Headings: USS Voyager. USS Voyager Personnel. Bajoran matters/Sources/Star Trek and [Voyager] Continuity/Voyager Personnel. The Maquis/Star Trek and [Voyager] Continuity/Plot nitpick. Continuity. Bloopers. Observations. Nitpicks. Personal. Behind-the-scenes Page

USS Voyager

Tuvok orders a level 5 diagnostic on the sensor logs. That is the lowest level of diagnostic and the quickest. Level 5 is an automated procedure intended for routine use to verify system performance and usually requires less than 2.5 seconds, and is typically performed on most systems on at least a daily basis as well as during crisis situations. See SHIP USS VOYAGER: Computers: Diagnostics

When the computer reports: "Commander Chakotay is in sickbay," Chakotay enters sickbay immediately after the computer says "Chakotay". We can tell that the computer updates its information extremely quickly so that "sickbay" replaces "corridor [designation] in Section 15 Alpha on deck 5". I have surmised what the computer would have said, for we know sickbay's section designation from the layout diagram of part of that section including sickbay, as displayed on a corridor's wall monitor in [#88 Vis à Vis].

The crawlways in the Jefferies tube network are apparently numbered, which is to be expected, as are the hatches. The crawlway that Yosa works in is 114. The hatchway he cannot get the computer to seal is 613 beta.

Level 10 security involves non-essential personnel being assigned to quarters and security teams have been posted on all decks. I believe this is mentioned in [TOS], or at least the action of placing security teams on all decks, but I cannot recall in which episode. Level 10 seems to be the highest level of security as I have not come across higher. The hierarchy of security levels, with 10 being the highest level, is consistent with that of security forcefields as the highest level of security forcefield used on [Voyager] is level 10 e.g. mentioned or appearing in [#76 and #77 Year Of Hell], [#84 Prey], [#119 Warhead], [#138 Ashes To Ashes].

USS Voyager Personnel

Chell is first seen in [#16 Learning Curve], in which he, along with three other Maquis crewmembers, is familiarised with Starfleet protocols and procedures in a concentrated course supervised by Tuvok. (Chell is also a character in the [Voyager]-based role-playing game called Elite Force.) In [Learning Curve] Chell was a Crewman. After almost 7 years on Voyager he is still a Crewman. He is mentioned but not seen in [#158 Lineage] and [#171 and #172 Endgame]. Chell is a Bolian, which accounts for his blue skin. The Bolians are an Alpha Quadrant species, named for Cliff Bole director of [TNG: Conspiracy], the first episode in which the species is seen. Cliff Bole also directed a number of [Voyager] episodes.

Kim has a cousin named Dennis. He also had a friend, Maxwell Soroyan, who was killed by the Maquis several years before; details of that incident are not known as they are not given on tv.

Chakotay, Torres, Chell, Crewman Doyle take part in the dialogue of the Maquis meeting in the messhall. Doyle's name is not mentioned in dialogue, only in the script and in the end credits.

Female Vulcan. See under 'Blooper'.

Paris's interest in Earth's 20th century first manifests itself as an interest in antique vehicles in [#20 The 37's]. The antique car interest plays a part in [#35 Lifesigns] and in [#88 Vis à Vis]. His interest in 20th century Earth generally comes in handy, though his information is not always totally correct, in [#50 and #51 Future's End]. His interest in Earth's early 20th century black-and-white science fiction serials manifests itself in his creation of 'The Adventures Of Captain Proton' holoprogram. In [Repression], Paris creates a holographic theatre, a replica of Chicago's Palace Theater built in 1932. The holo-theatre, which screens old 3D films, has been programmed with help from Ensign Tabor, and comes with 3D glasses, popcorn and soda pop as part of the experience.

When Tuvok walks along the corridor leading to Tabor's private quarters, a crewmember walks past. It is the same crewmember whom Chakotay stuns with a phaser blast in the mutiny which occurs later. See screenshots below:

Sources The spelling of the Bajoran chant in ST: Monthly is Pagh t'em far, B'tanay. In Encyclopaedia the first word or phrase is spelled Pagh'tem'far. The spelling of Anaydis is as per the consensus of sources but one (I forgot to note which) spells the name Anaydus.

Star Trek Continuity

It is established in [TNG: Ensign Ro] that the Bajoran family name is given first, though Ro says that most Bajorans have lapsed in the custom. This would explain why Bajoran crewmember Tal Celes tends to be referred to as Celes e.g. she is mentioned as such in [#162 Workforce, Part One] (she is not seen in that episode).

USS Voyager's crew has at least three Bajorans, namely Ensign Tabor, seen in this episode and the earlier story [#102 Nothing Human], Crewman Gerron (a male) seen in [#16 Learning Curve], and the female Crewman Tal Celes who features in [#140 Good Shepherd] and who is seen briefly in [#145 The Haunting Of Deck 12].

The backstory of the Maquis was deliberately seeded into and greatly expounded upon in [DS9] in order to strengthen the backstory for [Voyager]. That is, it was not that the Maquis story already existed and the writers decided to develop it in [Voyager]. Maquis-related stories also occur in [TNG]. The Maquis was formed of mainly discontent colonists dispossessed by the Federation-Cardassian treaty of 2366 and who felt that the Federation had betrayed them. The treaty is first mentioned in [TNG: Season 4: The Wounded] and then also in [TNG: Season 5: Unification]. It is a blooper in [#33 Dreadnought] that it was signed in 2367 because in [TNG: The Wounded] the captain's log establishes that the treaty had been signed "nearly a year" before, and nearly a year before stardate 44429.6 puts it comfortably into 2366. The Maquis mainly fought against the Cardassians, whom they really hated for their brutality, a fact supported by references in [Voyager] stories such as [#32 Meld] and [#102 Nothing Human], and Maquis attacks on the Federation or, specifically, Starfleet tend not to figure as prominently. That seems to undermine the writers' resurrection of the Maquis rebellion on USS Voyager. Janeway has it right when she says: "We're 35,000 light years from Earth, Chakotay. No one out here even knows of the Maquis. It doesn't sense. There's nothing you can accomplish." (my italics) The writers depend solely on the "unstable" fanaticism of Teero, "unstable" being Chakotay's description of him, and it is amazing to me, though as plausibly depicted as possible, that an entire Starfleet vessel can be commandeered on that basis.

We learn in this episode that "almost a quarter of the crew is Maquis". Chakotay orders "Nobody goes anywhere alone." and this seems to mean in pairs. If the pair principle is strictly kept to, the number of Maquis must be an even number.

Other [Voyager] stories featuring the Maquis, or which refer to elements of Maquis events or characters are: [#3 Parallax], [#11 State Of Flux] and [#67 Worst Case Scenario] (see 'Continuity' below re Maquis mutiny). In early 2375, in [#97 Extreme Risk] the effect of the slaughter of the remaining Maquis (in the Alpha Quadrant) strongly affects Torres. Later that year, in [#102 Nothing Human], Tabor's identification of Crell Moset's true nature affects the relationship between holo-Moset and the Doctor and ultimately influences holo-Moset's fate. In 2376, in [#129 The Voyager Conspiracy], Seven proposes that searching for the Maquis was a cover for the invasion of the Delta Quadrant by Starfleet. Later that year, Starfleet requests the "status of the Maquis" from Janeway, in [#144 Life Line], and she asks Chakotay to help her answer.

Continuity

Tabor's expertise in holoprogramming is mentioned in the earlier story [#102 Nothing Human]. In view of that is not surprising that it is Tabor who assists Paris in creating the Chicago Palace Theater holoprogram. Tabor himself is first seen in [#102 Nothing Human].

The movie theater holoprogram is part of Paris' interest in the science fiction of Earth's early 20th century, referenced in [#50 Future's End, Part One] (in which he and Rain Robinson discover it as a mutual interest) and in [#106 Bride of Chaotica!] Paris explains to Janeway that his interest led him to create the Captain Proton holoprogram 'The Adventures of Captain Proton' (which features in several episodes, first seen in [#95 Night], last seen in [#157 Shattered]).

When, while being interviewed by Tuvok, Kim refers to his Captain Proton comatiser (the device could well be an invention of Kim's, intended only for his sarcasm to Tuvok), he refers to the Captain Proton holoprogram, 'The Adventures of Captain Proton'. In that holoprogram Kim plays the part of Buster Kincaid, the heroic and trusty sidekick of the hero, Tom Paris, who plays Captain Proton. As explained above, that holoprogram is Paris' creation, based on his love of Earth 1930s monochrome science fiction movies, such as are shown in the Chicago movie theater holoprogram in [Repression].

When Tuvok first "sees" Teero, in his quarters, Tuvok looks round but Teero of course is not physically there but only in his mind. An orchid can be glimpsed as Tuvok looks round his quarters. Tuvok's horticultural interest in orchids is referenced in several other episodes including [#25 Tattoo] and [#42 Basics, Part One].

Janeway tells Tuvok: "The last time you meditated it helped the memories resurface, didn't it? You've helped me meditate. I think I've learned a thing or two about the process. Let me try to guide you." As far as I can recall this is the first mention that Tuvok has helped Janeway meditate. (We know he has helped Kes e.g. [#26 Cold Fire] and Torres in [#115 Juggernaut].) If she includes particular mental procedures such as special mind-melds as 'meditation', then she refers to [#44 Flashback] in which she acts as Tuvok's 'pyllora' to overcome T'lokan schism, and [#146 Unimatrix Zero, Part One] in which Tuvok induces the 'bridging of minds' to enable Janeway to "visit" Unimatrix Zero.

A Maquis mutiny, or the threat of one, features or is mentioned in several episodes: [#3 Parallax] when the Maquis crew are prepared to mutiny over the incident in which Torres breaks Starfleet officer Lt. Joe Carey's nose, and [#67 Worst Case Scenario] in which Tuvok reports that his belief that there was a strong likelihood of a Maquis mutiny led him to create holoprogram Insurrection Alpha as a security training program designed to counter such mutiny. In that story we see several holographic scenarios of a Maquis mutiny.

Chakotay tells Janeway: "Within the hour all Starfleet personnel will be locked in their quarters." and later Torres tells Chakotay: "Kim and Paris engineered a little break-out on deck 6." Kim's quarters, which are on Deck 3 [#56 Alter Ego], are presumably still on deck 6: they were on deck 3 in [#56 Alter Ego] and on deck 6 in [#81 Waking Moments] (his room's door number is 105-2). Therefore, presumably the break-out occurs co-ordinated from or originating from Kim's quarters. It is not told in the story how Paris came to be on deck 6. Paris' (bachelor) quarters are on deck 4 section 3C [#36 Investigations] but after his wedding he and Torres share quarters. The location of those quarters is not indicated during the series. It is also not indicated in [Repression] if Paris was locked in the quarters he shared with Torres (then which quarters would Torres have?) or if he was locked in his former quarters or indeed in Kim's quarters. Regardless of whose quarters, the set, if it had been used (it is not), would have been the standing set on Stage 9 at Paramount Pictures, which was always dressed according to whose quarters were to be depicted i.e. it was never one particular crewmember's quarters.

At the end of [#32 Meld] Janeway orders Tuvok not to use mind-melds in future without her permission. He mind-melds with Noss in [#107 Gravity] without Janeway's permission, though that is a personal moment not requiring it. In [Repression] Tuvok is forced to use mind-melds by Teero's mind control.

A female Vulcan (or, rather unlikely, Romulan) is seen in company with Chakotay. That makes her a Maquis. But she is seen in [Caretaker] (seems to be a different actress and, if so, chosen to look similar) assisting the human doctor in sickbay while USS Voyager is still at Deep Space 9, which makes her Starfleet. Regardless of her species, the woman is shown as Starfleet in [Caretaker] and as Maquis in [Repression]. I am almost completely certain it is the same person. If I am correct it is a blooper.
In [Caretaker] she wears a green uniform, which befits her job if she works in the medical department. She might be the nurse that is reported as killed, to be replaced temporarily (temporary becoming permanent) by Paris in [#3 Parallax] then by Kes who acts as nurse/trainee nurse to the Doctor.
As regards whether she is Vulcan or Romulan (or has some of one or other or both in her ancestry), in [Caretaker], in the barn on the array, Kim's tricorder picks up signs of humans and one Vulcan only, whereas if the tricorder is working correctly it should also pick up two more Vulcans (Vorik, plus the female Vulcan mentioned) (and it should pick up certain other non-human lifeforms that make up the crew of both Voyager and the Maquis ship). Apart from the fact that it is unlikely that a Romulan would be a member of the Maquis for reasons in the history of the Star Trek universe, and certainly unlikely that a Romulan would be a member of Starfleet, I deduce that the person is indeed Vulcan, judging from [#172 Endgame, Part Two]. In [Endgame] Janeway asks Tuvok if the other Vulcans on Voyager can help his degenerative neurological condition, and his reply, "None of them is compatible" implies more than one other - if there was only Vorik he would have said, "He is not compatible".
Observation: the woman is left-handed as she wears the phaser on her right hip. Tuvok is also left-handed. I have no point to make: it is simply an observation.

[Repression]

[Repression]

[Caretaker]

When Chakotay passes a cargo container (similar in shape to the weapons locker or equipment locker that Janeway kits herself out from in [#54 Macrocosm]) in the cargo bay to get to Torres' prone body, there are two instances of the Starfleet logo on the container, and only one (the one in the foreground of the screenshots) is complete. See below:

Observations

Paris' blue shirt - see under Personal.

Tuvok comments: "Lights strobing at certain frequencies have been known to induce seizures." Those in tv production, such as [Voyager], would be more than usually aware of this, assuming that protocols are similar in USA tv as the British BBC, and it is a nice touch that it is mentioned because, of course, Tuvok is correct and professional to note it and take it into account. The BBC programme announcer warns at the start of a programme if it contains strobing lights or similar light effects. This is because there is the risk that it could bring on an epileptic fit for those who suffer from epilepsy.

When Chakotay addresses Maquis crewmembers in the messhall, not all can be present, bearing in mind that "almost a quarter of the crew is Maquis". Chakotay's orders must therefore be relayed to the other Maquis crewmembers. It would be unlikely anyway that all could attend the meeting as it would involve major personnel re-organisation to ensure that those of them who were on duty at the time could have someone else cover them.

When Tuvok first "sees" (in his mind) the figure of Teero over his shoulder as he (Tuvok) looks into the mirror over his bathroom sink, he swings round to look at him (only to see no one there in reality). Tuvok swings round in an anticlockwise motion, rather than more naturally in a clockwise motion. The latter would have been natural and probably instinctive since Teero is "standing" on that side. However, Tuvok's anticlockwise swing is intended for dramatic effect as it gives us the full sweep of Tuvok's turn and his facial expression is thus visible to the camera. It also prolongs the moment slightly, adding to its impact on viewers.

Tuvok dashes out of his quarters and hurries to the holodeck, without putting his uniform jacket back on. There Janeway does not criticise him for failing to turn up properly dressed, whereas in [#16 Learning Curve] Tuvok impresses on four junior crewmembers the importance of the dress code and orders them to remove personal items even if not that visible. In this episode Tuvok hardly sets a good example, but he is agitated, a rare thing for a Vulcan, so his lack of proper dress is a sign for Janeway that Tuvok is there on serious business and likewise his later behaviour including the informal positions which he sits or stands in that are contrary to the normal more formal Tuvok. If Tuvok had changed fully out of uniform while in his quarters earlier, in a way that would seem to be more acceptable garb to move around the ship in. Incidentally, during the series only for plot reasons do we ever see crewmembers in off-duty garb i.e. we never see our heroes walking along a corridor being passed by a junior and anonymous crewmember not in uniform, for it seems that even if a crewmember is off-duty during the day shift and is awake (and people must presumably have to move around if, say, they choose to eat in the Messhall on deck 2 rather than in junior messes or in their rooms, or simply just to make a social call) it is expected that they wear uniform. We have to assume that at any given time, a proportion of the crew is asleep or at least off-duty.

Whenever compression phaser rifles are seen, they are the type 3a, first seen in [#1 and #2 Caretaker] which was the first time seen in Star Trek. It is interesting that the upgrade, known as type 3b, is not used. (Until the upgrade, it was simply known as the type 3. The extra designations of "a" and "b" were introduced to distinguish them.) The type 3b was introduced into Star Trek in 2373, in the film [Star Trek: First Contact], and then first seen in a Star Trek tv series in [Star Trek Voyager: #54 Macrocosm], a [Voyager] Season 3 story. (It has become convention that major new items are showcased first in a Star Trek film before being seen in a Star Trek tv episode, even if it means holding back an episode, as happened with the white dress uniforms seen in [Star Trek: Insurrection] and [DS9: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges].) See SHIP USS VOYAGER: Equipment: Starfleet Handweapons which includes a note about the blooper re phaser rifle types.

Some crewmembers spend a long time in their quarters, if they are non-essential personnel and Starfleet, due to the level 10 security implemented by Janeway and then the Maquis locking Starfleet crewmembers in their quarters.

When Chakotay and Tuvok enter the Brig to release Janeway and the security guard, the latter pair are standing in one corner of the holding cell whereas normally people tend to spread out even within a confined space. Their physical closeness means that they can be filmed in one shot, although there is plenty of space for Janeway to be further away. She moves closer to the guard. It is convention in television and film, and usually in theatres (though often characters are spread throughout the stage to make the most of the dressed set as normally there is only one set at a time on stage), that actors stand close together, entering each other's personal space and doing so far more so than they would in real life - that is to make them "larger" in shots especially close-up shots than they would otherwise be, and directors do not like empty spaces between people in those circumstances because they look, well, empty. It is a mark of proper acting and practice that actors are not personally worried about the invasion of personal space or of other physical closeness e.g. having to touch, "attack", or kiss another actor.

Seven hardly appears in this story. She is more seen than heard, and is seen in only three scenes: briefly when she exits the turbolift that Torres and Chell are waiting for, she is present in astrometrics when Sek's letter is first examined, and she is in astrometrics with Chakotay (or rather they are both still there from when Sek's letter was first examined) when he is 'activated' by Tuvok via combadge. Seven has only two lines of dialogue. However, assuming that tv viewers watch in episode order, the previous episode but one [#148 Imperfection] features Seven (and Icheb), and indeed it might be argued that it should have been the previous episode because continuinity-wise [Imperfection] occurs after [#149 Drive] because in [Drive] Paris and Torres get married and in the last scene are seen embarking on their honeymoon in the Delta Flyer yet in [Imperfection] (which first aired before [Drive] and the episode order is retained on the Parmount videos and ST DVD) we glimpse Paris' wedding ring during the surgical operations.

Neelix appears less in this story than Seven. He appears for a few seconds only and has one very short line, in the final scene: "Buttered or unbuttered?" as he offers Chakotay and Tuvok popcorn in the holoprogram. As my personal compensation, he does wear my top favourite Neelix outfit. The next episode to feature Neelix quite strongly will be some while after this, being [#160 Prophecy], although the main episode in this Season to really feature him is [#169 Homestead]. If one watches the episodes on video or ST DVD and watches them in order without a pause between Seasons (except, say, to put the kettle on for a cuppa), then Neelix was featured fairly recently in [#145 The Haunting Of Deck Twelve].

above: what a wonderful outfit Neelix is wearing, first seen in Season 6

Nitpicks

When Kim, Paris and Tuvok look at the trace image in the holodeck of Tabor's attacker, they should notice the yellow (or gold-coloured) part of the attacker's uniform. Since Tuvok believes the attacker to be a member of the crew, he could then concentrate on, or at least question first, those in those departments.

Why does Tuvok orders a level 5 diagnostic on the sensor logs? That is the lowest level of diagnostic and the quickest. Why not a Level 1 diagnostic? Or is Teero's insidious mind control affecting him and this is just one way to hamper the investigation into the attacks? See SHIP USS VOYAGER: Computers: Diagnostics

Why does Tuvok interview people in the briefing room rather than in his office? Why does he interview people in the order that he does? - is it to fit in around their duties? These points are not addressed/explained in the episode.

Why only 28 letters from home? If I were in the Alpha Quadrant and 35,000 light years from a loved one on Voyager whom I had not seen for 7 years and had once believed dead, I would write to them as often as possible i.e. each datastream. It would be a matter of regret for me if I did not, were they to die before they reach home, as will happen to Joe Carey in [Friendship One]. There might be a ration, but Starfleet exhibits laudable understanding and letters to/from home receive considerable priority. If the letters comprise, or are required to comprise for economy reasons, only text, that is very negligible in size. In one episode Kim says that, before Voyager got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, he kept in touch with his parents every week, so presumably the Kims at least are in contact every datastream.

Chell does not strike me as the kind of sensible chap one could really rely on in a crisis. When Torres went off by herself, Chell should have reported her action, for her sake and for his.

When Chakotay finds Torres unconscious in the cargo bay, he should signal for an emergency transport to Sickbay rather than the delay of Tuvok and himself taking her there, and if she is unconscious they would need a stretcher anyway. Of course, he asks Tuvok for help as part of the plot so that Tuvok's reaction is mysterious, but a quick slash through with a pencil would have erased that bit of the dialogue and something else (or nothing) could have been substituted more plausibly. Since Chakotay has foolishly ignored his own order and, not only a Maquis but the head Maquis on Voyager, is moving around the ship without company, he contributes to his predicament when Tuvok attacks him. (I know that is not sympathetic, certainly not for a Chakotay fan!, but they would not let me into Sickbay afterwards to hold his hand so I am kicking my heels in frustration while I wait for him to regain consciousness. Grin.)

I am not impressed by the security department. The mutineers seem to take over Voyager with ease. They have the advantage of surprise and intimate knowledge of the ship and how it is run, but a competent security department should be able to cope with that. Suggested reason: senior Starfleet officers ordered security guards not to resist, in order to save bloodshed, even though no such orders had been received from Janeway.

Chakotay is unwise to breach his own order and the sensible advice it contains, by going off alone to find Torres. Why does he wait until he is at cargo bay 2 to check with the computer where she is? Why not try to contact her by combadge all the way there? Why not ask via a shipwide broadcast, at least to security, to enlist others to search for her too?

How come Tuvok knew Torres was on her own? Did he know a way to get the computer to report which crewmembers were on their own, using the locator signals within combadges?

When Chakotay awakes from his coma, he must be hungry after being unconscious for that long. Tabor mentions to Tuvok that he is hungry on waking; I expect the first place Tabor went after being released from sickbay was the messhall, or a junior messhall of which, according to TOSTFF, there are many on Voyager (see SHIP USS VOYAGER: Ship's Tours: Detailed Interior Tour: Junior Private Quarters). But without stopping to let him grab a bite which he must surely need, not just want, after so long without nutrition, Janeway takes him straight to the astrometrics lab. Suggestion: he pops out from astrometrics for a few minutes in order to replicate some food, then returns to continue trying to decode the symbols, which is where we see him when Tuvok 'activates' him.

After discovering Teero's "letter within a letter", Janeway orders Seven and Chakotay: "Try to decode those symbols". They are presumably Bajoran symbols. Why not order them to ask the Bajoran crewmembers Tabor or Tal Celes first? If they cannot help, then other attempts could be made.

When Tuvok tells Janeway that the person he sees in his mind is a Bajoran, why does she ask if he is a member of the crew? We know there is only one male Bajoran crewmember i.e. Tabor. If there is another Bajoran male crewmember then the sources do not know of him either. She should say: "Is it Tabor?" But since he was attacked, it would be unlikely to be him.

When the Doctor wishes to contact Chakotay via comms, why does the Doctor tap his combadge? He is a computer program and is tied into the ship's systems. He could open a comm. channel without the fractions of seconds required to tap the combadge, but he presumably does so in order that he should appear reassuringly like an ordinary person. It does seem odd, even a blooper, that the Doctor should have an object (the combadge) attached to him, so presumably it is a holographic one and by using it he is acting like a human member of Starfleet presumably to make people feel at ease, but in emergencies it would waste a valuable second or two for him to "tap" it. In addition, it is not really necessary, though it is helpful, when on board ship for anyone to tap the combadge. That is set out in technical manuals, however, and not explained on tv. See SHIP USS VOYAGER: Communications Index: Personal Communicator

the Doctor "taps" his "combadge", and the computer even generates the sound of him operating it

Tuvok says that he should be confined to the brig for the safety of the crew. It should be ultimately not up to him to decide where he should be confined. Sickbay would be the more logical place, and the ideal place for the Doctor to conduct his scans and any possible treatment that might be required depending on the scan readings, and it is possible to erect a forcefield to confine him to the surgical bay and it is not uncommon for security guards to be posted in sickbay to keep guard on a patient if necessary e.g. [#40 Tuvix], [#51 Future's End, Part Two]. Also, when Tuvok insists: "No more scans!" it should not be up to Tuvok to decide how many scans the Doctor should perform. The decision should be the Doctor's.

Why is Tuvok still in uniform when he meditates? He is off-duty and should not be wearing uniform. Janeway need not rebuke him for appearing only in part-uniform in the holodeck, but she could rebuke him for wearing part of it because he should either wear all his uniform (in [#16 Learning Curve] he tells of Maquis crewmembers for infringing the dress code) or be in casual clothes.

Unwisely and presumably against brig procedures, Tuvok is allowed to keep his combadge while in the brig. Previous brig occupants have had any combadge removed. In [#32 Meld] when Suder uses Tuvok's combadge Chakotay specifically demands to know what he is doing with a combadge. It is of course a plot necessity for while in the brig Tuvok uses his combadge to activate mind-control over Chakotay in the Astrometrics Lab. That is why Tuvok remembers to grab his combadge, but not his jacket, when he rushes out of his quarters after realising it is he who is the attacker and goes to the holodeck to confirm it. When he grabs his combadge, the object is not specifically seen, but it can be surmised from later events and later observation.

It is hard to believe that the Maquis crew could so easily and so fully forget their integration with the Starfleet crew. For instance, Torres easily and completely forgets her relationship with Paris - her husband! Torres simply notices her husband when he is dropped to the floor by phaser fire. He exhibits signs of pain as he falls. But she shows no sign of consternation and, importantly, it is before Chakotay speaks the Bajoran 'trigger' phrase to her.

Seven of Nine is locked in her quarters. We are not told otherwise, when Chakotay tells Janeway that Starfleet crewmembers will be locked in their quarters within the hour. I assume that for Seven they would put her elsewhere than lock her in cargo bay 2. There are a lot of materials normally kept there that would aid a break-out, and there is at least one access panel to the ship's computer systems which she can tamper with and override access lock-outs, as seen in [#108 Bliss]. A short line of dialogue would deal with Seven's circumstances and stop tv viewers pondering this.

The Doctor controls his program and the ability to come online and go offline when he wants. It is not mentioned in the story but we must assume that the mutineers took programming precautions to prevent the Doctor coming back online. Torres, being one of the mutineers, has the knowledge need to carry out that task. But they cannot be intending to keep him offline forever because, being the ship's doctor, he is a valuable crewmember. We must assume that the mutineers would deal with him later, for instance after marooning the Starfleet crew on the M-class planet. A short line of dialogue between Chakotay and Torres about the Doctor would stop tv viewers wondering. If short of air time, that dialogue could occur instead of the exchange between the Maquis helmswoman and Torres and the latter's comment that the planet looks like a good place for a Federation colony.

Why do the crewmembers watching 'Attack Of The Lobster People' come to the movie theater in their uniforms? If it is a 'double feature' they cannot be simply on a break during their shifts and so must be off-duty, and therefore should not be wearing uniform. It should not be a matter of choice as to whether they wear their uniform - if they are off-duty, the uniform comes off. This is a nitpick I have in certain other episodes e.g. Torres and Paris in the Paxau resort holoprogram at the end of [#66 Displaced]. Perhaps the writers decided that having the contrast of Starfleet and Maquis uniforms was sufficient, or else they felt it would help the tv viewer distinguish between holocharacters and real people. It might have been easier for the wardrobe department to fit them out in non-uniform, but I believe the reason is that it would have been impossible, except for people we know are crewmembers, to tell who was a crewmember and who was a hologram.

Personal

Paris wears a nice blue shirt. It does not seem to be the same blue shirt as he wears in [#88 Vis à Vis] while he works in his Camara holoprogram though if so the wardrobe department have done a good job e.g. altering the collar.

For me the story occurs too late in the voyage for me to find it believable. The Maquis and Starfleet personnel have become integrated. Not only that, but they have bonded strongly as the result of living together closely and of sharing often dangerous adventures. Some crewmembers have formed romantic relationships, which is indicated or strongly hinted at in [#36 Investigations] when Neelix mentions a blossoming romance; other instances are mentioned in [#38 Innocence] (Bennet and Macormack). However we do not know the precise nature of those relationships, just as [Repression] does not tell us details of Tabor's and Jor's friendship - it could be platonic or romantic; and in addition the original affiliation (Starfleet or Maquis) is not always given. It is clear that the Maquis crew have already formed themselves into a tight-knit group, having been one before Voyager encountered them, but a lot has happened to everyone on Voyager in the past seven years. As Torres says - it is ancient history now.

The subject of a Maquis mutiny is dealt with in [#67 Worst Case Scenario] and it surprises me that the writers should choose to revisit the subject. There are, however, numerous elements in [Repression]. Unlike the usual episode make-up there is no Story B (there is usually Story A, the main action, and a sub-story, known as Story B, but which often parallels Story A or which has allegorical elements that tie in with moral points being made by Story A). Story A, however, contains several equally strong elements such as Tuvok's struggle to overcome Teero's mind control as well as the suspense of the investigation. It is always fun to watch Tuvok in detective mode, and the twist in this one, that he himself is the attacker, is as interesting as the mutiny.

Tim Russ' performance is superb, and he shows us another aspect of the Vulcan mindset or a previous aspect dealt with in more detail. It must be easier to portray the letting loose of emotions, such as anger and violence, than to portray the struggle to keep composure and control. In [#11 State Of Flux] Tuvok reveals part of the day-to-day wrestling he does in order to control his emotions: "On the contrary, the demands on a Vulcan's character are extraordinarily difficult. Do not mistake composure for ease." That theme continues that of Spock (seen first in [TOS], not seen in [Voyager]), who suffered perhaps more because he was half-human, half-Vulcan. Tuvok is aware of a person's dark side: "Without the darkness how would we recognise the light? ... Do not fear your negative thoughts. They are part of you. They are a part of every living being." he says in [#26 Cold Fire], and the mind's dark versus light is a theme explored in [#78 Random Thoughts] when Tuvok discovers a black market in violent thoughts on the Mari homeworld. (The 'dark versus light' theme also occurs in [#60 Darkling], and is specifically explored in the darkling Doctor's words: "I am the dark threads from many personalities.....none of whom could face the darkness inside, so they denied me, suppressed me, frightened of the truth....that darkness is more fundamental than light...") Teero is perceptive of Tuvok's nature that springs from his Vulcan heritage and upbringing, and Teero exploits Tuvok's repressed mind ruthlessly. Also, as mentioned above, Tim Russ portrays in Tuvok's every movement the change that has come over the Vulcan due to Teero's influence, including sitting or standing in informal positions i.e. not how the Vulcan normally would.

I enjoy seeing the various Maquis crewmembers in their Maquis outfits. Did they have the clothes in storage or did Voyager's replicators work overtime?! Chakotay looks great in action mode.

The scene in which Chakotay tests Tuvok's loyalty by handing him a phaser to kill Janeway reminds me, I cannot help it, of the joke in which CIA senior officers (or name the intelligence agency of your choice) test the obedience of three agents. They hand each man a gun and order him: "Your wife is in a room upstairs." They give detailed directions to ensure the men find the correct rooms. "Go up and kill your wife." The first two men return after a short while, hand the guns back and report: "Sorry, I couldn't kill my wife - the gun is defective." The CIA interviewers duly congratulate the two men on their loyal obedience and send them home, for they had deliberately given all the men defective weapons. The third man is gone for a long time. When he eventually returns he hands back the gun and says: "Sorry I was so long. The gun is defective, so I had to strangle her." We are lucky Tuvok does not kill Janeway another way!

I wonder whether Janeway will ever look at Chakotay the same way as before, even though he was under mind-control. She is understandably cool toward him when he releases her from the brig's holding cell, even after he explains that it took another mind-meld from Tuvok to restore him. Noticeably she says: "It's good to have you back, Commander," to Tuvok but not to Chakotay.

Despite the grim seriousness of much of the story, there are amusing moments, such as Tuvok's mention of the Lobster People as if they are a real species. It is deliberately left open as to whether he genuinely does not know they are a fictional species or whether he is making a dry joke.

'Attack Of The Lobster People' is a superb name. The light-hearted nature of the closing scene works because of that and because of the quirky or eccentric appearance of our heroes wearing the 3D goggles. I also like the moment in which we see Chell moving his hands in front of the goggles in order to test out seeing them in 3D, in the same way that people tend to do nowadays when they go to a 3D film.

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