S7 E11: Shattered

Chakoty is injured in an accident in engineering that shatters the ship into 37 distinct timelines. He wakes up in sickbay, where the Doctor is complaining that no one appreciates him. That's nothing new, but what is strange is that the Doctor has never heard of the mobile emitter. Chakotay goes to the bridge, but passes through a field and emerges into a time before the Caretaker incident. After escaping from a Janeway that distrusts him, he discovers that he has been made immune to the fields by a treatment that the Doctor had given him, and innoculates her as well. The two explore the ship in an attempt to reverse the damage. They get help from adult versions of Naomi and Icheb in astrometrics, maquis Torres in the transporter room, and watch Tuvok die with Neelix and Paris in a mess hall in the normal timeline. The episode ends with a rousing finale of everyone coming together to overcome Seska and the Kazons (band name!) in engineering.

At first glance, this episode feels pretty similar to Relativity, another episode that looks back at different parts of Voyager's past. Once again, the central character must gain the trust of a Janeway who is not inclined to help and work together to restore the timeline. This particular story is unburdened by the bizzare time-travel inconsistencies of Relativity; in fact, the show is pretty consistent about the arbitrary time-travel rules it sets forth. Other than being able to see back through a field only if you're innoculated, it plays by its own rules, and that counts for a lot.

But what really makes this one a winner is that it is exactly the kind of fun episode I'd like to see in the last season of a show. Up until now, the seventh season has really felt like business as usual; like it is senior year, and the writers all have senioritis and can't be bothered to come up with anything new. This episode is different - it feels like senior year, but for the crew instead. It is a fond remembrance of the past seven years, both the good (Seska) and the bad (the Macrovirus), but it doesn't pull any punches either. Past Janeway looks at the future she has wrought with horror, and while Chakotay reassures her, that gives this episode less of the smug self-congratulatory dialogue that other reminiscences in this show have had. This is absolutely what I want more of; Voyager, you've got a little more than half a season left, make the most of it. Your characters should be comfortable with each other - allow them to be the way you did here.

Watching this show with the knowledge that Seven will end up with Chakotay has been weird. I know I've been saying that for several seasons now, but here we are in the eleventh episode of the last season, and we're still getting Janeway/Chakotay teasing. With the knowledge that I have of how things turn out, I can see that the writers were actually trying here to make it clear that a romance won't happen; but their interactions here (particularly the one where season one Janeway explicitly asks Chakotay if they ever got together) show more chemistry between them than there has ever been yet between Seven and Chakotay.

Watchability: 5/5

Bottom Line: This is definitely the best of the Voyager fun episodes. I usually stick those at 4/5, but this one had it all; a balanced look back, good character interaction, and an exciting ending.