#star trek voyager S04E17

[mistylacrimosa]

So I just watched Retrospect (star trek voyager S04E17) and my devil what the hell was that?

I get that they were trying to make a "wrongful conviction" episode and good for them that's an interesting theme

BUT MY BROTHER IN WHAT EVER YOU BELIEVE IN WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE A WRONGFUL CONVICTION EPISODE WHERE THE CRIME WAS BASICALLY SEXUAL ASSAULT? (yes I know its not actually SA but it's a pretty obvious analog, shut up!)

I'm pretty sure they wanted the message of the episode to be "don't make rush judgments just because you don't like someone" or something like that but the only thing I got was "don't believe victims, they might have hallucinated the whole thing (or worse lied)"

Huge miss this one. One of the worse episodes of Voyager of the whole franchise.

[kjaneway115]

Star Trek Voyager: Retrospect

Episode 4.17 “Retrospect” Stardate 51658.2

Janeway is negotiating with a trader named Kovin for a new cannon.  She is a shrewd negotiator.  She glances at Chakotay to see what he thinks before making her offer, obviously knowing that he knows what she’s going to say.  Janeway and Chakotay talk about Seven like a child.  She tells him that he can give Seven access to engineering systems because she’s been “behaving herself” lately.

Chakotay defends Janeway to Seven, explaining that Seven violated her trust and needs to earn it back.  Seven agrees to work with Kovin in installing the cannon, but when he touches her, she knocks him down.  B’Elanna starts to respect Seven after she knocks down Kovin.

Janeway calls Seven into her office and says she’s realized that traditional discipline doesn’t work with her.  She tells Seven that she has to learn the difference between having an impulse and acting on it.

Seven allows herself to be much more vulnerable around the Doctor than anyone else.  He also understands and sympathizes with her better.  Seven suffers an anxiety attack and the Doc thinks it’s a result of suppressed memories.  The Doc tells Janeway that he’s been developing a psychiatric subroutine.  Seven has a vision of Kovin removing Borg technology from her by force.

The Doc tries to help Seven in a psychiatric way but he is too biased and tells her she will feel better when Kovin “gets what he deserves.”  Seven becomes angry and convinced that this is true; she does not know how to deal with her emotions yet.  Kovin runs, and Voyager pursues him after having figured out that he is innocent.  Janeway refuses to fire on Kovin’s ship, tries to beam him aboard, but his ship overloads, and he is killed.  Janeway is upset and angry with Seven.

The Doctor goes to the captain and tells her he wants to delete the improvements to his program because he lost his impartiality and feels responsible for Kovin’s death.  Janeway is surprised by the request.  She says she won’t turn back the clock because of one mistake, regardless of how the Doc feels.  She says the crew has benefited greatly from the Doc’s improvements over the years.  The Doc says he can’t live with the fact that he might take a life again; she replies that will hopefully prevent him from doing it. She says they all rallied around Seven, including her, she wanted Seven to know she was part of the family.  “We let our good intentions blind us.  We all bear responsibility for Kovin’s death, and we all have to live with it, but to delete that burden would be the last thing any of us should do.”  Kathryn is alone… you see the weight of the burden she is carrying.

Original Airdate: February 25, 1998

Production Number: 185

Episode Tags: Character Backstory

Meanwhile, back in the Alpha Quadrant...

Deputy Director Sloan arrives at DS9 with orders from the Federation Council to investigate a possible security leak at the station.  All senior staff are confined to quarters. Sloan accuses Bashir of working for the Dominion since he was imprisoned by them.  Sloan's son was killed by the Dominion and he seems convinced of Bashir's guilt. Starfleet Special Order 66715 gives Sloan authority to neutralize security threats by whatever means necessary.  Sloan threatens to put Bashir in prison unless he confesses.  Bashir is transported to Weyoun's ship and told that he is guilty.  Bashir realizes both Weyoun and Sloan are trying to convince him of the same lie.  Bashir realizes this has all been a simulation and he is on the holodeck with Sloan.  Sloan has put an implant into Bashir and has been recording his brain activity.  Sloan works for Section 31, a secret section of Starfleet that identifies and eliminates potential threats to the Federation. Section 31 is autonomous and doesn’t submit reports. Sloan claims they were part of the original Starfleet charter.  Sloan tries to recruit Bashir. Sloan says the ends justify the means when it means the survival of the Federation. Bashir declines the invite.  Bashir tells Sisko, Kira and Odo about what happened.  According to Starfleet there's no Deputy Director Sloan and Starfleet doesn't confirm or deny the existence of Section 31.  Kira suggests they try to track down Sloan themselves.  Sisko says Section 31 will come back to them, because they want to recruit Bashir.  Sisko orders Bashir to agree next time Sloan asks.