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 EPISODE REVIEWS | ||
 | "The Gift"
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|| Airdate: September 10, 1997 Written by: Joe Menosky Directed by: Anson Williams Short Take: Voyager follows up its previous week's excitement with another emotional roller coaster, this time with two emotionally gripping stories about two people and the destinies given to them. Brief Summary: As Seven of Nine begins the transformation from Borg to human, Kes begins to undergo a transformation of her own - a sudden expansion of consciousness that soon threatens to break the ship apart. As a result, she must be hurriedly sent away, but not before she leaves Voyager with a gift - a sudden burst of speed that brings them ten years closer to home and outside of Borg space. Review: The writers giving us "The Gift" when they did only makes sense. We're only human; too much adrenaline will kill us. Last year, following "The Way of the Warrior," the writers at Deep Space Nine gave us "The Visitor," one of the most touching episodes of Star Trek ever, and it served as a wonderful contrast to the excitement the season premiere had. Following the intense "Scorpion," "The Gift" does much the same. Though it cannot be considered on the level of "The Visitor," "The Gift," a simple yet effective story of two people as they enter whole new horizons of existence, still provides tremendous emotional impact and food for thought. The main plot was Kes's departure from Voyager. Before the episode even started, the story was already a tragedy. The writers openly admitted that she was leaving because they had nothing else to do with her. And the episode helped reinforce that admission. The plot was essentially a rehash of "Journey's End" (where another not-so fan fave, Wesley, departs). This was a disappointment. One cannot help but think that it would not have been more satisfying to see a Trek character actually die for once in some sort of noble sacrifice. However, to the writer's defense, they wanted to bring Kes back later, so killing her off wouldn't work (unless, I suppose, she had a katra.) With that in mind, their only other option would have been leaving her on at planet at the mercy of the Borg, and that would't work either. So they "expanded her consciousness" her instead. Despite its derivative quality, what was there was still well done, or at least, as Neelix, put it, "euhh... err... umm... interesting!" It managed to ring far truer than "Cold Fire," primarily because the writers at least bothered to connect it with the previous week's events (on a side note, I was thoroughly pleased with the continuity concerning the Borg situation. Let's hope they don't toss that out as they toss out Kes.). It also integrated nicely into the B-plot with Seven. Most importantly, though, it was simple. That may seem like a strange comment, but keep in mind how often Voyager writers take a simple idea and convolute it with technobabble. Here, they didn't do that, instead opting for the events to play out by themselves. By making it simpler the writers made it more understandable, and by making it more understandable the writers actually made it quite a bit moving. Kes's departure had its good and bad points. It allowed Tuvok to have a featured role with her again, and gave us probably the best Neelix scene we've had in some time. The hurried exit was tragic in itself, as it cut short the goodbyes. But it was a bit too hurried, and as a result only two members of the crew got to say farewell. This was a wasted chance for good drama, and it took some of the punch out of her departure. I wanted one, just one, shot of Neelix bidding her farewell. Perhaps we will see some of this in "Day of Honor," as Lien is listed in press release for that show. My major gripe was with the "gift" itself. It caught me by surprise, which is a good thing, but seemed a bit too easy, which is not a good thing. It was a veritable deus ex machina out of Borg space, and I'm not sure if it was a good idea to do that. I wanted to see a little tension on Voyager for awhile as they dodged the Borg. Instead I got an easy escape punctuated by Janeway saying, "Enough to get us out of Borg space" - making it obvious to all as to what the writers were doing. So Kes's story was good if not wholly gratifying. Fortunately, the side story redeemed this episode. Kes was always a bit of a back issue anyway, so it seems strangely ironic that in her last show the B-plot does more to support the show than her story does. I can't really say I mind. The B-plot because of its subject matter deserved more attention, since it had an actual issue to wrestle with - who is to decide the fate of Seven. Besides, Kes is after all leaving, so she really can't be considered a priority anymore. What drove the Seven sub-plot was some extremely well done dialogue. Some of the moments were a bit off (Janeway saying "You must comply" stands out the most), but all in all it was top-notch. When Seven accused Janeway of being no better than the Borg, I think it stung all of us. Menosky handled Seven's physical progress well, but more importantly he gave extra close attention as to how she was doing as a person. And that's where the meat of the episode comes from. Wrapped up in her develoment were issues like community versus collective and individual versus society - heavy issues (which, incidentally, helped me on my John Stuart Mill paper) that don't have easy answers. Janeway it would seem has the stronger case; after all, we do what she does with people with drug addictions. But Seven had point. Janeway was deciding who Seven should become, and that really is no better than the Borg. By the principles she espoused she should have let Seven go. Where do we draw the line? Making this more effective was how they wrapped the issue up. The debate was really never answered, and as a result, Seven's future status was left unanswered too. We know for now she will cooperate. But what if she misses the collective? Will Janeway intervene then? The writers, at least with this character, have set the table very, very well. Perhaps the most positive development was work done with Seven with regards to how she will relate to the crew. A major concern of mine recently has been that Voyager has abandoned some of the past character ties it worked so hard to establish in favor of new ties that didn't necessarily make sense. Janeway for instance bypassed her traditional confidante Tuvok in favor of Leonardo da Vinci in "Scorpion." Here, we see the writers making a conscious effort to establish how others are reacting toward Seven of Nine. Janeway has already assumed the role of a mother. Kim - well, it appears our green ensign already knows what he thinks of Seven of Nine, if not how to act on it. We don't know where Seven will wind up on the ship, but engineering seems like a good choice. She has technical skills, and Engineering is short on manpower. Setting up Torres as being less than comfortable with Seven is another indication of this. The writers actually seem to be thinking ahead. I usually don't go out of my way to comment on the acting, but this week's I thought was particularly outstanding. Lien may have been a lame duck as for as contract went, but her perfomance managed to be quite subtle. Mulgrew got the most screen time and used it well; she managed to be commanding or heartfelt when the script called for it. Ryan continues to prove the naysayers wrong as she delivers a strong performance far more consistent than her performance last week. Some of those naysayers argued that "Scorpion" was a bribe to the fans, an overhyped shoot 'em up that was a monument to style over substance. The critics apparently have little reason to worry. A simple, heartfelt tale full of tragedy and hope, "The Gift" truly was a gift to the fans, and proof that Voyager is capable of doing all forms of drama effectively. That about sums it up. Seven's story was not heavy on plot, but it had enough sharp dialogue to leave the viewer thinking before it was over. And Kes's story, deemphasized as it may have been, was still tragic enough to leave me affected. Let's keep this up. Some short takes: - Once again, excellent use of CGI. Mojo, the magician mixing the mojo at Foundation, said in a post that CGI was cheap and could be used effectively. He was evidently right, as it was used often but only when it added dramatic impact. - I'm sure some B5 fans will bellyache that the eye Seven has resembles too closely the artificial eye G'Kar got. Let 'em argue; the circumstances are nowhere near similar and Seven had to get an eye somehow. While on the subject, I must say - Seven's makeup was the most impressive Trek has done in awhile. Emmy, anyone? - Chalk up one shuttle this week, another apparently next week. Sigh. - In what may become a regular installment: One of my hopes this year is that Doc integrates a little better into the crew. So far he's not off to a good start. The guy clearly knows what he's doing with medicine. Why can't he handle himself with people a teensy bit better, without losing the comic personality? Writing: Somewhat predictable given the subjects dealt with, but nonetheless strong and thought-provoking. Acting: Tremendous. I actually found myself pleased with Mulgrew, and Lien and Ryan were both strong as well. Directing: Effective. Some noticeably well-placed face shots in a couple of scenes. Rating: 8.7 out of 10.0 Quote: Kim: "I guess the Borg meet a lot of people, don't they?" Seven: (contemptuous look) Kim: "Stupid question..." - Ensign Kim, realizing that he has only as one chance to make a first impression Next week: Love is in the air, or at least in deep space. Discuss This Episode and/or Review in the Fan Comm Link Discussion Board! | |
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