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| Reviewer : |
Indefatigable |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
A most curious episode. I like the idea of Omega, a virtually limitless energy source as long as it works, and perhaps as a metaphor for nuclear power in the real world. It's a pity we never saw them again, but that was one of the problems with the transitory nature of Voyager. We never saw the Krenim again either, also unfortunately. However, it seems a bit odd that the Borg can become so fanatical about it, although it does partly make sense, and I think I can understand Seven's reaction. What I find harder to understand is the Omega Directive itself. If Janeway had died (back in "Coda" or something) then who would have been able to deal with the situation? Besides, how can something this dogmatically anti-science be part of a scientific understanding. Maybe it goes back to the old 'needs of the many' question, of the risks outweighing the benefits. Personally, I think Seven was right about trying to get the thing stable. Couldn't they have just kept one molecule to experiment on? This new source of power might have got them home within a year. Verdict, not bad at all. |
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| Reviewer : |
lexxonnet |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
I thought this was a good "action" episode, but the whole idea of the Omega Directive seems silly to me. It is incredibly arrogant of Starfleet to presume that just because they can't stabilise a particle, no one else can, or should even be given the opportunity to. To go as far as firing at a base, stealing someone else's property and destroying it just seems very un-starfleet to me. |
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| Reviewer : |
Dwayne D. |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
The episode is powerful because it does what Voyager does best-- balances the needs of Starfleet against the nice-to-haves of the Federation. In an age of anti-matter, the Omega particle isn't necessary. What is necessary is warp travel. The Omega dilemma is very different than an allegory for Nuclear power-- we saw that in the 4th ep of season one with polaric energy and it's potentially devastating side effects. We may have seen something similar out of Shinzon with his Thalaron radiation-- a weaponized, planet killing form of radiation. These energy sources take out the living and leave few survivors but Omega is something different. Sure the result at the flashpoint is the same but here the very fabric of subspace is torn-- shredded so that the fundamental requirement for the survivors of a space faring civilization is removed-- FTL travel. Forever. Remember that the Intrepid Class design is, in part a response to Starfleet's acknowledgement that Warp can hurt subspace. The idea of annihilating them medium altogether would be anathema to Starfleet like the way annihilating roads would be to the Roman Army of antiquity. The only anti-science thing I see here is the destruction of research related to the effort. I imagine that has to do with the political fallout associated with incremental research that occurs as the Omega creative is carried out by captains (and not the special squad Janeway mentions) |
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| Reviewer : |
=NoPoet= |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
It's not arrogant of Starfleet to demonise a particle that, if mis-handled, could render warp drive useless. It would scare the hell out of them. Starfleet isn't like the US Military, they wouldn't want to unlock Omega's secrets at any cost, they are sensible enough to realise that if an organisation with the Federation's technology level can't handle it, who else will? An empire-building or destructive race, like the Romulans or the Borg? Even if they don't blow the universe up, it might give them an advantage that nobody would ever be able to match. On the other hand it does seem foolish that Omega is for the Captain's eyes only, though presumably if Janeway was dead, the computer would know who was next in line. All this speculation aside, this is a solid episode and worth watching. |
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