Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) State of Flux (1995) User Reviews

A traitor on board

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 18 June 2010]

While they are gathering food on a planet the Kazon appear and the captain orders everybody return to the ship immediately. One person is missing though; apparently Seska didn't receive the recall as she was in a cave picking mushrooms. Just as Chakotay finds her the are ambushed by two Kazon and Chakotay is injured. Soon after moving away from the planet they receive a distress signal from the Kazon, although suspicious an away team is sent over and find only one of them is still alive. Strangely what killed them appears to have been Star Fleet technology. The logical conclusion is that somebody on board Voyager has given the technology to the Kazon. The investigation leads to two likely suspects; Seska and Lt Carey. Chakotay is understandably upset that a second member of his Maquis crew could have been an infiltrator. When Seska returns to the Kazon ship to retrieve the component she is injured and her medical check up suggests she isn't who she claims to be although she has an explanation for this.

This was a good episode which sees Voyager lose a member of its crew. The first time I watched this episode I was unsure as to whether Carey or Seska would be the traitor; the evidence appeared to point to the latter but she always had an explanation leading me to suspect that Carey would be the traitor after all the Maquis had already been infiltrated by one person, a second seemed unlikely... as to who the traitor is; I won't spoil that. It is notable that this episode sees Neelix introduce the Leola root to the ship's menu; a food which while healthy will lead many complaints about the food in future episodes.

A traitor among us

[Paularoc · 8/10 · 31 July 2012]

After receiving a distress call from a Kazon ship, the away team find only one Kazon still alive and equipment that appears to be Star Fleet technology. An investigation determines that the equipment is indeed Star Fleet and that some one on board the Voyager must have given it to the Kazon. It soon becomes evident that only Lt. Carey or Seska could have done so. In this episode we learn that Seska and Chakotay are former lovers and that she wishes to rekindle the romance but Chakotay does not. Lt. Carey still seems a tad bit smarmy and not entirely to be trusted. Martha Hackett was so good in her role as Seska - her looks and mannerisms were perfect. We are kept guessing until the end (just when we think we know for sure, we're thrown a curve) - is it the smarmy Carey or the weasel Seska? A good mystery.

The Seska episode

[ashleybmeyer · 7/10 · 12 January 2012]

Another murder-mystery-style episode with Tuvok as a featured sleuth.

The most awkward fight scene in the history of Voyager, involving two Kazon guys, and a Tuvok and a Janeway.

But this is made up for by some quality, intense Janeway-decision-making scenes, and Chakotay's first remotely romantic scene in the series.

And in spite of whatever we might thing of Seska, she makes a kind of actually really compelling argument to Janeway in one of the final scenes.

As usual, best embodiment and delivery come from Janeway and Torres, with Seska's and Carey's deliveries being sometimes painful.

Seska becomes more interesting

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 6 June 2022]

Voyager discovers a Kazon ship containing Federation technology.

This is a solid episode that kicks off a good arc for one character and is important for continuity later in the show.

It has a strong character-driven plot that makes great use of some of the recurring characters, particularly Seska who is superbly developed. The mystery keeps you guessing until the end, which I quite enjoyed.

Martha Hackett is great as Seska and main cast members like Katie Mulgrew and Robert Beltran are also good.

For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.

Worst special op mission of all time.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 27 March 2020]

What a bummer for Seska. She's out doing her duty as a loyal Cardassian and gets whisked away 70,000 light years from home and now she gets to continue the role of being a spy with no one to second reports to. I have to say that it is very Cardassian to make alliances to further your self interest so I completely buy the alliance with the Kazon.

Beyond the Seska reveal we do get some good character development scenes. An early scene with Chakotay being a stickler about honesty in regards to the theft of the mushroom soup. Captain Janeway being a bad ass with the following quote directed at the Kazon, "I don't like bullies, I don't like threats and I don't like you..." We get more Tuvok development as a dogged investigator who plans out a clever trap with the help of Chakotay.

Seska attempts to talk some sense into Janeway about the need for compromise and the possibilities trade of technology could have. Ultimatley Sesk finds no success as Janeway is a hardcore Starfleet officers I bet she salutes the federation flag in the morning and recites starfleets code of conduct before bedtime.

Pretty good but with a couple minor quibbles.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 4 February 2015]

The idea of having a traitor aboard the Voyager is sound and made for interesting viewing. Unfortunately, it also was not executed quite as well as it could have been in hindsight.

After narrowly escaping a Kazon force on some planet, Voyager encounters a Kazon ship in space. This ship is dead--and only one member of the crew is possibly going to survive. What caused this is a shocker for the crew--the Kazon did this to themselves when they were trying to install new hardware onto their ship....Federation designed hardware!! Obviously they got it from the Federation and since Voyager is the only Federation ship anywhere near Kazon space, it's logical to assume someone is passing this material on to this warlike and annoying race.

As I said, I liked the idea of a traitor. I just wish that the show had led up to this better--now just tossed it out without much leading up to it. You did see this evil character display some rather amoral thinking in a previous episode--but that was it. So, there wasn't a lot of finesse associated with this plot. Additionally, considering that the people investigating thought she was a traitor, don't you think they would have done a MUCH better job keeping her confined at the end of the show?! This was pretty dumb. Heck, putting her in handcuffs or punching her in the nose would have been a lot more effective and her escape was pretty obviously done to facilitate her return as a nemesis. Again, the idea isn't bad--but how she escaped justice seemed silly and made Tuvok, Chakotay and the rest look addle-brained.

Seska is a Bit Correct

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 11 August 2018]

This is an episode that recognizes a traitor on board. Somehow, their adversaries have attained some stuff belonging to the Federation and rather than making a deal with the bad guys, Janeway wants the equipment sent to Voyager. But there is a wolf in sheep's clothing and it's not too hard to figure out who it is. Sometimes, it becomes that being good and wanting to do things right is not rewarded. But how could it be any other way.

State of Flux

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 21 August 2023]

Voyager goes to help a Kaizon ship in trouble. Somehow they were in possession of Federation technology.

With Voyager being the only ship in the quadrant, someone is passing technology to the Kaizons.

Suspicion falls on Seska, a member of the Maquis, who is always questioning Janeway and close to Chakotay. All the signs point to her. The other alternative is Lt Joe Carey still sore over being passed over for promotion.

The Holodoc discovers that Seska is not Bajorian but a Cardassian. Could she had been sent to spy on the Maquis?

State of Flux is an interesting whodunnit episode. Chakotay contemplates whether another one of his Marquis crew was a traitor, this time it's someone who was his lover.

It asks an interesting question posed by Seska. In order to get home, why is Janeway not making alliances and deals? One of the criticism of Voyager has been. A starship in another quadrant with some non Starfleet members is such a stickler to Starfleet rules.

It also exposes Seska who challenged Janeway as a villain too early on. It might had been better to keep her on the ship playing the long game.