Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Alliances (1996) User Reviews

Ones enemy's enemy is not always ones friend

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 15 July 2010]

After the latest Kazon attack which left one crew member dead and several wounded the crew are starting to question the wisdom of the captain's insistence that they don't deal with the Kazon. Chakotay talks to her and persuades her that they must do something. She agrees to having discussions with the Kazon but says that this will not involve giving any technology. While Voyager heads off to talk to Seska and the Kazon Nistrim Neelix goes off to talk to one of the smaller sects. His talks do not go well and he finds himself in custody alongside a group of people called the Trabe. We learns that these people used to be the dominant race in the sector and that they used to subjugate the Kazon until they rebelled and forced the Trabe to abandon their home world and head into space. They manage to escape and meet up with Voyager which had had no luck either. The Trabe suggest that they form an alliance and call a meeting between Voyager, the Trabe and the leaders of the various Kazon sects to negotiate safe passage. During the meeting Janeway realises something is very wrong and they beam out just before a Trabe ship attacks. With the Trabe proved to be dishonest the new alliance is very short lived and Voyager is once again on its own in an even more dangerous position than before.

This episode had some impressive action scenes one of which includes a rare character death. I liked how the Trabe who had apparently learnt their lesson concerning their treatment of the Kazon turned to be as bad as they used to be although it might have been even better if the alliance had lasted a couple more episodes before they were exposed.

A peace treaty --- a piece of you over here a piece over there.

[thevacinstaller · 8/10 · 5 April 2020]

There is quite a bit going on in this episode. The major takeaway for me is an hour long study in the circle of war/death. The Trabes repressed and isolated the Kaizon resulting in a rebellion where they ended up as outcasts and the Kaizon turned into a society of clans that drifts through the quadrant like space pirates --- bullying people for resources. The trabe representative while appearing to be civil ends up thirsting for revenge and attempts to continue the cycle of destruction during a peace conference attempt.

Captain Janeway's resolve to strictly adhere to the prime direction is strengthened in this episode after being tested by Chakotay and Tuvok's well intentioned counsel.

To Chakotay's credit his idea of a mutual protection pact makes sense and as a first officer his duty is to the provide the captain with options and recommendations.

I found it interesting to see parallels between the Kaizon and the Maquis --- both having been in conflict with a strong opponent and formed clans to attack the conquers.

Realistic

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 18 August 2018]

I do get tired of Janeway's speechmaking and her unbridled loyalty to her roots. She lectures her crew like an old lady English teacher (I am an English teacher, so don't get your hackles up). The crew wants to try something new, a bit of negotiation instead of a violent solution. So what happens when they try? The forces at work are shown to be untrustworthy, so give up any hope of doing something other than force. Still, it was very interesting and really a bit accurate.

I learnt something today

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 4 September 2022]

As Voyager negotiates it's way through Kazon territory, Janeway seeks an alliance.

This is an enjoyable episode with a good concept and performances.

The story works well for the premise of the show. It is logical that given their situation the crew would possibly need to consider this type of strategy and it is something that feels unique to Voyager. Whether or not some of the decisions made by Janeway are plausibly written is, to say the least - debatable.

Supporting characters like Tuvok, Chakotay, B'Elanna, and Neelix have some decent moments, but outside of Janeway the best scenes for me involve Seska and Culluh.

Visually it pretty good, with some strong action moments, such as the opening sequence and another that comes late on during a good plot reveal.

All performances are strong, with the standouts being Katie Mulgrew, Anthony De Longis, and Martha Hackett.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

[Bolesroor · 9/10 · 2 February 2011]

An interesting question: Should Voyager- so deep and so lost this far in the Delta quadrant- compromise its Starfleet regulations in order to survive?

After yet another Kazon attack and crew fatality, Chakotay proposes to Janeway that its time to stop playing games: we're in the jungle and we have to fend for ourselves. He reasons that the theoretical ideals of Starfleet don't apply out here. Janeway considers his proposal, and in a very good scene she turns to Tuvok for help in understanding the philosophy. If they don't have Starfleet's values what do they have?

A sloppy effort is made to form an alliance with two different Kazon factions, one by sending Neelix as a messenger, the other by contacting the lovable Seska. What makes me think this isn't gonna work out? The worse problem facing Voyager seems to be not the Kazon but the increasing number of crewmen questioning the Captain's authority, openly disagreeing with her or even turning into treacherous, traitorous Kazon spies as in the case of Michael Jonas. (Way to monitor outgoing communications, Security Chief Tuvok.)

What follows is a musical chairs of political alliance, in which the Captain rejects Seska's Nistrim, gets rejected by the Pommar, and develops a surprise alliance with the Trabes, the former enslavers of the Kazon and their current sworn enemy. Mabus, their leader, urges Janeway to gather the heads of the five Kazon families for a peace talk, a chance to bring stability to the region and end all the conflict. Neelix tips her off that an assassination might be planned for this conference, and in spite of the overwhelming potential for disaster Janeway decides to proceed with the meeting.

This was a false note for me here from which the episode could not recover. First and foremost, according to Voyager's premise, the ship is passing through the Delta Quadrant on its way home. The idea that they could get pulled into repeated conflicts with the same civil war-torn culture is unlikely. The idea that their meetings with the Kazon could be so consistently bloody and destructive to a Federation WARSHIP that boasts superior technology is illogical. And the premise of Janeway going from a Prime Directive-based non-involvement policy to happily joining whichever warring faction will have her is unbelievable. Her failure to see the potential for an assassination is a writing cheat; Janeway is neither blind nor stupid.

All she has managed to do so far is unite the Kazon in a joint hatred of herself and her ship. That should make the journey home go much more smoothly! We're left with a re-affirmation of Starfleet's high-minded principles, and a greater appreciation for the cultures that sacrificed to establish them. Janeway gives a pointed speech to her senior officers that seems at first arrogant, but soon reveals itself as absolutely true, and with further reflection, already tragic. The Starfleet ideals may be their best weapon, but their best weapon might not be enough... and unbeknownst to Janeway is the traitor: those noble ideals she subscribes to are already decaying from the inside.

Kes is reduced to a tricorder stand... you can feel the writers pushing her aside. It will be interesting to see how the traitor storyline plays itself out. A very good episode.

GRADE: A-

Ok episode. Could have been better. But was still engaging and entertaining as presented.

[brianjohnson-20043 · 7/10 · 20 February 2021]

I like that this is an ensemble episode that explores the idea of Voyager forming an alliance with some other aliens in this seemingly darker region of space. I think it would have been a lot more interesting if some of the Kazon had died in the reveal at the end. Or if Voyager had at some point really taken-up an alliance with one of these alien species. I feel like this episode became average when it could have been great because they didn't make it a two parter and were scared of viewers losing track of some alliance formed with another alien species halfway through season 2.

It's especially annoying for Janeway to talk about how Starfleet is too pure to form an alliance with these delta quadrant aliens given that they later align themselves with the borg.

Traveling Very Slowly

[newarkinvaders · 1/10 · 10 May 2022]

How do we keep running into the same people . Are they constantly chasing us ?

Two seasons in and despite the fact we are supposed to be heading in a single direction and heading home.

We seem destined to encounter the same kazon .

This week we find the slave owners and immediately forgive them and form an alliance with them .

Janeway will admit the trabe are virtually slave owners.. but only virtually so let's get on with it .

Shockingly the Trabe turn out to still be awful .

Still on with the slow crawl through the neverending Kazon space.

Good episode ruined by the ending!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 14 February 2015]

Up until the very end of this episode, I would have probably scored this one a 7 or possibly an 8. However, the writer just couldn't leave well enough alone and the very end is a preachy and embarrassing mess.

When the episode begins, Voyager has just survived yet another attack by the Kazon. Recently, it's been one attack after another and the ship cannot survive this way for long. So, the Captain is convinced to try some other strategy by Chakotay--to consider an alliance with one of the Kazon factions. However, she soon learns that this is practically impossible and eventually she does find an unlikely ally, the Trabe. It seems this race actually created the ships and technology that were stolen by the Kazon and the Trabe insist they just want to make it out of this part of space and find a new home world. However, such a nice alliance is not something you'd expect in the Delta Quadrant--a part of space that is crawling with races of butt-heads!

As I said above, this WAS a very good episode. I loved all the deception and violence in this one. But when the show hit the end, they had a couple minutes to fill and the Captain sat with select crew and bloviated about Federation ideals and niceness. It was simply nauseating!!!!

Questionable alliances

[tomsly-40015 · 3/10 · 14 December 2023]

Well, I don't get it. Voyager tries to fly home, back to the alpha quadrant. They are stuck for months in the delta quadrant already. Yet the crew does not seem to travel forward. They constantly run into Kazon ships and into Maje Cullah and Seska. Do they follow them? Is Kazon space so huge? In other episodes we learned that each sect only has a few ships. Yet, they seem to be everywhere. Is Voyager flying in circles? Not even in the alpha quadrant Federation ships ran constantly into Romulans or Cardassians. Sisko and his crew could fly undetected through the gamma quadrant without being chased by the Dominion all the time. And they bred their soldiers and built ships in masses unlike the Kazon.

And why would they form an alliance with the Kazon that includes a defense treaty? Voyager is said to be heading straight to the alpha quadrant. If the Kazon would be under attack, then Voyager would have to turn around and fly back to help. This makes no sense. And why would Maje Cullah suggest to swap crew members as a sign of good faith? First, Voyager crew wants to fly home which wouldn't work if they serve on Kazon ships in the delta quadrant. And second, why would any Kazon want to be on the Voyager which is definitely heading away from the delta quadrant and their home? Also, at the start of the episode Voyager takes a heavy beating by Kazon ships. Why would they need to form an alliance with a faction that only has one ship? A little more pressure and the biggest Kazon sects would be able to incapacitate Voyager and take all its technology for free.

Starfleet once more shows its stupidity in this episode: They form an alliance with the next best alien species they encounter (and never met before) without running some background checks on them. Then they meet with the Kazon Majes at a place which has neither been scanned nor secured by Starfleet security forces. They also haven't noticed that a ship entered the atmosphere. Their new allies thus can easily sabotage peace negotiations with the Kazon because Starfleet again thought, that foreign species far from Federation space are all trustworthy, peaceful and honest.

Why are there just a handful Majes at this meeting anyway? In another episode Kazon Nog said there are 17 Kazon sects!

With this "Let's all hug each other and become BFFs" attitude Voyager would have been destroyed already in season 1 episode 2. While it might seem honorable to follow Starfleet protocol and values, it also is naive to do so in a quadrant that never had contact with the Federation and runs on different rules. And Janeway's hot and cold blowing doesn't help either. Follow Starfleet rules? Then stick to them! Bend the rules? Then do it in a smart way!

Pollyanna Syndrome

[magnum-ajt · 2/10 · 18 February 2021]

Janeway was ridiculously intolerable in this episode especially the end. Was realistic only in the sense that idiots like her exist. These "rules" are always put out by politicians and desk jockeys who never have to deal with the real world.

Fine stories and acting ruined by cheesy canned sounds

[jim-rutkay · 5/10 · 13 July 2019]

At the peace conference where the Federation, Kazon, and the Trabe meet to discuss the future of their races and Janeway's alliance with the Trabe, the First Maje's arrive and are formally introduced to the Voyager and Trabe representatives. It's during these introductions that the producers decided to add a poorly produced canned sound track. A trumpet fanfare is played as each Maje enters the conference room. A second audio track is then played containing what sounds like seven or eight people applauding their entry into the room. This takes place between episode times 37 min 29 sec and ends at 38 min 09 sec. The introduction of Maje Culluh even include cheering and whistles in admiration. What could have been an interesting look into the history of the Kazon and their society degenerates into a pathetic grade school quality production thanks to the baffling decision to incorporate these horrible sound tracks into the story. If it weren't for this glaring failure, this episode had the potential to be one of Voyager's finest.