Can I just have a Blu-ray set of everything Jonathan Frakes ever directed? I see, and acknowledge, all the writing issues that @LeftHandedGuitarist pointed out, but Frakes' directing makes this episode wonderfully fun in spite of them.
Voyager as a whole may not dig into its characters overly much, it's true. With Frakes calling the shots, though, there's just so much life in all the little things. This was probably the first episode of the series so far in my current rewatch where most of the crew actually seemed like the same people I remember. ("Non Sequitur" was another, but only on Harry Kim's part, since most of the cast is absent for nearly the whole episode.) Part of that is just because it's a solid quarter of the way into season two now, but I'd say the majority of the effect is due to Frakes' influence. I adored coming across episodes of Leverage that he directed, too, while watching that series over the past year or so.
Yes, Neelix is still a jealous child in this story. Yes, the "resolution" of his and Tom's "personal problem" is trite. I really don't care. If every episode of Voyager was like this, the show might not have such a poor reputation among viewers.
Review by dgwVIP 9BlockedParent2017-12-02T11:55:18Z
Can I just have a Blu-ray set of everything Jonathan Frakes ever directed? I see, and acknowledge, all the writing issues that @LeftHandedGuitarist pointed out, but Frakes' directing makes this episode wonderfully fun in spite of them.
Voyager as a whole may not dig into its characters overly much, it's true. With Frakes calling the shots, though, there's just so much life in all the little things. This was probably the first episode of the series so far in my current rewatch where most of the crew actually seemed like the same people I remember. ("Non Sequitur" was another, but only on Harry Kim's part, since most of the cast is absent for nearly the whole episode.) Part of that is just because it's a solid quarter of the way into season two now, but I'd say the majority of the effect is due to Frakes' influence. I adored coming across episodes of Leverage that he directed, too, while watching that series over the past year or so.
Yes, Neelix is still a jealous child in this story. Yes, the "resolution" of his and Tom's "personal problem" is trite. I really don't care. If every episode of Voyager was like this, the show might not have such a poor reputation among viewers.