Nits for Star Trek: Voyager episode
Extreme Risk
1. The Holodeck Safety Protocols
Since I complained about this in "Night", it has become apparent that Voyager insists on leaving the safety protocols up to the individual using the holodeck. There is no requirement for two officers to agree to the removal of the protocols and no security clearance is required to do so.
They have not bothered to explain why they have chosen to disregard the precedent established in TNG's "Descent Part I", and "Extreme Risk" blatantly shows just why the "Descent" precedent should be enforced. Characters who are suicidal or suffer from a need to hurt themselves or others would find the holodeck as currently configured to be a perfect instrument for their violence.
Although everyone is shocked that B'Elanna removed the safeties, no one questions why this is possible, what purpose easy removal of safeties performs, or whether they should even re-think the matter at all. No one recalls the "Descent" precedent or mentions that the safeties shouldn't be so easily removed.
Nit Value: 2.00
2. She's Been Sick for Months.
Why are we expected to believe that B'Elanna has been faking her emotions since she heard the news about the Maquis? How much does this invalidate her relationship with Tom? How much does this destroy the credibility of the character who, episode after episode, was supposed to be feeling nothing and not caring about anything. She certainly seemed to care about the waste of time the first Maylon put her through and she seemed to care about One being onboard and she certainly seemed to care for Tom.
Now we don't know what she feels because she says she hasn't been feeling anything for months.
But those who recall the scene where B'Elanna gets the news about the Maquis she is plenty angry and expressive. Funny reaction for someone who wasn't supposed to be feeling anything.
Nit Value: 1.00
3. The Holodeck Pilot
I feel sorry for that hologram. There isn't any indication that he's protected from the effects of a vacuum that is created when B'Elanna orders the shield to drop at the back of the shuttle just before she starts her orbital skydive.
Nit Value: 0.50
4. Mental Health Still in the Closet
I had real problems with the fact that Kathryn, Tom, and Neelix all saw symptoms of a problem with B'Elanna and nothing was done about it. McCoy used to perform psychological assessments of the crew and I find it hard to believe these cannot be performed by the Doctor. So a referral to get a checkup would be in order. yet the Doctor is never called in or consulted except to treat her physical ailments.
Nit Value: 0.50
5. Maylon Freighter? Which Maylon Freighter?
Vrelck accuses Kathryn of destroying a Maylon freighter and its crew. Kathryn only knows of one Maylon freighter and crew she has destroyed, and that is the one in "Night". Yet Kathryn assumes the Maylon is accusing her of destroying a ship she wasn't even close to and she denies it...and the Maylon confirms her assumption about which Maylon ship she is being accused of destroying.
Kathryn must be capable of reading minds, or else she's just gotten away with the most outrageously glib answer, given the facts as she is supposed to know them. The only Maylon freighter she knows she destroyed was the one in "Night". When accused of destroying a Maylon freighter, the one in "Night" is the one she should be thinking about, not a Maylon ship that was over two hours of flight time away from Voyager's location.
Nit Value: 0.50
6. Spatial Charges
There was a distinct difference between those of the Maylon in "Night" and those of the Maylon in "Extreme Risk". The ship in "Night" took considerably more damage faster than in "Extreme Risk". And the ship in "Night" was taking evasive maneuvers under the direction of Tom, whereas Voyager was taking it on the nose in "Extreme Risk". Why is it Voyager has managed to get past the Kazon, Vidiians, Borg, Hirogens without managing to increase their shield strength to the degree it takes to slow down the damage from spatial charges?
Voyager is suffering from a need to constantly make something stronger, as if the previous list wouldn't have strengthened everything enough to handle whatever else might come. Is a Maylon freighter armed with spatial charges somehow more powerful than a Borg cube?? Did Voyager say, when facing the Borg, that they could come up with more energy for the shields but decided against it and only now feel that they need to divert that energy for the Maylon spatial charges?
What does that say about the Maylon battleships? Will Voyager manage to dig up even more energy for the shields?
Nit Value: 0.50
Summary:
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Nit Value for "Extreme Risk": 5.00
Wulf's Nitpicker Rating: 5.00
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10 - Nit Value = Wulf's Nitpicker Rating
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