Star Trek: Voyager
"Prophecy"
Air date: 2/7/2001
Teleplay by Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong
Story by Larry Nemecek & J. Kelley Burke and Raf Green & Kenneth Biller
Directed by Terry Windell
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"I was hoping our daughter would be special, but I never dreamed she'd turn out to be the Klingon messiah." — Paris
In brief: A mostly aimless story with the usual Klingon mumbo-jumbo.
"Prophecy" has the names of six writers on it, which might explain why it seems to go off in six directions in the course of an hour. What the heck is this really about? This has to be the first Klingon show in which a bat'leth battle between two combatants ends when one of the warriors collapses to the ground due to illness. This facilitates the story wildly heading off in another direction, but at least now I can say I've seen a Klingon fall ill while swinging a sword.
The story is a hodgepodge stew characterized by a lot of portentous prophecy dialog. We've got (1) Klingons in the Delta Quadrant; (2) Torres' unborn baby elevated to the level of messiah; (3) ancient prophecies open to the widest of interpretations; (4) Neelix and Tuvok as roommates; (5) Harry being granted the interspecies sex-acts license he didn't get in "The Disease," except that he doesn't want it this time; (6) ideological friction; (7) a deadly genetic disease and the search for its cure; (8) a bat'leth battle (not) to the death; (9) the search for a new homeworld; (10) a Voyager takeover scenario; and last but not least, (11) Neelix getting some action. Yes, that kind of action.
This looks like it was once three (or nine) stories before being grafted together into one. Even Klingon cultural expert Ronald D. Moore probably wouldn't have been able to make heads or tails of the story drafts.
If I had to pick an episode this best resembles in its overall attempt (emphasis on "attempt"), it would be DS9's far-superior "Destiny" from 1995. Interestingly, the casting directors managed to hire for their main Klingon guest star here a guy who sometimes sounds a lot like Avery Brooks, but I digress; I've fulfilled my DS9 comparison quota for the day.
The episode pays homage to the most implausible yet reliable Voyager cliché, which is that anything or anyone from the Alpha Quadrant, if allowed to wander long enough in the Delta Quadrant, will inevitably run into Voyager in the infinite vastness of space. In this case, a Klingon vessel that has been on a holy mission for generations opens fire on Voyager (because the Federation is the Klingon Empire's sworn enemy according to the timeline this ship's crew is living by).
After the initial phaser-firing, Janeway invites the Klingon captain, Kohlar (Wren T. Brown, the guy with the Avery Brooks voice), aboard Voyager, where Kohlar sees a pregnant B'Elanna Torres. He is immediately convinced she is the Kuva'Mach, a prophesied savior of his people. Subsequently, Kohlar self-destructs his own ship on a leap of faith in order to force Janeway to beam his crew aboard Voyager so they can follow the Kuva'Mach. Quite a leap of faith, that.
Or maybe not. It turns out Kohlar has his own doubts, but he doesn't care; his intention is to end this drawn-out holy mission and find a new homeworld for his crew. He believes B'Elanna — whether her child is the Kuva'Mach or not — can be the symbol that will lead his people into a new era.
There are, of course, skeptics among the Klingons. One is T'Greth (Sherman Howard), who is dismayed to learn the alleged mother of the Kuva'Mach is only half Klingon, and the father not at all. You'd think people like T'Greth would've grilled Kohlar a little harder on the facts before helping him blow up their own ship, but never mind.
"Prophecy" is first and foremost a dialog episode, but it doesn't carry the weight it needs to be a good story. Most of the prophesying and Klingon mumbo-jumbo is overly generic. There's no sense in the language that there's much of an actual prophecy here we're supposed to be listening to or figuring out. Kohlar wants B'Elanna to help him avoid dissent by playing along and using wide latitude to interpret the prophecies so they fit her life. But really, this was more interesting when it involved Sisko and the Bajoran Prophets on DS9, where it felt like it mattered.
We also have our fulfilled dose of male posturing and testosterone. Eventually T'Greth challenges Paris to a battle to the death (what else?) to prove he could be the father of the Kuva'Mach. Paris glares back menacingly to prove he's a real man. Haven't we been here and done this enough times? Janeway forbids a death match, so instead it's agreed that it will be a non-lethal knock-down contest. (I guess that's slightly new for a Klingon story.)
About this "non-lethal" battle with "blunted" bat'leths — I'm with Doc: Sharpened or not, if you're swinging thin, heavy sheets of metal full-speed trying to hit another person, you'd better be prepared to lose part of your face.
Like I mentioned, though, the fight is interrupted when T'Greth collapses because of a disease known to these Klingons as the Nehret, which affects mainly the elderly. They all carry it, and it's transmittable only to other Klingons, meaning B'Elanna and her baby now carry it. My question is, how many problems does this story really need?
Before it can finally find an ending that hints at some sort of storytelling purpose, "Prophecy" first turns into a free-for-all that betrays all signs of a show desperately seeking to appeal to a general action audience. I was growing restless by the time T'Greth decided the Klingons must seize Voyager for themselves. I guess the writers just ran out of ideas.
The reason for the violence is that T'Greth's faction needs a ship to continue this holy mission. There's some fun with transporters when T'Greth's followers beam Voyager crew members down to a planet to get them out of the way. Janeway: "Cut power to the transporter." Paris: "Can't." I'm not sure whether it's refreshing or lame that the writers don't even bother anymore with a technobabble reason to explain why transporter power can't be cut. It just ... can't. We then have a phaser-fight on the bridge, which I suppose is mandatory for any Extreme February on UPN.
All problems are all solved when Doc realizes that antibodies from B'Elanna's part-Klingon baby can neutralize the Nehret, which in turn convinces T'Greth that the baby is indeed the Kuva'Mach. None of this is particularly riveting (and it does resolve everything pretty easily), but the story does at least demonstrate the point that a sign does not have to be magical to be meaningful.
Before arriving at this point, the overall problem with "Prophecy" is that the narrative is a mess. The plot careens off in too many different directions. Is this an action episode, a philosophy show, a Neelix sex comedy, or what? There are too many pointless elements and they all seem disruptive. The gold of this story (as well as its title) is obviously in the prophecy. But it's hard to take it seriously because the dialog is flat and disconnected and the Klingon stuff is too derivative. And the ship-takeover ploy is simply gratuitous.
For a story to work, it must convince us that it knows what its point is. "Prophecy" spreads things out and tries to do a little of everything. In the process it ends up doing surprisingly little.
Next week: The interstellar Roach Motel.
Previous episode: Repentance
Next episode: The Void
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104 comments on this post
Tue, Jan 8, 2008, 8:57am (UTC -5)
Thu, Feb 7, 2008, 10:59pm (UTC -5)
"Lineage" was fine as it stood, folks. Why bother with this?
Mon, Mar 31, 2008, 10:36am (UTC -5)
Quite mediocre episode...Some bad ideas, some better ideas...
I liked the bridge-fight, though! I'm not the inferno-fan but this one was good choreographed! However - a bunch of 200 Klingons trying to conquer Voyager could have been much more interesting! As usual, we're shown only four or five!
Wed, May 7, 2008, 9:22pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Nov 21, 2008, 10:30pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jan 8, 2010, 12:31am (UTC -5)
Thu, Apr 22, 2010, 2:17pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jul 20, 2010, 9:12am (UTC -5)
Generally, the Klingons of Star Trek purport to be so dumb, violent, impulsive and primitive that it's a miracle they can operate a wheelbarrow without kicking it in a fit of rage! And they are warp-capable!?!
And as if THAT wasn't bad enough, now apparently they have "scrolls" with religious baloney of the type that most civilized humans stopped believing several centuries ago. Oy vey! Countless scenes squandered on Klingon religious crap. I wonder what the reaction would be if half an episode showed crewmembers doing Bible study and holding Xian prayer meetings! It would never happen because human/earthly religions do not exist in the 24th century... - apart, of course, from the New Agey drivel, what with scented candles, spirits, meditation and all that crock.
Anyway... Neelix: Annoying as hell. If I/d have been in Tuvok's shoes, I'd have been wiping off my fingerprints and rehearsing my alibi for the "fateful night in question."
Everything else in this episode that doesn't make sense, is inconsisten and illogical or just plain fatuous, I won't bother with. Liked the action sequences, which are the only redeeming feature of this show. Also liked the Klingon nymph :D
One star, barely.
Wed, Sep 29, 2010, 5:25pm (UTC -5)
1) Yes, it's ludicrous to expect Voyager to encounter these Klingons, but at least the writers acknowledged this fact in the dialogue.
2) Once again, Tuvok proves he displays more emotion than he probably thinks he does. He was clearly annoyed having Neelix as a roommate and justifiably upset upon seeing the conditions of his quarters once Neelix and his Klingon one night stand were finished.
3) I find it impossible to accept any Klingon female would find Harry or Neelix as desirable mates. Was she really so eager for some non-Klingon affection?
4) In a rare instance of VOY continuity the EMH approves interspecies mating. Too bad the writers chose to express continuity with a bad episode like "The Disease."
5) I would have thought B'Elanna would have mentioned the events of "Barge of the Dead" to Kohlar, or make the remembrance prayer to her mother. Oh well. Consider it a continuity dropped call.
6) McNeill really dropped the ball in his performance this time, IMHO. He read the lines, but I didn't believe the anger he was supposed to be showing. There was no anger in Paris's voice. Granted, the episode is difficult to take seriously but it doesn't help when the actors voice it through their performances as well.
7) In a totally un PC comment, Harry Kim, man up!
Tue, Mar 1, 2011, 11:00am (UTC -5)
I thought that the events of Barge of the Dead ended up establishing that B'Elanna's mother wasn't ACTUALLY dead at all.
Sat, Apr 9, 2011, 7:09am (UTC -5)
The episode is all over the place, certainly not quality stuff but has the odd interesting (or lame) thing worth commenting on.
"Can't" must be the most oft-used word on the starship Voyager. Can't get a lock, can't cut through the interference / radiation, can't cut power to whatever, can't go to warp, can't stop the shuttle bay doors opening, can't disable (blah) because I'm locked out, can't end the holodeck program...
Who created Voyager's systems?! They should be sacked and sent off to scrub plasma conduits. The ship is an absolute joke. Microsoft could've done a better job.
Harry gets the girl and... doesn't want her. Figures.
I could've sworn the Klingon captain was Avery Brooks. The likeness is uncanny.
Something that grated at one point was "there are women and children in there". The sexist view of women being weak and vulnerable is alive and well in the 24th century I guess, which is made all the more ironic by the fact that these are Klingon women. I'm sure they can take sitting in a cargo bay - I'd be more worried about the cargo. (Looking through the comments before submitting mine I see AJ Koravkrian made the same observation).
Paris with "stay out of it" - ah the old 'this is MY fight' macho stupidity. Puhleeze.
Tuvok looked positively angry at his trashed quarters. Obviously they're intending that one of these days he'll lose control of his emotions and snap.. this would be potentially damaging to his character so I hope when it's done, it's done well.
My comments are a mess, but then so is the episode. It's not terrible, it's kind of entertaining at times, but 2 stars seems about right.
Tue, May 10, 2011, 7:28am (UTC -5)
At this point, I'm hoping the final episode focuses on a buck-naked Tuvok chasing Neelix artound the lower decks with a chainsaw.
Back on topic, I liked this episode - I thought it was fun. But I think I'm possibly part of that demographic Jammer's always complaining that Voyager pandered to.
Tue, May 10, 2011, 5:45pm (UTC -5)
There is a final Neelix+Tuvok scene. That's all I'm saying about it. :)
Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:01pm (UTC -5)
If he'd been a few episodes earlier, he could have met up with Simon Tarses. Really, at this point, I'm watching the episodes partly just to see who they recycle. Voyager casts are like a Trek reunion!
Sun, Jun 3, 2012, 10:06pm (UTC -5)
Not the best Voyager episode, but not the worst either. It was nice to see Klingons again.
Thu, Oct 11, 2012, 1:24pm (UTC -5)
I'm not sure a bunch of 70 year old soldiers could put up much of a fight. Ironically, Japanese holdouts are a historical fact and as best we can tell, the last 2 were recovered from the Phillipines and Indonesia in 1974. Can't recall every detail but some official from Japan had to be flown out to their locations to convince them that the war was really over and to come on home.
Sun, May 26, 2013, 2:07pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Jun 30, 2013, 11:30pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Jul 20, 2013, 7:35pm (UTC -5)
As far as Neelix goes, he'd actually been toned down for quite a while and I found myself liking him for the most part. This return to obnoxious Neelix was not welcome at all. After all of the things he's been through with Tuvok, I was hoping to see a bit more mutual respect and understanding between them. Alas...I must keep reminding myself that this is Voyager and if the writers want to throw in some sophomoric humor, no pesky character development shall stand in the way.
This kind of thing really hurts the credibility of the rant I made in Lineage's comment section. All I can say to this is that my diatribe was intended to encompass all of Trek, not just Voyager. If I were to be honest, Voyager is the Trek show most aimed at those who enjoy action and contrivance over real substance, which explains why it is lamented as falling woefully short of what it could have been by long-standing Trek fans. Still, enough of the spirit of what Star Trek was meant to be is intermittently present in Voyager for my rant to remain applicable.
Last thought, I really liked Kohlar. He was less of a cartoon-version of a Klingon and more of what the Klingons are supposed to be: honorable, dedicated, traditional, cunning but fairly even-minded despite his warrior's spirit, and concerned with what's best for his people. Reminded me of what I loved about DS9's Martok.
Mon, Jul 22, 2013, 7:40am (UTC -5)
Thu, Aug 1, 2013, 3:04am (UTC -5)
Tue, Aug 27, 2013, 2:17pm (UTC -5)
i too thought, man he sounds like avery brooks.
i did like his klingon character.
i dont know if you guys noticed, but neelix in the last couple seasons stopped being "comedy relief" and became more of a "wise counselor." this is what has made him more tolerable.
the paris vs klingon fight wasnt really believable. at least it mostly had paris avoiding contact.
not a boring episode, but not great.
1.5 to 2 stars.
Sun, Sep 15, 2013, 12:50am (UTC -5)
The same can be said about Harry Kim in his own awkward situation. Intended to be humor with strange results.
The only thing I was hoping would happen in this episode involved B'Elanna finally embracing her Klingon side. Instead, she was nearly disgusted by the whole affair. I wish she didn't have the forehead as much as she wishes it. Her character does nothing to advance our appreciation of Klingon culture in Trek. Why did they bother?
Tue, Oct 15, 2013, 5:44pm (UTC -5)
What I enjoyed about this episode was it had a TOS feel to it with the way it was plotted and the old school charm of casually tossing in things like a fight to the death or a deadly virus almost at whim. All that was needed was some outrageous background music! There isn't any meaning behind this, but it is very entertaining and a pleasure to watch unfold with a big grin.
I found the Neelix comedy quite funny, even though I can't believe he'd go as far as trash Tuvoks' room in a night of passion (at least take it to the holodeck!) and going off Kes it's hard to imagine he'd be into fierce Klingon women. But there was good characterisations all round, I especially liked the added focus to Tom and Torress and I also liked seeing Janeway desperately trying to manage all this madness!
Yet another season 7 episode I'd rate at 3 or 3 and a half stars!
Tue, Feb 4, 2014, 8:29pm (UTC -5)
As for the rest of it, the plot depended on a seemingly endless series of convenient occurrences, but who cares, we got to see a bunch of Klingons! Lets face it, you either like Klingons or you don't. Frankly, I'd rather re-watch this episode a dozen times than endure five minutes of 'Lineage'. Bleh.
3 out of 5
Tue, Feb 18, 2014, 2:16pm (UTC -5)
I could have happily done with some machosim on Paris' part, shoving the Klingons a little bit when they were trying to get his goat instead of just standing there and saying some truly pathetic lines. The combat scene wasn't too bad, and I thought B'Elanna's line was cute: "Today would be a very BAD day to die."
At any rate, this wasn't my favorite episode, but I did enjoy it. I'm one of those who likes the Klingons, with their honor and tradition. Seems like we should get one episode with them in the Voyager series, no matter how convoluted it has to be for them to show up :-)
Thu, Jun 26, 2014, 2:26am (UTC -5)
Worst than that, here we have yet another example of moral misbehavior in Voyager. After all, now the crew and, of course, the always misguided captain, agree to "stretch the truth"! Meaning, of course, to lie. To deceive other bluntly. And not being enough, they even establish that it is a bit different from lying.
Amazing. Now Voyager is increasing the frequency and severity of the moral missteps made by the crew. Maybe the show could had even got an award at this point: the right to be labeled with the twisted DS9-style "shades-of-grey" stamp...
Anyway, a very meh episode. With another offensive and out-of-franchise (im)moral step by the captain. And this time, also the crew.
PS: talking about DS9, Jammer's acid definition "usual Klingon mumbo-jumbo" is very right on the spot - although sure I regret that he wasn't that sensitive to DS9's Bajoran mumbo-jumbo.
PS2: I am another one who, at first, also thought the guy was played by Brooks.
PS3: Neelix finds a new mate in the show before Harry. Now, that is wicked!
Thu, Jun 26, 2014, 6:58am (UTC -5)
A skipper for me. I'm not interested in another Klingon mumbo-stupid episode.
1 star because Jammer's review made me remember too much about this one.
Tue, Sep 2, 2014, 4:01pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Sep 30, 2014, 9:31am (UTC -5)
Except maybe, one more comment: before I started reading the comments I was looking for the name of the actor who played the leader of the Special K's. What do I know him from? Which series did he play in for me to recognise his voice. I was suprised to find a completely unfamiliar name and no series or movie to link him to. And then came the answer in Jammer's review. Funny how many people thought the same thing.
Wed, Nov 12, 2014, 12:56pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jan 16, 2015, 3:47pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jan 16, 2015, 7:43pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Jan 21, 2015, 7:23am (UTC -5)
Wed, Jan 21, 2015, 7:18pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Jun 28, 2015, 8:02pm (UTC -5)
I don't really care about Klingon religions and all that, but I do have to admit that if they stuck to their guns and continued their mission faithfully for 4 generations, that that is some serious devotion to your faith. Especially considering the fact that it was not originally their idea to start the journey. The fact that even the great-grandchildren of the ones who originally began the mission are still devoted to it, is a testimony to the faith of the Klingons. Too bad they didn't adress that, at all.
The Neelix subplot was meh. Harry shoves a Klingon female once and suddenly he's got a 'fiery spirit that makes him a worthy mate'. Neelix shoves Harry one time and says one harsh thing and suddenly he's an even worthier mate. This particular Klingon sure is easily impressed...And yeah, more forced Tuvok/Neelix comedy routine, which never works, including this time.
Can we move on to something Delta Quadrant related now? Like the Borg or a native alien species or some unique space phenomenon or something?
Tue, Oct 6, 2015, 5:39pm (UTC -5)
And the usual utter incompetence from Janeway. "Phaser fire in transporter room one". Janeway stares into space for a bit, calls Chuckles (?), nods at Tuvock, then stares some more. How about, ooh I don't know, isolating the transporters?
I did laugh at the Nelix scene though, with his post coital flush.
Fri, Oct 23, 2015, 10:49am (UTC -5)
Meanwhile humanity can't even save itself. I know that this is set in a future fantasy and that humans were to have attained some kind of enlightenment from the society we currently find ourselves in. But it seems even in the future humans are far too prone to the same self serving, destructive behavior they exhibit now. It makes stories like these even more preposterous. I really detest the way the writers trivialize all the other races whilst painting the human race in the best light possible. Watching this and Enterpise all we've seen is the human race being the most immature, childlike (unlike the emotional balance of a Vulcan) and warmonger-like (Even more prone to violence to employ their will than the Klingons. At least Klingons value honor). And so far they've proven themselves far more dangerous than a Romulan. At times you would think they aspire to be the Borg. They certainly glamorized them enough in the series. They sure weren't the intimidating prescence they were in Next Gen.
Sometimes I wish Q would appear and put humanity on trial again. So many moments between Voyager and Enterprise that would have resulted in summary judgement against them. Enterprise was rudimentary in terms of deep space exploration but the enlightened values were supposed to already have been there. Watch the series and you may be hard pressed to find them.
The writers continue to show B'Elanna's contempt at her Klingon DNA. When in fact it's her human half clearly causing all this internal conflict. Think back to Season 1's "Faces" and you will see my point. The inconsistency in the writing alone is another testament to the indecisiveness humanity has. And yet she's supposed to love her human half more. It was her human parent that abandoned her. Her Klingon parent, however remained with her thru thick and thin. And yet she still feels the human half serves her better. How?
Worf was full Klingon and yet there were no inner conflicts with that. He knew who he was, made no apologies for it and still had an upstanding career in Starfleet. He became Chief of Security on the flagship after Tasha Yar's death. And his honor stayed intact. For both Starfleet and the Klingon Empire.
In any event this episode I would have docked a star on. It also gets old seeing Tim Russ being the foil of Neelix's obnoxious ways. Watch Meld or Repression to see what happens when they actually allow him some screen time.
Fri, Oct 23, 2015, 11:37am (UTC -5)
Wed, Jan 13, 2016, 3:19am (UTC -5)
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 1:31pm (UTC -5)
"Microsoft could've done a better job." Now that's low lol.
If the Voyager series could only pick ONE species from the Alpha Quadrant to run into, I would hope it would be the Klingons. The Borg don't count as we knew they were based in the Delta Quadrant, and also knew their space was vast. However, the 2 episodes with the Ferengi, and the episodes with the Romulans, I could have lived without.
The Klingons are still to be feared, unlike the other species Star Trek has castrated. The Borg, the Ferengi, the Romulans, all were more threatening in the beginning of TNG. The Klingons are still agressive and threatening. They also haven't been corrupted by human values. Even in DS9, Martok was the only one who drank on the Battlefield of Victory on Cardassia. Captain Sisko and Admiral Ross refused to drink over the dead bodies and dumped their glasses.
Klingons are still Klingons. I don't want them, or their values to change.
I liked this episode - 3 stars.
A Telaxian/Klingon baby. An ugly s#!t with a bad temper. Wait a minute...
www.mwctoys.com/images/review_lostpred_1.jpg
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 5:03pm (UTC -5)
As to Neelix getting his oats? Good on him, I say. That 'phwoar' moment after he sees off Harry to claim his prize is about as close to Benny Hill as you're ever going to see in the Star Trek universe, and I commend it to you. 2.5 stars.
Wed, Apr 13, 2016, 11:02pm (UTC -5)
Stray observations:
1) As Paris rightly asks, "What were the chances that they'd run into the one ship with a Klingon on board?"
2) Those must be some pretty gullible Klingons to blow up their own ship over a prophecy broad enough to include almost anyone.
3) It's now possible to beam over 200+ people in 10 seconds? Good thing the Klingons anticipated Voyager's highly advanced transporter technology or else most of them would have gone down with the ship. Apparently Voyager even had time to spare so they graciously beamed over all those bat-leths too!
4) "Have you ever made a plea for the dead?" Um... wasn't that the whole conceit behind Barge of the Dead? Whether it was 'real' or not, I'd like to think that had a pretty big impact on B'Elanna, enough for it to be worthy of mention.
5) "The Nehret always comes without warning..." Yeah, no kidding. Like during battle at a pivotal moment, or when you're about to cancel a an ill-advised self-destruct sequence... nobody expects the Nehret. It is most inconvenient, mhm, yess.
6) I hope Neelix's romp with that skanky disease-ridden Klingon was approved by Janeway and the Doctor, but considering his impulsive behavior this episode, I doubt it was.
7) Kohlar: "The Kuva'Mach has healed all of us. She truly is our savior."
T'Greth: "... She?!" *rages and rebels all over again*
Sun, May 1, 2016, 3:14pm (UTC -5)
Even Undiscovered Country, although it didn't focus on the honor aspect, showed us dissent among the Klingons. It's not surprising that this concept keeps coming up; it's so rich with so many possibilities to mine for from all sorts of angles. We saw political intrigue, religious revivals, good people swallowed up by the infighting, everything you could think of. So another episode in this vain is not a bad idea, but I just wish they did it better. And spent less time focusing on the standard action (of course there will be a bat'leth fight, right?) and more of fleshing out these characters.
For starters, the main Klingon guy frustrated me. So, um, does he still believe in his mission or not? The fact that he flat out tells B'Elanna to lie and claims he only wants to settle down suggests strongly that he doesn't. And yet, he is genuinely shocked that B'Elanna doesn't practice any aspect of the Klingon religion, and then offers his own prayer. He also seems to genuinely want the daughter to be the messiah, even if he doesn't believe it. So which is it? People who have lost their faith often become 100% opposite and turn into militant atheists. They also occasionally slowly fall out of belief, in which they look at their belief with embarrassment but still feel uncomfortable with a complete split. He didn't act like either of these. Instead, he acted how Hollywood seems to think religious people are, that's it's akin to a fashion statement that people choose or not choose on a whim. That the truth doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if she's the messiah or not, just what we can get away with.
If you're going to have a show about religion, why is the main guest star so cavalier about it?
Instead, I think they could have worked it in that he was still a true believer. The bit about convincing B'Elanna to go along with it could still work. He could have talked to her that it doesn't matter what she believes, and tried to convince her to look at it that way. Remember how Kira basically explained the prophecy in scientific terms for the Starfleet crowd in Destiny? And the rest of the crew could have convinced B'Elanna to go along with it. I think it would have been stronger if he had been so desperate to have finally found the messiah that he wanted to believe anything, that he would go to any length to dispel any doubts he may have had. He would have been a more believable character and made his situation more tragic. Instead, he was just the designated hero for the episode with inconsistent writing. What a waste.
Meanwhile, the giant elephant in the room that NO ONE was mentioning was what was going to happen if the Klingons did accept her daughter as the Messiah? Wouldn't they then want to stick around and follow her? Wouldn't they demand B'Elanna stay with them? Surely the scrolls don't suggest the messiah's mom should find them a new home and then leave them, correct? This could have added more tension to the episode.
Speaking of which, the episode completely failed to really show how B'Elanna would feel about this. For one thing, her incredulousness about the whole deal was disappointing after Barge of the Dead. She was willing to risk her life based on her belief in the Klingon religion. Yes, it was ambiguous, and it was more about saving her mother than her own spiritual growth, but it means she's open to believing in such things. So why did she completely reject the possibility? As Tom said, it's an incredible coincidence that they ran into them, that B'Elanna was pregnant at the time, etc. No, she isn't going to suddenly become a true believer, but I could imagine she would be more conflicted. At least give a hint that this whole situation is troubling her beyond simply being annoying...
And again, why did she think the problem would simply go away at the end of the episode? The Bible states Mary would have great sorrow in her life, so being the mother of a messiah is not an easy task. And if you want a more pop-culture, secular example, look at Sarah Conner from Terminator. The knowledge that her son was the savior of the world turned her life completely upside down. John Connor did not have a normal childhood. Sarah was not a normal parent. If she was going to go along with saying her daughter was a messiah, wouldn't B'Elanna have to eventually tell her daughter? Isn't that a huge responsibility for her daughter? What if these Klingons somehow find a way to contact the rest of the Klingon empire? What if the entire Klingon race knows about her by the time they get back home? Unlikely, perhaps, but how would they know that? Again, the episode does not treat this idea with the weight it requires.
That's what's missing, the weight. The writers seemed to just have this episode for the fun of having Klingons around. We had bat'leth fights, Klingon romance, trying to take over the ship, boasting about battles, all the usual tropes. Yet the story of a crumbling empire, a decaying culture, and B'Elanna caught in the middle of a religious revival sounds really awesome to me. Too bad that was so downplayed.
Sun, May 15, 2016, 2:10pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 9:50am (UTC -5)
Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 10:20am (UTC -5)
This episode is better than the worst of DS9, I can give you that. LOL. I didn't want my hour back, but that's hardly an endorsement. It was an uninspired mess.
Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 11:42am (UTC -5)
DS9 on the otherhand, is a show of risks, trying new things, focusing on different things more than other series, yet retaining the core of Trek.
Two vastly different ways of telling Trek, and providing fans with a diverse sent of storytelling. IDIC.
There really should be no proper Trek, but nuTrek for example exemplifies only the action, popcorn stuff, so hopefully we can start moving away from that now that we've had it.
That said, of the original Treks VOY is my least liked series, ranking last on my ratings. It was fun in Junior High when it was on after school in reruns when I hadn't seen it before, and it had the flash of special effects, but ultimatly I was personally left uninspired once it ended. There's maybe twenty episodes I would count as really good, but the rest were largely mediocre to me. I mean, Seinfeld, a sitcom had better continuity than Voyager at times. But again, it's familiar Trek going back to the well of what Trek had been. For some that's enough. And that's okay. For me and many others, it was not enough, and so VOY's flaws showed through just a bit more. Particularily in counter-point to DS9 which was newand shiny, but not what everyone wanted. Granted, some of DS9's flaws were apparent enough that they showed through despite the sense of wonder it gave it's fans . Different shows for different desires.
Sun, Aug 28, 2016, 5:03am (UTC -5)
Sun, Aug 28, 2016, 12:22pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 3, 2016, 6:08am (UTC -5)
It also hinders Paris here: for some reason I saw him as overweight and out of shape, and his chances against the Klingon looked laughable. I would have expected Captain Proton to behave with verve and sarcasm, but instead he looks like he's crapping himself (although in fairness, so would most people).
The usual Neelix bashing is totally out of place here. Neelix was hilarious from start to finish. His character has consistently embraced alien cultures, particularly Klingon culture, so the continuity basically came from Neelix in this episode. His long-running "friendship" with Tuvok featured when he crashed tuvok's quarters. I laughed out loud when Neelix had sex with a Klingon in Tuvok's quarters, wrecking the place in the process.
I also thought it was interesting (and funny) that Harry Kim is gifted a woman by the Plot Gods - but he didn't want her. Any woman who's eight feet tall, rips your head off and has gunk stuck between her teeth is a woman I'd probably want to avoid. And I'm sure that most men find that when a woman hits on them, it usually seems threatening, is inappropriately timed, and the advances are made by a woman who you're just plain scared of. That's how it usually is in my experience anyway. Kim is a rounded, decent young man, he does not automatically need to shag everything female. This is not American Pie.
The battle on the bridge was pathetic. Then again, DS9 proved that Kira and Sisko can take Klingon warriors hand to hand, why wouldn't Paris and Janeway be able to outshoot a few rogue warriors? It's not like Klingons exist for battle and Starfleet crew exist for peace.
Overall, an episode which could have been really good (as most Klingon episodes of Trek are) but which ended up somewhat bungled, and which does not appear to have been appreciated for the things it actually got right.
Sat, Sep 3, 2016, 2:32pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Sep 25, 2016, 12:03am (UTC -5)
Fri, Nov 4, 2016, 1:31am (UTC -5)
Star Trek definitely lost something when it decided to go the easy "pew pew" route for cheap thrills sometime around the middle of DS9. After a while, they lose their impact and it takes more and more to get the audience's attention, which in turn alienates more core fans, which in turn causes the people upstairs to put in more mindless battles...
Which would explain a lot about the manner of two recent deaths on a certain currently-running TV show about survivors of a zombie apocalypse. This isn't a perfect analogy to VOY/ENT, but I hope my point is clear. (I don't watch the show, but I heard enough from my friends who felt said deaths crossed the line, most of whom swore off the show for good as a direct result.)
Let's hope the makers of Discovery learn from Berman's and Braga's mistakes.
Fri, Dec 2, 2016, 7:26am (UTC -5)
And this one delivers. We are given Kohlar as a crazy religious leader, then find out he's actually really smart and trying to find a permanent home for his people. He's awesome. It's funny Jammer says he sounds like Sisko--I was actually mildly distracted that some of his facial expression were Worf-like.
I loved Neelix's girlfriend. I have often wished to be the type of woman who could pull off that sort of raw sexuality. But alas, I am cursed to be a Lwaxana, lol
I thought everyone behaved here as they would--Tom and BLT were just normal. The battle was a bit much, but believable, given Klingon predilections.
And I loved the final scene in their quarters when BLT hangs the bat'leth on the wall. I like that she came closer to her Klingon heritage without hating it, for once. And I liked Tom's suggestion of naming the baby "Kuva'Mach." How cute would that be? "Kuva! Get in here and clean up after your targ!"
I'd give this a solid 3. Very enjoyable.
Thu, Feb 9, 2017, 1:15am (UTC -5)
Beltran - he phoned it in in the 2nd half of the series in a big way. He really truly didn't give a crap and all his interviews since have verified that. I think the Seven love angle in Season 7 jazzed him up (getting to pretend Jeri Ryan is hot for you will jazz up a lot of guys).. other than that, he was used so poorly he didn't even need to be there. The guy folded to Janeway 99% of the time without any fire to him. He showed a spine a few times and I wish it was more. The other Trek first officers actually changed their Captain's mind and were insubordinate at times in order to make their point, not this guy.
I liked this episode more than most..... add a half star for me to the ranking here. what spoke to me was the concept that prophesies can be interpreted and applied to anything, and end up being BS just to placate followers who pinned their dreams on it. Just like Revelation in the Bible has been connected to major "world ending" events for the last 100 years . The events it is applied to change every decade to keep people fired up. I thought it was cool for the captain to do that because that is how prophesies stay alive... leaders take real life sitautions and apply them to the very general prophesy in order to keep people in faith.
As for the Klingon woman wanting Harry. Think about it. She was born on this ship.. likely has only had sex with Klingons..... the excitement of beating the crap out of a human for sex would likely excite her.
Torres did great in that speech she made selling the prophesy and talking about her great battles. Tom seemed like he was way out of the mood for this, he looked too relaxed and quiet to be a guy defending his wife and going into a fight.
This episide reminded me that the toughest characters in Voyager are the women, and the weakest are the men.
Tue, Feb 21, 2017, 1:22am (UTC -5)
I always thought that was because he was desperately in love with Janeway, haha!
I don't understand the 2 star rating for the episode, I really enjoyed it and it kept my attention for the better part of an hour. The plot moved forward at a brisk pace and the Klingon actor who was a dead ringer for Sisko was suitably charismatic and had enough of a screen presence to make us care about him. I'm starting to agree with some of the other posters here who said that Jammer's major beef with this show was that it wasn't DS9. In any case it was nice to see some more Alpha Quadrant aliens.
Did anyone else make a face when Tuvok stepped into his room, right after Neelix and the Klingon woman had finished their business? EEW! If I were Tuvok I'd have lost it then and there and strangled Neelix's Talaxian neck for real. So gross.
Wed, Feb 22, 2017, 1:27pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Aug 15, 2017, 12:11am (UTC -5)
Blunted bat'leths? What?
They use them so Klingons won't fight each other to the death and will kill their enemies instead? What?
Since when?
Klingons kill each other constantly.
More lame made-up Voyager nonsense, just to get out of having Paris fight to the death. And as if he would have lasted as long as he did in that 'duel' as it was.
And why does Voyager even have a transporter room and pads? Janeways asks that the klingon guy be escorted there so he can go back to his ship. Why? He can be beamed from anywhere to anywhere easily. They beam people to sickbay all the time. No pad. Torres beams herself from engineering to her room in this episode. No pad. And they beam 200! people from one ship to a cargo bay all at once in this episode. No pad. So wtf are the pads for?
Sat, Sep 2, 2017, 11:26am (UTC -5)
Wed, Nov 29, 2017, 5:54am (UTC -5)
Sat, Feb 3, 2018, 1:29am (UTC -5)
Sometimes it’s just enjoyable to watch the people we LIKE do stuff. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Reading the comments on all these episodes would almost imply a Voyager episode had to be Citizen Kane level before people would say, “ OK... yeah, I enjoyed it.” haha
One could almost get the impression (mistaken, I’m sure) that all these people watched the episodes and never once stopped out of extreme displeasure... but for some reason felt a need afterwards to pontificate their whole-hearted disapproval on sites such as this.
Guilt, perhaps, that they enjoyed something lesser than their standards of excellence and need to vent it out? ;-)
Who knows... their motivations shall, and should, remain their own. But to come full circle, I’m with you. Sometimes it’s enough just to watch people we like doing stuff in their own environment.
Sat, Feb 3, 2018, 1:45am (UTC -5)
It’s a show by humans, and to the best of my knowledge *viewed* only by humans (Not that I’m entirely sold on Area 51’s purpose haha) and thus the majority of plot points will necessarily tilt towards humanity.
But regardless if that’s a good or bad thing, I ask once again what is your enmity with it? These Star Trek aliens don’t really exist, ya know...
Mon, Feb 5, 2018, 3:33am (UTC -5)
Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:50pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Apr 14, 2018, 5:14pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 6:04pm (UTC -5)
B'Elanna (or sufficiently B'Elanna-heavy) episodes ranked (IMO) -- for both overall quality and for B'Elanna handling:
Lineage (I know it's controversial but count me among the fans)
Barge of the Dead
Flesh and Blood Part 2
Muse
Remember
Random Thoughts (mostly a Tuvok show though)
Day of Honor
Prototype
Dreadnought
Faces (I know a lot of people like this one more than this but I have problems with it)
Parallax
Drive
Blood Fever (fun but thin)
Juggernaut
Extreme Risk
Prophesy
Alice (Paris show which she has a role in)
So obviously there are some problems and there's a lot of repetition, but overall I think that she has a decent set of shows, some of which play off her Core Issues (Klingon/human stuff), some of which have her as a competent nerd/engineer, some of which even use her effectively as a bystander who can carry an episode (Muse/Remember), and mostly there weren't that many turkeys associated with her in comparison to other characters.
Sun, Apr 29, 2018, 12:32pm (UTC -5)
2. Why is Janeway endangering her crew by beaming aboard more Klingons than she has crewmembers ?
3. Neelix, yet again, has all the tact and consideration for Tuvok of a Hutt (OK, different ‘verse, but anyway).
4. Why secular folk like Klingons, whose gods are dead, would have hopes of a saviour, is anyone’s guess. Maybe this Klingon sect has a different theology ?
5. I can’t decide whether this episode is mocking certain Jewish or Christian beliefs, or pillorying the abuse of those beliefs for selfish ends, or alerting attention to the manipulation of religion for selfish ends, or a bit of all three.
Since ST is fond of issues-driven episodes, it is only to be expected that religion, that plays so prominent a part in US culture, should come in for some attention. The uncertainty of tone is a pity nonetheless, seeing as other programmes - The Simpsons, South Park - have been able to explore this topic without this uncertainty. Maybe cartoons are a better medium for exploring certain issues than more “realistic” drama ?
6. A Klingon with what appear to be three (adamantium ?) claws ? Hmm...OK. Since he is aggressive, fair enough.
7. BLT’s semi-quotation from “Starship Troopers” was fun.
2.5 stars, I think.
Mon, May 7, 2018, 11:22pm (UTC -5)
Klingons in the DQ...first have to wonder what they're doing here and if this is some dream or holodeck nonsense. But the idea that they've traveled 30K light years for a century on some wild goose chase is pretty amusing. They don't know about the Federation peace treaty or anything -- reminds me of TNG's "The Emissary" where a Klingon ship in stasis is about to wake up and unleash hell on the Federation. So the fact that after firing on Voyager, Janeway just invites the Klingon captain over and he comes solo struck me as odd. This whole episode lacked integrity big time.
The whole idea of re-interpreting some prophecy to serve the Klingon captaiin's purpose just led to plot twist after plot twist. The whole thing makes very little sense. Paris is challenged to a fight to the death, he accepts, but then the prophecy can be interpreted to mean a non-lethal match etc. etc. I think VOY did its bit here to diminish any remaining Klingon respect for tradition, honor etc.
I actually enjoyed the humor with Kim and the Klingon female combined with Neelix damaging Tuvok's quarters when he got some. This was just some cheap humor thrown in with a cheap main plot but I didn't mind it. Always fun to see Tuvok get irked by Neelix, though it can be silly.
And of course it wouldn't be a VOY episode without the gratuitous phaser battle on the bridge and Doc waving his magic wand and coming up with a cure to a Klingon old age disease.
A low 2 stars for "Prophecy" -- this episode could have followed the template of DS9's "Destiny" more closely instead of going for so many twists and turns. The prophecy coming to life is a good one, provided it's an interesting prophecy. Here it wasn't. Seems VOY wanted to get the Klingons involved in an episode through some contrivance but it didn't do the Klingons justice IMHO.
Tue, Aug 28, 2018, 7:21pm (UTC -5)
Teeheeeheeee...
Mon, Oct 8, 2018, 9:45pm (UTC -5)
This has no center to the story idea which had potential just a bunch of prophecies and interpretations saddled with a dumb dumb dumb dumb Neelix screwing a Klingon. Yawn
Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 10:37pm (UTC -5)
Clever resolution though, as far as the child actually saving the Klingons.
The Neelix stuff with the Klingon babe was truly, truly horrendous.
I liked the way B'Ellana started to remember her prayers. It reminded me of when I heard some of the Catholic prayers again so many years after learning them as a child - memorizing them, saying them over and over. It just all floods back. Once a Klingon, always a Klingon, I guess.
Some nice moments within the blah. Tom and B'Ellana were cute together, especially at the end.
Wed, Apr 10, 2019, 2:02pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jul 5, 2019, 1:34am (UTC -5)
Tue, Dec 10, 2019, 6:33pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Dec 24, 2019, 6:10pm (UTC -5)
(actually deserved) credit: "Well I was the one that devised the treatment" and Janeway cut him off with DOCTOR!......
Was the funniest line of the series in the context of the moment and circumstances!!!
I am still laughing at that!!!
Overall a nice interesting episode that really hit the mark on giving some of
the Klingons more empathy and ability to see the big picture for the betterment
of the whole. I always liked Klingon episodes especially when they feature
inner conflicts other than just warrier mentality...though I admire that as their
front emotion. Excellent episode!!
Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 9:02pm (UTC -5)
The Neelix stuff was funny. Any time he can bother Tuvok is the best. And saving poor Kim from the lady - perfect. These episodes are simply comic relief and I welcome them after some of the intense and dramatic episodes. As some poster mentioned above, I am probably in that group of people that Voyager writers were catering to.
I also read that when Star Trek was on the air, more people watched Voyager than all the other series besides TNG. So the writers must have been doing something right.
I don’t need character development in my shows, just fun characters experiencing life.
Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 9:20pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 10:49pm (UTC -5)
Wasn’t Voyager released on the new Paramount network? Would that alter rating results? I also saw that the most watched Star Trek episodes on Netflix are Voyager ones.
I am watching both season 7’s of TNG and Voyager right now. Voyager is 100% more entertaining. And I grew up with Next Generation.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 6:32am (UTC -5)
I'm curious what poll you mean -- among general viewers? It does seem generally true that Voyager had more visibility. That does not innately translate to people watching it regularly, much less liking it.
If you like Voyager, that's great. But I'm afraid I've never found the "millions of viewers can't be wrong" argument a pretty meaningful one, about anything.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 7:09am (UTC -5)
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 7:15am (UTC -5)
https://ca.startrek.com/article/poll-fans-most-watched-star-trek-series-is
Sure, only a group of 25,000 people asked, but it has to have some weight. Came up as first search result in my "most watched Star Trek poll" Google find.
And the Netflix results:
https://nerdist.com/article/star-trek-netflix-most-rewatched/
But you can get links to those stats just by doing any "most watched Star Trek" and "Netflix" search. That was just one link that loaded the quickest.
Although, I'm not saying that millions are wrong. I know DS9 features all all these Trek sites. But I'm just saying what I liked, what I've tried to watch, and what my favourite is out of them all. Nice to have found links to support that.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 7:24am (UTC -5)
That is one Trek I never tried, but even I know it only goes to season 4. Someone is a funny man.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 7:57am (UTC -5)
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 11:14am (UTC -5)
Not surprised VOY ranked better than TOS on a poll in 2013, though. I don’t think TOS gets enough love by newer fans.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 12:13pm (UTC -5)
"Season 7 of Enterprise?"
Well, Enterprise is the only post-TOS Trek series with zero negative reviews for its 7th season. ;-)
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 12:38pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 12:48pm (UTC -5)
That’s what I thought, Chrome. That UPN just didn’t have enough viewers to begin with. Since a new network and all.
True about the polls potentially being skewed, Top Hat. I mean, I’d have fun voting.
But I see it the same as DS9 being skewed to all the internet posting fans liking that Trek the best. So in the end I say watch what you like and still support our aged series the best you can.
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 2:32pm (UTC -5)
I said TREK series. ;-)
Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 4:11pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Apr 19, 2020, 9:42pm (UTC -5)
If you keep using the name petulant, people will think you're me. I've been using that name for some time on here.
I find it kind of weird and more than coincidental that you not only chose the same name as me but also chose to spell it with a lowercase p.
Pick your own name.
Sun, Jun 28, 2020, 2:41pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Jun 28, 2020, 2:51pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Jul 14, 2020, 8:41am (UTC -5)
Fri, Aug 7, 2020, 9:20am (UTC -5)
Wed, Sep 16, 2020, 11:47pm (UTC -5)
Wed, May 12, 2021, 5:55pm (UTC -5)
When you need six writers to pull a story together that is a huge problem, and a sign of interference from the suits. They do it in Hollywood movies all the time. I personally think Robert Beltran is a D*!# and really has some out there obnoxious views, including today, but i do not blame him for having expected more from the writers on this one, and overall. It was UPN for Godsakes.
Leave Klingon Stories to the experts and swallow your pride when you know it is time to bring them in.
Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 7:45pm (UTC -5)
One cool thing - the baby mobile in the crib uses painted Hallmark Ornaments!
Sun, Sep 5, 2021, 11:14am (UTC -5)
What irks me the most though is how time and time again non-Starfleet personnel have 100% computer access just by using a panel. The Klingons push Harry to the side and can transport the entire crew? No fingerprint ID? No access code? And they can also lock out Tom from shutting down power? The bridge has no administrative control?
Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:15pm (UTC -5)
Chance of Voyager coming across a Clingon ship traveling from the Alpha Quadrant:
1 in 1,000,000
Chance that the same ship is following a prophecy that perfectly fits in with the life situation of the only Clingon crew member:
Priceless
Mon, Oct 18, 2021, 9:35pm (UTC -5)
Although I had difficulty accepting that Harry Kim clearly had never learned that "Loose lips sink ships" , I found the attempted takeover of Voyager to be very tense and exciting. The battle on the Voyager bridge was one of the best action sequences in the series, IMO.
I liked the many-sided quality of the plot....I just can't criticize it for having alot of angles. It all got handled
B'Elanna's emerging respect for her Klingon heritage was well acted and very touching.
3 stars.
Mon, Feb 14, 2022, 8:23pm (UTC -5)
The worst thing about is it that the crew of Voyager somehow manage to beam 200 Klingons onboard all in one go. This is after six seasons of not being able to get a lock on anything.
Fri, May 20, 2022, 6:32pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 21, 2022, 3:17pm (UTC -5)
Here's a few things to love about it:
Torres in a Klingon robe.
A Klingon cult with a glorious, fulfilled prophecy.
Paris agreeing to a death match by sticking a knife on a table.
Neelix as a Klingon culinary master.
Neelix as a Klingon erotic master.
Tuvok insisting they keep women and children locked up.
Torres finally getting that Bat'leth decor (and what a Bat'leth it was!).
Janeway agreeing to a blunted Bat'leth battle on her ship.
Maybe it isn't full four stars quality, but not too far away from it.
3,5 of 4 Stars!
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