3/10
What on the surface seems to be a charming challenge to science by religion, turns out to be a preachy mess. The authors of this episode (Lisa Klink & Geo Athena Trevarthen) seem to misunderstand science - which is most lamentable for authors of a science-fiction show. They are under the impression that a reasonable expectation in a scientific explanation is the same as believing without sufficient evidence (faith).
Furthermore, the "sages" (aka the three old people in god's waiting room) come off as religious zealots that have no problem with letting people suffer to spread their ideas. They could have easily told Janeway at the beginning of the episode how to treat a catatonic Kes and spare Janeway the ordeal. But no - Janeway has to come to a point were she says, she doesn't have an explanation but she believes it will cure Kes. Which is a strange way of thinking. She can explain it! The people most knowledgeable people just told her! They just refuse to give her a real explanation because they seemingly want to break her world view and convert her. In the light of the fact that the whole situation could have been avoided if they just told the Voyager crew about the dangerous field in the first place, makes it even more despicable that the aliens refuse to help.
Overall not a shining hour of Star Trek. This has to be one of the most anti-scientifical episodes of Voyager. The writers fail in portraying the science vs. faith debate. They even fail to give Chakotay some preachy faith lines in this one. As I'm sure this episode wants to show that faith has value, it has the reverse effect if you think about it for a minute or two. As writer Lisa Klink said in an interview "The point of the episode is that you can't explain everything. That's really what faith is about." and then showing at the end that they CAN explain it - but Janeway doesn't want to hear it and leaves the sickbay. If that is the mindset of people who have faith - then Voyager would never have been built. Very disappointing episode - it even makes you sick. Good guest performances, though.
Furthermore, the "sages" (aka the three old people in god's waiting room) come off as religious zealots that have no problem with letting people suffer to spread their ideas. They could have easily told Janeway at the beginning of the episode how to treat a catatonic Kes and spare Janeway the ordeal. But no - Janeway has to come to a point were she says, she doesn't have an explanation but she believes it will cure Kes. Which is a strange way of thinking. She can explain it! The people most knowledgeable people just told her! They just refuse to give her a real explanation because they seemingly want to break her world view and convert her. In the light of the fact that the whole situation could have been avoided if they just told the Voyager crew about the dangerous field in the first place, makes it even more despicable that the aliens refuse to help.
Overall not a shining hour of Star Trek. This has to be one of the most anti-scientifical episodes of Voyager. The writers fail in portraying the science vs. faith debate. They even fail to give Chakotay some preachy faith lines in this one. As I'm sure this episode wants to show that faith has value, it has the reverse effect if you think about it for a minute or two. As writer Lisa Klink said in an interview "The point of the episode is that you can't explain everything. That's really what faith is about." and then showing at the end that they CAN explain it - but Janeway doesn't want to hear it and leaves the sickbay. If that is the mindset of people who have faith - then Voyager would never have been built. Very disappointing episode - it even makes you sick. Good guest performances, though.