Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Kate Mulgrew | ... | Capt. Kathryn Janeway | |
Robert Beltran | ... | Cmdr. Chakotay | |
Roxann Dawson | ... | Lt. B'Elanna Torres (as Roxann Biggs-Dawson) | |
Jennifer Lien | ... | Kes | |
Robert Duncan McNeill | ... | Lt. Tom Paris | |
Ethan Phillips | ... | Neelix | |
Robert Picardo | ... | The Doctor | |
Tim Russ | ... | Lt. Tuvok | |
Garrett Wang | ... | Ensign Harry Kim | |
Brad Dourif | ... | Crewman Lon Suder | |
Anthony De Longis | ... | First Maje Culluh | |
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John Gegenhuber | ... | Tierna |
Martha Hackett | ... | Seska | |
Henry Darrow | ... | Kolopak | |
Scott Haven | ... | Kazon #1 |
Seska's distress message announcing the birth of Chakotay's son puts the Voyager crew in a bind. Both Seska and the Kazon-Nistrim she's allied with are highly devious and untrustworthy. Is the message genuine or an opening gambit towards seizing Voyager. Chakotay must decide whether or not to accept the baby as his son, as sperm for its conception was taken against his knowledge. As Voyager gears up for confrontation with the Kazon, murderous Mr. Suder (still confined to quarters and under therapy with Tuvok) begs Capt. Janeway to allow him to bio-engineer improved vegetables for the ship's garden. Written by statmanjeff
Although "Basics" is an enjoyable episode of "Star Trek: Voyager", it's also one that strains common sense. After all, to believe it, you must also believe that the Federation folks are amazingly dumb!
When the show begins, Mr. Suder (the murderer from several episodes back who is confined to his quarters) is frustrated. Now that he's learned some self-control through the help of Tuvok, he wants to give back something to help the crew--but the Captain is apprehensive considering his track record. This will become important later in the episode as well as in the second part of the show.
Soon Voyager hears from Seska. She indicates in a distress call that she and Chakotay's baby are in trouble and the message cuts off. Although EVERY SINGLE #*@$ing time they deal with her she lies and tries to destroy the ship, Voyager responds to what obviously must be a trap and gets itself trapped. Why? Because Chakotay went on some spiritual journey to talk to his dead father and dead daddy told him to! Is that any way to run a starship?!?! This is insultingly stupid and I also assume most Native Americans would also be insulted that their culture would be represented this way.
Soon the Kazon easily take the ship and transport the crew to a desolate planet where they dump them. Why not kill the Federation crew?! Additionally, Paris escapes in a shuttle to look for help and aboard the ship are Suder and the Doctor. Can these three possibly do anything to help regain the ship?!
As I said, this show has some major logical problems--too many. Because of this, I'm knocking off a few points. But it is watchable and enjoyable nevertheless.