520. DarklingFORMULA: The Enemy Within + The Swarm
WHY WE LIKE IT: The philosophical underpinnings.
WHY WE DON'T: Kes' fits.
REVIEW: When the Doctor tries to incorporate new personality traits into his program, it quickly becomes a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation, though initial symptoms simply seem to turn him into a dirty old man. Robert Picardo is good in the dual role, of course, though the nature of the Dark Doctor does lend itself to OTT acting. Using medicine for evil purposes, he gets to be very creepy and dangerous indeed, whether he's skulking above B'Elanna's paralyzed body or dissecting the great figures of history on the holodeck.
The discussions about whether life is essentially good or evil are interesting too, with Kes' take about cellular cooperation really standing out. Of course, the intriguing bits are a little lost in the obvious "he's investigating himself" plot, a plot full of holes for that matter. (The Doctor's murderous beam-down undetected, for example, and an exciting climax resolved by cheating.) I do like the coda with the Doctor reciting the Hippocratic Oath however. It's a little odd, but resonant nonetheless.
The object of the Doctor's affection is Kes, but this isn't a strong Kes episode. She's apparently undergoing a "change" in her life, but I can't tell if they're setting her up to leave already, acknowledging the events of Warlord, or simply trying to make her sexier with a romantic subplot and slinkier outfit. In any case, she looks haggard here, as if the actress, more than the character, hasn't slept in days. It's part of the story, but she still seems off, both in look and in characterization.
LESSON: Ghandi's a closet badass.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium: Picardo can certainly carry an episode, and the ideas in the episode are Trekkish enough, but the plot is clunky and Kes has seen better days.
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