doctor, and allows him access to the simulation so that he might re-write it to show what really happened.
In the new version, Janeway is arbitrating a trade agreement when the Kerians attack. Soon, they have boarded (great security in any reality) and have killed several people in Sickbay. Tedrin leads them, and takes Seven hostage.
Janeway grabs a phaser, the Doctor, and the Random-Forehead-Alien and they head off to "Section 31." Heh. I didn't make that up. They trap the Kerians in the Mess Hall, and rush in to try to get them to release their hostages. While Tedrin rants about how the Vaskin are trying to get Voyager to help them destroy the Kerians, Seven performs some Worf-fu moves and frees herself. The Vaskin ambassador (random-forehead-alien) shoots and kills Tedrin.
The simulation ends, and the arbitors who watched it have split feelings on the matter. A Vocal Kerian woman (whose acting seems very hollow) believes the entire thing to be a lie. How no matter who killed Tedrin, it doesn't change the facts that her species can't attend the same schools as the Vaskin, things of that nature. The Vaskin arbitor replies that this is not about contemporary problems, but rather about history.
Later, while the Guide and the Doctor (my kingdom for a name!) are working at unlocking the information stored in a medical tricorder (in order to prove the Doctor's story) the museum is attacked by a group of Vaskins, enraged at the lies told in the museum.
The entire museum is trashed, protests, vandalism and race riots break out all over the planet. The Guide explains that they are not really fighting over the Doctor, but that he is the straw that broke the camel's back. The Doctor tries to convince the Guide to decompile (wrong term, but popular usage being what it is...) his program, because what does history matter if people are dying today?
The Guide responds by saying that both sides of the conflict have been blaming each other for 700 years, and without a real solution, it could go on for another 700. The Doctor relents, and they continue to look for the tricorder.
We see then that we have just been watching another simulation, and a new Guide tells us about how Quarren (so that's his name. Did I just miss that the whole time?) and the Doctor began a sweeping change throughout their culture, opening a dialogue and allowing a newfound respect to be born.
The Doctor served as a Surgical Chancellor for several years, before finally taking a shuttle and heading for the alpha quadrant.
IN RETROSPECT:
It's certainly clear why this is considered such a great episode. Not only does it take an issue that people face today and turn it on it's ear in a convincing way, but the characters (this case only the Doctor) react in a way that is consistent with them.
I couldn't see this episode occuring with any other character from the show, because none is fleshed out enough to be able to react in such a natural way as the Doctor did. If it hadn't been him, I don't think this episode would have been even half as good as it was.
As an ending to Voyager, it's really a lasting tribute. An end that, while no one actually "Gets home" is more about the Journey than "Endgame" tried to pretend it was itself.
The odd thing is that both stories were thought up by Brannon Braga himself. He proves that when he puts his mind to it, he really knows what he's doing (not sure if he wrote it, but he got story credit) It also shows that maybe he wasn't really trying too hard in an episode like "Endgame"
Tim Russ is to be commended for his wonderful directing work in this episode, which smoothly segued between simulation and "real life" shots. The audience was never all that confused, and the Evil-Voyager scenes were different enough to be funny.
The alternate scenes themselves are really a good part of why this episode works so well. Because your mind is focused on the "spot the differences" of the two stories, you're not busy having the message of the week forced on you. It's a much more subtle way of storytelling, one that Voyager does not do very often.
Not only that, but there is no clear-cut "right" way of thinking. The episode doesn't try to tackle social complexities on race relations and oppression in a "this group was right, this one was wrong" type of way. Instead, it focuses on the futility of such gripes while maintaining a healthy respect for history. It's truly an example of how a GOOD "message" story is to be done.
The acting of both Quarren and the Doctor are top notch, each able to express a wide variety of emotions in a realistic manner. The Doctor's incredulity about how history was presented, and his horror at the thought of people killing each other over what he said comes out very clear. As does Quarren's confusion as to whether he should believe the Doctor, and what it means if he does.
Though the same can't be said about the acting in the Evil-Voyager universe, it was pretty interesting to see them. I thought that Harry and Chakotay had a rather homosexual vibe to them, especially in regards to each other. If the writer's meant this (and I'm not just imagining things) then I have to wonder what exactly they were trying to say about the real Harry and Chakotay.
Evil-Janeway seemed very similar to Evil-Kira of Deep space nine, in that slinky, almost cat-like way of moving and speaking. Very subdued, very sure of herself. Even the haircut seemed similar. Seemed odd.
All in all, it's quite possibly the best episode Voyager has ever done. That most of the episode is purely a Doctor episode, and that the main plot is not really focused on the Voyager crew is probably not a coincedence as to it's excellence. The episode did so well because it made to be a stand-alone episode, and that's just what it was. For once, Voyager's penchance for keeping each episode completely confined within it's own spaces worked out.
TO SUM UP:
A good job from Braga, who shows that he can still toss out a fine one now and again, and that he's a much better storyteller than executive producer.
And an excellent job from Russ, whose directing really helped the story move along at a brisk pace, with no real slow spots. The entire thing was very interesting and intelligent.
The only bad part is that an episode like this is the exception, rather than the norm. :(
Score: A 9.9 out of ten, .1 point taken out because of the "backup module" continuity error. But it's no big deal.
Tomorrow: Demon