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Star Trek Voy - Season 5 - Episode 09

Star Trek Voy - 5x09 - Thirty Days

Originally Aired: 1998-12-9

Synopsis:
Paris is confined to the brig. [DVD]

My Rating - 7

Fan Rating Average - 5.12

Rate episode?

Rating: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
# Votes: 20 15 2 0 7 4 7 20 12 12 11

Problems
- The crew "uploads" the gravity core's database. The correct term should have been download.
- The scene when Janeway reduces Tom's rank and sends him to the brig at the beginning of the episode differs in line order from the one shown at the end of the episode. They really should have kept the lines exact.

Factoids
- We get to see Tom Paris as a boy during his nightmares.

Remarkable Scenes
- Seeing the Delaney sisters, finally.
- Tom: "Well you've done it again, Harry." Kim: "What?" Tom: "Fallen for the unattainable woman. First it was a hologram, then a Borg, and now the wrong twin."
- An all-water planet. Fascinating.
- The Delta Flyer investigating the core of the ocean planet.
- Tom discovering the origins of the ocean planet.
- Tom's "radical action to protect the ocean."
- Janeway deflecting Tom's missile attack on the oxygen refinery.

My Review
Tommy was a bad boy so Mommy threw him in his room for a while... okay, well I can't make fun the episode too much because it's wonderfully original and visually spectacular. The ecological issue is still pretty fresh, it's not often examined in Star Trek. Tom Paris tells us the story from his jail cell of how he ended up in prison again. He tried to take "radical action to protect" a unique alien all-water planet, but Janeway was able to stop him before he completed his task. It's an unhappy ending in a way, even Janeway agreed with Tom's principles, so it would have been nice if he had succeeded. But he didn't. Not only did he accomplish nothing, but he ended up sitting in jail for thirty days for the attempt. I'd be feeling pretty lousy too if I were him. The drama, unique directing, unique aliens, and unique setting make this a most remarkable, if sad episode.

The following are comments submitted by my readers.

  • From mnp on 2011-11-11 at 7:41pm:
    After Tom gets out of solitary, B'Elanna calls him on the comm and says she's heard he's "free for dinner", which she then schedules for "0700".

    In regards to what is a download or an upload, that's a matter of perspective. If they logged into the gravity core and started the copy from there, it would technically be an upload:

    KIM: Looks like the reactor's controlled by a core computer. I'll try to upload the database and get some answers.
    PARIS: Initiate the interface.

    ... could go either way.
  • From pbench on 2015-09-13 at 8:00am:
    amazing episode. for once i truly didn't know which direction it was going to go either way, down to the moment that both crews yelled "fire!". all the characters were allowed to play on their strengths--tom's strongheadedness and hidden idealism beneath the cynical exterior (though surprised that b'elanna didn't mention the maquis when he said 'i'm not one for causes'), janeway's liberality but ultimately stern hand as a ship captain...

    so many great moments in this episode--dealing with themes of cultural conflict, political impotence, environmentalism, and even the unintended consequences of poorly-thought out projects...was great. loved the scene of the monean ambassador staring down paris in that moment of cultural chauvinism, even though he's probably a snake on his planet, like climate deniers on our own.

    all in all was very impressed with this episode. here's how you do a TRUE moral dilemma, each choice really truly mixed, with great directing and subtlety; loved the novelty of it being recounted backwards. kudos voyager!!!
  • From tigertooth on 2016-11-21 at 12:14pm:
    Kind of jarring that Janeway sentences him to 30 days solitary confinement when it's well documented that solitary confinement of even a few weeks is psychologically damaging and is widely considered to be torture. Maybe they have figured out ways to make it less damaging by that time.

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