New 'Hailing Frequencies' Column

Mania's Michelle Erica Green has posted the latest edition of her weekly 'Hailing Frequencies' column. This week she has a 'Critical Care' review, a take on the latest news and rumors – including some new information of upcoming episode 'Lineage' – and the doings of various trek folk.

For Paris and Torres, obviously, being stranded in the Delta Quadrant hasn't prevented the characters from getting on with their lives. They're married, and according to TrekWeb, the upcoming episode "Lineage" will see them have a baby girl after a 30-week pregnancy. A set source tells me that the baby is conceived naturally, but genetic tests and computer models will reveal that the baby will be predominantly Klingon, to her mother's distress.

Naturally Tom decides he wants nature to take its course with their child, while B'Elanna wants to modify its DNA, based on her own self-hatred and unhappy childhood memories. One can't help but wonder whether Paris would feel the same way if his baby were going to inherit insanity from one side of the family, or whatever he might consider really hideous physical characteristics. I cannot help but shudder whenever I read about "Lineage," from the perspective of Torres still despising herself and her Klingon background and from the suggestion that fetuses need to be protected from their mothers—rhetoric one often sees in anti-abortion propaganda. Forgive me if I don't trust Voyager to do a decent job on issues concerning gender—the track record's been spotty at best.

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