522. Favorite SonFORMULA: The Lorelei Signal + Identity Crisis
WHY WE LIKE IT: One small moment between Harry and B'Elanna.
WHY WE DON'T: Another nonsense plot.
REVIEW: Not for the first time ripping off a concept from the animated series (a bastion of common sense stories), Voyager does space sirens. Just to make sure you got it, they throw in a coda where characters discuss the Odyssey and how Odysseus got out of that jam. (Hint: It wasn't with a transporter.) The story has you believe that Harry's a member of an alien species that impregnates women from across the galaxy with its young. The only thing less credible is the truth: These ladies are actually vampires who turn you into one of their own with a virus somewhere to draw you in and feed on your life force on your wedding night. Either way, that's a pretty convoluted plan for procreation/survival! Especially when these women have the ability not only to change your genetic structure, but also implant knowledge, instincts and commands into that structure. They could easily rule their part of space.
Harry once again coasts on guilt, especially after B'Elanna almost buys the farm when he attacks his new blood enemies. On the planet, he remains rather reserved, seduced less by his potential harem than by Taymon, the other groom who just can't wait for his wedding night. Well, Harry's always seemed to need an older, prettier role model. I'm sure that the creators don't want us to see it this way, but in a sense, Harry's acting a lot like Tom. Not QUITE the stud other characters are asking him to be. Here, Harry basically turns down his harem despite the genetic programming. No mast required.
If there's anything of mild interest here, like the actual rituals performed or Harry's strong friendship bond with B'Elanna, it's pretty much eclipsed by the last act. Harry turns against his women in kind of a nasty way (for him anyway), putting one in bondage and bashing the other's skull in. I know they don't want to get into the cliché of the Asian man knowing martial arts, but where's the usual Starfleet combat training? The vampires, once caught, give their whole game away, stupidly, in one of the worst infodumps of the season, and then Voyager manages to beam Harry aboard and hightail it out of there. No fuss, no muss, and Harry didn't even need to lose his space virginity.
LESSON: There's more to life than sex with beautiful girls.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium-Low: The stupid premise certainly doesn't help Harry Kim grow as a character. He remains rather boring and/or inconsistent. You have to think hard to remember the episode's saving graces though.
Comments
And when I netflixed the whole series a couple of years back that was the only damaged episode on the disc. I'm mighty glad it was too.
Thank you fates!