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Hunters File Photo
|| This Dog Does Hunt Airdate: February 11, 1998 Written by: Jeri Taylor Directed by: David Livingston Short Take: Two-thirds of it was strong character work. One-third was a cheesy evil alien plot that does not work. Brief Summary: Voyager travels to a space array to retrieve letters from home, only to find that the neighborhood Power Rangers, the Hirogen, don't like them one bit. Review: Who do you think is hotter, Jeri Ryan or the Pink Power Ranger? Mmm, after seeing Jeri tied up in the Hirogen's dominatrix ward on Voyager, I'd have to say her. Why did I ask? Well, seeing those Hirogen made me think of the Power Rangers, and one thing led to another... Not to worry. No, that question is not the most provocative Trek has ever provoked. But "Hunters" had a lot more going for it than its silly new alien of the week, or in this case, month. It proved to be quite a treat as it explored the reactions of the main crew to the possibility of letters from home and the actual letters themselves once they came. It is the show's best ensemble character episode by far this season, and the work done with each individual character may make it the best overall character show this year. Very nice. Jeri Taylor, though she doesn't know a lick about science fiction, can every once and awhile give us some absolutely smashing characterization. "Hunters" was filled to the brim with it. At first I was a little worried, with some of the dialogue faring badly, like Tuvok's *brilliant* pronouncement about how if technology could get us lost, it could also get us home. That Vulcan mind is amazing. But it rapidly improved from there. It started with Janeway asking Seven about what she thought of the excitement, which in turn led to Seven thinking about the possible existence of a family. From there it moved from Neelix and Tuvok's scene, ending with Tuvok breaking down to read the letter, and then to the scene with Chakotay and B'elanna... ok, that one was only fair, probably because some of the dialogue was overblown. It's good to see the Maquis followed up on, and in a way I am glad they died on DS9, because it has given new plot possibilities to the Maquis on Voyager. Back to the subject at hand, most of the dialogue in the show was simply on top of things. Chakotay pointed out how the people at home were having to deal with people who were alive but for all practical purposes were indeed dead, for example. Or B'elanna blowing up at Kim about Seven after she learned about her dead Maquis friends. Or Tom and B'elanna's discussion in astrometrics, with its swings back and forth. Or the scene with Janeway and Chakotay at the end, which, despite the obvious undertones, managed to come off well without shouting "JANEWAY AND CHAKOTAY WANT EACH OTHER BAD." It could have easily descended into Klink fare, but managed to be somewhat tender without being gushy. Very, very nice. All this great dialogue led to the characterization being right on the mark. For some reason, I liked Neelix's excitement, Tuvok's stubborness, Janeway's flair, and Kim's naivete. Kim's anticipation of the his letter, while not creative as a plot device, gave the ol' loser a lot to work with. Chakotay's concern about having to inform the crew was real I thought. Tuvok's sentiments about the fact the letter can wait, Janeway's feeling of "finality" about the Dear John letter (Great scene, by the way, as she recited the news from the letter, up to the point where she is dumped.), Seven showing concern about whether Janeway trusts her, Kim snapping at Tom in the Mess Hall... all of this was wonderful, and Voyager needs more of it. The only real question left in my mind is why B'elanna didn't have a letter for Tom, when clearly Tom's was coming through before Harry's letter, and Harry got his. My thinking? Tom's letter did come through, but B'elanna saw it and realized that ol' pa is still a jackass. Not wanting to hurt Tom, she dumped it. I think the fact she was so insistent on delivering the letters shows this. But, once again, we're not given enough information... it's my hope that the Voyager writers did this on purpose and intend to use it later on. Had the episode just focused on the letters, it could have been an A easy. But in an effort to pander to dumb people, it gave us the "Me Hirogen, me hunt" subplot. I say dumb people because only dumb people would like the Hirogen, primarily because their memories would be too short to remember the Predator movies. The Hirogen theoretically could be an interesting species, driven by the hunt yet not too far removed from our own drives to kill. As of now, however, we have something as bad as the Kazon, a grunting bunch of big people only interesting, to steal Seven's line, because of their great physical size. Sorry, but throwing around cliches like the war paint, giving them pointless chrome armor, and creating a nifty hierarchy doesn't make a real enemy. Real enemies, for Trek at least, have actual realistic motivations, and there is value in taking them and comparing them to us and our society. How did this Hirogen society evolve, for example, particularly when it is not geared toward technological advancement? Maybe they'll improve over time, but for now, go go Power Ranger. The sad thing is, it had potential, and that's why I still have hope. I tripped out over the Alpha-Hirogen (They use the Greek alphabet???), especially how having Seven's coiled intestine would make him the envy of men and the love of women. A little too stereotyped, maybe, but still a riot. He managed to be funny yet believable, which says a lot when you gut people for a living. I could have swallowed the Hirogen better if only the episode's resolution was stronger. I had a hard time discerning which sucked more - the bad science or the black hole. "Real Life," another Taylor episode, had this problem too if you recall. I am sorry, but you just don't pull a little harder and escape from a black hole! And antimatter, being a 1:1 reaction, can't go 120%! The problem just isn't that though. Save a few nice quips from Janeway and Kim in the final rescue sequence, the whole series of events at the end was as murky as the astrophysics used. I wasn't quite sure who was doing what to whom, and why firing on Voyager resulting in the array collapsing. Things - important things, like the entire network collapsing FOREVER - happened way too fast, and that's a shame. It's a shame also because the use of the tiny quantum singularity to power the station was quite nice. Taylor's departure at the end of this year will mean a good character writer leaves, but I won't miss her sloppy plot dynamics. "Hunters" was a suprisingly moving episode. My only regret is that Voyager did not for once chose to play with its format and make the entire episode devoted to the crew's reactions to their letters, and saving the array going down for next week. But, all in all, a better than average hour and a great way to start off sweeps (if we sweep the Hirogen under the rug, that is.) Next week looks like a blast fest... surprise surpise, it's Braga. And believe it or not, TV Guide likes it. Some short takes: - A note to those who eagerly await my reviews: Unfortunately, because of basketball on TV, Voyager has been pushed back to Friday in my town, which means that you won't get it until after then, probably a bit later because weekends have become surprisingly hectic. The end of the month wil bring things back to normal. Sorry 'bout that. - Was it just me, or was Beltran terrible? Yes, Robert, it is fascinating that the station is powered by a black hole... now sell the line! - The episode implied it was the Cardassians who killed the Maquis. Funny, I thought it was the Jem'Hadar. - I made fun of the Hirogen interior earlier, but I must admit those windows at the bottom of the walls were a nice touch. - The best move of the episode may have been having Starfleet send secret material to Voyager, for those rainy plot days... Rating: B+ Really a strong show, but gosh darn it if those Hirogen don't hurt. Quote:"I suggest you consider you decision carefully. If you kill us, our captain will hunt you down and show no mercy." -Tuvok, definitely lying to the Hirogen there! Next week: Screw Tara Lipinski and figure skating, I'm watching 8472! Discuss This Episode and/or Review in the Fan Comm Link Discussion Board! | |
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