537. Year of Hell, Part IIFORMULA: Yesterday's Enterprise + The Search for Spock + Distant Origin
WHY WE LIKE IT: Same reasons as Part I.
WHY WE DON'T: Crazy Janeway. Crazy Chakotay.
REVIEW: Voyager continues to deteriorate, but for one I apply this sentence to the ship and not the show. Nebula smoke seeping in, meteor storms putting the ship at risk, and the bridge blind without a viewscreen. And it's only Day 133! Victims until now, the crew is given a new purpose in tracking down Annorax's timeship to recover Tom and Chakotay, taken as "samples". On the offensive, but without a working ship, they have to gather allies while the two samples work something out from the inside.
Chakotay's function on the show seems to be to interact with the aliens, and he's quickly incorporated into the timeship's crew. It's through him that we learn more about Annorax, the reasons for his obsession made clear. Kurtwood Smith plays the role with pathos, giving meaning to the final scene in which he never got around to finishing the weapon in a new timeline. For the length of the show, however, he may seem well-meaning, but he's ruthless and dangerous, still Ahab, but with strong ties to Captain Nemo (especially in the collection of lost foods). Chakotay comes to share his obsession, thinking he can restore Voyager's health somehow, but in an unseen strand, Tom organizes a mutiny that'll actually help matters. Oh, Chakotay, you have to stop empathizing with these aliens!
Meanwhile, back on the ship, Janeway's gone over the deep end. Sure, she's entitled. These are desperate times and an alternate reality, so no consequences later, but it's still makes her look reckless and irrational. Like Chakotay and Annorax, she's obsessive and refuses to rest, even when injured. The Doctor calls her on it and relieves her from duty for fear that her judgment is impaired. Her reaction proves it. Her threat to deactivate the EMH and "you and what army?" attitude really show her as unstable. Am I the only one who likes his Starfleet captains with a little more moral fiber? Alternate reality or not, this is how she would react to such a situation if it were to "really" come up. Petty as well as unreasonable.
Perhaps they thought she needed to be completely crazy to ram Voyager into the timeship. In any case, she goes down with the ship as a resolute machine. No one ever utters the words "it's been an honor serving with you", though she does Tuvok the indignity of a hug. The story ends the only way it could, with the destruction of the timeship, and thus the removal of the only element that could reset the timeline properly. And it's all done in a big satisfying crash. Watch your eyes when the bright Voyager bridge comes back on screen.
LESSON: Gifts are meant to be enjoyed, not recycled into the replicator for a pair of life-saving boots.
REWATCHABILITY - High: Despite seeing worrying sides to some of the key characters, Year of Hell is still a satisfying action story, with a strong guest-star and lots if cool set pieces.
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