In the second episode of the third season of Voyager, THIS EPISODE IS SO COOL. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Trigger Warning: For extensive talk of trauma and triggers.
This could have been done so terribly, but y’all. Y’ALL. “Flashback” somehow celebrates the history of The Original Series while also giving us a truly disturbing look at what happens to Tuvok. It shouldn’t work. It should be a mess. IT IS BEAUTIFUL INSTEAD.
The Undiscovered Country
I think it’s always a risky thing to delve back into an established canon. (I say this after having finished Harry Potter and the Cursed Child about 24 hours ago. Lord.) It’s even harder to do that with something that’s beloved. But “Flashback” manages to do the impossible multiple times. I would have expected pretty much any character but Hikaru Sulu to reappear on Voyager, but here he is, alongside Janice Rand and Kang. The inclusion of Tuvok within the events of The Undiscovered Country never feels exploitative or inappropriate. Instead, Tuvok’s voice of logic and reason allows Brannon Braga to explore why characters like Sulu so often supported their fellow crew members in contradiction of Starfleet protocol.
It’s in this that “Flashback” is powerful and entertaining. George Takei is a goddamn delight as the captain of the Excelsior, but it’s also so much more than we got to see from the sixth Star Trek film. And y’all knew I wanted to see more and THIS EPISODE WAS JUST WAITING FOR ME. Ah, I’m so satisfied, y’all!
Tuvok
Yet this episode had to have a reason for the flashbacks. A virus that feeds on neural peptides is certainly a very bizarre justification for the appearance of Sulu, Rand, and Kang, but you know what? That means we get an episode that’s just as much about Tuvok as it is about celebrating what came before. In his case, I found a power in watching a character experience triggers related to trauma. That sounds weird, I’m sure, but it’s just so rare that I see something that comes close to what I experience when I’m triggered.
Now, triggers manifest differently in everyone, but I often become so overloaded that I shut down. Tuvok is a particularly fascinating character to be the victim of this virus because he is always so in control of his emotions. What happens when his emotions are so overwhelming that he can’t control them? What happens when his mind acts as a minefield, where sights and sounds and sensory triggers send him spiraling into a panic attack? It’s scary to watch, partially because of the contrast between his normal self and what he’s like when traumatic memories are pushed forward in his mind. I recognize how selfish this sounds, but now I’ve got an entire episode to point to if someone says they don’t understand how triggers work or why it’s important to have trigger/content warnings. THIS IS WHY. THIS IS WHAT THE EXPERIENCE IS LIKE. And even if the original “memory” was fake, I got to find out why Tuvok left Starfleet for so long, only to return decades later.
I have a ton of other reasons to adore this episode. Janeway features in it prominently, which means that the show gets to further prove to us that she and Tuvok are THE VERY BEST FRIENDS. I did not expect a mind meld so shortly after “Tuvix,” but it’s absolutely appropriate here! Kes’s scene in Tuvok’s quarters is also a treat, and she’s continually one of the most empathetic characters in all of Star Trek. But y’all, this episode might touch on nostalgia at times. However, it never succumbs to it. Voyager might be celebrating the past, but it’s also very happy to be in the present time. And I love that about this episode.
The video for “Flashback” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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