1x10 Prime Factors

[7.5/10] Prime directive conundrums are a dime a dozen. Most of them are still pretty interesting, because a conflict between a rule that’s good in principle and the pitfalls of its application in practice is almost always compelling. But after nearly thirty years of Star Trek storytelling, the rhythms are familiar.

What Voyager does in “Prime Factors” to freshen up the material is flip the question on its head. What if we were the ones trying to convince a species with more advanced technology to use it to help us despite their rules against non-interference. (See also: much of Star Trek: Enterprise). So when Janeway and company meet the Sikarans, a civilization devoted to hedonism but possessing technology that could cut down their journey home by decades, they find out how uncomfortable the shoe is when it’s on the other foot.

But at the same time, the episode confronts what should be one of the core storytelling pillars for the series: how closely do we hew to Starfleet protocol when we’re seventy-thousand lightyears away from home? How are our choices affected by the fact that there’s no Starfleet Command in range to punish us, and officers can’t be thrown in the brig or court-martialed because they’re needed to run the ship? Should the rules of the Federation be thrown out when doing so could save your people from having to be stranded far from home for most of their natural lives, or is that the time when it’s the most important to cling to those idealistic guideposts?

There’s no easy answers to these questions. They depend on the facts of the moment, balanced against the shared loyalty and feeling among the crew. Which is what makes them so compelling. The dilemmas at play the lifeblood of an episode like “Prime Factors”, and all too often something that should have been the lifeblood of Voyager, but wasn’t.

That’s particularly true when one of the Sikarins is willing to trade his people’s space-folding technology under the table in exchange for some Starfleet resources that will help improve his personal lot. Convincing a leader to violate their own prime directive is one thing. Going around the local government’s back, in the name of getting your people home, to benefit someone who just wants to boost their own profile, is quite another.

All of this comes before the inevitable question over whether the Maquis members on board would give the tiniest damn about the prime directive. It’s a story represented by B’Elanna, and to a lesser extent Seska, who could make the trade without Janeway’s knowledge, and give everyone a head start home regardless of the strictures of a government they defected from. The difference in decision points between a captain who’s sworn to uphold Federation law torn between that oath and her duty to her crew, and a newly-minted Chief Engineer who isn’t quite as encumbered or ensconced, adds another interesting wrinkle to the proceedings. Even there, Lt. Carey wants to help with the stealthy exchange of tech, so it’s not just the Maquis willing to go behind the captain’s back, adding to the complex considerations at play.

Frankly, my only complaint about the dilemma here is that there is, frankly, too much to cover in a single forty-four minute episode. There’s so many dimensions to this problem, and at least four main characters to service (Janeway, Harry, B’Elanna, and Tuvok), that it’s hard to do a satisfying examination of all the angles and personal impact within the time allotted. But I’ll take an episode that provides more food for thought than it has time to digest over one that stretches too little incident and intrigue over too long a runtime.

But my only real complaint here is the Sikarans, who are a goofy, odd sort of people. We’ve done overly-welcoming civilizations (the Edo) and “pleasure planets” (Risa) before, so there’s not a ton of novelty there. The fact that they’re willing to trade incredible technology for a collection of stories seems silly, even to a yarn-lover like me. And the ethical considerations take up most of the runtime, so we never get much of a chance to get to know the locals beyond some quirky headgear and a general aptitude for hospitality. Even Harry’s quasi-date and the functionary trying to sell them tech off the books basically just announce who they are and why they’re relevant to the plot.

The biggest drag, though, is Gath, the local leader/lothario who’s both welcoming Janeway’s people to his planet and not-so-subtly courting her. There’s a decent idea at play, with Kathryn being reluctant but charmed by such a passionate man, and the way it mirrors the crew of Voyager being impressed and hopeful about the Sikarans. The personal needs align with the professional needs, as Janeway discovers that Gath was never actually going to help them with the technology, and that his pleasure-focused existence is centered on novelty, not real connection. Janeway’s stung as a captain who had high hopes of being able to help her crew, and as a person who feels betrayed by the shallowness of her charming suitor. You can see what “Prime Factors” is going for there, and it’s not all bad.

But again, there’s not enough time to devote to it. And while Kate Mulgrew sells the hell out of the romantic connection, Gath is a bit of an irksome drip to begin with, so it’s no big shock when he turns out to be puffing her and her crew up rather than making earnest entreaties. There’s a quality moral question that drives this one, but unfortunately it’s anchored around a tepid pain of a species of the week.

Still, I like the big choices here. Janeway’s ready to just move on, but Tuvok, of all people, decides to make the trade behind her back, despite him seeming the most rule bound member of the senior staff. B’Elanna lies to the captain about problems with the warp core to be able to install and harness the new drive. But, of course, things go wrong and the thing nearly melts the warp core in the process. Again, to the extent Voyager’s ever making it home, savvy fans could probably figure that something would go wrong on that front. But the conflict and tough choices people make are strong, and I wish we had more of that.

I especially wish we had more in the way of fall out like the kind in Janeway’s scene dressing down B’Elanna and Tuvok. There’s power and growth in B’Elanna choosing to own up to her actions and face the consequences, despite Seska’s urge to cover them up. The captain playing the “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” game is a tough barb, and the balance between emphasizing need and highlighting that this kind of insubordination will nevertheless not be tolerated is pitch perfect.

Her scene with Tuvok is even better. With Lt. Torres, Janeway is disappointed. With Tuvok, she’s genuinely hurt. She depends on him, both as wise counsel but also as a friend. It’s more a betrayal to have him sneak out to do this against her orders than anyone else. And yet, I love his logic -- that it was the best thing for everyone, and he wanted to spare Janeway the ethical angst that would come with making the call. It’s selfless in his way. And I love Janeway’s response that she can appreciate the sentiment, but that the trust between them is more important. Again, Mulgrew just owns the scene, and proves that, despite everything that was shaky about Voyager’s first season, her performance absolutely wasn’t.

Those are the tough considerations when you’re in uncharted space, grand distances away from all your help and support. No captain, no officer, has good answers for how to manage the need to traverse that distance in the name of reaching your loved ones, while also managing the need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror, not to mention answer to your superiors, once you’ve done it. Not enough Voyager stories took on that character. Despite some rough patches in the execution, “Prime Factors” does and takes the problems seriously, which makes it an early gem in the show’s run.

(SPOILERS for much later in the series: Knowing Seska’s backstory makes this a particularly interesting episode in hindsight. I’m not sure if she ever straightforwardly explicates how that backstory implicated her choices here, but it throws a cloud over everything she urges B’Elanna to do.)

And again they dangle the proverbial carrot-on-a-stick in form of an early way home in front of our nose. And again it is a hollow premise.
But it's not the centerpiece of the story anyway. No, that would be, like Janeway says: "being on the other side of the fence". Now the Prime Directive turns against you and immediately you notice the hypocrisy. How many times did you reject other culture the benefit of your tech knowing you might improve, or even save, lifes? It is interesting to see who takes what side and even Janeway, althought firm in general, is tempted. You realise it is different from that side of the fence. Is it human to want to be home asap ? Of course. But it also clearly shows that principles oftentimes uphold only as long as they serve you. Which is something that was, and still is, true today.

I really like the exchange about logic between Janeway and Tuvok at the end. The strength and flaws lying in the same argument. Of course the logic wasn't at faulty but Tuvok's interpretation was. Ultimately his choice was human. For whatever this is worth.
But from where I stand Janeway really differentiates on how she deals with B'elanna and Tuvok. The first getting a harsh reprimand and threat while in comparison Tuvok gets a litteral slap on the hand. It has a touch of favorism.

Lastly I'd like to add that I recognize how strong an actor Mulgrew is. Her eyes, when she dealt with them at the end, showed the frustration and dissapointed that makes this scene really strong and believable.