The Thaw

This looks a great deal like the original series in its visuals and dialogue. I think this is a great throwback to the Original series. The costumes especially remind me of the original. The costumes look as if the wardrobe department shopped at a garage sale for these items.

Since its creation by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek has explored the fear and doubts of humanity. Whether it was the Klingons in the original series or the Borg in TNG, the series seems to manufacture new ways fear and doubt can manifest itself.

The Thaw takes no backseat to the discussion. The performance by Michael McKean as fear, as well as the filming sequences that accentuate his creepy entourage, are superbly frightening. The costume design sprouts from one of Jim Henson's nightmares. The Thaw should have been nominated for an Emmy for set/costume design.

The thorough, scientific analysis of fear by the Voyager crew gives an enlightening take on how and why fear exists. This scientific approach is what makes so many Voyager episodes stand out.

Classic Voyager.

It's funny, back when this first came out, I disregarded it. I couldn't stand the clown costumes or the behaviour and acting. I remember thinking it was a cheap looking episode made in a quickly designed set in a studio. Well, maybe some of that is still true, but hey, once you overlook that and try the episode out it's actually quite good! Classic sci fi for sure... the Matrix meets a horror show. I felt like our characters took a journey to Hell... a virtual Hell. That plus there was a good use of a "fear" theme throughout the story and how it's sort of symbolic of what we all go through, and how we deal with fear, and overcome it... anyways, this turned out to be a great episode! Funny it took me twenty years to realize it.

The episode is pretty good, I liked it, it reminded me of Tranquility Lane from Fallout and I'm mostly sure they were inspired by all of this to make it, I have no doubt. The acting is very good, and the idea of being trapped by the emotion of fear is something that sounds interesting, and I feel like it could've been explored even further. Now, what I didn't quite get is how it all started in the first place, when fear takes control of everything? Also, there is not more emotions? Or only fear was creted here? But I still think it's worth it.

Even the ending creates a lot of intrigue, it's really well done.

Since there are well over 150 episodes of this series, isn't it kind of nice for one of them to be a bit off the path. When people get all ticked off about something tht doesn't follow the same old "us against the aliens" plot, they send out their depth charges. This is far from a perfect episode but it is creative and thought provoking and sort of frightening. And I thought the "Fear" character was a stitch. I mean, you had to hate him. Of course, if you try to apply conventional criticism to this one, you aren't going to be happy. Just be happy that the next installment will probably be what you want.