Nits for Star Trek: Voyager episode
Infinite Regress
1. Fingerprints?
Neelix claims Tuvok has not been able to "round up any suspects". B'Elanna refers to the theft as the work of the "Midnight Snacker". Neelix points out this is "another" incident. All of these indicate that this is at least the second such incident and perhaps more than the second incident.
Yet we saw Seven handle clams, throw a bowl of roots to the floor, handle the counter top, open the food locker, handle several bowls of food within the locker as well as place her hands on the locker shelves.
But Tuvok can't figure out who is doing this.
In Gambit, Part 1, Crusher is able to use a tricorder to detect DNA residue in a bar no less than a day after Picard was beamed away from the very spot she scans, and she is able to verify it is Picard's DNA.
But Tuvok cannot figure out who the "Midnight Snacker" is.
So are we expected to believe Tuvok is so incompetent as to have never heard of fingerprints or the wondrous power of a tricorder? If he cannot think of either when faced with such a petty crime and very limited list of potential suspects just why is he head of security and if he's the head what does this say about the poor morons who serve under him?
Along these lines, Seven is shown greedily devouring the meat Neelix has prepared and the reflection shows this is the Klingon within her doing this. Are we to believe that she finished the meat, cleaned herself up without getting a spot of grease on her blue cat-suit, brushed her teeth so her breath would be minty fresh, took some kind of medicine to ease any bloating from her midnight meal, and tucked herself into her cubicle without ever being aware she snacked on a piece of meat about twice the size of her stomach?
In light of the above doesn't Tuvok's suggestion that "Perhaps an armed security detail" was needed to guard the mess hall sound just a tad sarcastic? Especially when contrasted with Neelix's reasonable request for locks on the cabinet doors?
Is Tuvok now both seriously incompetent and sarcastic?
Was Seven possessed by an extremely fastidious and thoughtful Klingon?
Nit Value: 1.25
2. Naomi Wildman's communicator badge.
As in, where is it? Once again this child wanders the halls unescorted and without her badge. Given the difficulty Neelix had trying to find her the last time has this child not been taught the value of wearing one?
Let's assume labour laws prevent Scarlett from wearing them as constructed. Can't TPTB provide a safer version (ie one with no points) or a rubber comm badge? She does walk around with four points on her head so why not the badge?
Nit Value: 0.25
3. Those winding hallways.
I've never noticed this before, but no doubt they've been there all along. When Naomi and Seven bump into each other Naomi has just exited a hall that seems to go straight to the right. Beyond her is a hall that curls to the right. And the hall the two walk down curls to the left for awhile and then curls to the right.
Nit Value: 0.25
4. The Kodiskot board.
Somehow between Seven's offer to play another game and Naomi's acceptance the tiles magically move. Whereas most of the tiles were at the top of the board when the offer is made they are mostly at the bottom of the board when we get an overhead view of Seven, Naomi, and the board.
The tiles have to move so we can see the reflection of Seven as a young girl, but then the tiles didn't have to be placed so high to begin with and this nit would have been avoided.
Nit Value: 0.25
5. The bite.
Seven bites B'Elanna, leaving two bloody marks on B'Elanna's cheek. Yet Seven has no blood on her lips or teeth.
Nit Value: 0.25
6. Harry erecting forcefields.
Isn't this a security issue and thus the security officer at the Security/Tactical station should have received and executed the order?
Nit Value: 0.25
7. Seven's active phaser.
Since TNG's fifth season ("A Matter of Time") we've known that the computer can deactivate Star Fleet phasers within a specified area if instructed to do so. Yet when Tuvok relieves Seven of her phaser he deactivates it (it makes a sound as the settings are changed). Why wasn't this done through the computer before lowering the forcefield?
Nit Value: 0.25
8. The Tomba.
Seven claims the Tomba was assimilated 13 years earlier, which would put that event one year before the first season of TNG and two years before "Q Who" where the Borg were 'introduced'. Yet the Borg did not try to assimilate Earth or the Federation at that time. No nit value assigned but I am getting tired of episodes that re-define the point of First Contact between the Borg and the Federation.
Nit Value: 0.00
9. Terminating the Neural Interlink signal.
When Voyager arrives at the debris field to terminate the signal no one suggests destroying the device causing the signal. Kathryn specifically asks if there is a way of terminating it "remotely" and neither Seven nor Chakotay nor Tuvok nor Kathryn herself suggests blowing the device up with photon torpedoes or phasers.
Just another one of those things that make you go "hmm".
To compound this nit, Kathryn asks if Seven can "sever the link". Seven says this will cause her serious damage. However, Seven can take the signal "offline". Kathryn asks if she can "disable" the signal remotely. Seven says yes but this will take time.
"sever", "offline", "disable". Exactly what is the difference between these words? If the vinculum is blown up, it will be offline and disabled, thus severing the link. If it is offline and disabled the link will be severed.
Nit Value: 1.00
10. Kathryn's concern for the crew (again).
Kathryn tells Seven her first responsibility is to the safety of the crew. So she is going to grab the vinculum and leave the area at warp 9. Yet when the Maylon tried to grab the Voyager probe in "Extreme Risk" she confronts the Maylon and risks the crew to recover the probe.
Why does she think the Borg are just going to let her take the vinculum and not pursue her for it? Borg use trans-warp conduits so warp 9 is not going to help her escape. Her warp trail is going to be obvious to the Borg who will track her down.
Nit Value: 1.00
11. Species 180?
Ferengi designation Species 180. How likely is it that the Ferengi were the 180th species encountered by the Borg while a species much closer to Borg space is number 6339?
Nit Value 0.00
12. The first sign of trouble?
I think the loss of the forcefield would count if not the fact that the vinculum was trying to re-route its power.
So why is Tuvok not beaming the thing into space as ordered?
Nit Value: 0.50
13. Safety of the crew is her "first responsibility"?
When Kathryn is faced with the choice between giving the vinculum to the 6339 or sustaining heavy damage trying to hang on to it where is her concern for the safety of her crew?
Nit Value: 0.50
14. Range of Vinculum
As you may recall, when Kathryn suggested they try to distance themselves from the effect of the vinculum Seven said the signal "permeates sub-space" and thus they can't get away from the effect.
Yet at the end of the episode they beam the vinculum into space so the 6339s can grab it and turn it loose on the Borg in the debris field.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that involves turning the thing on again, right? And once on it will permeate sub-space again, right? And no matter how far away Voyager is the signal will reach Seven again, right?
So they haven't really solved the problem, have they?
Nit Value: 0.50
15. Shielding the Vinculum
In "Best of Both Worlds", "I, Borg", and "Descent" the Borg are separated from the collective through the use of a forcefield. The forcefield effectively blocks the Neural Interlink signal.
Yet here we find that the field around the vinculum doesn't block the signal, nor does the field in Sick Bay. In fact, on at least one occasion both fields are operating and the combination doesn't block the signal.
Nit Value: 0.50
Summary:
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Nit Value for "Infinite Regress": 6.75
Wulf's Nitpicker Rating: 3.25
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10 - Nit Value = Wulf's Nitpicker Rating
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