Tuvok stars as ‘The Manchurian Vulcan’.
An overcrowded episode with some really good ideas, some good execution, but a hurried ending that might as well have worn a big sign saying “we didn’t know where to go”. The initial investigation is nicely done, a nice update on the ‘the investigator is really the culprit’ story. Then they stumbled onto a really interesting idea, with Tuvok reprogramming the Maquis crew and starting a mutiny.
But that happens with only ten minutes to go in the episode, so there isn’t enough time to make anything of it. There’s almost a flashbulb effect to the last few scenes – the Maquis are in control, Tuvok pulls a trick, everything’s fixed now. Maybe we could have spent a few minutes less rhapsodising about 1950s 3D movies, and a few more on the interesting bit of the story?
(How topical – Chakotay’s old ship was called ‘Valjean’, and Tuvok is acting like Inspector Javert. Just in time for Les Mis in theatres…)
615 down, 122 to go.