VOY: Imperfection

         Not a bad episode overall, but the presence of the Delta Flyer really bothered me. They blew it up in the two part episode that preceded this one so having it there was really odd. I checked and I guess they build a new one and just played the episodes out of order, but really? That makes a huge continuity problem where they really didn't need to be one. When I looked into it they pointed out that Tom is also wearing a wedding ring, so spoiler alert, I guess he gets married. But aside from those production problems this was a pretty decent episode. Teaching Seven that she can rely on others sometimes is a valuable lesson she hasn't really had to deal with up to this point. Cutting down to just one Borg child was also clearly a good call. Other than Haunting it has mostly been about Icheb anyway.
         We open with the three younger Borg children leaving the ship. Seven and Icheb are clearly both sad but Seven is quite surprised to find she is crying. In astrometrics Icheb asks for Seven's help in applying to Starfleet academy which he plans to do on the ship with instruction from Tuvok. That night she is unable to regenerate so she goes to the mess hall. In the morning Neelix is surprised to find her there and she insists she is fine right up until she collapses. It seems her cortical node is failing and she needs another one or she will die. Janeway takes the Flyer, which yes, we just saw destroyed, to salvage a destroyed cube. They find a cortical node on a dead drone no problem but have to fight there way out against other scavengers. Back on the ship the Doctor performs many practice surgeries but they all fail, the node from a dead drone isn't going to cut it. 
         Seven resigns herself to the idea that she is going to die and starts trying to prepare Icheb for life without her. But he isn't having any of it and comes up with a plan to remove his node and genetically modify himself to survive without it since is less dependent on his implants. Seven outright refuses but after she listens to him Janeway and the Doctor are up to give it a shot. Icheb then causes his body to reject his node to force the issue and the surgery goes forward and both survive but Icheb will have a long recovery. Seven feels super guilty but Janeway tells her she should feel cared for.

         Review: A good character episode with enough scifi to still feel like good Trek. Seeing Seven have to actually deal with her part on Voyager is always a good thing in my opinion. A point or so off for the crazy and blatant continuity problems. 

6 out of 10