TNG – Dark Page

Plot – As a science fiction concept there is so much that could be done with the Cairn, a race that speak with telepathic images rather than verbal communication. It would have been very cool had this species been a regular on Voyager (the next show to be commissioned after TNG went off air). You could have all sorts of fun with a species that can beam images into your mind as part of a conversation and all sorts of comedy could ensue when you are dealing with a species that does not understand the intricacies of verbal communication. A race with direct communication and no concept of privacy is ripe for interesting material.

It’s another season seven family story and this time featuring everybody’s favourite Betazoid, Lwaxana Troi. What looks like it is going to be another disruptive visit where she is trying to set up Deanna with the latest bloke that she thinks might be suitable and instead it takes an unusual detour into dark melodrama revealing some things about her past that she would rather keep buried.

Character – I’m not sure if having Troi meet with her father inside her mother’s head is a sweet character moment or the ultimate manipulation. It’s a chance for Troi, as an adult, to see her father as her mother remembers him but since none of this is real the emotional bond it is trying to force simply doesn’t pay off.

Troi is written intelligently here, tackling the idea of what is happening with her mother in as sensible a fashion as possible. Contacting her friends, reading her journal, getting in touch with Betazed. She probably understands her mother’s life far better as a result of her investigations. At one point she genuinely thinks that she is going to lose her, which makes her long for a woman she has often thought of as insufferable.

Performance – Lwaxana Is practically a gift of a part for Majel Barrett after suffering the indignity of losing the role of Number One from the Original Series (I still have huge regrets about that) and being forced into the role of the subservient and slave to her emotions Nurse Chapel, a thankless part if ever there was one. Lwaxana is the chance to let Barrett off the leash and enjoy some firecracker material; a funny, silly, sexually voracious part that whether you love her or you hate her she sure does pack in a lot of personality. When Mrs Troi is on board it stirs up the ants and you can’t ask much more of a character on TNG. She simply isn’t like everybody else on this show, she’s explosive and different, proud of her heritage and not afraid to not fit in. She says things as they are – I love the moment when she tells Worf not to worry about the Cairn probing into her mind because his brain isn’t sophisticated enough for them to do so. Barrett acquits herself rather well here with an uncommon take on Mrs Troi but there are a couple moments where she oversells the emotion (‘I am warning you – stay away from my daughter!’).

I’m sure Kirsten Dunst is justly proud that she took part in a TNG episode before her career took off in a big way. Actually, I wonder if she even remembers doing it.

Production – The fish eye lens is being abused in season seven, what with Phantasms taking place just last week. The scenes inside Lwaxana’s head show TNG at its cheapest, utilising the standing sets with some distorted lighting. I would have thought that the passages of Mrs Troi’s mind would be so much more exciting. God bless the wolf that wanders the corridors of the Enterprise like a placid dog that just wants to take a nap. Hardly the ferocious beast they were going for.

Worst moment – The method of commination between the Cairn and the Troi’s has to be seen to be believed. It involves people staring at each other in a particularly intense way whilst the camera slowly moves in on their faces. In scenes that are trying to pass off as drama, it is unfortunately very comical.

I wish they hadn’t done that – Star Trek can venture into daytime soap opera territory if it isn’t careful, TNG especially because the characters are so nice that in order to drive some conflict into the show they push the melodrama (Worf is paralysed, Beverly Crusher has been seduced by her grandmothers ghostly lover, Riker lost his mum and was left with his dad, Troi and Riker are sitting on feelings they cannot act on because of their jobs). Dark Page is a particularly limp example of this sub-genre with characters saying things like ‘how can I help you mother!’ and ‘Why couldn’t I save her?’ It’s pure soap, affected and unconvincing. And I make no apology for thinking that Troi, for all Marina Sirtis’ charm, is a character that has stepped straight out of a show like Neighbours or Doctors, stating the bleeding obvious and often given dialogue that makes her seem like a walking textbook rather than a person.

There are so many ways that the death of a child could be dramatically presented off screen (I remember a particularly vivid example from The X-Files in season two) and Dark Page contains the least effective I can ever remember seeing. By setting the scene in Lwaxana’s head (which makes it a memory rather than a flashback), by using the stock sets from the episode and because of Majel Barrett’s whiny performance it guts the scene of any real drama.

A reason to watch this episode again – There are two schools of thought about Dark Page; one that it is a bold step in a new direction with Lwaxana Troi that dares to suggest that the overt sexuality and humour she has displayed over the years is a cover for something very dark that happened in her past and the other is that it is a dreary melodramatic soap opera episode that has something powerful to say but fudges it behind some overdone hysterics and ropey direction. The problem is they are both right. I have a lot of admiration for Dark Page as it is one of the season seven family driven episodes that actually wants to open up a character we know and love and say fresh and interesting things about them. I just wish a little more effort had gone into the execution of the piece, especially the direction which is very obvious in places (events were signposted before they happened and it features some of the least effective ‘dream’ sequences I have ever seen).

**1/2 out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode:

ENT – Zero Hour

Plot – Let me tell you something – it’s been a long road, getting from there to here – but now we’re finally here I have to say Enterprise has emerged as a series that can hold its own with a sustained season long arc. I can’t say I always had faith of the heart throughout series three (there were some odd diversions) but the smattering of dramatic episodes in the latter third certainly proved that this experiment was worth pursuing. At last somebody was looking over their shoulder and seeing all the clever serialised storytelling DS9 had achieved and attempted to match it. Season three is a complete anomaly in that respect but a welcome one and whilst Enterprise could never match DS9’s vivid cast of regulars and guest characters huge credit is due for them attempting to pull off something this ambitious. It’s more than Voyager ever dared in its seven-year run. The biggest difference between Enterprise and DS9 when it comes to wrapping up the seasons worth of developments that this is all plot plot plot whereas DS9 would divide the episode into plot and character development, making the conclusion hurt more. This is exciting stuff don’t get me wrong, but it’s only exciting stuff. The character stuff comes next season in Home.

Huge stakes hang in the balance. If Enterprise doesn’t stop the sphere from reaching Earth then it will be destroyed and the entirety of Star Trek will be rewritten in an instant. From TOS to Voyager, none of it would have ever happened and most of those characters would have never existed. Is it worth it prevent the existence of Harry Kim? The crew are psychologically scarred, battered and boughed. Nobody is smiling anymore. Nobody expects them to win this.

Losing Yosemite is essential because Earth was never going to be destroyed and so a sacrifice had to be made elsewhere for our regulars to moon over next season.

Character – Hoshi finally gets to do something on this show. She’s almost responsible for the destruction of planet Earth. Finally, she is getting my attention. It is so nice that she gets some focus but I wish the script probed a little deeper. When Archer first asked her aboard Enterprise, she was terrified of the idea and made no secret of expressing that. Zero Hour essentially owns up and admits that she was right. Space is scary and it can hurt. I wish she had pushed that in his face a little more because she really does go through the wringer here and he kick started all of this.

Performance – Porthos the dog gives a beautiful performance at the climax. And since more consideration is given to how he feels about the loss of Archer than the crew we should be thankful that he doesn’t disappoint.

Production – The weapon that threatens the Earth is in no way subtle, but it is certainly imposing. In a period of unpredictable CGI, this is a piece of design they have clearly poured a lot of time and energy into creating. In comparison Yosemite station looks a little cartoonish.

When did music on Star Trek get this dynamic? Where has Jay Chattaway been hiding this level of vitality? There was a time when he would score the begin and the end of a scene and let everything else play out in silence. Or when everything was underscored very delicately in the Rick Berman school of music should be seen and not heard. The climax of this episode where they take down the weapon is a masterpiece of zippy direction, expert editing and a score that gives everything an incredible sense of momentum.

Best moment – Archer is going to be an integral part of forming the Federation in about seven years’ time. In a gobsmacking moment (although it is almost marred by some terrible green screen work) we get a glimpse into that future and what is at stake if Archer doesn’t succeed in his mission. The Federation is Star Trek, or at least it forms the basis for every show from TOS to VOY. They have raised the element of danger considerably by showing us this. The entirety of Star Trek is at stake.

Worst moment – Why did we see none of this from the Earth’s point of view? Imagine a scene of people going about their daily lives as the weapon breaks into orbit and casts a huge shadow over their lives?

I wish they hadn’t done that – The Xindi Reptilians are impressively designed but I can’t help but make comparisons to the aliens from Galaxy Quest who looked remarkably similar and honestly had a similar comic style to their performances. There is nothing subtle about the Xindi Reptilians from how they clomp about the sets to chowing down on mice to their meaty and overripe dialogue. They feel like they should be played for laughs but they aren’t.

Strangely enough I would say that The Expanse that ended season two was a stronger episode. What you have there is a shocking piece, both in terms of the terror attack and the emotional consequences, on the back of a limp and lacklustre season. It made me sit up and pay attention. Zero Hour is preceded by a much stronger season, ruthless and dramatic, and it climaxes on a note of pure Hollywood action with very little in the way of capturing your emotions (except those of the five-year-old in you that loves stuff going boom). This is Trek with a pulse and no brain. In true Hollywood style Archer gets to run away from an explosion in glorious slow motion.

Whilst I love the idea of the producers recognising that the writing was on the wall for Enterprise and so created an ending that was deliberately, provocatively stupid so to grant them a reprieve for another year…but that doesn’t make it any less deliberately, provocatively stupid. It’s the point at which anybody could justifiably suggest that Star Trek jumped the shark. Although some people would say that is this entire series. Alien space Nazis?

The ending is essentially ‘will you bugger off because we will never hear from the Delphic Expanse again.’ Very neat, very tidy. Almost entirely unbelievable after a whole season there.

A reason to watch this episode again – Comic book action of the most bombastic kind but nonetheless climactic and exciting. This is TV Trek getting as close to being a movie as it would ever achieve and for that alone it should be celebrated. The characters are all sacrificed to the plot, which is relentless, and the whole thing ends in a glorious punch up and explosion, which is shorthand for we couldn’t think of a clever way out of this. Ultimately series three comes down to kicking the crap out of their enemies and blowing up stuff real good. Allan Kroeker has directed better episodes than this but none I think more exhilarating and on a scene by scene basis it’s easy to be dragged along with the enthusiasm of it all. I’d much rather watch the shallow action-packed Enterprise of series three than the vanilla Trek versions of series one and two. At times this is Star Wars ambitious and it comes close to achieving that level of action escapism (Archer and the Reptilian hanging over the precipice of the weapon directly recalls Empire Strikes Back). That ending though…I mean WTF?

***1/2 out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode:

Fugitive of the Judoon written by Vinay Patel & Chris Chibnall and directed by Nida Manzoor

Oh Brilliant: Another powerhouse showcase for the 13th Doctor. One of the many things that season 12 is getting very right is giving Jodie Whittaker material that shows off her awesome potential as the Doctor. Because of the twists in this episode this could have been a story where she floundered and came out with egg on her face but instead she really holds her own and proves to be the vital and alive Doctor of right now that I need. The conclusion that episode draws; that it doesn’t matter where she has come from or where she is going because right now she is an awesome person who deserves the name the Doctor, is the culmination of a year and half worth of effort on Whittaker and Chibnall’s part. We’ll come to remember series 11 as the one where the 13th Doctor was happy and content and finding her way in the universe again because in her second year she has a lot of things on her mind and keeps being shaken up by shattering revelations. We open the story with her pawing at the console for hours, looking for the Master. She’s sure he must have escaped. She’s been going home on her own and she doesn’t want to take her friends with her. She has no compunction in walking straight up to a Judoon Commander and joining his ranks and condemning him for his unlawful behaviour. She’s trying to save lives and it brings out the darker side of her. Throughout, the Doctor is working on the mystery of what is going on and she is the smartest person because she realises it has something to do with Ruth. Unlike series 11 where the Doctor was pretty much unflappable, series 12 has seen her facing one shock after another. Whittaker’s strengths come in how brilliantly she reacts in these moments; utterly floored, trying to comprehend what is happening and then dashing on with the plot. Somehow, they manage to have an argument between two female Doctors that doesn’t descend into a bitch fight. It’s like the tension in The Day of the Doctor but with added mysteries swirling around them. Whittaker and Swinson are excellent together. I felt a warmth between the Doctor and her companions in those final scenes in a way I haven’t since the 11th Doctor, Amy and Rory. This line up might not always been handled perfectly, but they certainly all belong together. There’s dark stuff coming for the Doctor and she needs her friends close. They’re family.

The Fam: Fugitive is one of those episodes where the Doctor’s friends are secondary to the main action and those are perfectly fine every now and again. There’s no problem with pushing the Doctor front and centre – the show is named after her, after all. All the same there are still the cute moments that I have come to expect from this trio in season 12, and a gorgeous summation of why they are so loyal to the Doctor, and how they are going to stay by her side at the climax. It’s like the climax to Arachnids in the UK only a million times more powerful because of what the Doctor is going through at the moment thanks to her decimated home.

Jack: Of all the people to return in Jodie Whittaker’s second season after six seasons away from the show! His appearance is ultimately a distraction in an otherwise mind-blowing episode but it is so lovely to see him back in the show (and it promises more to come) that I didn’t really care that this was massive foreshadowing for its own sakes. John Barrowman is clearly having a ball and there are some really fun moments. Kissing Graham and assuming he is the Doctor (this keeps happening to poor Graham) made me laugh out loud (when he goes in for a hug, Graham all but screams).

Ruth: The real smarts is in how this character is introduced. Sweet, funny, likeable; Ruth opens the story with a lot of focus but there is nothing unusual about that because Nikolai Tesla did exactly the same thing the week before. Clever thing number two is how much emphasis is put on her husband and the mysteries that he is keeping and how Ruth is simply caught up in the machinations of this plot. The third clever thing is where, halfway through the episode when the audience is starting to suspect that something is amiss about Ruth, the script then admits that she is the focus but refuses to say who she is or why (and using Jack Harkness of all people as a diversion) before finally hitting us with an awesome bit continuity shattering moment to go down in the ages. Yes, Ruth is the Doctor and the script won’t tell us whether she is the Doctor from the past or the future and that is all part of the fun to stir the ant’s nest and leave you desperate for answers. Like Professor Yana in Utopia, I really liked Ruth before she transformed, which makes the twist tragic and shocking. The lighthouse (a building with a light on top) should have been a huge clue. Tearing off the horn of the Judoon was an astonishing moment of nastiness. How cool is her TARDIS? It makes me ache with nostalgia for Hartnell’s TARDIS interior but has a moodiness all of its own. With her colourful shirt and glasses, looking down at the other Doctor in her presence and standing up to the Time Lords and the Judoon, Jo Martin cuts quite the dominant figure as the Doctor. I’m sure we will be seeing more of her at some point. Would Chibnall dare to mess about with the Doctor numbering again? Is this a pre-Hartnell Doctor? Or is this a Doctor from an alternative universe. The speculation is half the fun because one we come to know the truth; it has to be an answer that satisfies after all this build up. For now, she is a terrific Doctor, utterly authentic and with great presence. The mystery of why neither Doctor remembers the other is one of the best things about this episode. How can that possibly be?

Sparkling Dialogue: ‘You’re in charge, right?’ ‘It’s a very flat team structure’ ‘You’re the smartest, I can see it in your eyes.’
‘An Empire of evil in ruins, right now’ – a great description of the Cybermen.
‘How did I end up like that? All rainbows and trousers that don’t reach?’
‘Is there even a word for how dumb you are?’ ‘Doctor?’
‘I’d quite like it if you got off my ship now.’

The Good: The return of the Judoon turns out to be the least celebratory thing about this episode, despite its top billing. And that is the most intelligent thing that Fugitive could do. Build the expectation around the return of an old foe to dismiss any expectation elsewhere. This might be their finest appearance yet and I was mightily impressed with the costumes this time around (my other half commented at how uncannily realistic they look) and the brilliant, bombastic score that Segun Akinola gave them. They appear in such numbers that it feels like an invasion, and Nick Briggs has great fun voicing the Judoon Commander, who is a great character in his own right. The shot of Whittaker atop the lighthouse really stood out to me as a very powerful shot. It’s right at the heart of the mystery. Moody seaside settings are often at the heart of Chibnall’s best work – Adrift, Broadchurch, Judoon.

The Bad: Because I feel like I need to find something negative to say…so Alan from the coffee shop is seriously creepy. Also, Chibnall seems to have an anti-old woman agenda. That’s two murdered within three episodes.

The Shallow Bit: I actually said out loud during this episode how beautiful Jodie Whittaker is. She’s radiant and this director is excellent at capturing her energy and essence of purity.

Result: ‘Either I should know you or you should know me!’ Well bugger me, Vinay Patel has written a damn near perfect episode of Doctor Who. AGAIN. This, for me, is the Alien Bodies of NuWho. If you haven’t read Alien Bodies from the EDA range then please go and do so right now and come back and read this review afterwards. It starts out as a fairly simple adventure, it builds a huge mystery into its fabric, it threatens a huge revelation and then it turns out to say something quite profound about the Doctor’s life. Fugitive of the Judoon starts out as the most comic book adventure of the Chibnall era (Judoon stomping around Gloucester) and then builds and builds and builds until it shakes the core of the entire series and leaves the viewer with massive questions about the implications of the revelations involved. One huge plus of the Chibnall era that has been handled far more effectively than during the Moffat years is the ability to contain a huge surprise and not ruin it with publicity drives. It means I was floored when the Master showed up in Spyfall, and there were two genuinely jaw dropping moments here. It’s not often I get to scream at my telly. This is a huge love letter to my favourite era of new Doctor Who; RTD’s time and between the return of the Judoon, the punch the air reveal of Jack Harkness and the use of the chameleon arch, there are call backs to a lot of the best moments of the first four years of NuWho. It feels like the Moffat years never happened. There’s a broader picture emerging about Gallifrey and the use of continuity is deployed like a weapon in the narrative to batter the audience at the appropriate moments. What I really loved was that despite some vivid location work (Gloucester makes for a refreshing change, and the scenes around the lighthouse are suitably vivid), this was the cheapest episode of the season to date and yet the most attention grabbing because of its twists. It shows that good storytelling will always be what makes good Doctor Who. Jodie Whittaker and Jo Martin make quite a team and those central performances had me smiling throughout. Who the hell are the Alliance? Does this muck up Doctor Who continuity? What’s happening with the Cybermen? Where the hell is the Master? Fugitive of the Judoon is at the centre of the season and promises great things for the latter half of the season whilst being a phenomenal episode in its own right. I don’t know how it will fare to repeat viewing but given my explosive reaction to it last night I have no qualms in giving this an outstanding write up. The sequence with Ruth getting her memories back and the Doctor discovering the TARDIS goes down in my opinion as the best moment of the era so far: 10/10

VOY – Hope and Fear

Plot – As a revenge plan, this is needlessly complex. There are about two dozen ways that Arturis could have gone about destroying Voyager that didn’t involve such an elaborate ruse. I also say the best plots are those that hit us with a mystery or a dramatic development and proceed to lay out all the ingredients that got us there, tying everything in a neat bow at the climax. Hope and Fear had me intrigued for half of its run time but by the climax I was asking so many questions about the implausibility of the twists, the motives for doing so and the method chosen that I wondered why they had bothered in the first place. Questioning an episode’s existence does not a satisfying closer make. The one positive thing to take from this story is that Janeway’s decisions are having a detrimental effect on races in Delta Quadrant and the consequences are starting to catch up with her. Yes, I said positive. I’d rather this show was flung into dramatic territory than merely churn out another holodeck episode.

When Janeway said that everything was a little too perfect she could have been talking about the conclusion. It plays out, beat by beat, so effortlessly that it never feels like they are in any danger at all, despite the appearance of a Borg ship.

Character – It’s worth acknowledging again and again that Janeway took agency away from Seven when she forced her to reject her Borg nature and become human again. I have heard plenty of valid criticisms about shows where men are taking away the agency of women (the Doctor and Donna at the end of series four, for example) and yet this is the rawest example of such an act that I can imagine. Seven explicitly stated that she did not want to return to her human roots and that decision was taken away from her. I’m not saying it was the wrong decision. I’m not even saying I disagree that it needed to be done. I’m just saying that Seven has every right to be pissed at Janeway (even if at times she does come across as a teenager acting out against her mother) for everything that she is going through because this was never a journey she wanted to take. In this episode Seven says she doesn’t want to return to Earth with the others and whether she is scared or not that is her choice. Janeway won’t have it, she tells Seven that she owes them enough to come with them. I think had this panned out Janeway would have taken that choice away from her too.

What do Tom Paris, Chakotay or Neelix think about going to Earth? I don’t know because the episode doesn’t take the time to consider them.

Performance - Does the knowledge that things were not smooth between Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan during the fourth and fifth seasons of Voyager add an extra spice to proceedings? I would say so, and it’s interesting that around the time they started to gel sociably as actors the tension started to dissipate between the characters and a mutual admiration starts to emerge. Seasons four and five are my favourites of Voyager by a country mile (I have a fondness for the latter half of season two as well but that doesn’t exactly make me popular) and a lot of that is down to the tension that both Seven of Nine and Jeri Ryan brought to the show. It might have been a cynical marketing exercise on the part of the producers but it genuinely added a touch of spice to the series, which made it a much more enjoyable experience to watch. Watch Mulgrew and Ryan in the first scene; there’s fire in their eyes. It’s a good thing there is this tension because as pre-titles sequences for season finales go, this is lacking in any kind of information or anticipation for the coming episode.

Arturis is no Leyland Palmer, that’s for sure. Ray Wise seems a little uncomfortable in the role of the little gremlin that tries to blast Voyager into obscurity through the most technobabbly complex method possible. He has to convince as both a guileless visitor, a great benefactor and later a twisted victim bent on destruction. It’s a demanding role and Wise would seem to be a great fit since his turn on Twin Peaks saw him at his dangerous best, playing some really twisted scenes. But there is a politeness and unexciting angle to his performance that meant I never really connected with him, neither as a good guy or a bad guy. When there is no passion in the characterisation or the performance what you have left is a stock Star Trek character who is built up to be somebody important, and can’t live up to it. I thought the most unusual aspect to this character was his look, a creepy make up job that makes Wise head look extremely bulbous and veiny. Ultimately, he is a weak villain, and not because he has been forced into a revenge-driven psychotic but because Wise simply doesn’t believe a word he is saying.

Production – It is a fact that as soon as Avery Brooks and Kate Mulgrew were allowed to harden/soften their images (respectively) they suddenly stated given their most effective performances. Mulgrew looks so much more comfortable with her hair down and her uniform looser. The Delta Quadrant has had an unstiffening effect on her.

If you’re the sort of person that gets giddy at the sight of spanking new Starfleet designs then this is going to be precisely the right episode for you since Hope and Fear shows off some luxurious and stylish new sets. I’m far more interested in character development than technology, so the thought of integrating any of this new tech into Voyager does very little for me.

Best moment – The discovery of the ‘Starfleet’ vessel and how it links so incitingly into the shows theme of returning to the Alpha Quadrant. It’s easy to forget that that is the aim of Voyager because it is brought up about three times a season (in between the really exciting things like Leola root stew, anomalies and Tom Paris’ latest holodeck obsession) but the countereffect of that is that it is pretty exciting when we are jolted back into the primary mission of Voyager. But…

Worst moment – …that is what leads to the most disappointing aspect of Hope and Fear. How it gets the crew whipped up into a frenzy of excitement and with a series of unsatisfying plot twists snatches away their dream again. Only for them to pull their socks up, go ‘oh well’ as if they expected this all along and move on their merry way. When did drama become this formulaic?

This is directed by a seasoned Trek director and he does a sterling job for the most part. What is that dreadful action sequence when Arturis is exposed all about then?

I wish they hadn’t done that – The most interesting character thread is Seven questioning whether she will be able to adapt to life back on Earth, facing the prejudice of humanity for the Borg? It’s something I longed for the show to explore in more depth. I wished they had gotten home at the end of season six and spent the final year addressing the wealth of interesting possibilities like this. The tension between Torres and Seven is always welcome, especially when it yields moments where they put their differences aside and lean on one another. Chalk this one up to another potentially fascinating character pairing that never got the exposure it deserved. This would have been a brilliant relationship to start out hostile but to develop into something that sparkles (think Miles and Julian).

A reason to watch this episode again – It teaches the characters nothing, it offers no technological developments (despite promising some) and it suffers from questionable motives and a needlessly deceptive plot. Hope and Fear is one of my least favourite season enders because it lives the Voyager dream: promising a great deal and delivering very little. It’s a script that cheats and then offers a simplistic ending so no matter what character examination it might offer, Hope and Fear rings of disappointment. At least if Janeway had gotten through to Arturis at the climax and he had joined the crew (he had some serious skills to offer) it would have meant something.

** out of *****

TOS – Journey to Babel

Plot – Is this a character study, a political thriller, a medical drama or a murder mystery? DC Fontana wants to have all the cake this week and make it all four. At times it feels like there is an overload of plot and not enough time to adequately deal with it all, not a problem that often strikes a TOS episode (usually the plots are fairly slight and the episodes padded). Kirk gets very grumpy on the Bridge at one point because there is simply too much going on and nobody is giving him any answers.

Character – You can see precisely why the battle between humanity and Vulcan exists within Spock as we are introduced to his mother and father. He hasn’t spoken to his father in 18 years and their logic is what has kept them apart.

The relationship between Sarek and Amanda is beautifully depicted; she tries to understand and embrace the Vulcan way but she is always coming at it from a human perspective whereas he is entrenched in his own culture but cannot help but admire her slavery to her emotions. There is an unspoken respect between them and they are both ideally cast. It would have harmed the character of Spock had they fudged the casting and characterisation of his parents but Journey to Babel scores so well on both that it only enhances my love for his character.

This is the point where the series was riding high on its success and the cast had gelled into a fully formed ensemble (albeit with some characters given much more focus than others) with chemistry that is tangible. Certainly, any scene between Kirk, McCoy and Spock has a warmth to it that exudes from the screen, despite their differences. The final scene is a complete delight in that respect.

Performance – Leonard Nimoy. What an actor. This was the role that could have sunk Star Trek. Spock was such a distinct (somewhat ridiculous) looking alien character who was written to exclude all human emotions. It could have invited a robotic performance or a wooden one but instead Nimoy chose to play the role with huge dignity, as though people have been playing Vulcan’s since acting first began. He refused to play up the alien elements and spoke his lines with a gravity and clarity that meant you were always looking at him. Whilst a lot of the actors on this show were doing insane things to try and get your attention, Nimoy was still and composed and stole focus all the time because of it. Journey to Babel shows Nimoy at his absolute best, playing a character in conflict with himself, fulfilling his duties and both a Starfleet Officer and as a son. The success of this episode isn’t down to the busy script or polished direction (although both help) but down to Nimoy’s distinguished turn in the role.

Production – Again I have nothing but praise for the work of those who have given these TOS episodes a little spit and polish, making the picture quality as crisp as it can possibly be and working in unobtrusive but visually stunning new special effects. The shuttle coming in to land on the Enterprise’s hangar deck does so with an appropriate sense of dignitary importance now.

This being TOS there are a number of amusing and imaginative aliens on display. Perhaps its easy to mock the lengths that this series went to to be exotic but it is certainly more creative than some of the latter series. Where else would you see a dwarf painted gold wearing a tea cosy on his head, hairy pig like creatures with trotters for hands or blue aliens with antennae that wiggle when they get excited. That two of these would turn up again on Enterprise many decades later when special effects have come on in leaps and bounds and yet they still look exactly the same just goes to show the level of respect The Original Series garners.

Best moment – Spock’s confrontation with his mother might be a little overwrought but the scene has a real charge to it because you can fully understand Spock’s position and his mothers, despite the fact they have opposing viewpoints. There is no right answer and that makes for great drama.

The climax on the Bridge with the lights down and the fake Andorian revealed is a marvellous set piece, atmospheric and full of wonderful Kirk bluff.

Worst moment – The fight between Kirk and the Andorian is hilariously staged. He has about thirteen good moments where he could have stabbed the good Captain to death and yet fails to avail himself of them. The music goes crazy in that scene too, so much so I had turn down my speakers in fear of losing my hearing. It’s all a bit much.

A reason to watch this episode again – Politics, murder and backstabbing abound in this colourful and characterful episode. It’s high drama all the way as Spock is reunited with his parents and has to face up to responsibilities both to Starfleet and to them and at times the two simply do not reconcile. DC Fontana has written a plot heavy script with loads going on and in an ideal world this would be a two-part story to allow some of the threads time to breathe but the flipside is that is this is a really fast paced piece and that is a rare beast on TOS. Nimoy excels, as do the actors who play his parents and it is further proof that it is great acting that provides the ultimate shine on television.

**** out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode:

Harry Houdini’s War written by Steve Lyons and directed by Ken Bentley

What’s it About: The world is at war, and Harry Houdini wants to fight for his adoptive country. He might get the chance, when an old friend crashes his New York show. The Doctor is on the trail of a Central Powers spy ring, which has somehow acquired unearthly technology. But he is also keeping a dangerous secret… Finding himself on the run behind enemy lines, the world’s greatest escape artist has to work out who he can trust – and fast.

Softer Six: Listen as the Doctor makes his way through the New York crowd; deftly avoiding women in uncompromising positions, elephants and men screaming abuse. Colin Baker is a dab hand at this audio lark by now and effortlessly commands attention even when he is wandering a crowd on his own. He tries to tell Houdini that he is not exactly breaking the laws of time but he is breaking them a little…but Houdini can finish the sentence for him because he’s heard it all before. He’s still handy with Venusian Akido but he forgoes the ‘Haaaaaaai!’ these days. He came prepared to save Peri, bringing Houdini along with him to engineer an escape…or so it seems. The cliff-hanger to episode one comes as a total surprise as the Doctor exposes Houdini and reveals it was his intention to deliver him all along. Why would the Doctor be helping the Nazi’s to win the greatest war the world has ever seen? I mean we all knew that Sixie could be a bit of a bastard, but this? Listening to him sharing drinks with a fascist is a discomforting experience. Houdini has known many Doctors with many different faces but he trusted all the others…this time he wonders if the change went wrong and he is on the wrong side of the moral scale. If he kept to his own business, he would have far fewer books backed up to read. When the Doctor is told to keep his voice down because a Brit is hardly welcome in wartime Berlin, he boldly states that he can fit in anywhere. The Doctor touts statistics to hurt, he states that he finds the 37 million lost during the Great War a very significant number. I love the idea that the Doctor might travel the universe with his two friends ‘Peri and Harry.’ The Doctor tells a German officer that he is losing a world war and threatens that if he makes an enemy of him then he can take that war to an inter-planetary scale.

Busty Babe: Do you know what the difference between Nicola Bryant on television and audio is? She’s so much more confident as a performer these days. There was a nervousness to her performance when she was on TV, which happily sprung naturally from the character who was trying to escape the clutches of the Doctor’s hands around her throat and all kinds of alien nasties that wanted to either experiment on her or make her their wife. Big Finish delivers a more rounded, in control Peri and Nicola Bryant delivers a far more self-assured and charismatic performance. It comes as no surprise to me that what was considered something of a poison chalice on television (this relationship of Doctor and companion) is now celebrated on audio. Houdini knows the Doctor of old and he usually has a beautiful girl alongside them. Peri is impressed by Houdini’s escape efforts and she’s not sure why she is surprised. Usually she is stuck in a cell for hours on her own pondering her life choices. How nice for her to be able to spring free with one of the greatest escape artists of all time. Even Peri is questioning the Doctor’s choices in this one, in a time long after she has come to terms with his erratic personality. She seems to veer from one dangerous situation to the next no matter who she is travelling with. If she thought she was going to be safe with Houdini, she’s very much mistaken as he takes to the air in a by-plane and gives her the ride of her life. Her eyes are shut the whole time. On the back of this she is almost tortured for information. It’s no wonder she spends most of episode three in a hysterical state. Peri gets a far more impressive slice of the pie these days whilst still being recognisably still Peri. I loved how incrementally Bryant’s performance shifts in the latter half of the story to the point where you realise this isn’t confidence on Peri’s part but there is something very wrong with her.

Harry Houdini: Part time entertainer, part time spy; we’ve heard an awful lot about Harry Houdini and it is a good thing that thanks to John Schwab’s brilliant performance that he does not disappoint. He has been assisting and teaching the Doctor the art of getting out of a tight fix for centuries and when a man turns up on at his show demanding help in a ridiculous coat and with a bad attitude, he knows exactly who it is (‘Who else?’). He goes along with the Doctor’s fools’ errand because of his loyalty to their friendship. His water torture chamber is aptly named and he’s never had to sneak out of one of his own shows before. The modern-day audience is too smart for its own good and cannot just enjoy the show anymore (there’s a lesson to be learnt there, I’m sure). He asks if it is another alien invasion, so he has certainly helped to save the Earth with previous (or post) Doctors before. He mentions the Ovid, the Kleptons and the Selachians. Listen as Houdini tries to figure out what the sinister plot is with only the Doctor testing a tuning fork as his only clue – he’s written as an incredibly smart man. He’s not above knocking out a woman if his life is in danger but he is very apologetic about it. Once the Doctor fesses up his plan, Harry wonders how the Doctor could possibly think he could put him in a trap and expect not to try and wriggle his way out. He finally gets to ride in the TARDIS and he sleeps through the whole thing.

Standout Performance: John Scwab has the biggest amount of work here because the story is ostensibly his story. The Doctor is there as his assistant, then his enemy, and then the story considers how he might have mis-appraised him. Putting a character directly opposed to the Doctor should make him the villain of the piece but quite the contrary, Schwab’s Houdini is absolutely the hero.

Sparkling Dialogue: ‘I’m sure there’s much to be gleaned from a detailed inspection of this mans smalls.’
‘I suppose it never occurred to you that your enemy might not be mine.’
‘You’re supposed to ask Doctor Who?’

Great Ideas: There was a recent, rather enjoyable comic strip, featuring the 12th Doctor meeting Houdini and I am pleased to say that thanks to Houdini’s recognition of the Doctor, that this does not contradict that at all. A trans dimensional gateway to where? Punching holes in the universe is rarely neat. Houdini’s magic is so spectacular that the Germans believe that he has harnessed the same inter-dimensional technology that they have and is performing his show using it. The Germans are looking to make the gateways the ultimate weapon, using the portals as a means of swallowing a city whole. London or New York could be wiped off the map in seconds. The Astrarti vessel collided with the TARDIS and ended up on Earth. The pilot clung onto the TARDIS in the vortex and borrowed a reassuring form from his recent memories – Peri! The Doctor has merely been trying to get a stranded alien home.

Audio Landscape: There’s an action sequence in a by-plane that is brought to life with absolute clarity and real excitement. That’s no mean feat on audio.

Musical Cues: A fantastic musical score courtesy of Joe Meiners. Playful, evocative and atmospheric.

Isn’t it Odd: As usual with the main range, this story could easily have an episode lopped off without doing too much damage to the plot. I wasn’t too enamoured with the aliens turning up at the climax to make the whole piece easily solvable. The Peri is the villain bit has been done before, and a lot more effectively. Lyons has a bit of an obsession with Germans in Doctor Who, but this story lacks a definitive figure from their ranks to stand out. There’s no Klein here.

Standout Scene: The first cliff-hanger forces the narrative to lurch in a completely different direction. The story is bouncing along amiably enough as a light spy thriller before pitching headfirst into science fiction and a grand scheme to bring germans onto American soil via a dimensional gateway. What the hell is going on? And why is the Doctor complicit in this? I also love the scene where the Doctor drops Harry home before he ever picked him up; it makes this entire adventure something that technically didn’t happen from people’s perspective in the show he is putting on at the beginning but it has been a life changer for Houdini. He wants more and the Doctor tells him he can count on it. Delightful.

Result: A huge surprise from the main range after a wealth of crud; Harry Houdini’s War was charming, amusing, exciting and effortless to listen to. The first episode is a particular delight; highlighting the Houdini/Doctor relationship beautifully and leading up to a terrific cliffhanger that pulls the rug from under the audience and the protagonist. This is the Steve Lyons of The Fires of Vulcan not Warlock’s Cross. The characters are lively and memorable and the story is extremely well paced, never staying still for too long but long enough to learn some interesting things about Houdini. John Schwab is an excellent choice to bring the great man alive; absolutely convinced of his own intelligence and ability but still caught up and surprised by the machinations of the plot. His relationship with both the Doctor and Peri is a joy to behold and I punched the air at the point where he was in the most danger and he laughed his head off saying this is the life he’d always dreamed of. If you find Colin Baker’s Doctor a little too meek of late then this might be the story for you. He’s living the dream as the anti-hero; cavorting with Germans in wartime, betraying his friends and by all accounts turning the tide of the war in the wrong direction. If ultimately the uncovering of the Germans' plans or the Doctor’s intentions isn’t too revelatory, the journey getting there is at least a huge dollop of fun. The three main characters get all the best material and Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant don’t disappoint. If you’re a fan of this pair, you’re in for a treat. This is far more Houdini’s story than the Doctor’s and that puts a whole new slant on the celebrity historical. For the most part, the Doctor is the villain of the piece. Harry Houdini’s War won’t change your world…but it is a rollicking good time: 8/10

DS9 – Past Tense Part I

Plot – You better be very sure of what you are doing if you are going to borrow your plot device from City on the Edge of Forever. What could possibly be so dramatic that occurred in the past that wiped the Federation and Starfleet out of existence? It’s one of two stories in the entire canon of Trek where the stakes are this high.

I like the fact that this isn’t just a fully realised world in terms of production and performance but that the script is full of slang that is indigenous to this time period and our regulars have to try an negotiate it in order to fit in here. Drones, ghosts, logo, gimmes. It’s a world building of the highest order because for the most part you have to pay attention and keep up.

‘Just people…without jobs or places to live…’ Past Tense might have been made in the mid-90s but it is more relevant today than ever as we talk about segregating the rich and the poor more than ever and trying to tidy away poverty so those who have everything aren’t offended by the sight of those who have nothing. The lessons that Past Tense push it pushes pretty hard (and sometimes a little awkwardly because of that – nobody likes a moral lesson shoved down their throat) but what it is saying is hugely pertinent and worth paying attention to. This isn’t an oppressive regime, it’s a society that has forgotten how to care for those who have nothing.

What we have here is akin to those Doctor Who stories where they drop in on a famous historical event with all the horrific foreknowledge of what is to come and having to deal with the inevitable horror of being personally involved in the action. It’s a tried and tested storytelling device and it works perfectly here, Sisko having thorough knowledge of the Bell riots and Gabriel Bell’s part to play in keeping people alive. I love the fact that the cliff-hanger isn’t a moment of jeopardy (that would be such an obvious place to end it) but the moment Sisko takes on Bell’s identity and the entire plot pivots in a new direction, offering an enticing way in to the second episode.

Dax spending time amongst the privileged makes you wonder who is worse off in this time period. Sisko and Bashir might be living rough but they are free to be individuals. Dax is surrounded by opinionated, advantaged Nazis who look down on those less fortunate than themselves and have to suffer the indignity of having to cancel a skiing trip because of protests. It’s not subtle but it is strikingly presented. ‘I thought they stop doing that?’ ‘Why would they? It’s the only way to keep those people off the streets…’

Character – We never get to meet ‘Droner’ Draxman but the way the O’Brien ducks out of dinner with him and Kira and Odo find excuses of their own to avoid his company it’s a shame we never do. It could have been a running gag. Do as you’re told or you will be forced to into a social engagement with Droner Draxman.

This is more like an episode of Enterprise, focussing on the human characters rather than the alien ones. I’d suggest this is a watershed moment for both Sisko and Bashir, the point where they go from being interesting characters to ones who truly drive stories and perpetuate development. It takes a story with this much dramatic potential to drop them in the middle of to show the exciting possibilities they offer as characters.

Bashir is still idealistic and full of arrogant privilege and so to be dumped in a shelter for homeless people and surrounded by so much poverty, disease and emotional instability is like stepping into hell. He’s a Doctor so not being able to wave a magic wand and make everything better for these people doesn’t sit at all well with him. Sisko and Bashir together don’t get an incredible amount of focus over the years (although there are some real individual standout moments in episodes such as Honor Amongst Thieves and In the Pale Moonlight) and this is the show they get the most time together. How fortunate it is such a compelling one. On a note of complete shallowness, how good does Bashir look when he gets out of that uniform and into some normal clothes?

Across the two episodes it is Vin who impressive me the most because his character goes on the most interesting journey. When we meet him he is a grizzled old worker who has accepted the system for the way it is and has no qualms with pushing people about and tucking them away in a Sanctuary District in order to pick up extra overtime. He’s such a cynical character because he has forgotten how to care or why this system is wrong. It’s not until he sees the place explode around him that the scales fall from his eyes and he sees that people are truly suffering and need some muscle to help give them a voice.

Production – The Paramount back lot has been transformed into many different locations over the years but I think I can say with some confidence that the Sanctuary District is the most compelling and realistic of them all. It’s the little details that help to build up such an impressive picture; the people staring hauntingly out of the windows, the dirty washing hanging on the line, tepees made out of rubbish, children playing hopscotch around bins on fire, the hideous bureaucratic nightmare that Sisko and Bashir suffer to simply get processed, muscle in the doorway of the buildings to protect the families they have made in the District, the spotlights tearing through the night.

Dax, hair bunched up and squeezed into a trouser suit, looks stunning.

Interestingly, in this setting the violence is so much more pronounced and graphic. I winced at the punches that Sisko was delivering and Bell being stabbed is truly horrific.

I wish they hadn’t done that – There’s a wealth of technobabble to explain how Commander Sisko and company were beamed back in time where I understood the words they were putting together but couldn’t fathom for the life of me what they were trying to say. Something about the cloaking device and the transporters. In future time travel episodes on this show they literally just say it happened ‘because’ (Trials and Tribble-ations, Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night) and that is a sign of a show that has matured into its own entity and has left all the Star Trek trappings behind.

A reason to watch this episode again – Justly renowned, Past Tense is only held back by the fact that it is so obviously mid-90s TV and that screams from every frame but if you can get over the fact that this was made twenty years ago you have an intelligent, powerful, dramatic episode to watch which leaps straight out of the Star Trek comfort zone and goes straight for the blood of a society that is starting to turn its back on those in trouble. The technobabble and time travel are just trappings, the real meat is the intense world building and social commentary. It’s not often that I enjoy being lectured at by television but Past Tense has something to say that people really need to start listening to. Things aren’t getting better when it comes to poverty and the point about caring rather than forgetting is more important than ever.

****1/2 out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode:

ENT – Home

Plot – ‘If we weren’t out there stirring up trouble, 7 million people might still be alive’ What a fascinating statement for Enterprise to make, especially when it started with such typical Roddenberry ideals. Then 9/11 hit and it started looking at this universe in a completely different way. Whilst Star Trek will always promote the positive side of space exploration, it is great that the least gutsy incarnation of the show asks one of the darkest questions about the consequences of boldly going where no man has gone before.

The opening scenes (despite some ropey CGI that hasn’t aged as well as it might) features the crew of Enterprise arriving on Earth to a hero’s welcome after a season away and having saved the planet from annihilation in the meantime. How nice to see a crew actually getting some serious recognition after the work they have done and the effort they have been to to save anybody. It’s easy to forget how bold it was to take the series away from all the usual Alpha Quadrant locations for an entire season and to have an extended arc play out across 26 episodes. It’s Enterprise’s greatest achievement and so should be congratulated here. I wish they had spent a little more money on the shot of Archer addressing the crowd, however. It takes you out of the moment to be quite that away of how badly he has been superimposed onto a CGI backdrop.

This is not an entirely original conceit since TNG did a similar thing after the events of The Best of Both Worlds with Family but I would say taking a breath to catch up with all of these characters in familiar territory is the perfect decision at this point in the show. The difference between the two is quite obvious; this is more necessary than Family (which offered upheaval but only for two episodes and not twenty-seven) but the characters in TNG are far more vivid and so the material is far more affecting. It’s still a very worthwhile exercise and I think they pull it off with a relative amount of style, it’s just not quite as gripping as it’s progenitor.

How interesting for the Xindi attack to cause an element of xenophobia on Earth and what a very post 9/11 stance for the show to take. I would say that DS9 handled this same theme far more effectively in Homefront/Paradise Lost when the threat of a Dominion attack left people in high places paranoid and making poor choices to do what they think they need to do to protect the Earth. This is racism, plain and simple and it’s ugly and bare. For Star Trek, it’s new territory and it’s handled perhaps a little too violently. You can make a point without ramming it down the audience throat. I’m pleased this is a thread that isn’t forgotten though. It becomes the ultimate mission statement for the series in the final two parter at the end of this season. That hate is unnecessary and that we can all get along if we work together and explore our differences in a positive way. It’s what leads to the United Federation of Planets and everything they stand for. ‘People are looking for someone to blame and they don’t care who it is’ is not the most sophisticated of writing but it does reveal something ugly about humanity that is worth exposing. The prejudice extends to the Vulcan plotline with some aspersions being cast on human society by T’Pol’s mother.

Character – The cutest idea on offer is T’Pol bringing Trip home to meet the folks. His smile at the offer she makes to take him to Vulcan speaks volumes and I love how instantly unwelcome her mother makes him feel whilst still extending courtesy. It has all the hallmarks of a daytime soap when T’Pol’s former fiancé is brought into the equation and she has to deal with the fallout of that decision and try and figure out what her relationship with Tucker is. T’Pol learns that because of her actions and her absence that her mother has taken the fall for her ‘criminal’ actions. The Vulcans might want to appear to be a superior race but they as capable of injustice, of corruption and of acting out as anybody else. They just hide it behind meditation and smiles. The ending of this story is dramatically unsatisfying but in a way that makes perfect sense. Sometimes you have to put your feelings aside and do what is right. T’Pol and Trip are made for each other, anyone can see that but in order to do what is best for her family she decides to go through the wedding. There’s so much more to be said here and it is only a matter of time.

Phlox taking more luggage with him than the vainest of women feels perfectly in character and I love how some of them are chirruping and barking.

Archer is a complex character, for sure. I’m not sure he’s never particularly likable, which is problematic but at least he is flawed in a way that is worth talking about rather than just an empty douchebag. He’s trying to hide away from all the hero worship and adoration being thrown his way because he feels that he has failed his mission to the 30 odd officers who didn’t come back from the Delphic Expanse. He feels he lost something in the Expanse, the explorer that he used to be and when he sees eager young captains waiting in the wings now he only sees naïve youngsters waiting to learn the same lessons as he has.

Production – I know how much I hate the title music by how quickly and desperately I scramble for my mouse to skip the intro on Netflix. All the others shows and I have to debate whether to let the titles play through (because I like them all to varying degrees) but with Enterprise it is a definite skip with as much haste as possible.

With a manifest of locations to bring to life, Allan Kroeker does a fine job of making Home feel ambitious in scope. Detailed sets and lighting add a touch of authenticism to Vulcan and beautiful location work makes Archer and Hernandez’s jolly mountaineering a visually stunning experience.

Best moment – I don’t recall ever seeing first hand a new starship being built around characters talking. It’s an intriguing peek at what happens behind the scenes before these shups look all shiny and new. I also really like the board of officials who ask questions about some of the decisions that Archer made in the Delphic Expanse. We often hear about potential consequences to breaking the rules back in Starfleet Command but rarely get to see it close up like this. It exposes the one of my least favourite aspects of Archer’s character (his blazing anger when it comes to the cold logic of Vulcans questioning his command) but in this case he is entirely justified in losing his cool. Season three saw him face some impossible choices and acquit himself well, even if the results weren’t always pretty. He deserves praise for navigating through some of those situations and not criticism of his leadership abilities.

Phlox’s face puff. Now that’s just cool. I wish he had call to do that more often.

A reason to watch this episode again – Home is a delicately balanced character episode that juggles consequences from the previous season and sets up themes for the year ahead whilst also exploring the most interesting characters on this show coming home. It’s telling that Hoshi, Mayweather and Reed get nothing to do this week, while Trip, T’Pol, Archer and Phlox all get a wealth of examination. If Enterprise had started with characterisation this constructive, imagine where it would have been in season four? I was impressed by much of the material, even though I could see that it wasn’t as good as the best character tales of all the other Trek series in the franchise. Archer has never been more approachable as he is wrapped in self-doubt, T’Pol realises the consequences of her actions on board Enterprise and Phlox learns that Earth might not be the safest place for aliens anymore. This is all healthy material for this show.

**** out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode: 

VOY – Memorial

Plot – It’s one of the few Star Trek stories that was initiated by somebody who has a presence in the world of Doctor Who, in this case James Swallow. It’s a very well-structured episode; presenting a disturbing off kilter effect on various crewmembers, exploring the content of those visions, dealing with the psychological ramifications, piecing together the mystery and then shifting location to where the horror took place. Burger has written a strong teleplay, one that has a constant sense of momentum and feels like a picture that is coming together. That picture isn’t complete until the climax where a choice has to be made, which adds the sort of dilemma that Trek excels at. It finishes the episode on an uneasy and yet satisfying note. Ultimately it all makes perfect sense but you have to watch the whole thing to get there. I especially like that the Voyager crew have to live with the memories of the massacre even if they choose to shut down the beacon. These adventures should have lasting effects and my one regret is that we don’t see any further consequences down the line. Voyager’s sixth season veered from the ridiculous to the sublime but the best episodes featured some of the best concepts the show ever put out. Memorial is one such episode.

Character – You have to wonder what Torres sees in Paris sometimes when he would rather watch an old cartoon than fall into bed with her after being away for two weeks. If I had had two weeks away from my beau, watching television would not be my first priority.

The regulars on this show are always so happy go lucky that to see them deprived of sleep, behaving irrationally, sweating and panicking is quite an experience. Ensign Eager (I mean Kim) is suffering anxiety in enclosed spaces, Neelix is snappy and quick to react with an enormous meat cleaver, Chakotay is dirty and panicked (also very handsome when roughed up a bit) and Paris struggles with the psychological intensity of what has been poured into his brain. This is a rare Voyager ensemble show in the latter seasons, where the show enjoyed focusing on one or two characters (usually the same one or two characters at that) and it’s nice to see everyone getting a fair share of the action.

Performance – What’s interesting is that Memorial exposes those who have the real acting chops on Voyager, and those who try and attack this kind of psychological exercise and don’t make the grade. Kate Mulgrew is as terrific as you might imagine, and Robert Beltran and even Garrett Wang show some aptitude for this kind of drama. Ethan Phillips struggles to convince and Robert Duncan McNeill has always had difficulty acting intense emotion and things are no different here. It’s a regular cast of variable ability on Voyager and it’s when they are delivered powerful material that that is most exposed. It’s the scene in the conference room that sticks out the most, some of the actors delivering the exposition off camera and haunted and others merely shouting and shouting unconvincingly. What’s really interesting is that of all the strongest performers on this show (Mulgrew, Ryan and Picardo) only one of them gets to indulge in the murkier material and even then only for a few scenes. This is an interesting exercise in giving the other actors a chance, even if this would have been a much stronger episode if the best actors on this show had been afforded the challenging roles.

Production – The teaser is very nicely handled in how it all starts out so normally and soon takes on all the insidious signs of a nightmare. The transition between Tom Paris watching a conflict on television to actually appearing in the fight itself is very effectively directed and I love the simplicity of the flashes on his face that plant him straight in the action. Those scenes are so dark I would have gone the whole hog and filmed them in black and white.

How vivid is the reveal of the obelisk? Voyager features quite a prolific amount of location work for a Star Trek show but it is rarely used as successfully as it is here.

Huge kudos to David Bell who provides an unusually brooding score which never threatens to overwhelm the atmosphere but works with the direction of the episode to create a constant sense of unease.

Best moment – In a way it is a shame that the flashbacks to the Nakan massacre are a conflict that the Voyager crew never truly participated in because these are some of the most intense and visceral action sequences that the show ever presented. There’s a chaotic and intensity to the fight scenes that Voyager rarely attempts, it feels ugly and desperate. Very un-Trek which is precisely how I like it.

There’s a sweet moment between Seven and Neelix where she tries to comfort him. Voyager can really sneak up on you with moments that melt your heart like this.

Worst moment – Too much shouting. Histrionics rarely impress me unless they are being delivered by extremely capable actors and Duncan McNeill and Phillips in particular really struggle to suggest the disturbing consequences of PTSD and instead just make a lot of noisy commotion. They make for some awkward scenes.

I wish they hadn’t done that – There is something very telling about the idea of a four-man away mission that has gone wrong and everybody is desperate to get back to floating hotel in space that is Voyager to enjoy its luxurious comforts again. This really should not be the case. In fact, dramatically, if this show was utilising its premise it should be precisely the opposite.

A reason to watch this episode again – I admire the bravery of any episode of Star Trek that depicts the massacre of men, women and children so boldly, even if it did happen long in the past. I wish there were more Voyager episodes with this kind of psychological intensity because it is challenging viewing and it exposes the acting chops of some of the regular cast. Garret Wang in particular responds well to this dark material and it makes me long for Harry to suffer psychologically on a regular basis. Allan Kroeker is precisely the sort of risky director to attack this kind of story because he refuses to shy away from the truth of war and murder and the disturbing mental side effects of going through that kind of nightmare. What I find funny is how I long for Voyager to have disturbing moments like this because it is usually such a happy go lucky show. It’s the opposite of the DS9 effect. I long for that show to have laughs and light relief because it spends so much of its time exploring dark themes. Memorial stands out as a particularly memorable episode of the last two years of Voyager, very Star Trek in its ideology and very un-Star Trek in its presentation.

**** out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode:

Nikolai Tesla’s Night of Terror written by Nina Metivier and directed by Nida Manzoor

Oh Brilliant: It’s time for all those crusty old men who can’t bear a woman in the role to switch off right at the beginning of this review because once again I found Jodie Whittaker a delight in this episode. It was packed full of those ‘moments of charm’ that Pertwee was always talking about but they feel a million times less forced than they did at moments in the previous year. Whittaker is so comfortable in the role now and has overcome all of those first year nerves and slapping her down in the middle of a celebrity historical where she gets to not only engage with two important figures from history but actually form a relationship with both them in some expertly written dialogue scenes is wonderful to watch. I love how she enters the story, whilst it is already in full swing, looking daft as hell and sniffing out trouble. I love how Tesla takes a careful step between the two trains carts and the Doctor leaps from one to the other as though she has been appearing in action movies her entire life. Is she always this impertinent? Her companions chime ‘yes.’ The Doctor/Tesla scenes are as important as the Doctor/Stevenson ones in Mark of the Rani, sometimes completely away from the action the Doctor engaging with a historical figure that she/he greatly admires. It put a huge smile on my face. Luckily high-speed inventing is one of her specialisms. Her confidence is at all time high; walking straight up to Edison and demanding answers, saving Tesla’s life and marching onto the Skithra ship and firing one liners like she is a stand-up comedian. I love her pure self-belief, she wont panic until she has a very good reason to do so.

Graham: He’s just having a whale of time on these adventures these days. Does a companion need to have a specific arc to make them relevant in the series? In the new series it would seem so but it in the classic series it was never a priority. If a character is really fun to spend time with and gets lovely moments and is simply there because he loves the adventure what on earth is wrong with that? When did making them part of the fabric of the season become a priority? Shakes fist at RTD (but then puts it down because he handled that sort of stuff so well). Do I want to see Graham get juicier material? Sure. Am I happy with his contributions at the moment? Absolutely. Walsh brings huge personality to the show.

Yaz: Hold the phone was there an entire subplot where Yaz was given something substantial to do? It can be done! And it should be done more often because Mandip Gill once again proves what she can bring to the show beyond enthusiasm. Pairing her up with Tesla was a great idea because she gets to show everything that she has learnt from the Doctor and from her time in the police. It’s naive but sweet how Yaz thinks that because of their intervention that Tesla’s life will change for the better. It’s exactly the same lesson that Amy Pond learnt in the Van Gogh episode.

Ryan: Ryan’s dyspraxia is remembered for half a millisecond on the train but in all honesty, I thought this had been chipped off by Chibnall. He’s done much more dangerous stunts in the previous couple of episodes. Is it a thing that Ryan and Graham have to have one moment of joy in every episode because the death ray moment had me howling with laughter.

Tesla: Once again the Chibnall era is shining a light on the lesser known figures from history, something that RTD and Moffat shied away from because they wanted their historical episodes to feature celebrities. What an extraordinary performance by Goran Visnjic, who wanders into this show as though he owns it but with incredible grace and charisma. I knew next to nothing about Tesla and given his importance to history it is a strange anomaly that he hasn’t been featured on Doctor Who yet. How the story chooses to follow his narrative throughout means this is a singularly unique experience. There are some clever parallels between him and the Doctor; he’s a bit too quick to admit some very quirky things with a straight face, he’s an inventor, he makes ridiculous demands…and those are all revealed in the first scene. It means when they eventually meet that Tesla and the Doctor are made for each other. I genuinely had no idea of the depth and breadth of Tesla’s imagination and how many of the things we take for granted he conjured up at the beginning of the previous century. That was where this episode was a revelation and it is summed up beautifully by the Doctor by making parallels with equipment and devices that we use every day. I would really love to learn more about Tesla and Doctor Who hasn’t done that to me in a long time, but it is something that the historicals do very well. Inspire you to learn. What is both brilliant and perfectly unjust is how Tesla is obviously bound for greatness, that his creative notions are bound for success. But he dies penniless and unrecognised in this time and the episode refuses to shy away from that. He has this extraordinary adventure with the Doctor and you would think that would turn everything around for him but his life is still set on the same course. Like the Doctor said in The Aztecs; they can observe but not interfere. The sad truth is that the most recognition he would get is from the Skithra, who choose him out of everybody else on the planet to fix their problem. It’s not everything he deserved but it is something.

Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Perhaps ai will achieve nothing but If I achieve anything, it will be in the name of progress.’
‘When you die, there’ll be nothing left behind. Just a trial of blood and other people’s brilliance. No-one will even know you existed.’
‘Have you ever seen a dead planet?’

The Good: Niagara Falls? Are you kidding me? Is there nothing that this show cannot realise anymore? I’ll tell you what this feels like…it feels like the budget for two seasons has been allocated to this year and that was what the wait was all about. I seriously thought after Spyfall that there would be some penny pinching because that looked so expensive but there is no sign of that in the first four episodes of the season. What is it about Doctor Who on trains that I simply adore? Black Orchid, Eater of Wasps, The Nowhere Place, Mummy on the Orient Express, Flatline…I don’t think it is just a blokey thing to love trains but I get a giddy thrill every time it happens. The fact that this where they drop the shows latest super creepy villain in a deftly filmed action sequence makes it even better. I love the simplicity of the look of these bad guys; bowler hats, glowing red eyes and mouths that can distort into a parody of a scream. How New York is described as ‘more people getting rich quick and more poor people than ever before’ is a beautiful summation of the time. You have to be succinct in 50 minutes to set the scene and Manzoor has the Holmes/RTD ability to conjure up a location vividly with very few words. Robert Gelnnister in his second Doctor Who appearance makes just as much of an impact as his first. Edison isn’t a one-note rival of Tesla’s but a fully realised character in his own right. He’s capable of showing terrific growth within these 50 minutes whilst maintaining his gruff personality. My partner rarely comments on anything during Doctor Who but during this episode he physically recoiled at the introduction of the Skithra (he has quite bad arachnophobia so these are definitely not the monsters for him!) and also how impressed he was by Anjili Mohindra’s performance as the Queen. Not an easy part to play without going into Racnoss over the topness and yet she manages to make this part quite dignified whilst ticking all the boxes of a good, snarling Doctor Who villain. Even Skerrit’s little dialogue with Ryan shows how a character’s background can be sketched in with remarkable brevity – the absence is the sort of stuff that would irritated me in Moffat’s era. You can give characters a motive and some texture without stalling the plot. There’s a definitive feeling of momentum as all the pieces of the plot come together and all of regulars (and historical figures) pool their resources to bring down the Tesla. All the elements of the plot cohere beautifully and there is a feeling of optimism in the air. I was enchanted. Even more embarrassingly, I was screaming with excitement when the Skithra attacked the streets of New York. Fuck me, this season has kicked ass with its alien action. And isn’t great how the Skithra squabble and fight amongst themselves as they attack? Like they are all desperate children hungry for the feast. The blue TARDIS interior. Bestill my heart.

The Bad: The only real negative I can see is that Doctor Who has done the Skithra before in the Racnoss (the make up is strikingly similar) and the spider aliens in Kill the Moon and the idea that aliens beg, borrow and steal was handled in School Reunion. Nothing about the Skithra is particularly original but then this episode isn’t really about them. It’s not their story we are following, it’s Tesla’s. The monsters are just there so we can learn more about him. Oh and it steals its ending from Horror of Fang Rock.

The Shallow Bit: How gorgeous does everybody look in their Regency finery? It’s Yaz who stands out the most because whilst the boys look very dapper it feels like she has had the most striking transformation. Last year the time travellers simply walked around history in their usual clothes – why would you do that? Tesla is a little bit handsome, isn’t he? I would never usually go for a guy with just a moustache (it’s a thing) but there is something about his magnetism and intelligence that draws me to him.

Result: Series 12 is shaping up very nicely indeed. It’s four for four as far as I’m concerned (with some caveats for Orphan 55). Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror strikes me as exactly what season 11 needed in this slot; a terrifically entertaining character tale with great monsters, plenty of action and chance for Jodie Whittaker to show off what she can do. The fact that we are waiting a whole year later is a shame but the simple fact of the matter is that in her second year Doctor Who feels confident and stylish and is unapologetically mixing historical figures with monsters with great results. This is a history lesson couched in an action movie set during the Regency period…and that is a pitch that pretty much any series would die for. Tesla is a remarkably vivid character, expertly played and written with enough detail so you feel as if you have learnt a lot about him but with no time to sketch him in terrific depth so you can pop off to the land of the internet and find out more. Doctor Who at its best inspires you to ask questions and to discover, whilst entertaining you at the same time. The monsters are generic but outstandingly realised and the action at the climax quite took my breath away. Tesla is a great example of what the show is doing so well this season; fully realised locations, a great sense of fun, surprises, terrific action and a brilliantly written Doctor. A story written by a woman and directed by a woman (both new names to the series – huzzah!) and featuring a woman in the main role…it’s about damn time and the results are a glorious piece of Doctor Who that feels utterly traditional but trendy and smart at the same time: 8/10

TNG - The Icarus Factor

Plot – Let’s meet the family is a sub-genre of Trek that crops up every so often on each of the shows and gives us a brief glimpse into the childhood and domestic life of our regulars away from their work. Even Trek shows where you might think that would be impossible (like Voyager, where most family are exposed via dreams, flashbacks, etc) indulge.

Character – I’m pleased that Riker is offered the Captain’s chair this early in his run because he has already proven to have all the leadership qualities necessary to run his own Ship. By the end of the seven-year run it seems absurd that he is still the First Officer on the Enterprise when the Captain’s chair is pulled out for him on so many occasions. I would have really liked to have gotten under his skin and found out why he was avoiding Command. It’s touched upon in The Best of Both Worlds but never really brought up again. However, forcing him to have a long hard look at his career in season two is a fantastic opportunity to spotlight the character and see how far he has come in such a short space of time. The Riker of season one was a bit one-note and something of a womanising career officer. In season two he is much more relaxed, looks far less officious and has a much more interesting relationship with the crew (especially Picard who he has developed a lovely rapport with). Speaking as somebody who has his own daddy issues, I can entirely empathise with Riker in this episode. I wouldn’t want my dad turning up at my work, hanging out with my friends and casting opinions on my career options either. If I had a chance to knock seven shades of hell out of him in a safe setting I would do it also. In true style Riker finds that he cannot admit his feelings until he is doing something truly stupid and aggressive and finally gets a chance to tell his father that he wishes he had died instead of his mother during their fight together. There’s a suggestion that Will might have only made it because his father challenged him so much. That his ambition has been fuelled for his desire to please the man. And he hates him for that. It’s a very well-reasoned character journey he goes on.

Ahh Pulaski. I know Diana Muldaur’s experience on the show wasn’t an altogether pleasant one but I really like this argumentative character because she is so different from the norm on the Enterprise. She adds an extra level of spice to a show that is far too nicey nice at times. The first time we see her in this episode she is propping up the bar, clutching a drink and walks straight up to Riker’s dad and snogs his face off. She’s not your typical TNG character, for sure. I love an older female character who completely knows who she is and just goes for it. She cuts off Kyle when he tries to flirt with her and admits that she has been married three times. What a babe. She is willing to prescribe all the drugs in the world to make someone better but nothing works better than Pulaski’s Chicken Soup.

Wesley is sweet for wanting to help out a moody Worf but he’s a little too saccharine at times. Wil Wheaton doesn’t seem entirely comfortable in that stiff uniform and has trouble looking natural in some scenes.

There’s a lovely moment between Troi and Pulaski when they discuss the daft conflict that the two men they desire are indulging in. I’m not sure if what they are saying about gender stereotypes is accurate, but I like that they admit that men behaving badly is what attracts them to them so much.

Performance – Mitchell Ryan doesn’t disappoint as Riker’s father, a tough performance to give because he has to convincing portray a man that created somebody as testosterone fuelled as William T Riker. It strikes me as very realistic that these two men, who are both proud of each other’s accomplishments, cannot find a way to communicate that to each other. They have a competitive past and neither one of them can get over that. They are pretty similar and neither of them wants to admit it.

Production – Trust the coming of age ceremony for Klingons to involve lots of pain and torture and no cake. The sequence where Worf is observed by his friends revealing his feelings and being tortured is very well directed. It makes me wish they would turn the lights down a bit on the Enterprise because these scenes are far more atmospheric than anything else.

I can’t tell if the anbu-kitsu scene is deeply embarrassing or not. It feels like the actors have cobbled together a game one afternoon that they thought would be a fun idea but in practice the idea of a combat sport where you are blinded actually makes a lot of good sense. The bright red plastic armour on the other hand, is mortifying. And the cod Japanese.

Best moment – Data trying to tell Worf that he is loved is downright hilarious, and Worf’s response even more so (‘Be gone! Sir…’).

Picard and Riker. It’s astonishing to think that these are the same characters that butted heads so awkwardly in Encounter at Farpoint. I love the moment when Picard spells out Riker’s career options; the glamour of being the First Officer of the Enterprise or the chance to be the Captain of a much more insignificant ship that will nevertheless be his. There’s no ego in what Picard is telling him and he is highly complimentary in his assessment of Riker’s abilities. Whilst I am always crying out for more conflict on TNG, the mutual respect between these two is hugely endearing.

Worst moment – Riker does behave a bit like a moony teenager for much of the first half of the episode. I get it. I would be the same. But spending half an episode staring off distance moodily and storming out of rooms does not a First Officer make.

Troi’s very pushy form of counselling that isn’t asked for in the first place is precisely the kind of in your face therapy that people try and avoid. Even if she is saying what is obvious, it takes some nerve to walk up to somebody and openly criticise them.

I wish they hadn’t done that – Riker’s decision is dealt with far too quickly. And the reason he gives too vague. Motivated self-interest? What the hell does that mean?

A reason to watch this episode again – There’s a feeling of a daytime soap about this episode (right down to the corny music) but that doesn’t detract from the fact that The Icarus Factor is a revealing episode, and one that paints in some background for both Riker and Worf effectively. We’re at that point in the second season where the characters are starting to gel rather nicely and while both the script and the performances can be a little mannered at times, both can impress in moments too.

***1/2 out of *****

Clue for tomorrow's episode: