Hope And Fear

Pegn -- 20 May 1998, 9:27 PM

"Hi, I'm Captain Pollyanna Janeway...Come aboard my ship. Please, help yourself in accessing anything that requires top level security. Oh, we have something going on up on the Bridge. Hey, come on and join me in our command center. (But I've got a gut feeling that something's not right about you.)"

Duheeeee!

Ya gotta love the woman. She covers all bases.

Why is Seven so harsh to Harry? Actually she's harsh to everyone but she only makes Harry look like a dimwit. And he keeps on trying....oh, she did give him a slight smile in the alien ship's engineering section.

My favorite line:

Janeway to Seven: "Let's get weapons!" Arrh! Arrh! Arrh! (Security must have been an afterthought.)

Jason -- 20 May 1998, 10:19 PM

Sigh. Even I'm going to stop defending Janeway. Well, I had no problem wit Janeway letting Arturis accessing everything at the time, but now that I think of it, a guy who knows over 4000 languages only has one possible profession: con man/swindler.

But, hey, if Neelix says he's a great guy, Why not?

I cringed at the line you mentioned. In fact, I half expected Janeway and Seven to beam in toting their salvaged Hirogen phaser rifles.

Brrrrrr...

NOT my favorite episode.

Eric -- 20 May 1998, 10:40 PM

ARRRRGHHHHHH!!! I finally find a episode where I LIKE Janeway...and one of her biggest defenders stops defending her :-X This MUST be mirror Jason right?????

Delta Q -- 20 May 1998, 11:51 PM

"I'll defend Janeway even though I haven't seen the episode. Janeway could never do anything wrong, I won't ever believe she looked or said anything stupid. It's not possible. Must go now, I'm babysitting my niece and explaining to her little by little how fantastic Star Trek is. If only she didn't insist on playing with my Voyager model. It has warp drive and everything, even fires torpedoes. COOOOOLL.

Carol -- 21 May 1998, 5:15 AM

I'm just going to say....that if she hadn't asked Mr. "I Know 4000 Different Languages" to at least look at the encrypted messages, most of us would have been going "Well, why not?" (This is of course in the alternate universe where Arturis turns out not to some AOTW bent on revenge or anything :-).

Remember, Kate didn't become suspicious of him until everything started falling into place just a little too neatly (the "Chocolates on the pillows" remark had it dead on). Before then he was just some nice Alien who'd helped Neelix and Voyager obtain some much needed supplies.

How Arturis was able to plan his little revenge act and change the message (or moreover find out about it before hand) to lay the trap is something else...

Ginny -- 21 May 1998, 7:49 AM

Speaking of breaking out the compression phaser rifles...Did anyone else notice, in last week's episode, how the indentation on the top of the CPR [Compression Phaser Rifle] just fit right up under the curve of Seven's breast and conveniently shone a red light back to highlight said portion of the Borg Barbie's anatomy?

If this keeps up, her breasts are going to demand to have their own title credit.

Mike D -- 20 May 1998, 9:49 PM

I had "hope" for a good finale "and" I had nothing to "fear"...' Hope and Fear' was an excellent episode! And what a surprise the end was. I was deliberately ignoring any spoilers on this one, so I was really surprised to find it wasn't a two part cliff-hanger again. I expected something like Janeway and Seven arriving in Borg space and then a message "to be continued". How nice it was to have a complete episode instead.

Likes:

What a team, action Kate (she's the greatest) and Seven! When they work together these two are unbeatable. Talk about a dynamic duo. I like it much better when they're not at odds against each other. The mom and troubled daughter thing is wearing a little thin. In fact it's unbearable.

Chakotay was pretty cool this week.

Nice to see that when finally faced with the real option, Seven decided not to return to the Borg.

Dislikes:

I was hoping, for a change, we'd finally meet an AOTW that turned out to be the nice guy he appeared to be. Of course, that was too much to ask for. I also thought Kate was too quick to grant a complete stranger passage on her ship. Neelix is obviously a poor judge of character among his other shortcomings. Given what's happened to Voyager in the past, I wouldn't allow any unknowns on the ship.

I liked Seven in this episode, but I have to say it again "I need A REST from this character for a while". Luckily the episode was great anyway.

I kind of felt sorry for the AOTW at the end when he was listening to the Borg "you will be assimilated" message.

BTW, Andy, Eric and Jimbo, I just have to rub it in. Seven can't beat Katie at Velocity (or what ever that game was called). Kate's the champ, she's #1, she's unbeatable. (YESSSS!) Okay, in all fairness Seven can walk through force fields (yawn) ;^).

GREAT finale. I really hate cliff-hangers. I'm glad they didn't do it.

Congratulations on a great season, Voyager!

Now for the reruns. Does anyone have a checker board?

Jason -- 20 May 1998, 10:26 PM

Oh, the game was called Velocity? When Janeway left Seven, I thought she said, "You and I have an appointment of Philosophy." I guess I was just so disappointed that Arturis was dismissed and that there was no discussion of Janeway's acts that I was reaching for any shred of hope that the issues of this episode would actually be addressed later on.

Well, I don't like to use the word disaster...Well, um, Kate Mulgrew was good.

But this is as bad as this episode could get.

Charmless, nearly pointless, just a huge waste.

It's nice to see Seven developing from "One", but...

It was so slow. Aside from a few nice scenes, the crew was about as bland as they could get. "Scorpion" is a debatable episode and it was barely discussed. Arturis deserved to have been addressed. Janeway was like "Hey, Arty, it ain't so bad. You could hitch a ride with us!"

Janeway should have justified her attack against 8472 more.

So, what is this, the fourth technology Voyager has run in to this year that can get them home? {Yawn}. About Seven's work on the technology... I believe it when I see it at the end of season Seven.

Speaking of Seven, her arm was cool. However Janeway's work-out outfit didn't suit her and made her look dowdy.

Winrich Kolbe's direction was also off. The "collage" of Arturis getting assimilated then turning to Voyager felt weird, and Ray Wise, who started off strong got a little too out-there at the end.

Sigh.

This was a pretty dreary episode. I'm very disappointed.

Ginny -- 21 May 1998, 7:43 AM

Not that I'm *tired* of the Kathryn-Seven No-Variety Hour...that Voyager has become, or anything, but I actually dozed off toward the end of this one. Whether that was due to the dreary quality of the episode or the impressive selection of drugs that I'm taking, I'm not willing to say, at present (although I did manage to stay up 2 more hours to watch the latest installment of THE X-FILES marathon on F/X). Let me watch HOPE AND FEAR again tonight and get back to you tomorrow. But I have a sinking feeling that I may agree with you, Jason.

One thing I will say now--the incredibly tacky way they dressed Jeri Ryan on THE SENTINEL (Oh my God. They killed Blair! The bas--wait, I said I wasn't going to make any more SOUTH PARK jokes, didn't I?) made that black leotard that she wore on the holodeck look like haute couture.

D'Alaire -- 20 May 1998, 10:15 PM

I've not calmed down, but I have to...write this down now, or else I'll go insane. VOYAGER IS BACK!!! Kolbe is a demigod! TPTB went to rehab! What an excellent resolution to quot;Scorpion!"--The end, I mean (D'Alaire takes a breath.) That said this is what stood out:

Introduction: Nice. Nice to see sports again on a holodeck. Fade out...huh? I'm sick of Whopper commercials. Nice music, though. I'm a vegetarian, so the Whopper's not appealing.

What I thought was strange -- Everyone was acting NORMAL. What happened? Perhaps there *was* an alternate universe in effect. I'm expecting to open the shower door and see Tom Paris turn around and smile at me (right. In my dreams...[grin]).

Kate was staying up late with...COFFEE! Not since YOH...Chakotay's got some spark back. Neelix is being goofy but doing his job. Food joke. Unusual and smart alien. Tom's starting to trim up. Nice setup of action and story. (D'Alaire was beginning to feel...happy.) The pace began so well, and stayed that way!

Nice camera angles, nice pace. (Kolbe, you shall have a shrine, candles and all...Hold on, didn't he say he wasn't going to direct more Voyager episodes? Maybe the shrine will help.) Tom alive and acting like...Tom! He's not joking too much, but he's not being a wimp or wallpaper, either. I liked Tuvok's "Wow, indeed." That's the Tuvok I like.

As for the engine--Hey! It's a Ferengi Mind Control Device!! Interesting how they simply can't use it in the end--Seven's going to "work" on it. (Hmm, for about...three years, unless they forget--again) Another compliment to Seven -- she puts Harry in place quite nicely (thank heavens and what a relief that *somebody* does). And even Harry was being a bit cute again in the engine room -- not too much, not too little, just right.

Now, Janeway and Tuvok in the briefing room -- she touches Vulcans, I love that-- That scene reminded me so of "Caretaker," when they were on their way to the Ocampan Homeworld, the mood, the gestures, the camera angles, &c. (Kolbe, again...lavender candles and a toy movie camera...)

Where was I? Ah yes. Gush Time -- prepare yourselves:

B'ELANNA IS BACK!!!!!!!!!! Thoughtful, businesslike, with a tinge of sarcasm and snap! Outcast jibe to Seven! "WORK ON THAT SENSE OF HUMOUR"!!!!!!!!!!!! (D'Alaire is dancing around--Baktag is hiding under a table.) YES!!!!!!!SHE'S BACK!!! SHE'S REALLY IN ENGINEERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is no joy greater than to see they haven't forgotten her after all. First Tom (to a lesser degree, I know), now this! (ahhh, I feel a little better.)...But then, I remember snapping up my attention at the conversation with Arturis--REALLY? B'Elanna doesn't speak Klingon (but a few phrases)? Interesting. Hmmmm. More layers to the finest character I've ever had the pleasure of admiring. Okay, gush time, over. Thank you for your patience.

Seven and Janeway, nice argument--Momma Kate vs. what I used to be like at 16 (b***chy, stubborn and scared). Meanwhile, Kolbe takes yet another lovely camera angle, looking up at the screen (though a bit too short, I think). "You designated him a windbag," is another classic line. But when they got the bad news, I got my third personal thrill--"Let's get weapons"—ACTION KATE--where have ye' been?!

I liked the transformation of Arturis' ship, too, and the solution-style chase scene. But somehow, things started to numb a bit. As he confessed his true plan, I found it a little disappointing to see Arturis start overacting. He was a little too yippy, you know? The explanation reeked a little too much of Scooby Doo, somehow....And the "Captain has a plan" to "I don't have a plan" was predictable but cute. But the Kate McGuyver element was great. That was a wonderful way to *use* Seven -- to get through the force field. Big nit--Seven didn't mention that it was Torres' idea to use humour, too. (I know -- waah -- but it's true, and it stuck out, since that scene was only about ten minutes previous.) Seven admitting she didn't know where she belonged was logical. At least, it seemed right.

The save at the end--classic TNG. I half-expected to see Riker when they cut back to Voyager. And

Arturis' end was deliciously evil--though I wanted to see a heavy close-up there, to see all his plans, all his defeats, pasted across his face. It was too brief.

And yet, the conclusion made up for it. It was wonderful turnaround from those memories of "The Gift" and "Scorpion." (Even so, Seven's hair was mussed exactly the same as in the beginning of this episode.) Nice frisbee into the face end. Ah, Kolbe, I'm going to Walgreens tomorrow for some smelly votive candles.

All in all, I loved it. (Could you tell?) The nits were far outweighed by the gushes -- So they let the stranger access the computer. But they let everyone do that (grin). For heaven's sake, I *remembered* so much this time without seeing it again. That's an impact for me. And this is what you get when I really like an episode -- a sputtering wild woman. I know I haven't analyzed much. Perhaps later I'll be objective....(My, has it really been an hour?)

Eric -- 20 May 1998, 10:38 PM

Yes this was a gushy episode! And I agree about his plan! How could ONE guy all alone put together a plan that big! But, really, with everything else being so cool, it doesn't bother me that much.

Well!!! If this is going to be the direction the series takes next season I'm ALL for it!! I knew it!! Voyager

just needed some DS9 writers and PRESTO another kick-butt Star Trek series ;-P

No please excuse me, I am still recovering from Seven's workout clothes :

MY GOD!!!!!!! THE WOMAN IS ******PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!********** ARRRGHH!!! ASSIMILATE ME ALREADY PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Ok, I'm better now :-)

I can't believe Seven lost her Velocity game!! How could that old hag win??? Don't worry Seven I'll counsel you right after I eat my hat :-(

Likes :

Big Confession Time : I...umm...liked Janeway this episode. Just keep it quite OK? Don't tell Mike :-)

Seven's little implant on her arm. Yummy.

Seven's workout hairdo! (yep, that's yummy to)

Seven's shy little smile to Harry (ditto)

The UP : Dauntless!! WOW!! It amazing what Star Trek can do with its FX week after week when you think about it. Especially after reading Voyager :VOTF

B'Elanna and the AOTW talking about the Klingon language.

Gripes :

OK, it was a good plan for revenge, but did anyone else think that it was WAY to big a plan!! The ship alone would have been IMPOSSIBLE to put together alone!!

How could she LOSE!!! darn it Seven!!! How????????????

Ok, my reviews will get better next season, I'm on a 2hr Jeri Ryan high :-)

What the hell, I'll give this one a 10/10 cuz I really,really,really liked Seven's workout clothes ;-P

D'Alaire -- 20 May 1998, 11:41 PM

He's dead, Jim. On that first hour a la Ryan -- (eyes scrunch up) Wellll...little Miss Sentinel kills Kenny G. I'd hoped they'd use her well.

Oh my, I'm bad tonight. I really should stop now -- I'm becoming a little too evil, far too mean. First I want to watch Arturis suffer, now this....So, what did you think of that cheddar blend, anyway? I lost track of time and caught only the last twenty minutes.

ande -- 20 May 1998, 11:48 PM

Ok, so I was a little in awe of Janeway's continued lack of security where AOTW are concerned, but I guess he was helpful to Neelix, so what the hay, let him have a crack at a Top Secret encoded Star Fleet message.

I did like the episode. I found it entertaining and I was glad to see that although this episode was once again about 7 and Janeway, the other characters were included and everyone acted appropriately. I especially was glad to see B'Elanna and I was impressed with a new smarter 'I've been doing a lot more than necking with B'Elanna' Tom. I was glad, too, because I am sick of the whining infantile Tom that has dominated this year. This man went to the academy and supposedly entered at an early age. He isn't stupid and I am tired of TPTB treating him like a studly himbo. Ok, rant over.

Things I liked:

The AOTW was interesting and I sympathized with him.

7's "Once we are assimilated I'm sure I will understand everything" and Janeway's reaction to 7's joke. That was good.

Tom's 'Wow' and Tuvok's 'Wow, indeed.' One thing the show has sadly lacked this year is Tom/Tuvok interaction.

The new ship was totally cool, as were the special effects for this episode.

Stuff I didn't like: Janeway's continued lack of foresight in regards to new aliens. She gives them way too much freedom on her ship. I didn't mind that she gave him a lift, but she should have had a security guard with him and restricted his access to the ship and the computers. I can understand why she let him help her decode the message, but let's face it , she didn't know anything about this guy, why should she believe what he says? Also how exactly did the AOTW manage to fake a message from Star Fleet? There is no way he could have known in advance about the encoded message and what it contained and who delivered the message. That part did not fly with me. I, too, was glad that this was a self-contained episode and not a cliff-hanger. Now next season can start fresh and new. Sounds good to me.

Carol -- 21 May 1998, 4:40 AM

And That's A Wrap. What a good way to end the season.

I liked this episode very much. I wouldn't consider it the best episode of the season but its definitely in the top ten, if not the top five (as I was reviewing the rest of the episodes this season before this episode aired for my year end review). If solid (though this episode was flawed here and there) episodes like this are the type of change that Brannon Braga wants to do next season then more power to him.

Points of Interest:

-- Jeez, is Seven a sore loser or what? She was getting bratty again asking (demanding) a rematch with Kate at the beginning of the show, claming that Kate was sacred because she was so tired. (Great comeback from Kate: "Tired, yes. Concerned, no.") Glad I put my money on Kate to whup Seven's butt! (and she did it twice! :-) Velocity looks like a fun game -- between skeet shooting, tennis and Frisbee.

-- Kate's home-obsession seen since Scorpion (and even sometime before then) comes back to not haunt her, but confront her. It'll be interesting to see the various points argued again about the decision she made from that episode.

-- AOTW Ray Wise was very good and convincing in his role of Arturis, though I do think he got a little whiny towards the end. Nit: OK, I can take that he'd been following Voyager for a while but how did he know about the encrypted Starfleet message they got? Or, more to the point, how was he able to set the crew up with it by changing the message from Admiral Hayes so fast? He has to have been planing his little trap for weeks, if not months, it would have been nice if we had seen hints of it before now, like Arturis in the background on some planet scenes or something where he finds out about the encrypted message.

-- The overlapping Logs of Kate and Seven were very well done and showed their contrasting "Hope" and "Fear" about getting home and what that might bring which was the theme of the episode.

You can see the build up to this episode when you review the season, though I had to chuckle a little when Kate said that she hasn't been so hard on Seven so much because of meanness. Uh, Kate dear,in my humble opinion, you weren't hard enough on the dear girl, at least not at the outset. And while I do like Kate and Seven's relationship it really is time to cut back on it for a while and start focusing on the other relationships on the show, not just this one (Janeway/Tuvok, B'Elanna/Kim, etc.)

-- Though the focus was mostly on Janeway and Seven I'm glad to see that most of the other characters actually got something more to do than just standing around in the background -- they even got to work together to get Kate and Seven back. (B'Elanna even got more than one decent line! :-).

Smaller Notes:

-- Dammit! I was really hoping that because this episode aired on Janeway's future birthday that we'd see Chakotay give Janeway the birthday watch again. Guess I'll just have to settle for the Mess Hall scene between them at the beginning for the rest of the summer. ;-)

-- Hey, Seven smiled. A genuine smile. Will wonders never cease.

-- It seams that TPTB have finally gotten Kate's new hair to look and fall right. I really liked it in this episode. Or maybe the fact that Kate's boyfriend Rick Kolbe directed this episode had something to do with it. :-)

-- Final 47 of the season: The Dauntless was test run 47 times.

So, What Have We Learned This Season? Well,

1. If your going to disobey Captain Kate, make sure she's out of commission (like in a coma) first (Scorpion II).

2. Kate's been drinking enough coffee over the past four years to qualify her as the next Juan Valdez (Hunters).

3. Having an obsession (like trying to get your ship home at almost any cost) is good (Scorpion II, Year of Hell).

4. Having compassion for others is stupid (Prey).

5. "Reset Button" is a dirty word among fans (Year of Hell) unless TPTB use the reset button to erase a episode that no one wants to remember anyway (Unforgettable).

6. Finally, if you want to boost the ratings for your show among the YAM demographic, just create a new tall, big busted female ex-Borg character with a attitude, stick her in a catsuit, give her all the screen time at the expense of almost all the other characters on the show and watch your ratings soar through the roof!

(Well, the last one was suppose to work in theory anyway... :-).

Andy -- 21 May 1998, 7:02 AM

Okay, I got one question.... I just saw a picture summary of the episode and it contained a pic of Seven with a new hairdo.

Someone please tell me that Seven isn't messing with a new look to symbolize some sort of personality change. I would croak if it got to the point that she was changing hairdo's like Kate does. Forgive me, but I can't take another track of hairdo discussions....

Besides, her present look is just right. Why hide those perfect features behind a lot of hair? I suppose I am the only man in the universe who thinks this, but I prefer Seven with her hair up to Jeri Ryan with her hair down.

Did I just engage in a hairdo discussion? Rats. You guys are rubbing off on me....

Martha -- 21 May 1998, 7:48 AM

Hope and Fear. Wow, totally cool episode. I like that past episodes and growth a la Seven were continued.

I hope that now that we have had the ultimate mom/Janeway and sulky teenager/Seven show we can move along--that's what this was leading to right?

Wonderful alien ship, wonderful arrogant alien (I loved his attitude when telling Janeway and Seven that the alien's technology was beyond their understanding.)

As has already been noted, everyone behaved in character--great!

Regarding the alien's free access, when he came aboard I immediately thought of the recent TTL (Ruth, D'Alaire?) who welcomed the alien aboard and gave him free range :-)

Regarding the alien's big plot--I can *totally* see chatty Neelix going on and on about his adventures with Voyager. That way the alien would have known about the message. What I don't see is how he could have altered the message so quickly, known what to say, and how to re-design his ship to match a futuristic Federation vessel. However, since I like the rest of the episode I say "eh, so what".

Leonie -- 21 May 1998, 8:21 AM

I wanted to start a new thread because this one intersects a couple of them.

I had been looking at the thread about Janeway and Chakotay can they be just friends without the sex thing getting in the way and while I was thinking over my response, I wasn't too sure what I wanted to put down on paper. There were a number of things going through my mind that I wanted to bring to light and the as if on cue, Hope and Fear aired.

We've been talking so much about Janeway and Chakotay, about them being friends and who else is Janeway's friend because she is the captain and rightfully "I am your captain, I can't always be your friend". We've forgotten Tuvok and to me it was interesting how TPTB brought it out in this episode.

Janeway has two confidants and in some ways the relationships are the same and in some ways they are different.

We focus all the time on Chakotay because he is an available human male who is comfortable and mature about his emotions and dealing with them. And rightfully so. J/C have Chemistry that at times is sexual. And while it is frustrating us, it certainly is not frustrating them and they are comfortable with it and move in and out of the sexual and familiar intimacy with ease. (Them being the characters in the STV universe, not Mulgrew Beltran and TPTB). The familiar intimacy (read friendship) is what caught me in this episode and in One. If it had been up to Chakotay, Seven would have been still part of the collective or hanging out on an asteroid waiting to be picked up by the closest passing Borg vessel. He never trusted them and his reluctance is still visible. But the trust in Janeway and the ability to put aside his own gut feelings and support her decision in working with Seven, is something that given the way that this season started off, I would have never thought he would do.

I never thought that Janeway would be so calm about Seven rebelling and not being the person that she was molding her to be. I guess she must have remembered rebelling against one or two of her mentors when she was a student. The thing that really touched me was the calm and caring way that Chakotay brought it up and the fact that Janeway felt completely at ease to bring it up to the one person who seemed to have fought Seven's rehabilitation from day one. It means that the their relationship had come a long way over the season very quietly, so quietly that it escaped my attention. During Scorpion, their disagreements were head butting, both were unable until the very end to step out of themselves and see the other person's point of view. Granted the threats are lesser in Hope and Fear than in Scorpion, they seemed to be able to do that more readily here. Janeway is able to more readily accept the fact hat Seven may not want to emulate her values on what it is to be human and Chakotay is more able to see that Seven can be redeemed.

It is in this way that Janeway's relationship with Chakotay is the same as her relationship with Tuvok. What I found interesting in this episode is that she confided in Tuvok about her fears on the alien, not Chakotay. Her mannerisms are the same as with Chakotay, she was touching Tuvok the whole time she was talking to him. But for us the chemistry wasn't there, and I know for me it is because Tuvok denies his emotions and is married. Despite that they have found a way to be intimate friends. A lot more platonic than the friendship between her and Chakotay. I am always struck by the way that Tuvok deals with her emotions. He steps out of himself and His Vulcan logic and meets her as best he can . There was the time in YOH II when she hugged him and he hugged her back, there was the time in Scientific Method when he sat very close next to her and offered to keep her company when it seemed like she was loosing her mind. She always respects his logic and his opinions even though it seems more often than note she ignores them.

Janeway would not be Janeway without Tuvok and Chakotay. As much as I would like to see J/C, I can say that I do like the way that they are getting on together and I also like the fact that Tuvok has not been replaced by Chakotay. They are the two people on that ship who have her interest above their own.

However I have to question TPTB reluctantly to put Janeway in a relationship any relationship. Even with an alien of the week, even with an unnamed extra who dies at the end of the show. Anyone. Kirk is out of the comparison with two women every show, even Picard and Sisko had one or two love affairs under their belt at this time. I still believe that it is because she is the first female captain and they are afraid that even though ST fans may be young, the double standard is still a reality for them and it will be reflected in the ratings.

Can Chakotay and Janeway be just friends? They already are. Is it straining my credibility? No it is not.

Intimacy has a lot more components than just the sexual component. What I find hard to believe is Janeway's inability to be in a relationship, ANY one with Chakotay or not, given Kirk, Picard and Sisko's histories and the fact that she is an attractive woman, physically emotionally and mentally. But with Taylor gone, she may never have one.

Mrs. Mac -- 21 May 1998, 8:46 AM

Mac is already out back pulling weeds and I just beginning my first cup of java. I slept 10 1/2 hours last night.

Overall thoughts: I liked this episode for the strength of the performances of Mulgrew and Ryan. The two major scenes they had together, talking about Seven going home and the one in the brig, were very, very good. If these scenes continue I would have to bump Seven up on my "favorites" poll.

It was a little slow when the away team was on the bridge of the other ship. I thought B'Elanna should have gone with them. After all, she is the engineering expert, which seems to be what this ship is all about. I would have enjoyed seeing her squeal with delight over the engine!

Wasn't Hayes killed in First Contact? Was this all supposed to happen before First Contact? I'm confused.

There was no way in heck Voyager was going to head back to earth on this ship. The minute B'Elanna said that there were no holodecks and no shuttlecrafts then I knew it was a fake. We need those shuttlecraft! How else can we pick on Chakotay?

Mac was particularly fond of Seven's Velocity outfit. Janeway, honey, I've told you this before, get a new hair style. It's too butch. Mac was hoping for something a little more physical like a Seven and B'Elanna contest. I'm sure Eric would have liked that.

After watching Janeway and Tuvok together I am now leaning in favor of something that hasn't been done yet on Star Trek: Killing off the first officer. Sorry Chakotay fans, but Janeway/Tuvok scenes blow the Chakotay/Janeway scenes away. Chuckie is...is...so boring!

Listening to B'Elanna and Seven was neat. I liked the references to the Maquis.

Lastly, I hope and praying that the missing piece to the message was Tom's father telling him to take a hike but alas, I now owe Diane stock in Starbuck's. Like I said, Di, the Macs pay off their debts and their bets.

D'Alaire -- 21 May 1998, 9:16 AM

Now that I remember...I was also wondering why B'Elanna didn't go over -- or wasn't immediately called over-- to the Dauntless upon discovery of the engine. I would've loved to see that "kid at Christmas." She simply glows when she prays over new or different tech.

It *would* have been logical to call her over. But watching her expertly jump up those steps -- as if to say "I belong here, I know my business, don't doubt it" -- was enough to make me not mind her earlier absence too much.

Mike D -- 21 May 1998, 9:31 AM

Jason, Jason, Jason, if this keeps up...I may have to revoke your Janeway Supporters Club ID card ;^). I kind of liked how this episode matched up nicely with Scorpion. For one thing we got to see the negative repercussions of Janeway's alliance with the Borg (most major decisions in times of war have them). It's also interesting to compare the two episodes from the perspective of Seven and Kate. In the season opener (Scorpion) Seven was forced to leave the Borg against her will, forced by Janeway. In the season finale Seven helps Janeway escape the Borg and her once beloved collective. The scene at the end where Seven said she'd rather work on the new drive than take a rest, was meant to show she was now going to cooperate with Kate, and even more importantly she now wanted to get back to earth. I really thought the two episodes complimented each other nicely. Like two matching book ends on a shelf of fine stories (for the most part ;^).

Fliteman -- 21 May 1998, 9:48 AM

GREAT episode, just one thing... I see it didn't hit everyone the same way; But I LIKED this episode. I would've been angry had the crew gone ga-ga happy over discovering the Dauntless, ready to go,jumped on board & took off; I thought the way they checked things out, approached cautiously, was right on. I'm not sure I agree about how much free-reign the AOTW had; at least on Voyager. On the Dauntless, he WAS on the bridge by himself. Sloppy, at best - but maybe by that time Janeway concluded he hadn't shown any anti-federation tendencies.

I liked Janeway-Tuvok's exchange in the briefing room; but... I thought Vulcans didn't LIKE being touched. Now... the one thing... The Alien. He seemed like a nice, intelligent guy, but when it came down to discovering the true plot, he became a whiny, panicked little man bent on destroying Janeway & himself at the same time. For such an egghead, crazed revenge just didn't seem to fit him... Better he should have explained his plan in a clear, calm voice. Dealing with a crazed loon is nowhere NEAR as frightening as dealing with a calm loon. A crazed insane person you can try to reason with, and if they're spouting off at the mouth, they almost HAVE to answer you... A calm person off his rocker will simply smile at you.

And THAT'S scary.

I'm very pleased with this episode; I liked how it opened & closed with Janeway's/Seven's game. I think we're seeing Seven evolve; Her emotions are starting to surface more & more. She's about to a 7 year old right now; She didn't LIKE losing, and certainly didn't do it gracefully. She's still got a lot to learn, and I LIKE that. I know a 10 year old kid who's getting ready to graduate from High School, (Yes, he's one of THOSE...) and he certainly has the intellect, but his inter-personal skills are worse than Seven's... He's got a lot of information at his fingertips, but if no one wants to hear it, what's the point? Seven is almost in the same boat. It's tough having the intelligence but not the maturity.

Mike D -- 21 May 1998, 9:55 AM

You're kidding, Andy...Seven has hair? I never noticed before ;^).

Hmmm...a character hair discussion started by Andy! Now THAT'S scary. Note: Since it's okay for us tough guys (like Flite) to discuss it, I can now reveal I prefer short styles on Seven and Katie. Especially after seeing the leather gloved evil Kate a few weeks back (sigh....).

Andy -- 21 May 1998, 10:24 AM

I'd rather keep the hair, "As-is" Put her in a Starfleet uniform, if you must, but keep the hair like it is. I am loathe to admit this, but I find the particular look she has to bet EXTREMELY sexy.

What I can't figure out is how (or why they need to) weave extra hair into that pulled-back look. I know Jeri has somewhat fine hair, but I didn't know it was *that* fine.

And on a character level, I couldn't imagine Seven finding a "hair down" look to be at all efficient, no matter how human she becomes. I could see it coming down at the right moment for the right reason, however....Giddy-yup!

Eric -- 21 May 1998, 10:27 AM

Down is better! Sorry Andy, I disagree. Sure she's a goddess either way but after seeing her in the Sentinel with her hair down I was thinking it would be great seeing her like that on Voyager. But don't worry, that's just her exercise hairdo.

TKS -- 21 May 1998, 10:39 AM

Yea! yet another J/T fan. For some reason I see the chemistry between these two characters, while I don't see it with Chakotay.

Eric -- 21 May 1998, 10:43 AM

Too business like...Ya, the Borg efficiency do shows off her neck, but, I really like her regular hair style better.

But WOW! That workout "do"....

Like you said : Giddy-yup!!

Andy, I have that Sentinel episode on tape : SHE WEARS A LEATHER MINI-SKIRT!!!

Do ya want it? How much??????????? :-)

SuzyQ -- 21 May 1998, 10:59 AM

H&F was a good, solid episode....and a nice ending to the season. The entire cast was on board for this final episode and I agree it's a nice change to not have a cliffhanger. Yes, there were big plot holes, but my sense of relief took over and I forgave H&F probably much more than I usually would.

LIKES:

- Janeway & 7: "I'm the Captain; I can't always be your friend." Yup, really liked that scene where she's fiddling with Seven's eyepiece. It was an understated, calm discussion between two people who know they can get on each other's nerves. I don't see it as an end to an exploration of their relationship, just an adjustment to a different level. I think they should continue to be at odds on occasion because Janeway's best moments of character development seem to be when she is in opposition to Seven.

- Crew doing what each does best: Chakotay leading the cavalry, Tuvok on standard suspicious security detail, B'Elanna (we missed you!) leading in engineering - yes, they are a good team. - Arturis: Maybe I'm a sucker, but I actually felt for his plight. Overacted a bit when the deception was discovered, but I thought he did a good job in conveying the character's utter despair. BTW, I don't think his people got assimilated. Remember, Seven said the Borg had never been able to assimilate any of his people. I think they were annihilated and the planet taken over. Arturis was either killed outright or committed suicide.

MISC COMMENTS:

- Fun With Nanoprobes: OK, I have figured out that the writers now have this new corollary to their standard AOTW "Fun With DNA" episodes. I can't tell if I'm annoyed yet; you'll have to ask me next year. But, is there anything these little buggers cannot do? Now, if the crew needs some convenient reason to get out of a tight spot - wham! - Nanoprobes to The Rescue! What is Seven - human on the outside, Borg on the inside? These things confuse me as to *what* she is. I think the writers need to put some parameters on the nanoprobes or it's going to start looking ridiculous next year.

- I agree with Jason that the AOTW's accusation was brushed aside as incidental. Which is a shame because he had some very good points to make about a Starfleet crew's culpability in aiding the Borg to annihilate a race out of sheer ignorance. I also didn't like Janeway's attitude - "I couldn't exactly take a poll." Uh, since when do Starfleet captains take the position that their self-interest supercedes any other races' in the galaxy, much less an area of space where they are the visitor? Does Janeway have no capacity for self-reflection? She seemed to brush aside his despair as the ravings of a lunatic, not even considering that her actions may have been in the wrong. Her attitude of "let's get out of here and then I'll meet you on the deck for a game of Velocity" was so flip and self-centered, it really made me wonder if that's Janeway attitude to Voyager's situation.

I have to disagree with those who think this is the Janeway of "Caretaker." That Janeway destroyed her only way to get home because she wanted to give the Ocampa a chance to survive. In H&F, she couldn't have cared less about Arturis' people's destruction. "Take a poll," indeed! How insulting and unfeeling! And, that apology wasn't so much regret at her decision in forming an alliance with the Borg. She didn't regret that at all. She only felt sorry that Arturis wanted revenge on Voyager because it would delay their trip home. Not one iota of reflection on what her actions did to an entire race. And, that's only the race she knew about from Arturis. How many others were rooting for the Borg to lose? How many others have now been assimilated? How disappointing in that respect...

Vickie T. -- 21 May 1998, 11:47 AM

The Ghost of Christmas Future? Throughout "Hope and Fear," I kept thinking we were getting a glimpse of the tone of next season's shows. While there were good moments for each of our major characters, one cannot dispute that this was a Janeway/Seven show. I can't help but believe that this is what we have to look forward to in the future.

With the exception a couple of major nits, I enjoyed H&F. I agree with most of the "likes" others have already posted. It is great to see B'Elanna's back to her old self and Tom being clearly shown to have a brain. I even liked Harry this week. And, once again, wimpy Chakotay proves that when left in command of the ship, he *does* have a backbone and he can make excellent command decisions! We had a nice J/C scene and a nice J/Tuvok scene. Minor nit: I thought Janeway getting all touchy-feely with Tuvok was very bad form on her part. I always thought that Vulcans did not like to be touched, as someone else already pointed out. A hug under dire circumstances, like we saw in YOH is appropriate, but the laying on of hands during casual conversation is not.

We seem to be getting a little bloodthirsty at my house. During the scene on the alien ship's bridge when they try to take Arturis into custody, both my son and I were sitting there shouting "Shoot him! Shoot him!" for several seconds before Tuvok actually did. Then, when the alien ship was powering up with Janeway and Seven on board, we were doing the same thing: "Shoot it! Shoot it!" It was totally gratifying when Voyager caught up to the ship and they *did* shoot it.

Some have mentioned the implausibility of Arturis being able to set this whole thing up. I agree, but for some reason, it just didn't bother me. What can I say, sometimes major stuff slips by without offending me and other times relatively minor stuff drives me nuts.

Regarding the complaint that once again, a total stranger is given free rein on the ship, I agree. OTOH, compared to some of the previous episodes where this has happened, Janeway was remarkably suspicious of Arturis.

Major nit #1: I loved/hated the scene where Arturis explained how the Borg had destroyed his people. Loved it because I thought "Ah ha! Finally, Janeway is going to have to consider the possibility that Chakotay's disagreement with her in Scorpion had some merit - that maybe the deal with the devil did have some negative consequences." Hated it because she didn't even blink! As someone else pointed out in their post, sure she said she was sorry his race was destroyed, but she sure didn't act like she meant it and definitely gave no evidence that she was willing to accept any responsibility for the outcome of her deal with the Borg. I want to see some soul-searching here!!!

Major nit #2: We can't use the slipstream technology again? WE CAN'T USE THE SLIPSTREAM

TECHNOLOGY AGAIN????? They were able to use it to chase down the alien ship but CAN NEVER USE IT AGAIN?? Oh, puh-lease! I *knew* they were going to say something like that, but I was still amazed that they had the gall to do it. Why couldn't they have said something like "Using the slipstream technology had the unexpected side-effect of producing a *technobabble* in our *technobabble*. We have made repairs, but are uncertain of how to prevent it from happening. B'Elanna is hopeful that she can make modifications to the system." They would still be stuck in the DQ and I wouldn't have to sit here ranting "*$@&^! TPTB!"

All in all, I liked Hope and Fear and enjoyed the episode, even though, yes, I'll say it again, I really hate that Voyager has turned into "The Janeway/Seven Show."

D'Alaire -- 21 May 1998, 11:54 AM

Ummm, were you referring to...my comment that the scene in the briefing room, between Janeway and Tuvok, reminded me of "Caretaker?" I'm not certain. But, for clarity's sake, I'd might as well say that the *feel* of the *scene* reminded me of it, and that Kolbe might have been aiming that way.

Not only were there numerous references made to "The Gift" and "Scorpion," but, in the J/T scene, there was an interesting comparison to the spitfire determination to get home of "Caretaker." Instead of the steely, "I'll get you home, that's a promise," there was the unwillingly disillusioned "We've been close before/Too good to be true." True, Janeway's not the same woman, and the scene, the way I saw it, reflected that. Kolbe directed "Caretaker," so I suspect he planned it.

Review Boy (JW) -- 21 May 1998, 12:08 PM

I kinda liked it...It wasn't perfect, but it kept my interest throughout the hour. (So can anyone tell me what happened on Drew Carey? and South Park? I didn't have enough VCRs for all the shows, and 90210 was @@!$%@~ two hours long...)

Seven is an odd bird. She sacrifices herself in "One" for the crew, but would rather stay behind than go to earth and be surrounded by humans. Understandable in a way, but heck--there's more to the AQ than humans. (Not that you'd ever know it from talking TO a human...) I'm sure the Vulcans would welcome her with split fingers. But she's coming along. She's still crusty enough to ensure that next season won't be conflict-free, but that the disagreements might be a tad more civil.

That smile Seven gave Harry--almost worth a year of frustration. His new attitude seems a step in the right direction.

Everyone worked together. Seven helped in, but didn't dominate, the resolution. Paris, Kim, and Chakotay got to look a bit better than usual. And Janeway finally exercises some much-needed skepticism, accepting Arturis' help but not relying on it completely.

And as someone who wasn't entirely pleased with the way "Scorpion" turned out, seeing those events followed up on, with Janeway in the villain role (for something she'd no doubt do the same way all over again) was a nice touch. Arturis' people hated the Borg to distraction, and rooted for anyone who could stomp them--not considering what would happen afterwards. But that's common, it seems. "I don't mind getting conquered, as long as it's not by THOSE guys..." Shortsighted, perhaps, but not at all uncommon.

I only watched it once, and I often revise my opinion on subsequent viewings, but my first impression was fairly positive.

T'Racy -- 21 May 1998, 12:35 PM

On Seven's Collective Knowledge... SuzyQ wrote:

"BTW, I don't think his people got assimilated. Remember, Seven said the Borg had never been able to assimilate any of his people. I think they were annihilated and the planet taken over. Arturis was either killed outright or committed suicide."

But, think about it: Seven has been with the Voyager crew since before 8472 was defeated. How would she know whether or not Arturis' people had been assimilated? Her knowledge of the Borg's assimilation's were only as current as the moment up until she was cut off from the Collective in Scorpion.

I'm pretty certain that Arturis was assimilated. And, think about: he had in-depth knowledge of Voyager's systems.... Wonder if Voyager will have another Borg encounter next season.

Ruth -- 21 May 1998, 1:01 PM

Hope and Fear

Gripes:

1) I accept the idea that Neelix told him about the Starfleet message. But how was he able to recreate a Starfleet vessel with enough accuracy to fool everyone during what seemed to be a fairly exhaustive check. I'm not talking about his having the technology, but how would he know how all things Starfleet would look? Did he order a Star Trek (tm) technical manual from amazon.com? Did I miss something?

2) Angst! I want angst! Tom and B'Elanna were worried and upset in "Hunters" about returning home. Tom said he'd never been as happy, or words to those effect, back home as he'd been on Voyager. B'Elanna was all upset b/c the Maquis effort was a lost cause. I could see her having worked through this by now, but even so her comment about facing the music back home seemed a little glib. (Of course, I know she doesn't have the kind of relationship with Seven where she would bare her soul.)

But Thomas Eugene "My Daddy is mean to me, and the other kids don't play fair, and I think I have a really overdue library book from the Starfleet penal colony" Paris didn't seem nervous at all about going home. They didn't explore this at all, and in one scene during the Janeway voice over where she was talking about how it was hard to keep the crew from being too optimistic, Tommy was shown smiling like he'd just won the Powerball lottery.

3) I also thought Janeway's reaction to the destruction of Arturis' people because of her earlier decision was rather cavalier, and not the kind of reaction we'd expect from Mama Kate. She could have still come to the conclusion that it was her duty to get her people home ASAP, and she couldn't have done anything any differently, but you think she'd have felt the teeniest bit guilty.

It was a good episode, and I just hope that next year, with Dawson fully re-integrated into the cast, and Seven established, we'll see more of everyone in good strong stories.

Mike D -- 21 May 1998, 1:09 PM

SuzyQ, I'm not so sure they were destroyed... SuzyQ, just a few disagreements on what you wrote. You knew I would, didn't you ;^). If it counts for anything, I do totally agree with what you said about the amazing little nanoprobes. Geesh, they go through force fields, they bring Neelix back from the dead, they enable a top-heavy woman to wear highheels 24 hours a day (that last one was just to piss off Eric (boohahaha);^) is there anything those little devils can't do?

SuzyQ said:

"BTW, I don't think his people got assimilated. Remember, Seven said the Borg had never been able to assimilate any of his people. I think they were annihilated and the planet taken over. Arturis was either killed outright or committed suicide."

I disagree with you there, SuzyQ. I wouldn't base them not being assimilated on what Seven said. Seven's knowledge of who was and wasn't assimilated would have ended after she was separated from the collective. Since the AOTW's down fall was a *result* of what happened after 'Scorpion', Seven would not have known about it. Seven was no longer in contact with the Borg. She couldn't know what was caused by the actions taken by Janeway in Scorpion. Personally I believe the race finally couldn't out fox the Borg and were assimilated, not destroyed. I'll have to rewatch the episode, but I thought something was said warning Arturis that he would be assimilated along with Janeway and Seven (I'm not sure about that).

Also, as Jim hinted at in his review. If the Borg hadn't destroyed/assimilated Arturis' race the 8472s surely would have destroyed them eventually. You know the saying, "out of the frying pan and into the fire". Remember 8472 was planning to destroy everybody which would include his race. I think Arturis was wrong for blaming Janeway completely. He was looking for a scapegoat. Eventually someone would have had to stop 8472s aggression if Kate hadn't.

SuzyQ -- 21 May 1998, 1:39 PM

I guess I misunderstood Seven's comment to Janeway...in Astrometrics. She stated Arturis' species' ID # then said something like, "The Borg have been unable to assimilate any of his species." I took that to mean they were un-assimilatable (is that a word?) due to something unique in their species. Now, I think it just meant Arturis' people were putting up a darn good fight. Which they later lost.

As for 8472, I was never entirely convinced that they were out to destroy the entire DQ. After all, they didn't know Voyager at all and spared them on several occasions, firing warning shots when they could have blown them to kingdom come, or boarded the vessel and eaten the entire crew from the inside out with their bioweaponry. 8472 went easy on Voyager. Whose to say that once they defeated the Borg, they wouldn't have just went home?

"The weak shall perish?" Well, it could have lost something in the translation. 8472 could have meant, "Stay out of this. It ain't your fight. This is between us and the tinheads. And since *we're* stronger than you, you need to butt out."

Mike D -- 21 May 1998, 1:49 PM

I was all set to respond to O.Bleek…I was all set to respond to O.Bleek's question till I saw Ginny already said it all. I would like to add that Seven and Janeway both being female has nothing to do with it. If a new male character had come along after three years and monopolized the stories I would feel the same way. In fact, if I didn't like female leads why would Kate be my favorite character?

Ditto for me on what Ginny said so well.

BTW, glad to see you're feeling better Diamond Gin. I wanted to send you a get well E-mail, but my messages kept bouncing back with errors.

O.Bleek -- 21 May 1998, 4:02 PM

Leonie you're absolutely right. The way Janeway interacts with Chakotay and with Tuvok are moments I treasure on Voyager. H&F showed the professional and friendly intimacy between Janeway and Chakotay. And showed the affection Janeway has for Tuvok. I feel that Chakotay isn't written well enough and it's frustrating to watch his reactions to Janeway. He's given bad lines and a bad attitude and not given much of a chance to show more deep thought and emotion. Also Tuvok is given short shrift by the writers also. I think fans wouldn't feel so betrayed and like they're missing something if the writers used the short screen times these characters are given and at least write great lines for them. One line, one look can go a long way in characterization.

As for relationships, I agree that Janeway should have one. No man, or woman is an island.

O.Bleek -- 21 May 1998, 4:40 PM

I gushed too. Lovely episode. Everyone made me happy. Growing-up Seven, Feisty Janeway, friendly and mellow Chakotay, bristly B'Elanna, professional Tom, terse Tuvok, even Harry Dim! Good AOTW. New technology. BTW, the reason Seven's hair (and Janeway's) was exactly the same in both scenes is that they were shot at the same time. I did like Janeways' do better in the holodeck.

AWOL actors. Well, we know that a couple of the actors who have been missing in action have had personal situations preventing them from fully participating in episodes - Dawson's pregnancy and MacNeill's wife and baby being ill.

Perhaps these types of situations had something to do with the episodes going hog-wild with Seven, who was newly introduced this season. After all, we had Torres spotlighted in Revulsion, Day of Honor and Random Thoughts before she became too big. I'm not trying to make excuses for the writers, they are constantly on my sh1t list, but we'll have to see what happens next season. Hopefully Torres will be brought back to star in some episodes, as well as Paris. We have had good Holodoc episodes this season. I'd like to see more Tuvok episodes. As for Chakotay, well, nevermind.

Andy -- 26 May 1998, 9:23 PM

After watching "Hope and Fear" I have just one comment. Should it come to my attention that an action I had taken resulted in the destruction of an entire civilization and billions of humans, I doubt that I could shrug it off with a game of Velocity.

How pathetic.

Jason -- 26 May 1998, 9:30 PM

I agree, Andy. I'm a supporter of Janeway's actions, but the philosophy that no defense is the best defense seems a little absurd.

I was extremely disappointed with "Hope and Fear" because of the lack of fulfillment on this issue. After Janeway brushed Arturis off, I started cheering for him.

Terry -- 26 May 1998, 10:25 PM

Hey! She didn't have time to take a poll. Jeez, where did they dig the guy up who wrote that line? I thought the nearest Nazi cemetery was in Argentina or something. I vas jus following ze poll rezults.

Eric -- 27 May 1998, 1:08 PM

I disagree about the Velocity game...The two games were great "bookends" for the show. The first showing Seven still resents/respects Janeway and the 2nd showing Seven has come to a peace with both herself and Janeway. Yes we needed a scene with Janeway doing a little soul searching but NOT at the expense of those two crucial scenes. Removing them would hurt the episode a lot.

Andy -- 27 May 1998, 4:03 PM

Here is a stupid question. While I was watching the game of Velocity, it occurred to me that I had no idea how anyone aims a phaser. I mean, so far as I can see, there are no sights--optical, "iron," whatever. The user just appears to point the phaser and automatically hits whatever he or she was aiming at. Speaking from experience, it is damn hard to hit anything by just pointing at it, although some highly trained people get to be pretty good at it.

This is not a burning question. Just curiosity. If any of you have ever heard anything about this I'd appreciate it if you passed it on.

Vickie T. -- 27 May 1998, 4:15 PM

Andy, when I was first learning...to shoot sporting clays, the instructor told me not to try and aim the gun, just to look at the clay and point at it. He said that if you bring the gun to your shoulder properly, you should be able to hit the target by, in essence, pointing at it with the shotgun.

Does that really work? Beats the heck out of me. I *still* can't shoot worth a darn. I have fun anyway, though.

Mac. -- 27 May 1998, 4:58 PM

Hey Andy, I always figured that since no one bothered to *aim* their phasers that they were some kind of heat seeking lasers. However, if that was so then the beam would move as the prey moved and we all know that doesn't happen. Hey, we should write for these guys.

Shawnster -- 22 May 1998, 12:15 AM

Hope abound, Fear misplaced. Good, solid episode. Not quite the impact I expect from a season finale but better than I was expecting.

Likes:

Seven character development. Twice now we have seen her grow. First when she admitted, at least to herself, she needed people by joining the conversation at the end of "One" and in "Hope and Fear" when she reveals she's afraid of humanity yet no longer wants to return to the collective.

Seven/Janeway showdown. This should be it. Janeway and Seven butt heads here and don't back down. Seven tells Janeway exactly what she thinks of her and the treatment received thses past nine months. Janeway explains why she has to ride her so hard at time. In a real life situation, these emotional confidings would lead to a deeper, closer relationship.

Nice alien of the week. Not a typical AOTW with typical motives. Personal revenge for what has happened to his people. And commenting on the 8472 subject at that. I thought for a moment the writers were spying on us.

Loved the opening scene with Tom and Neelix loading supplies. We need a scene like this once a season. Voyager is a long way from home and has used up a lot of supplies, been damaged, had things stolen, etc... We need to see them getting new equipment, replacement parts, food, toliet paper, et.... Doesn't have to be a main part of the plot. Just mentioned or observed breifly like in this episode.

Dislikes (and I do have some):

Janeway and Seven save the day. Janeway uses her multiple talents to decypher corrupt data and she reprograms Seven. Seven uses her Borg technology to overcome obstacles and save the day.

Please, this is getting old.

We can make the ship do anything. Once again Voyager's crew is able to make extensive modifications to the ship without the need of parts, specialized tools or drydock. Must be magic. Wish I could repair my car, give it a different propulsion system, make it go faster, have better windshield wipers, etc... with just the toolbox in the trunk.

I liked the Dauntless and was duly impressed. This may be a nit or observation, you decide. Our AOTW has spent nine months tracking Voyager. In that time he was able to have his ship look like a Starfleet designed ship, have the outside markings look like Starfleet marking and camoflage the interior to look like a Federation starship. Even the engine room looked like a Starfleet engine room, all the control panels looked like Federation technology and the bridge looked remarkably like the Prometheus. This guy must have worked around the clock without sleep for nine months redecorating this ship.

Someone on the bridge needs to show initiative. As soon as the forcefields were up and the Dauntless started to power up, someone should have fired and disabled the ship, locked a tractor beam on, beam over more security, something.

So, Voyager is up to 150 crew? What happened to 147? What happened to all the people who died before Season 4? While we're at it, how many photon torpedoes are left now?

These were cool aliens but how were they able to evade the Borg for so long? How can a species stay one step ahead of the Borg and yet still have a stationary homeworld? Of course, humanity has done it with the Borg in the Sol system twice.

Not an epic cliffhanger. This episode doesn't make me wait with anticipation for the new season to start. This could have been a great two part episode, to be concluded next season. Instead it's only a good season 4 episode.

Regrets:

The Dauntless was cool. The technology worked. Janeway should have moved the crew over anyway, knowing it was a trap. This ship was too imprssive and would have gotten them home a lot sooner.

Terry -- 22 May 1998, 1:10 AM

Nothing to Fear but Hope itself. Hope and Fear was another fine Voyager episode. The basic story was extremely sound (much more than usual), tight, and interesting. I loved the continued development of Seven. I thought that TPTB managed to heal Janeway/Seven's relationship and provide the best interaction between the two since "The Gift". I loved seeing Janeway's "deal with the Devil" come back to bite her. And all characters were well written and acted. (It was nice to see Torres back to full strength and acting more like her old self again.)

The Plot Thickens

Janeway was excellently written here. You could argue that she was wrong to trust an strange alien to help decode Starfleet's message but I don't believe that. A true stranger would have neither means nor motive to create a phony message as Arturis did. Better to let a DQ stranger see some of Starfleet's secrets than never crack the message at all. Unfortunately, Voyager was no stranger to Arturis.

There was no justification for suspecting Arturis's specific grudge against Voyager and Janeway. Even your average hostile alien wouldn't have been able to fool Voyager like Arturis did without premeditation. And an alien would require a superior technology to fake the Dauntless. And that tech would beg the question of why such a superior alien would even want Voyager. (BTW, I assume that Arturis had obtained a copy of the message and much info on Voyager tech, possibly from the Hirogen. As Prof. Gegen showed in Distant Origin, a transwarp drive provides the means to shadow Voyager's path and poke into their secrets.)

Janeway did have reasonable suspicions and acted competently to confirm or refute them. However, Arturis was surprisingly resistent to phaser fire. But mostly, Arturis fooled them again because they still didn't (and couldn't) guess his true motives. (BTW, it was a nice move to have Janeway reject Arturis's accusations against Seven so quickly. That cancels some of the damage that Retrospect did to their relationship.)

Janeways's Deal with the Devil

I was pleasantly surprised to see some fallout from Janeway's "deal with the Devil" in Scorpion. The morality of her decision was called into question quite fairly here. I agree with Arturis's point-of-view, in fact. While Janeway judged 8472 to be a worse threat than the Borg, her decision was still selfish (and probably rationalized). She almost certainly would have stayed out of the war completely if Voyager could have slipped past safely.

Two Faces of Arturis

The guest star playing the alien Arturis did a great job of acting. He initially came across as friendly but just a bit too smooth. His early compliments to Janeway appeared genuine at the time. Afterwards, you realize that they were not just false flattery but bitter irony. Contrast his early statements with his later ones.

Arturis before: "[You] have such a generosity of spirit."

Arturis after: *I knew that your selfish desire to get home would surface again!*

Arturis before: "You don't feel anger towards a force of nature [the Borg]."

Arturis after: *I don't blame them. [...] But you ... you had a choice!*

Arturis before: "You just avoid the storm [the Borg]."

Arturis after: *No defense against the storm.*

Seven before: "The Borg have never been able to assimilate them."

Arturis after: *Your diplomacy destroyed my world!*.

Seven: "You will be assimilated as well."

Arturis: *That is irrelevant.*

You could see Arturis remaining too expressionless when Seven was recounting how his species had avoided assimilation. And he did a good job of explaining his grudge to Janeway after his exposure. That powerful scene was the highlight of the episode. Arturis really showed a great deal of pain and anguish without overacting and chewing up the scenary. And the final scene of him waiting to be assimilated was fitting and rather sad.

Janeway's arguments to Arturis to convince him to abandon his murder/suicide were perfectly sound but rejected. It would have been silly to expect to be able to change his mind from the course of vengeance. Still, she had to try.

Seven's Growth

The Seven in One was not reset. Seven showed the same development started there and took it even farther here. She was more vulnerable and emotional. And once again, she rejected the Borg, this time for real and with a clear head.

We saw the angry, arrogant Seven again but it was finally obvious that she has just being defensive. Earlier episodes made the mistake of having Seven truly believe herself to be superior and often providing evidence in the plots for this superiority. Her behavior here was not seen as exemplary but rather immature and fearful.

Janeway finally seemed to understand Seven's facade and was able to control their disagreement without letting Seven provoke her or falling for Seven's surface motivations. By getting into arguments with Seven, Janeway has been invariably forced on the defensive and coming out a loser. This ep had another in a long line of Janeway/Seven disagreements but this time it seemed like progress was actually being made.

The conversations between Janeway and Seven were the best written and acted since The Gift. I feel now that TPTB are really making excellent use of Seven. Her character now appears to be the most fully developed and understood by the writers.

Other points about Seven.

1.It was good to see her smile, however briefly.

2.I really liked her joke about Janeway's assimilation.

3.She wasn't used inappropriately. She was assigned tasks for which she has shown talent and no more.

4.The camera wasn't making love to her breasts and buttocks as it has so often done.

5.She looks much more attractive in that simple workout outfit with her hair looser than in the hideous brown sausage casing.

6.Nice Borg tattoo on her arm - not.

7.Despite butting heads again with Janeway, she interacted well with the rest of the crew. Kim even managed to maintain his dignity when talking to her. (Well, almost.)

What I Didn't Like

Nothing really. There wasn't really a true sense of real excitement. But seeing as I managed to successfully avoid the spoilers, the ep did provide a good share of surprises. I certainly didn't see the Scorpion connection coming despite the hints provided about his words about the Borg. (Arturis was expressing his true feelings; it was what he didn't say that was important.) And the ending wasn't a cop-out in any way.

It would have been nice to take more time to explore the consequences of Janeway's "deal with the Devil." But maybe that is asking too much of a show like Voyager. Still, having the AOTW voice O.Deus's Scorpion argument was rather bold. And Janeway's defense was rather weakly made (as if she didn't wholly buy them herself?)

Miscellany

I liked the new ship's design: both as U.S.S Dauntless and as Species 116 ship. The explanation how the slip-stream drive won't work with Voyager's hull design sounded reasonable. And any such explanation of how a new drive can't be used is more than we usually get.

Nice title for the ep. Ultimately, both Janeway's hope and Seven's fear allowed them to be manipulate and led astray.

Conclusion

This episode wasn't spectactular but was strong across the board. Interesting story which both dealt with new ideas and looked at Voyager's past with a fresh eye. And it managed to develop both an individual's character (Seven) and a relationship (Janeway/Seven) and still make good use of the ensemble. Good writing, acting, directing, and special effects.

A final thought: What if the past history in Living Witness had concerning Janeway's "Deal with the Devil" and how it altered DQ history?

Diane -- 22 May 1998, 7:41 AM

I had Hope, but I Fear I was disappointed. Just like the Sienfield finale.

I liked the production, everything clicked. Lots of closure to this year's story themes. The Star Trek Quality was back. I felt I was watching a DS9 or TNG production, yet it was strictly a Voyager/Delta Quadrant story—Three Cheers. However, the story left me blah, just like Seinfeld's finale. Here's why.

The Janeway/Seven butt heads stories has to stop. I am bored with this storyline. It was OK for awhile, but I thought these theme would have calmed down after last week's One. Again, too much seasoning spoils the broth! In addition, all day long, in work, I am surrounded by people butting heads, I don't need to have my work environment extended into my entertainment environment. Like Ginny, I too found myself starting to fall asleep during the show—the story needed something else. Maybe Tom's letter to have been reconstructed. OK, I might have lost my bet with Mrs. Mac, but I would give up a cup of coffee in order to have had a little more pizaz in this story.

On the bright side, I did like the AOW. Thought the premise of the fallout from unintended victims of war was played out well. Artirus threw a lot in Janeway's and Seven's face. He made them both confront the results of their decisions. Come to think if it, as I write this short review, there may be more to this episode regarding this. I will have to see it again, and maybe, update my review. Back to Artirus, I liked his makeup (what wonders can be accomplished with good funding), and I liked his name, the male version of Artimus—the Greek Goddess of the Hunt (the Roman version is Diana, my name). Thought this was a neat move—a way of bringing to closure the "Hunting" theme for this year, as he was hunting for Voyager.

One final note: ERIC, I WON! I told you Janeway would beat Seven.

Eric -- 22 May 1998, 11:30 AM

Nooo!!! I still don't get how she could lose!!!!!

That's what happens when you bet with your heart instead of your brain i guess :-(

Mindy -- 28 May 1998, 8:52 PM

What I thought. I gather that the majority opinion is happiness that it wasn't a cliffhanger...I'm in the minority, I guess...I like cliffhangers (in general), although I admit that usually, at least with ST's cliffhangers, the second half (the resolution) is not as good as the first part.

My problem with HOPE AND FEAR is that nothing has changed really. I thought it was extremely interesting, and good writing, that Arcturus did not blame the Borg for their actions...as he implied (I don't remember his exact words...you can't blame a snake for biting you if you step on its head...I liked Janeway being taken to task for her actions against Species 8392 (did I get the number right?)...it sort of backed up Chakotay's words in that episode.

I liked Seven's words and feelings, too...but then I am a major Seven fan...however, I do agree with those who notice that the other main characters seem to be getting short thrift these days...I don't know why...there's a lot of gold there to be mined in those characters...

Why no mention of the Dominion War in Starfleet's message? It would have made more sense for the "windbag" to say that "we've spared what we can to find a way home for you, but with the war taking up our resources, we can't really spend much time on it...or spare much"...it would have been nice to see some dialogue among the Voyager crew about the war...the fear, the frustration...maybe even some saying, "well, be thankful for small blessings...at least we're out of it"...and even thinking..."by the time we get home, what will we find"?...

I hope next season will be better in terms of character development and MORE CONTINUITY.

Shawnster -- 29 May 1998, 12:11 AM

I agree. I'm also of the mind that a cliffhanger must be a two parter, either that or one incredible episode. A great season ender leaves me on the edge of my seat wanting more.

This was a good episode, just not, in my opinion, worthy of a season ender.

The episode was so good that it could have been two parts and all the aspects explored in more detail. A lot of people have lamented over how callous Janeway appears because Arturis' comments didn't give her the slightest pause. Another hour could have provided that pause.

Of course, I don't understand why Janeway didn't move the crew over to the Dauntless anyway. Of course she knows its a trap but the ship works and is capable of getting the crew home. Hijack that sucker I say.

Jason -- 29 May 1998, 2:38 PM

That would fuel a "Living Wit." type legend for his people. I can just imagine the holographic depiction of Janeway hijacking the Dauntless in the museum of Arturis' people.

Arturis is happily at the conn, when Pistol-Packing Janeway enters. "Leave it to the Borg to leave a job un-done," she says, as she shoots Arturis dead and takes control of the ship. To say that it would be just a little insensitive to hi-jack Arturis' ship so the crew could get home is just a bit of an understatement, and not a Janeway I would like to see.

SuzyQ -- 29 May 1998, 4:04 PM

OK, you're going to have to explain this...a bit, Jason. Ignoring the fact that most of Arturis people are all Borg drones and most likely find museums "irrelevant," why would using Arturis' ship to get home be objectionable? The scenario I proposed didn't say anything about killing Arturis, just knocking him unconscious and getting control of the ship before he puts it on autopilot. The next course of action would, of course, be to go in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed. So, once they're safely out of danger, have rejoined Voyager, and are now in possession of a real hummdinger of a vessel (and one ticked of AOTW in the brig), it only seems logical to tractor beam Voyager to that puppy and use it to get home IMO.

If your objection is leaving Arturis stranded, the ship could be programmed to be sent back to Arturis via the autopilot once it gets them back to the AQ. You don't seriously think he should be left alone with the supership while Voyager goes on its merry way, do you? After he tried to kidnap the entire crew and have them assimilated? Don't you think that would be a bit unwise?

Pegn -- 29 May 1998, 9:20 AM

Hi, Mindy. That's a good point about the "windbag's" message not including something about the war. Two things though, maybe he did include information on that but it wasn't in the part that was retrievable and maybe when the doc came back from the AQ in (what was the episode's name) he told them about it. I would imagine he could retain a lot of info in his program. Of course, he would have informed the crew in one of those infamous *off camera* scenes.

And Shawn's point is good about hijacking the Dauntless but weren't they too far into Borg area to try to hijack it? I guess they figured get their crewmates and get the h-e-double toothpicks out of there.

SuzyQ -- 29 May 1998, 9:35 AM

About hijacking the Dauntless...I think Shawn is referring to doing that when Janeway beams over with Tuvok and Seven. Of course, she didn't know who he was or what his intentions were, so she was ill-prepared (didn't have enough security officers). Then, Arturis hit the auto-pilot and they didn't have enough time to stop the thing from hurling into Borg territory.

Y'know, with all of Seven's knowledge, Janeway should have taken her to the bridge to do the Vulcan nerve pinch on Arturis and put him out of commission. That's how the TOS crew always overtook their alien captors. (g) Then, he wouldn't have had time to hit that auto-pilot. Would have been nice to hijack that ship, wouldn't it? ;-)

Eric -- 29 May 1998, 2:10 PM

Mindy! Two eps, one message! The message that Janeway was trying to decipher was the Starfleet message attached to the letters from MiB and Hunters. Remember that after they got the letters there was a part that they could not retreve.

Arcturus just created his OWN message on the fly. Then Janeway went back and deciphed the original.

Admiral "Windbag" probebly didn't mention the Dominon becuse Chuckotay already got the info from his Macqui friend (Hunters).

Voyager continuity? MY GOD!! Get TPTB on the phone!! I will NOT stand for this!! :-)

Jason -- 29 May 1998, 4:22 PM

Taking his vessel hardly looks kindly on Janeway. At least 20,000 of Arturis' people are still alive and probably bitter at Janeway. I was drawing the conclusion based on the assumption that they eventually rebuild a society with what little of the population there is left. (And, you can assume that they'd have some sort of legend about how their culture was assimilated in the first place. Judging from Arturis' comments, Janeway would be front and center in that legend.

Killing Arturis would be his race's assumption of what occured. Even still, keeping Arturis alive but taking his ship makes the crew no better than the pirates they were portrayed as in "Living Witness".

It's all irrelevant anyways because Arturis destroyed the navigational control before they could do anything to take power away from him anyways. To have taken control of the ship, Janeway would have virtually had to shoot Arturis on sight after getting out of the brig.

As for leaving Arturis stranded, but being so nice enough as to send the ship back to get him after they are through with it, a paltry six months after they left him behind... well, I doubt Starfleet would want to relinquish the ship before studying it's technology and I doubt any one would accept Janeway's further injustice upon Arturis.

As for letting Arturis keep his ship... well, it is his ship. It's not shown to have any weaponry because he never returns fire on Voyager on any occasion, and Arturis could be convinced to use the ship to salvage his race.

Voyager is not the Delta Quadrant Police Force, and by the logic that they should confiscate the vessels of any race that attacks them or holds a grudge against them, then Voyager would have a mighty convoy of ships consisting of Hirogen, Kazon, and Unidentified/Nameless AOTW.

There's a reason why Arturis did what he did which was hardly addressed by the episode. Taking his vessel will not solve anything at all, and it's unlikely that any crewmembers would be so foolish as to be tricked in to boarding Dreadnought again. Arturis is not much of a threat to Voyager's crew. If he wanted to attack and destroy them, he had endless opportunities throughout the season where he could have done so.

He wanted Voyager to face up to it's crimes, which never happened. I hardly think stealing his ship would be the right thing for Voyager's crew now to do.