Star Trek 544: Prey

544. Prey

FORMULA: Scorpion + Hunters + The Enemy

WHY WE LIKE IT: The Hirogen.

WHY WE DON'T: Racist Seven.

REVIEW: The Hirogen vs. Species 8472. A close match, but the Hirogen definitely bite off more than they can chew when they go up against a stray 8472, if the carnage aboard their ship is any indication (decapitated heads? yeeesh!). This will force the last survivor (played by the always effective Tony Todd) to ally with Voyager, which is a good way to get to know a species. And the Hirogen do come off well once again. We see their faces for the first time (not bad, but I've always found their heads to be less than iconic without the helmet) and their rather impressive giant guns. Their hunts seem to be the stuff of legends, the hunter here having tracked prey in the collapsed mantle of a star on foot). But not much more on their culture as a whole.

8472 remains a dangerous creature, even wounded, but it's harder to care about a CGI monster, no matter how pathetically it curls up into fetal position. There's one impressive shot of it crawling along Voyager's hull, but otherwise, it's a lot of jumping out of corners and not doing a lot of damage when compared to the one Harry encountered in Scorpion. The hunt is really a red herring, building tension with dark lighting and the "threat" of an antigrav situation, but ending with a moral dilemma rather than an action scene.

The third ball the show tries to keep in the air is Seven's refusal to help Species 8472 get home. While Janeway chooses to interpret it as prejudice on the former Borg's part, it may just be very real caution, informed by experience. But you know, everybody has to disobey Janeway's direct orders and get that disappointed look out of her at least once, and this is Seven's turn. As far as arguments go, both make valid points, but though Seven's proven more or less right, she gets slapped down hard (how hard? see the next episode!). She struggles with the selflessness a Starfleet lifestyle imposes on her and with the limits placed on her individuality. It's not an uncompelling segment of her character arc, but it detracts from the epic confrontation the episode has set up.

Speaking of things that don't pay off, Neelix finally gets a security assignment in this episode, but we don't ever see him on the job. More promising is the Doctor taking Seven under his wing. He needs someone to mentor now that Kes is gone, and well, they've worked well together in the past. Though they have affinities (both are studying to be more human), it also throws the two coolest characters together, which can't be good for the rest of the cast.

LESSON: PADDs are the most elusive prey of allé

REWATCHABILITY - Medium: Tries to keep too many balls in the air. It doesn't fail, but it's not spectacular either.