This is an excellent two-part storyline from Voyager, even tho it bears out all the usual inconsistencies we know will happen in every episode. For example: Starling uses a 1996 computer to hack into Voyagers computer system and download LOTS of data, then takes over Voyager's systems with same computer. Really implausible, even for Trek. But barring all of those types of things, the story, acting, production quality and all are solid.
Starling is the egomaniacal jerk who stole a crashed 29th century ship, after the pilot transported himself out to safety elsewhere. He had just tried to destroy Voyager and ended up getting caught in a temporal rift, with Voyager dragged along right behind, albeit 30 years later.
So Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok and Paris all transport to the surface of 1996 Earth, and set about to find the Captain and the Time Ship. They locate the Captain but he has checked out mentally. He's been in the wrong time period for too long, he's been institutionalized and given meds and heaven only knows what else. He gives Janeway and Chakotay some info, but they're not sure it'll help given his condition.
Then Tuvok and Paris head off to SETI, and meet Rain Robinson, played excellently by Sarah Silverman. She works at SETI and discovered Voyager orbiting the earth. They have some good banter back and forth, and arguments, as they work together. All the while Rain's trying to get information out of Tuvok and Paris, but they won't give it up. It's a fun plot.
Janeway and Chakotay head to Starling's headquarters, where they contact Voyager and set them to downloading Starling's database. Then Starling and his evil henchman show up. It's hard to watch anything with Starling, he's just so damn smarmy and evil. Janeway explains what will happen if he tries to take the time ship into the 29th century to steal more tech, and he just doesn't give a care. No more Earth, billions dead, don't mean nuttin' to him. He's a really bad person. And Janeway monologues about how she has a big, bad ship that can blow his building apart, and you wonder why she's saying it because it always backfires. Later, when they have Starling in sick bay (why not the brig?) she monologues some more about how she won and Starling's stock is going down tomorrow, and you know that is gonna backfire on her too. Because of course it is!
The third, small plot about B'Lanna and Chakotay crash-landing their shuttle into the land of some moronic militia men was also good. Another reviewer mentioned that the militia men were too over-the-top to be realistic. Well I live in Texas where we have an abundance of these doofuses, and they are not exaggerating the characters at all.
All in all, I really loved this two-parter. It's well done, the Doctor gets some cool 29th century tech that'll let him leave sick bay and go anywhere, and Starling blew his own butt to pieces in the end.
Voyager follows the Captain back thru the temporal rift after everything righted itself, and Janeway asks if he can help them get home faster, in their own time. Of course, he can't help them, so they set off for home, with a small celebration in the dining room.
I enjoyed it.
Starling is the egomaniacal jerk who stole a crashed 29th century ship, after the pilot transported himself out to safety elsewhere. He had just tried to destroy Voyager and ended up getting caught in a temporal rift, with Voyager dragged along right behind, albeit 30 years later.
So Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok and Paris all transport to the surface of 1996 Earth, and set about to find the Captain and the Time Ship. They locate the Captain but he has checked out mentally. He's been in the wrong time period for too long, he's been institutionalized and given meds and heaven only knows what else. He gives Janeway and Chakotay some info, but they're not sure it'll help given his condition.
Then Tuvok and Paris head off to SETI, and meet Rain Robinson, played excellently by Sarah Silverman. She works at SETI and discovered Voyager orbiting the earth. They have some good banter back and forth, and arguments, as they work together. All the while Rain's trying to get information out of Tuvok and Paris, but they won't give it up. It's a fun plot.
Janeway and Chakotay head to Starling's headquarters, where they contact Voyager and set them to downloading Starling's database. Then Starling and his evil henchman show up. It's hard to watch anything with Starling, he's just so damn smarmy and evil. Janeway explains what will happen if he tries to take the time ship into the 29th century to steal more tech, and he just doesn't give a care. No more Earth, billions dead, don't mean nuttin' to him. He's a really bad person. And Janeway monologues about how she has a big, bad ship that can blow his building apart, and you wonder why she's saying it because it always backfires. Later, when they have Starling in sick bay (why not the brig?) she monologues some more about how she won and Starling's stock is going down tomorrow, and you know that is gonna backfire on her too. Because of course it is!
The third, small plot about B'Lanna and Chakotay crash-landing their shuttle into the land of some moronic militia men was also good. Another reviewer mentioned that the militia men were too over-the-top to be realistic. Well I live in Texas where we have an abundance of these doofuses, and they are not exaggerating the characters at all.
All in all, I really loved this two-parter. It's well done, the Doctor gets some cool 29th century tech that'll let him leave sick bay and go anywhere, and Starling blew his own butt to pieces in the end.
Voyager follows the Captain back thru the temporal rift after everything righted itself, and Janeway asks if he can help them get home faster, in their own time. Of course, he can't help them, so they set off for home, with a small celebration in the dining room.
I enjoyed it.