When Arturis (Ray Wise), an alien linguistics expert, helps to unravel a garbled message from Starfleet, the crew of Voyager are thrilled to hear they will soon be speeding home aboard a prototype vessel capable of delivering them to Earth in just three months. But it could all be too good to be true...
Special Agent Matti
Golly, no cliffhanger... but who needs one when you've got 58,000 light years of anguish to go?
There is a depth of emotion that pervades this episode, perhaps set up by the intensity of One, which is simply wonderful. Sure, we know that they won't get home this early in the franchise, but the hope and the fear are there.
Janeway's relationship with Seven is growing in leaps and bounds: angrily, frustratingly and rewardingly. Those women are such a joy to watch. I like to watch.
And there's lots of technobabble, too, just in case you get off on that sort of thing. Slipstream technology? Sounds like a Future episode in the planning to me.
Hope and fear is like a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day, it reaches down inside you and radiates comfort. Watch it.
PG (Low level violence)
VHS rental and retail: 1 December 1998