Voyager Reviewed! (by a pedant) S3E14: ALTER EGO

I feel like there should have been a "projecting" pun in there somewhere.

[Unlimited_Lives]

Today's thought experiment: We've had Vulcan KerPlunk, so give me your best alien variants of board games.

[captainyossarian]

Your commentary on interpersonal communications is much appreciated. It provides some comfort, as I often forget that I'm not the only one confused by it all, and the fact that we are never taught about it, people somehow expecting everyone to 'just know'. One of my roommates back in my 20s was especially mystifying to me as he would jump from relationship to relationship, like he was in a video game where he needed to get as many under his belt as possible in order to 'win'. Mind bogglingly mystifying.

[Selene-exjz]

Wow that poker analogy is a really good one to describe what it feels like to have a 'spicy brain', I'll have to use that myself.

I remember the advertising for this episode really really made it look like it was going to be a Harry episode, but it turned out to be a Tuvok one.

[sethmaki]

Interesting note, Vorik, the Vulcan engineer you've nicknamed "Ensign Conspicuous, " has a twin brother, Tarik, who had served on the Enterprise D, making his appearance in the 7th season episode of TNG, "Lower Decks."

[Meoknet]

Wow. You just caused me to appreciate this episode a lot more than I ever previously did. I can't help feeling like Kim got the short end of the stick in this episode though, being used as a plot device to get Tuvok in a particular position of focus. Kim has serious issues which need to be addressed as well, but alas, I don't think there was ever any willingness to allow his character to experience real growth.

[reynoldsVincent]

I appreciate your comments on social skills a lot and share the sentiments. I have an autism diagnosis as others have confided here as well. This never was a favorite episode, although I enjoy Tuvok as a character. It would be logical not to have a holodeck but I suspect not having one could be worse, since ships are confined and limited compared to whatever planets have to offer. Previous series had a lot more "Shore leave", in fact with much the same sort of shapeshifting or psychic tyrant demanding someone stay with them to keep them company. I begin to wonder of the Odyssey isn't somehow a sort of archetype for space voyages.

[LufuU]

I found your channel a few weeks ago. Wow I love your work. What got me to click on the first video was your Thumbnail (by a pedant) brilliant and you do not fail to provide the best narratives

[oeiny]

Thank you - always nuggets of insights and heaps of snarky comments :)

[supremegodemperorpalpatine]

Paris puts simulations of his exes in his Holodeck programs? Damn, he's like Gus Loyd in Deadly Games (the 1995 UPN show, not the 1982 movie).

[dmanc]

Hah, this is the episode where Tuvok states "You are in love with a computer subroutine?" to Harry when they're talking about him purging emotions

[thegreenmanofnorwich]

Its just occurred to me that Marayna's wig is similar to the one that Kes gets later on

[BintyMcFrazzles]

I think we have to have a shout out for Ensign Conspicuous and his magnificent shirt. Do you reckon he's wearing that to impress Banana Torres?

[christinamoore-gotcher]

So ... that "less likely to get handsey" comment? I hope it gets revisited in the review for Blood Fever. Because, well ... I don't want to spoil it.

[Norvo]

Y'know, I'm getting ahead of myself and the show here... But Marayna's make up is very reminiscent of the Hirogen, the nomadic hunter race that will show up in season 4. Something happened to the Hirogen people that scattered them among the stars and a lot of their history or place of origin remains unrevealed.

We only ever see male Hirogen, it's easy to imagine the females of the species don't hunt but spend their time desperately trying to preserve what's left of their culture. Like that network of communications satellites that Voyager will run into shortly. Or a volatile, but beautiful nebula that the Hirogen enjoy looking at? Of course the writers had no such connection in mind, this is Voyager, we don't do subtle foreshadowing a season and a half in advance.

Also, we're now midway through season 3. I feel for Garrett Wang having to portray Kim as the greenest of green ensigns. How can you be this competent at your job on the bridge yet so utterly clueless when it comes to your own life? Harry Kim is the Geordi LaForge of Voyager. And Geordi at least got a promotion!

[DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

I’ve just spotted something hilarious in the next episode. From 10:39, “evasive pattern Delta 4” apparently means “very change course by 4 degrees, just on the same cruising speed we were at already”, unless the shuttle engines just stalled somehow. Or Chakotay crashed the navigational console with too many rounds of Peggle.

[damienkramer]

Fun fact: Mirena is the name of an implantable contraceptive.

[captainjellicoee]

okay I'm having the Mandela effect bad I could have swore that you'd already covered this episode

[bndave]

Awesome review, as usual… I especially loved the concluding part this time! Kinda really touched my feelz. 🥹

[inthestudy]

Crewman Derek is in the brig. We don't know what he did, but we know he was found on the holodeck by Tuvok and Harry. He also looks smug, though as a non-cetacean it's hard for me to distinguish projection from actual emotion, especially in the case of Crewman Derek.

[reaverofjillsandwiches]

Sifting through the new videos in my sub page I had starte done video but then saw this was in there. Will have to go back to the other one later as this takes priority. Man not trying to get too personal but I really relate to the bit at the end about connections and socializing. I'm sure I'm not the only one as you mentioned a lot of Trek fans are probably like that. And I don't like the "everybody s--ts on" insert character episodes. Always find that mean spirited on the writers' part. I'm sure there are situations where it's warranted. Also bought the dvd set of this series to copy into video files to go with my copies of DS9, ENt, TNG and TOS. Weird I can't just say the other trek series anymore.