OVEG: Blood Fever

Description: Sex and violence. Yes, it seems that Vulcans ain't so pretty when it comes to their sex lives. Strangely, we see neither hide nor hair of Ens. Kim this entire episode. Hmmmm.......

Getting back to the episode, Ens. Vorek is experiencing the Pon Fahr(tech: Vulcan equivalent of being on heat) and has chosen Torres as his mate. In the resulting struggle she is grabbed by the head and slams him to the ground (apparently, this does mean refusal; with Klingons you can never tell). The Doctor speaks with both Vorek and Tuvok, but little information is given, only that the only way to break the Pon Fahr is mating, severe meditation, or a battle over a mate. Vorek chooses the meditation with the Doctor monitoring him.

Meanwhile, Torres leads an away team for a dangerous journey into some abandoned mines to find Galacite, which can be used for the nacelles. She chooses experienced rock climber Tom Paris and former mining colony resident Neelix (kicked out by a Mr. Calrissian I'll bet). So, the trio head down and begin the extremely dangerous climb when Neelix, their load, falls and knocks Torres off her rope too, forcing them to fall thousands of milimeters and causing Neelix to injure himself enough to remain their load, but not enough to actually kill him dammit. Torres is extremely pissed off. I mean really, really pissed. She bites Tom on the face and runs off. Tuvok realizes that Vorek may have inadvertently initiated a telepathic mating bond that is now driving Torres into the Pon Fahr too, and he and Chakotay go down to take care of it.

They find Torres, who's quite pleased with her discovery of an underground power source, but not too pleased when the owners show up. After Chakotay succeeds in almost pulling off Voyager's first successful first contact, Torres freaks and starts attacking people, causing a cave-in that separates her and Tom from the others.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is testing his new subroutines: being a holo-pimp (take two of these and call me in the morning). Yes, the Doctor prescribes sex with a hologram. Talkabout unconventional therapy. After some coaxing the Doc convinces Vorek to give it a try.

On the planet, Torres starts demanding that Tom have sex with her.

Chakotay and Tuvok, after some work, manage to convince the locals that they're not here to cause trouble, and can even help them. They're hiding underground because some invaders (the Borg) wiped out almost all their people, and they're afraid they may come back. Chakotay offers to help them find new ways to disguise themselves, and peace is found.

Torres is still demanding sex.

Vorek, it seems, is fine, and the Doctor is quite pleased with his pimping and begins work on the Klingon Duce Bigalow. However, Vorek is not out of the woods yet, and he sneaks off and disables any means for anyone but himself to reach or contact the surface, showing once again that Voyager is less secure than a 7-11.

Torres is still demanding sex.

Finally, Tuvok and Chakotay find the two and rescue them, but Tuvok sees the look in Torres eyes and orders Paris to bone her. Before they can finish the job, Vorek shows up and initiates the mating fight, but Torres fights and kicks his Vulcan ass, setting all aright, and teaching us all that violence is a perfectly acceptable expression of sexual desire.

Comments:Rating this episode is very hard. Like Neelix losing his lungs I watch the screen quoting Milhouse: "I fear to look, yet I cannot turn away!" This is Star Trek: S & M that is so bizarre and so steeped in extreme sexual situations it's like those dirty fanfics floating around Usenet. Good gravy! Again, if you like slowing down for car wrecks, you'll probably give this an 8, near "The Phage" for pushing the morbid meter to the limits.

Also, I watched this one just after I watched Flashback, and the probe the Doc puts on Vorek is the same damn probe he puts on Tuvok in that episode! Even the same damn spot! But it's something else, of course; we're not recycling props, nope, not us.

Rating: 3

Fun Fact: It is a sign of good fortune to break a clavicle on the wedding night if you're a Klingon.

Best Moment: Tuvok ordering Paris to screw Torres. Man, can't you just see this in the recruitment films for Starfleet?
Paris: She's deep into the Pon Fahr, sir. What should I do?
Tuvok: The only thing you can do son, you must help her find release.
Paris: Are you sure sir?
Tuvok: Yes. You must [CENSORED] her twelve ways from Sunday. It's your duty as a Starfleet officer.[Music starts]
Paris: Alright, I'll do it. For the Federation, and for her.
Announcer: Starfleet! Where no one has gone before!

Stupid Neelix Moment: Neelix, load extraordinaire.

Continuity Question: Didn't the Vulcans on board realize they'd have to go through the Pon Fahr sooner or later? Why didn't they try looking for a solution earlier?

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