VOY: Repentance

[Linkara]

Only thing I'll REALLY disagree with Chuck on this one is about the space for the prisoners. While those precautions are certainly doable (and indeed once again Starfleet's backups fail to be backups), the area WAS set up in a hurry - I can't imagine they took a lot of time to consider EVERY possibility for contingency's sake for a space that was only going to house a few people for a few days. It probably would have helped if this was a case of falling back on Voyager's actual premise - lacking resources to really do an adequate job of containing them, but yeah, not having a HUGE amount of precautions in a place for a temporary area they only set up very quickly I can't begrudge them too much.

Also, "An allegory for itself?" What? My problem with Family not getting a rating is because Family IS still a TNG episode, it's just one heavily focused on the characters and their personal journeys rather than space anomalies, and as such should still get a rating - even if it's considered a 4/10 not because it isn't good but because it's atypical and 5 should be reserved for an average, typical episode (although by that standard, it should be given a 6-8/10 for being better than the average BECAUSE it's dealing with character stuff and TNG often didn't really address continuity issues like that).

[AndrewGPaul]

That Prime Directive novel was my first experience of the … well, Prime Directive, and I recall it being handled in a much more intelligent and nuanced way than it’s apparently dealt with onscreen. The Enterprise was concealing itself to avoid undue influence, and when the threat was revealed to be a natural disaster, the Federation assisted and provided assistance.

[Drooling Iguana]

I'd strongly recommend skipping to part 2 of this review if you want to save yourself from nearly twenty minutes of inane babbling.

[Durandal_1707]

I'd strongly recommend skipping to part 2 of this review if you want to save yourself from nearly twenty minutes of inane babbling.

Says a guy named "Drooling Iguana"

[Riedquat]

I'd strongly recommend skipping to part 2 of this review if you want to save yourself from nearly twenty minutes of inane babbling.

What's your issue with it? Why do you find it inane?

[Mabus]

IMO this episode was a huge missed opportunity to further explore the Federation penal system.

In one TNG episode, Picard mentioned how they can detect criminal behavior in its infancy and presumably prevent it from fully turning a person into a criminal. Granted, that episode was "Justice" which is pretty bad, but this could have been redone much better here. Even today we know that certain anti-social traits like psychopathy and narcissism have a neurological cause in most people: the areas in their brains responsible for empathy are underdeveloped and have a lower brain cell density.

Granted, I don't know if at the time of the episode this was known, but cases where brain abnormalities lead to criminal behavior were still known up until then: Charles Whitman aka the Texas Tower Sniper, was found to have had a brain tumor that was suspected to have influenced his violent behavior to some degree (allegedly it affected the brain amygdala, which is known to increase aggressive behavior if overstimulated). Hell, the guy even requested on his suicide note that they do an autopsy on his brain to find out if he had some brain issues, as he kept having more headaches.

So maybe they could have used this episode to further expand on what Picard said back in TNG about correcting criminal behavior during its infancy instead of a pointless anti-death penalty narrative.

[Anonymous]

Sorry if I sound thick, but could someone explain the description joke to me?

[Fianna]

This was a marvelously written (pair of) video(s). Not only for the thoughtful look at how we approach hot button issues, but still finding ways to be hilarious while doing it! "Welcome to my long game, motherfuckers!" made me laugh big time.

[RobbyB1982]

There actually IS a reason they sterilize the needle prior to a lethal injection. Every once in a while, somemone gets a stay of execution. Last minute call from the governor or the real killer is found or something. Its not just fiction, these things DO happen.

If a prisoner that was scheduled to die got it postponed at the last second, but still got an infection and got sick or died anyway, there could be lawsuits. They're supposed to die from lethal injection, not a dirty needle over the course of months.

Sorry if I sound thick, but could someone explain the description joke to me?

Its from the song Iko Iko, by the Dixie Cups in 1965. Typically used for Mardi Gras, though Chuck used at the end of the Avatar videos largely for the lyric "set your flag on fire."

One of the lyrics is the native american phrase "iko iko Un-day" which sounds kind of like the character's name. No real relation, just the name rang a bell for Chuck.

[Deledrius]

I'd strongly recommend skipping to part 2 of this review if you want to save yourself from nearly twenty minutes of inane babbling.

I thought it was quite good.