New 'Subspace Echoes' Column

Fandom Star Trek Central writer, Ariel, has put up the second edition of her new 'Subspace Echoes' column, this week having a look at Star Trek: Voyager's recent episode, 'Imperfection' and the Maquis, in addition to a short take on the new sci-fi show based on a Gene Roddenberry conecpt, 'Andromeda'.

The interactions between Seven and Icheb were fabulous. Manu Intiraymi is a fine young actor and I hope they give him a few more chances to show his chops before the series ends. I loved the scene where he angrily tells Seven that he will not give up on her even if she has given up on herself. Even better was the scene where Janeway declares she is taking the Flyer by herself to salvage a cortical node from a dead Borg drone. Tom, Tuvok, and Chakotay gang up on her, refusing to let her go alone and, much to my surprise and delight, she cheerfully agrees! I can`t remember the last time she let them boss her around. She even says: "Yes, Sir!" to Tom when he tells her he needs her at tactical, making it clear that she is quite willing to allow Tom to be captain of the ship he designed, as well as showing us that she is, for the moment anyway, part of the team rather than the distant and ill-tempered captain we have gotten used to. Will wonders never cease? Where has this Janeway been hiding?

By far my favorite scene, however, was the one where Neelix brings a Kadiskats board to Sickbay, hoping to distract Seven and raise her low spirits with a few games. In a brilliant bit of comic relief, The Doctor stages whispers that Seven is too ill to be able to play well and Neelix goes along with the charade, admitting he was selfish to ask. Seven doesn`t catch on to the reverse psychology they are using on her and takes the bait. This is Star Trek at its best: gentle teasing by crewmembers who care deeply for one another, allowing us to laugh with the characters in an episode that could have been all too grim. Even B`Elanna, normally not one of my favorite characters, shows unexpected compassion and good sense, and even stands up for Seven against The Doctor. I didn`t think she and Seven even liked each other!

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