In the fourteenth episode of the seventh season of Voyager, does this technically count as a mystical pregnancy? Like… barely? If you’re intrigued, then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
This episode is kind of all over the place, and at times, it’s like five episodes rolled into one. There’s a story about a long held religious belief being challenged by reality! There’s the story of a mother learning that a group believes her unborn child is magical! There’s the story of a group of people who willingly traveled all the way to the Delta Quadrant, only to wander aimlessly for nearly a century. There’s also a fight. And a plot about an incurable disease. And stem cells. And Neelix getting some action. THERE IS SO MUCH HERE, Y’ALL.
Some of it’s pretty good, some of it’s awkward, but it leads to a fascinating place. First, let’s talk about how INTENSE this premise is, because FOUR GENERATIONS of Klingons grew up on a single ship. A ship, mind you, that was willingly flown into the Delta Quadrant in search of the “kuvah’magh,” an apparent savior of the Klingon Empire. It’s such an intriguing idea because these people had no idea what had transpired in the Alpha Quadrant. They didn’t know about the Khitomer Accords, nor had they experienced any of the technological advances either.
It’s in the transition from this plot to the next that I found this episode bewildering. “Prophecy” introduces a wonderful idea – like a group of Klingons being welcomed into this new world! – and then abandons it almost immediately in order to move on to the next thing. I wanted to see more of how these Klingon were different or how awkward it was for them to adjust to a new reality. Like, how did they eat Klingon food? Had they only had replicated food for almost a hundred years?
Still, I was into what this episode became, especially as we learned the lengths that Kohlar would go in order to get what he wanted. Initially, we saw him sabotage his own ship, only to realize that MAYBE he shouldn’t have done that. So what does he do? Ask the Voyager crew to help him twist the truth so that the people of his religion believe his claim that B’Elanna is the kuvah’magh. It’s such a pragmatic thing to pursue, and it surprised me, especially since I had previously believed that he was utterly convinced of his religion. I mean, the dude had blown up his ship because he thought B’Elanna’s daughter was his people’s savior!
For what it’s worth, this is probably the plot that’s given the most time, and it shows. It’s the best sense we get of these newly introduced characters, but y’all. Getting to watch B’Elanna explore her heritage – especially after “Lineage” – is the best treat of all. Which is why I wish there were more! That scene she has with Kohlar when he’s praying in her quarters is spectacular, and it’s perhaps the most vulnerable moment of all of “Prophecy.” It had been years since B’Elanna had been around this many Klingons, and you could see the positive effect it was having on her!
….and then the story changes. Again. Suddenly, Tom is fighting a particularly stubborn Klingon named T’Greth, though Kohlar finds a way around the whole “fight to the death” thing. But then that plot is abandoned with the late-episode introduction of nehret, the disease that all these Klingons have and will eventually die from. Which is solved by stem cells? Look, I’m not a science person, so I don’t even know if that’s possible. Regardless, did it seem weird to anyone else that these Klingon characters didn’t even consider finding a way back to the Alpha Quadrant? Why would they stay in the Delta Quadrant? I suppose that’s what the “kuvah’magh” provided them with: an impetus to stay where they were. Right?
I also feel no need to touch that Neelix/Ch’Rega plotline at all. What the hell was that? WILD, THAT’S WHAT IT WAS.
The video for “Prophecy” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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