Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Random Thoughts (1997) User Reviews

Yeah....no

[GreyHunter · 6/10 · 28 December 2019]

While watching the plot unfold and how Captain Janeway dealt with it, the title of this review was my main thought. She's big on Starfleet protocol. I get that. But nothing over the last 3.5 seasons suggests she'd *ever* leave a member of her crew to risk being lobotomized over a "crime" that was neither predictable nor parallel to anything in Starfleet's own law. Especially not when they're stuck 60,000 light years from home and caring for her ship and crew is paramount amongst her priorities. The Captain Janeway of literally every other episode would have been ordering every one of her officers to devise a way to break B'Elanna out with all necessary (but no more than necessary) force if they couldn't clear her name. At the very least, she would have ordered a transporter lock.

Other than spending the episode wondering if there was some subplot where the Captain suddenly developed dementia or something in this episode, it was a solid watch. Not a particularly subtle one, but that's the danger of trying to create a morality tale about thought crimes in a milieu where telepathy can and does exist in multiple species. It was a bit predictable -- since we already know the Voyager crew will win the day, it's pretty obvious that one of the locals was responsible -- but we at least got a really annoying and willfully stupid local gendarme to root against. It was a bit off-putting that Tuvok didn't call her out for lying about actually intending to let the Captain have a chance to investigate and prove B'Elenna's innocence. You'd think a logical creature like a Vulcan would point that out once it became apparent that the local cop never intended to hear new evidence.

Be careful what you think

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 24 January 2010]

The crew of Voyager are pleased then they find a peaceful and friendly planet where they can get much needed spare parts and get some much needed R&R. During their dealings it becomes apparent that the locals are actually telepathic, at first this is just mildly awkward but when somebody runs into B'Elanna she briefly thinks about hitting him, even though she doesn't act on her thought and quickly realises it was an accident her thoughts effect the man who ran into her and he later attacks somebody. Shockingly B'Elanna is charged with having violent thoughts and is sentenced to have those thoughts erased. While the local law enforcers believe it to be an open and shut case Tuvok is not so sure; especially when a murder occurs which was apparently caused by B'Elanna's thoughts despite her being in custody. Having other ideas he beams down to the surface and conducts his own investigation.

While not as exciting as the previous episode this was still fairly good while idea of a Star Trek crew accidentally breaking unexpected local laws isn't new it was fairly well handled... and makes one thankful that our thoughts can't be seen by others.

The Thought Police are here!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 21 February 2015]

Voyager visits a nice planet for some shore leave and to resupply. The folks on the planet are very thoughtful and kind and can read thoughts. Everything just looks peachy until a thoughtless local bumps into B'Elanna. Not surprisingly since she's half Klingon, she is angry but quickly gets hold of herself. The incident seems like no big deal. However, moments later, the same guy who bumped into her begins beating the snot out of another person! Apparently, B'Elanna's violent thoughts contaminated this local and now B'Elanna is under arrest for her thoughts! The penalty involves some sort of brain surgery to purge her violent thoughts! However, when Tuvok digs deeper on his own, he discovers a seamy underbelly in this supposedly idyllic world.

This is a strange episode--and I don't mean that as criticism. Its unusualness is a big plus--and keeps the show fresh and interesting. Worth seeing and well written.

A history of violence.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 18 August 2021]

I found it interesting that Tuvok (a man who suppresses emotions) is the focal point of the episode in how he commits violence on Guill to enlighten him to the potential horror.

Is it better to outlaw or suppress emotion? Could not the same back alley selling of strong emotion happen with Vulcans? I believe the episode is making a statement on owning your own emotion instead of burying it in the sand and allowing it to resurface later on in life.

I'm just saying that I would be more interested in experiencing euphoria rather than violence. I suppose there is an attraction to experiencing violent emotion after being repressed by society for a long time.

I enjoyed the scene between Tuvok and Guill ----- it was uncomfortable to watch and I imagine that was the intention.

A solid episode overall but I felt they could have embraced the commentary on violence with more elegance and clarity.

If Seven was captain they'd be home by now

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 31 March 2023]

Voyager makes contact with planet and inadvertently breaks the law.

This is a reasonably good episode with some decent themes.

The premise of the story in some ways reminds me of the 'TNG's' episode 'Justice', but with quite different content. You would think certain rules and laws would be established before exploring new planets, but I guess there would be no story if the writers did not allow for the audience to suspend the disbelief.

There are a number of thought-provoking ideas, such as the outlawing of violent thought, the desire to experience violent content and how illegal practices are only driven underground by certain laws. These are all worthwhile topics for Star Trek and written well into the story.

Not everything works for me. How the characters behave is quite frustrating in some scenes. Janeway pandering to ridiculous laws when she doesn't have to, the security woman's computer-says-no attitude, and one antagonist falling for Tuvok's ruse to obtain information are to name but a few.

Ironically that conversation between Janeway and Seven at the end made me laugh. Considering how often Voyager gets drawn into contact or conflict with other species (without seeking them out), they would still have an enjoyable journey home if they avoided situations like this one.

It's a 6.5/10 for me but I round upwards.

Planet of the fascist thought police

[Danzence · 9/10 · 26 April 2021]

Yeah just ignore the intentions of those involved and lobotomise someone for uncontrollable thoughts.

Good episode otherwise, if it can anger a viewer then it's done its job.

More "Voyager" stupidity!

[phenomynouss · 1/10 · 25 July 2010]

Once again, coming hot off the heels of an excellent bunch of episodes in the "Year of Hell", we return to typical Voyager stupidity and mediocrity.

This one, however, much like others, is one in which an average episode is completely undermined by an ass-backwards way of thinking that the Voyager writers seem to have that seems to confuse "tolerance" and "enlightened thinking" with "bending over backwards and letting other people walk all over us" See, in this episode, they go to a planet full of telepaths, and some random guy accidentally steps on Torres's foot. Some time later, this guy beats a man to death, and later, they arrest Torres, because apparently she thought a violent thought when the man stepped on her foot. A violent thought that was entirely visceral, coming from her subconscious, as she quickly mentally forgave him when he said it was an accident.

Of course, this doesn't stop them, because apparently this thought is contagious, and could lead to violence throughout their world. So, in true "1984"-style Thought Crime fashion, they root out people who have bad thoughts, and give them a mental "purging" of their violent thoughts. This is repeatedly compared with lobotomizing by many characters.

So they plan on putting Torres through this rather than imprisoning her, after the main female guest star leader person smugs it up and calls us low, primitive creatures for imprisoning people.

Tuvok, because he's not that much of an idiot, suspects shenanigans, and slowly discovers that there's a black market of violent thoughts---people selling violent thoughts for fun, because they are forbidden. Tuvok eventually shares some of his own in exchange for the lead black market guy turning himself in to save Torres.

Then the very end is where the episode derails from the tracks of good and moral thinking and becomes the puddle of stupid that makes it seem that the writers of this episode thought "1984" to be a cute little read, but nothing at all serious; Seven of Nine confronts Janeway in that direct, Borg way of hers, saying it was unacceptable for her to be following Starfleet regulation in such a way that nearly got TWO of her high-ranking officers killed. Janeway says this was a GOOD thing, because exploration and first contact is in their nature, and that they must learn about new cultures and their ways and respect them in order to learn more, and in this way they can learn to better understand and tolerate civilizations they encounter in the future.

No Janeway, you must not.

In this case, the brutal, tyrannic crackdown on violent thoughts lead to one crewmember nearly being murdered by black market thugs, and another nearly being subjected to a serious mind-invasive procedure that could have produced any number of unknowable side effects on someone of a completely different species.

The worst part is that they learn NOTHING from this except paranoia. Not only was Torres's violent thought UNINTENTIONAL, but it's something that ALL humans and humanoids like Klingons and Romulans and perhaps even Vulcans can have happen to them when caught off-guard by someone seemingly stupid.

So because of their insane level of political correctness and fetish for tolerance, the Captain and the writers of "Voyager" take on an attitude that is the equivalent of tolerating the prosecution of "thought crimes" as displayed in the book "1984" Only it's EVEN WORSE because in this society, you are still prosecuted for UNINTENTIONAL thoughts! As someone who has very frequent obsessive thoughts, I would likely have been lobotomized every few days if I lived in a society like this, because I have thoughts I do not like and cannot completely do away with or control the way these people claim to do.

Way to fail, "Voyager" "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke

Assinine

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 31 August 2018]

I've not given this series such a low rating before. The Voyager crew wanders into a society where people can be purged for their thoughts. A man acts violently and a woman is killed and others with "impure thoughts" are blamed for causing it. First of all, the self righteousness of the investigator is sickening. She believes things that are not in evidence. She is ready to torture a person from another culture who has no experience with the world. Janeway is as ridiculous as I've ever seen her, and she has done so many stupid things to counteract the voyage home that I've lost track. It's so interesting that this race is deserving of respect but have no respect for the beliefs and actions of the visiting cultures. This is an idiotic contrivance. I am liking Seven more and more all the time because she sees the world as it should be and recognizes negative behaviors. Janeway's smugness and self-centeredness as she sips her tea is so wrong.

"Oochie-woochie-coochie-coo?"

[zitacarno · 13 October 2018]

Is that what the inhabitants of this planet want? Everyone going around thinking "oochie-woochie-coochie-coo" and nothing else? Saying "oochie-woochie-coochie-coo" and nothing else? How unbelievably stupid can they get? Skip this episode.

Good episode to skip.

[bsimpson189 · 2/10 · 22 July 2020]

This episode contributes nothing to the story line. Just skip it. Just beam her back to Voyager and be on your way.

Janeway acts erratic as always

[tomsly-40015 · 4/10 · 27 December 2023]

This is another episode where Janeway does not want to interfere with another species' laws and justice system while in other episodes she doesn't care about rules and goes head first into conflict. Her Starfleet morality is bent as the plots needs it to be.

Here we have a telepathic society that almost has no violence because the first spark of a violent thought is already forbidden and if necessary purged from the minds of the offenders - just another expression for lobotomy. While the chief investigating lady claims she is one of the last police officers, I wonder who of them takes care of thoughts offenders. They seem to have sophisticated equipment and personnel that takes care of that purging, so there would have to be those that hunt offenders down, too.

When someone bumped into Torres on a visit to the market, she gets angry but stays calm nonetheless. Yet, this same man demolishes a market stand a few minutes later and since this society is cruelty free, it has to be Torres that infected this man's mimd with her aggressive thoughts. And for that she is sentenced guilty and to be purged of that thoughts.

While Janeway is about to let this procedure happen, Tuvok starts investigations and finds out, that this peaceful society isn't so peaceful after all.

Sometimes I want to slap Janeway for her white knight attitude. Seven of Nine makes a good point when she questions to stop at every planet and run into trouble because they interact with species that they don't know. Janeway on the other hand naturally comes up with the story of them being explorers and first contacting new species is their way of learning and expanding their knowledge. Thing though is: Voyager crew hardly explores anything. At that time, Voyager should be full of alien artifacts, literature, art and technology which should have been integrated and merged with the ship. Imagine you are on a 70 years trip back home through unknown space - wouldn't you try to get your hands on any kind of gadgets and information that might help you on your journey? Remember when the crew was captured once on that biosphere ship. Over 90 alien species were held hostage there, too. Did they try to learn and explore afterwards? No, they did not. Even Borg technology could prove valuable but they rather try to get rid of everything that has been built into the ship. Maybe they should explore how Seven of Nine's personal shield blocks phaser fire and then build those shields for the others as well.

This series would have been much better if they actually explored unknown species and upgraded their ship on the way with new technology. Like those chrono torpedoes from last episode. It would also have shaken up the story if every now and then a stranger from a new species would have joined them on their trip. Could have added a different perspective.

At least this time no one destroys and loses a shuttle and the new species doesn't live in caves or wear robes. Yet, their market looks like a cheap flea market. Considering the fact how many fruits and vegetables Voyager needs to stock to feed the crew, the small market stand at the plaza hardly wouldn't do the job.