Voyager Reviewed! (by a pedant) S5E01: NIGHT

[@Unlimited_Lives]

Today's thought experiment: If there are no planetary bodies in the void, and Bubble Boy's species have been there for "millions of years", how did they build/maintain their ships?

[@AvatarRiku]

The same way an all female park of dinosaurs suddenly had males. Life finds a way.

[@AvatarRiku]

Bubble Boys always reminded me of the licorice men from my 90s childhood copy of chutes and ladders

[@therwfer]

They just built stuff more sturdy back in the day, millions of years ago, you know. I swear, this modern Intrepid crap is built to fail.

[@Ezzyazeze]

Perhaps there is a planet they live on. It's not like astrometrics hasn't been blind to these things before (like the planet filled with dreaming people) plus none of the ships systems noticed the burney boys or their ships until after they'd boarded, even though it had detected the mega-radiation (though again, Voyager didn't spot the ship full of the stuff until it made its presence felt).

[@oddish4352]

Same way Santa maintains that humongous toy-manufacturing facility at the North Pole, plus living quarters for elves and reindeer, plus a sizable warehouse for storing the special-interest items he picks up on Amazon (not every kid wants toys). That is to say, a series of well hidden trans-dimensional portals. They happened to have one that would have put Voyager in orbit around Uranus, and would have been perfectly happy to let Voyager cruise through it, but Janeway didn't think to ask, she was too busy with her noble suicide attempt. Alternative theory: Janeway knew darn well that the portal existed, but was also aware that if Voyager got home at this point, Harry's Starfleet career would still be salvageable. And no way she was going to let THAT happen.

[@kerravon4159]

Those Captain Proton scenes were hilarious, good addition to the series.

[@mb2000]

2.5 years with no entertainment except for two very busy holodecks… shame it hasn’t been shown that the entire ship can be converted into a holodeck if they wanted. Or at least a few of the lesser used rooms/cargo bays or something. I also like to think that Janeway’s reclusiveness here is also in part because of what Arturis said to her last episode about all the lives and civilisations she helped to destroy by siding with the Borg. And Neelix’s phobia is because of all the people he got killed… like Traitor, Traitor’s Mate and random blueshirt, plus all the casualties from his cooking.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

To be fair, one of Neelix's suggestions is converting a cargo bay into another holodeck. I'm a little surprised he didn't capitalise on the captive audience and make his TV show 7 nights a week.

[@Eyetrauma]

Dang, the bit about her mental state being influenced by Arturis is an interesting angle. I don’t know that I’d trust the script to be written that way, but we can enjoy it nonetheless.

[@dm121984]

I always find it weird that starfleet ships seem to have very little entertainment on board, when at least they should have access to a huge library of music, ebooks and video even without the holodecks, and Voyager seems even more odd as it seems to lack any sort of gym or activities hall/area like the galaxy class. Like, its a long-term exploration ship, so should expect to be able to keep its crew entertained between exploration activities, and whilst its half the size of a galaxy class, it also has a much smaller crew (only 150 vs a galaxy class's 1000 to 6000) so their should be plenty of space for crew mental and physical health spaces

[@felixbeutin8105]

I am currently going through some mental health troubles and recently watched this episode and Janeway in her quarters just spoke so true to me. not necessarily the blaming yourself element ( though that is part of it) more how she carried herself in the scene the dark quarters the lack of gusto in her voice in the beginning the ramp up the barely contained anger the holding your head while standing .... the scene was just eery to me.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

Yeah, it rings true. I'm sorry you have some struggles currently and hope you're getting the support you need.

[@felixbeutin8105]

@@Unlimited_Lives Thank you very much i am indeed getting the support I need and have also found the right coping mechanisms for me 🙂

[@DStrormer]

I unrepentantly love the Captain Proton bits and hope they show up as an easter egg in Lower Decks or something down the road.

[@NoSpanks]

Just to add a few thoughts: I really liked the way this episode (and several other S5 episodes) discarded the typical A plot/B plot structure to tell a more organic story. The way Janeway's absence isn't immediately noticeable, and how we wait over twelve minutes before seeing her the first time is a clever way to build tension. And then her initial framing in her quarters, looking out the window while shrouded in darkness, is a great way to give insight into her dark and distant mental state even without the exposition or dialogue in the scene. If I could critique the teleplay, I'd say that the briefing room scene wasn't required, and we could have used a little more exploration of the concept of the ship without a captain before jumping right back into saving the day and finding a miraculous solution to the problem. A lot of people wish Year of Hell had been an entire season; I think Night had similar potential.

[@Saphykitten]

Your format has evolved into the perfect length and forumla, you are currently my favorite Star Trek related content

[@Unlimited_Lives]

Cheers! It's not what we started on, or what I'd originally planned, but I think you're right.

[@GradyBaby13]

Your channel is criminally underated. I especially love the "pooping some yellow" on someone.

[@loganalexander8256]

This is a great episode. thank you patrons.

[@MidKnighToker]

I love getting comedy recaps of all these Wonderful episodes I've seen at least once over

[@Marcsharp82]

I've always enjoyed this episode. The Malon are clearly big oil companies who don't give a shit about the "little people" and to see him Kaboom is quite nice. The CGI is fantastic especially Voyager flying through the pitch black only lot by its running lights and window lights. Janeway feeling guilty is a nice touch and I wouldn't be surprised if there were some crew who hated her for stranding them decades away from their families and friends.

[@dyne313]

I love seeing the Tuvix cameo's.

[@oddish4352]

Like a mole in Whack-a-mole. Only thing missing is for Janeway to be waiting there with a sledgehammer.

[@nicoleackerman205]

I did not know people loved him so much until I started seeing justice for Tuvix videos.

[@AvatarRiku]

This was one of my favorites. Grumpy Janeway

[@nicoleackerman205]

This whole season she is grumpy.

[@thegreenmanofnorwich]

I thought that it was a missed opportunity for a two or three parter. Maybe part 1, real trouble and making it to the void. Part 2 a few months in the void and mental trouble, with the start of mysteries. Part 3 fear of coming out of the void, overcoming the Malons and tying up any mysteries.

[@ptonpc]

That is what I was hoping for,

[@NoSpanks]

I've given thought to this myself, and I think a multi-part series of episodes might have watered down the continuity from the first act's dreariness to the last act's return to form. IMO, this should have been a film.

[@james222277]

I always wondered why the Doctor needed to use the holodeck. Couldn't he use a virtual holodeck like they did for Moriarty?

[@shadowinthevoid]

I really like the idea of this Holodesk program and being so fully committed to the theme. There was actually a playable level based on this (complete with B&W filter) in the Elite Force game which was a nice addition.

[@nisselarson3227]

The screaming lady was great. She had a hell of a shrill scream. It's not as easy as it may seem.

[@AvatarRiku]

Voyager looks forward to welcoming all the new crew members in 9 months. Or whatever the various gestation periods for the non-human crew are.

[@mb2000]

And yet between now and the end of the series, only one baby will be born! So either the crew have all taken Deltan vows of celibacy or the Doctor has some very strong contraceptives in sickbay…

[@AvatarRiku]

@@mb2000 If the doc has the same level of spicy brain I do he would definitely stock up given Vulcan shagger season nearly resulted in multiple homicides

[@mb2000]

@@AvatarRiku 😂😂

[@oddish4352]

Why in the Vaults of Eternal Destitution DIDN'T Voyager go generational? Did the entire crew just "know" they were going to get home in 7y instead of 70? Probably the second most confusing thing about this show, with #1 being why did they keep spouting about how great an officer Harry Kim was while demolishing his career prospects by not promoting him. That's like giving a fourth-grader an Outstanding Student Achievement award, then making him repeat fourth grade.

[@oddish4352]

@@joelellis7035 They TOTALLY banged.

[@mike_jwoww]

yesss god I love new video day

[@PhillipLemmon]

YES! SEASON 5 LET'S GO!!!

[@pedrocortez3485]

Damn it. Im at work. Arghhhh. Have to wait til tonight. Im hoping this season the wheel of names will be kind to me.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

You have chosen precisely the right episode to leave this comment.

[@pedrocortez3485]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 🥳 MICKDY MCDOOGLE!!!!!!!!!!

[@dougsmith6262]

Ugh, I'd all but forgotten about all things Captain Proton.

[@jc441-i3q]

Maybe if I was actually on Voyager things would be different... but I don't think being a starless void would bother me at all.

[@nicoleackerman205]

I hear that one cannot actually see stars on a ship anyways.

[@oddish4352]

This would have been the perfect opportunity to fix a prior oversight. Just have Harry sporting a hollow pip on his collar at the staff meeting. No ceremony required, no explanations required, everyone just assumes that sometime in those two dark months, Janeway or Chakotay just quietly bumped Harry up to lieutenant. And the showrunners still get their pathetic, puerile "revenge" on Garrett Wang for whatever he did to piss them off because of the entire cast, his promotion is the one that gets no recognition. Of course, this was the episode where the showrunners demonstrated their utter lack of respect for their audience. Voyager cooked off its 38th torpedo... and kept firing them. If they figured we were too stupid to count to 38, maybe they figured we were too stupid to know that an ensign is supposed to make lieutenant.

[@oddish4352]

@@pavilionbug But what's the point in the latter? Janeway's reactivated the Starfleet commissions of two Maquis criminals (Tom and Chakotay). She gave Starfleet commissions to an academy dropout (Torres, who was promoted over an experienced officer) and several people who never even went to the academy. She gave field promotions to Tom and Tuvok, and field reductions to Tom and the five Equinox survivors. In light of that, a field promotion for an ensign who had been doing lieutenant level work FOR YEARS was pretty much a slam dunk. There was absolutely no reason not to give it to him, and the fact that she didn't is why Harry is called "Poor Dumb Harry Kim" and "the Eternal Ensign" to this day. Every other ensign in the first four series received a promotion. Chekhov, Wesley, Ogawa, Ro, Nog, Ezri, Tom, ALL of them. So why in the Vaults of Eternal Destitution didn't Harry?

[@oddish4352]

@@pavilionbug That is true. The Kathryn Janeway I know from most of her actions would have summoned Harry front and center at a staff meeting around the third season and said "As Captain of this ship, I promote you to the rank of lieutenant, with all privileges and responsibilities therein." Harry's long ensignhood is really character assassination against her as well as him. That's why, if they weren't willing to make a big deal of Harry's first step up through the ranks, they should have just quietly bumped him up between Seasons 4 and 5. Regarding limits... that's just not backed my canon. Many characters were promoted without getting increased responsibility. It only seemed to be a big deal at the Commander level, and even then it was odd. Data was third in command of the Enterprise, acting captain on multiple occasions, but he never made commander.

[@BintyMcFrazzles]

Good job they didn't bump into a black hole, as according to Holly from Red Dwarf, "The thing about a black hole - it's main distinguishing feature - is it's black. And the thing about space, the colour of space, your basic space colour - is it's black." So if the windows in people's quarters just show black, and it's depressing, why don't they put some nice pretend video/holo windows in showing the passing of a day on earth? Or just get some CURTAINS? WHY do they always go on about "night shifts" on space ships? There is no such thing as day and night as we know it in space. Yes, you might want a day/night routine for your staff and human beings circadian rhythms, etc, but dangers, meeting new life forms and general space stuff doesn't just occur during the "day" shift. So why do the mess hall shut at night? Do people on nights not want breaks and to eat?* Why does Harry sometimes run the night shift? Do the baddies wait until the day-shift, so Janeway can get her guns out? * (Mind you, I'm a nurse and there is nothing open at the hospital on a night for staff to get something to eat).

[@Unlimited_Lives]

I mean... why even have portholes at all? Every room has a screen in. Make the bugger show an external shot when it's not in use. Night shifts exist so that the day shift have someone to blame their fuckups on. This is also the reason they let Kim run them occasionally.

[@dm121984]

2:08 OH GOD, MY POOR IMAGINATION. That's the third worst imaginary orgy my brain has inflicted on me.

[@tomsenior7405]

I find these humorous reviews immensely entertaining. This could be because Star Trek has never really caught my eye as something worth seeing every week. Hence, I have zero nostalgic connection to the franchise. I did see an episode of the OST when in first aired. Ye Gods was boring. From what I can tell, Star Trek Voyager appears to have been made specifically for teenage boys. Boobs n Battles is a winning combination in one's teens. Thank you for expanding my Trek knowledge. Always a pleasure to hear a fellow Yorkshireman prattle on about stuff. Like yourself, my RP slips whenever I hit on the vowel 'U'. There is something about that particular engrained speech pattern that is hard to shake-off.

[@Eyetrauma]

Janeway becomes a weird, irritable shut-in. She’s just like me fr fr

[@colonelquack]

Someday, you should feed your reviews to chatgpt and ask it to make an episode. With all your slang, it would be hysterical. Algorithms can't detect sarcasm yet.

[@DamienCooley]

I'm wondering, what are your thoughts on playing the Voyager: Elite Force games and commenting on them as well? I for one would most definitely be here for that.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

Shhhh!¹ ¹I have definitely not already looked into this and found where it sits chronologically so I can do it as an episode (S6E21.5 is the answer by the way). I have also not already got it installed with graphical updates, and did not use screenshots of the transporter room for the post-cartoonification Space Dog skits.

[@DamienCooley]

@@pavilionbug The second one dropped the Voyager moniker as it takes place mostly after Voyager makes it back to the Alpha Quadrant, but it is still the same Hazard Team, and uses Tuvok, Barclay and Picard and a different ship if I remember.

[@moonkey2712]

Wow, the first time we meet the malon!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

That estimate of 2 years for 2500 light years is actually within proper speeds for the ship.

[@TheRealKaiProton]

woof

[@Joshua-ew6ks]

Here are a few thought question. Why would "Mickdy McDoogle" pass on an opportunity to have tech that treats their waste problem? It would seem that even if the tech is not widely adopted (Because of the fear of invation kills existing jobs) someone could secretly profit from having the tech. It's a new way of solving a problem, but a smart person would have found a way to profit from it? (This was my question I originally had, when I watched the episode many years ago.) Also space is very very very big. So even with all the theta radiation they need to dispose off, they only need a very small amount of space to dump it in. It's not like the radiation can travel faster than light? Right? They could have also easily store all the waste they ever create in one area. A moon, a gas plant, a lifeless planet. They could compress the gas. (it looks like gas, it could be plasma). (The waste is called "Theta radiation". I google to make sure.) So what does everyone else thing.

[@ptonpc]

Yes, he could have got the tech, carry the waste somewhere, neutralise it and and make a larger profit since he won't have to worry about the damage it does to him, his ship and crew. Even if he kept the tech for himself. My other thought was why the Malon didn't dump the waste into the star of an uninhabited star system. Shorter trip = more profit.

[@Joshua-ew6ks]

@@ptonpc I thought the same thing.

[@kbdank71]

RIP Tuvix

[@comentedonakeyboard]

Aaaaactuälyie Janeway had grabed the phaser to save some resources by "downsizing" the crew (a bit further)😂

[@SirMarshalHaig]

The hardest thing about a two week journey through dark space are the first 6 months ;)

[@ruthpayne534]

No more cardigans! Yay!

[@Qternocq]

Only two names with "Mc" in them on the wheel, yet this is the 745th character to have been named a name with "Mc" in it, by the random spin of the wheel. I guess Quark really likes Gaelic names.

[@ptonpc]

All hail Space Dog! Personally I'd have liked to have seen a couple of episodes set in this region of space, watching the crew go slowly mad (der) until we reach this point in the plot. However I did like it. A couple of thoughts: You know you done effed up when Neelix tells you to shut up! Considering where that lung came from, how long until he needs a replacement, after all Kes is not from a long lived species. Is Neelix looking at expendable crewman number 4 and running a tricorder over them to see if their lungs are suitable? I understand the 'toxic waste dumping people are bad' trope, however I never understood why they don't just dump it into a star around an uninhabited system? It's not as if the material would unduly affect anyone else and they still get to run their economy on those lines. Instead they go huge distances to dump it into places that cause the most damage to everyone else. Why are the emergency power banks not stored near (or with power runs ready to be connected to) the critical systems of the ship? That would mean you don't have to drag a power pack from point A to point B.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

Would've been a great chance to catch up with all of that psychological trauma the crew would have by now, wouldn't it? Lungs: The generous answer is Kes did some Psychic Shenannigans to them before she left, much like the implant in Seven's bonce. The middle-lane answer is Kes's accelerated (by our standards) aging is a byproduct of the brain wibblies. With that aspect removed, the lungs degrade at a standard-ish humanoid rate. The ungenerous answer is nobody cares about him enough to consider it. Toxic waste: Yup. Could've just shat it into a gas giant, or anything else with a gravity well that they had no intention or ability to land on. The only way the Swirly makes sense is if it's closer than any other unwanted astral body, which makes it unlikely that others wouldn't have spotted it. Power banks: Janeway likes watching the lads struggle.

[@alexv1129]

One thing I'd like to point out regarding holodeck technology, is that it does use a combination of replicator and transporter technology as well as "photons and force fields". Thus, while this doesn't defend any of the background scenery existing when power is off - it does explain how when something glitches in the holodeck, they generally still have any equipment/tools they were using, because those items were likely replicated rather than simulated. It's a little bit of a fine line, but I do believe there is more info on that subject available - which would be fun to see you tear apart in more detail. I can accept a headlamp and such under that explanation - but how tf was the whole "set" still there? Most of that shit should have been fake.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

I've read up a little on the topic and there's no definitive answer on how much of an overlap between holographic and replicator technology there is (and I suspect that ambiguity is deliberate). I'd agree that they're both branches of the same tree, but many of the examples I've seen feel like retconning for the purpose of covering holes in the writing. Neither option really works in this situation though. If Captain Proton's gun was replicated, why did the holodeck safeties need to be disabled to make it hit? If it wasn't, how did it fire when the simulation was frozen? There's also the issue that replicators use decontructed matter for the process rather than just pure energy (well, except when they don't because Star Trek). Keeping track of what gets replicated in a holodeck for the purpose of tallying how much of a replicator ration it costs feels like an exercise in madness. If I replicate a pie in Chez Sandrine and you sniff it but don't eat any of it, do the molecules you inhaled count towards your ration? Did Ensign Vorik get credit when he made a "deposit" in the pon farr holodeck program the Doc made? As to the set being there, that's something I find more believable. Consider it like a crash in a video game. The image remains on-screen, but no new simulations are calculated. Of course, that falls apart when they start interacting with the supposedly frozen environment but, again, I suspect that ambiguity is deliberate. Can't break a rule if you never state it's a rule to begin with. TL;DR - Holographic and replicator tech is fascinating but has oodles of contradictions in the way Trek implements it.

[@TinySpiny]

I do feel like the Giga void is one of the most unrealistic parts of Voyager, strangely.

[@robinmcgowan1336]

IF the malon dude Mr McDougall is the only one who knows about the swirly and he's just been kaboomed then was there still a need to destroy the swirly?

[@GnomePickles]

I have much to say about this episode, please forgive me for being a bit verbose. First thing- "You mean I could not have to poison myself and could corner the market on a piece of technology that could turn around how waste is handled by my people and likely end up not just rich but heralded as an eviormentally friendly genius and have fans all over my home system give me pretty much anything I want while women throw themselves at me? Nah, think I am good spending months away from the pleasures my money can buy me as I slowly die of radiation that disfigures me." What? How does that make sense? Second- "I must sacrifice myself by closing the vortex cause no one else can!" Um Bubble-Boy and his mates have ships, with guns, just help them build a missile or something. You did it for the Borg, why not these lads? They live alone in empty space, the hell's the harm? Thirdly- Something positive, I would watch an entire series of Captain Proton, that looks so damn fun! I could just see myself watching episodes of it on a rainy Sunday, wrapped up in my favorite blanket, pint of ice cream, an egg cream, and a pizza within arms reach. Good Godfrey that would be fun.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

First: Hmm. We made it sound a *lot* like we'd be giving the tech to his entire race, which paints a slightly different picture. I'd still not want to haul noxious shite for a living if there was a viable alternative, but perhaps they're PseudoFerengi who care only fun numbers. Second: Makes sense on the surface, but we could be generous and say only our *specially configured* fireworks would close it, and sharing them with Bubble Boy would be trading in weapons. Of course, we could bypass all of this by just waiting for Mickdy to sod off and laying a firework with a timer as we calmly fly through. The whole confrontation was unnecessary. Thirdly: I must know what an egg cream is. It sounds either terrifying or fascinating.

[@GnomePickles]

@@Unlimited_Lives I can see where you are coming from on giving it to the race, but he could easily just say, "oh ya, I will pass it along for ya," as the Voyager crew has shown they really lack guile and ability to see threw basic schemes. For the firework being a special one, I have to imagine they can mod a Bubble firework with minimal fuss, and it is not really a weapon, just a rift collapse. Secondly, they have bought guns before, that they never used but still bought them, gave the Borg a superweapon and gave the Hirogeon a holographic system that can make deadly weapons. The Voyager crew are arms dealers and should accept it. An egg cream is a classic drink from the soda counter days. It is made of chocolate syrup, milk or half and half, and seltzer. It is like drinking a frothy chocolate milkshake.

[@Unlimited_Lives]

I completely agree that Voyager has scruples about tech and weapons trading only when it suits, but the official line is that it's a no-no. If we want to discount that, perhaps the Bubble Boys don't have projective weapon delivery systems. We only see them use energy weapons in the episode, and that would tie in with there being minimal physical matter in the void from which to make explosives. Your answer is certainly the more reasonable one, I'm just saying it *could* be explained away if we try. Wait... what does that have to do with egg?!? Or is it an "egg" cream in the same way as a "ham"burger?

[@GnomePickles]

@@Unlimited_Lives I have to admit their ships not having kinetic launchers makes sense, but then as you said earlier a timed explosive or maybe a probe with a modified delivery mechanism or even just an autopilot workerbee, which according to the tech manual they should have a couple kicking around. But that is besides the point cause they killed the only Malon who knows how to get into the expanse anyways. I mean it can be discovered again sure, but that is unlikely considering how he likely guarded that secret super well. Murder solves problems after all. Ya the egg cream is weird. There are theories on the name but to my understanding nobody is sure where the name came from.

[@Synthonym]

Space dog's pretty small, maybe he could get a job as a subwoofer

[@Unlimited_Lives]

This is terrible. I love it.

[@martinj1089]

I'm glad you flag the obvious issues with extras. Voyager was probably the worst for this, extras, by the looks of it couldn't say anything at all, unless Paramount wanted to pay them more money and there are plenty of times where this is obvious and looks ridiculous.

[@frankandstein8618]

Maybe Space dog will find work when the WGA strike ends.

[@nicoleackerman205]

The jacket was because the actress was pregnant.

[@jonyprepperisrael60]

2:14 look mate, everyone has needs. don't judge them too harsh

[@TheCaptainCrack]

this poor guy has a Tuvix-trauma xD

[@dm121984]

A decent voyager episode, and the beginning of where, I think if I remember rightly, the peak of Voyager was; it still has the questionnable as fuck Voyager logic problems (aliens who evolve in a literal void, for example), but there is interest, character work, and even some emotion as the crew are being ground down by a empty region of nothingness. And Captain Proton does make a few returns. I honestly love those bits - alas, the writing of Voyager in later episodes does imply the writers think their so much better than the pulpy flash gordon type scifi, but I'm getting ahead of this.

[@REDspike226]

or they didn't want to pay the extras more money for talking lines 😛

[@TenniellesChannel]

😑🖖

[@gavinmceneff5612]

I always hated that everyone agreed with Janeway. At least one person would not agree.

[@ptonpc]

They kill and eat that person. Yes I am still going with my '"The voyager crew are cannibalistic Reavers" head cannon.

[@nicoleackerman205]

😂😂😂

[@seanbrogan8667]

With all due respect I think that wheel of names is a net negative. Your names are much better, Baron Harkonnen would be a much better name than Mickdy McDougal

[@Nx57ytre]

The episode that introduced the Malons, my favorite species of space idiots. The fact that they have warp technology but cause colossal amounts of radioactive waste is ridiculous in the Star Trek universe, where even the Kazon don't have that problem. But they have a credible reason for that: they are a capitalist society where it is better to maintain an industry than to improve living conditions. It becomes uncomfortable to come to the conclusion that humanity is more similar to the Malon than to the Federation.

[@ibot2157]

If they were Capitalists, that captain would have taken the tech voyager offered and monopolize it, becoming fabulously wealthy.

[@Duke_Sliscus]

I utterly loathe captain proton as a concept in trek.