Critical Care
- Episode aired Nov 1, 2000
- TV-PG
- 43m
Stolen and sold off, The Doctor winds up enslaved at an alien hospital, where social status strictly defines the quality of provided health care.Stolen and sold off, The Doctor winds up enslaved at an alien hospital, where social status strictly defines the quality of provided health care.Stolen and sold off, The Doctor winds up enslaved at an alien hospital, where social status strictly defines the quality of provided health care.
- Tebbis
- (as Dublin James)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe prop for the allocator seen in Level Blue in this episode was later used as the drink dispenser in Enterprise NX-01's mess hall on Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).
- GoofsWhen Chellick restricts The Doctor to Level Blue, the Allocator transfers The Doctor around Level Blue as if Level Blue had holo emitters, but in fact the Allocator uses transport technology to move the Doctor's holotransmitter (and thus The Doctor) from place to place.
- Quotes
Adultress: You're a woman. You saw my husband with your own eyes: overweight, depressed; you would have left him too, especially if you had met someone as exciting as Gar.
Captain Kathryn Janeway: [unenthusiastic] Yes, he's very exciting.
Adultress: That's why you're looking for him, isn't it? You want him for yourself.
Captain Kathryn Janeway: I assure you, I have no romantic interest in him whatsoever.
Adultress: Why? Not good enough for you?
Captain Kathryn Janeway: No, it's not that, it's just that...
[she turns to Tuvok and grabs his hand]
Captain Kathryn Janeway: I already have a man.
This is one of those episodes where the subject matter feels more important than how the story is told. There are a few questionable things that happen to make the plot work, but the message being delivered is so powerful that you should really overlook them.
I live in a country with a nationalised health system that entitles free care to all. It is far from perfect with resources stretched to near breaking point. However, it is easy to take for granted the fact that a system to support critical care is in place and both medical professionals and government officials are held accountable for any failures in that system. What happens when things go beyond breaking point, I don't really know, but only time will tell. Contrasting this with nation states who do not have this type of safety net in place and you see the relevance the episode and the various ethical dilemmas explored.
Robert Picardo yet again delivers a high quality performance, this time requiring his character to make a number of ethical compromises to heal patients and what he believes to be a broken system. Supporting characters interact well with him in all scenes.
The sub-plot of him being stolen from Voyager and their subsequent search to find him is okay. There are some decent moments, particularly Neelix solution to the Gar problem.
Overall a memorable episode with excellent performances.
- snoozejonc
- Aug 1, 2020
Details
- Runtime43 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3