I always say there should be more space con episodes and this one is a rather effective one. Sure there have been a few in Trek but it seems to me in a galaxy with people like the Federation in it there should be con artists in every space port. This episode also plays off the idea that Voyagers passage through is something people are talking about in the Delta quadrant and that certainly makes sense. While they may not be any more advanced than many of the peoples they meet they are clearly a unique visitor to most of the worlds they pass through.
We open with two miners preparing to make a deal with what turns out to be the crew of Voyager. Well, they think so, but when "Janeway" and "Tuvok" beam down we see they are two ridge foreheaded aliens trying to trick the miners out of a bunch of ore. They agree to trade a bunch of dilithium for it but as soon as they have it they fake an ion storm and flee. Voyager meanwhile is having a bunch of problems that turn out to be related to a stove burner Neelix traded for a few weeks earlier. Janeway is called to the bridge though since they have encountered the miners people, the Orek, and they are pissed that they didn't get their dilithium. They are hesitant to believe that they have been tricked but when they mention orphans being the ones Janeway needed the ore to help something goes off in her mind and she heads for the mess hall. She asks Neelix about the people he got the burner from and it turns out they used the orphan line on him too.
This lets them track down the con artists who are trying to sell membership in the Federation to a different group of aliens. When the real Voyager shows up they try to flee but are caught in a tractor beam. Voyager ends up fighting both ships and the con artists escape but not before beaming "Janeway" into the brig. The real Janeway tries to get her to talk which doesn't work so they send in Neelix to try and get her to join their side. But she hits him, grabs his phaser and escapes on the Delta Flyer. Just as she meets her co-conspirators Paris emerges from the med bay on the Flyer and activates the Doctor. "Janeway" joins her crew but they don't trust her. She convinces them to go with her to pick up the ore though but when they arrive she shoots one of them and the other shoots her but it goes right through. The real fake "Janeway" is still on the Flyer and this is the Doctor.
Review: Not quite The Sting, but definitely VOY's attempt at it. A fun episode with just enough twists to feel fun and not super silly.
7 out of 10
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