I have to say this manages to be an actually good second half of a two part episode showing that having good second halves is maybe the one thing Voyager does way better than anybody else. This is also the farthest across the line into actually kinda evil behavior we have ever seen from a Starfleet captain with the only debatable example being In the Pale Moonlight. And even then Sisko was less clear on the cost he was paying for getting the Romulans into the war that Janeway, especially with Chakotay there telling her how wrong her behavior is. Now to be fair she didn't overrule him right there and probably didn't even give him the serious mark on his record she left with Kim. It is episodes like these that make me understand why maybe it really didn't make sense for Janeway and Chakotay to end up in a relationship.
We open where we left off with the crew of Voyager fighting the aliens on the bridge and the Equinox fleeing. Neelix finds the Doctor's emitter and Janeway takes it to sickbay to get him started working on Chakotay who was badly hurt in the attack. Nobody figures out that it isn't the right Doctor though and he quickly finds a way to contact Ransom. On the Equinox Ransom alters Voyagers Doctor to get him to start surgery on Seven that will destroy her but get him the codes she used to shut down his engine. She tries to talk him out of it but he doesn't listen, But the next time he turns on his personal holodeck for some beach time sees her there which shouldn't be possible. On Voyager Kim tries to come up with a way to talk to the aliens but they refuse to listen and keep attacking. Chakotay wants to keep trying but Janeway overrules him and gets him to start looking for places the Equinox could be hiding.
They locate the Equinox but the Doctor warns them before they can do any more than beam up two crew from the surface. Ransom manages to get away but Janeway decides she can get what she needs from the captured crew. She puts on in a cargobay and lowers the shields allowing the aliens to enter but Chakotay stops her from letting the man die. He gets the guy to tell him how to find the aliens who sold the Equinox the tech to contact the fuel aliens in the first place. For his trouble Chakotay is relieved of duty. Janeway tracks them down and forces them to help her negotiate. She agrees to let them destroy the Equinox in exchange for not attacking her. On the Equinox Ransom is clearly having ethical dilemmas. He doesn't stop the Doctor from destroying Seven but it is really bothering him.
Voyager tracks them down again but this time the Doctor gives them Voyagers shield frequency. Ransom decides he has had enough though and orders the Equinox's surrender but he is overthrown by his first officer. The lady who is supposed to take him to the brig turns out to be loyal to Ransom though and the two head to engineering. With the shield frequency the Equinox badly damages Voyager but Ransom turns the tables and starts beaming his crew to Voyager after warning Janeway. All but him and the bridge crew make it over including the Voyager Doctor who starts by deleting the Equinox EMH (who I still think comes back, but we shall see). The first officer refuses to give up but he and the bridge crew are all killed by the aliens. Ransom turns on his beach holodeck one more time as his ship explodes around him. The Doctor apologizes to Seven who accepts and then agrees to sing with him again soon.
Review: An interesting look into how determined a captain can be to be right, even when they are wrong. Interesting both from a story perspective and also for the ethical dilemmas it raises.
8 out of 10
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