| Seven is behaving strangely - acting at times like a Klingon or a child. Voyager's crew traces her personality disorder to a signal emanating from the wreckage of a Borg ship. The core of the ship, its vinculum, has become infected in its non-organic circuitry, which Seven traces back to another Borg victim (species 6339). While attempting to take the vinculum off line, Voyager also tracks down 6339, who are enraged that they are tampering with it. They have almost been assimilated to extinction, and this was their last hope of fighting back. Janeway is unwilling to give up the vinculum until they can shut it down, so in a last ditch attempt (the previous attempt failed because it was destabilizing Seven) Tuvok melds with Seven during the shutdown to help hold her together. It works, and the vinculum is relinquished. |
I have nothing but sympathy for species 6339. Sure, their solution is absurdly ludicrous - seriously writers, all you had to do was switch virus with bacteria, and it would have been vastly more believable. Guys, viruses exist by invading biological cells and reproducing inside them. A virus that attacks machinery makes no sense. Bacteria, which possess their own reproductive capabilities, could, theoretically, be engineered to enter a non-biological realm without dying out in a couple hours.
Anyways, where was I? Oh, yes, 6339. Sympathy. So they have just a couple ships left, out of an entire civillization. They hatch this scheme to sacrifice a few of the people that they have left to infect, kill, and possibly beat the Borg. Then Voyager comes along and, because one of their crew is a former Borg, they're working to put the kibosh on the whole plan. It's fustrating, largely because the obvious solution (running away until they're out of range of the transmissions) was technobabbled out. So now we're forced into the choice of stopping this beleaguered species' last-ditch revenge effort or allowing a single named, free Borg to die in the process. That's an interesting dilemma, and it makes sense that Janeway can't in good conscience allow 6339 to proceed, but at the same time I cannot find it in myself to blame 6339 for trying anyways. The resolution is not very satisfying, since it is effectively the same as the run away approach.
I did enjoy Seven's reflections on the people that she has helped to assimilate. It had a good The Raven feel to it - another decent episode that deserved a (at least in spirit) follow-up. I was very impressed by Jeri Ryan's acting when she was possessed by the various different personalities. It was practically as if a different voice was coming out of her at times. Tuvok's meld with her is engaging, and the mood created by the effect inside Seven's mind is good.
The writers have also found a new and exciting way for Janeway to have "I told you so" moments. In this episode, she has a moment of doubt about Seven, and points out to Chakotay that he had doubted whether she would ever fit in. Chakotay chimes in and says something to the effect of "I was wrong about her, and you were right in every way. Your rightness is blinding, and it is only through that shining light of rectitude that we lowly subservients can ever hope to stagger towards the truth. I cannot imagine a set of circumstances in the future that would cause me to stray from the path."
Watchability: 4/5
Bottom Line: An entertaining episode with some decent food for thought but ultimately has a frustrating conculsion.
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