1x16 Preludes

[7.1/10] “Preludes” is solid, but a little artless. The episode fills in plenty of gaps, and the bits of backstory we get are all pleasant at worst. But I don’t love the format of everyone just hanging out on their various ships, announcing their personal histories, anthology-style. It makes this episode play like a visual wikipedia page rather than something tied to the characters’ experiences in the here and now.

I’d much rather we had focus episodes for Rok-Tahk, Zero, Jankom, and the Diviner whether their backstories come out because they’re relevant to what they’re going through now. That way, we could have time for each to reflect about why the events that led to their capture mattered, and process those feelings in some way that allows them to overcome or reckon with something in the present. As is, these are all too tidy explanations simply delivered in a vacuum,

My favorite is probably the Diviner’s backstory, even though it’s arguably the driest of the four. There’s not much of an emotional contingent to the vignette, but it answers a lot of questions fans have been asking for a while now. The Diviner isn’t from the distant future, but rather the near-present. The plot to go back in time left some members of his species having to relive decades, while others only had to deal with years. Chakotay and his crew managed to escape and send the Protostar into the time anomaly the Diviner’s people were using. And to complete their revenge quest, the Diviner’s people ventured forth through the same anomaly, ending up in different time periods as “The Order,” a group determined to find the Protostar and use it to exact revenge on Starfleet. The Diviner had Gwyn because he was aging out, and needed someone to carry on his forsworn quest.

The answer there is a little convoluted and full of questionable temporal mechanics, but that’s par for the course for Star Trek. More than anything, it’s just nice to be outside of twist city (I hope), with the show putting its cards on the table and (seemingly) fully explaining the situation with the Diviner and his people rather than continuing to string us along with the mystery box. There’s still the question of whether Chakotay might still be on Solum in the present. But for the most part, we now know motivations and methods, which is a positive thing.

Of the young crewmembers, I enjoyed Rok-Tahk’s backstory the best. The idea that she was basically a professional wrestler putting on shows for locals, who tired of being the monster, only to find that she was less valuable when playing the hero, is simple but heartbreaking. (It’s been too long for me to recall if this is the same fight planet where Seven of Nine fought The Rock or not.) There’s a good emotional core there, and some fun animation. I just wish it was used for more.

Zero’s is probably the most tepid, since their story just involves a bunch of floating energy beings hovering around a planet until Zero gets captured. But the visuals are pleasant enough. Though man, the Kazon come off pretty bad in all of this!

Jankom’s story isn’t bad either. It’s a bit too tidy in how it explains his aptitude for engineering (By necessity he became expert at fixing everything on a Tellarite cryoship when he was the only one awake enough to do it) and his propensity to speak in the third person (and on-board A.I. constantly asked him to state his name). But I appreciate the bittersweet idea that he worked his behind off to save the other twenty-nine sleeping members of his crew, and even used an escape pod so there’d be enough oxygen for them, but won’t get any recognition for his sacrifices given the janky computer assistant on board. Like Rok-Tahk, it’s just sad enough to make you feel for the kid.

The theme of Dal realizing everyone has sob stories, but talking about it helps, is a sound enough way to connect all of these stories thematically. Janeway walking in on the truth about Ensign Ascencia and getting karate chopped for good measure is a solid tease. And I’ll admit, it tugs my heartstrings to hear Holo-Janeway talking about real Janeway’s dog Molly.

Overall, I like the content of this one well enough, but feel like it’s a missed opportunity given how generically and artlessly the episode delivers its characters’ backstories.