[Nate the Great]

January 23rd, 1995, "Parallax"

Full warning, nits ahead. The acting was good all around, it's just a shame that none of the scenarios make sense.

Fiver by Admiral Sab

The Episode


CAREY: We were having a disagreement about the power grid. She wanted to realign the lateral plasma conduit. I told her that would cause an overload. As usual, she wouldn't listen. So I told her to step aside and let me handle it. She pushed me away from the console. I pushed back. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the deck with blood pouring down my face.

B'Elanna isn't Chief Engineer yet. Hence she should follow Carey's orders. Furthermore assault is a crime that she should be punished for.

TUVOK: Where is Miss Torres?

Does B'Elanna not have a rank yet? Tuvok is usually pretty good about referring to people by their rank.

CHAKOTAY: I've confined her to quarters.
TUVOK: I would like her moved to the brig until formal charges can be filed.
CHAKOTAY: Formal charges? Come on, Tuvok. We're seventy five years away from the nearest court. Are you really going to hold her in the brig for that long?
TUVOK: The Captain has the authority to try Miss Torres here on the ship, considering the extenuating circumstances.

After DS9's growing pains when it comes to specific numbers you'd think the creators would've known enough to lock down these recurring facts this time. In the early days the trip will take 75 years, yet by the end of the season it'll be 70 years. Ugh. This fact should've been in the writer's guide.

As for "confined to quarters" versus "brig", I must bring up the fact that in the real Navy the brig is for short term use only, with the expectation that a trail or hearing will occur in the near future, where serious punishment will be held off the ship. That can't happen on Voyager, so alternate punishment methods must be created.

Off the top of my mind one of the lower decks should be retrofitted as a virtual penal colony. That is, minimal quarters, basic food being sent down from the mess hall, a rudimentary gym, and grunt work to do. No holodeck or mess hall privileges. And tell Harren that he either does real work in Engineering or he's going to be living down here permanently.

CHAKOTAY: Well, I'd like to settle this on my own without filing charges and without involving the Captain.

And here we reveal Chakotay as an idealistic idiot. He's one of the few Maquis that actually was a real officer, he should know better than this. The captain must be involved and charges must be filed.

TUVOK: She struck a fellow officer. That is a court martial offence.
CHAKOTAY: She's a Maquis, and in the Maquis, sometimes you have to push people out of your way to get things done.
TUVOK: Miss Torres is no longer a member of the Maquis, and with all due respect, Commander, neither are you. Allowing Miss Torres to get away with a clear violation of regulations sets a bad example for the rest of the crew. It makes it appear as though you were showing favouritism toward the Maquis.

Exactly. Chakotay is not supposed to be this stupid.

SESKA: We heard that Captain Janeway's going to put her in the brig for two months, and that all the Maquis are going to be restricted to quarters when they're not on duty.
CHAKOTAY: Not true.

This is not the right way to introduce Seska. Furthermore, this is a ridiculous scenario. Restricted to quarters is little better than solitary confinement. Plus, aren't all of the replicators in the quarters supposed to be turned off by now to conserve energy?

SESKA: We just want you to know that if things do get our of hand, we're ready to back you.
CHAKOTAY: What does that mean?
JARVIN: In case you want to take control of the ship, you have our full support.
CHAKOTAY: If I ever hear you talk that way again, I'll personally throw you in the brig for mutiny.

It's way too early for a mutiny plot. Stuff like this indicates that the Maquis can never be trusted and shouldn't have power over Starfleet officers.

CHAKOTAY: Or I could send you back to work with the understanding that you'll apologise to
TORRES: Apologise? He was the one who
CHAKOTAY: Not just a simple apology. A personal one, over a hot cup of pejuta.

Pejuta is the Lakota word for coffee. I question the point of this Indian word, because most of the audience won't recognize it. And frankly the first time I saw the word I thought it was a Bajoran drink (it certainly sounds like one, doesn't it?).

Captain's log, Stardate 48439.7. As we maintain a course back to the Alpha Quadrant, we're conducting what would normally be routine maintenance to the ship. Routine, that is, if we had access to a starbase.

Voyager has been in the Delta Quadrant for something like 45 days. WAY too early for maintenance that requires a starbase. The final status of the Maquis regarding officer status and posting should've happened before the two week mark. For that matter, in the real world the Maquis should've made an offscreen mutiny attempt, which would actually be a good background to this episode.

JANEWAY: What about alternative energy sources? Ensign Kim, have you had any luck getting power from the holodeck reactors?
KIM: Not yet. We tried hooking them to the power grid and we ended up blowing out half the relays. The holodeck's energy matrix, it just isn't compatible with the other power systems.

And here we go. This plot point was always stupid. What's the in universe reason for isolating the holodeck's power source?

JANEWAY: Neelix, this is a briefing for the senior officers.
NEELIX: I see. Well, I, I am the senior Talaxian on board. Kes is the senior Ocampa. And I do know more about this region of space than any other member of the crew.
KES: We have some excellent suggestions, Captain.

Why did Neelix and Kes wait 45 days for this? Truth be told this episode should've been a week after Caretaker and the ship's problems should've been from Kazon damage, not lack of starbase support.

KES: I've been thinking that you might be able to convert one of your lower decks into a hydroponics bay to grow your own food. I understand that the replicators are down and that the emergency rations won't hold out much longer.

And yet in future episodes the hydroponics bay will be shown as one room, not a deck. Not enough room to provide fruit and vegetables for 150 people.

Incidentally hydroponics is growing plants without traditional soil. I get that the term is used to sound more futuristic, but with an entire deck to work with you could beam up some soil from a planet and grow more crops. Whenever we see hydroponics in the future we just see small plants in suspended bowls. Maybe you could grow herbs and stuff like spinach like that, but to have proper crops you need proper garden beds.