OVEG: Retrospect

Description: We see that Janeway is trying to trade with an alien named Kovin for someweapons, both hand-held and starship mounted. After some bartering they make an arrangementand they attempt to install the weapon, which results in Kovin being rude and Seven poppinghim one. Later, during the Doctor's check-up on Seven she starts to flip out over simplescans and an examination table. The Doctor believes she is showing signs of repressed memory and attempts to find out what they are. (He has added psychiatric information tohis program to improve his performance.)

The repressed memory reveals Seven being shot with a weapon by Kovin and strapped downto a medical table for experimental removal of her nanoprobes(Tech: See Scorpion, Part II).He then used some means to hide these memories from her. At this point the Doctor's on a witchhunt for Kovin, and the Captain considers it a good possibility. Only Tuvok displaysany skepticism. Kovin pleads up and down that it's not true, but the evidence seems to suggestthat Seven is right: they find nanoprobes regenerating in his lab. Kovin tries to get away ina starship, and manages to disapear for a while by disrupting Voyager's sensors.

In the meantime, Tuvok and Janeway attempt an experiment to see if the nanoprobes couldhave been released when Seven was shot by the weapon accidentally (which is what Kovin claimshappened). The results show that the facts are consistent with Kovin's story, but the hardpart is convincing him. He thinks they're trying to trick him and he starts shooting at them.There is a problem with his weapons and his ship then explodes. Everyone feels bad and thereis no happy ending. Oh, and the Doctor wants the subroutines that compel him to improvehimself removed, which Janeway denies.

Comments: Kovin is very interesting in this episode, coming off as a jerk insome instances and likable in others. Kudos to the actor for pulling this off so well(I believe it's the same actor who played Lt. Travis in First Contact).

As for the others, I have to say I was rather disappointed. The Doctor's encouragementof Seven to get angry at Kovin was an obvious mistake, and wound up making a bad situationworse. Janeway shows once again a complete lack of concern for her crew by allowing Kovin to fire shots that were probably intended to destroy Voyager without firing back! I understandthat she felt bad for having accused an innocent man, but if an innocent man is running downthe street firing a gun, I sure hope the cops take him down! Yeah it's not an easy decision,but that's why you're the captain!!

Rating: 7

Seven of Nine Moment: Seven knocking Kovin on his butt.

Stupid Neelix Moment: He doesn't appear at all in this episode. (I like to pretend he's riding on that target they blow up at the beginning.)

Continuity Question: Just something that puzzles me: Why should Seven pick this time,of all the times she was analyzed by the Doctor, to suddenly develop a fear of medical-scanning equipment?

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