Story: Spirit Folk
Written By: Bryan Fuller
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Year: 2000
The characters in the Fair Haven holodeck program begin to suspect Tom Paris is a witch or something when he keeps fiddling around with things in that world in fornt of the people without ever turning them off. It is sort of like a witch hunt version of the much superior “Elementary, Dear Data.” You know the one where Moriarty starts to realize he is a hologram of Sherlock Holmes?
I just don’t find the Fair Haven program to be particularly fun or interesting. Why this would be the program of choice for the Voyager crew I have no idea. I totally saw the value in the programs on DS9. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Vic Fontaine? But hanging out in an Irish Village filled with stereotypes and people who beg for money or fear God and witchcraft? I just don’t see the appeal. Then the hologram shoots the computer and the safety protocols go offline...HOW IS THAT AT ALL FUCKING POSSIBLE?
This brings me to another big Voyager gripe. The characters are able to do anything. Why is Tom Paris an expert on 20th Century History, and Mars history, and being a pilot, and Naval History/Procedures, and programming complex holodeck programs, as well as being a competent medic? He is an expert in anything he is does. And that is how all characters are in this series. Anything they do in any particular episode they are instantly an expert in. In TNG or DS9 characters were often good in a particular field, and would be assigned to jobs accordingly. Characters are assigned to whatever whenever in this show because the writers can’t keep track of who is good at what...or they are just writing meatier roles for the actors they happen to be friends with. I’d go with the latter really.
So yeah, it is a dull episode that is a little too goofy and pointless in the end.
NEXT TIME: Ballard
Written By: Bryan Fuller
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Year: 2000
The characters in the Fair Haven holodeck program begin to suspect Tom Paris is a witch or something when he keeps fiddling around with things in that world in fornt of the people without ever turning them off. It is sort of like a witch hunt version of the much superior “Elementary, Dear Data.” You know the one where Moriarty starts to realize he is a hologram of Sherlock Holmes?
This brings me to another big Voyager gripe. The characters are able to do anything. Why is Tom Paris an expert on 20th Century History, and Mars history, and being a pilot, and Naval History/Procedures, and programming complex holodeck programs, as well as being a competent medic? He is an expert in anything he is does. And that is how all characters are in this series. Anything they do in any particular episode they are instantly an expert in. In TNG or DS9 characters were often good in a particular field, and would be assigned to jobs accordingly. Characters are assigned to whatever whenever in this show because the writers can’t keep track of who is good at what...or they are just writing meatier roles for the actors they happen to be friends with. I’d go with the latter really.
So yeah, it is a dull episode that is a little too goofy and pointless in the end.
NEXT TIME: Ballard