Voyager season five

[lunabee34]

We're about halfway done with season five of Voyager, and my enjoyment of this show just keeps on increasing. I love all the characters so deeply. I am invested in their character development (yay for a show that's heavy on backstory and actually allowing that backstory to consistently influence character motivation rather than just serving as a deus ex machina to explain out of character behavior (as so many shows do)). Yay for a show that continually references prior episodes in a meaningful way and demonstrates that consequences of events are far-reaching and longlasting. Yay for a show that deals with depression and anxiety in a realistic way.

We just finished "Course: Oblivion," which is my very favorite kind of sci fi. The episode opens with Tom and B'Elanna's wedding, with complete and utter joy. And then slowly things begin to fall apart until we realize that these people are not the crew of our Voyager but rather the duplicates made on the Demon planet months ago. When B'Elanna dies, I could hardly contain myself watching how much losing her hurt Tom. Then the episode rachets up the angst quotient with the reveal, driving Janeway to jeopardize everyone's lives in an effort to cling to an identity she can no longer claim. But what really kills me, what really gets me in the gut even more than the fact that they all die at the end, is that their beacon is destroyed and no one even knows they ever lived. All their personal logs, their achievements, the new warp drive that could take the real Voyager home in two years--gone. Oh my heart!!!

I also loved the episode in which Janeway finally acknowledges that she's been kind of a jackass about the doctor; ever since Kes left the show, Voyager's crew has been talking out of both sides of their mouth about the doctor. Oh yes, you're a real boy, but we're going to turn you off now because you annoy us. Over and over again they'd do these things that deny his sentience, his ability to control his own destiny and it pissed me off, especially in the face of Janeway's total trust in Seven. And then, they make an episode that explores exactly what's been irritating me and let Seven be the one to tell Janeway off, no less! I love when she realizes that we don't turn people off or alter their memories when they have PTSD or anxiety or depression related to things that have happened to them. We medicate them and we give them therapy and we recognize that they may never be the same as they were before the traumatic event. I was proud of the show for stepping up to the plate and forcing Janeway to acknowledge her prejudices.

So far, I only have two real quibbles with the show.


Quibble #1: Why the heck is Tom demoted and thrown in the brig for thirty days of solitary with only the equivalent of bread and water and Harry gets a slap on the wrist for what is arguably a greater offense? Tom does a Bad Thing. I get that. Particularly in the military culture of Starfleet, not following orders is a grave offense. He didn't just disobey a direct order, however; he stole the Delta Flyer and conspired to destroy alien property. We're talking weapons fire and potential loss of life despite Tom's order to evacuate the areas they targeted. None of what Tom does is premeditated, though. He acts quickly and on impulse as the result of a deeply held conviction. In contrast, Harry sneaks around for quite some time, hiding that he's disobeyed orders and broken protocol for days. He's not doing so for any great cause either; rather he's following the edicts of his dick. I know, I know. Love is important, love is real, love occurs after knowing someone for fourteen days, blah, blah, blah. We're supposed to excuse Harry because he acted for love. In that episode, Chakotay reminds Janeway that she actively encourages her staff to disagree with her and that is what makes her a good captain; in other words, he reminds her that even though she's got the say so, she shouldn't always get to say so. And Harry Kim gets to bring Janeway back to that place in her heart where she remembers love is important and special and life affirming. For me, what Harry does is way worse than what Tom does. In this comparison, Tom's like the kid who sees somebody on the playground getting bullied and pops the bully one in the mouth instead of calling over the grown ups and Harry's like the kid who sneaks around siphoning off his parents' liquor cabinet and replacing the whisky with water. Harry potentially introduced some kind of contagion or other pathology into the Voyager ecosystem and he potentially shattered the delicate negotiations Janeway had going on for advanced technology. I also really hate that Janeway tells Harry she'd have understood if Tom had been caught with the alien woman. That pisses me off for two reasons: number one, Tom and B'Elanna are pretty solid at this point, which means Janeway thinks he's capable of catting around on her, and number two, other than that episode in season one or two where Tom is accused of murdering that dude after sleeping with his wife, we do not see Tom sleeping around. I have paid really careful attention to the show because I knew the whole "Tom Paris, the Slut of Voyager" trope is huge in the fandom. It doesn't exist canonically. Like at all. And so for Janeway to make that comment is really irritating.

This leads nicely into Quibble #2: All hail the Janeway. Lord knows I do. The woman is fantastic. But something seems off to me in her characterization this sesaon. It doesn't seem consistent with the other seasons in some way that's so subtle and indefinable that I can't even articulate it well. I loved the opening episode. I loved her having a breakdown and being depressed. Well, duh. That made so much sense to me. And I love the demon!Janeway's inability to adapt to the reality of her identity and relentlessly and tragically pursuing a futile dream. I love that this season more than any other shows her as flawed but still heroic and kickass and awesomesauce. But sometimes she'll do or say something and it seems so jarring. I think I noticed it most in "Thirty Days," but there have been a couple other episodes as well.

Comments

[kaleecat]

I so totally remember that episode with Harry and being just as annoyed as you for the double standard. I can't say deep thoughts about how Tom is treated vs. Harry came into it, as I missed so many episodes. But I very clearly remember thinking about the possibility of contagion & really it's okay to lie & sneak & endanger everyone & everything for twu luv (after like a week)??

I do recall the wondering about how shitty Tom usually got treated for little reason. And not liking how the doctor was treated too.
I guess I'm going to have to put Voyager on the watch list for whenever I can actually go back to that. Trying to catch episode reruns on Spike is useless as its never in any kind of order.

Currently I'm trying to force myself to finish watching last season's NCIS which sat on the dvr all summer taking up room. Ziva cornering Tony in the men's room for *important* talk yet again, and the lame apology, is threatening to derail the effort at episode 4--it pisses me off and wasn't cute back when she did it over the Jeanne situation. I judge this by flipping the situation; if it's not appropriate for Tony to do it then it is equally as inappropriate for Ziva.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I think the thing that gets me is that Harry plans and connives and sneaks, and Tom just acts. I would be so much angrier at someone who manipulated me over time than someone who did something once.

You should watch the show again. I'm shocked by how consistently awesome it is.

Sadly, I've only seen like two eps of NCIS.

[crevanfox.livejournal.com]

I can, to a degree, see why Janeway came down harder on Tom. He stole a ship and fired it at some aliens property (I think, it's been absolutely ages since I saw a lot of these episodes).

Harry's younger, and this is his first major screw up. On a day to day basis he's also closer to the Star Fleet ideal. On time, professional, follows orders with out question (this is the military after all) Tom's on a work release program from prison. I think there's also a case of tell, not show, in which Tom got up to trouble, but never on screen. He also has a bit of an attitude-more in the beginning, but first impressions tend to stick.

Firing on that mining whosit could have precipitated a war easier than a little stolen nookie. It also came out that Harry wasn't entirely himself thanks to some funky alien pheromones.

Many people (Kate Mulgrew included) have complained about how inconsistantly Janeway was written, depending on who was holding the pen. Personally I seem to have less problems then most. Maybe I'm not as critical of my TV, or maybe just to in love with my Trek to care ;)

The demon class crew! Oh god! That episode is quite possibly the saddest thing ever to come out of the Trek franchise. I almost cry! And I dont cry! Also the opener with the rice in slow mo is so freaky! I love it.

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

*nods*

She says as much to Harry, that she feels differently about him because he's done his growing up on Voyager and he's done such a good job of it. Basically because she's his maternal figure.

I know Tom has this past, but other than disobeying orders in "Thirty Days," he's done nothing so far that's really trouble. He pretends to be a screw up to flush out Jonas, but that's sanctioned by the captain. I think he's probably come farther in terms of growth than many of the other characters. Where did Harry really have to go but up, you know? But Tom's made a complete 180. I don't know. It irritated me. LOL

I love those dress uniforms in the wedding. Yum, yum. They look good on everybody.