Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Worst Case Scenario (1997) User Reviews

Holodeck fun

[alexwoolcott · 7/10 · 30 August 2010]

A nice strong episode that gives almost everyone (except for Kes) something to do. Rather than make this a "Janeway" episode of a "Chakotay" episode, the story rather cleverly ends up involving everyone. It starts of with B'lanna, but by the end of the show, Tuvok and Paris have taken centre stage.

To quote another reviewer, this episode does contain some of "typical Voyager stupidity" towards the end, but it's not as bad as it is in other shows and in any case, it leads to a lot of fun. This episode is reminiscent of "Ship in a Bottle" (from TNG) which must have been on the writer's brains (in that episode, the holographic Moriarty takes over the Holodeck.). Ship in a Bottle is a much smarter episode - I won't give it away, but let's just say that if Tuvok and Paris had seen it, they'd have saved themselves a lot of trouble.

The only tragic thing of this episode is that we get a glimpse of how exciting Voyager could have been as a show. I remember when the show was launched, the producers spoke of how it would be a show where "not everyone got along" because it would be a crew of both Maquis and Starfleet personnel. This notion quickly vanished in Season One and the Voyager crew became a "family" just like all the other Star Trek crew. "Worst Case Scenario" reveals another path which the show could have taken which certainly would have made it unique. A multi-episode story arc about a true hostile takeover might have made for a very interesting season indeed.

Not a bad episode, but could've been much better

[kiddokidd · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

This episode was really promising at the start but it just got to bog down and too serious. I got excited when it looked like we might get a throwback to some of the better and goofier Star Trek TNG holodeck episodes - With crew members coming in and adding their own flair and ridiculous heroic and bumbling scenarios. Instead, it just got an uninteresting and serious when it could've been just a plain fun episode.

It's not a bad episode though, just a real letdown and missed opportunity, IMO.

Who wrote this stuff?

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 3 March 2023]

Several members of the crew get hooked on a new holodeck story.

This is an enjoyable episode with good self-referential humour.

There is an amusing story that is fun to see play out on the holodeck and it generates humour, particularly when you hear characters arguing over plot lines. I imagine the writers of the episode had great fun parodying the creative process they do for a living.

I think you need to be relaxed about one aspect of the story that, for the sake of raising the stakes, goes a bit ridiculous at about the half hour mark. If you take Trek seriously then this might be a problem. Personally, I like the character Seska, particularly when she's being a baddie so it's pretty fun to me.

All performances are entertaining, especially Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill and Martha Hackett.

Jonas cameo

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 17 June 2019]

This was an episode that I totally missed when I originally watched Voyager on UPN 13 during the 90s. There were only a few of these. It was probably preempted due to those lame "Syndex" laws from the 90s, which prohibited local Cable providers from showing syndicated shows on two different stations at the same time. This was very stupid, thank you, as I was not able to view almost all of season four of Babylon 5 because of these dumb laws. And sometimes, although Voyager was officially a network show, it would occasionally succumb to the same stupidity.

When this starts out, it appears to be a regular Voyager episode except that there are a few things different, that we don't notice right away. For one thing Lieutenant Torres only has one PIP making her an Ensign. And then when a call from engineering comes in, "Its Jonas", and we know he has been dead for a while. So, WT_?. They never show him, but this was actually the actor who played Jonas' real voice. Too bad they didn't have more of him in this episode.

Of course Seska also appears and at this time she is still pretending to be a Bajoran member of the Maquis.

The reason for the appearance of these characters becomes apparent, as the narrative is interrupted by a bumbling Tom Paris, who stumbles in at a most in opportune time.

This is not actually a holodeck episode, this is a horror episode. It could have been much worse, it should have been much worse. It was plenty disturbing as it was. Of course when we think that it is actually a holo episode, there is that usual voyager humor in the character interactions arguing about who is going to finish this HoloNovel.

It comes down to Tom Paris and Tuvoc, but they go from content creators to victims in one fell swoop. And the way that it was done knocked me out of my La-Z-Boy.

The writers knew the third act was stupid

[whatch-17931 · 8/10 · 30 January 2021]

The third act is unfortunately pretty typical of Voyager- a contrived action/threat sequence not really warranted.

However, I think the writers were perfectly aware of this. The script is very meta and self mocking. Tom literally says at one point "who writes this stuff?" and in other parts, they debate how a story should progress.

This episode also shows us a glimmer of the type of conflict between Starfleet and the Maquis that should have occurred in the first season or two. Unfortunately, Voyager almost entirely tossed that aspect by the first episode after the pilot.

Just one problem:

[sloopnp · 8/10 · 3 August 2020]

Way too many malfunctioning holodeck episodes in the Star Trek universe, but this one was pretty cool. I'll just pretend Tuvoc (The SECURITY OFFICER!) didn't have a gun pointed at Seska while she gave the self-destruct sequence. I mean, you could have shot her in the face before she was done with the command. But whatever....I'll pretend it didn't happen so I can continue liking this episode.

Holographic mutiny

[tomsly-40015 · 8/10 · 25 December 2023]

B'Elanna finds a hidden holonovel on the computer which features a mutiny from Chakotay and his Maquis comrades against Janeway. This story soon becomes popular among the crew. The problem though: It is unfinished and has no ending. When Tuvok tries to add more story to the plot he triggers a trap from Seska. She has programmed herself into this novel and suddenly this mutiny becomes a lot more dangerous than it was meant to be.

While I also think that this episode could have played out differently and it was fun to watch how everyone wanted to add his ideas to the plot, I don't find the appearance of Seska too bad either. It has flaws though. I don't get what her motivations were to reprogram this novel. If she wanted to sabotage Voyager and kill some of her former crew mates, she could have done that the moment she appeared and removed the safety measures from the holodeck. Instead she let Chakotay and Paris run and plays cat and mouse. Yet, later she wants to execute them both after they have been captured. So, what is the point of all this? It makes no sense. If she wanted revenge, she would have acted immediately. Playing a story in this novel doesn't benefit her at all. She wouldn't be there anyhow to "enjoy" her little tortures.

Seska the disney supervillain.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 3 August 2021]

This is a tongue in cheek episode that is clearly not meant to be taken seriously. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of Seska creating a nefarious 'addition' to Tuvok's holodeck program ---- It is something that a disney supervillain would come up with.

For what it is --- it is well executed. I couldn't help but laugh at Tuvok's distress over the possibility that a hack writer would be butchering his artistic vision ---- In the 2021 this is so relatable to the dumpster fire that is fan division in the star trek fandom.

I got a few laughs and some great Tuvok moments so this is slightly above average for me.

2/3 of a great episode

[popkiller · 6/10 · 26 July 2013]

It starts off as a great premise - the various crew members, curiosity piqued, participate in a holonovel originally designed as a training exercise in which Chakotay stages a Maquis mutiny.

Not only is it interesting to see the various scenarios play out like a super fancy video game, we get a real, grounded version of the holodeck instead of the magical cure-all it's normally used as.

When the popularity of the novel spreads to the crew, wet blanket Tuvok wants to shut it down until Voyager's own Bart Simpson - Tom Paris - convinces him otherwise. From there, the episode seems like it's going to take another interesting turn in which Paris and Tuvok debate how to approach writing the rest of their holonovel. Thinly veiled, but it's always nice when the writers get to have a voice on the show of their own. So Tuvok opens up the re-write file and then...

Voyager.

So many interesting episodes up to this point on the show have been ruined by quick fixes, deus ex machina, or the Doctor completely fabricating science that never existed before just to end the episode. This one had so much potential until the insufferable Seska takes control of the holodeck and the whole ship.

Wait, isn't she dead? Yep, for a year now. But hell hath no fury like a Cardassian woman posing as a Bajoran woman scorned, as Seska planned a little bit of revenge on her ex-boyfriend Chakotay and his new friends. Eventually.

What was interesting prior to the "stakes" is that there were no stakes in this episode. Just fictional characters in a fictional setting having very real conversations about temptation, ship gossip, creative approaches and what equates to cabin fever.

Disappointing, as the stakes aren't really stakes - you know Paris and Tuvok aren't going to die, so what's the point? We've seen this story literally hundreds of times on various Star Trek series, but so rarely have we seen our characters just being people for a whole episode. Maybe it's unfair to judge the show by 2013 standards instead of those of 1997, but it just hurts to see them get so close to something great before deciding to take the easy way out.

Probably a 7/10, but bringing back the intolerable Seska long after her death knocks it down a point.

Chakotay appears to be mutinous

[Tweekums · 6/10 · 8 January 2010]

When this episode started I thought that the series had been aired out of order as the normally loyal Chakotay was trying to recruit B'Elanna Torres into a mutiny and take over the ship while Capt. Janeway was off the ship, things got even more confusing Seska appears... it turns out it does all make sense as it isn't real but a program B'Elanna had found in the ship's holosuite. She tells Paris about it and soon everybody on board seems to know about it, however nobody knows who wrote the story or why. After a meeting it becomes apparent that Tuvok created it, not for entertainment but as a training program made in the days shortly after the Maquis came aboard the Voyager when it wasn't certain that they could be trusted. As he realised they weren't about to mutiny he abandoned the program unfinished and forgot about it. When the crew get to the end they are disappointed that it didn't have a proper conclusion and many of them wish to write the ending, eventually Tukok and Paris re-enter the holosuite and try to update the program and discover that Seska had updated it years before in a way that would be very dangerous for anybody else trying to add to the program.

The story was entertaining enough but I'm not keen on episodes set on the holosuite, especially ones where something goes wrong and the safety systems are shut down; this scenario has been used far too often in the various star Trek series. That said it was fun to see Seska again; she was a good villain.

It's OK

[bsimpson189 · 5/10 · 19 July 2020]

Overall a decent episode. The frustration is at the end when Paris and Tuvok get ahold of weapons. Why not immediately shoot Seeska? It's a hologram so it's not murder.

A very, VERY rare Voyager episode

[phenomynouss · 7/10 · 21 July 2010]

That is, this is probably the second Voyager episode (behind "The Thaw") that I've watched and not glanced constantly at the episode time, agonizing in waiting for the episode to end.

The teaser opens with something really incredible, for Voyager; Torres casually talking with Chakotay, then entering a turbolift... where Chakotay coyly lets slip that there's going to be a Maquis mutiny.

This is exactly the sort of thing you'd be expecting from the Maquis like Chakotay. Because considering how easily Torres and Chakotay and the others just turn to being fanatic Starfleet supporters, it's almost too obvious that they use that as cover for their mutinousness.

However, it becomes pretty obvious about the time Seska appears (if Neelix's casual betrayal of Janeway weren't obvious enough) that it's a holo-deck program. And everyone is apparently interested in it, as it's the best holo-novel program they've ever had. Given the sorts of stories we've seen thus far, that's truly believable, but hardly encouraging. Even despite the exciting premise of the holo-novel, it has little to no real excitement once the mutiny has been executed. There's little else that is engaging, and the characterization of Chakotay could only make sense if you assume Chakotay's zealous support of Janeway for the past three years has all been a ruse.

Somehow, the episode keeps a solid 35 minutes of interest before I ended up glancing at the time, wondering when it would be over. In fact, it turns out Tuvok had written the program as a training program for junior security officers back when the Maquis first joined the fleet. Given how Tuvok basically tortured and assaulted the Maquis crew members before they suddenly become Starfleet-lovers some time before, this is purely understandable---beat the crap out of crew members who are different and never wanted to be crew members, then prepare your security team to murder them if their complaints turn to action.

Then a twist occurs, as Seska programmed her holo-self to re-write the story at some point, triggered by nothing at all but plot device, and puts Tuvok and Tom Paris in real danger with the holodeck safeties turned off. The last 10 minutes resume typical Voyager stupidity, with the hackneyed idea of Torres and Janeway re-programing the program while it's running, and having Seska re-program their re-programming to foil them.

It's exactly as stupid as it sounds, but it doesn't make the episode truly hideous. By Voyager standards, it's a huge leap forward in quality.

Lame 3rd act

[chadtoland · 7/10 · 27 January 2021]

I need to echo other reviews of this episode, being 2/3 great episode. I was really enjoying it until it took a super annoying turn.

1st 2/3 or so is good, the final 1/3 is garbage.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 20 February 2015]

Among the characters to have been on "Star Trek: Voyager", one of the most tiresome and annoying was Seska. The concept of a Cardassian undercover agent who is only out for herself is pretty neat and could have worked. But this character became overused and downright hateful to see after a while. Too often, Voyager crew members were in a position to kill her (and this is the only logical way to deal with her) but let her live JUST SO SHE COULD RETURN IN A FUTURE EPISODE. Then, in the first episode of season 3, she died...and fans rejoiced. However, here she is back again--yes, a dead person returns. This time she's a holo-program that manages to take over the ship and threatens to blow it up!! Talk about contrived.

It's all sad, as up until then, the show wasn't bad at all. The idea of a program hidden within the computer that simulates a Maquis takeover is pretty interesting--especially when the program is discovered and crew find it exciting to play in it for laughs. But to bring in Seksa AND to give her such powers?! This is utter crap.

Seska Harassment

[Bolesroor · 1/10 · 2 February 2011]

Seska is back!

Yup, the sadists who write and produce Voyager brought back everyone's favorite foul hole, a bad guy so bad there is no reason whatsoever to explain her actions!

Here she returns as a Holodeck ghost to haunt the crew from beyond the grave. It seems she found Tuvok's mutiny-training program and- anticipating her eventual defection and death- re-wrote the program to include herself terrorizing the crew before actually killing them. Of course this is something we've all done at one point or another, and NOT a manipulative cheat by clueless producers.

The episode, which started with an interesting premise, crumbles under the weight of the contrivances. Way beyond ANY sense of reason or reality, a giant step backwards for a show that has yet to get off the ground. Why do I keep watching?

GRADE: F

Utter fluff

[Wirefan122 · 1/10 · 12 December 2015]

Starts out with a found holo-novel program which envisions the Maquis conspiring to overtake Voyager so they can get home quicker (but if they do succeed what will their welcome be when they get home? hanging?). The author of the program, Tuvok, never finished it so after a bunch of the crew try the novel out they decide they should finish it. When Tuvok and Paris attempt to access the program all hell breaks loose. Apparently the odious Seska (please please let this be the last time she appears!!!!) found the program a month before she left Voyager and re-programmed it so when Tuvok accessed it her character would come back and kill him and whoever was with him. Utter balderdash that the holodeck character suddenly starts to re-write their future let alone be able to take over the real ship. Someone probably should have put in a few safeguards.

The worst part is when Tuvok and Paris regain their guns and they simply point them at Seska and the mutineers. Why not open fire immediately as they are (even if Seska wasn't I would open fire) just hologram characters! So Seska is given one last chance at causing mayhem...ugh. Simply dreadful.