Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Parallax (1995) User Reviews

A promotion for B'Elanna

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 8 June 2010]

Having introduced the characters in the opening double episode it is now time to see how the combined Star Fleet/Maquis crew will interact; at first it looks as if they will not work well at all when B'Elanna seriously injures Star Fleet engineer Lieutenant Carey who is the captain's preferred choice to be the next chief engineer. Chakotay has other ideas however and recommends that B'Elanna should be given the job. When Voyager finds itself caught on the event horizon of a black hole it calls for radical ideas and B'Elanna's successful ideas lead to her being given the job despite objections from some of the Star Fleet crew.

This episode lacks the excitement of the series opener but features good character development for B'Elanna, we also see the beginning of Kes's friendship with the Doctor when she asks for his help in setting up a hydroponics bay and unlike everybody else she treats him like a real person.

More character building --- not a bad thing!

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 25 March 2020]

One of my major beefs with current generation star trek is that we have such a limited understanding of most of characters except for the major stars. Part of my love for Voyager is in the ensemble style delivery of the show.

In this episode a space paradox happens to test the skill of Voyagers engineering department. Lt. Torres decides to drive into the ditch during the race to become chief engineering by punching out his competiton ---- to be fair to the criticism against Torres --- she is not Starfleet and has mentioned that she 'struggles' with her Klingon aggression so I will give her a pass on this one. We get some great moments of Torres/Janeway braining out the problem with girl power technobabble that establishes the fact that Janeway is no slouch in the technologic theory department. Ultimately with the help of the big brain on t Torres they 'punch their way out and escape. After a big bonding moment like that Lt Torres is the clear choice for chief engineer.

We get some additional enjoyable character moments. I enjoyed the scene of dad and mom (Janeway and Chakotay) fighting about proper protocol on the ship. I am going to be honest here --- I find it kind of hot when Janeway gets authoritative, I sometimes envision the crack of a whi.... Oh nevermind.

I enjoy the scene of Kes with the Doctor. The crew are treating the doctor like a talking tricorder and you could see how the doctor was moved by the caring nature of Kes.

Solid episode.

A worthy second episode.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 8 January 2023]

The first episode of this series to revolve around the character of B'Elanna, it shows us the tensions arising among crew members as the members of both Starfleet and the Maquis struggle to get along. B'Elanna herself clearly knows her way around an engineering room, but is going to have to learn restraint, for as the episode opens, she's decked her superior officer, Joe Carey (Josh Clark). Chakotay is aware that she needs more discipline, but knows full well her abilities, and recommends a promotion for her.

But everybody's abilities are about to be tested when the Voyager tries to save a spacecraft caught inside a "singularity".

Sometimes the script does get bogged down in technical talk, which could potentially fly over the heads of some viewers, but the upshot of the scenario is very sound: these are level-headed characters who know they're facing a very serious situation, and are trying to think their way out of it. Commendably, we do have Neelix on hand to explain *some* things for the audience, such as what a singularity is in the first place (a star that's collapsed in on itself).

Roxann Dawson is excellent as she takes us through this tale and allows us to get to know her character better (which is one of Janeway's intentions). We find out that she'd attempted Starfleet training, but had given up early; only later does she learn, from Janeway, that more people were in her corner than she realized. She IS extremely knowledgeable; she just has to learn how to deal with people.

Not that it's *entirely* serious: there's some very funny comic bits of business as The Doctors' image control malfunctions, resulting in a priceless final shot.

Good entertainment.

Eight out of 10.

good show in spite of B'Elanna's premature promotion

[Paularoc · 6/10 · 27 June 2012]

The characters Kes and B'Elanna are further developed in this second Voyager episode. "I have a huge chip on my shoulder and I hope it annoys you" B'Elanna Torres breaks the nose of the senior officer Carey in the engineering department.; nonetheless Chakotay tries to convince Captain Janeway that Torres is the best choice for Chief Engineer. Given that we know that she will be the ongoing series character and not Lieutenant Carey, it's not too hard to figure out who will become Chief Engineer as implausible as that is. She is clearly the more brilliant engineer but her little leadership speech ("I hope I can count on you…") to Lt. Carey at the end of the show sounds insincere and unconvincing. The Ocampan Kes befriends the doctor and is, as intended, a very likable character who nicely offsets the B'Elanna character. The Voyager is in danger of being sucked into a collapsing star. This is where B'Elanna shows off her engineering brilliance and comes up with a solution to their predicament. I particularly liked the discussion between Captain Janeway and B'Elanna regarding whether the mirror image was on the port side or starboard. A solid, if flawed, entry in the series.

Star Trek: Voyager - Parallax

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 7 January 2017]

After the season pilot for "Voyager", the show set out to build the characters, using odd space anomalies among other black holes, quantum abnormalities, and nebula as McGuffens, backdrop dangers to further tell stories on adapting to being "lost in a mysterious quadrant". In the second episode, Thomas Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) proves his mettle as a "pilot" while B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) has trouble taking orders in Engineering while her former Maquis commander, Chakotay (Robert Beltran), works to promote her to the chief if Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) will approve. Tension is high as those who served under Chakotay for the Maquis tell him privately they would support him in a mutiny if he so chooses. Chakotay, though, wants the Maquis officers and Starfleet officers to acclimate themselves into a cohesive unit…easier said than done.

However, this whole event horizon situation where the Voyager is unable to escape a quantum singularity (a type of black hole) could be Torres' chance to prove herself as a worthy candidate for the Chief Engineering position. Janeway challenges Chakotay, to see all officers under command and him functioning as her proper second, without playing favorites. So the show was still clear on its flawed characters and indifference among the crew, as Torres has her share of problems with the Federation officers, particular senior officer, Carey (Josh Clark), who she punches in the face during a disagreement! Janeway and Chakotay were still at odds although there was real respect shared between them, and the captain is willing to listen to her second in command with suggestions. Neelix and Kes prove to be valuable additions to the crew, as the former knows the quadrant quite well and the latter has a brilliant mind offering suggestions on organic food production due to a lack of energy resources.

The ship's holographic medical doctor, which is activated or deactivated when needed in Sickbay, played by Robert Picardi, suffers from "shrinking" and has requested assistance (but his condition is consider of less importance because of the quantum singularity). There is a brief exchange between Picardi and Kes (Jennifer Lien) that will become a nice friendship that develops. The shuttlecraft trip to the "crack" of the singularity, hoping to open it and escape, with Janeway and Torres, allows them to come to a place of understanding…the conclusion has the two of them having to figure out which Voyager (the singularity produces two Voyagers, with one a basic "time delay" duplicate of the other) is the right one to board! The science of the show can be a bit confusing and challenging (I often have to research the meanings behind the space and time complications facing the Voyager just so I can leave each episode not completely mentally overloaded!), but the characters are quite compelling, and the Voyager's dilemma in the Delta Quadrant trying to return to the Alpha Quadrant produces plenty of unpredictable journeys/missions.

This episode does continue to establish the unease that exists on the ship between the Starfleet and Maquis...how it is a work in progress. As Captain of the Voyager, Janeway shows that she's willing to listen and her patience, exuberant passion when answers come that might resolve crises, and ability to command despite impending obstacles (think about the constant problems that exist in being away from the Federation...) are commendable attributes.

Good but certainly not subtle

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 1 February 2015]

Early on in the series, Lt. Torres sure looks like a much angrier version of Tasha Yar. She was so angry that the character seemed a bit ridiculous--and this is all part of the teething process in introducing her character. She certainly is not subtle in this particular show! This affects the overall quality of the show as does the fact that there are no aliens in this episode--just a 'quantum whatchamacallit' and a mirror image Voyager. Kind of dull stuff compared to other episodes, though I did have a laugh watching the Captain and her reactions to Torres. All in all, not a bad episode at all and it shows promise--but also one that is a bit tough to love.

Good Action and Necessary Character Development

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 8 August 2018]

I'm afraid that my lack of scientific knowledge leaves me a bit confused by the various spacial obstructions encountered by these starships. In this one, there is an anomaly that has to do with the time/space continuum. It presents a formidable obstacle for the a ship that has just found its way out of a previous engagement. The focus here, however, is the role of chief engineer being coveted by Torres, who lets her emotions get the best of her at times. The episode starts with her breaking the nose of the current chief of engineering. This is a well constructed episode, demanding that Voyager be used as a battering ram. Good human encounters, but it is still pretty preachy. Like Kirk in he original, we often pause and listen to the Captain deliver something pithy.

Good character story

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 28 April 2022]

Janeway has to make a key personnel decision.

This is an enjoyable episode with some decent character exploration.

At the beginning the Captain holds a meeting to do some general planning and organising for Voyager's situation and this is the best part of the episode for me as it flows quite naturally and feels plausible.

The plot is focused around Janeway, B'Elanna and Chekotay developing their characters further and establishing the dynamics between the Voyager and Marquis crew members. It does this very well in a number entertaining exchanges.

There is a sci-fi aspect to the story that is technobabble heavy and made me zone out a bit. However, Neelix and Tom Paris almost break the forth wall in their efforts to connect with the layman, which is quite funny.

How Janeway's dilemma resolves is contrived storytelling, but it's done in a positive way that (true to Star Trek) celebrates a character solving problems using intelligence.

All performances are solid, especially Katie Mulgrew, Roxanne Dawson, and Robert Beltran.

Improvement!

[dirvingman-62136 · 7/10 · 8 December 2020]

This was much better in my eyes than the pilot episode. The plot is easier to follow, it's got an interesting concept, and there's character development. B'Elanna is sketched out much better, and Chakotay has a little more personality. Although I'm still not quite sold on his actor.

It might get a little techno-babbly but this plot feels well conceptualized - reminiscent of other "space anomaly" episodes in Star Trek lore but with its own twist. Coupled with a character-driven plot of B'Elanna figuring out her place on the crew (and on the show), it's a solid watch.

B'Elanna breaks a nose, and Chakotay recommends her for a promotion.

[txriverotter · 3/10 · 18 August 2020]

Chakotay has always annoyed me. His complete and total blindness where Seska is concerned and his smarmy smirks are just a couple of things that irk me.

But this episode is particularly frustrating because, rather than take the time to really get to know characters, we have B'Elanna who is aggressive to the point of caricature, punching the chief engineer in the face and breaking his nose in three places. And what does the Second in Command do?

He puts her up for promotion. Oh, after whining about how she ruined 'his' day, of course.

No doubt, in the world of Star Trek, B'Elanna is more than qualified for the position of Chief Engineer. The problem is she's an a$$hole. Someone else here said it best: "I have a chip on my shoulders and I hope it really bothers you." Or something of that nature.

We all knew B'Elanna was going to end up being CE because she was the long-term character. But why make it all happen in one episode? And with her not suffering ANY consequence for breaking Cary's nose? They even make a point to have Chakotay comment that if she'd hit him any harder, pieces of his nose bone might have ended up in his gray matter.

This episode could have been great despite the lack of new aliens and only a "space crack" to deal with. The relationship between Kes and the Doctor begins to build, we see great interaction between Captain Janeway and B'Elanna as they discuss the "science" of how to deal with the space crack, then they bond when they take the shuttle out to try and help Voyager break free.

Instead of adding to that and 'begin' building toward B'Elanna becoming CE, they cram it all into one episode and we get really ridiculous B'Elanna trying to prove she's more angry than anyone else on the ship. Hell, the whole Delta Quadrant!

And B'Elanna STILL was never punished for breaking Cary's nose. WTH?!

Parallax

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 8 March 2023]

Parallax brings science to the equation but it might too early for this kind of story when they should be exploring an unknown region of space.

The Voyager encounter a unidentified vessel and sends out a message to them. Only to find themselves trapped in time. The spaceship they saw was actually the Voyager.

It is like being trapped underneath an icey pond, they need to push themselves out. It is B'Elanna Torres who has the answers as she and Captain Janeway work together.

The episode explores the initial teething issues between the Maquis crew and the Starfleet crew.

The hot headed Torres hit her coworker on the nose. Yet Chakotay wants her to be Chief Engineer when she does not have the temperament.

You do have to wonder if the Maquis crew are always destined to be second best. There are a lot more of the Starfleet personnel.