This good story makes effective use of Voyager's main characters, as well as two interesting guest stars.
Janeway is the center here, and we see her show off what seems almost her principal captain characteristic. To put it simply: Janeway feels your pain. Her empathy, which we've seen her extend so far only to the crew, now gets drawn out in a major way for Caylem. Considering that I've yet to hear Janeway once complain about her own pain, it's fun to watch her feel so deeply for the pain of others. It makes her a fierce protector, but it also makes her vulnerable. Perhaps some future episode will find a truly diabolical way to use her empathy against her.
Perhaps her empathy is why she's been careful to maintain a distance from her crews before Voyager's. She may have been worried it might interfere with her ability to command. Surely her pity for Caylem gets her to make a bad -- or at least risky -- decision or two. She's got no real business opting to help him find his wife (though surely we'd hate her if she didn't) rather than going with Torres and Tuvok. Still, empathy strikes me as a great vulnerability in a leader, with some definite advantages.
For one thing, it may help explain why it's so terrible for her crew to get that "I'm so disappointed with you" look. She's able to transmit her feelings very clearly indeed when she wants to, and has on more than one occasion made it plain that while she understands the actions of a crewmember -- and thus feels for them -- that only makes her all the more disappointed with them.
I'll tell you one thing for sure: if I did something I thought was going to earn me that look, I'd quickly find a way to blame it on someone else. Neelix, for example.
Empathy remains the focus as we turn to Tuvok and Torres. We've had decidedly little interaction between the two of them so far, though it's been clear that their personal styles couldn't be more different. Torres must still be feeling betrayed by Tuvok's undercover work on Chakotay's ship, and her comment about Vulcans not feeling pain reveals that she tends to think of Tuvok as a sort of machine.
It's appropriate, then, that it takes a blood-curdling scream from the Vulcan before Torres starts seeing him as a person. Of course, the empathy she offers him in the jail cell isn't logical, but Tuvok's explanation that he is fighting Augris in his own way does seem a request that she try to understand him better. It reminds me of Tuvok warning Chakotay in "State of Flux" not to mistake composure for ease. Torres and Chakotay both have trouble dealing with Tuvok's Vulcan demeanor, perhaps because it requires empathy without emotional expression, a silent understanding of his struggle for logic and control. Such delicacy takes practice, so it will be interesting to see if anyone besides Janeway will manage to achieve it in future episodes.
Empathy also helps us to understand why Caylem and Augris work so well as pathetic hero and unfeeling villain. Caylem's pain is primarily empathetic. His concern for himself has been completely over-taken by his guilt over what his "cowardice" put his wife and daughter through. He feels so bad, obviously, that he has to make Janeway into Rocana so he can make amends. Those many letters to his wife are attempts to make her feel better in prison, to comfort her with little pieces of domestic news. We know almost from the beginning that Caylem will die saving Janeway. It's what he most wants in life.
As a nice contrast, Augris is completely lacking in empathy, and even seems more than a little sadistic. He enjoys torturing Tuvok and taunts Caylem for getting the women in his life killed. It's rare to see a character in Star Trek who's had so many lines die with so little consideration from the other characters. Janeway barely looks at Augris after he's stabbed. Her world is reduced at that moment to Caylem, trying to give him the reward he deserves for his self-sacrifice by offering up her best display of forgiveness.
It's really a tribute to the relationship Janeway and Paris have formed that Paris can walk in on this moment and offer his empathy by saying only her name. Considering the pressure of time, he could be forgiven for grabbing her and hustling her out of there, but it's not like one sees Janeway crying everyday, and Paris only puts his hands on her shoulders, urging her to stand, while Caylem dies.
Finally, we have Darod, a somewhat undefined character who could well be a bad guy right up to the last moment. He seems Augris-like in his unfeeling dislike of Caylem, but redeems himself in the end by showing empathy at Caylem's death.
THOUGHT
It's not as rich as the treatment of empathy, but this episode also shows us more than one type of resistance. There is the traditional type of the underground fighters. There's Chakotay's blend of diplomacy and surprise attack. There's Tuvok's endurance. There's Torres' desire to use her fists.
But mostly there is Caylem's resistance not only against the government, but against the truth of his life. His delusion resists the despair he cannot face, and in so doing, could well have caused tragedy when Janeway believes him enough to agree to stay and help rescue his wife.
How nicely ironic it is, then, that Augris is the one who exposes Caylem's delusion and ultimately allows Caylem the chance to become the hero he wants so desperately to be.
It's also interesting to note the elements we see here to denote a tyrannized society. We have black-clad guards, lying politicians, depressed-looking crows of people, and bimbos -- and I'm just talking about New Orleans!
SPECTACLE
And speaking of bimbos, it's a smart move that Janeway's insta-bimbo outfit is so simple. Except for looking for clean, she really does look like a street hustler. [I hope I'm managing to make that sound like a compliment.]
DICTION
I don't have any one-liners, but Caylem calling Janeway his "little girl" and worrying about the last letter to her mother really works well.
SONG
You know, those instruments you hear are played by actual human beings! The score is the one part of the show you know will always delight. [Well, that and hearing Janeway say "Battlestations!"]
STAR TREK ELEMENTS WE (OR I, ANYWAY) LOVE
It's great when Trek characters get artifacts that pop up in later episodes: Picard's flute, Sisko’s hand-made clock, Data's glass sculpture from his girlfriend, and now Janeway's necklace. In a year or two, we'd better see her wearing it for some appropriate occasion.
STAR TREK ELEMENTS WE (OR I, ANYWAY) HATE
Those stupid and tasteless Voyager previews give me such a pain! The one for "Resistance" basically hinted that Janeway was raped, which I didn't believe, but was still worried by. Do they think they're making any friends by lying to us about what's going to happen? Don't they think the real story is good enough to get us to watch? Somebody fire the guy who writes these things!
That's all I can think to say for this one. Hope you enjoyed it.
Star Trek Voyager Reviews
Or go ahead to ST Voyager Reviews -- Prototype.
Unless you'd rather just mosey over to ST Voyager Reviews -- Maneuvers.