star trek voyager muse

Muse (episode)

Torres is stranded on a pre-industrial planet where she becomes the inspiration for a local poet.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Continuity & trivia
• 3.2 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-star
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stand-ins
• 4.7 References
• 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

In an open-air theater, a Greek-style Chorus recites a " Captain's log entry" outlining an away mission by " B'Elanna Torres " and " Harry Kim " to search for " Dilithium ". Kelis the poet appears and describes the journey as though it were that of a sailing ship: the ship is struck by "a wave as high as a mountain"; Harry ejects in an escape pod , and B'Elanna is "thrown against the rocks". The play ends and the patron of the theater applauds enthusiastically. He demands to see another play in the series about the "Voyager Eternals " in one week's time. Kelis brings the good news to his troupe, and declares there will be another Voyager play " as soon as [he] can write it ". One of the actresses, Layna , asks Kelis flirtatiously if he wants to celebrate their good fortune, but Kelis declines, saying that he has very little time. She is clearly unhappy. Later, in the wreckage of the Delta Flyer , which has crashed on a mountainside, Kelis introduces himself to an injured B'Elanna and declares that he is "her servant".

Act One [ ]

Torres is injured and feverish, and Kelis has been treating her with bloodletting. He has also tied her to her seat so that she will not "fly from him, as inspiration always does". She convinces him to treat her with a dermal regenerator from a medkit . Kelis expects similar great miracles from B'Elanna since she is an "Eternal". He tells her he was inspired to write an epic play from the recordings of logs and communications he was able to play back. She convinces him to release her, then threatens him with a phaser and tells him to leave and never return.

The next day, Torres tries to bring communications online, but the Delta Flyer lacks the power to do so. Kelis returns with food, and asks her to tell him about Earth and Voyager and how it got lost. She gives a vague description of a beautiful blue and green island, and an Eternal called the Caretaker . Kelis asks her if she is in love with Tom Paris . Using the ship's database, she shows Kelis a picture of dilithium, which he recognizes as "Winter's tears" and tells her that the only deposit he knows of is on the hunting grounds of his patron. She asks him to bring her some. He tells her that the Nobles of his civilization are constantly fighting with each other, and that she doesn't want to get involved. She tells him no dilithium, no more stories about Voyager . A conveniently timed thunderclap emphasizes her demand.

Act Two [ ]

Kelis returns, drenched, but bearing the dilithium she needs. She tells him she has an idea for his next play. Kelis tells his troupe he has been visited by inspiration herself, and that they will perform a new play, "The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres", in one week.

On USS Voyager a meeting in the briefing room ends with Paris wanting to take a shuttle himself to look for Harry and B'Elanna. Captain Janeway does not allow the request, telling him that their efforts will be more effective if they coordinate them from the ship.

Back on the planet, the troupe is rehearsing the play. Layna, the actress playing " Seven " is depicted as being romantically involved with "Tom Paris". Back in the Flyer , Kelis expresses his bewilderment as to how Vulcans can have no emotions. Torres manages to get power restored to the ship temporarily, but then it overloads when she tries to get communications on line. She asks Kelis to bring her a piece of metal--"three parts tin, five parts bronze, one side coated with gold"—to use to fix communications. He agrees even though it will be prohibitively expensive, but demands a description of the Vulcans in exchange.

On Voyager , Tuvok is working on a PADD in the mess hall. Neelix brings him some tea, and observes that Tuvok has been awake for ten days straight. Neelix comments that the ship is lonely without Kim and Torres. Tuvok asks him to leave him alone so that he might be able to find them.

On the planet, the actor playing "Tuvok" starts getting emotional while rehearsing his part. Kelis berates him, telling him " Logical 'Tuvok' doesn't cry! " Kelis then tells him that the " Land of Vulcan " has no laughter, and no tears; it is a very quiet place, just like "Tuvok". The actor declares that the aud{ience will think that either "Tuvok" is an unfeeling monster or that he is a bad actor, or both, but Kelis assures him that the audience will realize that underneath "Tuvok's" calm exterior is a heart that is breaking silently, and in more pain than anyone can imagine. Suddenly, another actor runs in and tells Kelis that another war is about to start between his Patron and another noble to the north. Kelis realizes his only chance to stop it is with his new play.

On the Flyer , Kelis begs Torres to help him write the perfect play that can stop the war, and gives her the metal she requested. She tells him the "Eternals" aren't supposed to take sides . After scanning it, Torres finds that the metal has too many impurities and is useless. Kelis tells her that if the war starts, she could be discovered by scouting parties moving through the mountains. This convinces her to return with him to the theater, and he introduces her as a fellow poet from across the eastern sea while Layna storms off in a jealous rage.

Act Three [ ]

The Delta Flyer crashed on Kelis' homeworld

Kelis outlines what he has written so far about "The rescue of B'Elanna Torres" while Layna continues to glare at them jealously. Kelis asks her where they can put in the plot twists and reversals that will make the play interesting. An older actor encourages him to put aside the tricks and find the truth of his story. Here, he says, poets have become lazy, relying on manipulation to move the audience. Kelis says that such an idea is old-fashioned, and that audiences want excitement and passion. To demonstrate, Kelis shows her a rehearsal where "Janeway" is shown making romantic advances to "Chakotay". Torres looks on, stunned.

On Voyager , the real Chakotay informs the Captain that an alien transport vessel detected the Flyer' s distress call stating that the Flyer was heavily damaged and headed for an L-Class planet and that B'Elanna ordered Harry into an escape pod. Captain Janeway is clearly distressed by the news.

Back on the planet, the final rehearsal has ended, but the play still has no ending. Torres is dismayed by all the romantic scenes she has seen. She tells Kelis that lives can't be changed with a few lines of dialogue. He tells her she is wrong, declaring that it's been done before. He then tells her that the theater they are in what was a temple 100 years ago where a victim would be ritually sacrificed every year in honor of winter, but then one year, no one knows when or why, a play took the place of the sacrifice. He hopes that his play will prevent the coming war before it starts. Torres tells him that when war is looming, the last thing on anyone's mind is romance. He asks her to tell him more about the Borg . Her description reminds him of insect colonies. She tells him that Captain Janeway is a Starfleet officer, who would make peace with the Borg if she could. Kelis tells her that that could be the sudden reversal--"Janeway", after defeating the " Borg Queen " could offer her peace instead of destroying her. This could inspire his patron to stop the impending war. "Much better than all that kissing", Torres says. Kelis wants her to stay and help him write the ending, but she declines. He threatens to kill off her character. "You wouldn't dare", she replies.

Back on the Flyer , Layna has followed Torres, expecting to find a love nest. Instead, she finds Torres's secret. Torres tries to convince her that there is nothing between her and Kelis, but the woman doesn't believe her and tearfully threatens to expose Torres if she doesn't leave. After she leaves, Harry appears outside the broken viewport, having walked the 200 kilometers at night from his location to hers, carrying the exact part Torres needs to fix the communications system.

Act Four [ ]

An agitated Kelis is trying to figure out the ending to his play. Layna and another actor come in and tell him his collaborator is probably long gone. Kelis is worried.

On the Flyer , Kim and Torres, having apparently worked all night, manage to get the communications system back on line. They send a communication to Voyager .

Later that night, at the theater, the play is about to start, and the troupe is very disappointed by the ending that Kelis has written. He sends one of the copy writers to run to the Flyer with a message for B'Elanna.

On Voyager , Tom Paris is at the helm when he hears loud snoring . He turns and sees Tuvok in the command chair, sound asleep. Tom wakes him, and Tuvok contacts Chakotay and requests relief. At that moment, they receive the transmission from B'Elanna. They set a course for the planet at maximum warp.

In the theater, "Captain Janeway" and "Seven of Nine" are talking. They have found the "Delta Flyer", wrecked on a faraway shore. "Janeway" tells "Seven" that she is the only one who can find "B'Elanna". "Seven" then reveals to the audience that she is the "Borg Queen", and tells them to say nothing. "Janeway", then reveals to the audience that she knows "Seven" is the queen, and also tells them to say nothing.

On the Flyer , Harry and B'Elanna have re-established communications with Voyager and report their status, then are surprised by the copy writer. He hands her Kelis's message, threatening "B'Elanna" with death. She realizes that this means that Kelis still hasn't figured out an ending. B'Elanna, realizing just how much she has inspired Kelis and now very involved with the play, realizes that she has to help him. She beams herself to the theater, after telling Harry to wait for her signal.

Act Five [ ]

On the stage, "Janeway" has "Seven" on the ground held at spearpoint. "Seven" tells "Janeway" that even if "Janeway" kills her, more "Borg" will rise to take her place and destroy "Janeway". "Janeway" then throws her spear aside, telling "Seven" that if they continue to war, their races will both be destroyed and all that will be left is their hatred.

An actor tells Kelis that the final scene will ruin everything, then Torres appears. She goes onstage to say that Kelis must say goodbye to the "Eternal" B'Elanna Torres, as she must return to the "Eternals" "right here before your eyes". Layna runs out into the audience to reveal B'Elanna's real identity to the patron, but the other actors quickly improvise and make it part of the play. Torres then says goodbye to Kelis and Kelis says she will inspire him every time he thinks of her. B'Elanna then signals Voyager and asks to "Ascend to the Heavens". Torres is beamed up in front of a shocked audience. The chorus ends the play, and Kelis tells his patron that he will continue to tell the stories of the "Voyager Eternals" as long as they have the breath to tell them and as long as their patrons remain wise and compassionate, and that Voyager will continue her journey to " the gleaming cities of Earth " where hatred has no home.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" One to beam – to ascend... to the heavens. "

" Logical Tuvok does not cry. That's why they call him logical! "

" They'll realize that beneath your unfeeling exterior is a heart that's breaking silently and in more pain then any of us could possibly understand. Because that's what it is to be Vulcan. "

" Harry Kim saves the day. Just the ending I was looking for! " " Huh? "

" I, Seven of Nine, have no intention of finding B'Elanna Torres. I, Seven of Nine, am Queen of the Borg! Surprised? No one will be more surprised than Janeway when I take my revenge on Voyager . Say nothing or you, too, will be assimilated. "

" I'm an engineer. I fix things. " " From the looks of it, you're not doing so well. " " Are you a poet or a critic? "

Background information [ ]

• During its development, this episode was heavily revised. Actor Joseph Will stated, " I recall that rewrites were happening up until the moment we were to shoot the scenes, which I had never experienced before. " ( BLANKMANinc.com: The Star Trek Interviews )
• The theatrical style portrayed in this episode appears to be heavily inspired by Ancient Greek drama. See Theatre of ancient Greece for more information.
• The masks the actors use are really made to look like their characters. For instance, you can make out Seven's cranial implant and Chakotay's tattoo.
• Proud of the costumes created for this installment, Costume Designer Robert Blackman felt it was important for Director Mike Vejar to show a lot of the clothing on-screen. " I asked him to help by giving as full a view of the costumes as possible, " Blackman recalled. " I said, 'I know that it may not end up in the edit,' but if there's any way that you can start from a knees-up or a full shot and then push into what you need, I would greatly appreciate it.' These things were pretty spectacular from head to toe, so they would only enrich the picture and the story we were trying to tell. " Blackman found that Vejar turned out to be "very generous." ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 20 , p. 69)
• The start of production on this episode was difficult for Joseph Will. " I remember being incredibly nervous the first day of shooting, which was the scene in the Delta Flyer when B'Elanna and Kelis meet, " he recalled. However, Will found that Roxann Dawson helped him through his work on this outing. Will reflected, " Roxann was so supportive and professional that it set my mind at ease as we worked several consecutive 14–16 hour days. " ( BLANKMANinc.com: The Star Trek Interviews )
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series.
• Robert Blackman was extremely happy not only with the costumes designed for this episode but also this outing itself, referring to the installment as "a wonderful episode [...] which has a lot of really amazing-looking stuff." ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 20 , p. 69)
• Among the items from this episode which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay were Joseph Will 's costume, [1] (X) one of Tony Amendola 's costumes, [2] (X) and the Janeway mask. [3] (X)

Continuity & trivia [ ]

• Tuvok claims that his "mind does not play tricks". In fact, Tuvok has previously hallucinated in " Persistence of Vision " as a result of alien influence, and in " Flashback " due to a resurgence of suppressed memories caused by a viral infection.
• In critiquing Kelis' plays, Torres tells him he will have to "do better than 'Harry Kim kissing the Delaney sisters'", in a reference to " Thirty Days ".
• Torres points out that, being a Starfleet officer trained to avoid violence, Janeway would "make peace with the Borg if she could". In fact, she did establish a temporary alliance with the Borg in " Scorpion ".
• Torres says to Kelis, "I'm an engineer, I fix things," which is exactly what Scotty says to Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond .
• Torres' deliberate use of the transporter at the theatre would seem to violate the Prime Directive .
• Although the crashed Delta Flyer is supposed to be tilted on both axes, as suggested by the camera angles used when filming inside of it, the flames of the many candles placed inside show that the prop was not tilted at all.
• Torres demands a piece of metal "3 parts tin to 5 parts bronze". Bronze is already an alloy of tin, typically 10 parts copper to 1 part tin.
• This episode establishes that the Delta Flyer 's escape pod has life support for less than ten days.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 6.11, 4 December 2000
• As part of the VOY Season 6 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Chakotay
• Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Tuvok
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Garrett Wang as Harry Kim

Guest stars [ ]

• Joseph Will as Kelis
• Kellie Waymire as Layna
• Tony Amendola as Chorus #3
• Jack Axelrod as Chorus #1
• Michael Houston King as Jero
• Kathleen Garrett as Tanis
• Stoney Westmoreland as Warlord
• John Schuck as Chorus #2

Co-star [ ]

• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• John Austin as Voyager operations officer
• Patrick Barnitt as alien spectator
• Bill Blair as alien spectator
• Gabriela Bren as Warlord's wife
• Alexander Fors as apprentice
• Holiday Freeman as alien spectator
• Carissa Hernandez as "Klingon" actress ( deleted scene )
• Dieter Hornemann as alien spectator
• Eric Hunter as Voyager command officer
• Robin Morselli as alien spectator
• Unknown actors as two guards

Stand-ins [ ]

• Brita Nowak – stand-in for Jeri Ryan

References [ ]

alloy ; assimilation ; autarch ; Away Mission of B'Elanna Torres, The ; bloodletting ; blue ; Borg Queen ; bride ; bronze ; Caretaker ; chorus ; class L ; climax ; collaborator ; Delaney sisters ; Delta Flyer ; dermal regenerator ; dilithium ; discovery ; Dowry ; Earth ; Eastern Sea ; escape pod ; Eternal ; F-type star ; fear of the future ; fever ; fit ; gold ; green ; heart ; Hirogen ; hive ; hybrid ; insect colony ; jealousy ; Kelis' homeworld ; kilometer ; kiss ; Klingon ; land mass ; leader ; line ; logic ; medkit ; metallurgy ; mistaken identity ; nest ; pain ; patron ; plasma ; Prime Directive ; rehearsal ; Rescue of B'Elanna Torres, The ; reversal (aka sudden reversal ); snoring ; spatial eddy ; Species 8472 ; storm ; subspace transmitter ; Sudden Reversal, The ; temple ; tin ; trespassing ; tricorder ; Vidiian ; viper ; Vulcan ; Vulcan ; wedding night ; winter's tear

External links [ ]

• " Muse " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Muse " at Wikipedia
• " Muse " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Bell Riots
• 2 Obi Ndefo
• 3 Past Tense, Part I (episode)

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Star Trek: Voyager

“Muse”

Air date: 4/26/2000 Written by Joe Menosky Directed by Mike Vejar

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

"Find the truth of your story and you won't need all those tricks. I don't know how things are done across the Eastern Sea, but here poets have become lazy; they rely on manipulation to move their audience. It wasn't always that way." — Old man

Review Text

Nutshell: Slow, self-reflective, and different. Not slam-bang excitement, but certainly one of the season's most interesting shows to ponder.

It helps knowing going in that "Muse" is Joe Menosky's farewell script to Voyager (since, as many know, the writer/producer will not be returning for the series' final season). The episode ends up being the ultimate Voyager self-reflective commentary on the process of writing for an audience. As I watched the show, I realized I wasn't so much watching people on the screen as I was watching a writer making comments through characters who were living out that same writing process. "Muse" is an allegory rolled into a Voyager tale which itself is rolled into a myth.

Menosky often uses themes of myth, legend, or history in his stories, like the society in " Blink of an Eye " or Janeway's past in " 11:59 " as recent examples, or the truly unique " Darmok " (a TNG classic) as a more distant one. Even bizarre power-play/mental-takeover premises like " Dramatis Personae " ( DS9 ) or the failed " Masks " ( TNG ) revolved around the re-enactment of ancient conflicts that were more legendary than they were tangible.

"Muse," which centers on an alien playwright who vies to make a difference with the written word, is a return to the idea of myths while also being an oddly, almost pointedly self-aware Voyager episode. This is not an entertainment in the usual Voyager sense; it's slow-paced and cerebral, in a storytelling universe that generally prefers to be fast-paced, simple, and stylized. It's a story that seems more personal, and it refuses to supply the immediate-gratification type of payoffs.

I found it a compelling hour, simply because of the way the real writer's voice comes through as a melding of the fictional writer's experiences in telling his own story. That fictional story is of the starship Voyager and its travels, a story inspired by "actual" events. The playwright is a man on a primitive world. His name is Kelis (Joseph Will). As the episode begins, his troupe is performing the story of Voyager , as learned through the logs of the Delta Flyer, which along with its lone passenger, B'Elanna Torres, has crashed near Kelis' thinking grounds.

Might as well get the obvious gripe out of the way: Yes, "Muse" employs a major cliché by crashing the Delta Flyer—again. What's more is how by episode's end it's not even made clear whether it will be salvaged (one line of dialog would've sufficed), although we can obviously assume so simply because of the Law of the Reset Button™. (Away missions in shuttles or the Flyer are more dangerous than they can possibly be worth; when was the last time one didn't end with a crisis or crash?)

Anyway, Torres has lay unconscious for eight days (isn't that pretty serious?), and when she awakens, Kelis wants her help. He needs to write a sequel play for his acting troupe to perform, and he needs Torres to supply him with new material about this ship called Voyager . Kelis' troupe performs for the local patron, the guy who holds the power in this particular clan in this society's caste system. The world is apparently a fragmented place of often-warring factions. Kelis' patron liked the first Voyager play and wants another, and has given Kelis one week to have it ready for performance. Kelis isn't sure what to do next; he needs his muse, as it were, and B'Elanna turns out to be it.

"Muse" is patient in a way that is rare these days for Voyager . There are a lot of scenes where we've just got B'Elanna and Kelis in a room talking, which is what a lot of Trek used to be about.

I found B'Elanna's approach to Kelis to be true in its pragmatism; she isn't very nice to him initially. Kelis believes B'Elanna is an "eternal," though given the situation and conversations I never quite understood the nature of this people's belief system concerning the eternals (do the apparently mortal gods routinely fall from the sky, and are they routinely nursed back to health by the people?). B'Elanna uses her influence as an eternal—and especially as Kelis' new muse—to obtain resources she needs to repair the Flyer's communication system. When Kelis says he'll be executed if caught trespassing on his patron's grounds while looking for B'Elanna's dilithium, B'Elanna responds with, well, don't get caught. So after Kelis helps B'Elanna, she has to spill her guts in the interests of fairness, and Kelis gets his new material. The next day he announces to his actors, "I've been visited by inspiration herself." Indeed.

The alien society is perhaps excessively humanesque, but no matter—the point here is the issue of storytelling, and that's where "Muse" is insightful. The story frequently employs the common Shakespearean device of the play within a play, and we see several rehearsals that are sort of funny in their truthful, understated way.

I liked the subtle take on the actor versus the writer, which certainly happens in television production. Kelis, trying to convey Tuvok truthfully, has written an emotionless part the actor doesn't want to perform. The buried dialog here is a take on the TV actor who says, "You don't understand my character," while the writer is saying, "No, you don't understand the character I'm writing for you." At the same time, the burden of responsibility lies on the writer; it's hard to completely blame an actor if the character as written truly doesn't make sense.

Perhaps the most intriguing moments are the direct reflections on writing for an audience on a weekly deadline. When you have to turn out a script in seven days (or even less), what happens if you have no idea how the story ends? I'm not sure how often that happens in real life for TV writers (considering a staff's story break process, etc.), but Kelis' problem is that he's writing on the fly, knowing he has to come up with something that's satisfying in its journey from A to B, all the while not knowing what exactly B is. That makes the process an exercise in non-scientific spur-of-the-moment improvisation.

Hence, standby elements and contrivances. Oh, we know all about Voyager 's use of those (see crash of Delta Flyer above). But so do the writers. And there's almost a sense of lament in "Muse" that stories have to utilize formula and contrivances in order to get where they need to go. There's a point where Kelis is baffled as to where his story is going. He needs something to surprise the audience—a sudden twist, a reversal of fortune. What he needs is a mechanical contrivance that's entertaining (like Icheb turning out to be a bio-engineered time bomb in " Child's Play "; one of Kelis' twists here is that Seven is really the Borg Queen). A Wise Old Man emerges from the shadows to remind Kelis that success lies in finding the truth of the story, and he says that poets these days are looking for the quick gimmick to manipulate the audience. "It wasn't always that way," he muses. (And just which road into storytelling hell is Voyager —and all of us, for that matter—driving down, or should we ask if that's the subtext here?)

Menosky seems to be doing some jibing here. Jibing himself, jibing other writers, jibing the audience (for demanding certain qualities that lead shows like " Tsunkatse " to be the highest rated of the season for reasons that aren't about matters of the intellect), and maybe even jibing the studio (for dumb-down marketing of said products strictly in terms of their would-be visceral impact). When should entertainment be art, and when should it just be potboiler silliness for the masses? (Exercise: Juxtapose Hamlet and Titus Andronicus .)

There are plenty more interesting touches here, including the in-joke where Kelis scripts Janeway and Chakotay into kissing. This is a fan fantasy you will never see carried out on the real Voyager , and we're obviously getting major winkage on behalf of the writers. What's enlightening is the conversation afterward where B'Elanna doesn't see the point of all the frivolous kissing scenes. ("Harry kissing the Delaney sisters?") How is this relevant beyond getting an easy rise out of the audience? Of course, Voyager has its own version of this: Lately I've been calling it the Voyager Action Insert—an "action" scene that exists solely for the sake of action that might appeal to a mass audience but is fundamentally unnecessary to the story actually being told. (The VAI was most recently used in "Child's Play" and " Ashes to Ashes .")

Kelis says his hope is to use love as the language to instill peace into his patron's heart, doing his part to change the ways of the world. ("The perfect play might even stop a war," he says hopefully.) Pretty idealistic, but is it plausible? The story seems optimistic on this point, though it doesn't expect overnight results. Of course, today in our world, anyone expecting to change the world with a script is probably just delusional. Perhaps the best a screenwriter could hope for is a film like Titanic , which has appeal to every demographic conceivable. Sure, a lot of people appreciate it, but it doesn't change the world.

As we rise out of the subtext and back into the "text" for a moment, I'd like to say that the routine plot regarding the search for Torres and Kim was executed with an understated solemnity that was more effective than I had anticipated. There's a lot here conveyed with looks and pauses rather than dialog, and it seemed the crew actually for once believed the possibility that they'd lost two officers. The way the episode keeps Harry completely out of the show for the first few acts also carries with it a weird sense of uncertainty; the plot allows us to wonder exactly what happened while the story involving Kelis is kept at the forefront.

I also enjoyed Tuvok's silent quest through sleepless nights as he worked to figure out ways of tracking down the missing Flyer. It shows a humanistic concern for his fellow crew members in a Vulcan-like way, which is never spelled out in dialog. His scenes are intercut with scenes on the planet where an actor fears that the Tuvok character will come off as an unsympathetic monster if he isn't allowed to act out his emotions. (Ah, but not if the writing establishes the character well.) I also got a kick out of Tuvok falling asleep on the bridge after days without sleep. After all, he's a Vulcan, not Superman.

Other touches are subtle too, like the relationship between Kelis and one of his actresses, Layna (Kellie Waymire), which turns slightly messy when Layna becomes convinced Kelis is having an affair with the mysterious woman whom she suspects is an eternal, perhaps even B'Elanna Torres herself. There's a brief, nicely acted scene where Layna confronts B'Elanna in the Flyer and asks her to stay away. A scene that could've come across as forced comes across as sincere; Waymire does a good job with a small moment.

The central crisis of the story involves Kelis having no idea how he's going to end his B'Elanna-centered play, right up to opening night, and even as the play is being performed. He needs the answer from B'Elanna, who decides to help him in the eleventh hour, just as Voyager has located the survivors and is beginning its rescue operation. (Harry turns up not long before this, having landed on the same planet in an escape pod. His role here isn't that important.)

What I thought fell a bit short was the payoff, where the real world meets the poet's world. I see what Menosky was going for here, but there's some awkwardness in the execution. The end of Kelis' play is unscripted onstage improvisation, with the real B'Elanna deciding to write the end by making her actual departure the one that also supplies the play's (ending with the spectacular "special effect" of her beam-out). But there's some off-kilter-ness to the way Layna attempts to expose B'Elanna and the way the patron assumes it to be part of the act. And most notably, I didn't think B'Elanna's sentimentality here was believable. When she says goodbye she's practically breaking down into tears, which seems a bit much. This is too clearly Menosky's sentiment rather than B'Elanna's. I didn't buy it, although I did find the entire notion of fiction meeting reality to be clever.

The episode was directed by Mike Vejar, Trek 's current best. He often shows a cinematic slickness to his approach, and isn't afraid to move cameras around or even occasionally go hand-held. Here he's content to underplay, go slow, and nail down the camera, which is exactly what the material warrants.

Ironically, "Muse" strikes me as something that's precisely what Voyager typically does not represent. It has no action, no explosions, very little use of sci-fi technology or jargon, and minimal FX used only for the purposes of advancing the story at hand. And frankly, if Voyager were like this every week, I suspect very few people would be tuning in, because we do want to see stuff gettin' blowed up (me as much as the next person). But that doesn't mean it can't be well thought out in the meantime. When something explodes and we care, that's a lot better than when we don't.

So what's the answer? Is television simply entertainment that shouldn't be scrutinized, analyzed, or held to a standard other than sheer, dumb entertainment value? Or should we demand more intellect, more patience, more depth in our stories and characters, even if it means ignoring the "wisdom" of demographics, abandoning quick payoffs, and hoping the sizable portion of us will stick it out and wait for the slower realizations? The subtext in "Muse" seems to argue that it's all about the balance between those two extremes. The hard part is finding it—week after week, on deadline.

Next week: The wrath of Kes.

Previous episode: Live Fast and Prosper Next episode: Fury

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Comment Section

132 comments on this post.

I'll take a thoughtful story-line like this over the typical sensationalistic garbage every time. Well done, Menosky, Vejar, and all!

This is actually my favorite episode of Voyager. It's a great send-off for Menosky, who certainly wasn't shy about how he felt writing for Voyager. This is also one of your best written reviews. After first watching this episode my wife didn't care for it, so I made her read you review and you swayed her.

This episode clearly drew a lot of inspiration from Ancient Greece, so the idea of 'Eternals' having flaws (sickness, rivalry, love) like the Greek gods and demigods didn't seem strange. Similarly Kelis' belief that a play could bring about change is more plausible in an age that's less media-saturated than our own.

tonyinjapan

Nice. I like the concluding speech by Kelis at the end, and the cast of the play bowing to the audience. Quite moving, especially given the context.

It was fun how Kelis was also a clear "duplicate" of Shakespeare. Having to write to patrons, having his own party and writing shows that were under constant revision and rewriting. Not to mention that Seven being a Borg Queen would be exactly something he would have written, if he'd done Star Trek...

This is the one episode of Voyager that's really stuck with me since I first saw it. It's unique.

Along with Tinker Tenor and Living Witness, I consider this one of Voyager's best. (Then again, I like Macrocosm, so take my opinion for what it's worth.) It's unconventional, an interesting look at the crew from an outside perspective (and perhaps, in some ways, subtly Belanna's view of her fellow crew), and a fantastic ending practically begging for a follow-up, but all the stronger for instead being left to the imagination and used as food for thought.

Ken Egervari

Surpringly a good episode, although a bit slow at parts. The ending was rather nice. The one thing I don't get with this series... is how does this fit into the bigger picture? What is the point? And more over... why does the episode happen at all? Why do any of these shuttle crash shows happen? Why are they out in shuttles in the first place? Isn't the point to go home? Why explore every nick and granny of the galaxy for? I know the show has brought this point up... and sometimes, it makes sense. Other times, I just don't understand why Voyager is 10 light years away as they send their shuttles out in another direction for. Why doesn't voyager just go itself? I just never understand this. I don't understand how shuttles have faster propulsion systems to go faster than Voyager. Makes no sense. I don't understand why Voyager can't do any of the things these shuttles do... I mean... what does Voyager do... sit around and do nothing while 2 or 4 crew members go off and do something "more important"? Even if a shuttle was needed to explore something Voyager couldn't... why is Voyager so damn far away for? And then they lose track of the shuttles over and over again on these episodes... never questioning why they send the shuttles out in the first place. Rediculous. And what's up Tuvok? Does his mini sleepless story have any point at all? Even a Vulvan thinks not sleeping for 10+ days is logical? Why isn't anyone else looking for B'Elanna and Harry? Why is it only Tuvok... where he has to spend his entire resources by himself to look for them? Don't they have a freaking crew to help? While the episode is good... the premise on how it comes out to be is absurd... as are all the shuttle crash episodes. It makes no sense how they came to be. None at all.

3.5 stars; are you serious!?! Jammer, my friend, if this is 3.5 stars, then the last couple of episodes should be awarded THIRTY-FIVE stars!!! This show is totally devoid of both science and fiction (certainly 24th-century-relevant fiction); it's totally without nuance or a meaningful point. It's basically 38 minutes of Torres' interaction with a primitive thespian or about the primitive thespians themselves, with 2 minutes of her poking around the Delta Flier assaying to repair some of its functions. They may as well have shown a histrionic cast from ancient Greece rehearsing some crap from Euripides. Torres ends up on a medieval planet one of whose knuckle-dragging inhabitants figured out how to play the log recordings that are part of the shuttle's computer. Yeah, like William Shakespeare would've been able to reformat a hard drive in the 1500s. Jesus... The majority of the show is mind-numbingly BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIIIIIIIING to hell and back! Harry "Can't-Get-A-Lock" Kim turns up at a point - mercifully, near the end of the show - after trekking for 200km. I'm surprised he didn't sprain his ankle on a dandelion somewhere along the way. I was half expecting him to volunteer to act in the "play." Instead, it's Torres who does it. Oh, brother... BTW, the "aliens" show their support for the actors by clapping, just like the humans. How likely is that? Neelix The Asspain strutting around with a pot of coffee and plonking himself down next to Tuvok to give him a pep-talk. Are such scenes really necessary?? Oh, there are SO many things stupid and ludicrous about this episode that it's futile to even attempt to critique it. This kind of trash belongs in the Chronicles of Narnia, NOT A SCI-FI SCHOW!!!!! PLEEEAAASE bring back that Fair Haven dreck: Even that's more interesting than this cerebral palsy of an episode. The ONLY bit worth anything was the 20-second shot of Tuvok snoring on the bridge. It still has no redeeming value vis-a-vis the remaining 41 minutes. Zero stars. And that's being extremely magnanimous. The guy who wrote it should be exiled to Cuba.

Only the execrable "Threshold" saves this from being the lamest episode of the series.

I had no problem with this being a slow and quiet show. I liked the way the show made a reflection on the process of writing an episode. I was even slightly (to an infinitesimal degree) moved in some scenes. Regardless of this I disliked this episode because of it's often absurdly cliche, and blatantly contrived nature. If the good elements had blended more seamlessly into a reasonable, believable whole I would probably really like it. Also; at this point there has been several consecutive "special", "outside in look" episodes. At least spread them out a bit and pay some attention to the main story. Unfortunately Voyager barely has a main story to pay attention to. I guess I just don't like episodes that are obviously and completely constructed around a point that's trying to be made with very little subtlety or integration into the overall show. The plot is irrelevant and exists merely for the point, at least try to make the two coexist. Then again, this might be demanding too much of the writers. I certainly couldn't have done it better myself.

This is easily the most tedious of Voyager episodes, and that's really, really saying something.

Well, if some of the comments to this review prove anything, it's that the Voyager writers knew their audience all too well.

Our resident 12 year old in "ranting about the episode having talking in it" shocker A quiet and thoughtful episode and I didn't really give it the attention it deserved (was distracted with other things) I didn't realise the story behind why this episode came about. It seems very clever, to put forward all these thoughts and acknowledgements of a writer's weaknesses, a bit of fan service etc, whilst making the story itself work well enough that you don't realise unless you know already that it's more a commentary than an episode. May re-watch. Of course the Flyer will be absolutely spotless next episode :)

@Cloudane: Maybe some of us have a life outside Star Trek and go to Star Trek for a bit of sci-fi entertainment. Maybe some of us prefer to develop our characters and are interested in real-life real-world characters. Maybe some of us have a life, period. If you want talking, try a talk-show or some emotional drama. "Development" of fictional characters in a fictional world? What's the point!? BTW, never watched DS9. Whenever I tuned in, it was showing a scene in a bar or somesuch with a few guys yapping on about the entanglements in their relationships. Wow, rivetting...

Michael - we're commenting on every episode of an old Star Trek series, and not a very good one at that. I don't think either of us can really make comment on how much of a life we have. Having said that I do get out and have friends and listen to them etc. I'm guessing you probably tell them to shut up and drink, or whatever activity it may be. Character development adds depth. What's the point in any theme (sci-fi, fantasy, you name it) if there's nothing to relate to? If you have stock characters with no personality, no thoughts, no insights? Seems pretty dull to me. I could just as easily say if you want nothing but sci-fi, go and watch a documentary.

Hehehe True re having a life! :D No, real people I DO very much talk with and listen to. The keyword is REAL. Star Trek I enjoy for the science (O.K., pseudoscience). If it didn't have that, it might as well be called Alice in the Delta Quadrant. SNOOZERS! I simply don't like fiction and therefore don't care about fictional characters. I watch sitcoms for the humor, not characters. I watch action movie for the action, not the characters. I watch sci-fi for the "sci," not the "fi." It's my taste and, as the Romans used to say: De gustibus (et coloribus!) non est disputandum. So yeah, I come across strongly in my comments. SO what? It's my opinion. You think I'm immature for not caring about Torres' netherworld barge nonsense and finding it irritating; I can't fathom that anyone but a dreamy kid without friends to engage in fantasy-world games would find that interesting in a sci-fi show. If Torres had spent the 45 minutes in The Barge harping on about an ancestor of hers who was a descendant of Moses and then traversed the Biblical lineage, can you seriously tell me you'd find that enjoyable or in any way instructive?!?

@ mike and claudaine ... red alert.. please take your meds...

No I just find the OMG LOTS OF CAPS AND EXCLAMATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just makes things come across as a little immature. To each his own taste in sci(-fi).. carry on

I've already had this debate with Michael. I already explained to him in another episode (I forget which one) that Science Fiction does in fact include "fiction". I also brought up the whole documentary point as well. Like I said in my other post, the only problem with this episode is the premise. I simply don't understand why Voyager sends out so many shuttles for, only to have them get shot down, crash or be taken hostage repeatedly. You'd think Janeway would just learn her lesson and stop sending out shuttles. One thing I'd like to know is what the hell Voyager is doing when all of this is going on. And not just in this episode - but in any of the episodes where Janeway decides to leave a shuttle and 1 or more crew members stranded somewhere many light years away from Voyager. Let's think about the practicability here... Voyager needs to get home. Doesn't sending a shuttle off in some other far off location slow the entire mission down? Don't they eventually have to meet up? How the hell is the shuttle supposed to "catch up" with Voyager? Seems to me that Voyager will have to backtrack and waste time, or wait for the shuttle. I just don't see any reason why Voyager can't do the things the shuttles do. I never understood this. And let's not forget, just about every time they send a shuttle somewhere, something bad happens. I mean really, how many times does the shit need to hit the fan where they finally say, "Okay, maybe we shouldn't be sending out defenseless shuttles 30 light years away from Voyager anymore." It's just annoying. You'd think the writers could think up another premise, but they've been doing this crap since Season 1 or 2 constantly, like leaving Chakotay alone in the Delta Quandrant in Kazon space, as just an example. You'd think the crew would just like to get home. That's really the only blemish on otherwise good episode. If you take it in isolation, the show is good. But in the context of the series? It sucks.

Meh, this episode had its moments (the Chaokotay/Janeway scene for instance) and the rehearsal scenes were good. I've done a bit of acting and I empathise with the guy who thought playing Tuvok would make him look like a bad actor. But as a whole, I just wasn't that interested in it. Maybe if it had focused on another character than Torres - I must admit I just can't warm to her even though I think Dawson's one of the better Voyager actors. Then again I loved Tsunkatse, so what do I know?

BlightedSight

Jammer: Torres has lay unconscious for eight days (isn't that pretty serious?) It depends on how long a day would be on this planet. For all you know, a day might be 2 earth hours long.

Loved this ep!! A unique story (although slightly spoiled by the fact it's hot on the heels of another episode that's about people impersonating the Voyager crew...oopsie), well told and surprisingly self-aware. I think Joe Menosky was definitely taking a few parting shots at the nature of the TV beast, and perhaps Voyager in particular. I found it clever, insightful and compelling. As Jammer said (great review btw), this style of storytelling is perhaps not aimed at Voyager's target demographic (exhibit A: Michael's response above!). But heck, this is what I'm looking for in my Trek. I love intelligent TV and that's one of the reasons I love the previous incarnations of Trek and struggle with Voyager and Enterprise. This episode seemed very Trekkian and I'm glad to see any break from the usual formula and mindless action scenes. Like the best television, it has a pertinent message and it makes you think.

great episode. 5 popcorns

If Tuvok's snoring scene had been featured in the previews, it would be the most accurate teaser a Star Trek episode ever had.

Good episode. I didn't really care for the end, but it certainly kept my interest.

I thought it was a quiet but interesting episode. I admit I was also planting seeds in a tray to grow seedlings for my garden while I was watching it but I don't think that enhanced the experience in some actiony-adventurey way. lol I do vaguely remember that when I was a kid, this episode coming off as booooring... but today I see some of the meaning behind it, instead of only looking at the surface. As for the characters debate in the comments... personally, if I don't like the characters I won't be interested in a show. (Incidentally, that's exactly the problem with a book I'm currently reading. I have no interest in the characters so I'm not enjoying the book, even though it's filled with descriptions of sci-fi 'splosions. But I digress.) It's not because I don't have any friends or have no life, as Micheal would suggest, but because that's what pulls me into the story. I don't need it to go too far, (I gave up on Stargate Universe after a half a season) but I don't care if the characters live or die, I don't care how they get out of whatever mess they're in this week. Seems Micheal would prefer watching a modern "remake" of Captain Proton, or a screensaver depicting robots shooting fireworks, but I'd get bored of that fast. To each their own, not everyone has the same taste, but Trek is generally supposed to be about more than things going 'splody. Might want to try another show, there's plenty more.

Cappo - I agree with your point verbatim... if the audience doesn't feel that they would lose something if one of the characters is suddenly gone, then why would they care what happens at all? This is one of the reasons I loved Firefly so much, in that the series established their characters so well right out of the gate, it was a thoroughly captivating show. I really liked this episode, as it felt more like a good TNG outing than standard Voyager fare... even better knowing what drove it into existence. Unfortunately there was one directorial flaw that sent my nitpicker into overdrive and actually distracted me WAY more than it should have... particularly in the first few scenes, the Flyer was supposedly lying at a sharp angle... this obviously would lend to the perception that it was a particularly nasty crash this time... but, why, oh WHY did they have all of those candles burning if they were just going to tilt the camera to bring this across? All of the flames being perpendicular to the deck and not to the "real" horizon completely destroyed the illusion, and my sub-conscious immediately started playing the theme to the 1960's Batman series in my head.

Captain Jim

Sheesh, if some of these comments prove anything, Jammer, it's that a lot of people evidently *do* watch Star Trek just to see things blow up. They evidently can't handle anything more thoughtful than that.

I just want to say that the old man's improv during the final act was phenomonal. I was laughing and clapping with how he just completely "fixed" every scene for the Patron haha Same old man that lectured on lazy poets these days haha!

I really liked this episode, a bit far fetched on some things, but overall a great episode.

Jammer, I agree with Josh that this is one of your absolute BEST reviews that I've read, and you've got some damn good ones. Truly insightful, in-depth, and thought provoking. I don't recall that I particularly liked or disliked "Muse" when I first watched it, but now I am really looking forward to re-watching it armed with the perspective you've provided. Mucho kudos and thanks for the brain candy.

I love this episode- it's definitely in my top five, if not my favourite VOY episode of all time. I am stunned by the posters above who gave it zero. It's whip-smart, meta-reflexive, funny, touching, amazing script and performance from Dawson. I just love it. It's almost an apologia for all the crap VOY has given us this season, but I think it's also about Star Trek itself- the 'play that can bring peace'. Star Trek really did change the world, and I think Menosky's swansong was a tribute to that idea. I love this episode. 4 Stars.

It's funny that DS9 and VOY both had episodes with the same name, and both were steaming piles.

Take it easy

@BlightedSight Tuvok hadn't slept for 10 days and I remember hearing Janeway saying they are looking for them for 2 weeks (I think). So she should have been out for 8 normal days or so at a minimum. But how the alien saying "8 days" from his perspective will be translated to us in 'earth' days? Is it earth days? BTW when they talk about days in StarTrek is it earth days? What about Vulcans and Klingons, they follow earth days in the ship?

About character development, etc, I watch Star Trek because of SCI-fi and it is fascinating about star ships, future technology, etc. I too love the characters but I don't need them talking forever to establish their character. It should be part of the story plot and not standalone scenes for the sake of character development. I am not much of an action fan, just a little bit for story sake. But I like more science and technology. Jammer's reviews are more about character development and most of the time I don't agree with the ratings. The only reason I am reading this is because I can read episode by episode since I am watching it for the first time and don't want to read or discuss about episodes I haven't seen. This and cynicscorner are two places I know which I can read episode by episode.

Sometimes it burns when I tinkle.

B'Elanna beaming (read: disappearing) in front of the audience is clearly a violation of the Prime Directive.

ProgHead777

I enjoyed this episode quite a lot. It reminded me A LOT of TOS in its tone and story while simultaneously being one of the most original stories Voyager told in its entire run. I found the scene where Chakotay informs Janeway of the content of the Delta Flyer's distress call to be very real and Janeway's stifled sob after Chakotay leaves the room nearly brought tears to my eyes. It's that sort of realistic depiction of human emotions that Voyager, and actually Trek in general, could have used a lot more of. I also ADORED the whole classical Greek theater motif of Kelis' plays. I think it would be quite a treat to see a few of Trek's greatest stories depicted in that genre.

I always enjoy reading Michael's comments. I tend to follow along his way of watching SCI FI. i like the temporal changes and mysteries and plots. while i can enjoy shows like this episode, it is not my most favorite or memorable. i like the "Macrocosm" shows better. 1.5 Stars for entertainment. 3 stars for depth of a show.

With a title like, "Muse," I fully expected this episode to be about Jeri Ryan's character, Seven of Nine. Maybe the REAL difference with this episode is that Seven has no dialog for a change. (JK!)

(sigh) I remember when I was satisfied with sci-fi that had no real character development. It was back when I was 12 and Empire Strikes Back had just come out. To be young again... I fell asleep during this episode. I guess that's all I have to say about it. :)

The comments about "earth days" are landing smack in the middle of one of my biggest gripes with Star Trek. In a galaxy populated by thousands of sentient species, Earth customs seem to be suprisingly universal. This episode ("Muse") alone shows us a few of them: "a day" seems to universally be an Earth day, although we are quite frequently dealing with species from other planets; the customs of (from a human point of view) completely alien species are exactly the same as human cuatoms - in everything from using applause to show your appreciation (as seen in this episode), also including standing ovation; and the list goes on and on and on, from the "universal translator" (try coming up with a good explanation as to how THAT thing actually works) to aliens from worlds that have never heard of Earth calling a flower something like a "Talaxian Petunia" (or whatever). An ENORMOUS amount os stuff in Star Trek doesn't make any sense. At all. And that's not even including the weird psudoscience. While I aknowledge that it DOES seem necessary to ignore lots of the obstacles between cultures and species from entirely different planets in order to get the story moving along, a lot of it just seems so incredibly ludicrous, that I'm having a hard time ignoring it in order to enjoy the stories. The funny thing is, that I (of course) had the same gripes with Next Generation and DS9 - but both of those shows frequently made me buy into the story and the characters in such a way, that I forgot the general shortcomings of the Star Trek universe. I'm afraid Voyager very, very seldomly plays that same "trick" on me. This epsiode is an example of that. I kind of liked it. Nothing more, nothing less. I wasn't seduced, swept away or thoruoghly entertained. It's just ... kind of there. Meh.

I know what you mean Caine. More often than not, voyager aimed for lowest common denominator in terms of plot and challenging its audience, or lack there of. Other sci-fi shows of the day, such as Lexx, Farscape, and Babylon 5, didn't have the big budget of Star Trek, yet were able to push the boundaries of the genre to provide 45 minutes of thought provoking entertainment. However, if one can accept the conceits of the voyager universe, that species are all bipedal and breath the same mixture of o2 ect... This episode stands on the shoulders of previous Star Trek plots --- STOS the conscious of the king, and stTNG Darmok --- all episodes dependant on dialogue and abstract human ideals, minus special effect.

I left out some episodes while watching the entire series on DVD: If I watch a Sy-Fy Series I want to see new ideas, new technologies, new lifeforms, new places .... What I don't want to see is the VOY-Cast playing WW2 scenes, or being part of a black/white movie, or becoming citizens of an old fake Irish town and I don't want to see any more aliens being the exact copy of humans from a certain era in world history!!! That was my problem with this episode as well: Torres having the hundredths or so shuttle-crash of the Voyager Bridge officers - playing theater with the local Greeks or Romans or what so ever. I don't need that - so I passed it. Then I reed this high rating here and thought I give it a second chance ... and you won't believe it but it was ... BORING !!! ;-) Sorry ... maybe it's somehow interesting when you know the background of the writer ... but besides that it was meaningless for me!

Menosky does a good job with the story by creating good drama, and entertains well. Aside from them cut, copy, paste approach, shuttle crash, stranded 30 light years away, I enjoyed the thespian style. Contrite ending violating the Prime Directive by 'ascending' via the transporter. In front of a Bronze age culture no less. Aren't the writers ever look ing at a Star Trek encyclopedia or a writers bible? This was one of the better episodes of Voyager.I certainl agree with Jammer on his ep. Review.

MEta-fiction is hard to rate, some people like it and others hate it. I am also a fan of the Scream series, because the producer understands the issues with horror story writing and the genre. For that movie series, you can enjoy the story and the meta references within it. A story within a story is an ancient tool of writing; it is introspective, but entertaining for thought if you like to dig deeper in to minutia. Star Trek is a hybrid of high thinking stories and low brow action, which our comments prove. Some of us do like high concept stories like these and others prefer action sequences with torpedoes, shields, and "It's a good day to die!" repeated a million times. What Star Trek does well is blend both to create entertainment, look at the movie Star Trek: "First Contact", a perfect blend of action and higher ideals of our first meeting with an extra-terrestial species. For me, I give this episode 9.5/10 as a meta story and 3.5/10 as an action story.

This episode isn’t a masterpiece (there are a few too many convenient events) but it’s pretty close. The novelty of hearing the captain’s log recited by a Greek chorus was itself worth the price of admission, but of course there is a lot more going on here. Yes, writing is a constant tight-rope walk between pleasing your audience and actually saying what you want to say. It’s very difficult to wholly accomplish both, most of the time you end up falling on one side or the other. But then, that’s why when it actually happens, you can appreciate it for its genius — because it’s so rare. It didn’t occur to me while I watched it that the « searching for lost cremates » scenes on the ship were more realistic than usual, but Jammer has a point. Why isn’t it always like this instead of the boring procedural scenes we usually get?

This is certainly not a bad episode. But I really do not understand how much people seem to like it. More, I let a sudden laugh happen when I read Jammer saying: "So what's the answer? Is television simply entertainment that shouldn't be scrutinized, analyzed, or held to a standard other than sheer, dumb entertainment value? Or should we demand more intellect, more patience, more depth in our stories and characters, even if it means ignoring the "wisdom" of demographics, abandoning quick payoffs, and hoping the sizable portion of us will stick it out and wait for the slower realizations? " It makes you feel that this episode was super philosophically deep, intellectually challenging, intrinsically demanding. Well, it was not. I would not go as far as to stay it was dumb or flat, for sure. It had some good mind-food to offer. However, I fell that the evaluation Jammer did was caught in that trap that, in times of Hollywood action silliness, equalizes slow to deep. What is in line with the unfair critics he usually made (in this review as well) about Voyager lacking these paced thoughtful moments. Having a faster pace, more action, explosions or FX never refrained Voyager from delivering some of the best character development in all Trek. The problems this show perhaps had (an many of which correctly pointed by Jammer's reviews) have, however, nothing to do with such characteristics. Sort of nice episode. No more than that.

Andy's Friend

THE ODYSSEY The opening lines: “Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home.” ― Samuel Butler (1900) “Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. He saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.” ― Robert Fitzgerald (1961) “Tell me, Muse, of the man of many ways, who was driven far journeys, after he had sacked Troy’s sacred citadel. Many were they whose cities he saw, whose minds he learned of, many the pains he suffered in his spirit on the wide sea, struggling for his own life and the homecoming of his companions.” ― Richard Lattimore (1965) ...and Robert Fagles (1996): “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.”

^ MUSE The Opening lines: CHORUS: “Captain’s log, stardate 53896. B’Elanna Torres has requested permission to take the Delta Flyer and search for dilithium. Shining Voyager, far from home, far from the gleaming cities of Earth! Headstrong B’Elanna Torres and young Harry Kim speed away from Voyager on the Delta Flyer in search of their treasures.” YOUNG HARRY KIM: “I've timmed the sails, but the sea is rough. Maybe we should return.” HEADSTRONG B’ELANNA TORRES: “I know what I am doing.” CHORUS: “A wave as high as a mountain struck the Delta Flyer. […] Young Harry Kim left her side, and B’Elanna Torres was thrown against the rocks. The rocks of our very shore.”” KELIS: “Which is where I, Kelis the poet, found her. Broken, dying. She told me her story. And now I’ve told you.” [Applause] PATRON: “An excellent conceit, that you discovered her yourself. But now that B’Elanna Torres has come to our shore, what will happen? Does Captain Janeway come searching for her, or does she give her up for lost?” … “Here the townsfolk on the shore of the sea were offering sacrifice of black bulls to the dark-haired Earth-shaker. Nine companies there were, and five hundred men sat in each, and in each they held nine bulls ready for sacrifice. Now when they had tasted the inner parts and were burning the thigh-pieces to the god, the others put straight in to the shore, and hauled up and furled the sail of the shapely ship, and moored her, and themselves stepped forth. Forth too from the ship stepped Telemachus, and Athena led the way. And the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, spake first to him, and said: “Telemachus, no longer hast thou need to feel shame, no, not a whit. For to this end hast thou sailed over the sea, that thou mightest seek tidings of thy father ― where the earth covered him, and what fate he met…” (The Odyssey, Book III)

People may not realize that this episode is taken straight from Greek theater. Many will recognize the chorus and the masks, but there are three types of plot twists that are included. Two were described by Aristotle – the reversal of fortune (Peripeteia) and the moment of recognition (Anagnorisis). Then there is the Deus ex Machina at the end.

"that lead shows like "Tsunkatse" to be the highest rated of the season for reasons that aren't about matters of the intellect)" Tsunkatse was the highest rated show of the season becasue it had The Rock in it and Smackdown (on the same network) drew 6 million viewers a week.

Brodey Bishop

Great review :) I loved this episode! BTW: The Delta flyer would have been beamed to a cargo hold. B'Elanna's emotion at the end reflected that Kelis had gradually worn down her indifference. She had come to care for his goal (as evidenced by her bending the prime directive), and was genuinely touched by his goodbye (after all it is a case of meeting people you like and will never see again). Overall: nicely acted! I loved that the play within the play was purposely imperfect, as it felt more genuine. "...and the viper in her nest" 7 of 9: "Queen of the Borg" lol (nice) Waymire: Best supporting actress in this episode. Sad she passed so young; I would have liked to see her in a lead role in something. Great supporting acting overall: From old man to the Patron (who looked like a little boy glued to the set of his favorite cartoon). Even the audience acted well ie (One man stands at exciting part... or waiting to clap in the first play until the patron gave " permission" with his response. Many small touches in this episode. Bravo, refreshing and fun!

Okay. I agree with everything being said by those who like it. A few problems for me: I must agree, Jammer. 8 days unconscious is serious. Very serious. She would've been suffering from all of the terrible effects of starvation and dehydration, not to mention possibly a concussion (or worse)...untreated coma with no nutrition, sitting tied to a chair in your own waste? Because I don't recall Kellis the Poet changing out B'eLanna's bedpan. And B'eLanna suffers no adverse effects from an 8 day coma? C'mon. I really hate that I have to live with that BS just so Capt. Jane can fret over Harry's status. 8 days was an egregious error. Ridiculous. And then it's 10 days? And Harry has been grooming himself pretty well. Couldn't they have given us some stubble or some grime or ANY indication that this guy is roaming the countryside, traveling by night, for a week and a half, an alien in hiding on a strange, relatively undeveloped world. Uh. The B'eLanna thing....unconscious for 8 days? Puhleeeeze.

I didn't like this episode one bit. A play? A shakespearean play based on the adventures of Voyager and B'elanna in particular? Yawnfest. I'll admit, I didn't quite get all the actors vs writers details this episode obviously alludes to. I'm one of those people who doesn't need to know what goes on behind the screens. I don't need to see how magic tricks are done, how awesome actionpacked scenes are put together, how they make big explosions seem real etc etc. It completely ruins the whole point of it. This whole episode feels like that. A look behind the scenes of an ancient play of some backwater aliens trying to grasp the concept of a civilzation millenia ahead of their time. And it's a mess. A jumbled, boring, confusing mess. Big waste of time. Could not care less where it was going or how it ended. I like my sci-fi a little more flashy. If that's shallow, when then that's shallow. I like flash over substance for my entertainment. Sue me. While Star Trek is not generally all that flashy (Abrams movie reboots notwithstanding), it still delivers on this front often enough to warrant watching. I suppose that means I have to take the good with the bad and stomach the occasional episode I know I won't like, like this one. So be it, then.

Rather than grabbing the low-hanging fruit of mocking the whiny manbabies who can't stand any sort of introspection, I'll just ask: how the hell did this Iron Age dude access the ship's logs in the first place? Pretty sure he doesn't have Starfleet clearance. (Also I guess the computers themselves utilize the universal translator. Makes sense.)

I loved this episode, easily 4 stars IMO. Menosky is a great writer, and he clearly was trying to make a point with this script, in that today's audiences don't want intellectual, make-you-think stories, they just want to see phasers, torpedos, running fire fights, and as Jammer says, stuff getting blowed up. I enjoy action scenes as well, but only when they serve the plot, not run over the plot... Enterprise needed more stories like this, instead of the nonsense that Berman and Braga kept writing.

I might have liked this episode better if it had been focused on any other character other than B'Elanna. I like the character in and of herself but for whatever reason I just cannot get into the B'Elanna centric episodes. I doubt that I will rewatch this one much.

If I had to pick a favorite Voyager episode, this is it. "Living Witness" is undoubtedly the best, but this one I love for (probably) mostly personal reasons. I think my history of studying and acting in theater is why I love it so much. That it first aired while I was in undergrad surely helped, too. Maybe Kelis' ideals are a little overstated, but I can't help but think that most writers hope they can change the minds of their audience, so I didn't have a problem with it. If anything, I'd rather creative minds be ambitious than not. The numerous references to classical theater were fantastic (Greek chorus, masks, etc). Admittedly the plausibility is low here, but I never get hung up on whether it's believable that a planet on the other side of the galaxy would develop its culture in any way analogous to our own so long as the story is worthwhile, and this story definitely is. Besides Star Trek always uses alien societies to reflect on our own, so this worked for me. So yes, several scenes that show the acting process in a realistic way, a cool storytelling device, and even using sci-fi technology as a special effect! Winner!

I agree with those above who liked this episode. Great review Jammer. @Ken - I believe Voyager has shuttles constantly scouting for sources of fuels and food in different directions than Voyager. They all meet up at some designated rendezvous point, somewhere down the "road" so to speak. This way they can cover more territory. I doubt Voyager is just sitting in one spot waiting. For example: At the beginning of Memorial, Paris tells Janeway that after 14 days, they scanned 15 planets and that they have a Cargo-hold overflowing with dilithium ore. However, I had a huge problem with Torres' use of the transporter in front of these aliens. Kelis was already contaminated by discovering the shuttle and an Eternal, but who would believe a guy whose job it is to make up stories. Fine. But, with Torres Ascending to the Heavens, in front of the Patron no less, she is reinforcing their beliefs in Eternals. Those who have seen the TNG "Who Watches The Watchers" knows that this is the worst violation of the Prime Directive there could be. These aliens are now not only going to believe in Eternals, but also about other species, the Borg etc... - Janeway should have wiped the short-term memories of all the witnesses and reprimanded Torres severely. Just another example of Janeway's incompetence as a captain. Picard - she is not.

Diamond Dave

I wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I actually did in the end. It's got a really clever twist to a bog-standard shuttle crash idea and has meta up the ying-yang. The final scene is something of a triumph. But in all honesty I found the rest of it to be not all that interesting. I surely don't need explosions and actions every week, but I do like to be entertained. And this wasn't that entertaining to me. I suspect it's because I never got on with Menosky's flights of fancy (I hated Darmok, so what do I know, right?). 2 stars only.

I didn't know this was Joe Menosky's last episode, although it does make sense. It was pretty self-referential at times, and a bit self-congratulatory regarding the importance of writers. That's something I tend not to like. Ah well, Menosky gave us Darmok, he's earned the right to be self-indulgent. The choice of B'Elanna as the Muse of this poet was perfect for two reasons. For one, she's Maquis, not Starfleet, and so doesn't have the affection for the Prime Directive that others might have. If that was Picard down there, he would be more deeply concerned with the impact he was having on the society than his own predicament. But Torres, what does she care? She pays lip service to the Prime Directive, of course, but it's not ingrained into her like with the others. Thus, she can give more information to the poet, and care about the poet, without struggling too much with her internal philosophy. Only Paris or Neelix would have been comparable (and Seven, I guess, but she might not have even paid lip service to the PD). But neither of them would have worked, because they are too extroverted. Torres, being the standoffish character with a disdain for others, was the only one who could grow to care about what this poet was doing. And that's important, because those interactions between the two made this episode what it was. Perhaps I'm a bit biased here, because I came to care about the episode more and more as it went forward at roughly the same pace that Torres did. Like I said, I tend to take a negative view of writers writing about writing. So I was worried about this going in. But their interactions, and the way they were both so dependent on each other, despite neither one fully trusting or understanding the other, won me over. Sure, B'Elanna's over-emotional speech at the end was probably too over-the-top, but I'll let it pass. It helps that the episode seemed to do all the little things right, a rarity for Voyager. The scenes on Voyager were well paced and had the emotional weight that the potential loss of Kim and Torres deserved. One bit I liked was the emphasis on the actor playing Tuvok, questioning whether the audience will understand such an emotionless character, and then switching back to the real Tuvok, where we can see his intense emotions buried beneath his calm exterior. B'Elanna's attempts to fix the shuttle were likewise well done, eschewing the usual technobabble and waving blinky lights around for spreading random wires around and needing specific metals to connect everything. And Harry's return felt very natural too. So basically, everything clicked. And most of all, I liked B'Ellana. It's refreshing to see an episode focusing on her that's not about her Klingoness or temper. I mean, it kinda is about her standoffish nature, but it's far more subtle than the likes of Juggernaut. She's simply sarcastic and aiming to shut down conversations as fast as possible. But eventually, she ends up getting around to listening to his play. She ends up talking about it, giving advice (and not just about telling what the real Voyager is like). And in the end, when she realizes that the poet can't finish his story without her help, she decides to run back and help. It not only works thematically, but works with the plot as well. In the first play, we learned that the poet inserted himself into the story. So it makes sense that the story ends with the poet as well. A touching ending that won me over just as much as it did the audience of the show. Like Darmok, I wouldn't want this sort of show to become common on Trek, but as a one-shot it worked very well.

Unlike Darmok, these primitive aliens apparently speak and read fluent English. This isn't a unique contrivance for Voyager, or Star Trek altogether, but it works best when you barely notice. This time it was really noticeable for some reason.

One of my personal favorites. Fantastic review Jammer. Couple reason I enjoy this one. It's a B'Elanna episode for starters. As always Roxann's right on the mark. Another is Kelly Waymire. She just has such a great screen presence to me. Love her in Enterprise as Crewman Cutler and loved her here as well. So sad she left us early. I love how our Maquis/quick tempered/half-Klingon Chief Engineer handled this situation. I'm not sure she would have reacted so maturely early on in the series. Just a classy episode. Touching ending. I'm also VERY pleased Mr. Joe Menosky has been added to our new series coming up in January. He's penned some trek classics, of which I think this is one. 4 stars from me.

Didnt hate this episode but did find it pretty slow. It was very watchable in no small part due to the fact the poet guy and some of his crew were rather easy on the eye :)

watchable (**)

When I saw this was the next episode I almost skipped it. It's been a few years since I last watched voyager and my memory isn't what it could be, but I had the feeling this was a dud. But then I checked and saw that Jammer gave it 3.5 stars, so I thought I must have been mistaken. That was my real mistake. This was truly awful. I wish I'd gone with my gut. I'm stunned that so many people enjoyed it. Each to their own I suppose... @mephyve: what's gotten into you? I expected you to hate this even more than i did! Poet guy: "I believe the right kind of play can turn the mind from violent thoughts ". The reverse is also true. This episode made me want to punch someone. . 5 stars

Damn, Bellana! Prime Directive much?!?

Clapping, standing ovation, greek tragedy elements, human social organization and monogamous sexual conventions, 8-day coma without water and no renal failure, non-stubbly Harry, shuttle crash trope, zero character development, jealous girlfriend without a real resolution, primitive alien accessing logs: way way too many distractions to allow any appreciation of the pseudo-deep message that has impressed the lowest common denominator crowd here. Weak episode.

grumpy_otter

@Yanks--I am so sorry you mentioned Kellie Waymire--I too really loved ehr performance in this. To learn she is dead is almost too tragic. Well, she left behind at least one amazing performance. I'll join the chorus (yuk yuk) of those who love this episode, and I'll also admit I can totally say that I completely understand why some don't like it--AND THAT'S OKAY! We don't have to like all the same things! Wouldn't the world be boring if we did? I love how the writers comment on writing in this--it is too hilarious. Watching it, i feel like the writers think i am smart and can get hints. A nice change from the moments when the writes explain things TOO much. For me the greatest and most amazing moment of character development is when Tuvok admits he has not slept for days. I honestly didn't think he cared THAT much--it really moved me. When he snored on the bridge I felt nothing but sympathy.

Ferdinand Cesarano

What I thought was incoherent was the nature of these people. Are they space-faring? At first it seemed not, as Kelis apparently thought that the references to "captain" and "ship" were nautical. The whole notion of considering the Voyager crew to be mythic creatures ("Eternals") would suggest an unfamiliarity with the concept of space travel. And B'Elanna seemed at first to be playing along with this idea. But then she said the words "starship" and "Starfleet". So does Kelis actually understand that Earth is another planet, and not some land across the eastern sea? There was a more practical problem: if the Delta Flyer' s power was failing, how was the universal translator operating? We just had an episode in which Ballard was speaking Kobali on the ship, and B'Elanna couldn't understand her (which raises the separate question of why the translator wasn't working then). So how could B'Elanna and Kelis understand each other on a powered-down shuttle? Do the com badges have this translating function? Even if they do, that doesn't explain how B'Elanna could read the note that Kelis wrote in his own language. I am perfectly willing to accept the ubiquity of the universal translator. But there's no way to reconcile this story even with that.

This episode was so full of itself and the ego of the writer, that everything 'realistic' was lost in the shuffle (or as 'real' as star trek can be anyway). A shuttle crashing yet again? no problem. 8 day coma? no problem. Harry crossing 120 miles of wilderness on an L class planet in 8 days with just a tricorder pointing in the right direction? no problem. A planet on the other side of the galaxy that is exactly like medievel England, complete with Shakespeare? no problem. And on and on. The thing that pulled me right out of the episode completely was when Torres asks Shakespeare to get her a thin sheet of tin and bronze alloy plated with gold, as if she would even ask him in the first place, and then he comes back the next day with one. lol. I couldn't get one of those made nowadays in less than a week probably. But apparently they just have them lying around on his primitive planet. Just like the dilithium, which of course he recognized immediately from a crystal looking thing on a computer screen as 'winter's tears'. The screen alone would have made him shit himself just seeing it. And I know that when I see a picture of a crystal I can identify the specific one it is and exactly where to find them, especially if it is located in only one spot that I would never know about because I wasn't allowed to go there ever in the first place or risk being killed. And why was the flyer out of dilithium anyway? It hadn't been running for over a week. What, they only carry the exact amount of dilithium to last exactly the length of their original mission, and if you go past that by a few hours you're screwed I guess? And apparently they have no food on the flyer either, since Torres had to bargain for some with Shakespeare. Maybe they use a replicator, but the escape pods have at least a weeks worth, and there should be 2 escape pods left on the flyer. So the whole situation there makes no sense. And Shakespeare listened to some log entries and knew every detail about everyone on the ship? Would the logs even mention that seven says 'you will be assimilated' and 'I will comply' etc. and that Tuvok is a vulcan with no emotions, and that there is a subtext of a love between Chakotay and Janeway, and that Harry was interested in kissing the twins, and that Paris and Torres are in love? etc. etc. Even if they did, he discovered all of that in the thousands and thousands of log entries, that he somehow knew how to listen to, and somehow could understand, despite 90% of it being technobabble that he wouldn't comprehend in the slightest about warp signatures and transporters and away missions and tritanium and holodecks and EMP's and alien monsters that eat starships and on and on, and wrote it into a play and rehearsed it and performed it, all in a week. oh yes. Another absurd episode from this absurd show where the writers just don't care about what they are actually writing about, just as long as they can force a 'moral' down our throats. And oh my. What an original 'moral' it was too. Violence is bad. Oh really. 1 star. Mostly for the Tuvok scenes.

Startrekwatcher

Not a fan of meta-commentary. 2 stars

"In a galaxy populated by thousands of sentient species, Earth customs seem to be suprisingly universal." This is a bit of a problem. It is generally canonically accepted now that Vulcan orbits the star 40 Eridani A, which is an orange star smaller than our Sun. Thus, a year on Vulcan is probably only about half of an Earth year, so Vulcans' longevity, adjusted for their own "year", could mean that they really don't live any longer than humans do.

OK episode with some imagination but ultimately I'm not that impressed. Mostly wooden guest actors although Dawson always does well when she's acting the main character. The first time Kelis shows up I thought it was Keanu Reaves making a guest appearance. In any case, that Torres is left tied up in a chair after a crash landing for 8 days and seems to take it pretty well doesn't jive with the fiery half-Klingon. The whole whatever about writing a play and trying to find the right ending, the old man's words about how writing a play used to be etc. didn't do anything for me. I just found this episode slow and somewhat frustrating for long stretches. But what was interesting was the ancient race trying to portray Voyager's adventures from their own perspectives through the play. That had a certain simplicity and imagination to it. I kept thinking and waiting for the episode to really pick up but the ending was underwhelming with the other lady trying to claim Torres is an eternal and the patron getting involved in the play. It seemed like it should not have worked out to achieve whatever effect. And the whole idea of an "eternal" -- is that supposed to be something like a divine being to this alien race? But then Kelis ties the "eternal" up for 8 days and then it helps him write his play? Bizarre. Some things didn't play out as one thinks they should. I thought this could have turned into that Stephen King book "Misery". The scenes on Voyager with the search and Tuvok not sleeping were compelling enough. 2.5 stars for "Muse" -- the strong part of the episode is Dawson's acting although I think it should have been written differently (showing more anger/frustration). There is the bit about peace in the end from Kelis, which came across as a bit trite, but it is well-intentioned and I think that is a uniquely Trekkian quality about some episodes. Overall not very satisfying or significant.

@Ferdinand Cesarano: I think it's established in the series that by Voyager's time, combadges also serve double-duty as universal translators. So the shuttle's computer being off-line would not have been a problem. That said, I particularly dislike how often the universal translator is misused throughout most of Star Trek. Quite often it's portrayed encountering a totally foreign language, from a newly discovered species, and making perfect translations on the fly. Not to mention the fact that it most also be somehow using holographic projection to make sure that the alien's lips match perfect English. And it ensures that facial expressions and body language never TOO foreign to the bearer of the UT. It's lazy writing, and only a few episodes actually deal with the concept of first contact, without over reliance on the UT. It feels like a lazy hand-waving way to get around the actual formidable challenges Voyager or the Enterprise should encounter every time they meet a new species. I get that the writers can't get too bogged down in this kind of detail, but it's never really paid more than just lip service (if you'll forgive the pun).

Prince of Space

OK... while we’re on the subject of the Universal Translator, my favorite part is how when they first hail a brand new species it works right off the bat before the other species has even said anything. Now *that’s* some damn fancy technology right there. But yeah, we all get it. The show would be tedious if every time they met a new species, 20 minutes was devoted to them spewing gibberish at each other until the UT could accumulate enough data to function. I’m OCD enough to kind of let these sorts of things bother me, yet whimsical enough to usually be able to ignore them. But not always. The hailing a brand new species and the UT working right off the bat gets me every time. haha

I like this episode and the general meta-commentary, and the way the episode dances back and forth between the play-Voyager and the real one. Self-indulgent? Sure, but that's appropriate for a send-off for Menosky (even if he does write Unimatrix Zero, which, uh, let's count this one as his last real one), who can't help but compare himself to the Bard when he exits (see also opening Emergence with The Tempest). The idea that storytelling can Change The World is a starry-eyed hopeless dreamer romantic's attitude, and, hey, it's part of the Trek mythos that Star Trek helped change the world, so we can maybe let them get a little carried away. B'Elanna mostly is a good presence in the episode, too, and I appreciate that the episode elides her Klingon-ness almost entirely. However, the episode still runs into problems with the ending: not only is B'Elanna's insistence that she must go and fix the play's ending weird in and of itself, and not only is the depth of her emotion unearned, but I really can't even make out what her transporting away is supposed to even mean. Is she trying to show that she was a real alien all along? Wow the patron with special effects? The most likely explanation I have is that it really is a combination of the two, and that she really does want to show that she's a magical creature for these puny mortals, which will give the play some heft by showing that there really is a real Voyager fantasy place where dreams can come true, but you know, I know she's not the most dutiful rule-follower, but I'm straining to think -- isn't there some kind of...first...order...about revealing yourself to be an alien or god to some pre-warp civilization? Given that this is a metanarrative episode about Star Trek, you would think that one of the defining rules of the franchise would maybe come up, when relevant. It's weird of course that she had already let her forehead ridges (and lack of whatever the people on this planet have) go without comment, but at least there was some hint that maybe she was supposed to be just a normal person with a weird head, that that's the way things were Over There, rather than being an actual Eternal or whatever the transporter beamout would seem to suggest. I think on the metafictional level, though, I think maybe the ending is actually meant to be between Menosky and Voyager, the characters and the show: Menosky, as the poet, actually gets a chance to meet and be saved by the fictional character, who leaves him behind, back to his life. It is touching, in its way. It's a little slighter than I'd remembered and I find the ending unsatisfying, but still a strong showing -- 3 stars.

toast crunch

good episode. It actually painted belanna in good light and gave her some needed character development as she tries to forge peace between the land she is in and the unseen neighbor. 69 stars out of 71.

Lavenderchartreuse

Very interesting review..thank you for the extra depth...excellent commentary on your part. I mostly enjoyed the episode, but found the ending a little confusing. I didn't really see how B'elanna disappearing made any sense in the plays storyline, but maybe I missed something. I generally DO like an occasional episode that show us a bit of depth of character, or something that is playfully different. I love sci-fi, but I only buy into it if I care about the people and, as long as every episode doesn't turn into a soap opera, I enjoy a little excursion into something unusual or insightful. On the negative side, (Its possible someone already mentioned this, I didn't read through everyone's responses), the thing that jarred me out of the story was that B'elanna could read the note that she was given by the messenger. Uh, either he can write in her language, or she can read his. What?! Lol. Otherwise, I enjoyed it.

A couple of things: - Beaming out in front of a not advanced civilisation: they were already believing in “Eternals”. This didn’t change much. It did help if it prevented a war. - universal translator: it has long been established that when it works, it works flawlessly as if everyone speaks English. It is a standard Trek convention so that a story can be told in 40’ People shouldn’t get stuck in trivial issues and instead should try to enjoy the fiction part. Otherwise, Wikipedia has some amazing articles that are highly scientifically and historically accurate ;)

At first I was quite afraid of the episode being boring but it won me over. Reading in the review that this was the last episode written by a longstanding write of Trek makes everything come together. The basic story of the episode is that of the struggle between a writer and the need to a satisfy a needing patron who demands a new spectacle every week. It seems Menosky knows the Trek audience quite well, judging from the angry comments if the people who missed their hardcore “science” dose for a week ;) This was at at the of the sixth season out of seven, so the show can be allowed some self-reflection and the writers comparing themselves with Aristophanes and Shakespeare :) More explosions and technobabble next week!

Interesting concept, well done. Our guest star does a good job. I was confused about how B'Ellana survived eight days in the shuttle, unconscious . . . I guess I can assume our rescuer managed to get some liquids down her. I liked the way the "play" was done. Well done! Haven't read the review or comments yet but am quite curious to do so, as this was an unusual outing. Later, gators.

Comments on the commentary: --I liked Tuvok's sleeplessness and snoring. I think it helped make a point the episode repeated in various ways: Caring isn't ultimately expressed emotions (kissing, crying). It's expressed by effort, by actions, not lip service. --The use of the shuttles in Voyager: I've always had the impression that this was to allow the shop to do several things at once: Get supplies, explore, etc. --The UT: No use worrying about this aspect.

B'Elanna is awesome and I thought she looked hot in this episode, therefore I liked it.

Sean Hagins

A very good episode. Different-and I wouldn't want the entire series to be like this, but it makes a nice change. I like how the episode ends without telling us the patron's reaction. Will he lay aside his pride and warmongering ways? Let us hope so, but we will never know. I too liked Kelly Waymire-I always thought she was quite talented-and cute too. A shame about her early death, but I believe in the bible's promise of a resurrection, so soon she can live again. Despite the lack of flashy things one associates with sci-fi, this episode is typical Star Trek to me. It is entertaining, and also shows us that we can put aside pride and violent tendencies if we decide to. I don't have the problem with Harry Kim that many have here, so I didn't mind his last minute appearance-in fact worrying/wondering what happened to him for most of the episode adds spice to the show!

Jeffrey Jakucyk

When this episode came up during my rewatch, I pondered momentarily the idea of skipping it. In all of 90s-era Star Trek (TNG, DS9, and VOY) the only episode I generally skip is TNG's Shades of Grey. I can enjoy the bad ones for their badness and generally don't get as flustered about it as others do. So why do I dislike this one so much? I'm still not really sure. I consider it very boring, but not because it's talky and non-action-y. I like plenty of episodes that fall into that category (The Measure of a Man, The Drumhead, The Inner Light, Family, Duet, The Wire, Far Beyond the Stars, Living Witness, Author Author). I applaud them for not inserting a space battle with the hard-headed alien of the week this time. Maybe part of it is that I don't care for theater or theatrical acting. In that case perhaps the scenes of Barclay and Riker acting for Crusher's plays in TNG are short enough that they don't bother me. Picard's "bad" acting for DaiMon Tog's sake at the end of Ménage à Troi is a highlight of the series ("My love...is a fever.") The similarly bombastic style of Kovat, Chief O'Brien's public conservator in Tribunal is also fun and silly. I guess this episode was just too plodding and serious? It might also be that I'm not a fiction writer. I do some writing, but it's of an historical nature, documentarian, so this tale of inspiration and contemplation just doesn't resonate with me, I guess. I'd much rather watch the previous episode, Live Fast and Prosper, for all its campiness and wink-winks to the audience, despite its clichéd tropes and plot holes.

I felt like Tuvok during this episode. Zzzzzzzz

Matthew Siegel

I weirdly liked this a lot, even though on its face it doesn't seem that interesting... the way it gradually became about the creative process as a whole was just engaging. Perhaps because I did not expect that to be the theme of the episode, but it's a unique and interesting theme that works here.

Todayshorse

Hmm Torres manages to land on a planet full of luvvies. Luvvuies who manage to speak in a slightly damok style and one manages to annoy the almost Seven rivaling Torres for hotness in her figure hugging grey under uniform. And annoy her he does with just about every word he says...'Vulcan!' Grrrrrrrr

To be or not to be! @Ken Egervari (very belatedly) If I may address one of your concerns of why Voyager goes-a-exploring along the way, I have a real life example about the famous BOUNTY vessel, in which Fletcher Christian led a mutiny and Put Captain Bligh and twenty of his crew adrift in a 21 foot launch in the Pacific ocean. Too long to relate the entire story here of course, but Bligh managed to sail in that little open boat over 3600 miles to safety with the loss of just ONE man! The point here is that in spite of the sheer terror of their predicament, Bligh still drew maps, charted islands, studied and recorded new plant and animal species, measured coastlines, etc. You see....he was a commander but also a professional...a scientist. This type of professionalism was and is today expected conduct of the true professional. Contrast that with Captain Edwards....the man charged with bringing in the mutineers.... Edwards just sailed to and from the island of Tahiti (near where the Mutiny took place) without so much as a look out his cabin window....and lost his ship to boot! This episode is interesting, but for my personal reflections it was marred by having one of my least favorite characters in Torres. In a way, after reading through the past comments I wonder if even some of the most serious detractors of this show might have all written more favorable reviews if they had known what was in store for the future of this great show. After Voyager and then Enterprise, there was the drought and then this travesty of an imitation called ST Discovery (my apologies to those that may like this show). For me, I have the rest of the series (VOYAGER) to view for the wonderfully first time!! So even if there is a less than great episode I will probably rate it as a work of a modern Shakespeare!

I thoroughly enjoyed "Muse". I liked watching the play within a play, and how Kelis used the Flyer's records to write his plays. (Why is some of that information in the records anyway?) Kim's part may have been unnecessary, but seeing B'Lanna happily greet him by name made me think back to when she was calling him "starfleet". Quite a change after all they've been through as one crew. And the fact that B'Lanna found the kissing extraneous, when it was she who wanted more romance in Tuvok's holonovel from "Worst Case Scenario". And Kelis' last lines, talking about Earth as a place where hate had no home, almost moved me to tears, wishing it were so. Sometimes Trek writers really know how to touch my heart, schmaltzy as it is.

I didn’t mind the episode, I just didn’t really understand that playwright’s own obstacle- isn’t “Janeway” showing mercy on the “Queen of the Borg” for the sake of both societies a clear enough conclusion? What exactly did B’lanna’s appearance add or clarify?

"(Away missions in shuttles or the Flyer are more dangerous than they can possibly be worth; when was the last time one didn't end with a crisis or crash?)" One could argue that there were many away missions that were uneventful, and were never shown as episodes.

Sleeper Agent

This is the second time in a row now, that we get an episode with barely no Seven; but instead it's all about B'Ellana, and thank God for that! A beautifully paced story with a wonderful theme and a flawless performance by Roxann Dawson. I really like B'Ellana and unfortunately I feel many of the episodes focusing on her lacks in story and execution. Therefore "Muse" is a real delight. 3-3,5 Stars.

After barely stomaching Alice, I was wary of watching this. I always loved B'Ellana the character, but the writers made her very one dimensional for no good reason. I don't count her interactions with Paris as a positive - he's been a wet noodle of a character from the start and ought to have been tossed out an airlock early on. That said, Dawson gives a hell of a performance here in a unique story that has given me more respect for Voyager. I can't fathom why they sidelined so many excellent actors. Is there even one Chakotay episode? There are dozens about the doctor who is an emotional infant and rarely has a scene I'd call challenging. I found the story inventive and unpredictable, which is what I love about SF. Fearless writing that, I'm sorry to say, was rarely seen outside of DS9.

Three and half stars? Seriously?

I would have given it 1 star, but after reading your review, you’ve swayed me up to 2. Knowing this was Joe Menosky’s Voyager swan song, that feels about right. Menosky has written some of my Trek all time favorites and all time duds, so right in the middle is fitting. I appreciate what he did here, and the acting was great, it was just a little too on the nose for me. I found it to be rather pretentious as well. Not a terrible episode, but the pedestal you put it on is a little too elevated.

Tannhaeuser

This is one of the best. A thing about these so called "science fictions" on TV. There is no science in them, but technobabbles and excuses to blow up in unrealistic ways to satisfy certain juvenile impulses that we all have. The fictions are more important and this writer always put fiction first and spectacles last. Darmok is another.

EventualZen

@Nathan Tue, Apr 1, 2014, 1:53am I was also thinking that they breached the prime directive by beaming up B'Elanna in front of a pre-industrial society. It's things like this that make me sympathise with people who think Janeway flip-flops on her ideals. Don't get me wrong, I like Voyager but I can see their point.

Very different, I enjoyed it. They really need to keep tethers on the delta and those darn shuttles. Have they ever flown one without a crash?

Bob ( a different one)

This is one of the best written episodes in all of Trek. Menosky expertly blends science fiction, Greek theater, and a metanarrative about writing for network television while adding new facets to the characters of Tuvok and B'Elanna. Oh, and he also manages to wrap everything up with an optimistic Trekian message. All in a 45 minute script. ..... Jammer said: "But there's some off-kilter-ness to the way Layna attempts to expose B'Elanna and the way the patron assumes it to be part of the act. " The patron makes that assumption because the events parallel the common theater tropes that Kellis listed. From the script: KELIS: That's exactly the problem. Where is the mistaken identity, the discovery, the sudden reversal? Mistaken identity, a character who is someone else. Discovery, the moment when that identity is revealed. Reversal, a situation that turns from good to bad in a blink of an eye. .... Jammer and others also have a problem with Torres being emotional at the end. Torres has been plagued by doubt and self recriminations her entire life. Now she has met someone who literally thinks she is an inspiration, a Muse, a goddess, someone whose mere words can bring about peace. I can see how someone who has always hated herself could get emotional when meeting someone who not only accepts her, but venerates her. ......... Some people mentioned a possible Prime Directive violation by B'Elanna at the end when she beams up in clear view of the audience. Take note of this comment by Victoria G: "People may not realize that this episode is taken straight from Greek theater. Many will recognize the chorus and the masks, but there are three types of plot twists that are included. Two were described by Aristotle – the reversal of fortune (Peripeteia) and the moment of recognition (Anagnorisis). Then there is the Deus ex Machina at the end." "Deus ex Machina" From Wikipedia: The term was coined from the conventions of ancient Greek theater, where actors who were playing gods were brought onto stage using a machine. The machine could be either a crane (mechane) used to lower actors from above or a riser which brought them up through a trapdoor. B'Elanna was just giving the audience exactly what they expected. P.S. R.I.P. Kellie Waymire

Loved it, thoughtful, different, VERY meta. Thanks for your comment Bob (a different one), quite interesting Also RIP Kellie

Bob (a different one)

Thank you very much, Facundo. This really is a very underrated episode, imo. p.s. One odd thing about this one - what happened to John Schuck? He's an actor with an extensive resume and has made numerous Star Trek appearances, but he's little more than an extra in this episode. I think he has only one line in the entire script outside of the chorus scene. Odder still, he gets a billing in the opening credits. Memory Alpha says that there were numerous rewrites during filming so maybe he lost some lines. If that's the case, it's a shame that they couldn't have given him the part of the actor playing "Logical Tuvok."

Here by way of search '"Muse" best Voyager episode ever'. I disagree with the author's claims we all want splozhuns. Nope. Nope. Nope. Depends what you call 'entertaining'. Seriously, I'm so bored with the 'action' sequences i simply mute the TV and play with the phone til it's over? Who's the implied majority who can't think? Better train them up- the future of human civilisation depends on it, because using them as factory fodder for capitalism is just working so well, isn't it 😜 I love this ep's devotion to the ancient art of storytelling. What a great premise (unmentioned in this article): how would a Star Trek story come across if told in a formalistic ancient fashion with zero frills? Kind of Lars von Triers Dogme style. It honours our history beautifully. I also disagree that you can't change the world with storytelling. In fact, you can ONLY change the world with storytelling. It's the scripts people live by -what they believe is possible/ appropriate/ expected of/ by people- that directs their every life decision! That includes people in positions of political/ economic etc power. The trick is: how to tell the story, to whom and to what for? The best STV ep ever.

""(Away missions in shuttles or the Flyer are more dangerous than they can possibly be worth; when was the last time one didn't end with a crisis or crash?)" One could argue that there were many away missions that were uneventful, and were never shown as episodes." Stef, beautiful 👌😄😄

Jeffery's Tube

I love this episode like crazy, although I fully understand why some people do not. My favorite part is B'Elanna raising two middle fingers to the Prime Directive at the end and beaming off the stage in front of the entire audience. Listen, B'Elanna Torres ain't Starfleet. Not really, when it comes down to it. And you just KNOW she didn't put that part in her report to Janeway. If you don't get a good chuckle out of that, I don't know what to tell you. She recognized it was a dramatic moment to make her exit and she took it. Oh and also how the magistrate afterward looks back at the actress who'd just called B'Elanna out for being an actual "eternal" and she just makes this gesture like "TOLD you!" Amazing. Listen, yes, I know it's something she really shouldn't have done. It seems relatively harmless, but the harm it may cause isn't always foreseeable, and that's the whole idea behind the Prime Directive. But the whole episode isn't really structured as being very "real." I mean, in the universe of the show, it's really happening, yes. But you know what I mean. I love that for once, rather than stringently playing by the "rules" and doing the right thing that show knows it should have done, instead it just winked at the audience and said "eh the hell with it, let's go with fun." I'm willing to accept that everything works out for the best for that society anyway despite the violation of the Prime Directive, like the show asks me to believe. Let's give this episode that supposition so that we can have our fun. The show can't ask this of us every time, or even multiple times, and expect us to respect it, but it can ask it of us once. Why not?

"as learned through the logs of the Delta Flyer, which along with its lone passenger, B'Elanna Torres, has crashed" I clearly recall Janeway telling Seven soon after she joined the crew that "I'm not accustomed to sending an away team of one".

Stevensa128

@Jaxon - Harry was on the mission as well. He'd taken an escape pod before the flyer crashed. He comes along later on in the episode and finds Torres having landed somewhere else on the planet.

@Nathan (April 1, 2014) "Contrite ending violating the Prime Directive by 'ascending' via the transporter. In front of a Bronze age culture no less. Aren't the writers ever looking at a Star Trek encyclopedia or a writers bible?" I, like you so many years ago, lament that the writers apparently never did take the time to index their own episodes. A decent index would have allowed them to increase the number of continuity references in their scripts enormously, while at the same time obviating discordant retcon stumbles. Such improvements would have made a lot of viewers happier. Although a lot of the mistakes are just funny and allow us to harmlessly nitpick them as a hobby, IMO. Glad to see the prime directive violated -- B'Elanna Torres' "ascending" gave this Bronze Age culture a visual rush of precisely the kind of phenomena it already seemed to believe in. @Jeffrey's Tube (June 22, 2021)-- good & valid point that B'Elanna "ain't Starfleet"... wouldn't it be interesting to have a character who aced everything at the academy, but who walked out after bombing on a prime directive pop quiz. An exploration of what the Maquis attitude about the prime directive might have been, would have made for a good episode or two, had the writers chosen to do that back in olden times (pre-2001). Add me to the list of episode-likers. It was quiet and controlled, devoid of extrovert-catering. Loved the ending sequence especially. Clearly this was inspired by ancient Hellenic culture...specifically warring city states in the pre-classical era, styled maybe like c. 630 BC...patron modelled on Cypselus of Corinth perhaps? although I can't say what theatrical traditions had developed specifically in Corinth at this juncture. Not a student of theatre. "Muse" is a good show! And it establishes as canon that some Vulcans do snore. Jammer's review is 'spot on.'

Chattering Chaingang

I like Jammer's review and I see the merits of the ep from his perspective, but how does he miss the major flaw that ruins what Menoskey was going for? Jammer and others admire it being a "character show" and like the understated emotion of the crew searching for B'Lanna while the stand-in Ancient Greek poet details the same story from an outsider's viewpoint. But where in this is B'lanna's emotion or motivation? Her drive to fix the Flyer and leave could be due to pragmatic survival issues and nothing else going by the script. Why isn't she having moments like Paris, Janeway, et al, fearing she'll never see those she cares about? Why isn't she in danger of hyperventilating at the thought of how important she is to the Voyager actually making it home, or caring about what they're doing to her engine room in her absence? She comes across as a the only stock character in a quiet character show about her. And, bizarrely, she seems to have deeper feelings about the poet she just met than everyone on Voyager. This ruined the episode for me, though I wanted to love it. I've always been impressed how fiction can, in fact, have a sometimes profound effect on people to the point of changing cultures (look at the effect Trek had on advancing technology, or culturally the famous scene of a white man kissing a black woman). In history I think of Ivan Turgenev writing A Sportsman's Sketches which after reading it caused Tsar Alexander II to free the serfs. The written word can indeed be powerful.

This really was something special. One good thing about having previously skipped episodes that sounded awful ("stranded during an away mission, Torres finds herself for a young poet's art"), I've at least left myself in the position of having personal "lost" classic episodes.

@Chattering Chaingang I'll agree Torres was acting strangely, but I assume she was delirious from injury, perhaps feverish. I don't think there's anything that directly indicates this, but she was unconscious for a week, suggesting a coma. Her all but complete disregard for the Prime Directive might point to that. Perhaps her inability to fix the Flyer's com system suggests this as well, despite being a famed Starfleet engineer. Plus, this world is steeped in dreamy archetypes, perhaps based on Greek archetypes. The Poet has an uncanny ability to convey the world of Voyager, even if imprecisely. The jilted lover behaves powerfully but obliquely.

And of course for Voyager, the trailer was ridiculously misleading: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=45fF7thHz98 Was that footage of the Flyer before crashing actually filmed then cut, or was it just taken from another episode? I never understood why Voyager's trailers were almost always misleading and way over sensationalized. It's a TV show, not a one off movie you might trick people into watching. And if a deceptive trailer works by bringing in viewers, those viewers aren't likely to be pleased. Meanwhile, a viewer who might have wanted to watch this quirky quiet episode may skip it.

"I never understood why Voyager's trailers were almost always misleading and way over sensationalized." It certainly wasn't limited to Voyager. The TNG promos were awful, always showing any battle, danger, or heightened drama or conflict, no matter how ancillary to the actual story. The trailer for Hollow Pursuits is a classic. It goes on about the Enterprise speeding to destruction out of control. Can the crew shut down the engines in time to avert disaster? No mention of Reg Barclay whatsoever, you know, the A plot.

True. What I really like in this episode is it just feels like a starship in operation. Losing a shuttle in the vast regions of space in an entirely unknown region isn't solved in a couple minutes of technobabble. Tuvok staying awake for days isn't relevant to the resolution, nor is Neelix all but demanding he go to bed. In weaker scripts, somehow that would be key. Here, it's just an officer worried about a lost crew. Even Janeway having to ask Chakotay how long Harry could survive in an escape pod is excellent. It certainly feels like a retcon because Janeway would usually have that information on the tip of her tongue. In the actual situation of Voyager in the Delta Quadrant, I do believe Janeway would have this information down cold, but it is nice to see how the captain would usually need this information from her XO. I do believe Voyager had a much longer weaning period than TNG and DS9, but imho, it had a fantastic late series run. Seven was part of that but it wasn't just her.

TheRealTrent

IMO this is one of "Voyager's" greatest episodes, and a good parting-shot by Joe Menosky, one of Trek's most interesting writers. What I liked most about this episode was its self-reflexivity: this is essentially an episode in which a guy writes a script in which a character uses a heavy-handed monologue to convince a warlord not to massacre his enemies. To me, this encapsulates one of Trek's best features: the ability of a good, righteous monologue - often employed by Kirk or Picard - to save the day. Yes, that's hokey, and arguably naive or overly optimistic, but I like Menosky's enthusiasm for this very Trekkian trope. The episode's final cut-to-black is also particularly strong. We're never actually sure if the writer's sermon has any effect. For all we know, he's swiftly massacred by his patron. In this sense, you might say the cut-to-black both questions and preserves a certain kind of optimism (Schrödinger's utopia!). Beyond this, I thought the episode had a bravura quality. It takes skill and daring to set an entire episode almost entirely on just two sets. I wish modern Trek was more open to doing this- science fiction has a long history of conjuring whole worlds and cultures with just a few, simple gestures. This leads to a certain intensity when done right. On my recent rewatch of Voyager, I've noticed Torres has far more great episodes than I previously realized. Torres is almost up there with the Doc, Seven and Janeway in terms of excellent scripts dedicated to her. In contrast, someone like Tom Paris arguably only has one or two (The Chute? What else?).

@TheRealTrent Exactly This is quite ingenious because it runs on a TOS level conceit, of an Athens on another world, yet treats it earnestly with decades later production skill. It's completely meta but without the slightest moment of mocking the original show. I don't think a late 60s tv show with its inherent weaknesses should be unflinchingly worshipped, but this is a very nice way to do update it.

A truly great episode of Trek and among the best of Voyager's entire run. There are so many layers to this story's meta-textual ideas (including the elusiveness of artistic inspiration, the internal and external pressures artists navigate, and the challenges of working within prevailing social constructs), but the grandest of them is one that draws from the very essence of Trek. Stories, at their best and most enduring, are myths with archetypes who have the unparalleled ability to stir our hearts and our minds; to imagine different and better paths; to change individual lives and transform societies; to preserve the hope and dream of human betterment. 4 stars unequivocally.

"Blow" is an irregular verb. The correct sentence would be "... stuff getting blown up."

Thanks, but I will continue to use "blowed up" until my inner child has fully growed up. https://youtu.be/uHkvD7-u7y8 https://youtu.be/td4VEGiIQmk

JJ Not Abrams 8-)

A wonderful episode and it's ok that it doesn't work for all viewers. What does work for everyone is Jammer Reviews, happy to see people posting so many years after these Trek episodes premiered.

It's crazy, I've watched this a couple dozen times-- in under a year-- and it always works for me. Despite having about the worst premise possible for me... it might as well have been "Neelix takes knitting lessons in Fair Haven". The even crazier thing... I loved it without getting any of writer Menosky's meta subtext about this being about the challenges of writing for the actual show. I'll apologize to Jammer: I never read his review on this until just now and so I posted without reading it. I certainly don't usually do that. I don't recall why, I suspect I thought the review was ridiculously long for a stupid sounding premise, then posted because I was thrilled. This episode is like a Mandelbrot plot. No matter which part you look at, it's interesting and no matter how deep you look at it, it's interesting.

I like the plodding weird ones at times because I'm polymorphously perverse, but you're right, they should change the name of that little ship to the Delta Crasher.

A thoroughly ridiculous episode. Not sure what some of you are seeing in it. It's not science fiction or entertaining.

Black Oatmeal

What we see in it is good writing. If you've been watching a lot of post-DS9 Trek recently you may have forgotten what it looks like. The episode is working on multiple levels. There's more going on than just another show about a crashed shuttle. Read some more of the more thoughtful comments in this thread and give it another watch.

Actually, I despise post trek. If you think this episode was well written sci-fil you have very low standards. it's hardly Cause and Effect - or any number of great episodes. This one is a meandering bore fest - and a pretentious one at that.

Gilligan’s Starship

@Silly Agreed. If you were to tell me the premise of this episode, I would have no interest in watching it & you couldn’t convince me that something like this would even work. Even as I watched it, I kept wondering “How are they pulling this off so well?” The writing was great, but they also cast competent actors in the guest star roles (something that Trek can be very hit-and-miss with). And the main cast all turned in solid, believable performances, as well. 👏👏👏

From earlier posts, the issue of the Prime Directive ... It's a good point that Torres isn't Starfleet because I'm sure an officer would be court martialed from that transporter stunt at the end. In a broader sense, I'm quite happy the episode didn't get into the horribly tiresome Prime Directive morass. Done to death and then some. But while I love the episode, it strikes me that this civilization may be a poster child for why the PD exists in the first place. Getting some "A Piece of the Action" vibes here: Kellis showed a dazzling ability to learn Starfleet tech. He learned to talk to the computer well enough to run the logs and figure out a surprisingly accurate account of Voyager's plight. He lives in a world without even electricity. He also makes notable intuitive leaps, such as realizing the Flyer has a "memory" and that "winter's tears" is dilithium. This gets worrying when you realize that Kellis's Patron would almost certainly want to learn more about what happened to Torres, and that he likely has the means to get it out of Kellis.

This is a special episode I think and a clear 4 star for me. You can nitpick details but the premise was so excellent that it outweighs any criticism. It's clearly science fiction too, not sure where people are getting that idea...it's about a futuristic alien interacting with a bronze age culture through the retelling of stories which are science fiction to us. Top 5 VOY episode.

I know so many people love this episode, but I just can't see it. It's ok, but nothing to make it rise above average for me

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"Muse" was the 144th episode of Star Trek: Voyager , the 22nd episode of the show's sixth season , first aired on 26 April 2000 . The episode was written by Joe Menosky MA and directed by Mike Vejar MA .

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Characters [ ], starships and vehicles [ ], locations [ ], races and cultures [ ], states and organizations [ ], science and classification [ ], lifeforms [ ], materials and substances [ ], technology and weapons [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], connections [ ], timeline [ ], external link [ ].

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Star Trek Voyager S 6 E 22 Muse » Recap

This episode has the following tropes:

• Adaptational Villainy : Kelis' play portrays Seven not as a reformed former Borg drone, but as the Borg's secret Queen whose Heel–Face Turn was simply a ruse intended to allow her onboard Voyager as the Collective's double agent.
• All Part of the Show : When B'Elanna herself steps onto the stage, Lanya denounces her to everyone as an Eternal. Some quick improv by Chorus Guy convinces the Autarch of this trope, and no one dares contradict him.
• Ancient Astronauts : It's implied Eternals are spacefaring aliens who've visited the planet in the past. Kelis says they have "The power to make the ground open up and the sky to fall — all the strange events sung by the ancient poets." Certainly Voyager can make the ground open with a photon torpedo or phaser volley, and the sky fall by having a main character take out a shuttlecraft on a routine mission near a Conveniently Close Planet .
• And the Adventure Continues : At the end of the episode B'Elanna beams up to Voyager in front of the astonished audience, and Kelis gives the Final Speech of his play. Kelis: These stories will continue for as long as we have the breath to tell them, and as long as our patrons remain wise and compassionate. And Voyager will continue on her journey to the gleaming cities of Earth where peace reigns, and hatred has no home.
• Aside Comment : In the play, Seven of Nine does this for The Reveal that she's actually the Queen of the Borg , plotting revenge against Captain Janeway. "Say nothing, or you too will be assimilated ." Once she leaves the stage Captain Janeway does the same, telling the audience she knows Seven's true identity and is planning a Batman Gambit . "Say nothing, or I will lose my advantage…and my ship as well."
• Beneath the Mask : Captain Janeway looks distraught when it appears Harry Kim didn't survive.
• Big Damn Heroes : After hiking 200 kilometers across country, Harry turns up with the transmitter component B'Elanna needs to let Voyager know where they are. B'Elanna: Harry Kim saves the day. Just the ending I was looking for.
• But Now I Must Go : In the final scene of his play, Kelis asks B'Elanna (the real one) to stay and continue to be his muse. B'Elanna replies that Voyager needs her, and he has all the inspiration he needs.
• Call-Back : To "Worst Case Scenario" with its arguments over the writing process and Leaning on the Fourth Wall humor.
• Lanya denounces B'Elanna as an Eternal – no one believes her.
• According to Kelis' first play, Harry advised B'Elanna to turn back to Voyager on hitting the subspace eddies, but she pressed on regardless.
• Chief Engineer Crash : Headstrong B'Elanna Torres wrecks the Delta Flyer .
• Composite Character : In-Universe . The play depicts Seven as the Borg Queen.
• Conveniently Close Planet : Justified; B'Elanna and Harry were searching for dilithium, and there's a deposit on the world where they crashed.
• Cool Old Guy : The unnamed old guy who leads the Chorus; even a real Eternal ascending to the heavens in front of him doesn't throw off his ability to Improv !
• Denser and Wackier : The Voyager crew are mythologized as hammy, horny Greek gods!
• B'Elanna Torres provides one for Kelis, who's short of a dramatic ending for his play.
• Stealth Pun : Kelis finds B'Elanna in the wreck of the Delta Flyer and believes her to be an Eternal, which, in effect, makes her a "god from the machine."
• Discussed Trope : In-Universe ; Kelis gets into an argument with one of his older cast members, who doesn't like the 'tricks' playwrights use to move their audience as opposed to finding the truth of the story.
• When one realizes that this was writer Joe Menosky's final Voyager script, one better realizes the correlation between the writer in the script, and the writers in the show's Writer's Room .
• Kelis arguing with an actor about his portrayal of Tuvok resembles a Paramount director trying to educate an actor who's never watched Star Trek on how to portray a Vulcan.
• The first chapter shows B'Elanna dying on the shore after her shipwreck. Executive Meddling forces Kelis to bring back the character (who fortunately hasn't died on him after all), but when the real B'Elanna won't provide a climatic ending… Kelis: B'Elanna Torres dies tragically. B'Elanna: (smiling) You wouldn't dare.
• When Kelis still can't think of an ending by performance time, he sends his muse a note: "Without inspiration, B'Elanna Torres will perish." B'Elanna turns up in time to provide the dramatic yet Happy Ending he wanted.
• Dramatic Necklace Removal : The Autarch casually plucks a jewel from his Hot Consort and tosses it to Kelis as a reward for his first play.
• Dramatic Thunder : B'Elanna wants Kelis to get dilithium from the Autarch's hunting grounds. As he'd be executed if found there, Kelis is understandably reluctant. At that moment a coincidental roll of thunder sounds. Kelis' eyes widen as he says, "Did you...?" B'Elanna plays it beautifully, leaning forward and saying with menace, " Don't get caught."
• Escape Pod : There's one on the Delta Flyer (as established two episodes before in " Good Shepherd "), but only with the resources to survive around nine days — Janeway then discovers Harry had to eject ten days after this happened. We later find that Harry followed the Flyer 's warp trail, rather than try to get back to Voyager .
• Faceless Goons : The Autarch has two helmeted bodyguards.
• Flanderization : The protagonists in Kelis' play are all defined by a single characteristic. Headstrong B'Elanna Torres , Young Harry Kim , Logical Tuvok , Captain Janeway versus Seven of Nine aka the Queen of the Borg . This fits with the classic Greek play vibe of the episode, e.g. "Wise Penelope" from The Odyssey .
• Foreshadowing : Kelis complains of the lack of drama in his play. "Where is the mistaken identity, the discovery, the sudden reversal? Mistaken identity — a character who is someone else. Discovery — the moment when that identity is revealed. Reversal — a situation that turns from good to bad in a blink of an eye." All of these events happen to Kelis and B'Elanna.
• Giant Wall of Watery Doom Chorus: A wave as high as a mountain struck the Delta Flyer...
• God Guise : Downplayed in that the crew inspire a play as opposed to a religion. The locals view of Eternals is of powerful beings to be wary of, rather than gods to be worshipped. For instance, Kelis warns B'Elanna that if the Autarch captures her, he will force her to fight his enemies .
• The Great Repair : B'Elanna can't fix the Delta Flyer (among other things, all propulsion is damaged, and the front window is shattered) but she does succeed in repairing the subspace transmitter.
• Greek Chorus : In their traditional role as The Narrator .
• Green-Eyed Monster : Lanya walks off in a huff when Kelis introduces B'Elanna as another poet. When she discovers the truth she's even more upset; how can she compete with an Eternal , who might well be the very B'Elanna Torres her lover is obsessed over? She begs B'Elanna to leave and threatens to expose her if she turns up at the performance.
• Ice Queen : Lanya has trouble enacting Seven's haughty demeanour. Kelis: No, no, no, no! Seven of Nine is a Borg — the scourge of the Eternals. You're portraying her like a shy bride on her wedding night!
• Infinite Supplies : Averted; the Delta Flyer crashes, but is presumably recovered as always. The mission itself was a search for dilithium.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall : The entire episode is this for Voyager's writers, perhaps even Star Trek writing as a whole.
• The Men First : In Kelis' first play, Headstrong B'Elanna Torres orders Young Harry Kim to Abandon Ship while she pilots the Delta Flyer on the verge of a warp core breach. He refuses, saying " We die together. " B'Elanna replies, "No one is going to die — go!"
• Most Writers Are Writers
• Mr. Fixit : Lampshaded by B'Elanna. "I'm an engineer — I fix things." The damage to the Flyer , however, is too extensive to repair on her own, and even the alloy component Kelis has made using local craftsmen has too many impurities for her to use it with the subspace transmitter. Then Harry turns up with the emergency transmitter from his escape pod, enabling her to construct a rudimentary Subspace Ansible .
• The Muse : B'Elanna for Kelis.
• Muse Abuse : Seven of Nine (whom B'Elanna always finds annoying) is the villain of the play, seducing Tom Paris and plotting to destroy Captain Janeway. In fairness, B'Elanna isn't taking the play very seriously and much of this is likely Kelis's idea for Rule of Drama .
• The Needless : After forgoing sleep to search for their missing crewman (he is, after all, Vulcan, and can go for weeks without sleep ), Tuvok falls asleep on the bridge, snoring loudly.
• Not So Above It All : B'Elanna gradually gets swept up in Kelis' enthusiasm, delaying her own rescue to provide him with the dramatic ending he wanted.
• Obscured Special Effects : When B'Elanna walks on stage and announces that she's going to ascend in a dazzling blaze of light , the elderly Chorus Guy quickly improvs the line "On a far away snow-covered peak", no doubt with this trope in mind.

• Overworked Sleep : Tuvok, you really should've had a nap or something. Then you wouldn't be falling asleep in front of the crew, in the captain's chair.
• Paper-Thin Disguise : Kelis introduces B'Elanna as a poet from across the Eastern sea, even though she's got a different kind of forehead . Presumably, his fellow performers just assume everyone from the mysterious East looks like that .
• Patrick Stewart Speech : Captain Janeway to Seven of Nine/The Borg Queen, in the climax of Kelis' play. Janeway: The battle is over. Go home! Seven/Queen: How foolish of you to let me go. Free to attack you again! Janeway: And again. And again. Until all your drones and all my crew are destroyed, until everything we value is gone and there is nothing left...but our hatred .
• The Power of Love : Kelis thinks that by filling the play with romance, his patron's heart will be filled with love instead of anger. B'Elanna points out that it's not that simple — from the Autarch's point of view, he's surrounded by hostile enemies, so love is the last thing on his mind. Coming from one half of Voyager 's Official Couple , this might not be convincing to fans, but it does apply to Captain Janeway , who deals with a life-threatening crisis every week .
• Prime Directive B'Elanna: What exactly do you want to know? Kelis: Everything. B'Elanna: It's not possible. We Eternals have our rules. We can't just... give everything away.
• Reaction Shot : The expressions shown by the Autarch as he watches the play show it is making an impact, but as everyone knows, a bad ending could still ruin everything.
• Self-Insert Fic : The Autarch assumes this is why Kelis had himself finding a dying B'Elanna after she crashed.
• Shipper On Stage : Kelis proudly shows off Voyager 's first on-screen J/C Fan Fic . Tanis-Janeway: Chakotay, why must I be denied what every other female officer on this ship can have? Jero-Chakotay: Captain? Tanis-Janeway: The privilege of your touch. Cue Big Damn Kiss . B'Elanna gives Kelis a WTF? look.
• The Show Must Go Wrong : By performance time, Kelis still hasn't thought up an ending to his play and his patron turns up in foul mood. When B'Elanna arrives to save the show, his jealous lover publicly denounces her to his patron.
• Space Is an Ocean : Literally, as a poet who doesn't even know about Outer Space tries to put what he's heard into Layman's Terms his audience can understand. The Delta Flyer becomes a sailing vessel swamped by a huge wave. Voyager is a great ship searching for the beautiful island of Earth, after being blown off course by a storm. More or less accurate, actually.
• Spear Over Head : In the play's climax, Captain Janeway refuses to kill the Queen of the Borg, throwing aside her spear for a Patrick Stewart Speech on the futility of their Cycle of Revenge .
• The Stoic : Kelis gets into an argument with Jero, who portrays Logical Tuvok shedding a tear over his absent friends . Kelis: The land of Vulcan has no laughter, and it has no tears. It is a very quiet place. Calm, just like Tuvok. Jero: I can't believe that. Kelis: You don't have to, just don't cry. Jero: The audience won't believe it either. They'll either think Tuvok is an unfeeling monster, or that I am a bad performer. Kelis: They'll realise that beneath your unfeeling exterior is a heart that's breaking. Silently, and in more pain than any of us can possibly understand, because that's what it is to be Vulcan!
• Swiss-Cheese Security : Kelis is able to play the Captain's Log . Admittedly, the Flyer is smashed up, damaging who-knows-what security systems, and the log was probably running when the shuttle crashed.
• Tastes Like Friendship : B'Elanna's initial response to Kelis' desire for inspiration is to drive him away at phaser point. But knowing B'Elanna hasn't eaten for a while, he just returns the next day with some berries that break down her resistance. Kelis: Tell me about Earth. B'Elanna: I have to sing for my supper, huh? Kelis: We all do, in one way or another.
• A Threesome Is Hot : But not hot enough; B'Elanna tells Kelis he'll have to do better than Harry kissing the Delaney sisters to win his patron over.
• The Unreveal : Kelis explicitly hoped that his play would convince the Autarch to avoid a war(which is likely at least part of the reason B'Elanna decided to help save the play). While the Autarch does seem moved by the performance, the episode ends as soon as the play does, and we never find out whether it worked.
• Waking Non Sequitur : Paris: (whispering to Tuvok, asleep in the captain's chair) Tuvok. Tuvok. Tuvok: (startled awake) As you were!
• Worst Aid : Kelis cuts B'Elanna to release the heat of her fever. She insists he let her use a dermal regenerator instead.
• Writing by the Seat of Your Pants : In-Universe . Kelis has only one week to write and perform a play that will please his patron. By the time of performance, he doesn't have an ending, and his actors point out that they won't have time to learn it anyway.
• Star Trek: Voyager S6 E21: "Live Fast and Prosper"
• Recap/Star Trek: Voyager
• Star Trek Voyager S 6 E 23 Fury

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A well-meaning alien poet discovers an unconscious B'Elanna Torres after her crash landing in the  Delta Flyer . He uses her  Voyager  stories to inspire his theatrical work, composing plays based on the crew and their life on the ship to win favor with his Warlord.

Tony Amendola

Kathleen Garrett

Kellie Waymire

Joseph Will

John Schuck

Stoney Westmoreland

Michael Houston King

Jack Axelrod

Majel Barrett Roddenberry

Cast appearances.

Kate Mulgrew

Robert Beltran

Roxann Dawson

Robert Duncan McNeill

Ethan Phillips

Robert Picardo

Garrett Wang

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Muse Stardate: 53896 Original Airdate: 26 April 2000

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Star Trek: Voyager's Biggest Mistake Happened In The Pilot, According To One Writer

The premise of "Star Trek: Voyager" was full of promise. In the pilot episode, "Caretaker," the title ship is assigned to apprehend a rogue vessel piloted by a terrorist group called the Maquis. The Maquis were an anti-Federation group that resented the organization's clumsy diplomacy, and tendency to kowtow to violent species like the Cardassians. The Maquis played a small role in late episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and they provided a tantalizing philosophical counterpoint to Gene Roddenberry's utopian future; we seem to be living in a universe without want, and the Federation seems to exist to provide equity to the galaxy, but there are still many people who aren't getting what they need. The Maquis aimed to rectify that.

During the scuffle, the U.S.S. Voyager and the Maquis ship are both unexpectedly whisked clear across the galaxy by a godlike alien being. The whisking damages both ships and the Maquis have to transport to the Voyager to survive. Now both crews are stranded 70 years from Earth, forced to live together on a ship with a limited crew and no access to renewable resources.

This was a premise ripe for drama, as it came with the interpersonal conflict baked in. The Starfleet officers and the Maquis would constantly butt heads, but neither group could abandon the other, as they needed one another's know-how and elbow grease. Over the course of the series, audiences would see if the desperate, lonely situation would force the two crews together, or drive them to antagonism. 

Writer Ron D. Moore, however, felt that anything exciting about the above premise was abandoned almost immediately. In the oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Moore went on the record with how all of the show's potential drama was essentially solved at the end of the pilot. Any drama between the Maquis and Starfleet was instantly laid to rest. 

Read more: Every Star Trek Show And Movie In Chronological Order

The Maquis Vs. Starfleet

By the end of "Caretaker," Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) had come up with a novel solution to the potential headbutting between the Maquis and the Starfleet officers. She gave a field commission to the Maquis commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and made one of their most skilled engineers (Roxann Dawson) the Chief Engineer of the Voyager. Several other Maquis officers were also given uniforms and asked to serve as officers on board the ship.

Sadly, there weren't too many episodes, post-pilot, exploring how the Maquis felt about that. There were a few mentions of the Maquis here and there, but it was all eventually abandoned, with Janeway overseeing a crew that she insisted was a family. Chakotay was so diplomatic, that there didn't seem to be any conflict at all. The Maquis seemed a little too eager to put on the Starfleet uniforms they previously claimed to hate, and everyone fell back on a very usual "Star Trek" routine. The idea of two enemy groups relying on each other for survival in deep space seemed to evaporate. At least, that's how Moore felt. He said:

"When the Maquis put on those Starfleet uniforms at the end of the pilot, the show was dead. That was the biggest mistake, because they went through this whole thing to bring on their enemies. [...] Here are Starfleet officers who had become terrorist resistance fighters, guerrilla warriors. The Federation has got them on the run and both of these groups are thrown in a ship on another side of the galaxy and forced to live together. You'd think that's the setup for a major show about conflict, but at the end of the pilot they all put on the Starfleet uniforms and that's it.'

Gene Roddenberry may have appreciated the lack of conflict — he famously forbade interpersonal fights on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" — but none of the writers felt they had anything to work with.

Let's Not Make It Dark

One might think that the Maquis, even if they reluctantly accepted positions on the U.S.S. Voyager, would have been a lot angrier at Captain Janeway, as it was her decisions that left everyone stranded way out in the Delta Quadrant. It was brought up a few times, but it was, however, never a major source of drama. Moore felt many, many stories could have been mined from the baked-in resentment of the show's premise. Instead, the Maquis skipped to the part of the series — that should have logically come several years into the series — when they put on uniforms. 

Moore felt this was due to fear. "Deep Space Nine" was a darker show than its predecessor, "Next Generation," and it wasn't nearly as successful. Making another dark show about political enemies wasn't making anyone comfortable. Moore continued:

"It was a huge mistake. It should have been these two sides that were forced to work together that still don't like each other and still are gunning for each other, wondering who's going to come out on top. Who's going to betray who? It should have been gold, but [the showrunners] got scared. Unfortunately, the fact that DS9 didn't do as well as NextGen scared them and they didn't want another dark show that wasn't as successful. They wanted a show that was more like 'Next Generation' and easier to swallow and where people didn't have to think as much."

He said that everyone learned "the wrong lessons and said, 'Let's play it safe.'" 

As "Voyager" continued, even the idea of resource scarcity fell away. The ship never ran out of supplies, everyone was always well-fed, and it had enough energy to have the holodeck running 24/7. All the tantalizing ideas of conflict and resource management were pretty much abandoned, and the series settled into a pretty typical "Star Trek" series. 

Moore, meanwhile, took a lot of what he wanted to do with "Voyager," left the series, and launched his own TV show, the new "Battlestar Galactica."  

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Read the original article on SlashFilm .