More 'Workforce Part I' Reviews

The second batch of ‘Workforce Part I’ reviews are out, but this time, opinion on the episode has divided. Starting on the positive side of the fence, there’s Jacqueline Bundy of the Trekker Newsletter, who gave it an 8.6/10.

We learn a few things about the crew of Voyager in this episode. Chakotay's given name for one and the fact that Janeway can't cook. Well directed by Allan Kroeker, I could nitpick about a few things, but overall a top notch episode. I found it to be entertaining, exciting, subtly amusing and I can't wait to see what happens next. I only hope that part 2 written by Kenneth Biller and Michael Taylor and directed by Roxanne Dawson doesn't let me down. The only thing worse than a two part episode, is one where part 2 is not up to the same standard as part 1

To read her full review on the first half of Workforce, follow this link.
• Second up to the plate today is Cinescape’s Michael Marek, who also seemed reasonably taken by it.

  Written another way, this story could have been produced as a one-hour episode. The cliffhanger could simply be the suspense that brings you back after a couple of minutes of commercials. The two-hour format, however, provides more time for character development. We get to see Janeway's courtship and see how Tom and B'Elanna get reacquainted, in spite of not remembering that they are married. We get to see both the pleasure the Doctor takes in his temporary command status, and the troubles it causes him.

  Michael's full review can, of course, be foundhere.

• Michelle Erica Green, of Mania, on the other hand, was not a happy cookie, commenting that it "seems like an elaborate remake of The Next Generation's 'Conundrum'" – and that she wouldn’t mind seeing the ECH stay in charge.

  When Picard was brainwashed in "Conundrum," he still acted like a captain, which caused some friction with Worf. When his memories were wiped out in "The Inner Light," he gazed with longing at the stars, despite his happy family life. Kirk maintained enough ego to start fistfights when he had amnesia in "The Paradise Syndrome" (whose schmaltzy romantic music is echoed when Janeway and Jaffen bond in the bar). Sisko flaked out pretty badly in "Dramatis Personae," but that was during his first few months on Deep Space Nine after losing his wife to the Borg, and anyway he never stopped being the captain. Perhaps if Janeway did not divide herself so thoroughly between the captain and the human being, she might be able to maintain something of the captain when she unleashes her sexual desires. But she's been all business and nothing else for seven years. Freed from those constraints, all of her authority dissipates; she's deferential to supervisors, she lets Tuvok push her around, she takes orders from Seven of Nine.

  Drop by Mania, aka Fandomshop, for her full run-down.

• Last but not least, there’s the ever optimistic Jason Bates of IGN Sci-Fi, who rated the episode a 3 out of 5.

  It's hard to actually give a score to what's only the first part of two parts, so don't get to worked up over the final tally. This episode had its good points -- the CG opening, for one -- and I like the format of the multi-part episode because it means they can go into more detail and background with the story and subplot than usual, but on the other hand, moving everyone to a strange planet and taking away their memories and giving them strange jobs sounds kind of fanfickish to me.

  His review can be found here at IGN Sci-Fi.

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