Warhead

I feel like this episode would have been improved so much if the bomb didn't look so much like a weapon when they initially encounter it and wasn't revealed to being a bomb until the doctor is usurped. I feel like it would be one of the better episodes of the season if the viewer wasn't scratching their head wondering why the hell they beamed an apparent alien weapon on board the ship and decided after learned that it's a weapon that they should salvage parts of it. It shows how unfriendly the physical appearance of a weapon seams when an AI personality becomes the friendly part of the weapon give that AI is so commonly the root of evil for science fiction stories.

Another prime example among many other particular episodes where writers once again denote StarFleet "Principals" in usual confusion and immense frustration to the viewer!

So tired of the Star Fleet/Janeway making decisions off rationalizations. It's like find the most illogical idea and do that one.

The irrationality is nicely demonstrated here. Kim cites Starfleet protocol. Doctor cites is morality (anyone else want to add some philosophical construct that will make real consequences for the crew based on more abstraction, which can't ever be argued with?) Then the scientific fact of an explosion is noted, Ah, but any medical procedure has risk is countered with (What?) But of course the illogical nebulus comment is what drives the reality of the crew to keep explosive on board (What?) Then planets are at war. Janeway says won't help one against the other because... "we can't interfere with the affairs of planets (What was that contradiction?) If won't interfere with plants that have their own dispute... then you're actually interfering with the planets by not letting them dispute...?

Of course it does! Base real decisions on conjecture and irrational sayings and sentiments... it's the Starfleet way on Voyager!

Just off the wall thinking and it's like the crew says, "Ah, darn. Guess we got to do that silly thinking and base reality and harm on that!. Doesn't make sense from some general conjecture speculating thing. So... let's pick that one to base fact on!" Set a course....

Half the series has this conflict. Just another inconsistently irrational situation, or a benefit in being obtuse. You can't argue with an abstraction, conveniently so.

Ensign Kim has been given the chance to command Voyager during the 'night' shift (there's no night or day in space!). However, this shirt is anything but dull in this episode. It all begins with the ship receiving a distress call. When Harry and the Doctor land on a craptastic planet, they find that the call is NOT coming from a living being but a machine that THINKS it's alive! Naturally the Doctor is excited, as he thinks he'll have some new mechanical friend. However, when they bring it aboard they learn the truth--it's a type of smart WEAPON. Way to go, Harry!

This is a decent episode. It also gives Robert Picardo a chance to act a bit outside his normal range as he's soon taken over by the weapon and it makes him act a tad grumpy, to put it mildly. Original and worth seeing.

...I can excuse boring characters, which Voyager has quite a few, but it's a complete showstopper when the "heroes" act unbelievably stupid, over and over again. Which they do in this one, even more than in most other episodes. This ship should have been destroyed at least a dozen times, by now, just because of their mind-blowing dumb "ah, lets do it, what could happen?" mindset.

In this episode, Picardo plays the role of a manic A.I. with a confused identity. Not only does Picardo steal this episode from Wang (Ensign Kim), he demonstrates why the writers and producers of Voyager consistently gave him episode that would showcase his acting skills.

Picardo doesn't receive enough credit for his acting on Voyager. Time after time, episodes such as "The Darkling", "Warhead", "Latent Image" and "Real Life" demonstrate Picardo's depth, not only in dramatic acting, but also an ability to connect emotionally with the audience. He absolutely is more than a projection of light.

"Warhead" is a good episode for Picardo. Although, as I mentioned above, there are other episodes in which Picardo is great and exceeds his accomplishments in Warhead. If you don't believe me watch "The Darkling".

7 out of 10.