Voyager Re-Watch: The Chute

So, in case you're following along, I'm still dealing with family stuff. This means I've got way less computer time which means I've got way less Voyager time and that means I don't really want to spend it watching an episode about my TV friends being really irritable.

Still--Here's what happens in The Chute:
Harry and Tom slide down (not in a fun way) a gross chute into a gross pit full of other guys who've previously slid down (not in a fun way either) the chute. Harry and Tom have slid into Voyager's take on a prison movie. They have a device stuck to their heads which makes them irritable (which makes me irritable) and their relationship grows more and more tenuous as they try to survive/escape etc. Finally Janeway shows up and is all, "Let's get the hell out of here." And they do and their prison time is over.

Star Trek, in all its variations, has done a lot of takes on other stuff. They've done westerns, shakespearean plays, a Robin Hood adventure, a heist movie, and Die Hard. They've done horror movies, they've done psychological thrillers, they've done (plenty of) tragic romances. They've pretty much done it all--including prison movies.

There's a lot made of prisons in the universe of Trek. Most of us can even name a famous one: Rura Penthe. In TNG Picard was captured, held, and tortured by the Cardassians which is why I still sometimes shout 'There are four lights!" in inappropriate situations. In DS9 Miles O'Brien perceived twenty years of mental prison which is why he came back to the station and kept squirreling away bread for about two episodes thereafter.

The episodes I've mentioned here work for a couple of reasons.
1-Patrick Stewart is amazing and Picard is the human embodiment of Starfleet's ethics. To see him taken to the breaking point is inherently interesting and captivating. The direction of this episode is also quite well done. The way everything feels stark and cold. The lone desk in the Cardassian torture chamber. The way Picard is stripped naked. Everything about the way it's written, staged, and executed legitimizes Picard's experience and pulls us in.
2- O'Brien is (like Harry and Tom) thrust into prison at the start of this one with little to no explanation. The whole time we're focused on his experiences, his life, his struggle. Again, Colm Meany is a fantastic actor and his Miles is the every man of Trek. He's been with us since TNG and at some point someone along the way realized that torturing Miles was a great way to pull at the fandom's heartstrings. The main reason this one works, though, is the protracted time. Prison movies offer creators/audiences a way to explore the humanity and ethics of an individual who's been stripped of their every day comforts and thrown into horrid, hopeless, inescapable circumstances. The movies tend to take place over several years because that's how long it seems to take (according to what we know from said movies) to test one's humanity. The falsely protracted timeline in DS9's Hard Time is how they achieve this.

In "The Chute" it's all about a gizmo in their head called The Clamp which is a sort of nebulous deal. It's said to increase aggression and irritation.

Mostly its purpose is to give you the Crazy Eyes.

The thing is...if you're the prison warden, why not give them something that makes them docile and forgetful? Oh yeah, because that wouldn't be very interesting to watch. I get why they did it. The Clamp provides a dramatic shortcut to testing Kim/Paris' humanity/friendship etc. This leads to Kim nearly bludgeoning Paris to death. But we know Kim isn't going to kill Paris. We know this. We're Star Trek fans. This isn't our first rodeo. The only way he would've killed Paris is if this were somehow a weird simulation and he later had to come to terms with the fact that he'd "killed" his BFF.

And that brings me to another reason why these other two somewhat famous Trek episodes are successful--solitary heroes. Without any familiar faces Picard and O'Brien are both left to dangle for almost an entire episode. Their only interaction is with an outsider--the Cardassian for Picard, and O'Brien's cellmate. These characters give our main guys someone new and different to talk to and we have no idea what they might do or what might happen to them.

In this one, I actually really love the idea of Tom and Harry being stranded together, their bond tested along with their humanity, Harry's dedication to taking care of Tom, Tom's tough guy stuff, etc. There's a lot to love in this episode but I sort of feel like maybe it's one of those episodes that should've been two. A prison episode with a solitary character (Tom) and another, completely different episode where Tom and Harry are stranded together and their relationship is put under stress--but not clamp-induced prison stress.

Anyway, apparently I had a lot of thoughts about this episode. I'd intended to just write a short summary and then vault into all the stuff that's made me irritable lately but that just didn't happen and it's probably for the best. Don't want to end up with the Crazy Eyes.

Voyager Re-Watch: Flashback

Welp, I'm still sitting here on the sidelines of a family emergency but I found an hour and some wifi and watched my next episode/took screen caps on my phone--which is where I'm also writing this post so, you know, autocorrect. Beware. 

 I spent my life retreating into Trek during tough times and today isn't any different. I was lucky too, that today's episode is the tremendously entertaining (if not very satisfying) episode, Flashback. 

Basically Tuvok starts having some kind of Vulcan fit and passes out when they get all up in some nebula's biz. It occurs to The Doc that this fit might be caused by a repressed memory and recruits Janeway to go inside Tuvok's old timey reminiscences where they encounter both Yeoman Rand and Captain Sulu just before the events of Undiscovered Country. 

 

Tuvok and Janeway go deeper and deeper into his mind until they uncover a sort of endless loop of fake memory and The Doctor gets rid of it with some Theron radiation which is apparently fake memory penicillin. 

At the end The Doctor says something like "we may never know what happened" and that's sort of how this whole episode feels. It seems like the idea of a fake memory virus is a great idea by itself. Like we could've done a whole episode where the memory essentially plays a game of telephone jumping from one crew member to the next, morphing as it goes. OR we could do a whole episode where Tuvok has to resolve some legitimate trauma that's been bugging him since his time on The Excelsior. As it is there's an awful lot of time spent building up this "trauma" for it to turn out to just be kind of a MacGuffin--existing only to set the Excelsior plot in motion.  

Anyway, this episode is actually a lot of fun to watch. I dislike the way the memory virus plays out but I love being able to spend time with Sulu and Rand. I love those old bridge sounds. I love those uniforms. I love seeing young and uncertain Tuvok. I love his relationship with Janeway. All of this is fantastic. 

And, on this day where I'm an honorary part of a family in distress, I am Janeway. I came to this family late. But I feel like I've always been here. I'll follow my Tuvok to the precipice or the past or the or the other side of the country. 

I couldn't help thinking about all this as  Sulu appropriately gave a lovely speech about what it means to be more than a crew--to be a family. I'll just leave that here for you. 

"You'll find that more happens on the bridge of a starship than just carrying out orders and observing regulations. There is a sense of loyalty to the men and women you serve with. A sense of family. Those two men on trial... I served with them for a long time. I owe them my life a dozen times over. And right now they're in trouble and I'm going to help them; let the regulations be damned."
"Sir, that is a most illogical line of reasoning."
"You better believe it. Helm, engage!"

 

Voyager Re-Member: Basics

I’ve been so excited lately to finally get back on track and finish up season two. I’ve been so on top of things lately. Instead of watching a big chunk of episodes and then writing about them later, I’ve started watching one and writing about it that day or the next so it’s more fresh in my mind. I was all geared up to watch the Season 2 finale, Basics. But then, in the last couple of days, things really fell apart. Because of a family emergency I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get back to watching and blogging regularly and I didn’t get to watch Basics before all of this happened. 

The thing is, I still really want to keep this streak going. I might not be able to use my Netflix at the moment but I can still write. So, here’s what I’m going to do: 

AshleyRose’s Voyager Season Two Finale/Season Three Premier Re-Cap FROM MEMORY! 

That’s right. I’ve not seen this episode in almost two years but, in this post, I’m going to attempt to recall as much of it as I can/guess what happens based on my vast Star Trek episode formula knowledge and supplement the post with photos I just have sitting around in my computer (because I don’t have access to the internet and I’m just going to post this as soon as I can hop online for five minutes). You can tell me how close I got in the comments. 

Alright. Here we go. This might be completely incomprehensible but, you know, desperate times…

Janeway and Voyager are schlepping through the Delta Quadrant and…they get a phone call? Sure. Ok and it’s the Kazon, probably. Or someone running from the Kazon. Anyway, my special favorite baddies show up with their completely terrible seashell hair and somehow or another—oh, SESKA!—Seska gets them onboard. Ok so these guys are all clearly idiots but Seska has control and she’s all, “We’re here for the ship!” And Janeway’s probably all, “Over my dead body.” Lots of fighting ensues. 

Pretend Janeway's giving Seska some sass.

Eventually the ship is totally overrun by Kazon and everyone is… gathered in the… cargo bay? Does this happen? This seems like the kind of thing I would do if I were writing this one. And then I would have Seska and Janeway face-off… and also maybe Chakotay and Seska because they apparently used to date and now… does she have a baby? OH! Wait. Is she there because she had the baby and it’s totally not Chakotay’s and she realzes her kid is going to have seashell hair and now she’s like, “Well, I better get me a ship if I can’t just spent the rest of my life lording this kid over Chakotay.”

Ok. Back to the probably cargo bay. Janeway/Seska face-off. I’d have Seska like… say something really biting and then Janeway is finally resigned to her fate and she and her whole crew are put off on some crap planet while Voyager flies away. 

END OF BASICS PART ONE! 

Part two. Alright so Seska’s in charge of the ship and Janeway and the whole crew are marooned on this BS planet with pretty much no supplies. Janeway… splits the crew up into recon units? They do some scouting and decide to go a certain way. Meanwhile, Naomi gets sick and maybe she’s running a fever. They… run into some hostile aliens? And then they run into a cave/caves. 

Ok and then Neelix is like here’s some bugs we can eat! And some people scoff and then Janeway’s all, “Gimme them bugs!” and she eats a big handful and makes everyone feel really crappy about turning down bug dinner. So we’re eating bugs now. 

Pretend he's handing out grub(s).

Sure. Sounds good. Meanwhile, Seska is flying away on Voyager… and… Alright so she knows The Doctor is still onboard and, let’s see, he tells them that he is a medical professional and has to serve whoever’s in charge of the ship and can do no harm etc etc. It’s all a big lie. He’s still really working for us. 

And then… Oh! Ok so and then Suder—the Betazoid murderer—who was… maybe he was stuck on Voyager because of an explosion he’s been crawling through the jeffries tubes and now he shows up in sickbay and he’s all, “Here, lemme help you out with that Doctor” in his gorgeous North Carolina accent. And then they do some plotting. Probably they decide Suder should head on down to Engineering so he can tamper with that business like a pro. 

Alright, back on the planet, the crew is having a real hard time. Naomi is wicked sick at this point and Kess (?) tries to help take care of her…and then, I think, somewhere along the way Hogan (who we’ve sen a lot lately) gets eaten by a cave monster who may look like a worm/lizard/scorpion I really can’t remember. Also I can’t really remember if it’s Hogan that gets eaten here or someone else. 

I think they end up making friends with the natives and maybe someone gives someone else some herbs. Is there hopping on rocks involved? Is the floor lava? Am I thinking of something else? Anyway. They make friends because Janeway knows all about that biz. And then they survive long enough for The Doctor to come pick them up because…

Because back on the ship I’m pretty sure Suder sacrifices his life for Voyager and now we don’t have to deal with him being in house arrest forever and ever. This is kind of too bad because I love this character. 

Pretend he looks super heroic here.

Alright, does anyone get a final showdown with Seska? This is pretty important and if I were doing it I’d definitely have a final showdown between Seska and Janeway/Chakotay. 

And… DONE! I’ve now completed Season Two and started Season Three. Well, almost. As soon as I can claw my way back to regular life I’m going to watch these two episodes. Till then, I hope you’ve enjoyed my half-baked, semi remembered recap of Basics. 

Pretend this isn't a picture from two years ago.

Voyager Re-Watch: Resolutions

Sometimes I think about alternate timelines. About my own alternate timelines specifically. I almost pursued advanced degrees in anthropology. I had a knack for it. I had the drive. I even had a bachelor's level ethnographic study under my belt. I could've done it. I almost did it. And what might my life have been like if I had? I thought a lot about this as I watched Resolutions.

Sit Rep: Janeway and Chakotay have contracted an incurable disease and have been left (by a very reluctant Captain Tuvok and Voyager crew) on an M-Class planet devoid of humanoids where they will live together in a quaint Starfleet cabin until the day they die.

You know, this seems like the kind of episode I normally wouldn't like. There's very little in the way of intrigue, action, fun or big ethical questions. This one is strictly personal and, in the end, that's why I think I love it. Two intelligent, lovely people who've known each other for a couple years are pulled out of their restrictions and limitations and thrust into a new life together--one where they'll be each other's only source of human warmth and companionship. Basically this episode asks the very important question, "Do they get it on?"

The answer is, "Maybe/Probably." I don't know. There's a lot of filtered, soft light and hand holding and then we cut away. In my mind, there was definitely some intimacy on Planet Chaneway.

Aside from the obvious carnal stuff though, what interests me most about this one is how these characters evolve once they're out of uniform--once they're just regular humans without all the Starfleet rigamarole clogging up their brains. Janeway is, at first, completely consumed with finding a cure for their disease but pretty much as soon as Chakotay steps on the grass he turns into Pa Ingalls. And this totally makes sense. Chakotay was in Starfleet which didn't suit him. He was a Maquis which was fine but you don't get the sense that he was going to do it forever. Once Voyager kicks up he's in Starfleet again. Wearing a uniform. Commanding things. But every chance he gets it's all, "My people" this and "eagle spirit" that.

I've never hated Chakotay and I think Robert Beltran does a great job with what he's given... I just don't think the Chakotay character ever really crystalized in the way the series creators had hoped. He's often only in the scene to mention his people or to ask a question about the technobabble or to moan about his weird ex-relationship with Seska. As the series progresses, he gets even less to do. And, really, I think that's a shame because Beltran (as evidenced here and a few other places) actually has a lot to offer. Maybe he just doesn't have a lot to offer Chakotay as we know him. But, as Alternate Timeline Chakotay?

On planet Chaneway, this Brawny Paper Towel Man version of Chakotay is instantly deeper, more believable and more endearing than Starfleet/Maquis/Starfleet Chakotay. He settles right in to the frontier man lifestyle. He's carving things and hanging up curtains and, honest-to-god, if there were cows he'd be up at 5AM to milk them. He loves this life. In another timeline, if the Cardassians hadn't invaded his colony, or if he had never pursued a career with Starfleet or a second, more exciting career with the Maquis, this is the life he would have lived. This is the Chakotay he was meant to be. Here, the interjections about his people aren't trite but homey. Among the trees and blue skies, all his reverence for nature isn't tired; it's resonant. His earnestness and quiet sensitivity are clearly more suited for Walden than the Delta Quadrant. I look at this version of Chakotay and feel like this is where he belongs.

But Janeway doesn't really get into Planet Chaneway. She bucks the lifestyle, the meditative quiet of nature, the hand-carved headboards, the idea of longterm settlement. This isn't the life Janeway was meant to live. Eventually, finally, she begins to enjoy herself but then Voyager calls and by the time Tuvok has hung up the phone she's pinning on her pips.

I don't feel sad for Janeway going back to her ship in the same way I don't feel sad about not pursuing Anthropology as a career. Like Janeway, I know I've selected the appropriate path, that I'm in the correct timeline. Whenever my life gets derailed I claw my way back to it with Janeway-esque determination. But Chakotay? I do feel sort of sad for him. For the next five years he's going to put on a uniform instead of the dandy leather vest he made himself. For the next five years he's going to hang around as native-themed set dressing rather waking up to fresh air and the sound of the creek nearby. For the next five years he's going to see his role on the ship diminish and wonder what might've happened, what could've been, on Planet Chaneway.

Oh, but then he marries Seven of Nine so... I guess I shouldn't feel too sad for him...

Generic Ensign's Log: Tuvix

Generic Ensign's Log
Stardate: 49655.2

8:32AM

Neelix wasn't in the messhall this morning for breakfast. I had replicator oatmeal instead. Samantha said he and Tuvok went down to the planet we're orbiting to investigate some kind of flower. 

2:20PM 

I just heard there's been a crazy transporter accident! I don't know what happened yet but there are some rumors going around and it just seems too ridiculous to be true. You know, you hear about transporter accidents and mostly it's just ridiculous old stories officers tell the rookies. They've been going around since my grandpa was in Starfleet. That time someone got split into their two terrible halves, that time someone came back with leaves sticking out of his body, that time a couple of people got sent backward in time somehow, that time two people turned into ghosts, that time with the dog. I've heard those stories since my first day at Starfleet and yet I've used the transporter more times than I can even count. One time I transported to the grocery store on my old street corner because I didn't want my annoying neighbor to engage me in conversation. The point is--this stuff is supposed to be safe. Right? Anyway. Something happened to Neelix and Tuvok and no one really knows what it is yet. 

2:55

Holy crap. I just went down to the science lab to run some tests and I saw it:

Tuvok and Neelix have turned into one guy. What is going to happen? Who's going to make breakfast?!

Stardate: 49655.3

9:43AM 

I guess Tuvix is making breakfast. That's what they're called now--the Tuvok/Neelix guy. His name is Tuvix. Actually, he's really nice. He's nicer than Tuvok was and he's got more sense than Neelix. And--he's a better cook. This morning was the best breakfast I've had since I left the alpha quadrant.

But, oh man, this must be so hard for Kes.  Neelix was her boyfriend (I still think that's sort of weird) and Tuvok was her mentor. 

11:20AM 

Everyone's saying they don't have any idea how this transporter accident even happened, let alone how they might be able to get Tuvok and Neelix back. What if we have Tuvix forever? 

Stardate: 49655.4

1:35PM 

I found Tuvix hanging out in the aeroponics bay and invited him out to drinks with me and Samantha and Hogan later. He looked really lonely and I felt bad for him. 

11:20PM 

Oh man. Tuvix is amazing. This guy is great. He told a story I've heard Neelix tell a million times but this time it was actually a fantastic, well-constructed story. And he can play pool! He played Paris under the table! He said he's going to start working on the bridge again tomorrow. Apparently he has all of Tuvok's and Neelix' memories and knowledge so he's still an expert and I guess that means that starting tomorrow he's still my boss. Time to hit the sack. I'm exhausted. 

Stardate: 49655.6

8:27PM 

Tuvix is the best. I really feel like we're just getting to know him even though we've known both of his halves for a couple of years now. It really is like he's a whole new person. And, I mean, it's not like I don't miss Tuvok and Neelix. I'm just saying that I like Tuvix. 

Stardate: 49655.9

10:42AM

Samantha and Hogan and I had coffee with Tuvix this morning after the breakfast rush. He doesn't seem as lonely anymore. He's been trying to keep his distance with Kes, I think, but otherwise it seems like he's fitting in really well. Everyone seems to love him. 

Stardate: 49656.1

6:45PM 

We all just got back from a holodeck kayaking trip with Tuvix. Man. That guy is amazing. Honestly, it's hard to imagine life on Voyager without him at this point. 

Stardate: 49656.2

9:22AM 

Last night I saw Kes and Tuvix in Sandrine's. They were holding hands! I really wonder if they might have a thing going on. It really seems like they might hit it off. Even if they don't, I feel like Kes will finally come around to the idea of Tuvix. How could anyone not? I know it's only been a couple of weeks but he's become one of my best friends. He's so intuitive and interesting. He's so smart but he does't lord it over everyone and he's so warm without being pushy. I don't know what we'd do without Tuvix now! 

Stardate: 49656.4

8:37AM 

Samantha messaged me early this morning. She said they found a way to separate Tuvok and Neelix. What does that even mean? 

1:25PM

Well, the word's gotten around. If they separate Tuvok and Neelix then Tuvix won't exist anymore.  He'll be gone. He'll be dead. Either way, it's up to Janeway. Tuvix' life is in her hands.

2:38PM

I was just on the bridge and the captain came in. She had decided to separate them. Tuvix was distraught. I wish I could've done something. Said something. I can't believe they're going to go through with this. He said that he forgave us all but I don't feel like I deserve forgiveness. I feel like I'm complicit in a murder because I didn't try harder to stop what's happening. I wish I had said something. If nothing else, I wish I had told Tuvix how much he meant to us. 

7:40PM

It's done. Tuvix is gone. Tuvok and Neelix are back and, really, it is good to see them but... I miss Tuvix. We were supposed to meet up in the aeroponics bay later tonight. What happens now? Can we really just go back to our regular life after what's happened? I just can't imagine we'll ever forget about Tuvix. I can't imagine we won't talk about him every single day from now on but, with all the crazy stuff that happens out here in the Delta Quadrant, will we really take time to remember him? Or will Tuvix just be one more transporter horror story Samantha will end up telling her little girl?  

I hope it's the former. I would be a shame if we ever forgot about Tuvix. 

Generic Ensign's Log: The Thaw

Generic Ensign's Log
Stardate: 49578.9

9:27AM
Was eating breakfast this morning and heard that last night we came across an iced over planet and got a distress call from some people down there. They've apparently been in stasis for nineteen years and we transported their stasis pods to the cargo bay. I heard Kim and Torres were investigating what the deal is. Then Samantha Wildman said she heard these people were the start of a settlement and then they just decided, instead of leaving the planet when it was about to freeze up, they would build an elaborate virtual reality system to live in for the next fifteen years. I mean, doesn't it seem obvious that something terrible might happen with a hastily planned and executed, long-running virtual reality system? Who does that? Why not just leave and come back later? Whatever. It is what it is.

10:45AM
I had an ingrown toenail so I stopped by sickbay. It looked like The Doctor was working on this stasis problem too.

1:17PM
Had the best lunch with Hogan and Samantha. She's hilarious. Harry was supposed to meet us too but I didn't see him. No idea where he got off to. Maybe he was still working on the stasis pod problem.

4:22PM
Pretty slow day at work. Not too bad at all. I really feel like things are coming along and Tuvok is starting to notice me. Oh--and I think all the senior officers had a really long meeting about this whole stasis pod thing.

6:10PM
Getting ready to head out for dinner. I'm meeting some people at Sandrine's.  Harry was supposed to meet us there but I got a message saying he couldn't make it--that he was really exhausted or something then muttered some business about clowns. Where was he all day? Sounds like he was messing around in the holodeck. Oh, and I heard the aliens who were trapped in those stasis pods are out now. I guess we're going to drop them off somewhere along the way. Noone's really said. Anyway, it was a good day. Nice and slow. Totally normal. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.

Voyager Re-Watch: Innocence

Alright so, once again, Voyager is running low on supplies (probably because everyone in the Delta Quadrant has heard rumors from the Kazon about how mustache twistingly evil they are--I don't know why anyone would listen to the Kazon but there you go) and they send Tuvok and some Disposable Ensign down to a moon to look for... something? I was eating lunch.

Anyway, Tuvok and the Disposable Ensign crash the hell out of their shuttle and the Disposable Ensign is disposed of. Tuvok is doing some respectful burial stuff because he's good like that when a BUNCH OF FREAKING KIDS walk up on him. If I were Tuvok and a bunch of solemn as hell looking kids walked up on me while I was burying the guy who flew me down here, I'd have definitely screamed in a really undignified way. But Tuvok isn't me. He's really calm about the whole thing. Even when these kids tell him about some monster that's been eating their friends for dinner and soon they'll be next.

At first Tuvok doesn't believe any of this bananas mess but then some really suspicious activity happens and he comes around.

MEANWHILE--Because this show is called Voyager and not Story Time With Tuvok--The inhabitants of the moon's planet come up to Voyager for a look-see.

These folks (The Drayans) are pretty closed off from the rest of the quadrant and I can totally understand why (The Kazon, AmIRight?) They take a tour of the ship and then head back home. Later on Janeway gets a really angry call from this lady about how they need to get Tuvok off this moon etc etc. In the end, Janeway and Tuvok find out that these kids aren't kids at all. They old people. They're Benjamin-Buttoning through time. Or Merlining. Whichever. Anyway, this moon is where old people go to die and Tuvok just happened to be here and now he's going to escort the last grandma kid to her final hour.

Honestly, as hokey as all of this kind of sounds, Innocence is a pretty solid episode. I feel like aging backward is a trope that should probably be left either to the realm of magical realism or the written word or both. These kids are kids. They're kids who played bit parts in other 90s TV shows I watched. They're kids. They look like kids. They act like kids. I know they're "confused" but then suddenly one starts talking about her grandson and it's like, "You know, you could've mentioned that before, lady." But it's not terrible. It's fine. Crazy shit happens in the Delta Quadrant and there's plenty of other great stuff in this episode, namely with Tuvok, Janeway, and The Doctor.

Tuvok is great. Tim Russ always does a fantastic job but seeing him wheel out his Vulcan Dad Skillz is particularly nice. We know Tuvok is a husband and father and we know that being away from his family must effect him even if he doesn't manifest those thoughts/non-feelings in the same way humans might. But this is the first time we really get to see him be a dad. When Tuvok starts going on about the songs he plays for his kids, I always think, "Oh, no. Please don't sing." And then every time I love it. Daddy Tuvok has totally won me over.

Janeway is always fabulous. I love this big idea of Janeway showing these uppity Drayans around Voyager and no matter what she says about science and exploration they always have some snippy comeback and then Chakotay's all, "My people..." and they eat it up. Mainly this shtick works with the Drayans because both they and Chakotay are all about saying old timey spiritual stuff. These are the sort of folks who probably make their own artisinal kale infused potato chips because they think it's more "authentic."  So naturally they're instantly into some Space Indian with a probably meaningful face tattoo spouting the words of his people.

The Doctor has a great comedic scene within said tour. He's been working on his people skills and he still kinda sucks. Awkward silence ensues. Totally perfect.

Innocence is one of those episodes I never really think about. I don't look forward to it. I don't regret watching it. It's just a solid, season two (holy crap am I really still only in season two?!?) story with fine acting and some really nice, standout moments.