Mark Watches ‘Voyager’: S02E10 – Cold Fire

In the tenth episode of the second season of Voyager, the crew finds evidence of the Caretaker’s partner, but all is not as it seems. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek. 

Well, this certainly did not end as I thought it would. I went into this believing that Suspiria (WHAT A NAME) wouldn’t be able to send Voyager back home. At best, these arcs might cut years off of the journey, but given that I’ve got five and a half seasons left of this show to go, it’s hard to believe the promise of a shortened journey beyond small bits and pieces.

Still, the characters believe it, and you can see the excitement spread like an infection among the crew once they realize they can track down the life force that might be the Caretaker’s rumored mate. Smiles light up their faces; there’s an extra bounce in their steps. At times, I wished that thrill translated to a more exciting story. Until the scene where Kes does the thing, this was a rather slow episode. I understood why it needed to be, but my attention wandered a bit during the first half of “Cold Fire.”

Still, how great is Jennifer Lien in this whole episode??? She portrays Kes with a wide range of emotions, from the joy she experiences when she sees another Ocampan for the first time in ten months, to the terror when she realizes just how powerful she is as a telepathic being. Really, as much as I might feel that “Cold Fire” has a slow start, it really delivers once Kes comes to understand what she possesses. Her scenes with Tanis change over the course of the episode, initially from a more speculative attempt to push her towards a new way of thinking of herself to THE SCARIEST THING WE’VE SEEN ON THIS SHOW. Why is that? Why does Tanis change his execution?

The episode tries to sell us on Tanis’s idea of superiority. With the help of Suspiria, Tanis and his people have “evolved” beyond what was considered normal for Ocampans. That’s not just a literal transformation, since Tanis is somehow fourteen years old. Their powers are immense, and Tanis guides Kes into them without any sense of responsibility. Indeed, he seemed OVERJOYED that she BURNED DOWN HER OWN GARDEN, instead of like… upset? Like any rational person would be?

Of course, there’s that line midway through the episode where Suspiria tells Tanis to get her Voyager, so we knew that Tanis wasn’t entirely truthful. It’s actually a risky moment in hindsight because it reveals to the audience that Tanis isn’t a trustworthy character. I wonder if the end result of this might have hit harder without it. I think the shock would certainly have been way more powerful if I hadn’t already assumed that Tanis didn’t have Kes’s best interests in mind. I say that, but then I’m remember how FUCKED UP it was when Kes turned and realized that SHE WAS BOILING TUVOK’S BLOOD. What is wrong with this show. That is not a question, it is a statement of fact.

It might be easy to describe “Cold Fire” as “that one episode where Kes fights with telepathy,” but ultimately, I saw this as more of a cautionary tale than anything else. It’s not that Kes can’t develop these powers, and I hope we get more scenes where Tuvok trains her. But Tanis wanted her to jump light years past her current state and past her ability to control herself. That’s why Tuvok was collateral damage. This plot is also deeply entangled in the revelation that the Voyager has gained a reputation – most likely started by the Kazon – in the Delta Quadrant. I suspect that Tanis wanted to get Kes away from that sort of thing, despite that the rumors weren’t true at all.

Thus, in a deeply shocking (but satisfying) move, “Cold Fire” ends on a sour note. Not only does Kes turn on Tanis and harm him, but Suspiria abandons Voyager and doesn’t help them get home at all. She does nothing! Even after Janeway showed her compassion! But the reputation they earned, even if it’s false, is something they have to contend with from here on out. That’s what this was satisfying to me. It’s not an easy resolution to pull off, but goddamn, was it memorable.

The video for “Cold Fire” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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