Realization

[icepixie]

So I was watching my ancient tape (OMG ELEVEN YEARS OLD) of "Resolutions" last night--"research," you see--and I realized something.

Even before she goes crazy, Janeway kind of scares me.

It's mostly the actress rather than the character. KM...well, if I were to be charitable, I would say "acts big" or "acts for the stage," but I'm really not all that charitable so I'll call it what it is, which would be "chews the scenery to splinters." It's a little freaky. (Although it seems like pretty much everyone on every Trek has this problem. Part of it is the writing. Some of those lines...no one could deliver them and not sound pompous and grandiose.) And then there's that dark, gravelly, overenunciated voice that combines with the acting to make me feel like she wants to eat my soul.

I'm not sure how I missed this as a teenager. Maybe she has better, subtler moments that I just don't remember. I'm going to assume this is true, because that makes me feel better.

*

According to the IMDB page for episode 4.8, Nana Visitor is guest-starring in the episode.

Hmmm. First we have Admiral Ro, now we have...Civilian Kira, it seems? Cool. Bajorans FTW!

(You know, assuming the studios ever come to their senses and make a deal with the writers so show actually airs at some point...)

Comments

[icepixie]

The thing with Janeway, I think, is that the writers on Voyager really didn't give a flying frak about characterization.

Well, yes. But this was obvious. :D (Or possibly they got "characterization" confused with "boobies.")

(You know the story about Ron Moore's one-week stint as a Voyager writer, right?)

That's ringing some distant bells, but I'd like to hear it again.

I seem to remember there being at least 3 different Katherine Janeways. There was "No, we cannot break the Prime Directive and interfere with alien cultures, no matter what!" Janeway, there was "Sod the Prime Directive, I will get my people HOME, I am Janeway hear me ROAR!" Janeway, and there was, "Dammit I'm tired, do I care about Directives this week? Do I care if I care?" Janeway.

You never really knew who you'd see, week to week.

YES. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! That is so true. And even worse, it's like she chooses the wrong one every time, at least where getting home in reasonable time is concerned. Hello, contrivance... Bah. They should've planned it for four years and been done with it.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Ron Moore: The story I heard (though I can't recall where) is that after DS9 ended, Ron Moore went over to work on Voyager. After a week he quit in frustration, because no one in that writers room had any interest in actually developing the characters as people.

Getting home: I hoped they'd do something like what DS9 did, taking all or a large portion of their final season to put together a really epic finale. I knew they wouldn't, that they'd do just what they did and get them home in one rather silly final episode. But c'mon! Janeway brings home a Borg, an EMH with not-at-all-delusions of personhood, and half a crew of terrorists. We really needed to see the fallout from that. I want to believe they all got to live happy and fulfilling Alpha Quadrant Starfleet lives--but you KNOW they had to fight tooth and nail to get there.

[icepixie]

I seem to remember the whole "gone in a week because the other writers were idiots" thing. Heh. Although I think he might have found an ally in Jeri Taylor, if they were working on the show at the same time. Her Voyager books were full of characterization, anyway.

Getting home: That final season NEEDED to be about how the Federation totally put everyone on trial for terrorism and consorting with terrorists and tried to decompile the Doctor and autopsy Seven, because that was totally what they were turning into at the end of DS9. And yet, of course, no.

But even without that, it would've been better had they had a plan for a shorter series, with actual arcs and stuff instead of innumerable forehead aliens of the week and an apparently endless amount of shuttles to crash on planets.

Ahem. Basically, it needed to be BSG. :D

[elflore.livejournal.com]

I seem to remember Jeri Taylor fading back from the show midway through, and I suspect that was part of the problem. When it became the Empire of Braga, it was all about the boobs. In every way.

[icepixie]

I think JT left the writing staff after S3, and stepped away from exec. producer after S4. (Lord, why do I remember that? The things I could do if I swept away all these useless facts rattling around in my brain and filled the space with something useful...)

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Heheheheh. You know, there's actually a Doctor Who novel that has the Doctor using the TARDIS' telepathic circuits to edit out memories he doesn't need any more, because otherwise the Time Lord brain gets filled up after all those centuries...

And speaking of Who...just listened to Charley's farewell story, and it is fantastic. Just make sure you listen right through the credits!

[icepixie]

I want to be able to edit out memories I don't need. That would be great.

Ooooh, the final one is out. I must find a way to...procure...it...

[elflore.livejournal.com]

http://www.mininova.org/search/?search=girl+who+never+was

Happy Christmas. *g*

[icepixie]

If only I could torrent!