Star Trek: Voyager
"Child's Play"
Air date: 3/8/2000
Teleplay by Raf Green
Story by Paul Brown
Directed by Mike Vejar
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"When the project began, they wanted to clone Naomi. But I suggested they start with something smaller." — Seven on potato cloning, a Borg-kid science project
Nutshell: A very nicely acted hour, though I'm not so sure aspects of the twist ending are completely fair to the viewer.
"Child's Play" is a well-acted study of characters who find themselves in emotionally difficult situations and have to make tough choices. For a long time, the story seems like one of the most fairly and even-handedly developed sci-fi child-custody issues that could possibly have been conceived given the setup material. But there's a twist ending that exists to give the episode some action zip and additional plotting intrigue. The twist ultimately works in story terms, but it somewhat undermines some of the earlier drama. After watching characters who ring so true given their apparent motivations, it's a bit frustrating to see that half their heartfelt dialog turns out to be laced with lies and deception.
The episode centers on (who else?) Seven of Nine, who has been successful in helping the Borg children adjust to life on Voyager. But her attachment could be nearing the end for the oldest of the children, Icheb; the crew has located the boy's parents, and they have set course to return him to his homeworld, Brunali.
Brunali is located right next to the exit of a Borg transwarp conduit. "Not exactly prime real estate," Paris notes in his typical metaphorical one-liner fashion. The Brunali comprise a primarily agrarian culture that has suffered numerous attacks by its Borg neighbors. The Borg usually leave the Brunali alone—unless they detect technology that's of enough interest to them. The Brunali therefore do everything they can to maintain a low profile and keep any advanced technology under wraps. Why don't they relocate?, Seven asks. Because home is home, and the Brunali won't be bullied by the Borg.
Icheb's parents, Yifay (Tracey Ellis) and Leucon (Mark A. Sheppard) are portrayed as understanding people. There's no forced conflict here. Yes, they certainly want their son back, but they're not made to be unreasonable forces against Seven, which is a good thing. They're characters who are not scripted unfairly, and the guest performances are on par.
"Child's Play" is the sort of basic story that for a long time doesn't have much plotting but instead simply and slowly analyzes a situation with its characters. Scenes exist to reveal attitudes and gradual understanding through sensible dialog that fits the situation. The story takes a simple problem and cranks it through various details that grow naturally from what's going on, as Icheb starts out wanting nothing to do with his parents, then gradually becomes open to the idea of returning home to live with them.
There's really no reason to describe these scenes in great detail. My analysis of most of the episode simply comes down to, "Yeah, that's a sensibly written scene." I'll also point out that the performances are right on target. I'm trying to remember the last time I criticized a Jeri Ryan performance, and I'm not sure if I even have. I won't be here, either; Ryan is once again the key to making us believe in the problem at hand. Seven has a lot of emotions at stake here, and we can see that she truly wants what's best for Icheb, while we also see that it pains her to send him back with parents that even to Icheb are strangers. Manu Intiraymi works well as Icheb in these scenes, taking the less-is-more approach of Borgish rendition. (There are, of course, also the typically solid Janeway/Seven discussions.)
I also liked the way this episode tied Seven's dilemma into her past involving her own parents. Part of Seven's skepticism concerning Icheb's parents boils down to the fact that she understands his needs as a liberated Borg better than his parents possibly can, and that his options on Voyager will better allow him to exploit his talents and interests in space travel. But there's also her worry of parental irresponsibility. Seven fears Icheb will be reassimilated if the Borg come visiting the Brunali world again, and the Brunali's determination for staying on the planet seems at odds with Icheb's well-being. Seven notes a connection here with her own parents' recklessness in chasing after Borg cubes. The situation hits her close to home. It's a character-history point that makes a great deal of sense.
As I already mentioned, "Child's Play" features a plot twist that the writers cleverly launch upon us near the end of the fourth act. It involves Icheb's parents turning out to have hidden motives, on the account that Icheb was really a bio-engineered weapon who was genetically altered at birth to develop a pathogen that would infect the Borg. His assimilation was intentional, and Icheb's parents plan to "deploy" him again, launching him toward the transwarp conduit in a ship designed to attract Borg attention.
Once Seven and the captain figure out what's really going on, we get an action premise where Voyager must rescue Icheb before the Borg capture him. Structurally, this is kind of weird, because we have a slow-moving hour for most of the way, and then suddenly we get what I'm opting to call the weekly Voyager Action Insert—the mandatory isolated action sequence that exists in the final act of so many episodes simply because the creators believe viewers will not tolerate an action-free show. (And preferably, something in the Action Insert needs to get blown up.) Hey, I have nothing against explosions, and I even think the blown-up Borg sphere here manages to work on its given terms (and is executed with some vigor). But I also feel a bit iffy about the fact that such sincere material (Icheb's parents coaxing him to return home) is instantly turned on its head into something so sinister. Within barely two minutes of screen time, we go from a story about one child to a story about defending a planet from Borg by using one child as a time bomb. That's not a huge problem given the way it all plays out, but it doesn't exactly seem like the story we started with.
The episode depicts the parents as people who are acting in the interests of a greater good—the protection of their planet from the Borg—but one wonders exactly how this plan is supposed to work given the way "Collective" resulted in the destruction of only one ship, left abandoned. Speaking of, the way this episode ties in with "Collective" is interesting, and shows that the writers might actually have been thinking a few shows ahead (!) when they wrote it.
But what really carries the show are the Seven/Icheb scenes and the emotional undercurrents. The final scene does a good job of reflecting on the actions of Icheb's parents. Seven calls those actions "barbaric," but Icheb's response isn't to wonder whether he can forgive his parents, but whether they can forgive him for failing to become the weapon he was intended to be.
The questions here, I think, look at this boy's odd place in life. Was Icheb's purpose preordained, and was being rescued by Voyager providing him a second chance to live a real life? If his original purpose in life was to destroy Borg, was he led astray by a combination of fate and Voyager's actions? Or was he freed from an enslaved existence supplied to him by his parents? Does defending a planet make it right to preprogram a life as a pathogen-carrying future Borg drone? The humane answer would be an obvious "no," but where does morality end and desperation to address a greater good take over?
Obviously, parents aren't always right and children aren't in the position to make the best decisions for themselves. Fortunately, Icheb now has Seven looking out for him, and her perspectives have a great deal of human reason. But Icheb's parents didn't have a son; they had living, breathing time bomb that they raised as a son. That's pretty meaty stuff. Funny, how it all comes to light in the last 10 minutes, while the first 50 exist in a world so much simpler.
Next week: Some members of the lower ranks go on an adventure with the captain.
Previous episode: Ashes to Ashes
Next episode: Good Shepherd
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87 comments on this post
Tue, Feb 19, 2008, 3:02am (UTC -5)
Wed, Apr 23, 2008, 4:01pm (UTC -5)
There was one scene in this episode that kind of annoyed me. Mezoti asks Seven what will happen if Icheb gets assimilated again. Seven replys that it's unlikely. Mezoti then informs Seven that Icheb was on a ship when he was assimilated, not the surface like his father claimed. The problem I have with this scene is how horribly it was executed. Mezoti asks her initial, presumably out of concern for Icheb. However, she quickly seems to stop caring at all what the answer is, as she goes off to regeneration-sleep right in the middle of the apparent conflict of information.
Mon, Dec 14, 2009, 12:59am (UTC -5)
I know this isn't groundbreaking... but I do have to commend the writers for continuity. This is now 3 episodes with the children from the borg cube... AND... they managed to tie a plot point to explain how the first cube in "Collective" was infected in the first place. That's admirable.
A lot of good serialized shows do this kind of plotting all the time... but because Voyager has virtually no plotting across episodes at all... it actually comes off as surprise. The show is better and stronger for it. One can only hope they did it all the time.
Fri, Dec 10, 2010, 9:31pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Mar 29, 2011, 6:13pm (UTC -5)
Moar continuity!! Wow!! See it's not so difficult when you put your mind to it, and your audience appreciates it.
I have to say, I found it pretty obvious straight away that something wasn't quite right with his parents. Their son comes back from being assimilated and when he first materialises on the planet do they look delighted, run up and hug him? No! They just stand there all kind of "yeah, so er welcome back I guess". Hmm.
I think most of what was to be said has been said otherwise, so a couple of points of amusement:
- This time Seven couldn't get a lock. Poor Harry "Chump" Kim gets blamed all the time, but the fact is it's Voyager's transporter locking mechanism that is as much use as a chocolate teapot. Between this, lack of shuttle retention, holodeck safeties that can be destroyed by holographic bullets while they are still switched on etc, really seem to suggest that whoever designed that ship was a complete idiot :P
- Part of the dialogue asks whether Naomi would find her mother irrelevant. Well she seems to look to Seven as her mother and her real one vanished into thin air, so yeah, I guess she would!
Tue, Jun 21, 2011, 3:37am (UTC -5)
This is easily a 3.5 star if not 4 star episode, but again your bias paints the series mediocre.
I propose an experiment: add half a star to every review of VOY and deduct half from every review of DS9 (all the 4-stars can remain). What would that look like? It's that half a star that really makes the difference and it's all a question of taste.
Tue, Sep 6, 2011, 4:46am (UTC -5)
I enjoyed this ep; the themes are quite familiar, but it's perhaps the first time we've seen an ex-Borg reuniting with family. It was well-executed and engaging. I knew there would be some kind of twist at the end (and it IS a twist), but wasn't expecting this. I liked it, and does nicely explain the events of 'Collective' (forward-thinking? Impressive!!). I wish there had been a little more foreshadowing, however, maybe some indication that Icheb's parents weren't all they seemed. It came a little out of the blue. The best twists are those that are unexpected, yet when you look back you can see they've been cleverly foreshadowed and fit in with the rest of the story. Still - above average episode, I'd give it a healthy *** too.
Sat, Sep 17, 2011, 10:29pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Nov 12, 2011, 2:41am (UTC -5)
Sun, Apr 22, 2012, 9:20pm (UTC -5)
I did find it a bit odd that Icheb had developed such in attachment to Voyager in such a short time (and likewise, that Seven had developed such an attachment to Icheb in such a sort time) but that's a small matter that I'm willing to overlook.
All in all, a very entertaining episode and I think three stars is about right.
I was surprised and pleased to see Mark Sheppard guest-starring here after having become acquainted with him in recent episodes of Doctor Who.
Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 7:11pm (UTC -5)
If the VOYwriters had delivered more continuity and story arcs like this one involving the Borg children it would have been better than just a good series.
Mon, Aug 6, 2012, 12:39am (UTC -5)
Fri, Jan 11, 2013, 7:41pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jan 28, 2013, 4:00am (UTC -5)
[Previous comment moved by administrator to correct page.]
Since I'm here, I have to say I agree with Elliott, it's a truly good episode indeed.
Fri, Feb 22, 2013, 6:26am (UTC -5)
However, there is still something that does not work. It feels like Icheb is already about 1 or 2 seasons on Voyager considering the strong emotions Seven and the others have regarding his departure. But don't forget that only 2 Episodes! passed since he was released from the Borg.
This episode would have worked better if more time since "Collective" had passed.
Wed, Jun 26, 2013, 6:38am (UTC -5)
Many people like to point to Seven of Nine and Jeri Ryan as one of the primary ways in which Voyager "ruined the Borg". In fact, the character (thanks in large part to the actress) were the best explorations of the Borg "species" Voyager had to offer. I agree that the Borg as the ultimate Federation adversary were severely diminished by their overuse in Voyager, but Jeri Ryan/Seven had little to do with it.
Mon, Jul 8, 2013, 3:08pm (UTC -5)
Just because we've only seen two episodes doesn't mean that it's only been two days or even two weeks in Voyager time. I actually got the impression that they'd been on board for a few months, as clued by how far their "studies" had progressed and the fact that they were having a science fair. Also, it is mentioned that Seven has successfully helped them to adapt to life on Voyager and make the transition to individuals. This also implies a greater span of time. We just didn't see any of it happen.
All of that being said, it would have been nice to have at least one line mentioning a time-frame.
Mon, Aug 12, 2013, 8:31pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Aug 16, 2013, 9:55am (UTC -5)
now, i must say, voyager has continually used 1 season = 1 year. however, this doesnt mean that the episodes have to be fixed positions in the year. it is not like there are 52 episodes.
in any case, i enjoyed this episode.
funny thing, clearly, Jammer is biased toward DS9 in his reviews, but his RATINGs...usually dont show that bias.
i agree, this is a 3 star episode.
Fri, Sep 6, 2013, 10:57am (UTC -5)
Thu, Dec 19, 2013, 2:27am (UTC -5)
On this run through of Voyager I'm not as enthusiastic as when I was a teenager. With TNG I was hooked on a run trough but with Voyager I'm bored but soldiering on.
Fri, Jan 10, 2014, 10:07am (UTC -5)
Wed, Jan 22, 2014, 8:51pm (UTC -5)
Also, the boy can't be the only one they sent after the Borg. Surely they'd try more than one. And when the Borg caught on to which of the cubes were being destroyed, they'd come and destroy the planet.
Mon, Mar 3, 2014, 4:30pm (UTC -5)
Then again, if it wasn’t for this twist, we probably wouldn’t have an episode. The first three acts are drawn out as it is. 2.5 stars at best.
Fri, May 23, 2014, 2:22am (UTC -5)
But this is really good. Naturally deep, not forced. Organically touching, not artificial, since it brings character developmental issues that tie very naturally to the situation they are in. Great piece of Trek.
I do not think the final twist was neither unfair to the viewer (it is a twist, you know), nor did send the wrong message. Seven was not being overprotective. She was certainly suffering and concerned with a lot of things, but she was not even exactly egoist, if you think she always "complied" to any request the parent, the kid or the captain made.
On the other hand, I think the final questioning raised by the episode, i.e. about how the kid felt about his role in life according to different angles, could have been much more well developed. This was the real deal being settled during the whole episode, but did not explode as powerful as it could have. Even though, that's certainly a 3 to 3.5 stars for me.
In a side note, I can't help but answer Jammer's concluding question: "Does defending a planet make it right to preprogram a life as a pathogen-carrying future Borg drone? The humane answer would be an obvious 'no,' but where does morality end and desperation to address a greater good take over?". The answer is simple: DS9. As well as our real Earth.
Mon, Nov 10, 2014, 7:10pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Jun 6, 2015, 8:00pm (UTC -5)
First of all: He wasn't really that effective, given that he only disabled a single cube. In Collective, we learn that one cube is roughly 5.000 Borg. What's a few thousand compared to the billions of the collective? That's like going to war arming your soldiers with bbguns.
Then there was also the fact that apparently waited until Icheb was in his early teens before deploying him as a weapon. Why risk it? What if you become so emotionally attached to him during that period that you find yourself unable to go through with it, as you would expect of any decent parent? The situation is dire for the Brunali, but the love parents can have for their children can often be overwhelming and, as Tuvok would say, impair their logic.
Most of the episode worked, until they implemented that twist. I wouldn't go so far as to say it ruined the episode, because they do tie it in reasonably sensible, but it still feels out of place. It's too sudden and jarring. It feels like they should have been 2 seperate episodes.
Thu, Feb 18, 2016, 9:07am (UTC -5)
Thu, Feb 18, 2016, 6:30pm (UTC -5)
Ofcourse there are women who do such things and worse
Magda Goebbels for example who fatally poisoned her 6 children.
I found Child's play to be one of the best episodes of Star Trek.
Sat, Mar 5, 2016, 9:33pm (UTC -5)
Imagine if Seven died in this episode. Could've been very powerful.
Tue, Mar 8, 2016, 9:06am (UTC -5)
Wed, Mar 9, 2016, 10:46am (UTC -5)
"The 'twist' is problematic, not because it’s unfair to the viewer, but because it sends the wrong message. Instead of Seven getting a lesson on being overprotective, she is vindicated because it turns out her unfounded suspicions were correct (how convenient!) The way it’s presented also doesn’t make much plot sense. The Brunali may have initially thought their pathogen would affect the entire collective instead of a single ship. But why send him out a second time? Why not keep him with them until the Borg find reason to attack them again? Using up their weapon at a time when their planet would otherwise not be in danger is short-sighted and implausible (but I guess we needed that action quotient!)"
It's seems that either they can make more Ichebs, so they are firing them at will, and Voyager part doesn't matter. Or, Icheb is rare resource and the Brunali are wasting him by luring out mere inoffensive spheres when they could focusing on attacking cubes or something.
Another thing is, were they really expecting to get Icheb back a second time? Didn't he fulfill his mission? The writers didn't really bother to explain any of the Brunali's strategy to us, so it feels like the stakes are artificially raised.
I think they're trying to get us to debate war ideals and how to treat children, but the story is too distracting to really get to this argument.
2 stars.
Sun, Mar 13, 2016, 3:13pm (UTC -5)
And it's interesting that after the rather uneasy use of the Borg children in the previous episode, we actually get a sensible and clever use here. You see, it can be done... 3.5 stars.
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 8:12pm (UTC -5)
Regardless of how you feel about the ultimate morality of what these people did, I think it's safe to say they would never have considered such a barbaric act if they weren't feeling the intolerable pressure of the Borg. Everyone we meet seems nice, their people interact with each other peacefully, and their interests lie in agriculture rather than murder. These aren't the Kazon or Nausicaans. But when your back is against the wall and the Borg apocalypse, perhaps child suicide bombers becomes an option. And even as we condemn them for crossing that moral line, one can wonder what we would do in such an intolerable situation.
On the flip side, I do have to question their strategy. If this virus is harmless to them, why don't they genetically engineer EVERYONE to have it? Not to turn everyone into a suicide bomber of course, but to use as an insurance policy or an act of revenge against the Borg. It appears that at least a remnant of these people survive whenever the Borg attack. If so, and if the entire invading force ends up being killed by this virus (and maybe even more cubes if the virus is delayed in being released), then maybe next time the Borg will think twice before invading. Birds don't eat the brightly colored poison frogs, after all. Even if it wouldn't save the civilization from the initial attack, it might save them in the long run. Surely that's a better strategy than making a few kids and then sending them off as missiles? Besides being more ethical, of course.
But I will forgive the writers for not exploring that part. Only so much time in an episode after all.
Speaking of which, I have to admit it was odd that the episode was so finely divided between the "Icheb returns home" and "suicide bomber" storylines. Other than Seven's general overprotectiveness and the one story the father gave about Icheb's assimilation, there was no overlap between the two. Normally, with Trek, we'd get the parents having a cryptic and menacing conversation in private right before a commercial break (with generic ominous music in the background, of course) in the first half to set it up. I'm not sure if I'd like this approach all the time, but it's at least a different approach. Why not mix things up a bit?
I also like that it was the father who was wavering in his decision, while the mother was firm in sending Icheb back. Usually it's the other way around. Again, it's a minor thing to make the episode feel a bit different.
And the scenery on the planet! Very well done. The burned out hulk of their older cities, the fact that the agrarian society is living in a desert, and the water gushing out of the pipe is a disgusting brown, all point to the desperate situation these people live in and the extreme measures they need to take in order to survive. It's subtle, but helps to define the reason why Icheb's parents would perform such extreme acts.
Meanwhile, we had an interesting parallel, even if it wasn't explicitly stated. Seven's protectiveness towards Icheb is eventually revealed to be due to her anger at her own parents, who risked her life for their own self-interests. One can perhaps forgive them for this, as they were acting out of ignorance and weren't trying to get Annika killed. Meanwhile, Icheb was deliberately put in harm's way by his parents. And yet, at the end of the episode, Icheb clearly forgives his parents and feels guilty for not fulfilling his mission. Like I said, the episode never explicitly states this parallel, but bringing them both up gives some insights into both of their characters. Well done.
So on the whole, this episode works due to these minor points. Unfortunately, most of the plot points are fairly generic (Icheb rejecting his family at first but slowly coming to accept them; the trite action scene with the Borg at the end), but I can forgive that. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of having the Borg Brats on the ship to begin with, but I will admit that they did something good with them here.
Wed, Mar 30, 2016, 6:31pm (UTC -5)
Though I got a chuckle out of the Doctor's "Do you think Naomi thinks her mother is irrelevant?" whether the irony was intention or not, with Seven and Neelix having completely taken over her motherly duties during her palpably long absence from the screen.
Fri, Apr 15, 2016, 5:57pm (UTC -5)
I don't appreciate your derogatory comment.
I'm a fan of Janeway, you're a fan of Seven so we're not going to agree on anything.
Thu, May 12, 2016, 3:24pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jun 14, 2016, 1:03pm (UTC -5)
She say this many times.... you're in the Delta Quadrant, are you always running those things?
Trek is great when it makes you think.
Jammer:
"The questions here, I think, look at this boy's odd place in life. Was Icheb's purpose preordained, and was being rescued by Voyager providing him a second chance to live a real life? If his original purpose in life was to destroy Borg, was he led astray by a combination of fate and Voyager's actions? Or was he freed from an enslaved existence supplied to him by his parents? Does defending a planet make it right to preprogram a life as a pathogen-carrying future Borg drone? The humane answer would be an obvious "no," but where does morality end and desperation to address a greater good take over?"
A lot to ponder over, eh? I would say if Earth was in the same state as this world, this option just might come into play.
"Xylar
Sat, Jun 6, 2015, 8:00pm (UTC -5)
The parents having bred Icheb as a living weapon to destroy the Borg seems a little farfetched, if you ask me."
=======================================================
Not at all. It doesn't mean it's going to work, but it is a last ditch effort for survival for this alien species.
Also, Beverly was convinced that infecting Hugh would cripple the Borg. Seems the idea isn't that uncommon.
Chrome,
"Another thing is, were they really expecting to get Icheb back a second time? Didn't he fulfill his mission? The writers didn't really bother to explain any of the Brunali's strategy to us, so it feels like the stakes are artificially raised."
I don't agree. I think the mother made this decision once and didn't want to have to make it again. If not Icheb, then whom else would she have to bio-engineer? She'd already crossed that bridge and didn't want to cross it again. I thought that was conveyed well here. Her action here was a selfish one I think.
I enjoy Seven's overprotectiveness with regard to Icheb. She sees promise in him and want to help him achieve it and, because Icheb was once assimilated she doesn't trust his parents to protect him.
"SEVEN: It would be naive for me to claim objectivity in this case. But I'm not prepared to return Icheb to parents who may be as careless as my own."
Great Janeway/Seven discussion here.
The reaction that I found kind of surprising was Icheb's. He didn't give a rats ass about going home at first.
I thought the "twist" at the end was powerful and gut wrenching... wow.
Personally I'm glad Icheb remains on Voyager. I really enjoy the Seven/Icheb exchanges/relationship.
This is a GREAT trek episode! Which side is right? I believe Picard might have sided with Seven here. Icheb was not a drone anymore. All it took was Hugh to say "I".
Great trek episode make one think, this one certainly does.
4 star episode in my book.
Tue, Jun 14, 2016, 1:22pm (UTC -5)
"I think the mother made this decision once and didn't want to have to make it again. If not Icheb, then whom else would she have to bio-engineer? She'd already crossed that bridge and didn't want to cross it again. I thought that was conveyed well here. Her action here was a selfish one I think."
Except that she *did* make the same decision twice. And there was no pressure to use it the second time. She should've A) kept Icheb for when the planet really needed him as a weapon again, or B) let Icheb go because they successfully destroyed the sphere that was attacking the planet.
But maybe she's crossed her moral event horizon and just wishes genocide on the Borg. In that case, *that* could've been explored better. It was handled much better with the scientist in TNG's "Silicon Avatar", at least.
Tue, Jun 14, 2016, 1:57pm (UTC -5)
If Voyager discovered the dark secret but the parents genuinely were thrilled to get a second chance with him as a person (not a weapon).
An ending face off between Seven and his mother would have been more interesting if they weren't planning to re-use him.
Tue, Jun 14, 2016, 10:15pm (UTC -5)
I agree, the Brunali could've shown some dissenting opinions on what do with Icheb. If the parents were being pressured by their peers instead it would've given this episode some interesting depth (DS9 would've done this).
Fri, Sep 9, 2016, 11:27am (UTC -5)
Good episode (***)
Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:29am (UTC -5)
A couple of things:
1. How the hell did they find this kids parents? Was his picture on a milk carton?
2. All of a sudden we can transport into a tractor beam...maybe it's because it was seven (not harry) operating the transporter.
To anyone who has difficulty believing the parent's actions: there are plenty of parents here on earth willing to strap a bomb onto their kids and send them off to meet the enemy.
Sun, Nov 27, 2016, 9:44am (UTC -5)
Fri, Jan 13, 2017, 7:50pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jan 26, 2017, 10:33am (UTC -5)
My only real question - is how come we never see Samantha Wildman. It was a little wierd seeing Neelix with Naomi at the science fair. Neelix is another character I can't stand.
Thu, Jan 26, 2017, 11:39am (UTC -5)
Sat, Feb 4, 2017, 5:31pm (UTC -5)
Jeri performed great performance here, potraying subtle emotions when it needs without going over the top and still maintain the borg-ness feel, but we feel it's there.
The 'lash-out' dialogue with Janeway also have strong ground, because it's reasonable for her character relate to Icheb, by connection of both their parents. Both is reckless and endagaring their child, so she feel responsible and a bit overprotective. It was a great scene.
Using Voyager as metaphore, that despite all the techonlogy and opportunity to explore galaxy, still the thing the crew most wanted is go home. That sentiment is beautifully conveyed to Icheb to try convince him that he is at his home with Brunali.
Still, there are some plot hole and weird things :
* Why the virus in Icheb body goes undetected for months? Doc should know this, it makes little sense to go that long unnoticed. Heck, even the transporter should detect that pathogen.
* If the virus kill all the adult drone on the cube. It should kill Seven, they are sharing the same link on the cargo bay, and seven still cybernatic-human hybrid.
* Seven didn't cross-check all the fact regarding Icheb, and needs to be reminded by Mizani before realize the deception? Seven on overprotected mode to Icheb, it's a bit out of character for her to overlook that fact and not knowing it in the firstplace. If it was Kim i would understand.
BORG-DEFANGING :
* So now Borg being reduced as common thief stealing peasant technology, what they really interested for by keep coming back to Brenali? Fertilizer and Irrigation technology? But missed the valuable thing like genetic engineering stuff? Dont make sense!
* What happen to assimilating it as wholesale and turn it into one of the colony. I get it maybe there are some escapee, but let them settled again and again on the same planet for the second, third time and so on? Borg have a second and moral problem now?
* Whatever happened to the Borg assimilating whole species, or their concern about members of assimilated species who've escaped, expressed, for instance by Hugh in TNG's "I, Borg"
* I buy the pathogen can destroy the cube. But what's good of that in the long term, if it's only effective for one cube? Surely after 2-3 attack by that pathogen, the Borg will adapt and the pathogen rendered useless. That's what Borg all about afterall. That what makes them so terrifying, by being adapt to whatever we throw and uncompromised. Are we saying Borg fall to the same trick over and over? Is this really a Borg we talking about?
Amusing moments :
* Seven cant-get-a-lock too.. eh
* Doc being cruel : "Do you think Naomi's Mother is irrelevant to her"
Likely Doc, we rarely seen her taking care of her children afterall... ahhah..
3 (***) star
Sat, Sep 30, 2017, 11:52pm (UTC -5)
@Nathan
Sat, Nov 12, 2011, 2:41am (UTC -5)
"Ahhh, so this is the episode where "transwarp conduit" goes from being something created by the ship to a piece of fixed infrastructure. Love that Voyager continuity."
Not sure why people keep saying this. TNG introduced the Transwarp conduit as a fixed corridor through which even a non-transwarp ship like Enterprise could travel in TNG: "Descent." This first aired in 1993 long before Voyager even premiered in 1995. The borg ship with the rogue Borgs led by Lore go through the conduit and Geordie studies the aperture and figures out how to open it up. This is the first I recall hearing about a Transwarp Conduit or Corridor.
Thu, Oct 5, 2017, 11:36pm (UTC -5)
Is it that the writers purposefully put Janeway on the wrong side of each argument the two have or is it that Jeri Ryan is that convincing in her acting performance? I can't tell anymore, since this happens to me so often.
Either way, Seven pushes all the right buttons in that one-on-one with Janeway.
I also loved how Seven showed restraint when she talked to Icheb's dad when she was giving him the one-night regeneration unit, especially when he was telling her that it must have been for her parents to "watch her get assimilated."
One of the best Voyager episodes for me, 4 stars in my book.
Wed, Nov 1, 2017, 5:39pm (UTC -5)
Again 7 is the star of the episode. She has nailed the bit about dealing with and showing emotions as a being transformed into one that is supposed to be unemotional. Here, her motherly instincts (maybe a bit like in "Drone") come to the fore. She has great facial expressions.
Janeway plays the role well of the senior matriarch. Icheb comes across as pretty stiff, for me. As a teenage boy, all he wants to do is astrometrics -- how about other interests? But I guess being assimilated ruins all "normal personality traits".
What's key to the story is how the Brunali have "learned" to deal with the Borg, although it hasn't always been successful. Interesting ethical dilemma with Icheb being a carrier of the pathogen designed to destroy the Borg but him wondering if he let his parents down once rescued by Voyager. His parents had everybody fooled about what they needed Icheb for -- the episode deserves credit for that.
It was a bit jarring to have the action sequence at the end with the Borg and the sphere exploding -- but it was well done and good thinking to transport a photon torpedo to Icheb's ship. Hard to go wrong with a Borg action sequence.
2.5 stars for "Child's Play" -- slow to get going although it established the setup for a sting in the tail ending. Some good character moments for Janeway and 7, in particular. Maybe I should feel or care more for Icheb's plight...
Fri, Aug 3, 2018, 1:40pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Aug 14, 2018, 1:08am (UTC -5)
This thought occurs to me as well anytime Voyager encounters the Borg. A few hundred or thousand people (however many are on the starship) are certainly not big enough to be considered an entire civilization. They shouldn't be scared of the Borg at all.
Tue, Aug 14, 2018, 6:35am (UTC -5)
In the very first episode the Borg appeared, they attacked the Enterprise, which was one ship.
Tue, Aug 14, 2018, 11:25am (UTC -5)
You are right, of course, but that's what I mean, what they say the Borg are interested in and what they show the Borg are interested in seems inconsistent.
In "I, Borg" Hugh says "The Borg assimilates civilizations, not individuals."
How many individuals have to be around for them to start calling it a "civilization" ? I guess a starship constitutes a civilization in the eyes of the writers.
Still, my point is that they should not have been interested in a single boy.
Tue, Aug 14, 2018, 1:29pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Sep 7, 2018, 8:38pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 2:36pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Oct 30, 2018, 9:19pm (UTC -5)
But beyond that, a good ep. I find the Borg kids interesting, and I thought the premise (that the boy was deliberately sent to the Borg) was surprising and creative.
I liked the way Seven admitted to her feelings and lack of objectivity. The scenes with Janeway were good.
I liked it.
Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 8:44pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jun 14, 2016, 1:22pm (UTC -5)
"@Yanks
"I think the mother made this decision once and didn't want to have to make it again. If not Icheb, then whom else would she have to bio-engineer? She'd already crossed that bridge and didn't want to cross it again. I thought that was conveyed well here. Her action here was a selfish one I think."
Except that she *did* make the same decision twice. And there was no pressure to use it the second time. She should've A) kept Icheb for when the planet really needed him as a weapon again, or B) let Icheb go because they successfully destroyed the sphere that was attacking the planet.
But maybe she's crossed her moral event horizon and just wishes genocide on the Borg. In that case, *that* could've been explored better. It was handled much better with the scientist in TNG's "Silicon Avatar", at least.
==========================================================
Sorry Chrome. I somehow missed this.
What I meant by her not having to make the same decision again was that she didn't need to choose another or have another/different child to send out as a weapon.
I'm also not sure about Silicon Avatar, I think this is much more powerful. I didn't see this ending coming; I saw the scientist's actions coming a mile away.
Thu, Nov 1, 2018, 9:57am (UTC -5)
I haven’t seen this in awhile, but I think I addressed that under a).
Sun, Dec 9, 2018, 5:01am (UTC -5)
Tue, Nov 12, 2019, 5:53am (UTC -5)
As is the case with most of the episodes in the second half of season 6, they won't be included on my VOY re-watch list.
Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 4:15pm (UTC -5)
"The needs of the many outway the needs of the few, or in this case, the one"
However in that case it was his decision, in this case it was not. Inconsistencies with the borg not withstanding, any civilisation facing potential annihilation will use ANY means necessary to prolong that civilisation.
Mon, Mar 9, 2020, 3:05pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jun 5, 2020, 9:02pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Jun 24, 2020, 6:03pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Aug 28, 2020, 8:55am (UTC -5)
On my current rewatch I have been really enjoying Icheb so far, he's a better written (and acted) character than I remember. I find him thoughtful, interesting, full of potential, and a great mentee for Seven. To know that this character has been so utterly and pathetically disposed of by the Picard writers for shock value and faux-continuity only further cements the position that current-gen Trek is a waste.
Wed, Sep 2, 2020, 11:26am (UTC -5)
Regarding this episode, I would say that the first two thirds was 3.5-4 stars for me and I honestly think it would've been more effective if it faded to black right after Icheb transported off the ship as Seven watched forlornly. THAT would've been a far better way of saying goodbye to his character in my opinion. There are clear parallels here to refugee and adoptee issues - there is more conflict that could've been mined from real-life situations and explored to fill the other third of the episode, still keeping it at 3.5 or 4 stars. Perhaps this episode should've come towards the end of season 7 if the VOY writers wanted to do more with Icheb's character first. I could even imagine a way for it to be written that Icheb eventually decides to remain on Voyager but continues to feel slightly conflicted, planting a seed for later episodes focusing on identity issues facing the borg rescues.
The final third with the borg time bomb revelation felt like unnecessary escalation and a jarring change of tone for me. Unlike others, I would've preferred it to be left out. The first 30 minutes was a poignant character study and didn't need an action movie plot twist at the end, in my opinion of course.
Wed, Sep 2, 2020, 12:00pm (UTC -5)
One of the reasons I'll never view Picard as canon.
Itchy did not end his life like that. No. F***-ing. Way.
And this Voyager episode makes it even worse: Our heros snatched the kid from certain death in the last moment, just for *that* to happen? Screw Picard indeed.
(cue in all the guys who'll come to lecture that we gotta accept "reality" and it's not our decision... when we're talking about a fictional TV show)
Tue, Dec 15, 2020, 9:06pm (UTC -5)
@Lavenderchartreuse
"Why would the Borg be at all interested in a single individual on a lone ship? I thought they only bothered assimilating whole civilizations."
Well, according to one of the few Borg who has spoken, that's exactly right!
Hugh: "The Borg assimilate civilizations, not individuals."
Unfortunately, the writers don't give a damn and are happy to overturn any established position if it serves the needs of that week's paycheck.
Mon, Dec 28, 2020, 4:59pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Dec 28, 2020, 5:21pm (UTC -5)
The hilarious part is that Jeri Ryan has since said that when she came on set she was saying it wrong and no one told her, so she just kept doing it without realizing. Then I suppose it became a thing, like some kind of unintentional and uninteresting meme. Never mind that she watched previous Borg episodes to prep for her role and she literally couldn't just repeat a three word phrase...
Mon, Dec 28, 2020, 6:46pm (UTC -5)
Maybe I'm imagining that?! Hmmm.
Mon, Dec 28, 2020, 11:58pm (UTC -5)
Resistance is few-tul doesn't have the same ring to it.
Unless my memory is deceiving me I remember I was taken aback hearing Picard pronounce vase in an American way. Must've been told to do it as Stewart wouldn't have naturally used that pronunciation.
Thu, Feb 4, 2021, 12:52pm (UTC -5)
Bizarre...my episode only last 40 minutes
Sun, Oct 3, 2021, 8:54pm (UTC -5)
I particularly liked the multiple, or layered endings, and the musical trickery of the closing themes. It isn't over till it's over!
Great sequence with the Borg vessel, and many Janeway/Seven scenes were good.
Continuity does exist within the Voyager universe after all. 4 stars.
Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 8:47am (UTC -5)
If Ichebs parents could alter his DNA to produce the Borg pathogen, why can't they do that with EVERYONE? Then that would make the Borg unable to assimilate the Brunali, essentially the pathogen would act as a Borg vaccine.
And before anyone says maybe they could only do it with newborns, that works as well, just slower. Tje entire Brunali population would be Borg resistant in 4 generations.
Wed, Feb 23, 2022, 12:14am (UTC -5)
The writers missed an opportunity to focus on this. The story probably should have been a 2-parter.
But then Voyager seems to be in the business of missed opportunities.
Thu, Jun 30, 2022, 5:25pm (UTC -5)
So it does feel more like a plot switcheroo than a plot twist. Both plots were interesting though.
Maybe I'll rewatch, but I don't think there's the slightest hint among the villagers upon Icheb's return of how they are using him.
I thought maybe this could be deliberate in order to show how callous and jaded the planet is from frequent Borg attacks, but that goes out the window when Icheb's father whinges to his wife about whether they should go through with it.
Nevertheless, popping the plot clutch aside, it's still really good.
Thu, Nov 3, 2022, 9:47pm (UTC -5)
First of all, why would the parents hatch their plan to draw in the Borg again *right* after Voyager left? If they waited even one or two days, Voyager would've had no idea and the parents would've succeeded with their deception.
Secondly, what kind of defense against the Borg is this anyway? We know from Scorpion I & II that the Borg can swarm an entire star system with dozens or even hundreds of ships if they wanted to. Yet the Brunali are only able to disable a single cube, as seen in "Collective". There is no explanation for how this keeps their home world safe. Their pathogen doesn't infect the entire collective or even several vessels at once so what's the point?
Furthermore, we know the Borg are not a fan of allowing survivors. Why are *any* Brunali still left on their planet to keep resisting the Borg? The Borg could easily assimilate anybody who's left, given the proximity to the transwarp conduit.
Third, and most important, is that the Borg weren't even attacking Brunali when they sacrificed Icheb a second time. There was literally nothing happening and they summoned the Borg. Why? And why is Icheb the only individual engineered to be a bioweapon? Why are there not others who could take his place? They sacrificed him as a child, so why do so again when he returned to them as an adult with amazing intellectual abilities that could help rebuild their society? Not to mention knowledge of the Borg that could enhance their defenses? And why sacrifice him at all when the Borg aren't even attacking Brunali? It just doesn't make sense. The existence of the nearby transwarp conduit means that any number of Borg vessels transit their space on a regular basis. Why draw their attention when you don't have to?
I give this episode 2/4 stars, mostly for the performance between Seven and Icheb. It was nice to see another dimension to Seven's character and how it related to her own background as an assimilated child. Besides that, this episode makes no sense whatsoever. Even Seven's points about Icheb's safety are salient. Why does Icheb automatically have to go to his parents if he is at an age where he is fairly autonomous? He spent months in a maturation chamber, having his brain reprogrammed and filled with implants. He's practically not even the same person anymore.
The explanations in this episode fall short, too short to suspend disbelief and just fully enjoy it. I require more logic to my sci-fi than this.
Sun, Mar 5, 2023, 10:18pm (UTC -5)
Thu, May 4, 2023, 1:23am (UTC -5)
All sarcasm aside, this was a surprisingly good outing. With a name like “child’s play” I was expecting some kid heavy schlock, but this episode turns out to be pretty interesting. I also don’t really see much to complain about in terms of the internal plot logic, it all holds up to scrutiny pretty well, and I’m a bit of a stickler for that kind of stuff. I understand where most of the above commenters are coming from, voyager has inflicted so much plot hole abuse on its audience that I think it gets a harsher treatment than most other trek. But in this episode’s case, I don’t think it’s warranted.
It’s pretty straightforward:
This civilization is desperate. They concocted a sneaky way to take shots at the Borg. Their first try disabled one Borg cube but that cube was abandoned by the collective and as a result their pathogen didn’t spread. Bad luck. So now they’re trying again. Makes sense to me.
This episode begs the question of just how many planets have been attacked by the Borg but not fully assimilated. Is this situation unique, or is it fairly common? Are there hundreds, or even thousands of downtrodden civilizations, intentionally maintaining a primitive level of technology, scattered throughout the delta quadrant? Is an unexpected side effect of the Borg a multitude of ecologically thriving worlds left in the wake of mass assimilation? Are the Borg, in an ultimate turn of irony, the most successful environmentalists in the galaxy? Just a thought. It’s also possible that this particular planet sucks and the borg just can’t be bothered to finish the job.
Lastly, I’m not sure how I feel about janeway’s decision to once again aid the Borg by stepping into a situation where she wasn’t invited. First she helps the Borg massacre species 8472, then she interferes with the whole viniculum thing, and now she basically kidnaps a teen-turned-bio weapon just before he can be unleashed on an unsuspecting sphere. I would imagine that delta quadrant citizens everywhere would be extremely resentful of team voyager imposing their morality wherever they go.
Thu, May 4, 2023, 2:52am (UTC -5)
'Are there hundreds, or even thousands of downtrodden civilizations, intentionally maintaining a primitive level of technology, scattered throughout the delta quadrant?'
This is a fascinating point and it may go some way to explaining why the Delta Quadrant was depicted as having either extremely technologically advanced species or (by Trek standards) rather technologically primitive species, with little in-between.
That contrasts with the Gamma Quadrant, which is generally the most technologically advanced quadrant in the galaxy where most of the species we see are very advanced, and the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, which have a medium level of advancement (many of Trek species are located at the very border of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, so it makes in-universe sense that the parts of those two quadrants that we regularly see would have roughly the same level of technology).
Thu, May 4, 2023, 11:59pm (UTC -5)
It’d be pretty refreshing and surprising to find out that the voyager writers had put that kind of thought into the delta quadrant. It could also go a ways towards explaining why so many delta quadrant people are super unreasonable xénophobes; maybe dealing with both the Borg and a constant flow of Borg affected refugees has left the whole DQ just not in the mood.
Fri, May 5, 2023, 3:09am (UTC -5)
'It’d be pretty refreshing and surprising to find out that the voyager writers had put that kind of thought into the delta quadrant.'
Yes, I agree it's highly unlikely, alas.
Still, I thought it was an elegant explanation from our side.
Wed, Jun 14, 2023, 2:38pm (UTC -5)
Icheb's parents sending him to the Borg asap because it will be "easier for them" than getting emotionally close to him again doesn't align well with actually defending the planet. I suppose it's a convenient plot device though, to have Voyager return and catch them red handed. Otherwise, why give up your children if the Borg aren't even attacking you?
The Brunali should have:
1) Focused on closing the transwarp aperture near their planet.
2) Found a different planet to settle on. Hello???
Many species that were assimilated by the Borg had many planets in their society. Yet the Brunali are inexplicably attached to their ruined world despite their warp capability. I wish their attachment was better explained because it seems foolish. They are forced to be agrarian and live in virtual squalor when they could have a high tech society elsewhere.
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