VOY - Survival Instinct

[MerelyAFan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXZUtTzNhoM
You know its an episode Chuck really likes when a Stupid Neelix Moment isn't even mentioned.

If there's one lament I have about this outing its that I would have really liked to have seen what Moore could do with characters besides Seven. Its a great character piece for her, but she was someone whom was typically getting focused in episodes fairly regularly at this point, even if most didn't come close to this, so it it has me wondering what a similar effort would have been like for Chakotay, Harry, Tuvok, Tom, or Torres all of whom had become pretty static at this point (the latter's relationship upgrade aside).

[CrypticMirror]

Speaking of great directors of commercials, I want to know the director and creative crew behind this one, and hope they went on to great things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSdann3ugww

I think it was good job Moore left, especially seeing the mess he made with the BSG reboot, it leaves him with a more Firefly-esque legacy in VOY. His episodes were successful because he didn't have a chance to fail later on it. I'll admit, I didn't like most of Moore's choices on DS9. I felt he leaned too hard into deconstructive territory and grimdark, and the grimdark milfic fans are just the absolute worst at times. I'll take peppy but bland over dark deconstructions any day of the week when it comes to Star Trek. Except on the anti-Irish and anti-Scottish episodes of Trek, we all know the episodes of TNG and VOY I'm talking about. Those episodes can go fuck themselves. But other than that, upbeat and peppy is my Trek jam.

[clearspira]

As a lifelong introvert, I have to say I found myself profoundly disagreeing regarding the negatives of loneliness and silence. I'm at my happiest when i'm on my own and always have been. Lockdown hasn't really changed my life at all tbh.

I will say though that I imagine this absolutely is something that affects women more as they seem to crave social validation more than men, largely because men don't really have a choice in the matter and thus have to learn to deal with it from a very early age. There have been so many studies on the average amount of Likes a man gets on social media vs women, and its something in the region of 5 to 1. And it only goes up the better looking she is.
And don't get me started on internet dating. Nothing will get a chuckle from a single guy quicker than a woman complaining that she can't find a man.

[Ixthos]

As a lifelong introvert, I have to say I found myself profoundly disagreeing regarding the negatives of loneliness and silence. I'm at my happiest when i'm on my own and always have been. Lockdown hasn't really changed my life at all tbh.

[...]

I sort of agree with you. I'm also naturally introverted, and crave personal space. But I also suffer from ADHD and I enjoy unloading ideas on people when talking to them, getting really excited to have someone around to listen to me, which also tends to push people away. So I have this odd juxtaposition of wanting space but also occasionally just wanting to talk to someone. It isn't that bad a pull, but it does happen now and then.

As for this review, I like hearing Chuck talk about episodes he likes.

[Mabus]

Ron Moore is like Steven Moffat: his best work came when he wasn't (completely) in charge of the series.
I do like how smooth the episode runs. It feels well fleshed out imo. But then again it's been ages since I've watched it so maybe my brain is just filling in the blanks.

[DanteC]

An episode without a Stupid Neelix Moment? Ron Moore should have written more episodes.
It does highlight one aspect of ex-Borg in the Delta quadrant. Throughout Voyager, we have the three from this episode, the planet Chakotay encounters, and 7. So, surely that means that there are people with expertise of removing implants, or maybe even rescuing Borg? Would be good to see an episode featuring such experts; something like the episode Cyberwoman from Torchwood, but, well, not Torchwood, a show even worse than Voyager (at least the first season).

[SFDebris]

I think the misunderstanding comes in over the semantics of the term. In this context, the word "alone" is not meant to imply a choice of solitude, but a state of loneliness. In other words, the difference between a conscious choice for isolation, and to be forced by circumstance to lose the comforting presence of others.

[9ansean]

I think the misunderstanding comes in over the semantics of the term. In this context, the word "alone" is not meant to imply a choice of solitude, but a state of loneliness. In other words, the difference between a conscious choice for isolation, and to be forced by circumstance to lose the comforting presence of others.

Agreed. Supposedly Greta Garbo once said of her famous movie quote "I Want to Be Alone," that nobody ever wants to be truly alone. They only want to be LEFT alone.

One can choice to be alone without feeling lonely, but the prospect of being unable to connect with anyone at all even when you need some can of connection is terrifying.

It's even a matter of being alone either. One can be around many others and feel lonely if you're more concerned with appeasing the others or if the others don't seem to honestly know you. David Riesman wrote a highly influential book on this negative aspect of being other directed called The Lonely Crowd. While it's been credit as the first of several pioneering books of sociology that challenged the conformity culture of Post-War America, Riesman surprisingly argued that conformity itself was always no altogether bad. One does need a certain set of structure and rules for a society to endure. Where it because a problem is in always investing in the interests of the group at the expense of channeling and amplifying ones inner voice. Which actually sound a bit like the Borg when thing about it.

[9ansean]

Speaking of being brought down by others: I hate to sound like a broken record, but the angry response from Seven when the three try to mess her body of "I will NOT comply" shows why the events of Retrospect should have either been followed up or shouldn't have happened at all. Just as the EMH crying in Latent Image "Why couldn't I save her?" show losing her holographic children should have left more of an impact.

The prospect of anyone trying to get to her mechanical parts while she sleeps remains a very real threat and that has to be scary to think about. So to have the trauma of it either happening after an attack or even being left with the false memory of such a attack really should haven meant more than just the EMH learning he's inept at psychiatry.

Even if you disagree that would have left a traumatic impact of Seven (maybe because it's not in her character to let feeling of confusing, fear, and regret keep her away from life and work for very long) at the very least she's left to figure out how to balance protecting personal autonomy and handling professional duty on her own. After having been basically gas lite. For the captain and the doctor to not assure her that the cause of this traumatic experience was worth looking into and not blame herself for something that came from the crews overconfidence and a strangers hysterics over the judgement of his people was for like of a classy word...shitty.

This episode presents an infinitely better case for Seven dealing with regret and uncertainty because it involved something she choose to do. Maybe for the first time after being assimilated when she even had some degree of choice. She was still young and compromised by her connection to the collective so that means her judgement might not have been sound, but it was still her choice that had a devastating effect on those who were already pursuing what she was not yet prepared to get back. Something that she's only gradually learned to value.

Ultimately she now finds a way to help gain that freedom they'd been denied before if only for a short time while still not being able to make up for everything. That her growth is reflected by her interactions with the EMH about her own freedom and her taking final comfort in Naomi who still has not reason to judge her was excellent. This was one of the more refreshingly nuanced conclusions that Voyager has ever had. It is indeed too bad this show couldn't have gotten more from Ron Moore.

[Rocketboy1313]

To paraphrase Alison Pregler from one of her infrequent Star Trek reviews.
"I love everything about Voyager except the actual show."

It is a fertile ground for story telling, so much so that I sometimes find myself thinking back on story beats and ideas from the series just out of the blue and thinking about how they could have been done better with just a little bit more effort.
I also think about how the premise would have been solid gold in this current era of TV with streaming and long form stories. The idea of "Year of Hell" taking a full season would happen, the Seska plotline would have played out in a tight fashion and the child would have been Chakotay's and he would have had to raise a kid, and all the stuff with the Caretaker and Kes would have been able to come back in satisfying fashion instead of just popping in every once in a while to tell the audience to go fuck itself.