Distant Origin (30 Apr. 1997)

A saurian scientist finds the remains of a Voyager crewman who died on the planet where the crew was exiled by the Kazon during the two-part episode "Basics". An analysis of the remains' ... See full summary »

Director:

David Livingston

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator), Rick Berman (creator),

Stars:

Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Kate Mulgrew	...	Captain Kathryn Janeway
Robert Beltran	...	Commander Chakotay
Roxann Dawson	...	Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres (as Roxann Biggs-Dawson)
Jennifer Lien	...	Kes
Robert Duncan McNeill	...	Lieutenant Tom Paris
Ethan Phillips	...	Neelix
Robert Picardo	...	The Doctor
Tim Russ	...	Lieutenant Tuvok
Garrett Wang	...	Ensign Harry Kim
Henry Woronicz	...	Forra Gegen
Christopher Liam Moore	...	Tova Veer
Marshall R. Teague	...	Haluk
Concetta Tomei	...	Minister Odala
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nina Minton	...	Frola Gegen

Storyline

A saurian scientist finds the remains of a Voyager crewman who died on the planet where the crew was exiled by the Kazon during the two-part episode "Basics". An analysis of the remains' DNA shows links to his own DNA. While tracking and studying the Voyager crew, the scientist and his aide are discovered; they eventually pool their knowledge and conclude that the saurian is an evolved dinosaur from a species that left Earth more than 65 million years earlier. The scientist is thrilled to be able to prove his Distant Origin theory (that his saurian race originated elsewhere in the galaxy), but the rulers of his society place him on trial for heresy against the doctrinal teachings of their heritage, the central tenet being that they originated in the Delta Quadrant. The outcome of that trial threatens the Voyager crew as well.

---

Plot Keywords:

24th century

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

---

Details

Release Date:

30 April 1997 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Did You Know?

Trivia

Names: "Gegen" is also the German word for "against", a suitable name for a heretic. "Veer" sounds like "vir", the Latin word for "man", also a bit like "für", the German word for "for" (being for something).

---

Goofs

In this episode, they Saurians had a canister of warp plasma that Neelix used to set the trap for the bad guys on the space station, and used it to track Voyager's warp signature. However, in that episode, he didn't use Voyager's warp plasma, but that of the space station.

---

Quotes

Commander Chakotay: You accuse Gegen of having his objectivity clouded by wishful thinking. But aren't you guilty of the same charge?
Minister Odala: I am not on trial here.
Commander Chakotay: I understand. But in a way your beliefs are. How you think about yourselves, your place in the universe. That *is* on trial.

---

Soundtracks

"Star Trek: Voyager - Main Title"
(uncredited)
Written by Jerry Goldsmith
Performed by Jay Chattaway

User Reviews

An alien point of view

This episode is rather unusual in that it is centred on a pair of alien archaeologists who have found the remains of a member of the Voyager's crew and are shocked to learn that it's DNA suggests that the aliens must share a common ancestral planet. This find suggests their belief that their species evolved elsewhere is correct and the orthodoxy that they evolved locally and are the oldest species in that area of space are inaccurate. As their views are considered heretical they try to find living people. A part of the remain's uniform leads them to seek and eventually find Voyager. They board Voyager thinking their cloaking technology will prevent them being seen but it doesn't work as well as planned and one of them is captured but the other escapes with Chakotay. Unfortunately this doesn't provide him with the proof he needs as those supporting the existing orthodoxies aren't concerned with the truth and threaten to destroy Voyager and along with it all evidence that their species is from Earth.

I thought it was refreshing to see an episode from the point of view of an alien species although there were a few flaws such as how would an alien species be able to read the word "Voyager" on the dead officer's uniform and how would they know it was a ship's name? Apart from this the story was pretty good and the alien being forced to deny what he knew was true nicely mirrored Galileo being forced to deny that the sun was the centre of the solar system.