Macrocosm (11 Dec. 1996)

After returning from a first contact mission, Janeway, Neelix and the Doctor must retake Voyager from an infestation of microorganisms that grow to an alarming size.

Director:

Alexander Singer

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry, 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
Albie Selznick	...	Tak Tak
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Fiske	...	Garan Miner

Storyline

When Janeway and Neelix return to Voyager they find the crew barely alive having been invaded by a microscopic life form that is growing to macroscopic proportions. Janeway deals with it by turning into the Starfleet version of Ripley from the Alien movie series.

---

Plot Keywords:

24th century

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

---

Details

Release Date:

11 December 1996 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Did You Know?

Trivia

47-reference: after beaming down to the Garan mining colony, the Doctor proceeds on vector 1-4-7.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Tak Tak: Good health, strong body, clear mind.
Neelix: And you - your hospitality, your generosity, your patience - many thanks.

User Reviews

Yippie-Kiy-Ay, Mothersucker!

Another warm and cozy nightmare from the good folks on Voyager! While Janeway and Neelix are off performing a diplomatic mission, the crew of Voyager rushes to the aid of a diseased mining colony only to become infected with the same disease. First, I'd like to take a minute here to ask two questions:

1) If returning home is Voyager's main goal, WHY are Janeway and Neelix wasting time on diplomatic missions?

2) If returning home is Voyager's main goal, WHY are Chakotay and Crew wasting time saving miners?

I know the Starfleet code still applies in the Delta Quadrant but let's get real, people. Even Janeway herself has stated in previous episodes that Voyager has to be realistic in their dealings, and that their extraordinary situation supersedes precedent and procedure. Anyway, Janeway gets back to the ship to discover giant squid-like creatures have paralyzed her crew, breeding inside them and using their necks as hives from which the infant insects emerge.

Somebody must have been watching old movies because Janeway strips to her sweat & bloodied T-shirt to fight off the bad guys with her big ray gun. It's part Ripley from "Alien," part John McClane from "Die Hard." Once again the Doctor is overused, and gives us a flashback explanation of how the infestation started which brings the entire narrative to a screeching halt.

Doc also gives us pages and pages of medi-babble as he whips up an antigen to the virus. Why they insisted on referring to this as a "virus" when it was clearly a fly or insect that grew into a squid is beyond me. Janeway and Doctor save the day, and we're on our way...

GRADE: C-