Nits for Star Trek: Voyager episode
Warhead
1. Communication.
Apparently the device only speaks its machine language. Yet Doc speaks English and the device is able to translate. So, why doesn't the device translate its language into English for the benefit of its rescuers? Why doesn't the Universal Translator translate the language (Doc is able to do this)?
Nit Value: 1.00
2. And while we're on the subject?
Why does this device (a bomb) have equipment that can detect sound and translate an alien language? If you built a bomb would you want it to understand any language other than your own? Would you waste time equipping it with a sophisticated universal translator so it could understand whatever alien happened to talk to it? Was this bomb expected to listen to aliens? And if so, why equip it so it could only talk back in its own machine language?
Nit Value: 1.00
3. And another thing?
Considering this bomb was intended to fly through an atmosphere from space at high speeds, hit a planet and blow up, what are the chances that an external speaker as well as equipment to detect audible communications would survive the descent and crash landing if the device failed to explode? Can you see the specs for this bomb being approved by the military?
Alien General: "Yes, we want this bomb to hear whatever an alien says to it if it fails to detonate. It should constantly call out for help in machine code. It should be intelligent enough to understand any alien language used, but it should only speak in machine code. We need a bomb that can do this."
Whatever alien species built this, they must have the most thoughtful military in existence.
Nit Value: 1.00
4. Precautions.
Harry orders a level ten forcefield for the device and suggests that it be beamed to an Engineering station. So where is the alien device beamed to? How about 20 feet from the warp core? And when Doc orders the forcefield to be lowered so he can get closer to the device and talk with it, Doc forgets to order the forcefield to be raised behind him while he talks.
Voyager's "precautions" leave much to be desired. Place the strange, unknown alien device right next to the most sensitive and vulnerable part of the ship and then lower the forcefield for a nice, friendly chit-chat.
Reminds me of the communication device carried by the aliens in "Mars Attacks!": "Don't run away. We are your friends." ;-) How hard would it be to program a bomb to say "I can't see. I can't feel my arms and legs. Help me." And then wait until it's close enough to a warp core before going "Boom!"?
Nah, no one would expect a species to be stupid enough to buy it, right?
(Well, maybe if the Pakleds were the intended target ;-)).
Nit Value: 2.50
5. Let's save the bomb.
Now there is a great idea. A device obviously intended to kill millions, guided by a sentient artificial life form, is to be disarmed so the artificial life form can be returned to its creators.
Just what do they think it's creators will do with it once it's returned? Don't they expect the device's creators will just plant it into another bomb?
Nit Value: 1.00
6. Where are the anti-grav units?
Anyone wondering where those marvelous anti-grav units TOS was famous for went? While moving the device to Sick Bay two husky crewmen man-handle the device with obvious difficulty. Would have been a nice opportunity to show us the anti-grav units are still around.
Nit Value: 0.50
7. Harry's assistance.
How did Janeway know Harry would be needed to tell the bomb what is happening? It seems Harry serves no other purpose in the scene where they try to download the bomb's intelligence to a holo-matrix.
Nit Value: 0.25
8. And the transporter lock is lost? Again?!
Oh, how did we know the transporter lock would be lost just when they needed it? Could it be this is the 100th time this particular plot device was used? Or would this be the 1000th time? Given how fickle this lock is (as shown in countless episodes), why are they risking their lives? Whatever happened to Janeway's "first priority" (i.e. the safety of her crew)? Is it really worth risking the entire crew and ship to return a bomb's intelligence back to the bomb-makers?
Nit Value: 0.50
9. And while we're at it?
Why doesn't someone slap a comm badge on the device to help with the transport?
Why don't they simply beam out everything within a small distance around the device? This process has been used before to move objects where a lock is not possible.
Nit Value: 0.50
10. Janeway to the rescue.
Without even being there, Janeway gives the correct command to prevent the bomb from exploding. Neither the EMH, nor the head engineer, who are there at the scene and know exactly what's happening (tricorder in hand) can solve this problem. Yet Janeway, on the bridge, without any information other than the fact the bomb will explode, orders an electro-magnetic pulse that saves the ship.
How does she do that?
Nit Value: 1.00
11. "We cannot help you wage war".
How nice. Wonder what happened to that theory during "Caretaker", "Scorpion", and "Night"?
Nit Value: 0.50
12. Tom's suggestion.
Tom suggests they try to beam the device away from the ship, but Seven points out they couldn't get it far enough away from the ship. Have they lost the ability to send out a dispersed pattern, as they did in TOS' "Wolf in the Fold"?
Nit Value: 0.25
13. Encoded message.
When Chakotay orders contact with the trader, he tells Tom to send an "encoded message". Why? If he's worried about the device tapping into the message, doesn't he realize that the device will also get the encryption key which the message must contain if the trader is to decode the message? Or are we to believe Voyager gave this trader an encryption key 'just in case'?
Nit Value: 0.25
14. Poor Tuvok.
Seems poor Tuvok has been replaced as Tactical officer. When Chakotay holds a briefing to discuss the plan to use the mines to create a diversion, Tuvok wasn't invited to report on his findings. Seven makes his report for him.
Yet another case of cast members being shunted aside to make room for Seven.
Nit Value: 1.00
Summary:
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Nit Value for "Warhead": 11.25
Wulf's Nitpicker Rating: -1.25
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10 - Nit Value = Wulf's Nitpicker Rating
<Note: It's unfortunate that the execution of the story was so poor. The concept was quite good.>
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