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@toddhorowitz@fediscience.org

2026-10-29 02:04 UTC

VOY S5 E22-23 "Juggernaut" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" My most recent Voyager double-header: "Juggernaut" and "Someone to Watch Over Me". I think it's a good pairing, because they both miss the mark in similar ways. "Juggernaut" seems to be an attempt at Alien-style space horror, with an away team running around an industrial-looking space waste hauler that is filled with steam for some reason and a boogie-man looming in the darkness. But it never achieves even jump-scare levels of horror. It's also supposed to be about B'Elanna learning to control her anger, but it doesn't really do anything with that. I also dislike the Malon. I guess they could be a stand-in for the way the rich world dumps its trash on the developing world, but there's no real thought put into it. Also, the toxic waste they ship around could be anything, but it annoys me that it's supposed to be a byproduct of matter/antimatter reactions, which doesn't make sense in either real world physics or imaginary Star Trek physics. I mean, if warp drives produced toxic waste, why is it that the Klingons, the Romulans, the Cardassians, and even the Orion bother to detoxify it, but only the Malon don't? #VOY #startrek

Replies (1)

  • @toddhorowitz@fediscience.org 2026-10-29 02:04

    Meanwhile, STWOM is on the surface a very different episode. It's got that "90s Star Trek tries to do romance" awkward vibe, though it makes sense that the Doctor thinks of romance only in stereotypes. As Tom Paris notes, the Doctor teaching Seven about romance is the blind leading the blind. But the script chickens out by making it about the Doctor realizing he has romantic feelings for Seven. The episode opens with the revelation that Seven is conducting a detailed study of Paris and Torres' love life. Why is she doing this in the first place? This is never explored, but clearly there's something she feels is missing from her life. But the episode does nothing with this. Similarly, why is the Doctor so eager to instruct her in the ways of courtship? It's obviously because he has a vicarious interest in her dating life. Yes, he has had a couple of romantic encounters, but he too feels something missing and he knows he is not Voyager's most eligible bachelor. Again, the episode does not seem to realize this, and we just get that lame scene where Seven thanks him for his guidance with a thoughtful gift while declaring that obviously she's not going to find a suitable mate on Voyager. Not really worth the awkwardness, or the dubious ethics of putting poor Lt. Chapman through Seven's first date.

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