11:59
- Episode aired May 5, 1999
- TV-PG
- 46m
Capt. Janeway recalls her ancestor, Shannon O'Donnell, with great reverence, but historical records don't back up the family story.Capt. Janeway recalls her ancestor, Shannon O'Donnell, with great reverence, but historical records don't back up the family story.Capt. Janeway recalls her ancestor, Shannon O'Donnell, with great reverence, but historical records don't back up the family story.
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
- Lt. Ayala
- (uncredited)
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I find genealogy a fascinating subject and the process of examining accepted histories to reveal the truth, but when it involves the family history of a fictional character I think it is a bit of a stretch to call it interesting.
For me the plot is not helped by the shifts back and forth between past and present, halting the momentum of the Shannon O'Donnell story. I think the writers would have been better starting the episode during the flashback time period and only revealing towards the end who the main protagonists are in relation to Captain Janeway (who is in the process of doing some genealogical research).
I think Katie Mulgrew and Kevin Tighe deserve credit as they lift the material to make the episode quite watchable, but I would not describe it as riveting.
Voyager apparently has access to 20th/21st century birth/death/marriage certificates, voter registration forms, census forms, &c. At least in TNG or DS9 that could be explained-away as them accessing the Federation network, but that's certainly not the case here, out in the Delta Quadrant. Anyhow, it is one of those silly little inconsistencies which makes this show so very weak.
It's a simple story and well told, so for all those who complain about Voyager saying it didn't have room for these kinds of tales while TNG and DS9 did, well, here you go.
I also felt the previous episode, "Someone to Watch Over Me", was brilliant and a simple story told well.
What I like most about 11:59 is that the frame narrative involves Captain Janeway struggling with the realization that her ancestor isn't the giant she thought she was.
We get to see that woman and get to know her, she is so much more relatable BECAUSE she is not a giant, I think that's really wonderful.
5/5, superb.
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode was inspired by an undeveloped Q episode for Star Trek: Voyager, thought up by John de Lancie who played Q, and was originally to have included a recurring character from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Guinan.
- GoofsNeelix erroneously states at the beginning of the episode that the Great Wall of China is visible from space. This mistaken belief dates to well before satellites were even invented.
- Quotes
Henry Janeway: You know, I was born in the wrong millennium.
Shannon O'Donnell: I'll stick with the modern age.
Henry Janeway: The classical age. Greatest literature mankind ever produced.
Shannon O'Donnell: No antibiotics.
Henry Janeway: Families that take care of one another.
Shannon O'Donnell: No cars.
Henry Janeway: Air you can breathe.
Shannon O'Donnell: No telephones.
Henry Janeway: What a pleasure.
Shannon O'Donnell: Shorter lifespans.
Henry Janeway: Lives that were worth living.
Shannon O'Donnell: No cold beer!
Henry Janeway: There you got me.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Star Trek: Enterprise: Carbon Creek (2002)
Details
- Runtime
- 46m
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3