While visiting the homeworld of the telepathic Mari, B'Elanna Torres is arrested for having a violent thought which spreads through the population, sparking violent action. Tuvok sets out to prove that she is not criminally responsible for the ensuing violence.
This episode is something of a mash-up of various things that Star Trek in general -- and Voyager in particular -- has done before. We've seen a main character arrested for violating an alien law, and facing an unthinkable punishment. We've explored the intensity of suppressed Vulcan emotion, and how dangerous Vulcan rage is when unleashed. We've seen B'Elanna forced to confront the hothead side of her dual nature.
Admittedly, this episode is repackaged sufficiently that it doesn't feel like a strict knock-off of any of those earlier episodes. But it isn't substantially better either. Part of that is the limited production resources allocated -- the city set is a recognizable reuse of a Star Trek staple, the alien uniforms are similarly recycled, and there's not even a new "alien forehead of the week." The montage of Tuvok's darkest thoughts is stuffed with recycled footage -- including some lifted from the then-new Paramount movie Event Horizon!
Still, if you can look past the trappings, there are some interesting ideas in the mix here. A literal thought police who records your mind during interrogation is a chilling concept. The idea that criminalizing something just forces it underground has many real-world parallels. The message that a lack of prisons itself does not make for a utopian society is an understated social commentary within the episode. Talk of containing a "viral thought" hits differently with a post-pandemic audience.
Yet the episode progresses too rapidly to take full advantage of other opportunities it brushes up against. What stops B'Elanna from having more violent thoughts when she's arrested and facing a draconian punishment? Why isn't there more urgency to returning everyone to the ship after B'Elanna's arrest -- and why doesn't that prospect provoke more dark thoughts from other crewmembers? Why does Neelix not seem remotely upset about the death of his new girlfriend? How exactly does proving that B'Elanna's thought was provoked by someone else exonerate her? (Say this was a drug deal; both the buyer and seller face criminal charges of different degrees.)
There might have been time to dip into some of that had precious screen time not been squandered ineffectively. Tom Paris is in a supposedly happy relationship now, so why should he take it hard to be told he used to be a ladies' man? As fun as it is for Seven of Nine to assume the voice of critical fans, chastising Janeway for stopping at every alien planet on the way home to Earth (you know -- creating a TV show to watch), is it really germane to the message here?
But then, there are some nice elements that did find screen time. It's a fun twist that the final showdown between Tuvok and the criminals is mental rather than physical. Nimira is an interesting guest character on many fronts: a police investigator who has never had to investigate a murder is a novelty for television, a character who starts off adversarial but winds up seeking help from Our Heroes is a Star Trek stalwart, and actor Gwynyth Walsh (best known to Trekkers as the Klingon B'Etor) gives a solid performance.
Other observations:
- One can understand B'Elanna's reluctance to engage in a mindmeld, given what happened the last time.
- Given how unused to violence these Mari are, and how strong a Vulcan is, I question if even three of the aliens could overpower and capture Tuvok.
- When Janeway talks about forcing dark thoughts into "back alleys," I could not help but think of recent U.S. developments in criminalizing abortion.
- At the end of the episode, when Janeway drinks from her teacup, you can see the real world manufacturing and copyright information printed on the bottom.
"Random Thoughts" is better than many of the Star Trek episodes it's most like, but still isn't exceptional. I give it a B.
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