Review

This episode is more like Voy: Message in a Bottle, Part II than a new stand alone episode, as its events directly tie in with the previous episode. We've seen the Hirogen before, in fact, in that episode. Personally, I like these kinds of arcs. Voyager's writers have shown a consistent improvement in the quality of their writing this season, and this episode is no exception. We get a close look at the Hirogen in this episode. They're a species of hunters. They hunt seemingly any other race but their own. Based off of the size of their relay network, they must be spread all through the galaxy in packs of ships, like wolves. They seek to collect "relics" or body parts from other species regarded as trophies. Based on their attitudes toward Tuvok and Seven of Nine, it would seem they regard other species as lower life forms. Additionally, their strength and size are both quite formidable, as Seven of Nine puts it. A very impressive and unique species. More importantly though, this episode destroyed the alien relay network. That's kind of a severe blow to the show in some ways. I was hoping more than the crew that Voyager would have regular contact with the alpha quadrant; maybe even return home early to join the war effort against the Dominion. In fact, news of the Dominion reaches Voyager in this episode. It's a shame that the writers seem to want to keep the two shows completely separate from one another. But I digress. This was a very successful action episode and the Hirogen were a very convincing villain.