When Voyager finds itself in hostile alien space with no apparent escape, they turn to a small group of hyper-intelligent strategists for a solution. But this "Think Tank" charges a high price for their services, and as payment for their help, they want Seven of Nine to leave Voyager and join their ranks.
Jason Alexander's character of Kurros is at the center of this episode -- but this doesn't feel like "stunt casting." He's here to act. His performance was a revelation at the time for anyone who knew only his work on Seinfeld: in sharp contrast to the manic, screaming George Costanza, Kurros is soft spoken, poised, and quite creepy. And he's positioned at the hub of a group of aliens far more alien than Star Trek usually presents, including a strange skin graft floating in a tube, a vague whale-like creature glimpsed through a window, and an old prop repurposed as an "artificial intelligence."
It's not just the weirdness here that makes the Think Tank -- and Kurros in particular -- a strong concept. The more we learn about Kurros, the more complicated he becomes. His sense of morality isn't exactly indefensible, but it really doesn't line up with Starfleet ideals. He himself was "payment" to the Think Tank as a child. He seems like a villain built to recur, and it's almost a shame he appears in only the one episode.
On the other hand, repeat appearances probably would only have defanged the Think Tank just as the Borg were over time. (Indeed, they're rather similar except in scope, and the fact that the Think Tank anticipates your plans rather than reacting and adapting to them.) Even in this one episode, they're presented as so smart and so ahead of the game that it's almost tough to swallow that our heroes, with or without help, can actually get the drop on them. (Tom Paris' version of a "Rubik's cube" is quite inspiring.)
Plus, as much as I'm intrigued by the Think Tank itself, the episode has a few shortcomings that to me keep it from being truly great. The connections to the main characters is lacking: not enough is made of Seven's willingness to sacrifice herself from the greater good by joining the Tank, nor is enough made of Janeway's diplomatic prowess in persuading the Hazari to unite against the Tank. The Hazari themselves are a rather Hirogen-like alien race that don't seem fleshed out. And the destruction of an entire planet early in the episode is just an unresolved plot element: presumably the Think Tank caused this in their quest to win Seven of Nine, but this is never articulated.
Other observation:
- There are tons of nods to continuity here for Voyager fans. Kurros tries to pin his trickery on the Malon, mentions having helped a race resist the Borg, and even claims to have cured the Vidiian Phage. (If the Think Tank can travel that far, Voyager seems to be missing a "fast travel" opportunity here.)
"Think Tank" is a decent enough episode, but I feel like it's most memorable for Jason Alexander's presence. I give it a B.
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