Finally an episode that I rather enjoyed! Still probably a better start than TNG so I shouldn't be complaining yet. Also this time at least Janeway only violated the prime directive unintentionally so that is certainly an improvement. I mean, sure it initially wiped out literally billions of lives, but they fixed it so whatever. Also, did they decide to throw out the "no time travel until fourth season" rule entirely? Two of the first three episodes have directly involved time travel in some form or another. This time it at least made sense in a clever way instead of just being poorly written.
We begin with Paris trying to talk Kim into joining him on a double date, but Kim has a girl back home and doesn't want any part. But before Paris can get going trying to date both sisters at once the ship is rocked by something. Janeway recognizes the techno-babble as meaning there has been a massive explosion. They find the source of the explosion, an M-Class planet with the remnants of civilization, but no life remaining. Janeway leads an away team to investigate (clearly the rule about captains not going on dangerous away missions has been revoked again, Kirk would be proud). While walking through the rubble Paris suddenly finds himself in an earlier version of the place with bright lights and people everywhere, but then he is back with the away team. Before they can beam out again though Janeway and Paris get pulled into the past. A kid sees them appear, but he serves no point other than yelling about them being demons the rest of the ep so don't expect to hear about him from me again.
They quickly get to the business of fitting in and trade their clothes for something more local, but for some reason keep their combadges in plain sight. Voyager starts investigating and Kes insists on joining the next away party. On the surface she can somehow sense the presence both of the people of the planet but Janeway and Paris as well. In the past Paris somehow figures out how long they have until the explosion using the local unit of time which is hella silly. The explosion will be the next morning. They run into a protest and are arrested when Paris trips a radiation alarm. It seems only people who are with the power industry give off as much radiation as they do but for some reason Paris and Janeway find this very confusing (I know they are supposed to be lying to hide their true identity, but failing to get something basic like this makes it obvious to everyone they are lying).
Realizing they have been infiltrated the rebels (yeah, the cops that captured them are actually rebels I guess) speed up their plan to sabotage a powerplant they consider to be too dangerous. Janeway then realizes that her arrival is what causes the planet to be destroyed. For no good reason the rebels bring her and Paris on their mission to the powerplant and when she tries to sabotage the mission they shoot Paris and rush in. But for some reason Janeway is able to get a gun and follow them inside. She threatens to shoot them but they point out that will kill all of them and possibly be the thing that destroys the planet. But just then Torres starts trying to blast through from the future and Janeway somehow realizes that the cutting through from the future is what dooms the planet so she starts shooting it with her phaser that the rebels brought along for some reason and it works. We are suddenly back in the opening with Paris trying to talk Kim into the date. And Kes comes to the bridge to make sure the planet is ok and it is fine.
Review: A solid TOS style episode that actually worked pretty well. Janeway is being set up as a Kirk figure and that is not as bad as I remembered. Keep it up and maybe I can actually make it through the next seven seasons!
6 out of 10
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