533. RevulsionFORMULA: Chimera + Datalore + Aquiel
WHY WE LIKE IT: Seven. The creepy hologram.
WHY WE DON'T: Tuvok's promotion party.
REVIEW: The whole holographic rights thread tends to be a little strident for me, perhaps because the Doctor is too in love with his own voice to make an effective spokesperson (show, don't tell), but Revulsion is more than a segment of that thread. It's also an effective thriller, in no small part thanks to Leland Orser as the deranged hologram Dejaren. I've seen him in a lot of these twitchy, nervous parts (so much so that it's his performance as Lovok that surprises me), and you can easily buy into his obsessive-compulsive behavior and rage.
The teaser is just a touch more gory than necessary, and while it does set up the danger B'Elanna's in, Orser's performance would have been enough. The Doctor reflects on his evolving rights and his own treatment by the crew - as expected - and is somewhat blinded by his natural empathy. The thriller elements are well constructed, though, as with the teaser, a bit obvious. Still, nice tension.
The shipboard B-plot concerns the continuing integration of Seven of Nine, here paired up with Harry to start work on a new astrometrics lab. After his rebuffed friendship overtures in The Gift, he's naturally intimidated, but now by more than her Borg attitude. Male Nurse Tom (a position that allows him the mischief he's good at) correctly diagnoses Harry's crush on her, something she manages to spot as well. Truly a conqueror, she offers Harry exactly what he craves, but maybe things are moving a bit fast. Surely, he'll have the rest of the voyage to regret not living out his fantasy here. These bits are fun enough (with an unforeseen chuckle at the line "Part of the team?!? You sound like Chakotay!").
There are bits for the other characters as well, thanks to Tuvok's promotion to Lt. Commander (or re-promotion, since the first episodes had him at that rank). The roast is pretty dull, actually, full of banal stories and clichéd banter, but there's a nice unbroken shot going around the room, checking on each character. Here we find Tom and B'Elanna giving each other the chance to back out of their love affair, but jumping on each other instead, for example, and the crew interacting in a natural, pleasant atmosphere.
LESSON: Whether you call us solids or organics, we're pretty gross.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium-High: A thriller carried mostly through the guest-star's performance, balanced with a humorous subplot and significant character bits.
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