The Thaw

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.

The Voyager crew inspects an apparently deserted planet only to receive an automated message from a cryogenic system which was created to hold the planet's last survivors. It is then found that even though the disaster that the survivors were trying to ride out has come to pass they are still in stasis. When the crew realizes this they beam the cryopods to the cargo bay and find that the people are connected together in some sort of program where their brains are reacting with one another. Inside the program the personification of fear torments the survivors with their deepest darkest fears to the point where some die from the stress. It has been one of my personal favorite episodes of Star Trek: Voyager" (1995) since it first aired and raises many questions about fear, and how we react to it.

Voyager discovers a planet with virtually all life wiped out except for 3 survivors who have been held in stasis for 19 years.

This is a strong episode that is quite cinematic and features some very good performances.

The story has an excellent premise with interesting themes about the nature of fear. Everything that happens to the characters works within the sci-fi aspect and is quite intriguing. However, certain specifics that involve threats to the lives of the main characters can never fully work in episodic television.

Visually it is one of the best Star Trek episodes. It feels like something out of the Original Series with its basic concepts and vibrant 60s colours. There are minimal space/alien related effects-driven spectacle and lots of creepy carnivalesque imagery. The cinematography is very effective at maximising the weirdness by framing certain shots with all the background characters looking quite threatening behind the Fear Clown. David McKean looks hideous as this character and his performance is excellent.

How scary is it? I guess that is in eye of the beholder. If you suffer from coulrophobia you will probably find it pretty bad, but for me the horror aspect needs to be stronger given the subject matter. There are moments when characters are shown symbolically to be killed via guillotine, but I think it would have been very effective to portray them experience their worst fears and die as a result. Understandably though, it could not be made this way given it's constraint by censorship. Easily the most disturbing moment involves Harry as an old man and also as a baby. The sight of all those actors in evil costumes passing around a real baby (who looks terrified) is very unsettling and I would never have consented to that as a parent.

For me the performances are a mixed bag. MacKean and Robert Picardo have the best exchanges of dialogue by far and Katie Mulgrew is great as always. One of the guest stars slightly overacts and Garrett Wang's limited range shows a bit.

Humans both thrive off fear and are terrified of it at the same time.

We all have dark recesses of the mind that we wished could always remain unseen. Or do we.

Some people thrive of instilling fear in others. But what is they fear?

Bullies are terrified at having their power and control over others devolved.

Thaw really does a great job depicting human incipient weaknesses.

Thaw is our worst nightmare and best friend.

Thaw is one of the best episodes of any Star Trek series for it shows us humans at our best and darkest worst.

Maybe that's why so many are hostile about Thaw.

It's absolutely no shame to be fearful of our darkest side.

Not to be scared is even scarier.

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.