{"id":5871,"date":"2016-10-03T13:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T20:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=5871"},"modified":"2016-09-29T11:47:25","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T18:47:25","slug":"mark-watches-voyager-s03e19-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2016\/10\/mark-watches-voyager-s03e19-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Voyager’: S03E19 – Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the nineteenth episode of the third season of\u00c2\u00a0Voyager<\/i>, Neelix and Tuvok are forced to work together again under distressing circumstances. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Star Trek<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

This was a solid episode, marked by two fantastic performances from Tim Russ and Ethan Phillips, but the story itself was pretty cool, too! LET US DISCUSS.<\/p>\n

Etanian Order<\/b><\/p>\n

One thing I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve enjoyed about watching\u00c2\u00a0Star Trek<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0is getting to experience all of the intriguing science fiction ideas along the way. I am kind of blown away by the savage brilliance of the Etanian Order, and I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never seen anything like this before. Granted, I went into \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and assumed from the opening scenes that this was yet another episode where the Federation helps a culture deal with a terrible natural occurrence. BUT THAT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S THE WHOLE TRICK, ISN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T IT? Everyone assumes the asteroids are just a freak moment in time, and instead?\u00c2\u00a0They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re intentional<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Look, in terms of dastardly invasion plots, I gotta say that the Etanian Order appears to have come up with the evilest one. They fake natural disasters, wait until the population dies off or evacuates (OR A HORRIBLE COMBINATION OF THE TWO), then swoop in and claim the land as their own. That is fucking\u00c2\u00a0evil<\/i>, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. They murder and steal! As their\u00c2\u00a0thing<\/i>. How can a people be so awful??? But you can see this kind of standard within Sklar, who poisoned Dr. Vatm and threw Tuvok off of the mag-lev ship. FROM VERY HIGH UP, I MIGHT ADD. (God, this whole episode was quietly powered by\u00c2\u00a0nightmare fuel<\/i>.) They murder to get what they want, and they feel entitled by it.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d works just based on this story alone. I loved how well the end reveal of Sklar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s betrayal explains Dr. Vatm\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s desperation. But let me be real: it is so much better because of the interpersonal conflict between Neelix and Tuvok.<\/p>\n

The Odd Couple<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still of the mind that the Neelix\/Kes split is fucking bizarre. That little interaction they had sick bay was so uncomfortable! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like they barely knew each other, as if Kes wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a major character who had had a years-long relationship with him. What gives? Why are they taking this route? It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make sense to me! I suppose it wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel as glaring if \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t entirely about Neelix\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s relationship with\u00c2\u00a0someone else<\/i>. As it stands, we have no idea how the break-up has affected him at all, and I kept expecting this episode to address it in some way.<\/p>\n

That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the only major flaw in this, though. Otherwise, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a thrilling look at Neelix\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s relationship with Tuvok and why they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve butted heads so much throughout the show. Initially, I thought this episode was just about Neelix proving himself to Tuvok, but there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so much more depth than that. Instead, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d posits that Tuvok is not as unemotional as he says he is. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great premise, and then we get to watch it unfold, and EVERYTHING IS SO ENTERTAINING. Throughout the episode, Neelix really does try his hardest under stressful circumstances, even if he\u00c2\u00a0does<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0do things that can be seen as annoying from Tuvok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s point of view. Like lying about his experience with mag-lev containers. Or taking time to comfort others!<\/p>\n

But since we focus more on Neelix\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s view than Tuvok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, we get to see why the things he does here are beneficial. Specifically, his conversations with Lillias are\u00c2\u00a0not<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0distracting or unnecessary, as Tuvok later comes to learn. Personal motivation \u00e2\u20ac\u201c especially with a connection on an emotional level \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can be very necessary in the field. On top of that, Neelix may have lied about his experience with these ships, but he\u00c2\u00a0did<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0get it working. Without Neelix\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quick-thinking and improvisation, they most likely would have been stuck on the ground, and the Etanian Order would have succeeded in taking the planet from the Nevu.<\/p>\n

All this comes to a head in an electrifying scene where Neelix finally confronts Tuvok about his condescension and sarcasm. It really helped that Lillias was there to validate Neelix, too; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not often that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an outside perspective on Tuvok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s behavior. Here, that was\u00c2\u00a0vital<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0to getting him to examine his behavior. Because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s true! Tuvok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attitude belies how he feels about Neelix, and that sense of superiority washes over everything. Tuvok has been quick to mistrust Neelix and his instinct before, and he downright dismisses his emotional core. He does so with sarcasm lacing his words, too.<\/p>\n

Does this mean that their relationship has fundamentally changed? Perhaps not; the final scene heavily implies that Tuvok can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really be altered. But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a step in the right direction, at least in the sense that Tuvok has a better understanding of how emotion can be a positive attribute instead of an annoying one. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is quite fulfilling to me because I love getting to witness growth that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s incremental but still meaningful, and\u00c2\u00a0Voyager<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0continues to give me a whole lot of it.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– I am now on Patreon<\/a>! 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.<\/b>
\n– I have updated my list of conventions and events for the remainder of the year and much of next year.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page.<\/a>
\n– My Master Schedule<\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.\u00c2\u00a0My next Double Features for Mark Watches have been announced here.<\/a>
\n<\/b>-\u00c2\u00a0 Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"