In the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of Voyager, DJ Khalid voice: ANOTHER HEIST. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.Â
Trigger Warning: For genocide
Honestly, this feels less like a two-parter episode and more like one giant story. Yes, there was a convenient place to break this up, but the whole story flows so goddamn well. ANOTHER HEIST. RESISTANCE ISN’T FUTILE. REUNIONS. Oh my god, what is this show.
Resistance
There’s a lot I found compelling here, but watching Seven of Nine resist the Borg Queen is my absolute favorite part of “Dark Frontier, Part II.” It seemed such an impossible task, too. I fully expected that the Borg Queen would demand that Seven be assimilated. And why not? The experience that Seven had was worthy to the Borg, though not for the reason I assumed. And that’s the cruelty here: the Borg Queen SPECIFICALLY LET SEVEN GO WITH VOYAGER SO THAT SHE COULD BECOME AN INDIVIDUAL AND LEARN ABOUT HUMANITY. Why? Because then that would be the easiest way to find a vulnerability in humans for later assimilation.
It’s revealed so casually, and the horror only mounts from there. The “dark frontier” referenced in the title is the possibility of conquest and genocide, one that the Borg Queen wants Seven to be intimately in. Seven tries so hard to refuse to be a part of any of this, but what can she do? The species that the Borg go after here are largely helpless to resist their genocide and assimilation, but Seven finds a way to do something to preserve this species. I admired that; she knew that the Borg would never stop until a species was completely gone, so it was an act of resistance for her to spare those four people and argue for them to be freed. There’s now hope that this species can somehow survive and live on, right?
But I don’t want to ignore how horrifying this is. That whole sequence where Seven basically panics as she listens to the terror in the screams of the people being assimilated… good gods, y’all. That’s honestly one of the most disturbing things in the whole Star Trek canon, and it works as an explicit acknowledgment that this is truly fucking awful. No matter how often the Borg Queen insists that these people are better off being assimilated, no matter how frequently she claims that Seven wants to rejoin the collective, the signs all point to the opposite. Seven has no desire to be a part of this brutality anymore. That’s not a weakness, either! I tire of hearing that caring about others, exercising empathy, and being thoughtful is a weak thing; I’d argue that it’s one of the most difficult and challenging things to do, especially in the kind of world we live in.
That’s why Seven’s resistance matters. In the face of this impossible nightmare, she chooses to believe in another way.
Rescue Mission
Bless this show’s consistency when it comes to Janeway. Over these four and a half seasons, we’ve been shown time and time again that she cares so deeply for her crew that she’ll do anything to protect them. Yes, she’s messed up along the way, but she genuinely tries to keep their best interests in mind. Despite how futile this situation felt, she still resisted; in her case, though, she refused to give up. We see that first when she doesn’t allow Neelix to turn off Seven’s alcove. THAT’S A SIGN OF HOPE. But the best demonstration of her moral code comes in the scene with Naomi Wildman, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of this season. It’s so fascinating to have a character around for these episodes because she’s got such a positive outlook on things without coming off as being unrealistic or unnecessary. Seven had become a friend to Naomi, and her apparent defection had not phased the young girl. She doesn’t question her friend’s absence; instead, SHE DEVELOPS A RESCUE PLAN. Like… SHE IS SO PURE AND I LOVE IT. She works here as a way for the writers to give Janeway a nudge, even if Janeway had already begun to suspect that Seven’s choice was not what it seemed.
I AM JUST SO IMPRESSED BY THE THIRD HEIST AND HOW THRILLING IT IS AND HOW IT’S ALL ONE GIANT MIDDLE FINGER TO THE BORG QUEEN AND BORG IDEOLOGY AND ISN’T IT GREAT. I can’t get over how badass Janeway is here either. She’s so openly defiant to the goddamn Borg Queen, and LIFE HAS BEEN GIVEN. Mostly, though, I feel as if this is the definitive declaration that Seven belongs aboard Voyager, as well as Seven’s definitive declaration that she wants to belong there. It’s been a contentious, complicated journey, but this show is all the better because of it.
The video for “Dark Frontier, Part II” 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.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
