NOW VOYAGER THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE KATE MULGREW APPRECIATION SOCIETY VOLUME II NUMBER 6 *THE BUZZ* Last issue, I wrote a column about what it means to be a fan club. This time I find that I'm having an identity crisis. Let me first explain that I'm still postpartum; I have a two-month-old, not-sleeping-through-the-night excuse for the rotten editing and typos in this newsletter as well as for this column. Even so, here's where I am: When Now Voyager started, there were only about fifty people involved. We knew right from the beginning that we had more readers than actual members; I don't know specifically how many people visit our web site, but the number is apparently substantial, and I'm very aware that everything we print gets circulated beyond the membership--which I'm not always happy about, but more on that later. Since we had relatively few subscribers and no official sanctioning, we could print pretty much whatever we wanted...and did. We ran scathing reviews when we thought the episodes were lousy, we ran lots of risque jokes, we ran an essay in our very first issue which used the "f" word repeatedly; the writer was quoting the movie Alien, but I still wonder if we should run some sort of warning for young people when we circulate that first issue. It never occurred to me to worry about our public image because back then we didn't have one. Kate Mulgrew read that first issue and didn't object to anything; since she sanctioned the club, we took that as license to continue using our own judgment on such matters. Jeri Taylor read that "profane" essay on women in Alien and Voyager and wrote a thank you note to the writer. I'm occasionally surprised to discover just who reads this newsletter--people at UPN know who we are, people on the Trek lot know who we are--but I've always operated as though our first obligation is to the members themselves, and to Kate. Unfortunately I'm not always sure what that means anymore. By the time you read this, there will be more than 400 people in this fan club. Some of them will have joined because they're fans of Voyager, some because they're fans of Kate's from decades back. Some will simply have stumbled across our back issues, enjoyed reading them, and decided to come aboard. Our renewal rate is over 90 percent, and there's not a day when something doesn't come in through our P.O. box--usually a number of requests for information or new subscriptions. And we are developing a bit of a split personality. Before I describe it, I want to tell you about a couple of phone calls I had this month, in my official capacity as the person who runs this club. One was from Paramount's parent company, Viacom, which wanted to make sure that Now Voyager wasn't a front for an illegal videotaping ring which was making money off bootleg copies of Kate's movies and TV shows, several of which are Paramount properties. I am now making an Official Announcement, as I promised I would remind everyone: It is illegal to copy tapes containing property belonging to Paramount or any studio. Now Voyager does not condone such activities, and you will be dismissed from the club if you engage in such activities and we find out about it. The other call was fromParade Magazine--which has thousands of readers nationwide. They were receiving requests for information about Kate following James Brady's interview with her, and wanted to know if they could put the questioners in touch with us. I was intimidated. I had visions of hundreds of letters pouring in, which I would feel guilty if I ignored; neither Kate nor her publicist has time to answer all the mail, and some of the people who write beautiful, passionate fan letters deserve some sort of response. But I've never pretended to know or represent Kate's views. I'm not a publicist. I thought about trying to act like one, and immediately dismissed that option. I don't want to commit Now Voyager to becoming the sort of fan club where all we do is heap praises on a celebrity and rationalize bad episodes away just because they're Star Trek. There are some positions I doubt I could take even if someone were paying me; for instance, I tried to write a rave review of "Threshold" just to see if I could, and had no success. I wouldn't enjoy Now Voyager if we couldn't engage in intelligent, critical commentary, so we're going to continue to do so. Yet I wonder sometimes if in our passion, we're so critical that it's hard to distinguish us from the nitpickers of the net. After every issue I get one or two letters from people who think we're too negative. I usually dismiss them, since it's such a small number, but there is something to the notion that fandom is supposed to be an outpouring of love, not criticism. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who joined Now Voyager not for cheerleading but for irreverence. People who come in off the Web tend to cite The Funny Pages and the fan fiction as reasons for joining...and the editorials, which sometimes don't represent my views and certainly don't represent Paramount's. (More than once we've been called "J/C Central," which is fine with me, but probably less so with Kate!) So I don't know what to do, say, when we receive a number of negative reviews of the life story of Captain Kathryn Janeway, written by the show's executive producer and read on audio by the actress whose fan club this is. Part of me is very happy that people care about Janeway enough to have such strong opinions about how her character should be portrayed, and part of me is nervous: if we, Janeway's biggest fans, rip apart her official "biography," how can we explain to the naysayers of the world why they should watch the show and care about the character? There's enough negativity about Voyager in the media already; fans should have a place where they won't have to listen to complaining. Yet how can we improve the show, tell the actors and producers what we want to see and what we can't stand, if we don't commit it to print? I don't have a solution to any of this. I became a fan in an era when these issues didn't arise because Trek wasn't on the air. It didn't belong to Paramount then; it belonged to the fans, and we didn't have to worry about networks, angry producers, or what William Shatner thought of our Kirk jokes. We didn't have the net to connect us, so critical zines were our only means of communication. Now it's more complicated, and I don't know what's the best way to please Kate, the producers, the network, and the fans. I guess we just carry on, keep watching, keep screaming when we have to, and keep smiling. *ALL ABOUT NOW VOYAGER* Welcome to the officially sanctioned Kate Mulgrew Appreciation Society. This newsletter is published bimonthly by Michelle Erica Green and Paul Anderson, P.O. Box 34745, Bethesda, MD 20827-4745. You can reach us online at tigger@cais.cais.com or thepooh@aol.com. Send SASE for information or $5 for sample issue, or e-mail us for the electronic edition. Current yearly dues, $25/U.S., $32/Canada-Mexico, $40/Overseas (U.S. funds only), are subject to change without notice as rising printing and mailing costs affect our ability to produce this newsletter. Now Voyager is on the World Wide Web at http://gl.umbc.edu/~mpanti1/kate/kate.html. This is a not-for-profit, amateur publication and is not intended to infringe upon the rights of Paramount Pictures or any other broadcasting or motion picture corporation. All material herein is copyrighted by the authors, except for the copyrights, trademarks, and patents of Paramount Pictures and its licensees. You may not reproduce any part of this newsletter without written permission of the editors and writers. If you received this newsletter electronically, you may not forward it, excerpt from it, post the illustrations, nor disseminate it in any other manner without permission of the editors. The opinions expressed in Now Voyager are not necessarily those of the editorial staff, Kate Mulgrew, or Paramount Pictures. If you are interested in contributing, please write for guidelines. *THE MASTHEAD* Kate Mulgrew is Captain Kathryn Janeway. But so is Jeri Taylor. Michelle Erica Green has one fan club and two kids and no sanity. Paul Anderson baked and babysat during long IRC sessions. Jennifer Pelland stopped a crisis in cyberspace with offers of digest. Michael Pantiuk & Cheryl Zenor are the spiders in our WWWeb. Anne Davenport reprints back issues for those who can't get enough. Cheryl Waldie was our personal slave at conventions this season. Joan Testin is Neelix.Well, she has better hair, but the same job. Lauren Baum, Peter Castillo, and Jeanne Donnelly are our counsel. Anna Shuford & Becky Olsen know who's who around here. John Ordover of Pocket Books is our favorite Trained Minion (TM). L.R. Bowen is Locutus of J/C. You will be assimilated. Maureen McGowan is exceedingly generous with her equipment. Beth Schuman and Jennifer Martin served on the line this month. *REVIEWZZZZZZZZ* BASICS PART II My favorite show is back on the air for its third season! Time out for fireworks! Janeway was in full command mode and sexily disheveled to boot, Chakotay and Paris got to leap through a few heroic hoops, and even Ayala finally had a line. The doctor and Suder were the real stars, however. I loved every minute of Picardo and Dourif, though most of the actors had their moments. Good stuff, if limited by the Trek reset button. Well, we knew that Janeway & Co. were going to survive the hostile Kazon takeover and come back swinging. No surprises there. The season premiere and cliffhanger resolution unfolded in smooth lockstep. We got the big carnivorous monster, the volcanic eruption, the hostile natives, the sick baby, the tense standoff, the mildly reluctant allies and the triumphant re-entry to the bridge. Although fairly entertaining (especially when Chakotay admitted to some deficiencies in traditional skills), the planet-bound scenes of "Basics, Part II" had an obligatory feeling. Not much jeopardy, despite the high body count. Hogan's precipitate death was a waste. It didn't give me any real sense of fear for the rest of the crew. A sense of arbitrary violence, perhaps, which is fear of what the writers will do next, not of the situation itself. The wilderness location might have made a good arc over several episodes; as half of one installment, it felt sketchy and rushed. Naturally, it would be expensive to film out of the studio too much, but to see Janeway function without her ship for a while would be welcome variety and rich story fodder. The shipboard scenes with the doctor and Suder, while still locked into the "solve it in half of one episode" format, felt much more concentrated and powerful. Two mismatched characters, each with his peculiar limitations. "Well, one hologram and one sociopath may not be ideal for the task, but that's all we have," says the doctor, setting the tone with his delicious and deadly-serious sense of the ironic. Brad Dourif's final appearance as Suder was marvelous, and Bob Picardo matched him in every scene. When the man crumpled to the floor after dragging in the body of his first victim, his pain reverberated through the room. The hologram's attempt at comfort, healer supporting killer, was the most striking scene in the hour. Did I mention body count? The producers have said that things will be changing this season, and apparently that means lining all the loose ends up against the wall and blowing them away. The baby isn't Chakotay's, Seska got anticlimactically aced by the classic exploding console, and the few surviving Kazon beat it out of there without a fight or even any booty. Clean slate? Close enough. Let's hope that not everything from the first two seasons will be forgotten. I'd like to see some continuing tension between Chakotay and Paris, some sense of the Maquis as distinct from the rest of the crew (before all of them get devoured by monsters!), and a general return to what made "Caretaker" such a good pilot show. Back to the roots, as opposed to starting over. The strongest root of all, of course, is that alliance between Starfleet and Maquis personified in the heads of each crew. Janeway and Chakotay know and like each other very well by now, but they still don't see eye to eye on everything. Secure enough with each other to really push the limits of their professional and personal relationship? I'm looking forward to fireworks. --L.R. Bowen Well, we waited all summer--again. And the one thing I took away from Basics, Part Deux is: *snuffle*. I'm not being sarcastic or smarmy, nor did I put my hiatus-is-over-rose-colored glasses when I viewed this show. The fact is that every evil, corrupt character killed or otherwise obliterated on this show was given a golden effulgence, and not just from the over-bright sun in the Hanan system. Witness Seska, the Cardie spy hailed by Martha Hackett's fans as "The villain we love to hate." Her delicious remorselessness went down the tubes from the moment she realized her precious link to Chakotay tied her instead to the putrid Culluh. She lost her edge, the omnipotent ability to predict her adversaries's manuevers (allusion intended). Her death was anticlimactic, reduced to a corpse for the men in her life, who despised her for her actions or saw her as inferior, to philosophize over her remains. However noble the warrior, these actions seem almost insulting to the brilliant woman she was. To a lesser extent, Culluh was also "humanized." The stupid Neanderthal (no insult to the inhabitants of the Hanan system) was revealed to be merely a gruff man of small stature in the mind who genuinely loved Seska, who (I think) would have killed him eventually. But back to the actual plot--which shouldn't take long, as it was rather sparse. We knew that Voyager would be back in the end. We even knew who would bite the big one--there were more red, yellow, and blueshirts in this episode than in the last two seasons! But the rather clichéd means were why we tuned in. The two plots of saving the ship and surviving on the planet (New Hell, as I like to call it--my vegan friend said she would've liked to see Tuvok or Chakotay protest the worm-eating bit) were rather squashed for time. I don't think a three-parter would've quite worked though, so I can't complain--much. We didn't get much of last season's fairly decent character growth--I suppose now that Jeri is writing about all the rest of the crew's history in her new novel, they can't write in a lot of details other than B'Elanna The Track Star, Chakotay The Hair-Fire Indian (I knew all that staring at Janeway's hair would inspire him someday!), and Tuvok The Twenty-Fourth Century Boy Scout. But just because this season premire was rather nitty is not to say it did not have its highlights, and from the most unexpected source. Suder's internal conflict was more prominent than in "Meld," and the prominience was, in a maccabe fashion that only a sociopath could achieve, appropriate. The darkness was peppered with several well-timed witticisms from the Doctor. Pairing a killer with a healer may not have been concious, but the contrast was a touch on the side of dramatic irony. And in the end, Tuvok's Vulcan prayer was one of the most touching moments in Voyager's short life. Somehow, I think Suder found that peace, wherever good and righteous Betazoids go when they pass on. --Emily Friedman "Basics II" brought us fun and the thrill of the unexpected in what was otherwise a predictable storyline. We knew the Doc and Suder would work together, that Tom Paris would meet up with the Talaxians, that the crew would have some trouble on the planet. But the way the story was executed made all the difference in the world. Who would have thought when we first met them that a cocky ex-convict, a cynical hologram, and a sullen sociopath would end up saving the day? That a baby would begin to break the barriers to communication between two species? That an Indian wouldn't know how to start a fire or use a bow and arrow? Come to think of it, who ever expected to feel a pang of sympathy for Cullah at the end when he reached out so tenderly for Seska and his son? Turns out maybe he wasn't so heartless after all. And Seska. Such a quiet death for the woman who wreaked such havoc. Quite a contrast to the rapid, violent end Hogan suffered, poor man. Then Suder, the most tragic of them all. Cold-blooded killer turned reluctant hero, making the ultimate sacrifice "for the ship" with his last breath. Was it worth it? Did they really have any choice? As usual, Trek makes us think beyond ourselves, and raises some interesting questions. Like, what about Seska? She gets off the hook that easily? I always thought her death would be more...lingering. She was such a serious threat for so long and now she's gone, no accounting for the harm she caused, no closure with the people who used to be her friends. Death can be like that but this one doesn't feel done yet. Maybe it's because many who die on Trek don't stay dead. Maybe it's because we didn't expect to feel a little sorry for her when Cullah revealed his affection. Or maybe it was Chakotay's achingly stoic farewell. I think, in a way, Chakotay hoped that somehow he could save her from herself. But it was not to be--Seska had it coming. We could almost see the noose she'd set in "Basics I" tightening around her own neck as the Doc told her the baby wasn't Chakotay's. Finally, Seska was the one who underestimated. If anyone still doubted it, this episode should prove once and for all that the Doc is much more than just a hologram. He must have taken some lessons in deviousness from Kes -- the way he dodged Seska's questions about his loyalty was priceless. He has come a long way since he was first activated and it was nice to see him encouraging Suder the way he did, handling that fragile ego like he'd been counseling for years, and plotting against the terrorists on board like a true commando. We knew what was going to happen after he muttered, "I'm a doctor, not a counterinsurgent," but it's always fun to see him surprise himself. Speaking of surprises, I really thought Suder was going to break down and go into a frenzy once the violence started again. Obviously, he's come a long way in his quest for control, so while it didn't seem odd that he struggled with his conscience, I didn't expect him to be so successful in keeping the urge at bay. I wish he hadn't died right away--he was a fascinating character and he and the Doc made a great team. The whole part about Tom Paris going for help was forced, especially his frustration at the Kazon firing on him and Paxim's sudden change of heart. The Talaxians had already offered to help, so why should they turn around and refuse when the going got a little tough? They looked more fickle than usual when they changed their minds again so readily. It was way too pat. Having said all that though, I loved seeing Tom Paris play the hero, outsmarting the villains, and coming in with guns blazing. I'd missed Doc's line to Suder about "you know what to do and when to do it" the first time around so I didn't realize they'd managed to sabotage the weapons system after all until everyone on the bridge went down. Go Tom! I think they could have made an entire episode based on the shipboard and space-based attempts to regain control of Voyager, and another episode focusing on what was happening on the planet. Where "Basics I" took its time getting to its ending, this half of the story felt rushed. Maybe I'm just a closet character development nut, but it seemed like there was too much of one crisis after another on the planet, starting with Hogan's too-abrupt death and not letting up until the very end. I wanted more of everyone, especially Janeway. It would have been nice to spend more time showing the crew's reaction to their predicament, a few moments of silence interspersed with the action, to see Chakotay struggling with the consequences of his decision, and Janeway coming to terms with it all, going off by herself to think. But there really wasn't time. Janeway had a good scene when she responded to Hogan's now-empty uniform and the knowledge that there were predators at large. I did not envy her in those few moments when the gravity of their situation suddenly became too realtoo quickly, but I loved that she just grit her teeth and set about making the best of the situation. And I'm glad she didn't eat the worms. It seemed strange at first that Chakotay wouldn't have the skills one usually associates with a Native American upbringing steeped in traditions as his seemed to be, but it makes a lot of sense when you remember that he shunned all that as a boy. It doesn't make him any less of a courageous leader, however. I loved the way he casually walked into the alien's camp to collect Kes and Neelix, and the way he battled that lizard creature. And even though it was hokey and contrived, I loved that he leapt in to rescue the alien woman. While I'm complimenting him, let me also say that I loved the way he checked out Janeway's hair in the scene where he was trying to start the fire. That man may not be able to do much by rubbing sticks together, but he sure knows how to ignite a few sparks with a mere glance. And the expression on her face when she realized he was eyeing her so intently... It was nice to get a few background tidbits on some of the other characters, too--B'Elanna was a decathelete and Tuvok taught archery. Cool. It looked like Janeway knew what she was doing with a bow and arrow too, for a moment. But what about the reason they got into this whole mess? The baby wasn't Chakotay's after all, and we never see him find that out. He's had a long time to think about being a father and I can't believe he'd be able to drop the subject so suddenly. It would be nice to know what's going on in his head now. So many sad endings to mark the beginning of a new season that we've been told will focus on the joy of discovery. There's a lot to think about after this episode. A lot of soul-searching and consequences to face for our favorite captain and crew--all it took to catapult them from the luxury of technology to the absolute basics was a few major errors in judgement. They almost wound up colonizing a planet with little more than their bare hands. That's not something I'd be able to forget between one week and another. I hope they don't forget either. --Meredith Antonelli "Basics II" promos have been bombarding the airwaves for weeks now. I don't know about you, but 9-4-96 has been burned into my retinas. Prepare to surrender--the new season is upon us. "Basics II" is both a beginning and an ending. It is obviously the start of season three, but it also signifies a change in the show's direction. Most significantly, red-shirt syndrome has reared its ugly head and claimed the lives of three major characters. TV Guide's blurb about someone dying caused a lot of speculation, and it makes me wonder if it's better to be left in the dark about some of these rumors. The change in the show's direction seems pretty clear to me. We have little character work and a lot of action. On first glance, I enjoyed this tremendously, but after further examination, I found my pleasure to be ephemeral. We have heroes coming out of the woodwork, and all of them are male. Who wields the weapons here? Chakotay and Tuvok. Who saves the day on Voyager? Paris, Suder and Holodoc. Who saves the native woman from the advancing lava flow? Chakotay. Who stops the giant worm from following the crew? Once again, Chakotay and Tuvok. I could continue in this vein, but I think you see my point. Janeway and Torres were not painted as weak, but their characters had more of an emotional impact. As for Kes, her attachment to Neelix is touching, but following him out into a dark, unfamiliar place shows she's not the brightest light in the forest. Later on, she did little to help herself when she was held captive. Holodoc and Suder were the shining stars in this episode compared to the rest of our beloved crew. I enjoyed the taut interchanges between the two as well as Doc's prevarication when he was questioned by Seska. Brad Dourif was mesmerizing as he struggled mightily to contain his violent impulses. He lost that particular battle when he mowed down the Kazon with his phaser, but his tenacity allowed him to fulfillhis mission. Michael Piller created a wonderful character in Suder, and his death is a great loss to the show. As for Doc, I think Robert Picardo got most of the good lines here. It was also fun to see him play dumb when Seska started grilling him about the thoron emissions. Seska was the saddest red shirt. Martha Hackett's brilliant portrayal of this multifaceted individual has been a lot of fun. The Kazon bogged down the show last season and The Powers That Be decided to clean house, but I wish they could have found a way to save Seska. Of course, in Trek heaven, no one really dies, so I'm sure we can look forward to seeing Martha pop in now and again. Some people think Seska was totally evil, but she never came across that way to me. Sure, she got high on power, but she did seem to care for her old comrades in some fashion. Seska, like Suder, was a character who wasn't black or white, and that fact alone made her interesting. Our final red shirt is Crewman Hogan who gets eaten by the worm during the teaser. Hogan emerged as a likable, helpful fellow with an unfortunate choice of friends. I've enjoyed seeing some of the lesser characters like Hogan and Wildman show up in different episodes, and wish they would continue this practice. Wildman, who wasn't around in "Basics I," suddenly appears in this installment. I'm not sure they'll be keeping her around, but I wish they would. There were supposed to be 140 crew members on the planet, but they sure weren't around. The most amazing thing in this entire episode: Ayala talked! I know it was only one word, but he is no longer the Morn of Voyager. There are also signs that TPTB plan on turning Paris and Neelix into heroes. I liked seeing a rumpled Tom Paris effect a daring rescue, but I also enjoy some of his unsavory attributes. If they turn him into yet another shining light, things could become rather bland in the Paris camp. As for Neelix, he's shown on more than one occasion that he is brave, but he's usually drawn as an annoying buffoon. Finally, we have the stranded crew. Their story didn't do much to capture my interest, with the possible exception of Chakotay's campfire technique. Robert Beltran had some funny lines here, and we saw that his survival skills aren't that swift. The stereotypical Indian is supposed to be great at all this, so imagine the fun when we find one that can't light a fire. Kate Mulgrew was also very good, giving a tense, tight-lipped performance. Visibly upset at losing Hogan, she starts barking orders in the finest Starfleet tradition. I would have enjoyed seeing her chug down a few worms, but hey, Scully she's not. I also think she should keep the ponytail. She manages to maintain her professional air, but it's a little less rigid than the bun of steel. Cullah, whose character been annoying and insulting, was out of character as he moaned over Seska's body. He's never shown any other sign that he cared for her, and all of a sudden, boom, he's groaning about her death. I also wonder what kind of life his child is going to have on a warship with no women. Seska, whose death by overload was a rather convenient way of dumping her character, played her last moments by showing a bit of compassion for her frightened baby. In one of the final scenes, we see Chakotay lay his hand on Seska gently before pulling the sheet over her head. This was his way of saying a final good-bye and moving forward with his life--something Janeway needs to do with Mark. I have a few other nitpicks: why didn't the computer identify Seska and her child when the Doc was asking about the crew? Why didn't Chakotay have some sort of escape route when he tried rescuing Neelix and Kes? Why didn't they use torches to light their way in the caves as they ran from the primitives? There were other obvious problems, but some of these should have been covered. Michael Piller's swan song is a decent piece of work, but that's about it. "Best of Both Worlds" remains his finest, and this one didn't come close. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz Brad Dourif and Robert Picardo saved this episode, and I'm only sorry Michael Piller simply didn't let them run with the entire thing. It's pretty obvious that the script had been rewritten a number of times--especially the planet scenes. I felt like I was seeing bits and pieces from a variety of draft versions. For the most part, the entire planet-side scenario seemed ill-planned and badly edited. Hogan bought it way too early, and deserved a better death than he got. And honestly, no one on the planet seemed to have much purpose at all--just killing time until they got picked up again. I was happy that Wildman and Spike finally showed up, but became quickly disappointed to see that they were just there to give Captain Kate a chance to show off her maternal skills. (I know she has them--I don't need such a stereotypical ploy to convince me.) What I really liked, however, was how Chakotay was portrayed as rather incompetent in trying to pull off the traditional skills of his NA 'people.' That makes perfect canon sense as we already know a young Chakotay never bothered to pay much attention or learn or adapt to his tribe's ways while he was young ("Tattoo"), and it was only after his father died that he learned to appreciate who and what he was. Frankly, if he were the perfect little NA, he'd be too politically correct, not to mention annoying. Also, the scene gave Chak and Kath a nice moment. I liked the grub worm pronouncement from Janeway--I only wish she'd popped a few in her mouth to show that she meant business. If Gillian Anderson can do it, so can Kate! As for Paris and the Talaxians, while also a pretty pat and predictable story, I was glad that Paris was not part of the planet-side stuff, after being disappointed at the end of "Basics I" that he was split off from them. Paris got a little more to do and was involved at least with the interesting part of the story line taking place on the ship. And he got the right to sit in the captain's chair, at least briefly! I only wished he'd gotten a little more of a thank-you at the end there for saving their butts, but then it's typical for our Starfleet officers to take all this stuff fairly stoically. And he did look delicious all dirty and messy like that. I almost laughed out loud at the 'throw on the brakes and let the bad guys over-run you' tactic in space. I never quite thought about using it in a space-battle, but how many times have you wanted to yell at the screen when the good guys are in one lane being chased down the highway by the bad guys who are in another, and you're saying, 'If that were me, I'd just slam on the brakes!' The Holodoctor and Suder were brilliant--'nuff said. I only wish we'd had a lot more of them! The repartee was snappy and witty, and the characters complimented each other very naturally. The Holodoc is well on his way to becoming the best-defined character on Voyager, not to mention certainly the most well-rounded, interesting, and likable medical personage on a Star Trek series since Leonard McCoy. Picardo brings an enthusiasm and a dimension to his character which has fast made him a fascinating and welcome relief from the more generic, underdeveloped, and ill-used presentations of TNG's Crusher and DS9's Bashir. Brad Dourif did wonders with what he had--intense, angstful--but he didn't have enough of it, sadly. I wish he didn't have to die, but that was a loose end they obviously intended to tie up. Much as with the Kazon--no loss there, though Anthony Delongis (Culluh) doesn't get enough credit for the part he played to this point. I disliked the Kazon, but only because they were too much of a carbon copy of the Klingons, who are overdone and dull. Once Culluh got hooked up with Seska, however, he really began to shine, and Martha and Anthony displayed a lot of chemistry together. So if we're never to see Culluh again, I'm actually glad they made him a sympathetic character at the end--and I don't see this as being out of character for him at all. Just the fact that he accepted Seska's baby as his own even though he fully believed it wasn't his tells me that the Kazon weren't as completely mysoginistic as we thought they were. And I don't have a hard time believing he came to care for Seska because for all his posturing and boasting about women and their place, he took everything Seska threw at him and then some without batting an eyelash, or raising a fist. I think he was in awe of her despite himself, and I think he must have fallen in love with her to buy her story about the baby and adopt him as his own. So I'm glad that the baby ends up being his because he did care for him, so he deserved to be his father. I really wish Seska didn't have to die. In fact, it wouldn't have been so hard for them to have let her get away in a life pod by herself, for future use. Unlike Culluh, she did not care for him as he did for her, and though I do believe she loved her baby, I don't think she would have been completely heartbroken to have gotten away with her life by leaving him behind for Culluh. After all, she was clearly disappointed to find out that he wasn't Chakotay's. Again, it's obvious that she was just another loose end. I hope they find a way to let Martha play another part later in the series. So all in all, I thought "Basics II" was a little more boring than "Basics I," but mostly because of the planet stuff--which is a shame because they had a perfect opportunity to do a decent story about a technologically-biased people being stranded in a wasteland. Ironically, if they'd just stuck to basics, they would have had a better story and would have saved a fortune by not paying for extras and SFX that they didn't need! The ship scenes were very entertaining, and Piller should have stuck to that. I think he was already long gone before he even finished this script. "Basics II" had some very good stuff and some very weak stuff, which left it with a very average or below-average after-taste in the final analysis. --Pam Buickel It's a sad day when the MTV Music Video Awards are less predictable and more entertaining than the season premiere of Voyager. It was so obvious how Part II would play itself out that I decided to watch MTV live and tape Voyager to watch later. Normally, my friends hold Star Trek premiere parties, but none of us could muster up any enthusiasm for this premiere because there was absolutely no suspense. I can sum this episode up in two words: formulaic and convenient. Formulaic: everything that happened on the planet, from losing two redshirts (was it really necessary to off Hogan?), to the rescue of the native woman bringing the Voyagers and the natives together (if she were really and truly stuck, shouldn't the rescue have been a lot more difficult?). Convenient: Seska dying, Suder dying, the baby being Cullah's. Isn't that nice? Everything's all neatly tied up so they don't have to worry about plot continuity. I'm not sure if I should be angry or disappointed. I keep wavering between the two. If this episode had happened in season one back when the scripts were fresh and much less predictable, I might have been solidly angry, but season two beat a lot of my expectations out of me. I am angry that Seska and Suder were so neatly dispatched. Suder didn't need to die, but by killing him off, they conveniently assured that they never have to write him another episode. And Seska? How is it that what looked to be a ship-wide energy discharge killed a grown Cardassian woman but left her infant unscathed? Are the Kazon somehow resistant to that kind of attack? Every other Kazon appears to have walked off the ship relatively unharmed, but Seska died oh so conveniently. At least in her death we had proof of her love for her child and Cullah's love for her. Finally, in having Seska's baby really be Cullah's, the final plot thread is carefully snipped, leaving the Voyager crew able to merrily sprint away from the situation without looking back--which they never do anyway. While I enjoyed the scenes on Voyager proper (with Seska, Suder, and the Doctor all together, who wouldn't?), the rest of the episode bored me. The planetary survival plot was dull. While the scenes among the crew were fine (but boring), the cave monster and the native population scenes were terribly formulaic: monster eats crew, natives distrust crew. Yawn. I've seen it all before. And as I mentioned earlier, the final scene where Chakotay rescues the native woman was the most formulaic of all. Right, there were also scenes with Paris getting help from the Talaxians. Yawn. Well-acted, as usual, but nothing interesting happened. Who else predicted that he really didn't have a plan after telling the Talaxian commander that he did? Never mind that the choreography of the space battle was far too dull. I must be getting spoiled by Babylon 5. I'm really getting sick of being disappointed by Voyager. Not only did this episode lack suspense, but it killed off two of the most interesting characters on the show (Seska and Suder). Their deaths weren't shocking; they were disappointing and gratuitous. Yes, I can understand why they might want to kill off Seska, but she's a popular enough character that Martha Hackett has her own fan club. Killing her alienates a large fan base. There was still so much they could have done with her character besides having her fall into cardboard villain-hood, but that would have involved a long-term plot line. And Suder? Why did they have to kill him? In this episode he went from interesting to extremely interesting, and I would have loved to see them explore his character's development further. Oh right, I forgot, this is Trek. We don't do character development here. Safe to say, despite my enjoyment of the scenes on the ship, this episode disappointed more than it delighted. After watching this, I literally asked myself why I still watch the show. The answer is fairly simple: I like the characters, I like the fans, and I like the Star Trek universe in general. Here's hoping that this is just an extension of the second season doldrums and the episodes written and filmed in the third season regain a sense of originality and creativity, and stop flinching from long-term plot lines and character development. We're smart enough to follow along without getting lost. --Jennifer Pelland (Siubhan) TOP 10 REASONS I LIKED "BASICS II": 10) It got rid of Seska. I never liked her. 9) It got rid of the Kazon. I never liked them. (God forbid anyone should start a 'Bring back the Kazon' letter writing campaign.) 8) It cleared up the Seskotay thing. What is it with these writers and babies anyway? Now if they would just go back and tell us those baby salamanders were really dogs that were sent up into space during early exploration experiments that went awry and were already on the planet when Janeway and Paris got there... 7) It kicked off season three. I do like Voyager, and am looking forward to new episodes. 6) I really would have loved "Basics II" if the Sandrine's crew had helped the Doc get the ship back. Now that would have surprised me. For a few moments, I was hopeful. I guess my biggest problem with "Basics II" was that while it cleared up a few little matters, it really offered very little suspense--oh! wait! I'm supposed to be saying why I liked "Basics II"... 5) That big old snake thing was cool--kind of a combination between a lizard and a fish hook. 4) I spent all summer long wondering, worrying and waiting to find out which side the Kazon would wear the communicators on. Of course now I have to spend the rest of my life wondering if they were wearing them when they abandoned the ship... 3) I didn't have to watch Janeway--or anyone else--eat worms. Watching Kes eat beetles was bad enough. I do want to point out, however, that I was hoping to see them crack one of those eggs. Something unusual must have been growing in them, and I was kind of curious to see whatever it was pop out. 2) Chakotay used a dead man's uniform to get water. I didn't understand that--but I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to be thankful he didn't do a rain dance. 1) Picard couldn't have helped Riker start a fire that way. --Kim Carnes FLASHBACK Celebrating the 30th anniversary of a phenomenon as wide-reaching and diverse as Star Trek in one brief hour was simply an impossible task. Four separate series and seven movies, soon to be eight, have provided Trekkers and the world at large, with an entire galaxy of characters, alien species and technology, and a framework of history and tradition which has enriched countless lives. Commemorating that vision could easily have been the project of an entire season of episodes. However, Voyager writer Brannon Braga, writing as he did about memory and nostalgia, chose a metaphor for the basis of this story which worked effectively to pay tribute to 30 years of Star Trek. "Flashback" provided a way for 24th century Trek to connect directly to events from the past--back to Star Trek VI, and through the presence of Sulu and Rand, back to the glory days of the original series. We see these events through the eyes of Captain Janeway, who takes Tuvok's Vulcan memory and stamps it with her own humanity. Memory, through her intercession, becomes nostalgia, a warm appreciation for times gone by, a recognition of the ways in which the past changes and coalesces into the present. That metaphor works beautifully to illustrate the effect that a relatively unsuccessful television show from the late sixties has had us. Janeway's sense of nostalgia at the end of this episode is certainly shared by all those who have been watching and loving Star Trek for the past thirty years. Beyond the inclusion of the wonderfully eloquent Captain Sulu and the still-fussy Commander Rand, the episode offered much to remind us of the early days. There was Kang, dropping by to remind us that Klingons were not always good guys. There was wonderful footage from the movie itself, a painstaking recreation of the Excelsior's bridge, and those marvelously tacky uniforms which make me think that probably it was colder on starships way back when. There was the ever-present gaseous anomaly, the clever use of nebulas as hiding places--and offensive weapons!--and even the nasty virus that causes havoc before being defeated by the courageous doctor and his lovely blonde sidekick. Most interestingly, there was the moment of connection between the first generation of Trek and the newest one, in Captain Sulu's thunderstruck "Who the hell are you?" as he stared in disbelief at Captain Janeway. That the event didn't really happen did not lessen its impact in any way. It was a recognition of sorts, that Trek has grown and changed, that new characters and species and technologies have taken precedence, but that there is a very definite connection between the old and the new. On its own, too, the episode succeeded beautifully, answering questions about Tuvok's past which had been troubling me since the show began. We now know why he's still a lieutenant after all these years, and the explanation is poignant and believable. We have seen the depth of his relationship with Captain Janeway illustrated in the very understated but touching way in which he reaches out to her for help, and in which he confides the details of his life to her. For a Vulcan to share so intimately with another, with a human, has been a rarity on Trek; surely we are meant to think of Kirk and Spock. Beyond that, it was satisfying to me to see Voyager's characters telling their own stories, sharing moments like the one between Kim and Janeway in her ready room, advancing their own mythology. Setting nostalgia aside, Voyager is the future of Star Trek, and "Flashback" showed me that Voyager, recognizing its debt to the past, offers its own interesting and creative path to the future. --Diane Nichols What an interesting way to revisit an old plot device. I always thought flashback episodes were the rather boring result of script disasters or other misfortunes, but I really enjoyed "Flashback." Yes, it took us to places we'd been before, but this time we saw them differently. Janeway and Tuvok interacted with the memories, rather than passively re-living the past, and we learned something about them in the process. We still don't know exactly what occurred to cement their friendship and trust but now it's evident just how deep that trust goes. We see it, the way Tuvok reaches out to Janeway for help in dealing with his problem, sharing with her the public humiliation of being teased and then reprimanded in front of the Excelsior's bridge crew. We hear it, when he says he trusts Janeway more than anyone else, even more than the other Vulcans on board, when he expresses his discomfort with Starfleet, the way he refers to pon farr so casually in front of her--not that we expect him to be anything other than factual in recounting a story, but ponn farr is brought up so seldom on Trek that I thought it was one of those things better left unmentioned. Speaking of things Vulcans would prefer to keep quiet, aren't mind melds supposed to be dangerous? Given Tuvok's history with melds, it seemed a little reckless for Janeway to agree to the meld so readily. As the captain, she shouldn't be risking herself that way, but it's also her responsibility to keep her crew safe, and if mind melding with Tuvok was the only way to save him, then she did the right thing. She must have taken time to think about it, though. More time than it took for that look of concern to flicker on her face. How much of her decision was based on her relationship with Tuvok versus the need to help a crew member? The doctor warned her, but who warned the guy who would be captain if anything happened to her? It would have been nice to see that discussion, giving Janeway and Chakotay the chance to express the doubts they must have felt. Instead, they plunged right into the action, literally. What a thrill to see Sulu step through the haze on the bridge. It was almost like old Trek times, and overall, a lot of fun. I didn't realize until my second viewing that each time the scene switched to the bridge, it was at the point of Valtane's death, and it wasn't until the third viewing that I realized Valtane didn't repeat Tuvok's name just before he died the last time--it was another name I couldn't quite understand. The rest of the flashback scenes were great, showing us Sulu and Rand in action again. I loved the way Janeway reacted to what was going on, turning when someone said, "Captain," looking as though she wanted to get physically involved, walking right up to Kang's image on the viewscreen, then leaning over the railing toward the bridge, she seemed so fascinated that I even thought at one point she might give the order to fire. I also liked the ready room scene with Harry Kim--nice to see Janeway loosening up and really smiling, even if Kim was a little disconcerted by it. The way they talked about that period in their history felt so real. It's not like they were discussing some event we'd never heard about before. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and "The Undiscovered Country," are part of our history too, and we look back on them with the same wonder and awed smile that Janeway does. One thing I would have liked to see was the opposite side of the meld. Even though they focused on Tuvok's memories, wouldn't there have been some effect on Janeway like there was with Suder? And once the virus was killed, would Tuvok really recover that quickly? I'd think this whole situation would leave him at least needing to do lots of meditatation before he felt really "in control" again. I also wonder just how the meld and his interaction with Janeway and his memories changed him. Of course, we don't really know what happened with that sirillium either. That's okay, I enjoyed the show anyway, but Tuvok really should bring Janeway a cup of tea one of these mornings. --Meredith Antonelli George Takei was splendid in this reunion episode--I loved hearing that voice of his. Grace Lee Whitney was less than satisfactory, but at least she didn't have many lines. The first time I watched this, the technobabble soared straight over my head and it took a second outing to appreciate the episode. Lots of subtle humor, updated Excelsior sets, numerous references to TOS storylines--this really did feel like the old Trek. One of the few scenes I remember from STVI:The Undiscovered Country was with Sulu and his teacup, and here it was again. The line about Tuvok having to learn to appreciate a joke was priceless. "Flashback" had many fine character moments: Tuvok recounting his past to Janeway, Neelix trying to please Tuvok with yet another of his culinary concoctions, Janeway and Harry in her ready room, Tuvok and Kes in Tuvok's quarters, and others. I especially liked the scene between Chakotay and Tuvok. Something I didn't note in my last review--in "Basics II," Tuvok calls Chakotay by his name instead of his title. This is the first time I can remember him doing this. In "Flashback," Chakotay expresses concern for Tuvok's well being and Tuvok immediately thinks he is talking about possible dereliction of duty. When Chakotay insists he means it on a personal level, Tuvok is genuinely surprised. Obviously, the characters are trying to let bygones be bygones. I hope in the process of whitewashing the show, TPTB don't forget about every conflict that ever existed between the two crews. This tension is one of the more interesting things about Voyager, and it has great potential for character development in the future. In other words, I don't want Chakotay to just forget he ever held a grudge against Paris or Tuvok--I want to see him work through this. Tuvok's flashback involved his failure to save a crewmember on the Excelsior. Each time he relived the actual event and we arrived at the moment in question, his vision switched to himself as a child dropping a little girl over a cliff. The parallel between the vision and actual memory was obvious, and considering how bright Janeway and Tuvok are supposed to be, I'm surprised they missed the connection the first time. I realize this is the hook for the entire episode and if they guessed the solution right away, the episode would be over. However, it certainly made two supposedly intelligent people look mighty clueless. In addition, Janeway sure accepted Tuvok's mindmeld invitation without a thought. After the "Meld" episode, you would think she'd be a little cautious before jumping right in and sharing brainwaves. However, her concern for Tuvok might well have overridden her common sense. So, why didn't the doctor express his doubts about their joining? I just thought this was a bit of an oversight. Another problem I had was the way Janeway became invisible when she doffed the old 'Fleet uniform. There weren't a whole lot of women on the ship, and Rand's uniform shouldn't have fit Janeway so snugly. The two women are...rather different in stature, to say the least. Is Sulu so blind that he doesn't notice the new communications officer who looks disturbingly like the intruder of a few minutes before? And he seemed so blasé about calling Security when Janeway appeared out of nowhere; I guess he had other things on his mind at the time. Minor nits: I didn't like the camera work much. The closeups of Kate were unflattering, to say the least. I know people are tired of hearing the complaints about her hair, but I think she would be better served with a softer style. I also found Tuvok's story a bit twisted, but at least his 50 year absence from Starfleet explains his low rank. Let's have a round of applause for Brannon Braga and Juliann Medina (where was her story credit?). This is a fine piece of work, and far better than "Basics" I and II. I think it's also one of the best pieces of work Braga has penned for Voyager--let's hope it keeps up. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz Was it just me, or did this episode make everyone wax nostalgic? I really miss that "different breed of Starfleet officers." A friend of mine was concerned about Janeway going into Tuvok's memories and somehow having something changed. That was my one worry I carried throughout the episode, having experienced some of Paramount's decisions in past series and episodes. I am so glad that I worried for nothing. Tuvok got a little brain-damaged, Sulu saw Janeway, Janeway and Tuvok stole Rand's clothes, no biggie. Question: Why did they have to steal clothes to conceal Janeway's presence, when they could have done it mentally, like taking them from there to here in the blink of a synapse? I am going to assume that he was too weakened at that point to be able to do it. That, and the way Sulu's teacup bounced very artistically across the table to the floor, should make me feel better. I was sorry to see Dimitri Valtane die. We did not get to spend much time with him in STVI, but I really liked what I did see. Having met him, I hope this will be a bridge for an Excelsior Adventures-type episodie or made-for-television series. Tuvok is my absolute least favorite character, so seeing the young ensign brown-nose up to his captain by not only noticing Sulu's habits, but then offering him a Vulcan tea blend, was absolutely fabulous--and Janeway looked so hurt. He won points with me. And then he had to dash them on the rocks with his snotty attitude to Dimitri about humans (even though he may have been unequivocally correct). I would like to go on the record as saying that I do like Brannon Braga episodes. I get excited when I see his name at the bottom of the screen, because then I know that I will enjoy what the next hour has to offer. A virus that hides in humanoids by masquerading as a repressed memory! I love it! Because his stories are so mentally involving, I can forgive that he may not be great at ending them. But his "mental-mind-****s" are nice. "Flashback" stands as a good start for the season. We were given a little more insight into the characters' interaction: Tuvok joking (sort of) with Chakotay, Kes' sensitivity to Tuvok's situation in his quarters, and Janeway being more of a meld partner than any of the Vulcans on board. And we were given a storyline that did not involve the Kazon, the Vidiians, the Talaxians, or anyone associated with them. I felt that "Basics, Part II" turned out the way in which fans speculated that it would all summer. Now, with something new and fresh and unexplored in the Delta Quadrant, I truly hope that Voyager can start a momentum and then use it. --Rhonda E. Green Ho hum. Maybe if I'd been drunk it would have been more fun. As it was, the Erythromycin haze I had been in earlier had subsided, leaving me disturbingly clear-headed as I watched this really dull episode. Yes, I liked seeing Sulu again, but the storyline completely failed to grip me. I thought I'd be excited to see Rand, but Grace Lee Whitney put absolutely no life into the character. And knowing that they'd tried to get Nichelle Nichols to sign on to play Uhura and failed only added to my disappointment. At least we had George Takei in all his glory (even though the announcer kept screwing up his name in the promos). I wish that seeing Sulu had been enough. I really do. In bringing him back, I'm really glad they took the time to compare the old style of the Federation and the new style, because frankly, they seem like wildly different beasts. I'm also glad that they finally explained why Tuvok is only a full lieutenant despite his centegenarian status. But there was something so overwhelmingly dull about the story. I found myself not really caring what was happening to Tuvok, and cared even less when they pulled out a Treknobabble explanation instead of having him have to deal with a real and strange trauma. At least now we know that Janeway was a pudgy kid. It's nice to see that pudge still exists in the twenty-fourth century. George Takei's return to Trek should have been better scripted than this. His scenes were wonderfully done--more so because he is such a fan of Trek and such a friend to fans, so we look at him through rose colored glasses--but I really wish they'd put him in a story where I could care about what was going to happen next. Next week--the ultimate hurt/comfort fest. This one I definitely have to see drunk so that my hormones can short out my rational mind. --Jennifer Pelland (Siubhan) When I first sat down to watch "Flashback" on Wednesday night, I was already suffering from media over-exposure. I mean, how long have we been hearing about this episode--six months, more or less? I was ansty, over-anxious for certain parts of the story to play out, and frankly not in the mood by this time. So at the end of the hour I was bored and underwhelmed. Three days later it's Saturday, I've been out most of the afternoon and now it's early evening, I don't feel like doing anything, so I flop down on the bed to veg and rewatch Voyager. It was like I'd never really seen the episode before--I very much enjoyed it the second go 'round because I had absolutely no expectations. This is the same way I went into Generations two years ago, and perhaps that is why I'm in the minority who actually liked that movie. With no expectations, there's a lot less chance of being disappointed. Anyway, there actually was quite a bit in this episode that I missed the first time out. In the final anaylsis, I found the story to be interesting and that it moved fluidly--almost "logically"--I also felt that it had a nice mix of nostalgia and new character development, and it left me with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. So you can just imagine what the 'revenge of the tribbles' episode will do in November. I don't think there can be any real argument that the episode was a Tuvok tour de force. I've always been a Spock fan and felt that we've never seen as well-defined or interesting a Vulcan character since his inception--until we got Tuvok on Voyager. Tim Russ' performance is reminiscent of Nimoy's, yet also different enough to make the character his own. We certainly got our quota of background with Tuvok. I thought it was "fascinating" that it was his parents' decision for him to attend the Academy, and because it was not his own, Tuvok's own egocentricity put him at odds with his human counterparts and severely limited his successful assimilation into this multi-cultural society. And those of us with children of our own can well relate to Tuvok's later experiences as a father which led him to appreciate his parents' decisions and expectations, which would take him back to Starfleet for a second try. If nothing else, this episode solidified my belief that no matter what happens between Janeway and Chakotay--even if they attain a sexual relationship later on--they will never experience the level of intimacy and implicit trust that is the foundation of the Janeway-Tuvok friendship. I doubt if it's just the writing for these characters; it's obvious that Kate and Tim love to work together, and work together well. In this episode, I truly believed that Tuvok cares for Kathryn as much as he possibly could for any non-Vulcan; and it reminded me of the moment in "Twisted" when he tries to reach out to touch her when they're not sure whether or not they're about to die. Now to the heart of the story--the flashback to the Excelsior. On first viewing I didn't think there was enough of it--I was over-anxious to see it, and so felt the episode moved too slowly. On second viewing, it seems to come at just the right time and blends in well. The one thing I missed the first time around ends up being the most significant factor, and that was that each time Tuvok went back to this event, they always ended up at the moment Dimitri just died. In noting that, I also then realized that the "viral" solution was not a "wrap-it-up in the last five minutes" ending as I originally thought, because we'd been given hints about it all along. Also, the holodoc actually discovers the problem 15-20 minutes before the end of the episode, and so the rest of the time is spent implementing the cure. I thought the editors did a good job mixing in ST:VI stock footage with newly shot scenes, and I did get a feel for being back during the Praxis incident. I also enjoyed the way Tuvok could segue smoothly from explaining to Janeway and the audience what was happening and what he was thinking at the time to become a part of the scenario without skipping a beat. A similar method was used by Levar Burton in DS9's "Rules of Engagement," and I found it distracting and choppy. Little things I liked--Janeway was a pudgy child; reminiscing about the "good ol' days"; and the fact that Grace Lee Whitney still can't act. Now that's a real blast from the past! Let's face it folks, back in the glory days of TOS, the only regulars who really turned in decent performances on a weekly basis were Shatner and Nimoy. That's part of its cheesy charm. The one thing I really didn't like is also reminiscent of the 'glory days', and that's the fact that the episode really only involved two of the Voyager regulars--Janeway and Tuvok (with the holodoc and Kes playing supporting roles). The 30th anniversary only comes around once. They should have found a way to involve everyone. --Pam Buickel THE CHUTE Be still my throbbing hormones. Voyager has gone and filmed the most homoerotic episode of Trek's career. At first I wasn't sure just how close Tom and Harry were going to get, as Voyager has consistently hammered home the heterosexuality of its characters, but when Harry held Tom's hand and curled up next to him, my housemate and I just looked at each other and raised our eyebrows in amazement. Never mind the whole, "He's mine," exchange at the beginning. He's mine for what...shoe shines? Back rubs? General garden work? The irony of this is that this episode was clearly aimed at the young male demographic--chronic consumers of violence and action- oriented entertainment. While it succeeded in catering to that market, "The Chute" also showed us the most tender display we've ever seen between two men in the post-TOS universe. Tom and Harry did everything but kiss, and even had me wondering if they would a few times as they stared intensely into each other's eyes, faces mere inches apart. The only thing that probably stopped them was the fact that DS9 had already done same-sex kissing last season in "Rejoined" (excuse me while I think back on that episode and drool a little...ahhhhhhh...). Well, that, and the fact that they've done their damndest to show off just how heterosexual each of the characters are. They could be bisexual, but if Trek can't handle homosexuality, I can't see how they could handle bisexuality. Another wonderful irony is that in the end, the leader of the rescue mission was Janeway with her big honking gun. Men bonding tenderly, women with big guns--this whole episode was an example of contradictions within clichés. It had violence and grit and despair, which I like; it had homoeroticism, which I like; and it had women acting with conviction and serious bad-ass backbone, which I also like. In fact, I liked those elements so much, that I'm willing to overlook the small pile of nits I was able to compile while watching it. Oh, all but one: I really wish that at the end, Tom had still been flat on his back in sickbay, recovering from a wicked infection, while Harry stood guiltily by his bed confessing his feelings of guilt (and holding his hand again). But other than that, this one was a winner. I'm sure The Powers That Be did not intend this to be so homoerotic, but it was, and for that I thank them. Maybe there are people like me in the future after all. --Jennifer Pelland (Siubhan) When this episode started rolling, I just knew that Ken Biller was the author of the teleplay. Biller has been responsible for some of the more controversial scripts ("Tuvix") of last season, but "The Chute" isn't one of them. As in "Resistance," we are treated to a prison scenario, only this time it's much more brutal and gritty. Paramount is making much of the fact that Voyager has changed, and it has, but I'm not sure the changes are to my liking. Violence is one thing, but gratuitous violence for the sake of gaining more viewers is sick. I disliked the scene where Mr. Manifesto slit someone's throat to get some bread. I think there are better ways to imply an action, and what used to be suitable viewing for children no longer holds true. Although Biller did a good job with Kim and Paris, he doesn't know squat about Janeway. Both in "Tuvix" and here, Janeway is drawn as sharp and tough, without a lot of sympathy. Kate is always great, especially when she is given good material, but there's not much she can do when the writer paints her out of character. It was interesting to see her reaction to the Open Sky rebels, because they really weren't all that different from the Maquis, and it makes me wonder how she would have treated them if circumstances were different. Despite their insolence, I would have expected her to have more sympathy for the rebels. I also didn't understand her comment to Tuvok about a bath and a hot meal. It sounded strange and out of context. Perhaps she was being snide about the figurative stench in there caused by their presence, or maybe she was showing that she could be decent even under these circumstances. I can't comment on the Prime Directive, because there seem to be so many gray areas where that's concerned. It's my understanding that the Federation is not supposed to interfere with pre-warp societies, but what about societies that are their technological equal? Is effecting a rescue considered a violation, or is interfering with the judicial process the real violation? Perhaps their actions towards the rebels were the actual violation. These are just my guesses, and it may not matter for much longer, because I hear TPTB want to ignore the Prime Directive in the future. This may have more to do with the situation Voyager is in than anything else, but I'm not sure it's right to flout Trek conventions like this. Violations aside, Voyager could not have rescued Tom and Harry without the information they got from the rebels, so the story would have fallen apart without it. Another mistake I saw was letting Janeway proceed down the chute before her security team. If it is so crucial that the senior officers make every effort to protect themselves, why did Tuvok let Janeway go first? Also, since when did Ms. Hold Your Fire start shooting first and asking questions later? This is what I mean when I say that Ken Biller is clueless when it comes to Janeway. Anyway, this was a Tom and Harry episode, and both actors were superb. Garrett Wang showed a whole range of emotions we have rarely seen from him, and I hope this is only the beginning for the young actor. I always mention his cardboard counterpart, but that old stand-in would have flopped on its face in this role. We are drawn right into the adventure without any introduction, much as we saw in "Resolutions" when Janeway and Chakotay were already on the planet. I think this is a cost-cutting measure, and I wish they'd flesh things out more. "The Chute" was a typical buddy episode, and I liked seeing the two of them stick by each other. We also got to hear the name of the other Delaney sister, but this is getting to be real stale and I hope they move past it in the future. I loved seeing the sweaty closeups of our two guys, and those hurt/comfort scenes should inspire a lot of fan fiction writers out there. I liked the humorous lines Biller threw in here, especially the one about leola root. The actor who played "The Unabomber" was also quite good, but I don't know what to call him. I think Harry muttered his name in sickbay, but it was difficult to hear. This guy was the so-called leader of the prison gang, and everyone was afraid of him. Harry kept saying he was insane, but I wondered about that statement. The Unabomber sounded more sane than all the rest of them put together, and Harry should have read his manifesto. Of course, Harry was being eternally optimistic and hoped they'd escape before things got out of hand, so that may explain why he ignored the information being handed to him. The best scene in the entire episode was when Harry climbed to the top of the chute and realized it led to space. I was not expecting that, and I'm glad this show can still surprise me. It's also clear that they are determined to make Neelix a hero, but at what cost? He still pulls his idiot routine and falls into that rut far too easily. I think they're going to have a struggle on their hands when it comes to our intrepid Talaxian guide. "The Chute" was an exciting episode if you only look at the adventure factor, and it did contain some good character moments for Tom and Harry. However, I hope that Ken Biller improves his characterization of Janeway before they turn her into a shrew, or worse. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz A lot of Voyager fans, mostly male, looked forward to "The Chute," as it was hyped as the beginning of Voyager's new, edgier style a la The Sentinel. This, loosely interpreted, means: more gore and violence. I hope The Demographic is happy--I'M not. However much I loathed the frequent throat-slitting, I enjoyed the overall show somewhat. The psychological aspect of this episode was intriguing, if not pretty. That guy in the prison at first reminded me eeriely of the man who played Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar--especially when he looked up and had that light shining down on him--then the Unabomber, especially with his manifesto and his encouraging Harry to kill poor little Tommy. I thought he was an interesting character, more interesting than some of the regular crewmembers on board. However, after this episode, I did like Harry and Tom a lot more. With "Flashback" and this episode, it seems like we're having character development in large, sudden surges. There were times when Tom looked almost "Threshold"-like again, but the revulsion passed. Most of all in this episode, I was struck by the possibilities that a fourteen-year-old patriot with asylum on board could have brought to Voyager--similarities to the Maquis's cause, insight into a new species, some youth on board--but of course she had to go call Janeway a coward and ruin the possibility of her staying on board. Pout. The use of Neelix's ship was cute, and so was the BS Neelix dished up, both to the Evil Aliens Of The Week and back in Sickbay. Neelix at Conn--hee hee! And the fact that the Unabomber--umm, the Alien Dude--was right in the end was predictable but effective. However, Tom and Harry's last conversation was interesting. Maybe Tom'll settle down now that he's sure of a friend...Nah. Despite the all-too-gratutious violence, the triumph over the blood lust in the end was encouraging. However, if this is to be the standard of this season rather than "Flashback," I don't think I'm looking forward to next week. --Emily Friedman In tonight's episode, it was nice to see that not only could Janeway do what needed to be done, but she could do it with her own hands. That has been proven before, with "Tuvix." However, in this episode, Janeway tells a 14-year-old off, and for the first time that I can remember, doesn't make nice with the natives--the terrorists. Janeway was ready and willing to sacrifice a couple of people she knew made the bomb, but knew nothing about. I really don't miss all the explaination and clairifying of everyone's political position, and who is good and who is bad, in fact, in is nice that they didn't explain it. It wasn't relevant to the story line. I appreciated not being blatantly conscended to with simple explanations. Politics are never simple--and to try to simplify them in three sentences makes me, the viewer, feel like someone is talking down to me. I found it interesting that during the entire episode, not one mention was made of why everyone was fighting, or what the problem was. In my experience in Trek, when terrorists come on, usually someone starts explaining, so that the viewer will know who the bad guy is. Here, no questions asked. Just get the people out and run. Turn anyone in if it will help. I was disturbed by that willingness. And Janeway seemed so utterly surprised that even though she had captured the real culprits, the government wasn't willing to help or negotiate with her! She should have been expecting that from a hostile government! That, after all, is knee-jerk reaction! So what if you have the real culprits? We have already done our job (correctly) so why should we listen you you? And who do you think you are anyway, you irritating Federation? So what happened to Janeway being ready and willing to help those who cross her path? She stranded her crew in the Deltra Quadrant, saving an entire species, and yet she won't help a couple prisoners break out of jail, or offer to help two terrorists? I'm actually sort of surprised that Janeway used threats right off the bat with the terrorists--her usual MO is to talk, see what the problem is, and then try to help everyone. I thought the look on Janeway's face when Piri called her a coward was magnificent. It really brought home, for me, the fact that Janeway was going to go to the prison and try a break out even, though she just got through telling Piri that "that is not the way we do things." Well, why not? She's done it before. Actually, it was a very confusing moment, made worse by Janeway's open distress when the planetary government refused to help her. She was doing the powerful, decisive leader, then good little girl asking for a favor. Didn't make sense. The upshot of it all is that I did like the episode! I had a few questions/musings about it, but I like shows like that--they make me think and wonder, rather than give a pat answer with a wrap up or characterization. I guess I am questioning Janeway's characterization on this episode, now that I have finished writing all my thoughts down. Parts of it were consistent, and parts of it really made me wonder what the heck was going on... --Rachael Quereau It was a dark and stormy night. Shadowy figures lurked in, well, the shadows. The stench of decay hung in the air like a Kazon's B.O. Suddenly, a fight broke out! Fists flew! Throats were slit! Blood flowed like Earl Grey! Is this an episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys? Au contraire...it's Voyager! Voyager? Yup. The Uber-Producers' Master Plan to make the show more viable to the God Demographic has produced this different yet surprisingly enjoyable episode, which features mainly Paris and Kim in a Delta Quadrant gulag that would make Colonel Klink nervous. In a nutshell: The two erstwhile pretty boys are framed for a terrorist bombing and sent down The Chute (hey, what a great title for an episode!) where they land in the middle of a community theater's production of The Great Escape. The standard prison movie archetypes are there: the prophet (complete with Manifesto, kung fu grip optional), the rabble-rouser, even the queen. Not to mention the standard nameless riffraff, all sporting the Forehead Du Jour. Janeway must rescue her crewmembers before they're driven insane by a diabolical device called The Clamp (also a good title for an episode, but apparently The Chute won the toss) and kill each other. But there are a few twists. Tom, usually more of a leader, is stabbed halfway through the episode and becomes little more than a millstone around Harry's neck. Poor Harry. He hasn't been under this much pressure since the Academy Sadie Hawkins dance. He's expected to engineer an escape route, convince the other prisoners that "we've got to get organized!", obtain shelter and bandages for Tom, placate the Unabomber, and fend off the prisoners who are suffering from intense boot envy, all while marshaling his mental forces to resist the effects of The Clamp and stop himself from killing Tom with a nail file. Garrett Wang pulls this off surprisingly well, if you mute your TV during the Shatneresque "we've got to work together" speech, so Harry winds up looking pretty darn heroic, especially after he discovers the truth about the prison...that there's no escape after all. Meanwhile, Janeway discovers that the planetary authorities are far from cooperative (like they ever aren't), but manages to catch the real bombers. First she offers to trade them for Harry and Tom. Why the planetary leader refuses is a little puzzling...wouldn't he want the real bombers? But in the end she decides to blackmail the bombers to help her bust Tom and Harry out of prison, which she does personally in true Horatio Hornblower fashion in the last five minutes. Perhaps I've made it sound like I liked this episode less than I did. I give it a thumbs-up, because it boasted some pretty good performances, Janeway being her best decisive self, and an intriguing interpretation on some standard prison/buddy plot formulas. The denouement was too quick, as was the emotional resolution, but you can't have everything. It was also refreshing to me that no one seemed to care about the nature of the conflict on this planet, the government vs. the terrorists. Too often Trek gets mired down in moral hand-waving, which definitely has its place but can act as a paralyzer. Janeway just gets her people out and leaves them to their little conflict, which is her only real choice. Harry and Tom have not broken any laws, they have not interefered with the planet's social structure, they were just trapped. They required rescue. Janeway delivered. End of story. --Lori Summers I enjoyed watching this episode, even more on the second viewing than the first. It offers a change from the old save-a-planet-a-week Trek routine, gives Garrett Wang an opportunity to demonstrate that he can, in fact, act, and is generally fairly exciting. I also liked the parallels between the two stories--both Kim and Janeway find themselves dealing with situations largely beyond their control, forced to choose from a list of options which doesn't include what they would personally prefer. I have some reservations, though. We see Paris and Kim in extreme situations, but how much do we really learn about them? Paris has experience in prison, has a short fuse, is protective of Kim. Kim is loyal and naive. We knew that. Assuming that the insinuations that the affection the two feel for each other goes beyond brotherly love will not be followed up on in future episodes (and if you don't assume that, I've got some beachfront property in Arizona which might interest you), the main new information revealed in the episode is the name of the second Delany sister. I'm concerned about the portrayal of Janeway, too. Yes, she's decisive--but she seems so comfortable with the decisions she has to make that it makes me uncomfortable. The descent down the chute with the phaser rifle does look cool, but it's comic book stuff, and too reminiscent of Sisko's macho makeover last season. I hope Janeway won't have to shave her head (or Chakotay wear heels...). I'm a member of the Captains Shouldn't Lead Away Teams faction--it's just not a sensible way to run a starship. Of course Janeway should be tough, but she shouldn't be Rambo. --Jennifer Loehlin Whew! When they hinted that Voyager would be a little more rough and ready this season they weren't kidding. The violence was startling at first--I almost forgot that I was watching Trek and not an action movie. The fight scenes were well-choreographed and the props, costuming, and camera-work really added to the atmosphere of the prison story. It was exciting, but strange to see such darkness in a series that's always been about hope. That Akritirian prison made the Mokran prison in "Resistance" look like a four-star hotel. I had no trouble believing in the desperation Tom and Harry felt. No guards, little food and water, nothing to suggest that prisoners were held for anything other than suffering for their crimes. No way out until Harry disabled the force-field, and even then no one wanted to listen or cooperate. Nothing but dirt and other prisoners who'd be happy to see them die. Harry was very lucky Tom got there first, although he managed well once Tom "claimed" him. This was a crash course in "the way of the universe" for Harry and I think he surprised himself, especially when he realized that Tom was depending on him for survival and not the other way around. Garrett Wang did a great job showing Harry's struggle to remain calm and in control, especially when he almost killed Tom. Of course, that marvelous scene backed right up to the gratuitous "pep talk" scene, but just the thought of that clamp thing makes my head tingle so I can understand the irrational urge that sent Harry over the edge. And I loved the scene in which Harry lies down next to Tom--very touching. Robert Duncan McNeil gave a fine performance too.Usually it's easy to forget that Tom is a prison veteran, but here we saw some of the attitude, the disdain that Tom adopts so readily when he finds himself in uncomfortable situations. We caught a rare glimpse of the toughness behind those clean-cut good looks and the heart of gold underneath it all. Kate Mulgrew is absolutely amazing (as if we didn't know that already). That script made Janeway sound cruel and heartless, but the skillful way Kate handled it gave us intense Janeway at her decisive best. She communicates entire paragraphs with the most minute facial expressions--I was riveted throughout Janeway's confrontation with her captives. I never doubted for a moment that she knew she'd get the information she wanted, and I really don't think she'd have turned them in, especially after the ambassador made it so clear that it wouldn't make a difference in getting Tom and Harry back. She did a great job bluffing and I could almost feel her anger and sympathy for Piri and her brother at the end. I also loved seeing her go after Tom and Harry herself. Moral dilemmas and diplomatic negotiations always make interesting stories, but it's so much fun to see the captain in action that I'm looking forward to more of this as long as it's done well. What about the Prime Directive? She interfered with the politics of an alien culture to get to Tom and Harry. Yes, they were tried and convicted according to the local laws as far as she knew. But she must also have known the trial wasn't fair by Federation standards, and when the Akritirian government turned from merely uncooperative to antagonistic, she decided to look for the truth herself. If the purpose of the Prime Directive is to protect the current balance of power, then technically she could look all she wanted. She was walking the line when she captured and questioned the people responsible for the bombing, and the Prime Directive definitely became an issue when she threatened to turn them over to the Akritirian government. We never got to see how she operated in the Alpha Quadrant, but it seemed in this episode that she's learning to adapt her approach. Maybe she's realizing that Chakotay did have a valid point when he suggested that going strictly by the Starfleet book wasn't going to work all the time out where no one had ever heard of the Federation's brand of moral conduct. If that is indeed the case, it would have been nice to hear her acknowledge that at some point--but without the usual Trek pontificating. She could have tried the diplomatic approach with the bombers but in this case I'm glad she didn't. She would never have gotten the information she needed to find Tom and Harry and the two young people probably wouldn't have cared even if they did understand. So, we shared in Tom's and Harry's growing friendship, we played hardball with the Captain, we got to fire a few guns, and J/C'ers got a few moments of physical proximity. Pretty good deal. --Meredith Antonelli *KATEWATCH* CREATION 4 AUGUST 1996, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA Having seen Kate earlier this year in Denver, I knew she would be magnificent at this convention, and I was not disappointed. She came on stage in a small black sleeveless dress, to a rousing round of applause, and proceeded to tell everyone how happy she was to be "back home" in the Midwest. Kate briefly attended the University of Minneapolis, and it was there that she picked up two bad habits: men and cigarettes. Both have caused her much trouble ever since! Kate loves playing Captain Janeway. She said that she fell in love with Janeway in her bedroom. Then there was an uncomfortable pause and she said, "Did I just say that? I thought so...ah well, wouldn't be the first time." Lots of laughs at this. Kate said she fell in love when she read her on the page. She feels that Janeway is a role model, and at no time was this made more evident to her than when she was invited to the White House. Mrs. Clinton told Kate that Voyager is the only show that she and Chelsea watch together, and that they both feel that Janeway is a wonderful role model. Kate briefly repeated the story of her auditions for the role of Janeway. She said that during her final audition at network, she had to do the "Somewhere along this journey..." soliloquy from the end of "The Caretaker." She knew she was Janeway; the other women auditioning were not. She was completely present and played the part from beginning to end. As she delivered her final lines to the panel, she stepped right in front of Rick Berman, leaned in close, delivered the final phrase, and winked. Then she walked out. Two days later (after Yom Kippur), she got the phone call to welcome her aboard! This is a great story, and one that the crowd seems to enjoy every time she recalls it. Kate loves working with her co-stars, each and every one. Ethan Phillips was referred to as "my sweet little Neelix." While shooting one scene with him, Phillips stopped just before the camera rolled and just stared at her with a faraway look in his eyes. She asked him what was the matter, and he said, "I just love my captain!" She admires Jennifer Lien and Roxann Biggs-Dawson as well, and told us that Roxann may direct an episode this year. Kate loves Picardo's portrayal of the Doctor and told us that he will be emancipated from sick bay this season. When asked if Beltran was good looking in person, she responded that he's quite handsome. "Robert Beltran is a very kind, gentle, and soulful man who constantly asks me how I'm doing, and he really means it," she added. She again expressed her concerns regarding a Janeway/Chakotay romance. The audience voted on whether the characters should become lovers (maybe 1/3 of the room raised their hands), or whether they should become such close friends that they develop almost an unspoken bond and deep devotion to each other, but not become lovers (at least not on screen). The remaining 2/3 of the audience went with this scenario. I will leave interpretation of this remark and the subsequent audience reaction to the J/C debate team. Kate was asked about unusual fan mail. She said she received a notice that she had been left something in someone's will. She had no idea who it was from or what it was. It turned out to be a clock from a little old lady who loved Kate. She wasn't a Trek fan, just a Kate fan. She would watch everything that Kate appeared in and would always set her grandfather clock so that she wouldn't miss anything. This little old lady wanted Kate to have the grandfather clock. Kate said she was so touched that she literally sat on the floor and cried. We were able to present Kate with a gift from Now Voyager. Cheryl Waldie and I got in the question line and when it was our turn, Kate immediately recognized our T-shirts! As we approached the edge of the stage to give her the present, she spoke to the audience, "Have you people seen these T-shirts?" Kate then proceeded to read my shirt (much to my delight) to the entire crowd. The "Janeway and Chakotay in '96--No Platform, Just a Bridge" line went over very well. I truly felt on display, and will be forever thankful to Kate for this special thrill as hundreds of people craned their necks to see my shirt. Kate then shook our hands and we stumbled back to our seats in a joyful stupor. Two young girls approached Kate dressed up in holonovel costume. Kate loved the costumes and told us that the holonovel for Captain Janeway has been given the boot. She also said that Voyager will bid adieu to the Kazon this season, and new aliens will be revealed in an episode called "The Swarm." Kate's favorite villains are the Vidiians. Kate commented again on the continued good-natured joshing going on with Tim Russ. He apparently shoots spitballs at her. "Not the regular old spitballs, mind you. I mean, I have two boys. I know what spitballs are!" Tim's spitballs pack quite a wallop and his aim is impeccable--right on her forehead during her closeups. "He is a dead man," she told us. She ordered someone to remove all his clothes from his trailer, except for one shoe and one sock. Tim was not at all bothered by this and had some Polaroids taken so that Kate could see the, ahem, fruits of her labor. The next day when she walked into her trailer, there were Polaroids plastered everywhere of Tim in the buff. Each photo had a comment written under it as well, like, "You'll be seeing lots of this next season" on a butt shot. Side note regarding Tim Russ: He appeared at this con the day prior to Kate. He admitted to shooting spitballs at her, but was quite anxious to tell us that she likes to make goofy faces while he's doing his closeups. It would seem that there's a fair amount of tomfoolery on the set as well. Tim said that it is a bad idea to get more than a few cast members in the turbolift at once. They like to goose each other in there! I know I will never again be able to objectively watch a scene in which 4 or 5 crewmembers emerge from a turbolift all serious and ready for action. Tim scored big points with this fan for his answer to the question: What was the best thing about shooting "Flashback," the special 30th anniversary episode featuring Tuvok and Janeway? He said the thing he liked best was that he got to be in every scene with Kate. (He scored more points later when he recognized our Now Voyager T-shirts while we waited in his autograph line. He took one look at us and said, "Hi! Kate will be here tomorrow!") Kate fielded an early question from a young boy who told her that Voyager is the best Trek yet and that she is the best captain yet. When the applause died down, he added that "Picard would suck in a dress." Then he asked for a kiss on the cheek. Kate jumped down off the stage to oblige, and at this point a man appeared on stage. When Kate returned to her spot, he was standing waiting to hand her the microphone. She took it from him and remarked, "Thank you, sir. My, aren't you a handsome gentleman!" He sheepishly tried to slip back behind the curtain, only to have Kate bring him out with the introduction of "Rick Kolbe, the Voyager director." Rick came out on stage periodically to answer questions-- typically of a technical nature. For instance, someone commented that if there are supposedly 100 crewmembers on board Voyager, how come in "Basics Part I" there are only 29 people on the planet? Rick said that if it looked that way, he must have done something wrong, but that a director must pick and choose his moments. He did say that sometimes things don't work out as planned and cuts must be made, and they end up with a small number of extras changing their wigs every 10 minutes. Another question that Rick fielded was: "Originally Voyager was only supposed to be gone for a few weeks, and now they're gone for much longer. Who is handling Intelligence on board?" Rick deadpanned, "I didn't know there was any intelligence on Voyager." Kate then stepped back and pretended to shoot him as the crowd laughed and booed and Rick threw his hands up to cover his face as if he were being bombarded with flying objects. He was quite candid and displayed a great sense of humor as well. Regrettably, he said he won't be directing any more than one Voyager episode a season and no DS9. He's afraid of growing stagnant. He said he will be going to Canada to direct Millenium, the new Chris Carter show. Kate had spent the morning prior to her appearance at a children's hospital visiting children with leukemia. She said that speaking to the kids made her realize that in her position, she has the ability to impact people in a tremendously positive way. People simply want to meet and be with her, and she is genuinely touched by this. It is an extremely fortunate position to be in. She says that she is inspired by the love from people and only wishes to return those feelings to us. Kate most definitely returned those good vibes to all the people in Minneapolis that day. Her stay was short, but she made quite an impression. She is witty, gracious, and very funny. At events like these, questions often get repeated. The manner in which Kate handles these repeats is something else that sets her apart. There are no "stock" answers from her. Somehow she is able to present a subtle new twist, observation, or anecdote to what would otherwise be a mere repetition of a previous answer. It is this kind of respect and attention that further endears her to me, and to all of us! --Beth Schuman CREATION 17-18 AUGUST 1996, NOVI, MICHIGAN Two weeks after Kate's wonderful Minneapolis appearance, she attended the two-day Creation con in Novi, Michigan. Lucky me, I got to see her both times! To say that she was fantastic is an understatement. Now Voyager was well represented and we managed to recruit quite a few new members as well! Kate shared the stage with Robert Picardo for a good portion of her time both days. Bob introduced Kate to the crowd. He spoke very highly of her, saying how she is not only the captain of the ship, but the captain of the show as well. He told us that everyone on the set has a lot of respect for Kate, and he feels very privileged to work with such a professional and talented actress. Among the highlights: During the original first take of the "Resolutions" angry warrior scene, Kate cried profusely because Chakotay's speech to Janeway was so beautiful. The director had her tone it down for the final take. Kate feels that the commitment Chakotay declared for Janeway is such a beautiful sentiment that it would make anyone cry. She called her co-star "my divine Robert Beltran" and said that one night after shooting very late, she found him standing outside staring out at the stars. He told her he was thinking of trying prayer on a mystic level. At this, she looked at him dreamily and said, "Will you marry me?" With respect to Janeway's relationship with Chakotay, she said that she is opposed to them ever making love (at least in front of the camera). She generalized that women don't have the need for sex like men do; men have a drive that is much more powerful and present in their lives. Basically I got the impression that Kate thinks that a woman captain should not be fooling around--period. She feels that the captain's role is to lead the crew and not jeopardize their safety in any way. It would be rather selfish for her to be worried about her personal needs when she should be worried about her crew. With regard to J/C, essentially she seems to feel that imagination is enough to keep their relationship alive. She said, "It's fun to keep your sexual encounters in your imagination!" (Alrighty, how about some dream sequences?) In "Basics I," Kate felt that an additional scene should have been inserted at the point where Cullah had just taken over the ship and is seated in Janeway's chair. She felt she should have walked up to him and, using her best captain's voice, tell him that he will regret what he has done. Kate didn't necessarily feel that Janeway gave up too easily, rather that the audience didn't get a scene that showed her confronting Cullah again. Kate is partial to stage-trained actors, those who know their craft. She loved working with Joel Grey in "Resistance" so much that she threw two dinner parties for him. Even though they worked together in Remo Williams, they never really got to know each other until the Voyager shoot. Working with someone of such high caliber, she said that it becomes easier to take risks that one wouldn't normally take. Two partners with such a connection can really take chances in scenes together. A young man told Kate that a friend of his saw her naked in a movie. Kate took this with great humor and said, "I have never been naked!" Another fan asked her about the movie in which she portrayed an orphan who went crazy. After some bantering, we finally realized he was referring to Alien Lover. We all started yelling out the name of the movie, and Kate laughed and covered her face as if to say, "I can't believe you guys found that movie!" She did say that even back then she was destined for science fiction. Kate related a story dating back to when her children were very young. Her mother told her not to discipline them in a shrill voice. She said, "You're a trained actress, use your voice." Then Kate demonstratedhow she takes her voice low and admitted that the proper inflection can make her quite intimidating. There were two girls sitting next to us when Kate did this demonstration, and they both said that she scared them. She expressed concern over her two sons. They're happy when she's happy, but she feels she must reassure them that in the process of all this celebrity, they aren't going to lose their mother. It was touching to hear her reflect on this dilemma. She somehow manages to balance her needs with the needs of her boys in a manner that is acceptable to them. She spends all the time she possibly can with her sons, who are not Star Trek fans. The autograph sessions both days were highly successful. We were told that she was contracted for one hour only. I found out later that she stayed on Saturday at least twice that long, until everyone who wanted an autograph got one. Just prior to the session on Sunday, she told us that she would stay until everyone got an autograph because "Isn't that what most of you came here for?" During the sessions themselves Kate moved at a breakneck speed, but still took time to comment to people, answer questions, etc. On a personal note, Saturday when it was my turn in the autograph line, Kate's pen slightly malfunctioned and burped a blob of silver ink onto the photo she was signing for me. Kate was quite bothered by this. As she changed pens and started again on my photo, she commented to a convention representative that she needed some better pens because she was ruining the photos! It's nice to know that she pays attention and cares about such things. Now I can say that I have a Kate Mulgrew autograph that she herself fretted over! Speaking as someone who has never stood in line for a celebrity autograph before, I can honestly say that I was very impressed with how she handled the endless questions, comments, and requests for photos. The Novi con was a huge success--great guests, great merchandise in the dealer's room, and great friends (NowVoys) to share it all with! --Beth Schuman These are comments from Kate Mulgrew from the Creation convention in Detroit the weekend of Aug. 17-18. The report generally goes in the order the questions were received from the fans. I missed part of Saturday, but included quotes from Robert Picardo when he was onstage with Kate. Saturday: Kate wore a long white skirt, white top, and tan jacket. The top was cut at the midriff and sometimes her belly was exposed [yes, we're trying to find out if anyone got pictures]. A 10-year-old asked Kate about her hair. Kate said that weirdly, her hair must convince people of her competence. "I think the best way to approach that is not to be worried about my damned hair," she said. The child also asked her whether she'd made any bloopers. "That's not often, sweetie. I study often when I go home. I have a little bit of a fixation about this." Kate was asked whether she'd be in any movies soon. "That's far in the future," she said. "I really can't conceive of that...I have a little dream for myself. I'd like to finish this series as beautifully as possible. And then I'd like to go back to New York and get back on the stage where I used to be." A kid, age 5, asked Kate: "What do you like best about being Captain Janeway?" Kate smiled and said: "Talking to people like you. Because when you see Captain Janeway on TV, you think, 'I'd like to be Captain Janeway.' (The child nodded.) Well, that makes me feel pretty good. I think it's been a long time in Star Trek history when a little girl could approach the podium with this kind of aspirations." On coming to Detroit for this convention: "The doctor told me it would be good for me. I'm glad I came." A little girl asked, "How do you feel about the costume?" Kate replied, "I love my spacesuit." She said she likes the utility of it. "I came from an Irish Catholic family...your mother and father don't tell you that you're pretty. They tell you to get a job, they tell you to develop character, they tell you to have passion...I love this costume. I love that you can just zip into it. This spacesuit suits me fine." She was asked about the episode "Tuvix." Was she happy about the way it ended? "Well, it was a late Friday night. I'd say I was thrilled," she joked. The audience laughed. Seriously, she added, "It was a tough call. I was glad that the writers made me do this (turn Tuvix back into Neelix and Tuvok). (Janeway) would have to do that. This is her beloved crew. I think she would have to do that." One woman said to Kate: "I don't mean to age you, but I used to watch you on 'Ryan's Hope' when this child"--she pointed to her teen-age son--"was till a baby I was rocking." "You haven't aged me," Kate said. "I just feel clinically depressed." The audience laughed. "That's a very large person behind you," Kate said of the woman's son. The woman's son then stepped up to the microphone and asked about Q. "He seemed to have some attraction to Janeway." Kate said, "He's coming back. Very soon." (The audience applauded.) "I think that's two episodes down the road," she continued. "I'm going to put this bug in your ear. They'd kill me if they heard me say it though...I think Q has an urge to procreate. And he has targeted young and beautiful Captain Janeway. I think he likes Janeway for this purpose. I think that we will see him...if not frequently, regularly." A child asked, "Are you a Trekkie?" Kate smiled and said, "Are you? It's Trekk-ER, you know. It's a fascinating world. My children are not Trekkers and I don't push it...It's like a love of piano or a love to cook. Many of you like science, don't you?" The audience applauded. Another child asked whether the Enterprise, in the next movie First Contact, is going to have an Emergency Medical Hologram on it. Kate brought out Robert Picardo to answer this question. He had already spoken that day and was backstage. Picardo said, "OK, let's be logical. Voyager had an emergency medical hologram, and it's state-of-the-art technology. Why wouldn't the crew. I'm not recognized (in public)." Kate was asked whether there were aspects of being a Trek star that overwhelmed her. "This is one of them," she said, apparently referring to the convention. "The workload is another. How to raise my kids is another. How to get any sleep is another." (laughter) "(But) when you feel this happy and you feel this privileged...." Picardo spoke of his first day on the set. "I walked onstage and there was a crowd this size, maybe a little larger," he joked. "And I looked at them and they all stood up and clapped. And I looked at them like this--" (here he let his mouth hang open) "--and I thought they had all gotten together and said, 'Hey, let's make an ass out of him.'" (laughter) "...I guess it's a lot like being a music star. Now, if people don't stand up, it's like, 'What's the matter? Aren't the lights on?'" (roars of laughter) Picardo added that meeting the fans is "very gratifying." Someone asked about the rumor that Seska gets killed next season. Kate said, "Martha Hackett is a brilliant actress playing Seska. It would be a great sorrow if we lose Seska. But I think the Kazon weren't as effective a species as we had hoped." Kate said she thinks the Kazon will not be around much longer. "I wish there was a way to recover Seska. I'm sorry." A boy, age 12, said, "I think it's about itme they put a woman in the captain's chair....It's a change." Kate said affectionately, "Well, aren't you wonderful." (applause) "Am I running it to your satisfaction?" The boy said, "I think you're running it better." Kate looked flattered and there was more applause. Kate continued, "You are an important audience to me. That's the age where boys go through puberty. They begin to separate themselves from their mother and (identify) with the independence of their father. I think that's why boys generally like to see men steering things." Inexplicably, the boy mentioned that his parents were having problems. Kate said she was sorry to hear that. The boy and Kate chatted a little more, and before the boy stepped down, Kate said, "And don't worry about your parents. Remember, you just have to live your own life. I want to wish you the best of luck, young man." Kate was asked about the Borg. "I think the Borg probably will be encountered this season," she said. She was asked about remembering her lines. "Retention is not a big problem," she said. "There aren't any bloopers if you do your homework...Robert's much the same way," she said, gesturing to Picardo, who was still onstage. Picardo said, "You don't mean water retention..." The audience and Kate laughed. He continued, "My entire experience thus far, I've seen her bobble a word twice. The actor we tease about (this) is Robert Beltran." Kate: "Robert has an interesting reaction...It begins with an 'F' and it goes on for a long, long time." (laughter) In the meantime, Picardo was mimicking Beltran in a moment like this, kicking the ground, cursing, making throwing motions at the ground. Sunday: Kate wore a white pantsuit with a tan jacket, and the ever-present pearls. She looked incredibly classy and her hair was to die for. She started by saying that Robert Picardo had left her a voice mail at the hotel that he was going to attend Mass that morning. "There are a lot of Catholics in this cast," she said. Of Picardo, she continued, "We had a lovely meal last night and Mr. Picardo treated me. I took my bath, I fluffed up my pillow, I got my script...and I started to hear the noise coming from both the left room and the right room. "In Room Number One we had the world's most disgusting high school reunion. They were throwing down drinks and throwing up and screaming and pounding. But Room Number Two had the more disturbing sound," Kate said--a baby crying. "And a mother who wants to die," she added. (Kate remarked that this was the one chance she'd had all month to get any sleep. She called the room with the high school reunion, and they said they'd be quieter, but the noise rose again very quickly. Changing the subject, she commented on Tim Russ: "Something happens to men after, say, midnight. It's called regressive beahvior. Now, I'm accustomed to it, because there were eight children in my family and I have a lot of brothers." On the set, she continued, "Usually they have each other to bounce off of. But when they're alone with me..." Kate shook her head. She spoke of filming "Flashback" with Tim Russ. Nobody else was there. "So it's about one or two in the morning, and I can tell it's beginning to happen to him. Nobody to share the bathroom humor with. The sex jokes are going right over my head. So what does any grown man do to get the woman's attention? The old fashioned way." Russ threw a spitball at her in the middle of a scene. "Right on my forehead," she said. "...This is a ball created from all the dirt and bacteria on the floor." Kate told him, "You do that one more time, and you are dead." Russ replied, "Oh, I'm shakin' in my boots, Captain. Oh my God." In the middle of the next scene, he threw a spitball at her again. "This is the thing I love about men," Kate said. "They think, 'She's going to forget about it. She's a woman.'" Kate smiled evilly, and the audience laughed. After the scene was filmed, Kate told Russ, "So long. Good luck." And he left. Then Kate called the wardrobe master over to her. "I said, 'To whom do you own the greatest allegiance?" The man responded, "Now, now, Kate..." "Who is the captain of this ship?" Kate replied. The man admitted she was. So Kate told him to take everything from Russ's trailer, and just leave a sock. The man did. The next day, Kate was walking to work. It was very quiet on the lot. She arrived at her trailer and found much of her stuff gone. "Oh my God," she thought. And plastered all over her trailer walls were pictures of "a part of Mr. Russ's anatomy," she said, that doesn't look good even under the best of circumstances. Each picture carried a message, such as, "You will kiss this for the next five years." Kate knew the wardrobe master had done this. "That is what we call a split allegiance," she said. Kate saw Tim at work that day. He said, "Hey, hey, Captain, howare you doing?" Kate cooly replied, "I'm fine, sweetheart. How are you?" Tim said suspiciously, "I'm fine...." and Kate walked away. But she said at the con that Russ is a dead man. "And it never ends," she added. Laughing, she added, "Tim and I, unfortunately, are a lot alike." Picardo, who was onstage, added, "I'm happy to add that there are pictures of Tim Russ's naked butt on the dealer table." The audience roared. Kate added that the cast was a "great bunch." She said Picardo is "extraordinary." "Every day is a challenge," she said. "Many days are very frustrating to me...Sometimes it's a 15, 16, occasionally an 18-hour day. And one continually feels the pressure of it. I always feel that something suffers in the final hour," she added. Kate said she always wants another take of the final scene because she believes there are always improvements to be made. "I don't know how many of you have found your bliss in life; but you're looking at a woman who has found hers. I hope I can give you a Janeway you really like." A questioner asked where in Ireland her family is from. Kate said County Mayo. Regarding changes in this year's Voyager, Kate said, "I'm gonna be using that phaser a lot this year. I think...that we don't show enough inherent joy and curiosity and action being lost in this part of the galaxy. There will be aliens introduced of diabolical proportions." Kate also said she thinks B'Elanna Torres will be involved with Tom Paris this year. But she said a romance is not, and should not, be in the works for Janeway. "Picard and Kirk can go off to other planets and have fun...(But) if I do that, I would be reduced as Janeway. And it would trivialize (Janeway's sexuality). This is Kate Mulgrew speaking," she added. Someone asked her about the possibility of romance between Janeway and Chakotay. "If I had to really throw the gauntlet down, I would say...for my taste, I would prefer Janeway to develop a relationship with Chakotay that was so splendid and so fine and so true that it didn't need sex to convince you it was this (way)." Someone asked her about being a single mother and doing this job. "It's very hard," she said. "I won't delude you. There are irreconcilable differences here. I love and adore my sons. And I would do anything for them, including throwing this job away if I thought it was harming them in any way. But I need the work to make me happy.... They've known their mother to be an actress but...they just have never known me to be a celebrity. I think what boggles them is the celebrity status that makes them feel they could be losing thier mother to this actress. At home, Voyager is understated. They don't watch it; I don't push it." Kate said her own mother used to tell her that life is hard. "What I say to myself and to (my sons) is that yes, (life) is hard. But life is also glorious, boys. You've got a mother who goes to work on wings. "If you just can get from me this legacy of passion, I haven't done poorly." Kate said she can never be what her boys want--a full-time mother. "So we stagger through," she said. "They are fabulous boys... We are in the vanguard, women like me. You don't really believe that you are. I don't really believe that I work 16-hour days, and raise (children) and have a life" such as hobbies and friends, she said. Somebody asked her about what doing voice-overs for "Gargoyles" is like. "I've always used my voice," she said--ever since she was a young girl. "It's wonderful. You're in a sound booth, no camera." Kate added her boys like "Gargoyles." Someone asked her about seeing herself on action figures, and whether that raises identity issues. "Yes it does!" she said, laughing. "I don't take it all to terribly seriously (though). I'm driving home from work one night, and I'm way on the other side of town...and there's a guy next to me in a beautiful Mercedes. And I notice something swinging on his rearview mirror. It's Captain Janeway. And the guy is good looking, he's (about) 45 years old, successful...so I thought I would just give him a treat. I lightly honked the horn and said, 'Hey! That action figure!' "He said, 'Yeah, lady? You got a problem with that?' "I said, 'That action figure!' (pointing to herself). "He said, 'I am so sick of all the lunatics in this town.'" The man took off. Kate laughed as she told the story. A questioner asked how Kate and Janeway compare as people. Kate said, "Her anger is more contained than mine. I've always been slightly terrifying. I can terrify my sons." Kate said when she was a young mother, she used to frantically try to stop her boys from misbehaving by saying, "Boys! Boys! I want you to behave." Her mother told her, "Why are you doing this? Just stand up. You're a trained actress." So Kate learned how to stand tall and say in a threatening way, "Knock, it, OFF." "It works," she said. Next, a little kid asked, "What is it like being a captain?" Kate replied, "It's wonderful. It's my ship! ...It's a privilege. She is the first female captain of a starship. And I'd better honor that." Someone asked about the holonovel being discontinued. The thinking, Kate said, is, "Why is Janeway making love to a fantasy? They want to get her out of her head." She was asked again about a romance with Chakotay. "We are stuck together on the same ship," she said. "It's too difficult. What are we going to do, go into my ready room when we want to have a domestic quarrel?" She added Janeway would never jeopardize her crew just to gratify herself. She also thinks Janeway would not crave a love affair as much as a man would. "I think one of the (beautiful) differences between the genders is that men have this desire that we don't. We (women) need to have our hearts satisfied. We need to have our mother (needs) satisfied. "I'm sure some of you just said, 'Who is she kidding?'" Kate joked. Someone questioned Kate about "Basics I," saying Janeway gave up the ship too easily. Kate laughed and so did the audience. "I agree with you," she said. Kate went to the directors and said, "Do you think she's going to walk off the bridge that easily? Just give me one minute with Cullah and with Seska." Kate said she would have done the episode this way: Just as Cullah and Seska sat down in the command seats on the bridge, "I would go back and say, 'You will pay for this.' And I would make him look at me." After another question, Kate said her favorite film actor of all time is Marlon Brando. She said she also admires Meryl Streep. "I like theater-trained actors, who can (switch) from the theater, to film, to television, to radio, to audio books with ease," she said. "Marilyn Monroe--she was a great star. I would much rather be an actor." Remarking on the episode "Resolutions," Kate said, "This is what I mean about deepening it (the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay). It's not, in fact, far from what I feel from Robert Beltran in real life. He's gentle, quiet; his depth thrills me." Someone remarked about Kate's autograph-signing. On Saturday, she was contracted to sign for one hour only, but she went well over that time to make sure everyone who wanted an autograph got one. "You've come all this way," Kate said. "Youv'e made all this effort. I'm going to sign the autographs." She got applause. A man asked her who she would prefer in a romance: Paris, Chakotay, Q or Mr. Columbo? Kate laughed. She said, "I'm going to play devil's advocate and say Q. Why not?" She was asked whether she feels Janeway's hands-on-hips position is feminine. She thought a moment. "Yeah," she said. "When I see a man standing like that, I get a little concerned about why he's a Star Fleet officer." Kate was told about Picardo's remarks that the uniforms have no pockets; hence the actors don't know what to do with their hands. She said, "A Star Fleet officer of the 24th century would not know what a pocket is. They would have the poise to stand (easily)." --Jennifer Martin STAR TREK 30: ONE WEEKEND ON EARTH 7-8 SEPTEMBER 1996, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA "Q'S CRUSH," WITH KATE MULGREW AND JOHN DE LANCIE The con organizers had a great music video to introduce the Mulgrew-de Lancie segment, set to the tune of "The Sloop John B." "I want to go hooooome. I want to go hoooooome. This is the worst trip I've ever been on." (Janeway with head in hands.) A later music video of Q was done to the tune of "B-b-bad to the Bone." John introduced Kate as Katharine Hepburn, to great amusement. Kate was in a gray suit, white blouse, and had her hair in a, um, I think it's called a French twist, a variation on the bun. Looked really good, and might be a possibility for Janeway. Kate said something about Janeway letting her hair down this season. John joked that a line was cut from his bedroom scene with Janeway in "Death Wish": "I think you should do exactly what I say, and you should do something about that hair." Most comments about the upcoming Q episode were joking. The fans hooted in delight at the idea of the episode, and the ending wasn't revealed. John was waving the script around on stage. Kate quipped that Q was finally getting his way--or maybe it was John finally getting his way--as the script involved Q's attempt to procreate with Janeway. "John's been trying to procreate with me for years," she joked. She said she looked forward to the episode "with great anticipation and trepidation." In discussing how they first met, John thought it was at a time when his wife was pregnant. "She's always pregnant," Kate rejoined, then made a comment that "now apparently I'm going to get pregnant." Apparently, though, the offspring will not be hanging around Voyager. In response to a fan question about Janeway having an affair, Kate discounted the idea, asking if they could imagine a very pregnant Janeway (arms extended for emphasis) commanding the ship. During the first two seasons, Kate said she hardly had a chance to catch her breath. The enormity of the Star Trek phenomenon is finally dawning on her. John said he told her when she got the job, "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Kate talked about the previous day in New York with Rosie O'Donnell, whom she described as a closet Trekker, and sharing a drink with Whoopi at Planet Hollywood. Kate quickly threw aside restrictions placed upon the actors by the con. "They told us we couldn't take questions, but I'm going to take questions." "You're handing her the mike?" John asked in astonishment as Kate handed it to one soft-voiced fan. Another fan asked if Janeway would ever have a love life. "I've got to run the ship," Kate responded. "I think it's a great idea," John rejoindered. "You would," Kate retorted. While acknowledging the Janeway/Chakotay chemistry and the speculation it has given rise to, she said, "Janeway's first responsibility is to the crew. I've got to get those guys home! Where is it written that a man and a woman can't have an incredibly complex relationship without sex?" One fan brought up the issue of Janeway as a feminist, and how the term sometimes has connotations of not liking men. Kate strode across the stage, looked the fan in the eye, and intoned in a low voice, "I live to serve all mankind." The audience cracked up. John said he and Leonard Nimoy had set up a company to do audiocassettes. With Armin Shimerman and Roxann Dawson, they plan to do Journey to the Center of the Earth. He also told a story about his eldest son's potty training. One day, after the boy finished a successful trip to the bathroom, he pulled on his Spiderman underwear. Then he pulled on Batman underwear over that. Then a pair of Superman underwear. Why was he doing that? "Because it gives me power," the boy replied. Kate was very gracious with the children who asked questions. She was a bit disconcerted, though, by rumors that she was leaving the show or that someone else was leaving. "Where did you hear such appalling rumors?" She seemed interested in one person's invitation for a chat session on the Internet to clear up rumors. Kate told one child that she had wanted to be an actress since she was 12 years old. She spoke of growing up in an Irish-Catholic family in Dubuque, Iowa, with a mother who was a painter and a father who was a businessman. She spoke of going to parochial school, and the serene, detached quality of the nuns who presided over it. When she did a reading in school, and looked out to see all those nuns in tears as a result. "That was it." She decided she would be an actress. One fan didn't understand what her holonovel character had to do with Janeway. "Neither did anyone else. That's why you won't be seeing her anymore," Kate said. Kate received several presents, including a lilac scarf she immediately put around her neck and a T-shirt nightgown that said "Morning coffee--the most important meal of the day" [from Now Voyager member Nancy Molik!]. "Have you received any presents, John?" she asked archly. One fan took pity and gave John a Pop Tart in a package. Kate said Voyager would meet the Borg this season. As for the "most fun episode," she enjoyed doing "Death Wish" with John, "Resistance" with Joel Grey, and "Resolutions"--"Who wouldn't mind being stuck on a planet with Robert Beltran?" "She's signing autographs?" John noted as he finished answering a question. (Kate was at the side of the stage.) "We've got to get her off the stage!" "WRITING STAR TREK" WITH JERI TAYLOR AND JOHN ORDOVER Jeri Taylor says, "This season I'm putting a moratorium on moral dilemmas for Janeway." Briefing room sessions made her look indecisive. "I want to make her more like Kirk," decisive, someone who knows her own mind. "If I never see another Prime Directive story..." Also, Jeri said that for this season, "we don't plan a lot of shows with children. We've done a lot of shows with children." The idea being that children have received a lot of air time, even if they weren’t the main focus. They've not gotten deeply enough into the human condition, into the characters. We don't know who the Odd Couple is, for example. Jeri said she "looks to engage the intellect, to touch the heart. If you feel something, then I feel I’ve accomplished my goal." She said that script submission work best "if you can stretch your minds to find the unexpected," where the road suddenly drops off and the reader has to catch a limb. With regard to correct technobabble, she said that's not a necessary requirement of scripts. If the show’s writers were graded on it, they'd flunk. "Sometimes our scripts are peppered with, `I'll tech the tech, and you tech the tech, and then we'll tech the tech.'" They have advisers to help. With regard to Janeway's backstory in Mosaic, John said normally the books must follow TV, which is considered canon. He asked Jeri if Mosaic should be considered canon. "I think so," she said. The holodoc's name is NOT Dr. Zimmerman. One fan said that's what everyone says it is. "I decide that," Jeri said. If Voyager seems dark, she said that's because they're often on alert, where they go to emergency lighting, and the director of photography likes to paint visual pictures with moody lighting. She doesn't see Voyager necessarily ending just because the ship makes it home. "They could have other missions, they could return to the Delta Quadrant." One fan commented that Voyager was too pretty-looking, considering all it had gone through. The question took her aback for a moment, but Jeri responded that it was supposed to be a noble vehicle. "I don't think people would tune in each week to see a wreck in space." She also attributed the ship’s good looks to use of the replicators to create parts. On the Kazon, Jeri said she fought a battle all last season, because the fact that Voyager kept running into the Kazon made it seem as if the ship was standing still. No more Kazons. "We're going to make B'Elanna more Klingon-like. She won't get soft," Jeri assured one fan. She predicted November would be a great month (it's sweeps month). There's the two-parter where the crew is in 1996 Los Angeles, an episode where Kes is possessed by the spirit of a 200-year-old warrior, and lastly the Q episode. Voyager will keep the same uniforms, in spite of First Contact. "They don't have access to the Starfleet quartermaster." New holodeck set! Jeri said the crew will have a resort as a hangout, instead of Sandrine's. (Hmm, I wonder, doesn't a resort seem like a natural for romantic settings?) In a second session on Sunday morning with the writers of the novels, Jeri was quite relaxed, wearing an IU shirt and jeans. She admitted using her Hoosier background for Mosaic. She said it's difficult to switch back and forth between scripts and novels, because one is very compressed and the actors take care of the emotions. The other is very detailed and the thoughts of the characters must be portrayed. John Ordover complimented Jeri for her ability to do interior monologues with characters. Jeri did enjoy doing the novels. No notes from the network, studio or colleagues. "You're more solitary and one with the material." Jeri said she has to be the bad guy on maintaining fiscal responsibility for Voyager. For example, if they go to a planet and meet aliens, each alien has to have one hair and one makeup person. So 20 aliens equals 20 hair people plus 20 makeup. Add stunt doubles, and double the hair and makeup people. FROM THE OTHER SESSIONS Fan joke: "How does Neelix cook enchiladas? With photon tortillas." Robbie McNeill described Kate as "just one of the boys" on the bridge. Ethan Phillips added that he had five sisters, so had no problem taking orders from a woman. He also said Kate never flubs a line, while Robert Beltran is just the opposite. Remember the scene in "Tattoo," where Chakotay doffs his clothes? McNeill revealed that there was no "line" in the shot where the powers that be felt there should be one. "That was a special effects butt crack," McNeill said. "They spent thousands of dollars to digitalize a butt crack." How has ST changed their lives? "I've got a little plastic toy now," McNeill said. "Do you play with yourself now?" Phillips asked. McNeill looked at him. Phillips looked at McNeill. The crowd roared. "I bought 400 Neelix dolls and roll around the bed on them," Phillips explained. As for working on the bridge, McNeill said he has his own system for which "blinkies" to push to be consistent, developed during times when he had few lines. "You really do spend a lot of time alone, don't you?" commented Armin Shimerman. This season Paris will let go of some of his rebelliousness and guilt. There will be more emphasis on a heroic side and showing him as intelligent. "B'Elanna and Tom will become friendlier and friendlier." What will happen when Tuvok experiences Pon Farr? "I'm going to be on a shuttle," McNeill said. Phillips predicted that this season Voyager will face a terrible new villain. "They will come in this year and tear down everything the Federation has built up in three days. They're called the Republicans." Robert Picardo said he got the job on Voyager because they had lots of Patrick Stewart dolls left over, and they just painted the hair. He told DeForest Kelley that he had this dream of the doctor doing a scene with Harry where someone dies, and the doctor turns to Harry and says, "He's dead, Kim." He also mentioned that one of the procedures the holodoc had used was developed by Dr. Leonard McCoy. "And now he's going to explain it to you." Kelley looked at him, grinned, and said, "You're full of it, aren't you?" The music video introducing Kelley was "Doctor, doctor, give me the news--I've got a bad case of loooving you," showing McCoy with a bevy of beauties up close and personal, so Picardo sought his advice. "I notice when you speak of such matters, a look of anxiety comes over your face," Kelley said. "That has to be done away with." As Picardo mentioned other actresses he'd worked with, Kelley kept noting, "There's that expression again," until Picardo cracked up. "You're right, I DO have sex anxiety," he said. They discussed the possibility of McCoy coming aboard Voyager as a holographic counselor. Kelley came on first during the session with the Classic Trek stars, reading a poem he'd written, "Big Bird's Dream," about what the three main stars were doing around the time of the first movie before they received the call. He said 30 years ago, he was celebrating his 21st wedding anniversary. He then introduced the star of Star Trek, a writer, director and proud grandfather who also did some record albums, and "my best personal friend." Shatner and Nimoy entered from opposite sides of the stage, to great laughter. Both tried to stake their claim to Kelley's intro, though both eventually decided not to battle for the record album title. At the Roddenberry tribute, Nichelle Nichols talked about the impact Uhura has had on the lives of real women. Whoopi Goldberg told her that at age 12, she ran to get her family when she saw Uhura on screen: "Come quick, there's a black lady on TV and she ain't no maid!" Astronaut Mae Jemison at age 8 saw Uhura on television and knew that what she wanted was possible. "Gene, you were right," Nichols said. "You said if you gave it to them and showed them the way, they would come. And they're here." --Donna Christenberry KATE'S CONS AND APPEARANCES Remember: ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please contact the event organizers before purchasing tickets to see a guest. Creation in San Diego, California, October 27 (818) 409-0960. TrekProductions in Chicago, Illinois, December 7 (203) 735-7633. *THE FUNNY PAGES* THIS IS NO TIME TO BE SHY Season Three Touchy Feely Captain Count with totals in parentheses: Chakotay: 2 (38) Kes: 2 (18) Paris: 1 (16) Tuvok: 7 (15) Kim: 1 (9) Neelix: 0 (8) Torres: 0 (7) Doc: 0 (3) Wildman: 2 (5) TOP 10 THINGS JANEWAY AND CHAKOTAY DID DURING THOSE BORING NIGHTS ON NEW EARTH--FOR ALL THOSE WHO THINK THEY DIDN'T DO IT By Susan Johnson 10. Played three-dimensonal chess 9. Designed a water wheel to power the replicator 8. Private meditation with animal guides 7. Exchanged hilarious stories about admirals they both knew 6. Speculated about who on Voyager would end up marrying whom 5. Janeway told Chakotay all of Starfleet's strategies for infiltrating the Maquis; Chakotay told Janeway all of the Maquis strategies for infiltrating Starfleet 4. Table tennis 3. Disciplinary review meetings 2. Listened to very old songs on Janeway's gramophone 1. Star Trek:Klingon CD-ROM TOP 10 SYMBOLIC REASONS FOR HAVING A MONKEY IN "RESOLUTIONS" By Susan Johnson 10. Suggestive of Ebola virus--scary enough to make it plausible that the crew would abandon J&C 9. Obscure reference to Curious George 8. Represents evolutionary idea that people developed from primates, to counteract obvious Creationist plug of Janeway and Chakotay playing Adam and Eve 7. "Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer"--The Monkees 6. Monkey Business 5. In the original version of the script, Janeway performed scientific experiments on monkey in effort to cure disease 4. Cheetah for Tarzan and Janeway 3. Drew out obvious similarities between Chakotay and Ronald Reagan character in Bedtime for Bonzo 2. No symbolic purpose; plot device so Chakotay had an excuse to come out and see Kathryn in her towel 1. Bad monkey. Spank, spank, spank. TOP 10 USES FOR NEELIX'S LEOLA ROOT CUISINE by Carol Lynn McKinney 10. B'Elanna: Combs leola root mousse into her hair to get that "immobile wooden wig" effect. 9. Doc: Uses it as a threat--"Do your physical therapy, or I'll make you eat Neelix's leftover leola root pot pie." 8. Harry: Freezes leola root herb tea in an ice cube tray covered with plastic that has toothpicks stuck in it, because he wants 'stacks of snacks.' 7. Janeway: Uses leola root quiche to temporarily seal microfractures in the ship's hull. 6. Kes: Chows it down by the plateful and clamors for more. 5. Chakotay: Leola root contains high concentrations of saltpeter-- 'nuff said. 4. Tuvok: Eats large quantities of leola root pickes as a penance for his 'emotional' decision to contact the Vidiians. 3. Paris: Eats it raw by the truckoad because Neelix swore it would help him get lots of girls. 2. Suder: uses leola root shish kababs as a deadly weapon. 1. Whole crew: FOOD FIGHT!!! TOP 10 JANEWAY ACTION FIGURES WE'D LIKE, NOW THAT WE HAVE MAQUIS CHAKOTAY By Susan Johnson 10. Janeway in Pink Negligee (with hairbrush and removable robe) 9. Janeway in Tight Green Body Suit from "Resolutions" (with removable ugly yellow vest, broken beakers, and tree limbs) 8. Janeway in Hooker Dress from "Resistance" (with concealed weapon and mother's necklace) 7. Janeway in Tight Stripes from "Time and Again" (with bruise on forehead, The Bag, plus small child) 6. Holodeck Janeway (with teacup, cucumber sandwiches, and knife to ward off Lord Burleigh) 5. Salamander Janeway (with shuttlecraft, baby salamanders, and pull-out tongue) 4. Janeway in See No Evil Pyjamas from "Resolutions" (with transparent-walled bed and picture of Back Rub Chakotay) 3. Janeway in Science Officer TNG Uniform (so we can put her in our TNG action figure dioramas in a Tom & Will Riker sandwich) 2. Janeway in Captain Kirk's shirt from "Amok Time" (with lirpa and ahn woon) 1. Bathing Beauty Janeway from "Resolutions" (with tub, monkey, and removable towel!) YOUR TREK NEIGHBORS by Laura A. Williams James T. Kirk is like your dad. When you were both younger and more impressionable, you thought he was great. He was the most important man in your life -- you looked up to him as an ideal, a goal. He was your hero. Now... Well, you're both older now, and at least you're wiser. He's just fatter. You find him a little embarrassing. You're afraid he'll show up at your beach party wearing Bermuda shorts and black socks and sandals. Or he might ask someone to pull his finger. You never know what he might say or do -- not because he's unpredictable, but because he's a little nuts, because he always has to be the center of attention. But you've got to love him, because he's your Dad. Spock is your much cooler uncle -- the one you wish were really your father. In moments of rage and spite, you think he might actually be your father, but everyone's been trying to keep it from you your whole life. McCoy is your other uncle, the one who was always more interested in your love life than your schoolwork, and Scotty is your parents' handy friend who gets drunk at their parties. Jean-Luc is your second cousin, twice removed. He was always the one with the talent -- at family gatherings, your aunt and uncle raved incessantly about his latest essay, or the steeplechase he won last month, or the play he just directed. Sometimes you wish he were more closely related to you. Sometimes you wish he'd run into a gravitational anomaly and fall off the planet. Will and Geordi and Bev and Deanna are the kids you went to camp with. You only saw them for a couple of weeks every year, so you always tried to make the best of those days -- water gun fights, canoe races, midnight missions to the mess hall. You grew up together, and later, you all became camp counselors together. You miss them sometimes. Because Will finally asked Deanna out and they settled down somewhere, and that big guy everyone always called Worf found a new set of friends, and Geordi -- well, Geordi was always too smart for his own good. Not too lucky with women. And he started spending way too much time with that Soong guy, with the bad hair and the sallow complexion, the one who went by "Data." Always claimed he was from France, but you never quite believed him. Now you're all grown up, got a family of your own, husband, kids. Got a nice house out in the 'burbs. Interesting neighbors. Like the folks across the street. There's Ben, who coaches your kid's baseball team. He seems like a nice enough guy, a widower with a son of his own. He's always polite to you, he's good with the kids, he even came over to mow your lawn that weekend when your husband threw his back out bowling. But you just can't get a handle on him. He seems to have a whole slew of people living in his house -- couple of gorgeous foreign women named Kira and Jadzia, for one thing, and you're not quite sure how all the relationships work out. There's this guy Julian, though now he wants to be called "Alexander." He doesn't look like an Alexander at all, but he's insisting on it.He and Kira have been hanging out together a lot lately. She's very definitely pregnant, and you wonder if maybe... But she's saying the baby isn't hers, she's actually carrying it as a surrogate for Miles and Keiko, the couple who run the garage down the block. You thought they already had a daughter, a little angel with big brown eyes. You try not to pry, try not to gossip about them behind their backs. But you wonder. There are a few shops in your neighborhood, but the one you really worry about belongs to Quark. You find Quark a little, well, annoying. His establishment isn't exactly family friendly; you're pretty sure there's gambling going on there, maybe even some procurement of flesh. And the owner -- quite a businessman. He's the kind of guy who would get into a price war with the kid running the corner lemonade stand. Might put him out of business, too -- even when the kid is his own nephew. He's corrupt, that's certain, but you feel all right about it because that nice policeman, Officer Odo, is keeping an eye on him. Then there's Kathryn. She and her family moved in next door a couple of years ago. The two of you used to have coffee together afternoons after the kids were off to school and she was home from work, but you've been meeting less and less often. You feel a kind of insane competition with her; her house is immaculate, her yard is gorgeous, her nails are always freshly painted and her hair is always perfect. Her husband, Tuvok, is the three-piece-suit type. Exotically foreign, very grim, drives an Acura Legend, never smiles. Their kids are just too much. Harry plays first chair clarinet in the youth symphony, B'elle has won the science fair two years in a row, and Tommy is the captain of the soccer team. Might be Homecoming King, too, if that black eye of his clears up. Kathryn's a scientific genius of some sort, did field research for years before she settled in your quadrant of the neighborhood, and now she's got a whole staff of people who work for her. There's Neelix, the funny little French cook. Sometimes you can smell his noxious concoctions through the open window, and you begin to understand how Kathryn stays so trim. The housekeeper/nanny, Kes, is his wife. You thought at first she was his daughter -- she's less than half his age, for pete's sake -- but you recently witnessed an event on the pool deck that convinced you to the contrary. Kathryn's doctor even makes house calls, though whether it's to see Kathryn or Kes, you're not completely sure. It makes you a little sick. Then there's the groundskeeper. Big guy, graying hair, incredible smile. He's good-looking in a silly, playful kind of way. Tuvok doesn't like him much; the two rarely speak, and when they do, they argue. "Yes, ma'am," is about all you ever hear come out of his mouth. Kathryn spends a lot of time with him, and he follows her around. She was out sunbathing once... You didn't mean to watch, but the curtains were open and there they were. It was a hot day, mercilessly humid, and she had him out digging up weeds while she read in the sun, her hair drawn up in a neat bun, a colorful cloth wrapped around her waist. He was covered with dirt and sweat, the sun beating down on his bare skin. You were watching Kathryn watch beads of sweat trickle down his back when she got up, put her hand on his shoulder, and handed him a glass of lemonade. He looked up at her with those adoring brown eyes. Squinted a little until she moved to block the sun for him. He sat there at her feet in the dirt, drinking down the lemonade and basking in her shade, unabashedly devouring her with his eyes. She leaned down and whispered something in his ear, her clean white hand still resting on his brown shoulder, manicured nails pressing into his flesh. "Yes, ma'am," you heard him say with a grin, and he followed her around the back of the garden shed where you couldn't see them anymore. Couldn't hear them, either, because of the birds and the bees and the lawn sprinklers. A while later, there were a pair of loud splashes from the pool. You looked,but they were out of sight in the deep end. But you could see a pile of clothes on the deck -- his work boots and trousers, her sun hat and skirt. A trickle of sweat ran down your throat while you waited for them to swim into sight. You licked your lips and tasted salt, thought about sneaking into the yard and stealing the pitcher of lemonade from her deck. You'd be able to see them, they'd never notice you behind that shrubbery, the lemonade would taste so cool and you were so hot, and it was hours before Tuvok would get home... But the dog barked and the oven timer shrieked and the kids came tearing through the back door as he swam into sight with long, lazy strokes, reaching for her when she bobbed after him, her long hair floating on the surface of the water, spread out like a fan. You sighed and turned away from the window, wiping sweat from your forehead, tucking damp hair behind your ears, still thinking of cool water and sweet lemonade. The kids want snacks. You hustle them into the kitchen with one last, longing look out the window. You dig out plates and cups, milk and cookies, and remind the kids that Grandpa will be coming over for dinner. Their faces fall, they whine and complain. The little one looks up at you with fear in his eyes. "He's not gonna make me pull his finger, is he?" VOYAGER CLASSIFIEDS bu Ruth and Emily Gifford HOT LOVE GOD ISO --- YOU! Handsome pilot blnd/blue seeks babes for double wing action! UB uninhibited, chesty, into Aerosmith and weedy guys! Bring a friend for my SAM pal! See ya in the funny pages... STRONG WOMEN BOTHER YA? Then read the next ad! Brown-eyed brunette beauty seeks tall, strong man, age/species unimportant for Chinese food, bat'leth practice, martial arts, and art house movies. Must not mind occasional broken nose. COME JOURNEY WITH ME... Lost spirit seeks journey companion/spirit teacher. I'm just one more soul lost in the cosmos...won't you help me find my way back? Me: Prof. Native American. You: Busty blonde up for camping and shamanic rituals. SAME TIME, NEXT SEVEN YEARS? MBVM, prof, seeks logical lady for occasional fling. Separated from wife of 67 years due to circumstances, not choice. Chess partners first, then....? IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP SWF brwn/blu seeks companionship for long voyage. I'm in charge on the job and I like it that way in my private life as well. You be willing to do things my way and not mind my schedule. Hairdressing abilities a plus. No sissy maids please. POWER IS THE ULTIMATE APHRODIASIC SC mom (can pass as Bajoran) seeks M/F/whatever to establish power base in Delta Quadrant. I may be a political traitor, but I'm always true to my heart. No losers. I HAVE A SHORT LIFE--HELP ME LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST Bi-curious SOF blnd/blue seeks Bi/GF for experimentation. If fun-loving elfin beauties are your idea of a good time, check me out. I'm young but willing to let you boldly go where no one has gone before. No Talaxians need apply. JUST PLAIN CURIOUS SH(holographic)M seeks friend who will to teach a lonely Doctor a new "bedside manner." If you've ever wondered about holo-sex but were too afraid, give me a call. You'll find that I'm just as interested in live person sex. I have a great sense of humor, and I make house calls. You must have a holo-projector, but I'll supply the rest of the RX. WHAT'S COOKING BABY?? STM brwn/brwn/spots seeks curvy, plump brunette dish to spice up my life. I like cooking, singing, and canapes. You like eating, being an audience, and canapes. Long term commitment a possibility, so please no Ocampa. LOOKING FOR A REAL LADY Young SAM seeks cultured intellectual lady for friendship/possible romance. If an evening spent on the holodeck listening to Mozart, followed by a stroll through an arboretum, and whatever else springs to mind sounds like your idea of a good time, look me up. I enjoy spending quality time alone with that one special someone, no double dating please. SURROGATE MOM NEEDED Omnipotent entity seeks energetic starship captain for procreation. I'm a fun-loving being who enjoys makingfun of inferior species, creating new star systems, and long romantic walks on the beach. I need a woman who can deal with sexist remarks and is willing to play the part of a suitable female companion at social gatherings. Ideal woman would be in a bind only I could help her with. Must be non-smoker. *KATHRYN JANEWAY, FEMINIST HEROINE* Irresistible Kate Mulgrew quote from the Huntsville con courtesy The Houston Chronicle, on her happiness at being an idol for girls: "They are so desperate for a role model of any kind who is not victimized by her job, by a man, by society.'" IN THE NAVY By Anonymous (but not the one who wrote Primary Colors) These are comments by a retired lieutenant commander who, as she says, "is working hard at shaking off any vestiges of a military mindset," in response to the question of whether it would be appropriate for Janeway to have a relationship with an officer under her command, and to other military opinions that it would not be: If they were in the Alpha Quadrant, I might agree with the people who say no. But Janeway is really between a rock and a hard place--everyone she knows is in her direct chain of command. In the Alpha Quadrant, there would be Significant Others, or even the Guy in Every Port, but as things stand, her crew is all there is. That makes Chakotay, if not appropriate, the least inappropriate. The way I look at it is this: Voyager is no longer just a Starfleet ship, it's also a nomadic tribe. There are going to be family units being formed. Janeway might try to stay above all this, a sort of Mother Superior, but I don't think that role works outside a convent! It may work in the eyes of the crew, but whether or not it will work for her is another matter, and as C.O. it's her responsibility to look after her own mental health. Some C.O.s could probably maintain that level of distance--Picard seemed to want to distance himself from his crew--but from what we've seen of Janeway, she seems to be the type that wants a family. I think she owes it to her crew to get herself one! There's nothing like a half-cracked captain for absolutely destroying a crew. For evidence, I would point you not to the fictional Caine Mutiny, though I thought that was amazingly true to life, but to the non-fiction Arnheiter Affair; the C.O. of the USS Vance made Queeg look like a model of stability. Arnheiter was relieved after all of 90 days in command, but in a short three-month period, the number of lives and careers he destroyed must have set some kind of record. Janeway should balance a rule meant for one ship and crew among a lot of other ships and crews with the realities of her own situation. And by the way, I also think that by the 24th century, some of the rules will be relaxed--in fact, they are relaxing even now. I know a lieutenant commander who was married to a CPO--an officer/enlisted marriage--and they asked for and received spouse-collocation orders. I'd add that you would probably get a different answer from each military person you asked! There is so much shading in the fraternization area that anyone can be offended by pretty much anything. Plus the fact that it's only been in the past few decades that the term "fraternization" took on sexual connotations--it used to mean an officer getting too pally with his troops, hangin' out with the guys and so on. When I was stationed in Hawaii, I was taking some grad school classes, and went out to the club with a classmate, a female lieutenant junior grade--hangin' around, ogling men, etc. An army major told me that if I were in the army, that would be considered fraternization, since I was a lieutenant commander, which in the army would be a field grade officer, and I was hanging around with a junior officer. The Navy just distinguishes junior--ensign to lieutenant commander, and senior--commander up to admiral, while the Army calls the lieutenant commander and commander equivalent field grade--that's major and lieutenant colonel. So I asked another Army major what he thought about that, and he just rolled his eyes at the idea. So things are really totally up in the air, and the interpretation is really up to the commanding officer; what is perfectly acceptable at one command may be an absolute no-no at the next. And heck--who knows what the rules will be in four hundred years? CAN A STARSHIP CAPTAIN ALSO HAVE A FAMILY? by Dottie Ronhovde Dottie served for 25 years in the Air Force. When she retired, she was an E-9 (which is the highest enlisted rank). She worked directly for group and wing commanders for the last few years and interacted with commanders all the way up to command level. Can a starship captain have a family? This is a question that has been bantered about among fans for as long as Star Trek has existed. I decided to try to answer this question for myself, and hopefully for other fans as well. Using my own 25 years of military experience, and what I know of Starfleet, I made comparisons and conclusions. First, is Starfleet patterned after today's American military? The answer is absolutely. What else do 20th century writers have to draw upon for their model? The rank structure and basic organization is more closely patterned after today's U.S. Navy, but you can use the Air Force for structure and organization as well. This being the case, I then looked at today's military commanders and compared them against the demands on a starship captain. Top commanders, whether in today's military or Starfleet, are a unique breed of people. They have been educated, groomed and directed toward command for most, if not all, of their lives. The selection process as they progress up through the ranks weeds out those people who are not prepared to dedicate themselves to that one goal. The ones who demonstrate the most drive, the most single-minded dedication to the organization's mission, are the individuals who are noticed, promoted and assigned to the right positions to further their career. Early in a person's career, there is still time to pursue other interests and a social life. The demands of a young officer's time, while stressful, do not require that they forgo all other aspects of their life. They can date, socialize, and even marry, without making a severe impact on their job. Many officers do marry and settle down into a family life at some point in their career. The change comes when these individuals must make a choice between family obligations and their jobs. If they make the job the most important thing in their lives, dedicating as much time as they need to do it extremely well, they will be rewarded with promotions and increased responsibility. If, on the other hand, they make family the most important thing, they will probably do their jobs only adequately. In this case, they will not have demonstrated to their superiors that they are ready for increased responsibilities. They will only be allowed to remain at that level, doing the job they are doing. What impact does this on an individual's personal and family life? As you can imagine, the more responsibility a person is given in a job, the more time is required to accomplish it. Top military commanders spend anywhere from 60 to 80 hours a week, during normal operations, on their job. When it requires them to leave home and family for extended periods, they may spend all of their waking hours working. Yes, many of these commanders do have families, but they do not have the time to participate in the day to day activities and lives of their spouses and children. Those who do not have the demands of family are able to dedicate themselves solely to work, and will therefore be recognized as the best people for many jobs. In Starfleet, unless starship captains have family on the ship with them, they would have an even harder time remaining involved with the family. Long missions in space, with only recorded messages or brief interactive conversations over subspace to maintain involvement, tend to separate the individuals from their families. If they choose to keep family on ship with them, they are accepting the responsibility of placing them indanger, or limiting the education and experiences of their children. So, can captains have families? It can be done, yes, but in doing so, they accept that they will sacrifice quality involvement with their families. Many of the best commanders will not have to make that sacrifice because they won't put themselves in the position in the first place. Ah, you say, but what if the spouse was also an officer, and was assigned to the same ship? This too has been bantered about, as a solution to the problem of high ranking commanders being able to have a marriage. Consider this: how will the individual who is junior to his or her spouse receive orders? In the best marriages, the two people are partners, debating and agreeing on decisions together. In a command situation, debate is not an option. A commander's orders are not open to discussion. It is difficult, if not impossible, for most people to separate command from personal. In today's military, officers do occasionally marry other officers. When the situation arises in which one would be under the direct command of the other, one of the two is reassigned to prevent command/personal conflicts. Military commanders always face the possibility of ordering their subordinates into dangerous situations. If they were required to order persons they love into danger, the objectivity they need to have would be compromised. Yes, there are people who can and would do it if they had to, but their mental and emotional health would probably be severely impacted if the other people were to die as a result of their orders. So, can two officers in a chain of command be married? Yes, but with great difficulty. It is a rare person who can subordinate love for a spouse in favor of mission requirements. Under any but the most extreme circumstances, it is not an option that should be considered. *BOOKS AND COLLECTIBLES* MOSAIC by Jeri Taylor Jeri Taylor's Janeway is not my Janeway. My Janeway is the strong and confident Captain who is able to lead her diverse crew with insight, intelligence, and a splash of Irish common sense. My Janeway did not have a troubled adolescence, did not spend her life trying to please "daddy", did not treat her friends with contempt, and never daydreams or, god forbid, dozes off on the bridge. My Janeway is better than I ever will be, and commands my respect and affection. I've read Mosaic several times--first because I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, then in preparation for a meeting with John Ordover, and finally to write this review. I've read the criticism that the story never touches on Janeway's relationships with women, and that it ends too quickly. Both of those are valid criticisms. But in the final analysis, I think that I had a hard time with the book because it showed me the faults, fears, and motivations of my hero, and they are not the stuff of which legends are made. They are the same faults, fears, and motivations that plague me--and many of the people who surround me. I would have created a four-year-old Janeway who loved mathematics for herself alone; and not to please her distant father. I would have created an adolescent Janeway who reached out to "vulky" Hobbes--rather than ignoring him until she needed him to quarry dive. I would have created a young adult Janeway who realized that she was suited for command, and would have gone into it because she was driven to lead others, not because Admiral Paris (another "daddy") told her to consider it. I would have created a myth, a superwoman who was only lacking the "S" on her chest and an allergy to kryptonite. That Janeway would be someone to look up to, to worship, but never to emulate, because how could I hope to come close to her perfection? The Janeway of Taylor's book is a woman who creates power from weakness. She has grown into command, yet once looked to others to be her strength. How and when this happened is grist for future books or episodes, but in the final analysis, this Janeway presents the greatest challenge for me. The woman who couldn't choose whether to save her father or her fiancé chose to save the Ocampa and lose her home. The woman who hid in her bed unable to face the reality of her decisions looked Tuvix in the eye in sickbay. And the woman who once looked to others for her validation now stands on the bridge of a starship lost in a distant quadrant and proclaims to all, "This is Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Federation ship Voyager." If I proclaim that Janeway comes close to my ideal of what women should be, and if Mosaic is a true picture of Kathryn Janeway, then I no longer have any excuse not to work towards becoming my own ideal woman. After all, if Kathryn Janeway is able to silence that "small wounded voice" inside her to become a hero, then so can I. So can we all. --Joan Testin I'll say this for Mosaic: it left me wanting more. The writing's quite good for a Trek novel: lush, vivid descriptive moments, lively shipboard scenes. My problem with Mosaic is that it didn't bring me closer to Kathryn Janeway. It's impossible for me to associate the listless character in the novel with the vivacious, resourceful woman we see on Voyager, the one who doesn't let the Vidiians or Kazon get away with bullying her. Even in the audiobook, in Kate Mulgrew's voice, Mosaic's Janeway sounds like an impostor. The main story, reminiscent of Christie Golden's excellent Murdered Sun, starts promisingly in series-time near a strange alien base. And the initial flashbacks to Janeway's childhood are illuminating. Kathryn's mother Gretchen sounds like a really interesting woman--in an era of replicators, she chooses to cook. This is fascinating--a woman who's apparently a housewife by design, not social expectation or necessity! But we don't find out how or when she made these choices, or if they were her own; she's mostly a passive appendage of her family for the rest of the novel, a maternal stereotype instead of the mathematician suggested in early Voyager character sketches. Kathryn has mostly contempt for her mother's anachronistic ways. Yet she fawns over her father, the stalwart Starfleet Admiral who forgets to acknowledge her existence. This might not be so disturbing were it not for Kathryn's aversion to other women. During the course of Mosaic, she does not have one girlfriend or female mentor. Kathryn's childhood peers grow from nasty schoolgirls to timid, whiny adolescents, yet she views them as worthy competitors for her first lover, a self-absorbed risk-taker. Kathryn's artistic younger sister is portrayed as flighty, and her college roommate doesn't try to understand her workaholic tendencies. I could buy that young Kathryn developed a self-esteem problem because her father ignored her, but it's disturbing that her need for male approval leads to disdain for female companionship. Mosaic isn't contemptuous of women's interests--indeed, it's very much a "women's novel," with less action than emotional content--but there's no indication that women can relate to one another in ways which have nothing to do with male priorities. I missed the Janeway of "Elogium" and "The 37s," who likes and trusts other women rather than regarding them as competitors for male attention. Nor does this novel acknowledge that women and men can be friends outside father-daughter or boyfriend-girlfriend situations, which are too similar for comfort. There's a shameful blind date between Kathryn and Will Riker, who's characterized here as bright and affable; Kathryn is so panicked at her attraction to him that she can't even talk about science, and flees the scene. When she chooses a role model at the Academy, she gravitates toward ascetic Admiral Paris, whom most of us know as the guy who screwed Tom up. Paris is a domineering perfectionist who orders her never to cry, but shows affection toward his own absent family--a fantasy version of Admiral Edward Janeway. Kathryn later falls for Paris' protegé Justin, a hard-nosed Starfleet operative who rescues her from a terrible situation, just like her father did years earlier. Even Mark, whom it turns out Kathryn's's known since youth,grows up from awkward boy in need of her protection to a sturdy confessor figure. Her emotional bond to Chakotay is most disturbing; when he saves her life, Janeway actually mistakes her first officer for Daddy. This infantilization of a starship captain is a very good reason for quashing J/C on the show. Janeway in Mosaic is both stubborn and passive, a daredevil who's riddled with insecurities and prejudices. Despite the attention to her love life, we learn little about Janeway's loves beyond their appearances. There's no incident with her fiancé like the ones with her first boyfriend which show us what he's like as a person, even if they don't expain what attracted her to him beyond his looks. Kathryn informs her father that he'll love Justin once he gets to know him, but the reader never does get to know the man she almost married--so it's hard to like him, or to learn anything about her from her choosing him. And I wish we'd gotten one scene with Mark which showed her falling in love with him, so he didn't sound like just a safe haven in her memories. Too much telling, not enough showing; there's little character growth until the end of the novel, when Kathryn uncovers the repressed memory of her failure to save her father and fiancé from death during a military mission. This section could have been deeply moving, demonstrating that Janeway really has grown up to be strong and independent. But it's written like a Trek episode, rushing to resolve its crisis in the seconds before the close. In the course of a few pages, Janeway uncovers a devastating secret, confronts it, gets over it, draws strength from it, changes her life, saves her crew, and gets the ship back on course for home. I'm sure it was a structural decision to save all the revelations for the climax as a means of building suspense, but the sequence is preposterous from a psychological point of view, so it's hard to accept Janeway as the complete person she's described as being on the final page. Much of what I want to know about Kathryn Janeway--how she got interested in science, how she advanced through the ranks, what her ten-year relationship with Mark was like--is not here. The people she's going to be compared to (Kirk, Spock, etc.) are unquestionably heroes, known for strength and bravery even during their troubled youths. Janeway's fairly strong in the face of actual torture, yet up against what Kira underwent in the Resistance or what Picard went through at the hands of the Cardassians, she's barely even challenged. There just aren't character-building moments; lovely descriptions of Indiana can't replace dramatic details about what shaped Janeway into the woman she is now. While I understand the desire to avoid technobabble, a single instance of Janeway acting as science officer would have added greatly to our understanding of what science means to her and how it dovetailed with her Starfleet command career. I did like Janeway's solution to the problems with the Kazon and the aliens on the planet where much of her crew is stranded--the reason for her flashback. She finally showed some of the mettle we've come to expect from her, and from all Starfleet captains. It's interesting that both she and Chakotay experienced torture and lost their fathers to the Cardassians; this could make for a great scene between the two of them on the show. I wish Taylor had filled in some blanks for us, told us how Janeway felt about making Chakotay her first officer, or how she reacted to Tom's implacable hatred of his father. I'm particularly interested in what Janeway thought of the Maquis, given her own experiences with the Cardassians. But none of that is in this novel. Considering that more of Mosaic is devoted to her love affairs than to her scientific career, I hoped at least that we'd see the positive aspects of her femininity, her nurturing side--this is after all a woman who enjoys playing a Victorian governess in a holonovel. Yet Janeway holds true to negative stereotypes of women in power--privately insecure, vulnerable to repressed passion. She's a girl in an old boys' network. How long must women endure a Trek and a captain focused on male standards, male expectations? After reading Mosaic, I sure don't want to be Kathryn Janeway. She may be a woman in charge, but she's all alone up there, and she's not even getting much credit for it. --Michelle Erica Green It's a pleasure to report that Mosaic is a great book. When I first heard about Jeri Taylor writing it, I was curious to see how a novel written by a screenwriter would turn out, but hey--it turned out like a novel, and a very good one at that! The book flows very smoothly; after the first few pages I wasn't noticing the words, the images were simply forming themselves in my mind. I'd look up from the book and another couple of hours would have passed. The locations were flawless. There was a variety of realistic down-to-earth locations as well as imagined alien settings--Janeway's childhood home, underwater caves on Mars, Utopia Planetia, a haunted house, subterranean tunnels on an alien planet--all were lushly described, yet unobtrusive, fitting seamlessly into the action. The characterization was flawless too; for me the character descriptions didn't hit one wrong note. Since the portraits of the regulars come here from the pen of the "Master" (actually "Mistress"), I appreciated the fact that the characters were true to those we see every week on Voyager--something that doesn't always happen in the Trek novels. And the supporting characters are very well delineated too; I particularly liked the description of Cheb, Janeway's boyfriend who had "that maddening ability to twist anything she said, drawing on just enough truth to make her begin doubting herself." Zinger! Keep me out from under Taylor's laser eye--she has acuity when it comes to interpersonal interaction, particularly within families. The overall accomplishment in this novel is the description of Janeway's feelings from those of a small child to those of an adult--her thinking at each age level is right on target, and it's fascinating to see Janeway emerge from a child, perhaps overly anxious to please her father, into an adult, self-directed person, and yet be able to see that the adult is the product of all the stages that have gone before, and that each stage was necessary. The love and identification she felt for her father, as well as her subsequent estrangement from him (although he was always present in her mind) and her final reconciliation are all well described and believable--at least to me. I think this is a real family depicted by Taylor, not an idealized one that would produce an idealized Janeway. Caring fathers can be separated from families by work, children do become estranged from parents--and even if those two things don't occur, there is a necessary reintegration process that usually occurs in the late teens or early twenties when a child finally puts his parents in perspective, and moves on with life as an adult. In this novel Taylor shows how one particular person, Janeway, given the nature and gifts she was born with, adored her father, "lost" him for a time during her teens, made initial romantic choices perhaps based on her relationship with her father (and believe me, this is a classic), and finally integrated herself into the adult, strong, self-assured woman we see each week on Voyager. I find this believable. I would have liked to have had a little more development of Janeway's mother -- as written, she's mostly a generic "Mom" and I would have liked to have known more about her background, other than that it was Germanic. I thought she was supposed to be a mathematician. I liked the fact that she apparently chose homemaking, but I am sure there is more to her than that. People are not born like Janeway--they become like Janeway through a process of experience and struggle. What I like about this book is that it's not PC--despite the 24th century advances, we don't have the "perfect" family or "perfect" life circumstances, or the "perfect" young person--we have the portrait of a person with many advantages who still struggles with the limitations imposed by her circumstances and lack of understanding, and who manages to become a strong, unique person largely through her own efforts. A great deal of 24th century society is spelled out in the novel, and some can be inferred. What I found particularly interesting were the descriptions of family life and child rearing and what struck me most was the feeling of security, in the physical sense (lack of crime, to the point where a 14-year-old Janeway has no hesitation about having to spend a night alone in a rainy field); in the stability sense (Janeway's family lives in the same house in a close-knit community her whole life -- 24th century transportation makes this possible): and in the values sense (there appears to be an implicit agreement on what society thinks is important, and the children don't appear to receive mixed messages). The tolerance and richness of the culture appears to be based on a technology that (unlike our own, which seems to constantly create more and faster work for us), actually liberates people to pursue their gifts and ensures an economic security that makes it possible to do so. Adolescence is depicted in a constructive way--yes, the children do still rebel, but it takes the form of acting adventurously with the elan of youth, rather than in the overtly self-destructive adolescent behavior depicted today. There were three stories here: Janeway's growth into the person she is; the mystery of her recurrent dream; and the adventure of the crew on the planet and the crew in space trying to rescue them. All the plot details came together at the end in a very satisfying finish. --Catherine Clark I've been waiting for this book for a long time. When an executive producer who created the character writes an entire novel around her creation, it is an event. I only wish this particular event merited equivalent praise. Unfortunately, after finishing Mosaic, my feeling is one of extreme disappointment. Jeri Taylor has invested a lot of herself in Janeway's character, and that is obvious in reading this book. But the Janeway I have come to know and love is not the one whose life I followed in Mosaic. Their personalities could not be more diametrically opposed, and not even the struggles that Mosaic's Kathryn went through can account for the strength and compassion Kate Mulgrew brings to this character. I have to give all that credit to Kate's ability as an actress as well as a fine understanding of Janeway. Jeri Taylor has stated that some of this novel has come out in her scripts, and I can see that in "Resolutions" when Janeway states that she is a 'child of the 24th century.' She makes disparaging remarks about camping and farming, and that fits in with her traditionalist upbringing in Indiana. However, I think Taylor could have done better than presenting us with a stereotyped, 20th century model filled by such cultural icons as Ozzie and Harriet or Ward and June Cleaver. I would hope that by the 24th century, this world we live in will move beyond that era. I would have liked to see an egalitarian society where people can choose how they want to live. Janeway's entire being from the time she was four until she enters the Academy seems to be about pleasing her father. We learn that her father is a Vice Admiral who is away a great deal of the time. Kathryn is frequently frustrated and sad about his absence, and she turns from a frightened child into a sniveling and unlikable teenager. There are the usual insecurities about appearance, and constant complaints about her hairstyle. Is Taylor trying to tell us something here--like stop complaining about Janeway's bun of steel? No character in this book is really developed--and that includes Janeway. I feel like I have only a tenuous hold on who she is supposed to be. What does Janeway want besides pleasing the men in her life? We see her learning the math tables to please her father, but is this what she wants? Her dogged determination to learn math and science seems motivated more by rebelling against her upbringing than by any real desire on her part. Although it isn't directly discussed, she seems contemptuous of both her mother and sister. Her mother Gretchen is of German lineage, and I would have liked to see more of her than the fact that she sings lullabyes and cooks caramel brownies. Sister Phoebe is another unlikable character who only comes through for Kathryn in the end, as she molders in bed pining for her father and fiancé. Phoebe appears to be Daddy's favorite, and Kathryn resents her sister for that. In addition, she becomes an artist, which is quite in keeping with acceptable careers for women today. The only time Taylor presents us with even slightly positive female role models are when she discusses some of the Starfleet officers, but even then these descriptions are fleeting. I would have loved to see Janeway bond with a high ranking female officer instead of someone like Admiral Paris. Everywhere we look we see men--especially men with dark hair and blue eyes. Janeway has a weakness for them, one which bothers her so much that she acts like a fool and runs out on a date with Will Riker. Her first boyfriend was a deadbeat, so this scared her off from seeing Riker. Later, she ends up engaged to another man who looks like this too. Justin, the fiancé in question, had some potential to be interesting, but he died along with her father before we got to know him. This, in fact, is the basic problem I have with this entire novel. I know it's supposed to be a collage of memories from Janeway's past, but there isn't anything substantial that the reader can grab hold of. We aren't allowed to spend much time in any one section of her life, and what little is revealed doesn't do much to engage this reader's interest. For example, Janeway goes from an Ensign to a Captain in a very short time. She starts off as a science officer and changes to the command track after Admiral Paris convinces her she'd make a good leader. Once again, her decision is based on something someone else wants, making her a reflection of everyone else's desires instead of an individual in her own right. We learn that she has a doctorate in quantum cosmology (I knew she was brilliant), but what exactly is that supposed to be? Does this make her an astrophysicist? Does it explain the fact that she seems to be an expert in every scientific discipline? There was very little discussion about her time at the Academy, and I would have loved to read about her struggles there instead of hearing about it after the fact. How did she get so hooked on coffee? All of a sudden, we are presented with a coffee addict in the making but are given no explanation for this. This might seem silly to some, but I think coffee is very central to Janeway's character. There is also the unfortunate adventure with her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend Cheb where he calls her uncaring because she seems more interested in the fossil than him. The message seems to be that if a woman chooses a career over a relationship, this makes her cold. Cheb was being a real jerk here, and this is where I started to see a glimmer of the future Janeway. And then there is Mark "Hobbes" Johnson, the philosopher. I have to admit that Jeri surprised me here--I didn't see this coming. I suppose it was obvious that she would turn to him after being so unlucky in love, and we have a few nice moments where they grow more comfortable with each other, but that's about it. I guess as readers we have to assume that Janeway came to her senses and realized what a treasure Mark really was. I still don't know if they were engaged, but I doubt it, especially after losing her last fiancé. She seems to feel safe with Mark, as she later does with Chakotay. There is also a good scene where Chakotay rescues Janeway and she is hallucinating. She thinks her father is carrying her, and it is clear that she associates the two of them. For Janeway, whose own life has revolved so much around her father, this can only be the highest compliment. I guess this is Jeri's way of showing that we might get to see a nice J/C relationship after all. Mark, and Chakotay, are not threatening to Janeway. They are strong in their own way without being domineering, and both of them seem to fall into traditional female roles at times. This type of man fits Janeway like a glove, and besides, they both have brown eyes! Maybe her luck is changing after all. There is also the matter of Tuvok. As a child, Janeway seems to hate Vulcans, even going so far as to call Mark "vulky." Just why she dislikes them is never explored, and neither is her subsequent relationship with Tuvok. She doesn't like him at first, but later he becomes her best friend. This, like her sudden ascension to captain, is a little hard for me to buy. I found the segment about the Cardassians quite interesting, and it raises a number of questions about Janeway's future loyalty to the Federation. It also aligns her solidly with her sexy first officer. I would like to see Jeri bring this element out in the show--it certainly could present Janeway with a conflict of interest when they return. But I understand that moral dilemmas and the Prime Directive are a thing of the past. Jim Kirk, here we come! The entire reason we get these repressed memories is because Janeway is trying to rescue her crew from the Kazon. I liked this part of the story quite a bit, although I wish we could have visited with someone other than the Kazon. They are boring to watch on TV, and they were even more so here. Why? Because Jeri spends a lot more time discussing them instead of giving us Janeway's background. The exploration of the caves (boy, we could get real Freudian here) was predictable, although the outcome was kind of neat. The way Janeway dumped their Tokath hitchhikers was also fun. In summary, despite everything I've said here, I admire Jeri for writing Mosaic. While I might not agree with how Janeway is portrayed, it takes a lot of guts to pour your heart and soul into a project like this, and it is real easy for a critic like me to find fault with different items. When all is said and done, this is Jeri's character and she is free to do with her what she will. As a producer and writer, Jeri walks a fine line with Janeway. If she pushes her too much one way, Janeway will look weak and the women in the audience will complain. If she makes her too strong, that might threaten that all important 19-34 demographic. I think Jeri will always be walking a tightrope with Janeway. I hope her balancing act gets a little easier as Janeway gets developed. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz Mosaic consists of the usual sort of Voyager-in-trouble thread interspersed with Janeway having flashbacks starting with early childhood. The Voyager thread is basically good, and while it does include Kazon, it also introduces some interesting and dangerous new aliens. A basically inferior enemy led by one brilliant character simply does not provide a good ongoing, action/adventure foil for our TV heroes. Overwhelmingly powerful enemies, on the other hand, force our heroes to perform brilliantly in order to survive. In Mosaic's flashbacks, Janeway's parents are presented as old-fashioned, and she resents it. Her mother appears to be a full-time mother/homemaker, yet her cooking seems to be her only real impact on her children. Janeway's father is a Starfleet admiral. Since the male captains we know have been given far more heroic careers than Janeway is given in Mosaic, we are left room to wonder if her rise to Captain is due as much to family connections as to personal merit. This Janeway is often further out of character than in any of the other Voyager novels. The young Janeway is enough of a daredevil to be expected to grow into a courageous officer, but she is abrasive, overbearing, self-centered, and develops no close friendships. She is generally out of touch with her emotions, except for her resentment of her father's work keeping him away from her. Since this is a major theme, it seems very odd that her only long-range goal is to follow him into Starfleet. She seems driven to be a career woman without finding any meaning in that career. We actually see very little of her career development, except that she makes decisions affecting her long-term direction based on immediate convenience. Her one heroic episode as a young ensign is well-written but hardly seems sufficient to propel her to the captaincy of a Starship designed for combat. While Mosaic spends far more time on Janeway's personal relationships with her family and the men in her life than on the details of her career, these relationships are emotionally superficial and unsatisfying. These people are neither emotionally-compelling characters nor healthy, well-rounded role models. As a young Starfleet officer who has bravely survived a very harrowing experience, Janeway returns home and throws a temper-tantrum demanding that her father punish her sister for an incident that was her own fault. May none of us ever have to suffer such a boss or coworker. This Janeway is not even likable. She almost never displays the love of life and sense of purpose that we feel in Mulgrew's portrayal. She's a victim, crippled by tragedy rather than working through her pain. Then, in spite of her personal suffering due to the threat of war, Janeway repeats Picard's appalling line that Starfleet is not the military. While Starfleet is much more than our (USA) military, it is still obviously also the military, albeit an idealized, defensive one. We need the military for defense, and we shouldn't blame the military for our politicians' misuse of the military. Admitting that seems far less dangerous than pretending, by analogy, that our military isn't really quite a military and a "police action" isn't really a war. Finally, when she should be totally attentive to the heat of battle, she's having flashbacks to work out her old personal tragedies. I'm usually quite good about ignoring stupid decisions that are obviously plot devices, but when someone's trying to kill you, you focus on the problem at hand. This Janeway drags herself meaninglessly through life with a stiff upper lip. I am usually quick to defend an artist's right to produce art rather than someone else's idea of a politically correct role model. If this novel was about anyone other than a Starfleet captain, I would find it acceptable, but reading Mosaic left me struggling with feeling victimized. In stark contrast, theVoyager TV staff and Kate Mulgrew usually give us a powerful, heroic woman leader who loves life, is in touch with her emotions, and, like James Kirk, knows that she is a military officer even though she would rather never fight. Please, may they keep up the good work. --Kathy Altom MOSAIC BY JERI TAYLOR An Audio Book Read By Kate Mulgrew Mosaic was a must-read for me because this book had to do with Captain Janeway and was written by the character's creator, Jeri Taylor. The audiobook for me was also a must because it was read by Kate Mulgrew. I wanted to hear how Kate did in delivering the life of her favorite character. In talking to others, I come across many complaints about the Mosaic novel--everything from it being sexist to robbing Janeway of courage and honor. There were several things I did not like about the novel myself--I think Jeri Taylor tried to do too much in a book that, frankly, should have been a little longer, and ended it like a Voyager episode with everything resolved in the last 5 minutes and you feel cut off at the knees. For anyone who read the novel and was unhappy--do not let that prevent you from buying the audio version! Kate Mulgrew gives such a stunning audio delivery you really feel you are there. She puts the various facets of her voice to full use...you can see Chakotay's expression and hear Tuvok's voice in her delivery. It's also interesting to hear how she thinks Harry Kim would say things. Kate's unique voice works to her advantage instead of against it. Her inflections, tonal quality and control really keep you interested in the subject matter. There were differences between the novel and the audio version that were quite striking. When Janeway begins to flashback in the novel, it is as a young girl hiding in her father's office, a very engaging scene where the relationship between father and daughter is established. In the audio version, Janeway's flashbacks begin with her playing in an Academy tennis match. I honestly felt robbed. I think an editor could have decided to start somewhere earlier in Janeway's life. Later, when Janeway is captured by Cardassians, she winds up saving both herself and her rescuer during a fierce battle with the Cardassian soldier. It's a great scene, showing her strength and ability to fight odds in moments of great adversity. This fight scene is eliminated from the audio version. I was appalled. What seemed to be a major point of showing what Janeway was capable of was removed from the audio version--a major mistake. I am aware that it is not possible to convert an entire novel into two 90 minute cassettes. But these missing scenes detracted from the audio novel as well as the Janeway character. But in compensation, Janeway's dream/psychological moment toward the end of the tape is handled much better than in the book. I was very confused by Janeway's flashback in the novel, when she goes back to the deaths of her father & Justin Tighe and finally remembers what it was that really happened. The audio version was much clearer, and I was able to better understand what it was she was thinking and going through. The sound effects and music fit in very well. You really get a good picture of Tuvok opening a tricorder, or Harry Kim hitting his combadge. They weren't intruding and were done tastefully. The 'action music' toward the last 45 minutes (Cassette 2, Side B) was some of the best music accompanying dialogue. It worked very well. Kate, as she has demonstrated in her various convention appearances, is quite professional and seems to know exactly what she's doing--a far cry from some of the members of the different Trek casts who've recorded audiobooks. Kate really seems to work the material quite well. Perhaps she had a better director, or perhaps it's because she has had more experience in this area, having recorded novels to tape before she came to Star Trek. There are a lot of things to like and dislike about Mosaic, but isn't that the case with most Star Trek novels the last 10 years? Kate Mulgrew's reading really made the book come alive for me, and helped me get over the parts I didn't like. Kate brings a lot as Janeway to the audio version. For those of you choosing between the $23 novels and $18 audio version, I would go with the audio version. --Sashi Alexandra German FLASHBACK by Diane Carey I'm glad I read this book after "Flashback" aired, because otherwise I would have been supremely disappointed in the episode. Things I criticized in the episode were explained in the book. For example, in the episode, Janeway appeared to blindly accept Tuvok's melding invitation without blinking an eye. There were no discussions about the repercussions if something went wrong, and we see in the book that there are quite a few problems. I would give my eyeteeth to see the Janeway/Chakotay scene that was cut out. Here at last we get to see some real drama and some great explanations for this dynamic command relationship. Diane Carey has done a better job than any other author in exploring this tenuous and growing friendship between them, and for that matter, I think she has done a great job with all the other characters as well. I've re-read this scene numerous times, and I appreciate the fact that it ends on a humorous note. We also have an entire Paris/Torres story that was not present in the episode, and again, I have to shake my head. Why did they blow this opportunity to show Chakotay in command? On the very few occasions when he's taken over for the captain, he hasn't exactly been the most competent individual. Here we are treated to some wonderful dialogue between Chakotay and Torres as well as Chakotay and Paris as they communicate from their shuttle. Chakotay's affection for Torres is obvious, and I appreciated the gallows humor in the face of death. This seems exactly like something they would say. Paris also got his two cents in, and his comment about Janeway's bun of steel was priceless. There are also the meaty scenes between Paris and Torres--this novel clearly seems to be setting the stage for their relationship. While there is acrimony in the air (along with some lethal gas), they also respect each other and work well with one another under fire. Another regrettable exclusion from television was the effect of the meld on Kes. This set the entire scene for Torres and Paris, and it also gave us a peek at Kes's relationship with Neelix. We as viewers are supposed to accept their love for one another, but we rarely get to see any interaction between them. I enjoyed the expanded scenes on the Excelsior, and liked how Janeway tried to second-guess Sulu's command decisions. The descriptions were so vivid that Janeway's excitement was palpable. Exploration of the Tuvok/Janeway friendship was also greatly appreciated, and explained a lot about the trust between them. This book did Tuvok a great favor--it made him likable, believable and caused me to feel sympathy for him. Because Diane Carey did such a good job digging into his psyche, we now know that he isn't as cold-hearted as he'd like everyone to believe, and it will make me appreciate him more in the future. Janeway's portrayal was also right on the mark, and I liked the flashes of humor running through her mind. I thought the scene which brought Amelia Earhart back from "The 37's" was interesting, although it seemed out of place, and the novel seamlessly weaves in far more Trek history than the episode had time for. Overall, this is the best book in the Voyager series, and I look forward to seeing more from Diane Carey. --Elizabeth Klisiewicz OTHER COLLECTIBLES There's LOTS of Trek 30th anniversary stuff to spend money on: Five Trek calendars (TOS, TNG, DS9, and VOY wall calendars, plus a daily desk calendar with better Kate pictures than the wall calendar even if they're B&W)... Paramount's official Trek 30th Anniversary magazine (Kate's in there in a couple of places)... Starlog's 30th anniversary of Trek issue, including episode summaries, photos, and more advertising than you can believe... A Star Trek crossword puzzle book (!)... Several new books (in addition to Mosaic and Flashback, the new blueprints, TOS Academy series, a Federation passport, the City on the Edge of Forever script and controversy, etc. etc. etc.)... And the new comic book series are supposed to be out this month--well, except the Trek/X Men crossover, which has been delayed until November--but Voyager should debut momentarily! *COPYRIGHT VIOLATION CORNER* Two of our favorite captains in earlier days. We expect to receive disapproving mail from both the J/C and P/C crowds about this! Kathryn Janeway and Jean-Luc Picard belong to Paramount, but apparently they go on unauthorized leave together... IN THE EYES OF A STRANGER by Alan Butler Kathryn Janeway stopped to regard the face staring back from the looking glass. It surprised her for a moment; this woman seemed so unlike herself. After a minute, though, a smile crossed her face. "Not bad," she thought to herself, pushing a few stray hairs into place with her fingertips. "Of course, it's easier to find a good hairdresser in San Francisco than out in the great beyond." The Al-Batani had recently returned to Earth after a six-month mapping expedition, and Kathryn was still adjusting to the joys of home comforts. Tonight's formal ceremony at Starfleet Headquarters seemed, at present, to be a waste of a perfectly good shore leave, but attendance was mandatory. She wondered momentarily if she'd feel more comfortable going as half of a couple. "Maybe a little," she admitted to herself, but there was never time to become suitably enthusiastic about anything outside her work. She was quite certain she could manage tonight without being on anyone's arm, and there would be plenty of time later for relationships. "Maybe I should get a dog?" shepondered, smiling as the apartment door closed behind her. The reception turned out to be standard fare. Held once a year to mark the signing of the Klingon Peace Treaty, it had become Starfleet's version of Thanksgiving, as the whole Federation "family" were forced to try to get along for one night. Upon entering, Kathryn paused for a moment to get her bearings, but before she had the chance to pick a direction, an arm encircled her right elbow. "Janeway, how would you like to make an old man very happy?" A wicked smile crossed her lips. "Depends on how old...and how happy!" Not to be put off, Admiral Paris changed direction. "Lieutenant, I was simply referring to a dance with your commanding officer, bearing in mind that a refusal might be considered an offense punishable by court-martial." The query was so out of character for Paris that his science officer laughed. "When you put it that way, I accept." As he led her to the dance floor, Kathryn wondered just how much wine it had taken to put the admiral in such high spirits. Still, after six months of mapping, who wouldn't feel the need to cut loose a little? The dance went very smoothly considering her partner's dubious sobriety, but while the Deltan performer sang of passion, she and Paris talked about impulse engines. "Why do these social events have a knack for finding the weakness in your life?" she asked herself. "You think you've got it all together, and then you find yourself feeling alone in a crowd, talking business!" The dance ended and Kathryn headed for the bar. A few mouthfuls of white wine and her mood began to improve. As she sat on a stool, with her back towards the dance floor, she began humming a few bars from an old song that she didn't actually remember hearing before. Then she became aware of a figure standing next to her. "Is this seat taken?" asked a distinguished looking man. Four pips. Kathryn looked briefly up and down the bar. Yes, all the other stools were occupied, so there was a good chance that this wasn't just an attempt to hit on her. "Please feel free," she smiled graciously and waved toward the seat. As the captain sat down, she looked closely at his face and decided that maybe she wouldn't be altogether upset if it was an attempt at seduction, although his whole manner gave her the impression that he wouldn't sink to such levels. "Kathryn Janeway," she smiled, holding out her hand. He accepted the handshake and returned her smile. "Jean-Luc Picard. Pleased to meet you." Pleasantries over, the conversation died and Kathryn found herself analyzing the bottom of her empty glass. She had just caught the bartender's eye when Picard sighed to himself. "Something you'd like to talk about?" He looked a little taken aback. "No," he replied just a bit too quickly, then flashed that dazzling smile. "Not at the moment, anyway, but thank you." The silence resumed, and Kathryn was halfway to the bottom of her next glass when he suddenly spoke into the bottom of his. "I don't suppose you'd like to dance with me?" "I'd love to," she replied, dropping lightly off the stool, anxious to end the long pauses. He turned to face her, looking a little surprised and more than a little lost. She had seen that look on men's faces before, and it usually meant danger, but there was something about him...she decided to see this through. As they reached the floor, the lights began to dim and the music slowed. He turned toward her; his expression was one of barely disguised horror. She suppressed a smile and rested her arms on his shoulders. For a moment she thought he was going to make a break for it, and despite herself she began to snicker. Instead, she watched as the crease on his brow unfolded and he began to chuckle. Within seconds, both of them were howling with laughter and drawing stares from across the room. Without thinking about it, Kathryn buried her head in his shoulder to muffle her laughter, and they began to sway around the room. After a few minutes, he lowered his head and whispered, "You must be thinking I'm some kind of madman!" "The thought had crossed my mind," she whispered back. "But I'm hardly acting like a responsible science officer." "Wonderful, isn't it?" he replied, looking as contented as she'd seen him--of course, she reminded herself, she'd met him barely fifty-eight minutes before. The song came to an end and Kathryn released her grip on him, surprising herself at how reluctant she was to do so. They headed back to their seats at the bar, but Picard was waylaid by an admiral whose face she knew but whose name she couldn't recall. There was a brief exchange of words which she couldn't hear, then Jean-Luc turned and walked away with a face like thunder. For a moment she thought he was going to storm past her, and she forgot protocol long enough to grab his arm. "Hey, where are you going?" He turned and looked at her and at first didn't seem to see her. After a moment, however, recognition crossed his face. "Do you want to get out of here?" They were halfway out the door before she was conscious of making the decision. They walked for a long time without speaking, until Kathryn couldn't stand it any longer. "What in God's name did he say to you?" Silence. "If you're not going to speak to me, then I might as well go back now," she sighed and began to turn back towards the party. As she walked away, she heard a whisper from his direction. "No, don't go. Please." She bit her lip for a moment and then turned, forcing a frown. "Then be straight with me, Jean-Luc. What's going on with you?" Her companion sighed and sat down on the grass, patting the ground next to him. She sat without a word and waited as he collected his thoughts. Finally he spoke to her: "Have you heard of the Stargazer?" "Stargazer...Stargazer...oh, of course. That's your ship, isn't it?" "Was. She was mine." "What happened?" "Attacked. Lost the entire ship." "Casualties?" "Light...very light, considering." His voice had taken on a dreamlike quality that made Kathryn uncomfortable. She could sense how inappropriate this conversation was for this man. She smiled a grim little smile to herself and wondered how far she could push him--how hard she would have to push him. "So...you were to blame? You let it happen?" A blue fire flashed through his eyes. "No, of course not! I did everything I could, but it was a no-win situation." "Kobayashi Maru?" "I'm sorry?" "Kobayashi Maru, it was an old Starfleet Academy test. I took it once, when I was preparing for my finals. It was supposed to teach the students that they might find themselves in no-win situations." Picard managed an ironic laugh. "Why did they remove it?" "Apparently a hotshot named James T. Kirk beat it by altering the program. They managed to keep that fact under wraps for a number of years, but after the story was finally leaked, the test became moot." He chuckled. "Kirk. I almost wish they'd left the test in." "I'm glad they didn't. It's one thing to face a no-win in reality, but to be taught how to lose? That seems a little self-defeating to me." "Normally I'd agree with you, but these days I'm not so sure. In fact, I'm thinking it may be time to call it a night." Kathryn stood up, dusted off her party dress which she realized had not been designed for sitting on grass, and pointed her right elbow at Jean-Luc. He stood and slipped his left arm into it. "Back to the party?" he asked. "If you'd like. But I think I have a better idea. Do you trust me?" she whispered with a smile. "Implicitly!" he replied. Moments later, she was dragging him onto a transport headed uptown. They arrived outside a rather garish building covered in bright lights and holographic images of semi-nude humanoids. In the center was spelled out the word "HOLODROME," and the legend below read, "All your fantasies made reality." Kathryn caught Jean-Luc's expression of utter astonishment as they went through the entrance, and allowed herself a wicked chuckle. He bent the elegant dome of his head toward her ear and whispered, "This is positively Babylonian." "That it is," she murmured back. "Forgive the cliché, but do you come here often?!" "Only when I'm in need of something a little special." The strange choking noise from the back of her companion's throat gave her an indication that perhaps she should go easy on him--before he suffered a stroke. She whispered to the receptionist and was rewarded with a suite key. A turbolift ride followed, until they stood outside Room 319. Without looking at Jean-Luc, Kathryn turned the key and entered the dark room. Jean-Luc hesitated on the threshold for a moment before steeling himself and following her inside. As the door clicked shut behind him, their eyes were overtaken by darkness. "Kathryn?" he called, but there was no answer. After a few moments she knew his eyes would begin to grow accustomed to the lack of light, and he could make out the yellow lines forming squares across the floor, walls, and ceiling of the room. "Computer," Kathryn whispered. "Run program 'Starblessed.'" A chirping sound responded, and again the room was plunged into complete darkness. This lasted for only a moment, and slowly they became aware of pinpricks of light all around. The mechanisms of the room were beginning to whir, creating a sense of weightlessness. They rose into the air as the lights around them became clearer and larger, and as Picard looked into one he saw Kathryn floating towards him. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked, though the question was rhetorical. "We're currently on the border of the Alpha Quadrant, but this program can simulate just about any area of known space." "It is beautiful," he agreed, accepting her outstretched hand. "But I don't see the significance..." "You sounded like you were thinking of quitting. I wanted you to see what you'd be giving up." Both were silent as the room's mechanisms allowed them to fly, hand in hand, through a nebula. "I feel like an overgrown Peter Pan," he said finally. "Perhaps that's why I can see the child in your eyes," she teased, squeezing his hand. A few more minutes passed before she spoke again. "We have to be out here. You know that, don't you?" "I'm not sure I understand." "Look at it, Jean-Luc, and look at us. I'm a scientist, while you may have the soul of a poet. We're poles apart--coming at life from different directions but in our own ways, we're both at peace out here in the great beyond. I may be considering the chemical breakdown of a star while you're marveling at its power, but we both appreciate its nature. We pay a price to be out here, boldly going where none have gone before--home and hearth may never be truly ours, and certain events may leave us scarred, like you and the Stargazer, but the rewards more than outweigh the price." As she finished speaking, she turned towards him and found her face close enough to his to see the tears in his eyes as the star behind them went nova. An hour later the two of them stood on Golden Gate Bridge, looking out across at San Francisco. The night air had turned chilly and she had his jacket wrapped around her shoulders. It was Jean-Luc who finally broke the silence. "Thank you," he said simply, his eyes not moving from the water below. "You're welcome," she replied. "How do you feel now?" He paused for a moment to consider. "Better," he concluded finally. "I feel...better." "I'm glad. So will you go back?" "I think I have to. I think I always did, but I needed someone to make me see that." "Things are often clearer in the eyes of a stranger." "Would you consider serving under a slightly battle-worn captain?" "Oh, yes. Starfleet would just love that. I was rather thinking we could wait until you're able to serve in my crew." He roared with laughter. "I'd give it a week," he said. "A week before one of us phasered the other in the back--be it my ship or yours!" "True," she smiled. "That's very true. But oh, what a week it would be!" Still laughing, he offered her his arm, and the two walked away in the darkness. THE END *WE ARE FAMILY* THE COMMANDER Official Robert Beltran/Chakotay Fan Club c/o B.J. O'Leary P.O. Box 183 Reading, PA 19603 B3 PRIME Official Roxann Biggs-Dawson/B'Elanna Torres Fan Club c/o M. Russell 1630 Ft. Campbell Blvd., Suite 143 Clarksville, TN 37042 blilsism@aol.com RANDOM FLIGHT Official Robert Duncan McNeill/Tom Paris Fan Club c/o Pam Buickel 850 Mellowood Avenue Orlando, FL 32825-8085 ricknpam@iag.net EPIC (Ethan Phillips International Club) Official Ethan Phillips/Neelix Fan Club c/o Joe Christiano and Rande Goodwin P.O. Box 4818 Waterbury, CT 06704 randeg@aol.com CARPE (Central Alliance of Robert Picardo Enthusiasts) Official Robert Picardo/The Doctor Fan Club c/o Tracey Ledel, RNC Box 373, 1277 Linda Mar Shopping Center Pacifica, CA 94044 traceldel1@aol.com CERES 1 Official Garrett Wang/Harry Kim Fan Club P.O. Box 13767 Sacramento, CA 95853-3767 VULCAN INSIDERS Official Tim Russ/Tuvok Fan Club P.O. Box 8248 Long Beach, CA 90808 SESKA'S SCANDAL SHEET Official Martha Hackett/Seska Fan Club c/o Donna J. Abate 3699 Barnard Drive #517 Oceanside, CA 92056 southpawdj@aol.com EMISSARY Avery Brooks/Benjamin Sisko Fan Club c/o Bartricia Williams P.O. Box 621719 Oviedo, FL 32762-1719 emisary1@aol.com THE DOCTOR'S EXCHANGE Official Alexander Siddig/Bashir Fan Club c/o Joan Marie Verba P. O. Box 1363 Minnetonka, MN 55345-0363 verba001@maroon.tc.umn.edu NANITES Official Nana Visitor/Kira Nerys Fan Club c/o M. McGowan 8824 Cross Country Place Gaithersburg, MD 20879 nananut@aol.com FEDERATION ARCHIVES RD 5 Box 5440 Moscow, PA 18444 lordfed@aol.com *PHOTO AND ART CREDITS* 3, 6, 13, 23--Illustrations © Jennifer Pelland 1996. 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, 22, 25--Photos © Paramount Pictures 1996. 8, 32--Illustrations © Yul Tolbert, Timeliketoons 1996. 14--Illustration © Joy Locke 1996. 15--Photo © Beth Schuman 1996. 17, 18--Photos © Cheryl Waldie 1996. 19--Photo © Randi Dackerman 1996. 20--Photo © Donna Christenberry 1996. 30--Illustration © L.R. Bowen 1996. FIRST CLASS Now Voyager P.O. Box 34745 Bethesda, Maryland 20827-4745