Year of Hell, Part I and Year of Hell, Part II might just be the most representative episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.
Taken together, these episodes perfectly embody the restrictions placed upon the third Star Trek spin-off. They are a boldly ambitious story of a ship that finds itself in hostile territory surrounded by a hostile force with superior firepower, all while playing into the recurring themes and fascinations of the wider series. However, they are also a two-parter that wraps up with an incredibly convenient resolution that handily resets the status quo in a manner that allows the ship (and the series) to avoid any lasting consequences from this blockbuster story.
The hole in things.
The result is one of the most thrilling and engaging stories of Voyager‘s seven-season run, among the most satisfying of the series’ impressive “blockbuster” two-parters. However, its sense of scale and scope exists very much in contrast to the episodes around it, a truly epic story that leaves no lasting mark. An audience member skipping from Scientific Method to Random Thoughts would be completely oblivious of the episode. For an episode of such weight, great care is taken to ensure that its passage causes no disturbance.
Year of Hell, Part I and Year of Hell, Part II do an excellent job capturing the essence of Voyager.
Annorax-ed with guilt.
Filed under: Voyager | Tagged: Brannon Braga, reset button, star trek: voyager, voyager, year of hell | 25 Comments »
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