Date: June 4, 2021
Season 7, Episode 5
Music Video of the Day:
Interstellar News: It’s another sort-of 3 day weekend for me. Making brownies and heading to the beach to celebrate a dear friend turning 40 and the husband person turning 35 tomorrow. Happy early birthday to them!
TL;DR: The EMH and his holo-emitter are kidnapped and he’s sold to a hospital. He helps the sick as much as he can, but basically stages a coup so that everyone gets medical care no matter how important they are to society. Janeway and crew search for the thief and finally track him and the EMH down.
Favorite Quote:
EMH: While I was aboard that ship, I poisoned a man.
Seven of Nine: Deliberately?
EMH: Yes. I was trying to force him to let me treat patients who were dying.
Seven of Nine: You were prepared to sacrifice an individual to benefit a collective.
EMH: No offense, Seven, but I don’t exactly aspire to Borg ideals.
Seven of Nine: You were hoping your behavior was the result of a malfunction. I’m sorry Doctor, but I must give you a clean bill of health.
Seven and the EMH discussing his latest disgnostic.
“I’m not interested in fault. I just want to know how it happened.”: This was a very interesting episode, mostly because Robert Picardo is his usual stellar self. Chellick allows the Allocator computer program to make some inhumane decisions based on resources, something that hits a lot differently after Covid made hospital resources scarce a few months ago. Dysek, Tebbis, and the others all go along with it because it’s the poor who are dying – but the EMH is able to light the fire under their asses to rebel against the system. It’s about doing what’s right and not so subtly screaming about healthcare being a right, no matter how much money you have or how you may or may not contribute to society. If you’re never given a chance, who knows what you’ll be able to accomplish?
Dysek: “Actually, he seems to be learning the system quite well.”
I love how Janeway tries tracking down Gar and when they finally find him it’s Tuvok and Neelix acting as slightly unethical Vulcan cop and super sneaky Talaxian cook turned interrogator. There’s also this HILARIOUS bit where they find Gar’s mistress and Janeway and Tuvok have to pretend to be lovers and it’s absolutely beautiful. It’s amazing Tuvok is still the security chief after all the damn breaches they have had, but it’s great to see him and Neelix finally working together and not being on each other’s nerves. Another excellent piece is Seven and the EMH’s conversation at the end. The EMH has no idea how he was able to put Chellick in harm’s way unless it was a malfunction, so what does this mean in regard to his programming, his ethics, and his artificial intelligence? I doubt they’ll follow up on this, plus this episode is not the best at including the whole crew so it’s only earning itself 8 exploding zombie cakes.
TA Out!
To Boldly Go Where Everyone Has Gone Before 