In the fifth episode of the fourth season of Voyager, THIS WAS A LOT. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.Â
Holy shit, this episode was INTENSE.
Seven / Harry
Let me start with the less intense story first. I have felt that it was inevitable that people on this show would begin to pair themselves off, more so than any of the other Star Trek shows. These characters have a very, very long journey ahead of them, so it makes sense that they’d seek companionship. I worried about how that would affect Seven, given that the way she’s dressed seems that we’re supposed to think of her in a sexual sense. I only say that because while I appreciated some of the more subtle elements of this plot, I thought it was very predictable. Harry, who is frequently the most uncomfortable character on the show, has to work with the mysterious new member of the crew, and shenanigans ensue!
Now, what unfolds is more complicated than that, of course! While I’m bored by the dynamic I described above, I was happy that Harry was the first crew member to spend an extended length of time with Seven. He’s sympathetic and kind, even if this is fueled by his attraction to her. Chakotay might have ordered him to help Seven feel like a part of the team, but Harry is the one who actually did the work. It’s suitably awkward, and there’s a value in getting to see how hard it is to work with someone when you’ve got a very obvious crush on them. Plus, I found it even funnier when Harry tried to gently nudge his friendship with Seven in one direction and SHE SPRINTED TO ANOTHER LEVEL IN A SECOND. If anything, this plot gave me some incredible writing for Seven of Nine, and I’ll repeat what I said in the video: this show is KILLING IT when it comes to exploring who she is now. Even in small moments, we see her acknowledge that her humanity is coming back. She still thinks like a Borg in many ways (that whole bit where she says she is “damaged,” not injured), and that consistency is refreshing.
Dejaren
LELAND ORSER IS SO AMAZING IN THIS EPISODE. I don’t want to discount B’Elanna’s role or the Doctor’s, because both of them are integral to the action and the theme, but Dejaren is the terrifying centerpiece here, and I CAN BARELY DEAL WITH HIM. “Revulsion” does this fascinating thing where it forces us to think about who the Doctor was in the beginning of season one. With that in mind, we can see how much he’s grown over the course of Voyager, but it also allows us to view Dejaren as a horrifying “What if?” scenario. If the Doctor had never been let out of Sick Bay, if he’d never been encouraged to see himself as a member of the crew, if he’d never taken the ambition programmed into him and done something with it, would he have turned into Dejaren? Would he have developed an all-encompassing hatred of “organics”?
Because seriously, Dejaren is frightening. Orser plays the character with rage bubbling under the surface. Initially, I thought that was fear, that he was afraid of what was going to happen to him. I still think that’s a part of his behavior in “Revulsion,” but it’s so much more complicated than that. He was enamored with the Doctor because the Doctor was evidence that Dejaren could be so much more than he was on his ship. He wouldn’t be a forgotten servant, or taken advantage of, or viewed as nothing more than another part of the spacecraft he existed on. But he harbored a hatred that grew and grew until he was finally set free, and he used that hatred to MURDER THE ENTIRE CREW. In that sense, “Revulsion” turns into a slasher flick of sorts, since Dejaren stalks down B’Elanna and the Doctor in order to achieve his goal of freedom.
And it’s not just freedom, either! He wanted superiority, even if that came at the cost of others. He was willing to kill B’Elanna and steal the Doctor’s mobile emitter, which would have done terrible things to the Doctor, too. He wanted freedom by taking away freedom from others. It’s sad, most definitely, but I’m still creeped out by Dejaren. I WAS NOT READY.
The video for “Revulsion” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon! There are various levels of support, from $1 up to whatever you want! You’ll get to read a private blog, extra reviews, and other such rewards. I POST A LOT OF CUTE PHOTOS, OKAY. Think of it like a private Tumblr blog that only SPECIAL PEOPLE get to read.
– I have updated my list of conventions and events for the remainder of the year and much of next year.  Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches have been announced here.
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