VOY: “Counterpoint”

Date: December 16, 2020

Season 5, Episode 10

Musical Accompaniment: On songs that begin with the letter ‘S’ and I didn’t realize how many songs were named “Satellite”!

Interstellar News: I made a lemon cream cake tonight, mostly as an excuse to finish the lemon curd in my fridge. It was delicious. Also, it’s my WordPress anniversary! Happy one year to this site!!

TL;DR: Voyager is traveling through Devore territory and must submit to their inspections, which includes hiding telepaths (crew and refugees) in the transporter pattern buffers each time. The lead Inspector, Kashyk, catches up with them and says he wants to defect. They find Professor Torat and play good cop/bad cop in order to find out about the wormhole that will help the telepaths escape the Devore. They work on finding out where it will show up next and counterpoint is the key. Kashyk explains why he’s defecting and gets closer to Janeway. They have to head through a sensor net and almost elude it but trigger it on the second pass and now it’s a race against time. Kashyk heroically decides to go back in order to save Voyager, smooches Janeway, and off he goes. Voyager submits to their fourth inspection and, when they are alone, Janeway tells him where the wormhole is. At this revelation Kashyk double crosses Janeway and tries to destroy the portal, but it’s Janeway who was lying because she never really trusted Kashyk. She had already sent all of the refugee telepaths and two shuttles out to the wormhole and they make it through safely. Kashyk realizes he’s been defeats and orders Voyager to leave their space.

Favorite Quote:

Janeway: Then what do you want, Inspector?

Kashyk: Call me Kashyk, please. I never liked that title. In fact, I’ve left it behind.

Janeway: Did somebody offer you a promotion, or are you just having a bad day?

Kashyk: I’m defecting, and I need your help.

The chemistry between them is lots of fun.

“I’d be glad to discuss that and any other philosophical issue you care to raise if you would just slow down and talk.”: I loved everything about this episode except for two things. First, the dude who played Kashyk was delightful but everything he said came out slimy and not genuine. Second, at the very end… WHERE DID THEY HIDE TUVOK, VORIK, and the BETAZOID for the last inspection? Obviously they didn’t go on the shuttles through the wormhole but they couldn’t have been in plain sight but they also couldn’t stay in the pattern buffers because of the degradation… so where were they?!?! Other than these two things, I absolutely loved Janeway and Kashyk. They had the good cop/bad cop routine down pat like they’ve known each other for years and their chemistry throughout the rest of the episode played well. I legit gasped when Kashyk turned on Janeway and then was reminded of “Scorpion” when Janeway turned the tables right back on him. It was such a good lead up and I totally didn’t see it coming, though it made perfect sense. I also loved them working on how to find the wormhole, the bit where the security guard smirked when Kashyk tried for a “nightcap”, and the damn barrels of vegetables instead of telepaths at the end. It was glorious and delightful and I enjoyed it lots. 9 games of seven card stud for this episode.

TA Out!