Not sure if it was intentional but today's episode is also about suicide but in this case it is about why one should choose to keep living. It also moves the Doctor's character forward into the world of romance. It also seems like it exists as a vehicle to move the various subplots that have been building over the season forward. I don't really recall now the Chakotay/Paris feud resolves, but I know that it does eventually. It also at this point seems pretty forced and fairly out of nowhere, but I think I have had that complaint in all the previous episodes where it has appeared. Also the plot about the crewman on Voyager talking to the Kazon moves from information sharing to being about sabotage.
We open with Paris arriving late for his duty shift on the bridge and Chakotay being annoyed, but they are interrupted by the arrival of a small ship. The ship has only one occupant, a Vidiian female who seems to be unconscious with weak life signs. The Doctor finds her to be in very bad shape, but she has a neural implant that lets him project her consciousness into a holographic body unscarred by the phage. Chakotay and Janeway discuss the situation and agree to return her to her people. Chakotay also brings up Paris and the captain tells him personnel matters are up to him and she will support him on whatever he needs to do. In sickbay the Vidiian wakes up in her holographic body and introduces herself as Doctor Danara Pel. She is super stoked to not be in her falling apart body and not bothered to be a hologram for now.
The Doctor and Pel convince Torres to donate a tissue sample from her brain to help heal Pel and after the procedure the Doctor takes Pel to Chez Sandrine, Paris' holodeck bar/brothel. The two enjoy each others company and she gives him the name Shmullus after her uncle. Chakotay sits down in the mess hall with Paris who and the two start fighting about their differences and Paris walks out. We also see Jonas, the traitor, talking to the Kazon and eventually Seska who both ask him to prepare a plan to sabotage the warp coils on Voyager. Back in sickbay the Doctor his having a hard time concentrating and Kes notices. She tells him he should tell Pel how he feels, but he isn't so sure. He thinks about it though and mid-procedure tells Pel he loves her and asks what she thinks and she rejects him on the spot.
The Doctor visits Paris in his holodeck den and asks for romantic advice. Following Paris' tips he arranges a date on holographic Mars in an earth car and it goes great. The two kiss watching the sunset together. But back on the bridge we see Paris arriving late for work again to find that Chakotay has replaced him at con. Paris shoves Chakotay and is taken to the brig by Tuvok. Back in sickbay the Doctor is alarmed that Pel's real body is in bad shape and that the wrong drug has been administered. It seems Pel would rather live just a few more days as a hologram than return to her broken body, but he convinces her to go on living and we end in the holodeck with the two dancing together.
Review: The B and C stories kinda stepped on the A story a bit more than would be ideal, but overall not a bad episode. I always like to see Trek dealing with real issues of morality and ethics and this is definitely one of those.
6 out of 10
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