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    This two parter was frankly kind of brilliant. The old Last Jedi version of Chakotay getting cheered up again happened maybe just a little too quickly, but until then, Robert Beltran really seemed to be sinking his teeth into it, and the whole episode. The use of Adreek to this end hit you right in the feels and was a good way to get Chakotay's spirit back up.

    The sheer imagination of the premise was nuts, made just believable enough by the technobabble - the crew has to sail a starship across a vapor ocean and then plunge into its eye in order to ramscoop some fuel and jump itself back into space - and the energy was there to warrant the trip. I also enjoyed Chakotay's lesson to an ego-bruised Dal: "Sometimes, where you're needed is rope duty." Much more valuable than the usual tired Disneyisms, and very Starfleet.

    Another thing that stands out to me about this series is its willingness to use big or esoteric words here and there ("jib", "suspension", "ziggurat", etc.). I approve. Kids will always learn up to what they're given, even if they just google it, and this show respects their intelligence. Imagine that - actually educating! I think someone else's comment made mention of the show not shying away from a truly Gordian time travel story just because it's a kids' show, and I agree, it's a good decision. Some will nerd it out in their heads just fine, and there's more than energy and character development here to keep the rest engaged.

    This episode, more than any other for the season, got across the sheer sense of adventure in this season. The idea of the near-dead Protostar sailing across gaseous oceans - having a full-on nautical adventure, right down to sea monsters and whirlpools - was inspired. It stretched credulity a bit that Chakotay had become an expert in seafaring, but hey, the man had ten years to himself; I guess he studied up.

    It also seems worth noting that Robert Beltran has not skipped a beat in his role as Chakotay. There were those who were arguing that Trek should have recast him due to a number of problematic things he had done recently (including arguably breaking the SAG-AFTRA strike rules), but I don't think this season would have played the same if he had been overdubbed with someone else.

    Just awesome. What more is there to say?

    These writers really know their Trek-tech to come up with this scenario. Why do I feel like this was someone's dream episode, laying awake in their childhood bedroom staring at the ceiling and fiercely imagining after having watched the latest episode of Voyager right before bed? A giant Trek nerd who has an amazing sense of adventure (and actual writing chops) wrote this, and the love showed through on screen in every minute.

    @ Brandon

    Totally agree on the Chakotay-Dal conversation and lesson. Can you imagine if a Discovery writer had written that?

    (Well, first of all it would have happened right in the middle of Dal rescuing Chakotay while he was holding on to the eel. "I know neither of us can breathe right now but hey listen I just want to tell you you can totally be captain someday if you just believe in yourself . . . wait there's no rope here because no one coiled it? Well shit. Can we get out of this by breaking the Prime Directive somehow? No? Wait, got any mushrooms in your pocket? You do? Perfect, just rub them together and let's teleport out of here.")

    I loved the dad vibe coming from Chakotay towards the kids in this episode, especially the fatherly advice he gave Dal. I would have really liked if he had shared some made up legend on how a strong silent man can get out of the “friend zone” with his fierce warrior queen. I think Dal could use that advice.

    Finally Dal is going to grow a little bit. Chakotay shows him what a real captain is like, and he actually pays attention. Thank God. I may end up liking Dal some day.

    Chakotay in these episodes is another example of a rather poorly used original character being brought up to an appropriate and highly satisfying future. These writers know what they're doing.

    Whoever was responsible for giving Chakotay more development in this two partner than he got in all seven years of VOY deserves a raise.

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