When Voyager comes upon an incredibly accurate alien simulation of Starfleet Academy, they need to find out what its creators might be up to. But when they learn that this is the work of the deadly Species 8472, the crisis becomes existential. Is this a prelude to war, with 8472 learning to masquerade as human? Or in true Starfleet fashion, might there be some avenue for diplomacy?
If I'd had to guess where the spark behind this episode came from, I would have said the writers wanted to revisit Species 8472 without blowing the budget on CG monsters. I would have been wrong. Apparently, the story sparked from the notion that various demons and devils from Earth culture were actually 8472 aliens visiting throughout history. But, unable to crack what sort of long-term plan 8472 might have for Earth, or how Voyager could possibly figure into that, the writers found their way into this story about 8472 learning to behave as human for the sake of undercover reconnaissance.
The problem is, Deep Space Nine already thoroughly mined this space with shapeshifting Founders. That series devoted multiple episodes to exploring the paranoia, misdirection, and threats posed by an enemy that can "invade" you without you even knowing it. Voyager simply doesn't have anything new to add on the subject. And given that it feels like quite a stretch for the massive, alien 8472 beings to contort into another form and act human, it feels ill-advised to even try.
Perhaps the sense that they had to be different from Deep Space Nine is what informed some of the bizarre choices in the plot. The training ground has the vibes of one of those tourist traps where everyone pretends its the 1700s and is never supposed to break character. The cross-species romance between Chakotay and a member of Species 8472 is more than a little creepy. The rules in play strain credulity. (There's a simulated Boothby, but no other would-be infiltrators impersonating actual people? They know all this about Earth, but don't know that Voyager is completely cut off from it?)
The ending of this episode comes awfully easy. Amid a level of mistrust that Tom Paris likens to the Cold War, everyone meets and a room and works everything out in a single scene. I guess that's the Star Trek way, so fine. But if a real peace is established here, why doesn't Janeway ask for help returning to the Alpha Quadrant? If Species 8472 has a way of getting there (and if they don't, why this training to infiltrate Earth?), then can't they use it to transport Voyager?
Still, the episode does have its charms -- mostly in the outstanding guest cast assembled. It was a joy to see Ray Walston as Boothby on The Next Generation, and it's a joy to see him again here. Tucker Smallwood is a working actor who appeared multiple times on Enterprise after this; he's perfectly cast as a stern Admiral. Zach Galligan, best known for Gremlins, appears as an ill-fated trainee. And Valerie Archer, Chakotay's love interest, is none other than Kate Vernon, who would go on to play one of the most significant recurring roles on Battlestar Galactica. Any one of these four would have made a mark on this episode; that there's room for all of them to do so feels almost like a magic trick.
Other observations:
- When Chakotay gets his picture taken with Boothby, Boothby tells the cadet "don't cut off our heads." Looking at where the sight line on the screen falls across the image, that's exactly what happens.
- Seven of Nine gets a new costume in this episode, a two-tone blue and grey suit.
- Janeway tells Species 8472 that they haven't spoken to Starfleet in years, which is completely wrong. Indeed, they've traded information with Starfleet via the Hirogen communications network, so Starfleet actually should know something about Species 8472. (Though the defense against the species is Borg nanoprobes, and maybe they don't have any of those?)
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