VOY: Human Error

         I know from what I have read about the episode that this was supposed to have been about post traumatic stress, but I didn't see that at all while watching. I do get that Seven was experimenting with giving up her cold, Borg demeanor and wanted to see how people would react, but also it had a heavy fantasy element to it. Presumably since it isn't considered unethical people in Trek have fake affairs with their coworkers on the holodeck all the time, but in this case it has a double level of concealment since Seven doesn't want people to know she is opening up her emotional side. Honestly all I saw while watching this episode was that it was a set up for Chakotay and Seven to end up together by the end of the series. I will also admit I didn't really get why Chakotay and the captain weren't closer the first time through, but this time I totally get it. Janeway has cut herself off from the thought of relations with a member of her crew and also been quite a jerk to Chakotay over the years so I understand, I just don't see why he and Seven are getting together. 

         We open with Seven playing piano, but when we see her face her implants are missing. Cut to the mess hall where they are holding a baby shower for B'Elanna and Seven seems to be fitting in really well. She even gives a toast in the babies honor. Janeway discusses Seven becoming more human and offers her quarters and Seven even asks for a uniform. But this is interrupted when she is called to astrometrics by Janeway since she was just talking to Janeway. We quickly learn this has all been on the holodeck and things haven't really changed for her after all. In astrometrics Seven reports to the captain that she has been unable to figure out what is going on with some debris ahead but they all agree it isn't a problem. As she leaves Janeway tells Seven and Tuvok that she expects them at the surprise baby shower for B'Elanna but Seven tries to talk her way out of it. After telling Janeway she would go Seven instead heads back to the holodeck and ends up asking Chakotay on a date.

         Seven starts having some problems with her implants and complains to the Doctor at her physical but he is more worried that she hasn't been regenerating. On the bridge things start going bad quickly as the ship is rocked by a series of shock waves. Janeway and Tuvok head to astrometrics as Seven has discovered the explosions were caused by warheads, but not ones aimed at Voyager. Seven gets assigned the job of figuring out where they are coming from, but instead of working she heads to the holodeck to go on her date with holo-Chakotay. Things keep getting worse for her as she fails to be at her station the next time things go bad because she slept with holo-Chakotay and then spent the night in her holo-quarters instead of being at her station. She gets chewed out by Janeway and decides to break things off with her holo-boyfriend but collapses and summons the Doctor who sees what is going on. She tells him that she feels empty after losing Unimatrix Zero and has been experimenting with her humanity. He tells her that her implants won't let her feel strong emotions and she says she wants to keep them. She gets called back to astrometrics though as there are more warheads on the way. She gives the wrong information but then asks for transporter control to beam out the detonators. Janeway is dubious because of how she has been having problems but she saves the day. After she runs into Chakotay and clearly feels awkward, but he seems a little interested in her as we go to credits.

         Review: I don't hate the idea of Seven experimenting with romance, but the way she does it on the holodeck with simulations of real people came across as a bit creepy. The threat to Voyager B plot was ok, but not amazing either.

4 out of 10