Having Dwight and Marina back for an episode is a very welcome thing. Barclay is really a likeable fellow.
It strikes me as odd though and he seems to be the only one who is really all in about Voyager. His concern for Voyagers crew feels genuine and he is willing to risk everything to find a way to communicate with them on a regular basis. The rest of the scientist seems rather uninterested. I get it that not everyone in Starfleet is looking for them after all this should be right after the time of the Dominion war, isn't it ?
In any case, it's a really good episode that somewhat starts the final phase of Voyager - getting them home.
I love Barclay. A character that would otherwise be very annoying is so well performed by Dwight Schultz that it is hard not to like him.
One of the best Voyager episodes. I love Barclay (I guess I like the actor: in The A-Team he was great too). What a character. A likable anti-hero. A brilliant but socially impaired nerd. And it's wonderful to see Deanna again. Since Seven became part of the crew, the show didn't need to rely on well-established characters from the Alpha Quadrant anymore. The recipe still works though: Connect our beloved TNG or DS9 characters to the events in the Delta Quadrant and they are reliably able to produce a decent episode. It's totally unexpected to see him in the cold open, and it's funny how he imagines Voyager. And it's clever how the writers actually connected Voyager's crew and Reginald's world via it's well known penchant to holo-fantasies. It's really a nice idea to show what people back at home do to assure Voyager's safe return. I always wondered whether Voyager was a low priority issue back at Starfleet since their chance for return is slim. And since Reg's plan actually works, this episode is not just a little diversion unconnected from Voyager's voyage. It marks an important step for Voyager. Sort of, it feels like the start of the show's last chapter.
Barkley's apartment looks like the same set of Kara Thrace's apartment from Battlestar Galactica.
Review by LeftHandedGuitaristBlockedParent2018-09-14T11:52:30Z
It's a relief to finally have an episode that I can say really positive things about! It's become something of a joy in this show to see the main plot be moved along, as it's something that happens so rarely. In that regard, this is a real treat.
In many ways, the crossover elements turn this almost into more of an episode of The Next Generation, especially given how little we actually see of the Voyager crew. Lt. Barclay (great to see him again) takes up the main focus along with Counsellor Troi providing quite a bit of a supporting role. Most of the time when are with the Voyager crew it's not actually them, but rather a holographic simulation.
The set up of the episode is a little bit weird. Barclay announcing that he's become obsessed with Voyager feels a bit forced and unnatural, and the flashback format is rarely something I fall in love with. It's especially a bit trite that Barclay is unloading all this in the form of a counselling session. I can forgive that, though, because I like that it meant Marina Sirtis could get involved.
I really like the fact that Starfleet HAVE been searching for Voyager and putting in quite a bit of effort. We've had vague hints that they hadn't forgotten about them, but nothing to really say that there is a massive ongoing project. Once they establish direct contact and we switch back to the real Voyager crew, it all becomes surprisingly emotional. The show had strengths and a powerful hidden core as this clearly demonstrates, so why did it so rarely elect to use them?
A few little things I noticed:
- The photo of Tom on his father's desk is actually from the actor's appearance as Locarno from the TNG episode he appeared in (a nice way of using it).
- The Golden Gate bridge appears to have been completely rebuilt since it was destroyed by the Breen a few months earlier. Nice work (either that or Voyager forgets once again that continuity is a thing).
- I was also a little confused that the Doctor didn't appear to recognise Barclay, since he had quite a memorable interaction with a version of him previously.