Parturition (episode)
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
| This article is written from the Real World point of view |
 |
| "Parturition" | ||
|---|---|---|
| VOY, Episode 2x07 Production number: 123 First aired: 9 October 1995 | ||
| ← | 22nd of 168 produced in VOY | → |
| ← | 22nd of 168 released in VOY | → |
| ← | 379th of 726 released in all | → |
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| Written By Tom Szollosi Directed By Jonathan Frakes | ||
| 49068.5 (2372) | ||
A trip to "Planet Hell" proves therapeutic for Tom Paris and Neelix.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
After an altercation in the mess hall between Neelix and Tom Paris over Kes and involving hair pasta, Captain Janeway orders the two of them to go down to a promising planet in a shuttlecraft to search for food supplies. EM interference causes the shuttle to crash, stranding them on the surface while USS Voyager is stuck in orbit.
High levels of trigemic vapors cause Paris and Neelix to search for a cave in which to shelter. After sealing themselves in, they discover a nest of eggs. One of the eggs hatches, revealing a repto-humanoid creature.
Orbiting around the planet, the crew attempts to search for the crashed shuttle, but are attacked by an alien ship. The ship positions itself between the planet and Voyager.
Neelix and Paris discover that the baby needs food, and it is getting weaker without any. After rejecting the field rations, they find out that the vapors contain amino acids that should nourish the baby. Going back out into the open, the baby recovers.
Voyager disables the weapons of the alien ship, and descends into the planet's atmosphere, followed by the other ship. Voyager locates Paris and Neelix, just as the adult repto-humanoid reaches the baby and rescues it.
[edit] Memorable Quotes
"We lost communication with Voyager thirty seconds ago. You don't have to impress me with your technobabble."
- - Neelix, to Paris
"Play something."
- - Paris, to Kim indicating Kim's clarinet
"Play something different."
- - Paris, to Kim
"You should consider it a high compliment. Throughout history, men have fought over the love of a woman. Why, I can quote you autopsy reports from duels as far back as 1538."
"That's not funny."
"It's not meant to be. You've always been interested in autopsies."
- - The Doctor and Kes
"On my homeworld, it's so much simpler. You choose a mate for life; there's no distrust, no jealousy, no envy, no betrayal..."
"Hm. Your homeoworld must have very dry literature."
- - Kes and the Doctor
"There is an old Chinese expression: 'Stay out of harm's way'."
"That's not a Chinese expression."
"If it works, use it."
- - Kim and Paris
"The moment we came in here, it became our responsibility."
"And you expect to take care of this thing until what? It graduates from high school? College?"
- - Neelix and Paris
"You know, if you skip lunch, the result might be a lower blood sugar level, which could... I'm sorry. It's in my program. I see something wrong, I must attempt to diagnose it."
- - The Doctor
"I'm a doctor...not a voyeur."
- - The Doctor
[edit] Background Information
- The ships featured in the holodeck simulation are Jem'Hadar attack ships from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This was an error by the producers since the Dominion was unknown to the crew of the USS Voyager as stated in "Extreme Risk" and the response by "The Doctor" in "Message in a Bottle".
- Captain Janeway wears her hair more along the lines of her style from seasons four through seven in this episode as opposed to her traditional season one and two "bun."
- Harry Kim referring to the "Stay out of harm's way" as a Chinese expression could be considered homage to Chekov's constant misinformation regarding "Russian inwentions," similar to "I'm a [blank], not a [blank]" statments that hark back to McCoy's original I'm-a-doctorisms.
- The script contains at least two lines of dialog that appeared in other sci-fi scripts. When Tuvok suggests a plan to combat the alien ship, he adds, "But, of course, I cannot guarantee its success," which is exactly what Spock said of his plan to find humpback whales in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In addition, when the alien hatchling won't feed, Paris says, "Come on, kid, ya gotta eat," a line spoken to another fussy reptilian infant in the film "Enemy Mine."
- The assertion that the vapours on the planet contain essential amino acids is inconsistent with the physical properties of said acids - as all the amino acids which occur naturally on Earth have melting points in excess of 200 °C (at 1 bar) and boiling points which are higher still, the presence of amino acids in the vapour phase would imply that the planet is either lethally hot, has an atmospheric pressure at the surface which is considerably lower than that of Earth, or both.
[edit] Video and DVD releases
- CIC Video released the four season 1 "hold-over" episodes in their production order, as part of the first season release. This is the third episode in the second season release. From this point, releases follow the normal broadcast order.
- As part of the VOY Season 2 DVD collection.
[edit] Links and References
[edit] Guest Stars
- There were no credited guest appearances in this episode.
[edit] Co-Star
[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars
- Richard Sarstedt as William McKenzie
- John Tampoya as Kashimuro Nozawa
- Louis Ortiz as Culhane
- Unknown actor as Repto-humanoid officer
[edit] References
Alfarian; Alfarian hair pasta; Pablo Baytart; clarinet; class M; "Concerto in A Major"; cordrazine; dermal osmotic sealant; deuterium flow; duel; dunghill bird; emergency medical holographic channel; Felaran rose; field coil; garnesite; high school; holodeck; inertial dampers; Jem'Hadar attack ship; leola root broth; Molière comedy; Mozart; Ocampa; Palliantyne pea; Paris, Owen; planetary geosciences division; "Planet Hell"; plasma injector; Potak III; Potak cold fowl; Repto-humanoid; Starfleet Academy; Tanzian flu; technobabble; trigemic vapor
| Previous episode: "Twisted" | Star Trek: Voyager Season 2 | Next episode: "Persistence of Vision" |
