That is, this is probably the second Voyager episode (behind "The Thaw") that I've watched and not glanced constantly at the episode time, agonizing in waiting for the episode to end.
The teaser opens with something really incredible, for Voyager; Torres casually talking with Chakotay, then entering a turbolift... where Chakotay coyly lets slip that there's going to be a Maquis mutiny.
This is exactly the sort of thing you'd be expecting from the Maquis like Chakotay. Because considering how easily Torres and Chakotay and the others just turn to being fanatic Starfleet supporters, it's almost too obvious that they use that as cover for their mutinousness.
However, it becomes pretty obvious about the time Seska appears (if Neelix's casual betrayal of Janeway weren't obvious enough) that it's a holo-deck program. And everyone is apparently interested in it, as it's the best holo-novel program they've ever had. Given the sorts of stories we've seen thus far, that's truly believable, but hardly encouraging. Even despite the exciting premise of the holo-novel, it has little to no real excitement once the mutiny has been executed. There's little else that is engaging, and the characterization of Chakotay could only make sense if you assume Chakotay's zealous support of Janeway for the past three years has all been a ruse.
Somehow, the episode keeps a solid 35 minutes of interest before I ended up glancing at the time, wondering when it would be over. In fact, it turns out Tuvok had written the program as a training program for junior security officers back when the Maquis first joined the fleet. Given how Tuvok basically tortured and assaulted the Maquis crew members before they suddenly become Starfleet-lovers some time before, this is purely understandable---beat the crap out of crew members who are different and never wanted to be crew members, then prepare your security team to murder them if their complaints turn to action.
Then a twist occurs, as Seska programmed her holo-self to re-write the story at some point, triggered by nothing at all but plot device, and puts Tuvok and Tom Paris in real danger with the holodeck safeties turned off. The last 10 minutes resume typical Voyager stupidity, with the hackneyed idea of Torres and Janeway re-programing the program while it's running, and having Seska re-program their re-programming to foil them.
It's exactly as stupid as it sounds, but it doesn't make the episode truly hideous. By Voyager standards, it's a huge leap forward in quality.
The teaser opens with something really incredible, for Voyager; Torres casually talking with Chakotay, then entering a turbolift... where Chakotay coyly lets slip that there's going to be a Maquis mutiny.
This is exactly the sort of thing you'd be expecting from the Maquis like Chakotay. Because considering how easily Torres and Chakotay and the others just turn to being fanatic Starfleet supporters, it's almost too obvious that they use that as cover for their mutinousness.
However, it becomes pretty obvious about the time Seska appears (if Neelix's casual betrayal of Janeway weren't obvious enough) that it's a holo-deck program. And everyone is apparently interested in it, as it's the best holo-novel program they've ever had. Given the sorts of stories we've seen thus far, that's truly believable, but hardly encouraging. Even despite the exciting premise of the holo-novel, it has little to no real excitement once the mutiny has been executed. There's little else that is engaging, and the characterization of Chakotay could only make sense if you assume Chakotay's zealous support of Janeway for the past three years has all been a ruse.
Somehow, the episode keeps a solid 35 minutes of interest before I ended up glancing at the time, wondering when it would be over. In fact, it turns out Tuvok had written the program as a training program for junior security officers back when the Maquis first joined the fleet. Given how Tuvok basically tortured and assaulted the Maquis crew members before they suddenly become Starfleet-lovers some time before, this is purely understandable---beat the crap out of crew members who are different and never wanted to be crew members, then prepare your security team to murder them if their complaints turn to action.
Then a twist occurs, as Seska programmed her holo-self to re-write the story at some point, triggered by nothing at all but plot device, and puts Tuvok and Tom Paris in real danger with the holodeck safeties turned off. The last 10 minutes resume typical Voyager stupidity, with the hackneyed idea of Torres and Janeway re-programing the program while it's running, and having Seska re-program their re-programming to foil them.
It's exactly as stupid as it sounds, but it doesn't make the episode truly hideous. By Voyager standards, it's a huge leap forward in quality.