WHY WE LIKE IT: A fun idea.
WHY WE DON'T: Ma'jel is illogical.
REVIEW: The kids come up with another cockamamie plan, to steal the Infinity so they can track down the Protostar and Chakotay to a planet missing from star charts. Dal, of course, doesn't trust Starfleet to implement this mission themselves, so needs must. But whenever we see the adults - and they get a little more fleshing out in this episode, which is nice - you get the sense that Janeway WOULD believe the kids. That is Dal all over, and perhaps at the core of Season 2. When will they stop acting like free agents and join the "team"?
The plan also entails creating life-like holograms of each of them to their absence won't be noticed. Rok does too good a job with the programming - they think they're as real as the real crew, which is 1) a great comedy premise, as the two groups both try to accomplish their mission and prevent the "fakes" from doing so; and 2) a very good reason why having holoprojectors all over the ship could be dangerous. There's some hand waving (or perhaps the kids don't know how to do it) when it comes to easily spotting who's real and who isn't, and the full holo-reboot seems draconian and noticeable. But the fact that WE don't know who's who either is fun, and speaking of Dal not trusting others, he doesn't trust himself either. Each according to their natures, too, so the Jangoms stress out and the Roks collaborate, etc.
The Infinity is supposed to be destroyed, so its escape is narrow and a fine complication. The Doctor is well used as an obstacle, though I do question Ma'jel lying for the group. I don't care if she has "feelings" (intellectual feelings, she's Vulcan) for Zero, she was very recently a hardass Nova Squadron wannabe and definitely more of a straight arrow. So the holodeck isn't the only thing that gets a reboot here. Speaking of which, a glitch occurs during the procedure and the holos seem to have their voices/personalities switched around. Should offer more comedy in the episodes to come.
LESSON: Love yourself.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium-High: A fun premise and a fun execution.
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