Star Trek: Voyager — 1x16 — Learning Curve
Synopsis
Tuvok is put in charge of "boot camp" for the Maquis.
Remarkable scenes
- Janeway interrupted again in the holodeck. Funny. ;)
- Another talkative Bolian. :)
- Chakotay confronting Tuvok's students. I love how Chakotay makes his point.
- The Maquis students' war game simulation.
- Tuvok: "You're saying that the Maquis crew is rigid and inflexible, that they will never adjust to Starfleet rules?" Neelix: "No, Mr. Vulcan. I'm saying that you are rigid and inflexible. But maybe if you'd learn to bend a little, you might have better luck with your class."
- Tuvok discovering the source of the gelpack infection.
- Dalby telling his story.
- Tuvok bending the rules.
Review
The episode opens with more from Janeway's holo novel debuted to us in Voy: Cathexis. It is remarkable that every time Janeway tries to enjoy herself on the holodeck, she gets interrupted. ;) The story of the gelpacks getting infected is interesting, I was kind of waiting for a story that involved the gelpacks since we first heard about them in the first episode. Unfortunately, the episode is plagued by American stereotypes, namely, that boot camp solves all problems. Drill instructor Tuvok is remarkably out of character; I refuse to believe this is how he taught at Starfleet academy. Maybe boot camp can create a nicely obedient military, but Starfleet is not a military organization. Furthermore, even if it was a military organization, Tuvok's "time honored" teaching techniques just weren't appropriate for the students of this episode, which to me seemed obvious from the very beginning. It kind of annoys me that it takes a life threatening situation before Tuvok and the Maquis can find any common ground, but I suppose it's not unrealistic.