In the ninth episode of the sixth season of Voyager, Seven becomes convinced that all is not what it seems aboard the ship. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.Â
THIS IS SUCH A WEIRD EPISODE AND I AM ALSO VERY PROUD OF IT. I love an idea that seems preposterous and impossible to achieve and yet WORKS SO WELL within the framework of this show. Voyager has done that a ton of times, and I’ll add this episode as yet further evidence that this show is at its best when it’s weird.
Because seriously: this is an entire episode devoted to Seven of Nine developing intensely complicated conspiracy theories about the “true” nature of Voyager. And these people. And the “catapult” that promises to send everyone light years into space. EVERYTHING IS PART OF THE CONSPIRACY, Y’ALL.
And that’s the fun in this episode, which toys with the audience, too: Is what Seven of Nine saying possible? Perhaps. Look no further than the video for this episode, wherein I tell y’all that I don’t trust the catapult. The idea that it could send them further along in their journey through the Delta Quadrant was appealing, but I DON’T TRUST THIS SHOW TO ACTUALLY DO IT. I have been tricked so many times before!!! Therefore, I was willing to believe that there was some horrible “catch” to Tash’s catapult device. Nothing good truly happens to this crew whenever they try to cut down the length of their journey, right?
That’s not actually true, but my brain made connections. It assumed the worst because watching Voyager made me savvier to the sort of stories it tells. Therefore, it made sense to me that Seven found something that made the catapult a negative thing! So, once she started talking, I was willing to listen. The writers, however, do a fascinating thing here. The audience was, most likely, eager to be suspicious of Tash. He was too nice, the negotiation with him went too smoothly, and something always goes wrong. Plus, Seven was assimilating six months worth of data that had accumulated on the ship. Surely, she’d have an insight that was unique to her, right?
Except the writers come out of the gate immediately and have Seven announce that she believes Janeway and Tuvok deliberately stranded them all in the Delta Quadrant. I’m sorry, what??? I don’t believe that for a second! Every thing I’ve seen over five full seasons and some change has shown me that Janeway has tried desperately to get everyone home.
Except then this script starts eating away at that. I couldn’t explain very basic coincidences. I couldn’t explain that mysterious beam of light during the destruction of the array. I didn’t want to believe it, but I also had no reason to outright dismiss all of this except for a gut emotional reaction. That’s sort of the point, isn’t it? As Seven detailed the conspiracy to Chakotay, he began to doubt the years of trust that had accumulated between the two of them. Not a whole lot, mind you, but just enough. Once that mistrust and suspicion crept into him, he couldn’t let it go. He told B’Elanna. He tried to delay the use of the catapult, even after Tash successfully used it and gave it to Voyager to use as well. There were external confirmations that the catapult was real and there was no underhanded, conspiratorial meaning behind it. But Chakotay ran with it! He couldn’t stop!
So you can imagine my surprise when this story took another sharp turn into the surreal. I figured that “The Voyager Conspiracy” would track this specific paranoia; instead, SEVEN FOUND ANOTHER ONE. Y’all, as soon as she started telling Janeway that Tuvok and Chakotay were secretly plotting out some Maquis insurrection, I knew that the problem was Seven’s and no one else’s. As Janeway put it: it was a conspiracy of one. Nothing else! But why? Why would Seven turn on her crewmates? Why would she be so ready to distrust them, to believe the worst of their abilities, to support theories that were increasingly paranoid and untrue?
Like the previous episode, the tense stories relies on an emotional conclusion that centers on Seven’s development as a character. I’ve lost count of how many episodes in the Star Trek canon are resolved with a nice (if suspenseful) conversation, but I DON’T CARE. IT’S A GREAT TROPE, I LOVE IT. That’s certainly the case here, since Janeway convinces Seven to abandon her conspiracy theories. How? By reminding her of ALL THE TIMES SHE HAS DONE SOMETHING TO EARN HER TRUST. (Insert about twenty crying emojis right here, y’all.) I love their relationship so much, and that final scene is a reminder of how hard these two have worked to become friends and to be dependable. And in that moment, Janeway asks Seven to depend on her. To rely on the advice she’s given her in the past, to rely on the kindness, to rely on the understanding. EVERYTHING IS EMOTIONAL ALL THE TIME, MY FRIENDS.
Seriously, two fantastic episodes back-to-back that both made me tear up. YOUR FAULT. ALL YOUR FAULT.
The video for “The Voyager Conspiracy” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
-Â In the very near future, these are going away. Please visit my new site that will act as a portal for all announcements. If you’d rather not have to rely on checking a website regularly, sign up for my newsletter instead! This will cover all news for Mark Reads, Mark Watches, and Mark’s fiction career.Â
