UNCUT - Non Sequitur (VOY S2E5) | Star Trek Journey 374

It’s interesting and great to see someone in starfleet sign up for a few weeks space exploration assignment with the intention of returning home and getting married.

"Admiral, I thought you were headed into the Badlands for a three-week tour! What gives?" Admiral Strickland: "That's a STUPID QUESTION!"

This is mistakenly a "HOW do I fix it" episode instead of a "SHOULD I fix it" episode. My issue with episodes like these is how it burns an opportunity that will never come again. Harry never wrestles with staying, never meets his parents let alone having them weigh in. Libby could have been portrayed as a supportive partner that justifies Harry holding out but she's just, generic. We are told they are in love, and never shown. Voyager demands you suspend insane amounts of disbelief, as many point out, and the issue for me is that the payout for turning your brain off and ignoring deep flaws in reasoning or situations just aren't there. It just never pays out, so I can't suspend disbelief. I can't get over how no one believes Harry, how incompetent security is, how improbable the solution is, and how lazy the writing must have been for all of that to have been considered ok green lighting. You're right that these sorts of explorations didn't happen until later seasons of TNG, and how great it is that Voyager is doing them sooner. But it's performative and hollow. The fact that Libby's reveal doesn't pop off illustrates hoiw Voyager drops the ball on the foundational work that makes characters WORTH exploring. How is it that we've heard of but know nothing about her, or why she matters to Kim, and even after an episode with her in it still don't?? I watch this and I can't get over how I'm watching mediocrity and apathy in a writing room

OK you convinced me Josh. It's not a mid-tier episode, definitely A tier.

It shouldn’t have been a shot from relics. It should’ve been a shot from Star Trek three they should’ve used the footage from Star Trek three of the docking station. I don’t know why they did that. That’s actually a continuity error.

Hey the episode almost gave Harry a personality so it’s a success

For a character that we never set eyes on, gotta appreciate how hard Harry fought to give him his life back. Must have been a really good friend. I hope he appreciates it.

San Francisco with gorgeous, golden sunlight everywhere all the time? Fake! Even the most advanced StarFleet technology isn't going to get rid of the recurring fog and drizzle. What city are they going to goldwash next - Seattle?

Two items. IIRC, this ws the first episode filmed for season 2. Jennifer Gatti was the runner up for the role of Kes.

Clunky dialogue, forced romantic scenes, weak guest actors, one of the more painful examples of the use of technobabble during the escape and I’m sorry but - Harry Kim isn’t a compelling enough character to carry this story or make me care. There aren’t enough U’s in the word “dull” to accurately describe this episode.

the V-Neck is controlled by the tiny zipper, if you look close, you can see it. I think they are given a little leniency with regards to the zipper position. If you are liking these rather weak episodes of the early seasons, I CANNOT wait for the seasons coming.. wow.. so excited.

Understandable Rant at the End. I feel you Josh.

your "Now kiss!!" made me laugh 🤣 Back in the day the only ships I particularly cared about were Janeway-Chakotay and [spoilers], but watching it as an adult I can definitely see Tom-Harry as really 👀 Bromance-to-romance is a fun dynamic, lmao! Their scenes are some of the best in this episode.

I just find this entire episode so hard to believe. It makes sense that Harry is very reluctant at the start to explain anything, because he doesn't know what the situation is, and he doesn't know whether there is some kind of antagonist that he needs to be aware of. However, once it becomes clear that the entire situation is just an accident, and there doesn't seem to be a time-limit/stake to the situation, it makes no sense that he wouldn't just openly spill the beans and go into every little detail that he can remember and completely work with Starfleet. He's just so incredibly vague in every single answer to every single person in the entire episode. Even with his initial conversation with Tom Paris. He's spent months with him together on a spaceship and went through plenty of hardships together. Surely they've shared personal stories with each other from before their time on Voyager that he could use to corroborate their friendship? Starfleet's initial suspicions make a lot of sense especially with the whole maquis and changeling threat going on, but Harry does basically nothing to convince them of his story. Unless we are supposed to believe that he explained all that off-screen? When he's asked about visiting Tom Paris, why doesn't he just immediately mention the fact that Tom was invited by Janeway to be on Voyager, and he was supposed to be on that ship. This is all in Starfleet records and is completely consistent with his story. When he's approached by the alien telling him about the timestreams, why doesn't he immediately go back to Starfleet saying, "Hey, this guy's an alien confirming exactly what I'm telling you, and here's the exact device he gave me to find the timestream that caused this". Why don't they question his fiance who will very clearly tell them that she noticed him behaving strangely from one specific point in time forward that is completely in line with Harry's story, to the extent that he woke up talking about Voyager, with both Harry and his fiance having completely clean track records before any of this with no ties to the Maquis at all. Why would he be suspected of trying to steal a ship that he himself is in the process of helping design, and is being quoted as the sole engineer responsible for making the design possible? Also, how does one forge a security code? As a programmer, I refuse to believe that Starfleet security is so bad that a security code could be forged at all. Stolen? Phished? Sure. But forged? Does the field of cryptography just not exist in the future? The fact that his security codes worked in the first place is just completely unbelievable. Either the codes shouldn't have worked, because they were never created and inserted into the Starfleet security database in this timeline, or they are generated through some kind of centralized private key + public key + identification + permission hash, in which case it would be impossible to invalidate a security code once it is compromised without invalidating every single security code, which would be a giant gaping hole in security protocols. The fact that he has working codes that are tied to his name that are completely legit by all checkable measures means he does in fact have very substantial evidence that he's telling the truth. It's just so unbelievable to me, which is a shame, because this is an otherwise good premise for an episode.

Josh just wants to see all the characters in their jammies.

This would be the perfect way to write out a character if an actor wanted to leave the show. You could even bring them back later somehow, or have them appear on Deep Space Nine or something.

It wouldn't really make sense for them to cut back to Voyager until he finally attempts to get back. It's not like they're trying to figure out where Harry went. He was never there from their point of view. Plus, their current situation would be completely different, given that neither Tom or Harry was ever a crew member on the ship, never doing all the things they did on Voyager in the Delta Quadrant.

I’ve always like this episode! Never skip it. I like Josh’s rant at the end. Sci-fi used to have a lot of hopeful stuff in it. More modern is just darker and darker 🤮. Another reason why NuTrek is such dog shit.

I remember the gist of this episode but could not remember a single damn thing about it. The episode was a bold choice but I think we just needed a little bit more of Harry's thought processes to give a bit more emotional impact on his reason to return to his timeline.

To be fair, the sets for Academy where quite extensive and real...they did not just use the volume

Its good episode, probably in C+ to B-. Problem is Harry's acting drags this one down a bit for me

I don't want to detract from Josh's enjoyment of this episode, I'm glad he liked it. The show should be rewarded when it stretches a little. But the reason a lot of the flaws noted in this episode creeped in is that it's actually a bottle episode in disguise. This is one of the six episodes that were filmed in preparation for Season 1 but held over until Season 2. It was actually filmed at the same time as some of the episodes from the middle of DS9's third Season. The interior of the Yellowstone, the runabout Tom and Harry use to get to the time stream, is a standard DS9 runabout -- which is fair, all alternative Harry was working on was the engine. We don't see any part of France other than the inside of Sandrine's, not even an exterior matte painting. Starfleet HQ is a redressed main set, although I'm not sure if it's one from DS9 or Voyager. And they used a stock clip from one of the TOS movies for the establishing shot (which was looking a bit grainy). And... sad to say, they were advertising the "Old Town Festival" for a reason. The part of San Francisco Harry lives in circa 2371 is the exact same part of San Francisco we saw circa 2024. That metro entrance is the same one Sisko, Bashier & Dax arrived around; and Harry's apartment used to be Chris Jenner's office back when he was helping Jadzia get her bearings by day and hosting snobby parties by night. So, no new sets, most of the guest actors (as you spotted) are returning character actors, this is a bottle episode rubbing its nickels and dimes together really, really hard to get every last bit it can from its comparatively almost non-existent budget. Unfortunately, that's why we don't even see a picture of Danny or Harry Kim's parents. Still, I think it's impressive what they managed to pull off with next to nothing.

Personally, the thing I think is MOST missing from this episode is Harry Kim NOT contacting his parents, given this opportunity and what he said in prior episodes.

So glad you guys “get” Voyager. One of my favorite Star Trek series. Thank you.

This is one of those episodes I always forget about until the start of watching it. Not that it's bad (I would rate it a solid B+) but more that it's basically a one-off episode that doesn't tie into any major plotlines. Starfleet leadership again shows itself to be terrible.

This is my favorite Voyager episode to this point. It’s often great to see you guys disagree with me, but it feels really great when you agree with me on an underrated episode

Anyone else have trouble with keeping the reaction video lined up with the show? I'm going through Paramount+, do they use the dvds? It seems like the black fade in and out disrupts the flow

As far as Harry being doubted by Starfleet, one wonders if it's because of the current political climate. Not just the Maquis, but the Changeling's boast about "We're everywhere." Starfleet's now probably so freaked about potential infiltration that they're more skeptical than they used to be.

Wow, my take got the, "I agree with you, and here's another thing!" Rant. 🤣

Starfleet being based in San Francisco and that city being the major hub of the Star Trek franchise compared to all the exposure New York or London usually gets in media leads me to head canon that New York and London didn't make it through WW3.

1) That wasn't an apartment on the 4th floor. 2) Won't it be fun when Harry finally gets back and finds out Libby married Danny Byrd...

Bottom line is that Garrett is not a great actor, just pretty good.

It doesn't make sense that Harry wants to go back to Voyager so much unless they establish that he actually is happier there. Like Libby has no chemistry with Harry - maybe have this episode show that actually they are wrong for each other, and Voyager is a chance to forge a new path? But the motivations as they are presented in this episode don't make sense and ring hollow. I like Harry but this story would have benefitted from more character moments - what does Harry actually want? how does he think and feel? He seems like he is going through the motions in life.

"No pleasure planet excursions." Harry, you were literally alone with an alien woman on a planet with orgasm wind.

I'm glad you loved it Josh. It's just not my type of episode, it did have some good moments, but i'd give it borderline C/D.

I was thinking C tier going off of memory, but honestly it was a banger, so B+. Surprised when Josh said it's his favourite episode yet. Wonder if this might be a Man of the People situation. I like it, but not that much. I do agree that the performances were mostly just serviceable in this one, but I'm still glad they gave Garrett something to do. Good for the character even if the performance wasn't exceptional. I love the moment when he calls out Paris for being a loser and then effortlessly parries that punch, if only for the fact it shows he's got a lot more confidence now than back in Caretaker. I do agree with the criticisms however. They should have ditched the whole aspect of having to run from starfleet. He's designing a runabout, he can schedule a test flight. Have him visit his parents, have him visit Danny Bryd's family and see how distraught they are, and then seeing how shitty Paris' life is, realizing he can't leave things like this. He needed more inner turmoil over the decision, not having to outrun starfleet security. Also Robert Beltran was so damn checked out in that bridge scene. Still a pretty good episode though. Also big W for Libby standing up for her man and delaying the security dudes even though Kim seems to have gone crazy from her perspective. Beautiful and loyal, it's hard to blame Kim for wanting to wait for her. Finally, I laughed way too much at Alex saying the one guy diving out the window looked like a giant seal. It was just so random.

Ok this was a better episode than I remembered. I enjoyed watching it again 🙃

I did like this episode and how it took it time and not reveal what was happening right away. Actually, it made me not care the reason why he was there. I just feel it could be done with anyone, I still not feeling most of the characters in this show, hope that changes. Because I feel the episodes are decent and this one was good.

As as DS9 guy I have to insist that the best coffee order is a Raktajino. Can you imagine how much caffeine Klingon coffee must have?

So I sleep in jeans, t-shirt and sweater with hood up. Am I a psychopath? Also, I love when episodes have a reveal that doesn't involve any enemy. It's another alien race that we barely learn anything about, but it wasn't malicious. Just an accident. Great stuff. I also want a Vulcan Mocha, but only because I love the word Vulcan so much, I naturally assume the drink would be great.

I genuinely did not remember this episode and have to say I really enjoyed it. I like timey-whimey plots ;) It is an interesting dilemma Harry finds himself in: he could stay as this is what he's left behind, or he could return and put things back as they were. It is tempting to stay given that they are currently decades away from Earth. It's always good to spend some time on 24 Century Earth, too.

I agree with Alex, I’d stay in the Matrix too…

Yeah, The Matrix for sure. Or the Nexus. I just can't buy Harry would go back to Voyager in the delta quadrant with no idea if they'll ever get back after being back home with the love of his life. Take the win, Harry. C rating at best.

I've always really enjoyed this one. I love stories with a 'what if' premise. I thought it was really cool to see what Harry's life would've been like if he hadn't been on Voyager.

Harry coming back to a project presentation meeting and no clue what he is supposed to be presenting triggered my anxiety over university research paper deadlines. 40 years after graduation I still have nightmares about not having started a paper that is due that very day.

Shout out to the better future Earth you guys! Thank you!

After nearly 370 episodes we finally get one that take place on earth. This is a great gem.

What a boring episode. I dozed off until the end. D for dozing.

They used virtually every shot of Starfleet HQ from the movies...it's odd that they used the Dyson Sphere doors from Relics for Spacedock instead of the actual spacedock doors from either ST3 or 6.

The funny part is these are the same sets they used for Past Tense part II.

Some of the San Fran establishing shots are from The Voyage Home. So if you zoom in you can see the Monster Maroons

To me, there's nothing wrong with this, I just find it.... *shrugs slowly* I agree that it was cool to see their 'modern Earth'. Seeing Harry there is cool, but how he got there does little for me because it feels like a very throwaway answer scfi-wise that eventually they just went 'fine, here's the exposition scene, the dude isn't a villain, moving on' because there was no meat on the bones there intellectually or dramatically. The Paris stuff was okay. Otherwise, other than seeing a bit of Starfleet headquarters, it's just a lot of very bland stuff to me. Bland main character, bland fiancee of main character, bland admirals, bland engineering friend, bland alien, bland solution to the problem. Lots and lots of bland.

Vulcan mocha. Most definitely.

This is always one of the episodes I always forget , but also really enjoy. It's nice to have a solid single-plot episode.

“Hey, maybe we eventually fucking figure it out! And maybe in the future things are actually better! Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t it be great to strive towards?!?” This ad brought to you by the Josh 2028 Campaign and the Maybe We Eventually Fucking Figure It Out Party.

6000$ with that kind of view in the heart of SF? Try 8-10 k. I've seen listings going even beyond that. I live 20 miles from SF and I like the Bay Area, but the rent issues are ridiculous.

I’m thinking now maybe Harry should have stayed been with his GF. Worked to help make contact with Voyager. Seems to me they could have proved temporal shenanigans. They could sense the temporal activity when Picard was shifting through time in All Good Things.

I like this one, in concept and execution... except the chase sequence heading to the anomaly feels like it zaps the energy out of the room, and I find myself struggling to care. Probably the technobabble

Garrett Wang requested a meeting with Brannon Braga. He said he was the only actor that never got to do good enough action scenes to require a stunt double. He also wished for Harry to have a romance or get the girl. Brannon said, "don't worry about it" and put every request into this one episode. It was originally going to be Deanna Troi who interrogates Harry, but Marina Sirtis was not available. It was then rewritten to be an Admiral. This episode got extra scope out of using establishing shots from THE MOTION PICTURE, THE VOYAGE HOME, and THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. The Spacedock door was indeed also a reuse of the Dyson Sphere door from TNG RELICS.

I agree about the performances, but I would say its probably my favorite of Voyager to this point and one I look forward to for any rewatch. And completely agree about how they picked the perfect character to do this story with, no one missed Earth like Harry Kim on that crew.

Dudes...the uniforms have a futuristic Starfleet invention called a "zipper". Sometimes they are zipped up more than others. Paramount is planning a new resort in China with a dedicated Star Trek section. Target Audience should take me with them when it opens, even though I leave snarky comments.

I wouldn't go as far as calling it my favorite episode of the show so far, but it's certainly a good one.

A great episode, love the scenes with Kim and Libby. I always enjoy this story and how Kim's situation keeps devolving into a worse and worse situation until he finally manages to make it back on a gamble. RIP Tom Paris, he was a true one. Also love Josh's impression of Captain Janeway in the discussion part lol "There's the shuttle get the tractor beam on him"

I agree with Josh. I would like to see the human race get it together so we can have this kind of a future.

Your love for bad cheesy romantic acting and writing always baffles me.

I think instead of the meeting scene and all the stuff with him at Starfleet headquarters, they could have had him initially torn, decide to stay and then run into Danny's family or SO. And see how devastated they are by his disappearance. They kind of did that with the Paris stuff, but that bit could have just reinforced the Danny stuff and made him even more sure of the right thing to do. A scene or scenes with his parents would have been good as well.

Guys....it's a zipper lol.

I'd give the credit of being Meridian'd, but I loved this beforehand. In every Trek series, I am always down for a bottle episode in an alt universe or time that gives us that multiverse glimpse. Hard for Garrett Wang, the literal Ensign of the cast, to try and carry this on his own, but he did ok, all things considered.

Because I watched Voyager before DS9 and season two first, this was the first I heard of Quark and Odo. And think of this, Harry has heard that the Voyager is considered lost

I love this episode but my one issue is Harry didn’t check on his parents. Garret was always having to do ADR and he hated that, sometimes the sound just didn’t pick them up

Voyager sex scoreboard HARRY KIM!!!! SCOREBOARD Paris – 2 Neelix - 1 Kes – 1 Chakotay 1 Harry +1 new GUESTS Libby +1 DETAILS Kim enters the holy of holies – coitus uninterrupted. New found props for the Kim-dog. I can see why Harry has not been joining in with that slut Paris (well a slut in Voyager anyway not compared to other shows). If I were Harry I would wait to get back to that drop dead gorgeous girl too. Libby gets one but I wish it were two (the second one being me.) I always had a thing for the Romuklingon and she looks even better here.

I remember liking this episode as a solid B episode, on rewatch it's a low C. Harry Kim is a complete moron in this, beaming himself into space on the off chance maybe he gets back when the person who saved you said who knows what it will happen? And Paris going along with this because... fuck if I can figure it out. Paris hasn't had the character development to go to bat for Kim, it makes no sense. The only way to explain his actions is Kim is more sexually attracted to Paris than Libby.

Harry Kim badly needed his own episode and this was a solid one, with excellent character moments and a genuine ethical dilemma. I'm glad they've learned by now to hold back The Plot as long as they can, even if they did have to cram a lot into the last two acts. You really feel how hard it would be for Harry to give up his new reality, and yet he absolutely sells why he has to do it. Great stuff. Random thoughts: - I'm assuming a Vulcan mocha is a glass of hot water with one teaspoon of cocoa powder. Maybe two for "extra sweet." - They're in apartment 4-G, so presumably fourth floor, and yet they're about 1000 feet above the city. In the 24th century, do they start numbering apartments from the top? - What the hell is Chakotay doing on the bridge at the end? Checking his email? Kim's in trouble, dude!!

Wow! I never guessed the often cynical Josh is a true believer in Gene's future vision for humankind. That reminds me ot the quote: A cynic is a disappointed optimist. Don't remember who said it.

Hey I'm one of those 16, hopefully many more that listen to ya guys. Fun episode good character moments between Harry and Tom. They been pals since the pilot episode. Very funny moment "I'm going to see Paris" - "But I thought you were going to Marseille!?

This aligns with TNG's Schizoid Man, so lets see if your reaction is as good at that episode.

... ... I love you guys (for the early release), and about the last episode. What I like about the rewatching with fresh eyes (you fellas) I gain more respect for the ones I didn't think were awesone. HUH? 🤔... Maybe my opinion of what's interesting and good has changed since I was 12?