Resistance

This episode surprises me with its emotional impact. Joel Grey's performance as Caylem seems very highly underrated. TV is rarely as human as his portrayal of this heartbreakingly doting resistor of tyranny. Grey and Mulgrew's chemistry on screen is evocative of Patrick Stewart and his supporting cast in "Inner Light". Truly, I believe this episode is underrated by fans, this vignette within the larger context of the episode, for me, makes it special. Special in TV moments, and special in Star Trek. Will the future inheritors of the Star Trek legacy ever be able to live up to simple emotion as this?

The plot is pretty standard, but what stands out is whom the captain meets and his story.

Sadly the acting by the crew certainly isn't the best and the story has a lot of random chance plot twists. How they run around undetected makes it feel highly unrealistic. It's like every fool can go in and out of what is supposed to be a well-protected prison.

Again convenient beams, and.pretty standard, generic story. I know this story could be made into a big blockbuster with how generic it is, but I feel like it was a bit forced into the universe and it doesn't feel like it suited the regular crew actors.

Janeway and an away team attemp to obtain tellurium from a planet with a totalitarian regime.

This is a solid episode with some excellent performances.

There are two elements of the plot that work well for me: the dialogue between Janeway and Caylem, and likewise Tuvok and B'Elanna. These are fairly well-written exchanges that are enhanced by the performances of Katie Mulgrew, Joel Gray, Tim Russ, and Roxanne Dawson.

Augris feels like a bit of a one-note baddie but Alan Scarfe does well with the material.

Everything builds up to a simple but effective action sequence that nicely concludes a mini adventure that feels important to the journey home.

For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.

This actor really shines in this role. He is a true craftsman of the trade. Definitely going to find more of his roles to watch.

Of all the episodes prior to this one in the first two seasons, this is the closest to classic Star Wars that Voyager comes in visual style, story elements, and emotional heft. The guest performance by Joel Grey as the broken and deluded Caylem is an unforgettable gem, and Kate rises expertly to the occasion presented by the script and Grey's beautiful work. In fact, the entire cast elevates their game; Tim Russ and Roxann Dawson share an excellent scene as prisoners, and Robert Beltran steps gamely into the captain's chair aboard Voyager. Alan Scarfe is also excellent in his guest role as Augris, the Mokra bossman. (Neelix, the Doctor, and Kes are all gratefully set aside for an episode.) Winriche Kolbe's direction is superbly cinematic. It's a beauty of an episode and for me a perfect 10/10, even though it contains none of the philosophy 101 fun of so many other episodes. It's a simple tale that feels like it takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.