Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Workforce, Part II (2001) User Reviews

An excellent conclusion to an excellent two-parter.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 8 March 2015]

In the first part of this two-part episode, Voyager is struck by a radioactive mine and the crew are forced to abandon ship--leaving it with the Doctor. However, the crew are quickly scooped up and are taken to a nearby planet for brainwashing. Then, the crew have forgotten most of their past and are now happy workers at some giant industrial complex.

In the meantime, Chakotay, Kim and Neelix were in the shuttle and missed all this. Now upon returning to Voyager, they learn what's occurred and are determined to get the crew back and de-program them. When the episode ends, an away mission to rescue B'Elanna ends with all sorts of crap going wrong.

This episode has more of the same--more attempts by the crew to contact ex-crew members and bring them back to the ship. Additionally, I really liked that so many on the planet did NOT know that their new workers had been brainwashed and others did. This conspiracy aspect was pretty cool. Overall, a very exciting two- parter.

By the way, WHY didn't Janeway take her new stud with her on the ship as her spouse? Her non-fraternization policy made sense but what would have kept her from having this guy stick around?

Made me want to change career

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 9 August 2020]

The Voyager crew learn all is not right in their alternate lives.

Thrilling conclusion to this two part episode with the conspiracy unraveling and the truth coming out.

The plot unfolds with excellent character moments for mostly everyone.

It's very interesting looking at the Janeway character in this one. Would she have had a happier life staying put? Maybe. The others display a need to get back to reality, but with her, is it a sense of duty that propels her back to Voyager?

Other stand out moments are: B'Elanna and Tom with their memories of each other erased yet their connection is still there; Seven of Nine applying her cold Borg logic to find out the truth; Neelix helping B'Elanna rehabilitate on her return to Voyager; The suspenseful and satisfying ending.

It really makes you think about life, particularly if you have a job as opposed to a career. How much of it would I change given the chance? How much did I feel compelled to do things out of fear? Where did that fear come from? Mortgages, cars, having a family too young, it enslaves us all to the system.

All that keeps it from being classic Trek is the episode placement. If this came a bit closer to the end of the series the stakes might feel higher. As exciting as it is, you always feel that this time next week they'll all be back to normal on board Voyager.

Learning the truth

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 22 May 2010]

After the events of the first part of this story most of Voyager's crew are still working at a power plant having no idea that they have had their memories wiped; Tuvok has recalled certain details but is being forced to undergo further treatment, Seven has started to realise something is wrong after Tuvok attempted to mind meld and Chakotay is trying unsuccessfully to gain Janeway's confidence after evading security. In order to figure out what is going on and escape the planet the crew must both trust each other and local personnel.

This episode provided a good conclusion to the story. I liked how the crew on the surface only gradually came to accept that they had been kidnapped, even then many other them were relying on the circumstantial evidence that they had all been employed on the same day and had had medical treatment. It was also nice that not all of the people on the planet were villains or victims. Indeed most people are just ordinary people getting on with their lives.

Fizzles a Bit but Still Very Good

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 18 September 2018]

Sometimes when the setup is really good for a two parter, the conclusion doesn't quite live up to it. Here there is a bit of sluggishness, but there are so many positives that it doesn't matter. One thing that we can bank on (and sometimes it detracts) is that the Doc can solve almost any medical situation. The race that erased the memories and built new ones never had a chance against him. The slow realization of what is going on by Janeway is quite good. Once again, she ends up married to the ship. All in all, it is a satisfying piece.

Summary

[Hackintosh · 8 August 2006]

In Workforce: part 1, The crew of Voyager carry out their normal lives as workers on an industrial planet called Quarra, totally unaware of their time on Voyager or their situation in the Delta Quadrant.

Chakotay, Kim and Neelix, return from their trading mission on the Delta Flyer to find the ship abandoned and adrift in a nebula, with only the Doctor on board.

The Doctor informs them that the ship fell into a trap which forced them to abandon ship in the escape pods, allowing them to be captured. The Doctor has heard nothing from them since.

After going undercover on the planet, Chakotay, Kim, Neelix and the Doctor must now find a way to return the crew and restore their memories, while evading local authorities who have uncovered their plan.

In Workforce: part 2, Chakotay must convince Janeway and the other crew members of their past lives on Voyager. Matters are complicated when Chakotay is exposed and taken for interrogation.

Proletarian Janeway is back in the captain's chair

[tomsly-40015 · 7/10 · 9 February 2024]

In the second episode of "Workforce", Janeway has settled into her new life as a worker bee and moves in with her new partner quite quickly. At the same time, Chakotay, Kim and the doctor try to free the crew from the clutches of their seemingly happy working lives. In the end they receive support from a local doctor and a crime investigator who are also on the trail of this plot.

The story could easily have been told in just one episode. Especially since apart from Janeway, Tuvok, Seven, Paris and B'Elanna, we don't see any of the other kidnapped crew members. A lot of time is spent showing Janeway's new relationship in all its details - including the decoration of their shared apartment. Or with conversations between Paris and B'Elanna, which made the whole story a bit too maudlin in the end.

The little "who is the best replacement captain" competition between the doctor and Kim is quite amusing. Both want to constantly prove to themselves and the other that they are special and better than the other. However, the doctor should probably be consulted more often in the role of the ECH. His built-in tactical knowledge of combat maneuvers could have come in handy a number of times. Of course, you then ask yourself why all of this data isn't already part of the on-board computer so that it could control the ship autonomously in difficult situations.

Also, Janeway should just relax a little. None of the crew would blame her if she had a partner. For one thing, Voyager has been stranded in the Delta quadrant for seven years and who can demand abstinence from Janeway in such a situation. On the other hand, her partner does not belong to a species that is part of the Federation, he is not a Starfleet officer and is not part of her crew. He could have spent time aboard Voyager as a guest. Who should have cared that this guest was the captain's partner? This would certainly hardly compromise her competence and decision-making. And her crew wouldn't have to worry that this guest would be given preferential treatment when making any critical decisions.

Who stole the B'athlithffpth?

[californiarecordshop · 30 July 2017]

The Bat'Leth given to B'Ellana and K'uva M'aach was a Kayless style Bat'Leth, and yet here when Neelix tries to remind her of more happy days; we see B'Ellana return to her quarters from the brain-washing planet and lo and behold, this must be a different reality, because there is just a normal Bat'Leth on the wall (maybe she hid it from Tom, thinking he wouldn't know the difference?) Maybe she's still brainwashed, and not remembering right. What a lame mistake to make... prop guy should be fired. Someone should pay me to be prop guy... OK I'm a little buzzzz buzzzz buzzzz... but now she thinks she's on Voyager... What a Beatrice.