Tuvok's shuttle crashes on a moon where he encounters three children stranded alone after a crash of their own killed their adult supervisors. As Tuvok tries to repair his craft and contact Voyager, the children warn him of a monster on the moon that has already claimed two other kids -- and of the threat from their own people, who specifically brought them here to die. Meanwhile, aboard Voyager, Janeway is attempting trade negotiations with an isolationist species -- negotiations that are complicated by Tuvok's missing shuttle.
I joked about the need for multiple child actors in this episode, but the truth is that among the many flaws in this episode, the kids aren't really high on the list. The three children cast here aren't amazing by any stretch, but director James L. Conway uses close-ups and extensive cutting to craft a credible performance from each of them.
No, the flaws are in the story itself. First, it's all built toward a big reveal at the end: this alien race ages in reverse, and these kids are all actually on the brink of a natural death. This twist reportedly was not a part of the original story pitch of "Tuvok's on a planet with kids who are disappearing one by one." When writer Lisa Klink struggled to make that concept work in script form, the writing staff reportedly gave her the idea for that sci-fi twist. But it doesn't actually serve to make the episode more interesting, because we don't know about it until the final minutes. It would have been far more compelling if Janeway and the Voyager crew learned of this information early so that they (and we) knew the score while Tuvok did not.
But no, the episode is built like a sitcom, centered on an elaborate misunderstanding that just wouldn't happen if characters would simply talk to each other. Yes, these Drayans are said to be isolationist, and therefore perhaps believably secretive. Still, their leader Alcia comes out with the aging twist so easily and matter-of-factly at the end (after being almost comically belligerent for half the episode) that you have to wonder: couldn't this all have come out sooner?
Perhaps another reason for revealing this information late is that the revelation doesn't hold up to any scrutiny -- so let's roll credits as soon as we can after telling the audience, so they don't think about it all episode. The Drayans have to go to this particular cave on this particular moon to die. What did they do before they had space travel? How did Tuvok happen to crash in sight of this particular cave -- is there a physical phenomenon that draws things there?
I'm not so bothered by any of that, though, so much as the fact that Tuvok doesn't really seem impacted by this experience at all. The episode actually ends before the moment that would be potentially most profound: him actually having to sit with someone as they die (for the second time in as many days, after the crewman that dies in the teaser). Yes, we get a sampling of what Vulcan parenting is like, and Tim Russ is quite good at playing "almost annoyed," skillfully singing a lullaby, and generally projecting a comforting presence despite being limited in what emotion he can show. But let's just say that when Tuvok gets back home some day, and is asked to recount stories of things that happened to him in the Delta Quadrant, I don't think this story is even going to occur to him.
Besides Tuvok moments that still shine despite script flaws, there are other good character moments peppered throughout the episode too. The Doctor's run at diplomacy (coached by Kes, we hear) is a lot of fun, and Robert Picardo excels at the humor in the scene (as usual). Chakotay's spiritualism is, for once, treated in a fairly interesting way, as he recounts past awkwardness in first contact situations, to turn around and "stick the landing" here.
Other observations:
- The Vulcan lullaby Tuvok sings is said to be his kid's favorite, with 348 verses. If you ask me, I think Tuvok's kid just found a clever way to stall bedtime.
- We actually see a shuttle leaving the shuttlebay in this episode, though the scale feels a bit awkward, like an SUV pulling out of a one-car garage.
- There's awkward continuity surrounding the level of damage on the shuttle. It doesn't look especially "crashed" as this episode starts. Tuvok gets it working and takes off, only to then say he'll be forced to land again before he can reach orbit. But then, when rescued, he says he'll be fine on his own and can take off again. Wait, what?
"Innocence" isn't a total loss, but small parts are far better than the whole. I give it a C+.
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