Holograms and Profits are explored in the episode that was originally broadcast on November 8, 2000, this is Inside Man.
The Episode:
Captain’s Log Stardate 54208.3 Inside Man
Barclay sends a hologram to Voyager to assist in a way to get them home…only someone else has other ideas.
The Story:
A Hologram of Barclay arrives on Voyager but, Little do they know a that a Ferengi ship has taken it over are using it to steal valuable nanites from Seven of Nine but at the cost of the Voyager crew itself.
Back on Earth, the Barclay becomes paranoid when he loses contact with Voyager and begins investigating it much to the chagrin of his superiors. After Barclay enlists Troi’s help, They soon discover that the Ferengi are involved and plan to send Voyager through a dangerous Geodesic fold which will kill the crew. Meanwhile, on Voyager it soon becomes clear that the Barclay hologram is a threat when Seven discovers his motives but is soon incapacitated. When the holographic Barclay tries to escape, Seven manages to stop him and the escape pod the Ferengi were waiting on appears but without their prize. On Voyager, they find that the attempt to bring them home has failed but are left confused as to what happened with the holographic Barclay.
Back on Earth, Barclay and Troi are pleased that Voyager is still safe, although not home yet.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
This is pretty much a filler episode coupled with an excuse to remind us that Star Fleet is still working on a way to get Voyager home. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love every excuse to bring back classic STNG actors to Voyager as it makes the Star Trek Universe feel a little more connected without everything having to be about a single family (Star Wars…I’m looking at you). This episode had all the makings of a great one, we had a stolen hologram, the ship in danger and Starfleet diligently working to figure out what went wrong, so what did, indeed, go wrong? Frankly, we have seen this before so many times it has become a trope within itself. A trusted message from star fleet becomes a trick that will ultimately kill the crew…remember that from somewhere? Yep, that was the entire plot to the season four finale ‘Hope and Fear’. So, you’d think that Janeway and the crew would be a little more suspect of easy answers, even those from Starfleet, but no…they just go along with the plan even though none of it really adds up in any way. I mean, even when The Doctor raises an alarm he is pretty much dismissed as being paranoid, giving holo-Reg more latitude than the person who has been on board for nearly seven years. Seriously?
There is also another rather frustrating problem…how is it that the hologram Barclay can arrive on Voyager filled with the ability to do impressions, play games and so many other things, yet when the Doctor was sent to the Alpha Quadrant they had to strip all of that from him so that he could be sent over? I mean, do the Ferengi really have that much more advanced tech or was this just a case of lazy writing….
Overall, this is a fun episode, Apart from the blind acceptance of the hologram on Voyager, it’s nice to see things going on at Star Fleet as they attempt to get Voyager back home. Otherwise…well, this was a valiant attempt that doesn’t really work.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
- 0 photon torpedoes fired, -20 remaining.
- 0 shuttlecraft lost or destroyed, -6 remaining
- So it is claimed that Voyager has not had a transmission from Earth in over a month…but the episode Repression dealt with a transmission from Earth that caused issues with Tuvok. So…how long ago was that exactly? I mean, it was only a few episodes ago so…man time moves strangely on Voyager.
- It is established that Voyager is 30,000 lightyears from the Alpha Quadrant.
- The Iconians are mentioned by Paris.
- This is the last time Troi appears on Voyager.
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: Body and Soul
For more reviews: check out the weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and for more retro TV goodness check out the rest of the Retro TV Reviews here.
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Late To The Game 3/15/2021
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
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