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Star trek: voyager’s first borg episode set up species 8472.

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Every Voyager Character Who Has Returned In Star Trek (& How)

Seven of nine's star trek: voyager creation was inspired by picard & borg queen, dark matter season 2 potential addressed by joel edgerton & blake crouch: "there's almost too many possibilities".

• The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Unity" subtly hinted at the existence of Species 8472 through a B'Elanna Torres line.
• Producer Brannon Braga later confirmed the intentional setup of Species 8472 in "Unity."
• Voyager's subtly serialized storytelling connected "Unity" to Species 8472 in "Scorpion," showing that the show's reputation for purely episodic storylines is untrue.

Star Trek: Voyager 's first Borg episode in season 3 foreshadowed the introduction of Species 8472. Although the Borg were established as originating from the Delta Quadrant, Voyager 's cast of characters didn't encounter the classic franchise villains until season 3, episode 17, "Unity." Even then, the crew only ran into a disabled cube and a group of ex-Borg living as a cooperative on a nearby planet. Voyager 's first encounter with the Borg in the Delta Quadrant was less than menacing, but "Unity" did provide a setup for the introduction of the Borg's greatest enemy, Species 8472 .

Species 8472 were introduced in Voyager 's season 3 finale, "Scorpion, Part 1." An insectoid race from an alternate dimension called Fluidic Space, Species 8472 proved to be a formidable enemy for not only the Borg but Voyager 's crew as well. They outmatched the Borg in terms of technological capabilities, and their defensive measures made them so deadly that Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) formed the first Federation-Borg alliance to try and defeat them . Although Voyager would eventually come to a somewhat friendly truce with Species 8472, the crew's initial encounters with the race were truly terrifying.

Star Trek: Voyager's beloved characters have returned in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and especially Star Trek: Prodigy.

Star Trek: Voyager’s First Borg Episode Subtly Foreshadowed Species 8472

"unity" alluded to species 8472's existence.

Although Species 8472 didn't make their first appearance until the end of season 3, one scene in "Unity" set up their future introduction. While speculating about what could have disabled the Borg Cube, B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) delivered an eerie line about the Borg having possibly been defeated " by an enemy even more powerful than they were ." In retrospect, B'Elanna's line is clearly talking about Species 8472 , given that one of their defining characteristics was their ability to defeat the Borg. The foreshadowing in B'Elanna's line was subtle, but its connection to Species 8472 was later confirmed by a member of Voyager 's creative team.

Star Trek: Voyager Producer Brannon Braga Confirmed B’Elanna’s “Unity” Line Set Up Species 8472

Braga a definitive link between voyager seasons 3 and 4.

In an interview with Star Trek Monthy around the time of "Scorpion's" initial release, Voyager Executive Producer Brannon Braga revealed that the show's creative team had intentionally tied the episode to "Unity" using B'Elanna's line . Braga discussed the fact that "Unity" never made it entirely clear how the abandoned Borg Cube had been disabled, and revealed that Species 8472 had always been meant to be the cause. Read Braga's full quote about the "Scorpion" and "Unity" connection below:

"Scorpion definitely ties in with an event in Unity but not such that you would have to have seen that episode to understand it. In Unity, we find a disabled cube. It was really never made clear how the cube was destroyed, and now, in Scorpion, you'll find out. So Unity was only a hint of things to come."

Although Voyager has garnered a reputation for badly-used episodic storytelling over the years, clever bits of serialized storytelling like the connection between "Unity" and Species 8472 in "Scorpion" demonstrate that the show sometimes used serialization to its advantage. This is especially clear in an era when all of Voyager can be binge-watched on streaming, allowing for easier recognition of the show's smaller connected moments. Star Trek: Voyager 's subtle hints at future storylines turned out to be innovative touches that were employed well by the creative team.

Source: Star Trek Monthly issue 28

Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+.

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The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

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Star Trek: Voyager – In the Flesh (Review)

In the Flesh is a curiously nostalgic episode of Star Trek: Voyager .

Nostalgic in a number of different ways. Most obviously, it opens on what appears to be Earth, bringing the Voyager crew to something resembling home. The campus recalls visits to Starfleet Command in earlier episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine like The First Duty , Homefront and Paradise Lost . There is even a prominent guest appearance from Boothby, the groundskeeper who was referenced as early as Final Mission . When it is eventually revealed to be a ruse, it is explained as a ruse orchestrated by old villains Species 8472.

Picture imperfect.

However, In the Flesh feels nostalgic in a deeper sense, extending even beyond the Star Trek canon. There is something very retro about the threat presented here, about a top secret facsimile of a distant world being used to train infiltrators in a deep space cold war. In the Flesh feels like a piece of fifties paranoia, with specific creative choices evoking film noir storytelling and even the aesthetic of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Night of the Living Dead . The most prominent guest star is Ray Walston, a veteran of cult sixties sci-fi show My Favourite Martian .

To be fair, Voyager has always had a strong nostalgic streak for pulpy fifties and sixties science-fiction, but it is strange to see it so pronounced. In its own weird way, it fits with the general nostalgic tone of the fifth season as a whole.

Look at the “8” in their eyes.

In many ways, it is surprising that Voyager did not do more with Species 8472. The aliens had been introduced in Scorpion, Part I and Scorpion, Part II as the first major CGI alien species, building off earlier experiments in episodes like Macrocosm . Species 8472 were immediately distinctive, with their three legs, their purple skin, their distinct facial structure. Of course, their introductory episodes somewhat glossed over the notion of cultural identity or characterisation. They were introduced as a foil for the Borg, an omnicidal menace posed a serious threat to the galaxy as a whole.

However, once Voyager vanquished Species 8472 back into “fluidic space” , they largely disappeared from the series. Their only other appearance in the fourth season was Prey , an episode in which a grizzled Hirogen tracked down a straggler fleeing through the Delta Quadrant. Aside from that, Species 8472 faded into history. This was somewhat disappointing, given the regularity with which Voyager returned to the Kazon in episodes like Initiations , Manoeuvres , Alliances , Investigations , Basics, Part I and Basics, Part II , or to the Borg in Unity , Hope and Fear and Drone .

Snap decisions.

According to Nick Sagan, there was considerable debate about how best to bring Species 8472 back to Voyager , and In the Flesh had a long and storied development process :

The original idea was something quite different. It was an idea that they found a picture in some database of an 8472 in an ancient Earth culture, and it was that some of our legends of demons and devils were from 8472. That was sort of the initial way we got into it. It was kind of tricky, having Voyager on the opposite side of the galaxy from home. What are those guys doing with Earth? How does that fit together? We went at it hammer and tongs for a while and we couldn’t find anything that we all liked, so I was able to try and reinvent it. So here 8472 are, and they’re clearly very threatened by and obsessed with us – we certainly dealt them a great blow – and here they are trying to have revenge on us. So I took the idea of paranoia, and that these things don’t understand what it is to be human, and I took the idea of Cold War fears, especially the way my dad tried to play a role in détente.

It is an interesting approach to the species, but a relatively clever one. Most obviously, it very cannily writes around the fact that Species 8472 would have been very expensive to render in their natural form for an entire episode.

“And there goes our special effects budget for the episode.”

In the Flesh wears its Cold War influences on its sleeve. When Chakotay returns from the recreation of Earth, Paris explicitly identifies the episode’s inspiration. “Back in the twentieth century, the Soviets used to build American towns to train their agents to infiltrate the United States,” he advises the staff, once again cementing his position on staff as “the twentieth century pop culture guy” that had been bubbling since The 37’s and which had been brought to the fore with episodes like Lifesigns , Future’s End, Part I and Future’s End, Part II .

In particular, the idea of the Soviet Union building eerie replicas of American small towns to train sleeper agents had a lot of cultural cache in the fifties and sixties. It resonated through popular cultures. It was the basis for Colony Three , an episode of the sixties action series Dangerman . It most likely influenced the tone and style of The Prisoner , with its own uncanny replica village operated by a sinister fascist force. Even later novels like Tool of the Trade by Joe Haldeman or The Charm School by Nelson DeMille would incorporate the premise.

Feels like going home.

There was reportedly some small basis for this trope in reality. There were reports of a replica community build near Vinnitsa in the Ukraine as “a top-secret finishing school for Soviet spies, made in an exact copy of a small American town.” In April 1959,  Time reported :

Last week, in the Swedish military journal Contact with the Army, Swedish Major Per Lindgren, a man well regarded as a Soviet analyst, pieced together the available evidence about Vinnitsa. Hand-picked from the most promising Russian university students, the 1,000 “citizens” of Vinnitsa, he reports, lead American lives from morning to night for as long as ten years. They master American dialects, learn American history from U.S. textbooks, gossip about American movie stars, and swap hot-stove-league baseball statistics. “Everything in Vinnitsa down to the smallest detail is pure American,” says Major Lindgren. “The bar serves American drinks, and the restaurant American food. The movies are Hollywood-made, and the stores sell everything from ready-made clothing to chewing gum.” The only authentic Communist touch is the high, barbed-wire fence that seals Vinnitsa off from the rest of Russia.

Of course, it is impossible to know exactly how much of this is accurate and exactly how much of it is just standard Cold War paranoia, but it is certainly and interesting image.

It is very cold in space.

(To be fair, this idea of the uncanny American small town in fifties and sixties pop culture arguably spoke to deeper anxieties than just the Cold War. It spoke to the fear of social change and the erosion of social norms, to anxieties about something uncanny lurking beneath an idealised surface. These “spy” replica towns were just one recurring trope in fifties and sixties genre fiction. The NSA was building its own towns to hone its own spying skills . The atomic bomb was tested on replica communities . In some ways, this prefigures the anxieties of films like Blue Velvet .)

Of course, this is far from the first time that Star Trek had embraced a Cold War aesthetic. The original show had suggested a state of perpetual cold war between the Federation and other powers like the Klingon Empire or the Romulan Star Empire in episodes like Balance of Terror , Errand of Mercy , Friday’s Child , The Trouble with Tribbles , A Private Little War and The Enterprise Incident . Even episodes without Klingons or Romulans leaned into the Cold War parallels, like A Taste of Armageddon or For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky .

No woman alive can resist Chakotay’s charms.

Even allowing for this historical and cultural context. his is a very curious point of reference for an episode of Star Trek that would be broadcast in early November 1998. The Cold War was long over. The United States had effectively won. It was a time of relative peace and prosperity, years before the outbreak of the War on Terror. With that in mind, returning to a deep space cold war feels particularly strange, especially given that Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country had worked so hard to move the franchise past it.

To be fair, this is not the first time that Voyager has cast its eyes wistfully back to old pulp fiction. While Voyager is arguably more firmly rooted in the nineties than Deep Space Nine , it clearly has an affection for the trappings of fifties and sixties genre fiction. This dates back to the earliest days of the series. Caretaker committed very strongly to the idea of Voyager as a “space western!” , right down to introducing a Native American tracker and introducing the Kazon as stock savages. Time and Again suggested that the cultures of the Delta Quadrant had a very sixties aesthetic.

By the book.

Voyager had a very trashy sensibility, particularly driven by Brannon Braga. Cathexis was a spin on those science-fiction and horror movies about hostile alien invaders disguising themselves as human, in the style of Invasion of the Body Snatchers .  The 37’s was a stock alien abduction narrative suggesting Amelia Erhart had been secreted away to the Delta Quadrant. Cold Fire was a psychological horror story with mind-expanding trappings. Macrocosm was an old school b-movie thriller. Darkling was a campy gothic horror.

Indeed, the fifth season arguably embraces this retro sensibility through the recurring Captain Proton! holonovels. These stylised black-and-white adventures allow Tom Paris to step into the role of a mid-twentieth-century galactic adventurer in a world of jet packs and death rays. The Voyager writers loved the concept so much that they would build one of the season’s standout episodes ( Bride of Chaotica! ) around the core premise. With all of that in mind, it makes sense that In the Flesh should effectively fall back on a retro fifties and sixties premise.

A time to stand.

In the Flesh embraces this aesthetic in more than just plot. Several elements of the episode seem ported directly over from fifties cinema, particularly films worried about communist infiltration of the United States. At one point, Janeway begins asking Chakotay questions about his own time on Earth. “Kathryn, you think I might be one of them,” he observes. “You’re testing me.” When Chakotay is captured during his second trip to the habitat, the enemy descend on him like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the zombies in Night of the Living Dead .

More than that, there is a very palpable nuclear anxiety threaded through the episode. In the Flesh is concerned about a deep space arms race between Voyager and Species 8472 in a way that recalls mid-twentieth-century anxieties about mutually assured destruction. “Throughout human history weapons of mass destruction were often designed in the hopes that they’d never be used,” the EMH reflects as he works on the nanoprobes. Seven replies, “And yet, in Earth’s Third World War, nuclear weapons accounted for six hundred million casualties.”

Even the episode’s resolution is framed in terms of detenté between Voyager and Species 8472. “An armed conflict isn’t going to solve our problems,” Janeway appeals to  8472! Boothby. “We could go on making threats, spying on each other, risking a war between our species. Or we could try a more direct approach.” Eventually, the two sides agree on mutual disarmament. They agree to share their technology and dismantle their weapons, in a manner that quite heavily recalls attempts at nuclear disarmament in the real world.

Indeed, the ending to In the Flesh greatly softens Species 8472 as a recurring adversary. The episode’s conclusion is very much pitched a stock Star Trek conclusion, the story of how (through negotiation and compromise) two radically different alien species can learn to reconcile their differences and live in harmony. There is nothing really wrong with this, except that it happens far too quickly. It seems almost as though Janeway takes ten minutes to talk Species 8472 down from their omnicidal mania.

Flirting with the enemy.

On a purely pragmatic level, it clearly signals that Voyager is finished with Species 8472.  In the Flesh signals that there is no other story to be told using this alien species. Any future encounter with Species 8472 is destined to be civilised and respectful. More than that, it seems likely that any future contact with Species 8472 would find them wearing human faces and walking around in human skin. In the Flesh is a story that signals the end of the arc of Species 8472, much like The Killing Game, Part I and The Killing Game, Part II wraps up the fourth season’s Hirogen arc.

There is so much more that could have been done with these aliens, so many other avenues that could have been explored. Like the Vidiians, Species 8472 feel underdeveloped and underexplored.  Voyager often suffered from generic alien species, the classic  “forehead of the week” syndrome; Species 8472 got around that. There are so many angles for interesting stories, so many compelling hooks for new adventures. Instead, In the Flesh seems to wrap Species 8472 up in a nice little bow, assuring the audience that they are now friends and allies.

Bamboozled.

According to Nick Sagan this was not part of his original pitch for the episode, which had a decidedly more ambiguous ending :

The original idea didn’t end quite so “happy happy”. The so-called neutering of 8472 wasn’t supposed to happen. I think they’re great villains, and the original story as I envisioned it had just kind of a moment of realisation of “maybe we’re not so different”, the hint that there could be some possibilities. But then reinforcements arrive, and Voyager has to escape, and who knows if we’ve actually done something good there. But once we got involved, I think Brannon actually wanted to resolve it. Another factor had to be the incredible amount of money than 8472 cost to put on the screen. I remember going to a production meeting, and the original In The Flesh had a lot of great, amazing special effects, including a dream sequence of 8472 just razing Janeway’s home town on Earth, which would have been really cool. But you just sit around at the table and people go through and talk about how much money it will cost, and I was sitting right next to Brannon and he’d go, “Okay, scratch that off the list!” Even so I think it’s a very cool looking episode with 8472 morphing on the table and such.

The result is that Species 8472 are reduced to an afterthought and footnote with no real consideration and no real development.

Taste of defeat.

The ending of In the Flesh raises all manner of questions that are never really resolved. Like so many Voyager episodes, the closing scenes of In the Flesh gloss over the practical implications of the story on the larger arc of the series. In the Flesh repeatedly raises questions about how Species 8472 know about Earth. “Whoever they are, they’ve gathered incredibly accurate information about Starfleet headquarters,” Janeway reflects. Seven replies, “Perhaps they had access to a Federation database.” Chakotay speculates, “Or they’ve been to San Francisco.”

Alternatives are repeatedly suggested over the course of the episode: maybe they have an agent on board Voyager, maybe they stole the information from the Borg. There are a few subtle suggestions that Species 8472 might not be entirely up-to-speed with the Federation, from the use of old uniforms to the abundance of Ferengi to the missing coffee shop on Market Street. However, Janeway never seems to press Species 8472 for how they gather this information.

Kiss and tell.

After all, the implications are obvious. It is entirely possible that Species 8472 could get Voyager closer to home. After all, Boothby boasts that they have several similar installations hidden in the Delta Quadrant. “There are a dozen more scattered throughout the quadrant,” he boasts. “You’ll never find them all.” Even if this is a bluff, Species 8472 are still more than ten thousand light years from their incursion in Scorpion, Part I and Scorpion, Part II . There is a definite angle for Janeway to explore, given her détente with the aliens.

This is not a problem unique to In the Flesh . Janeway repeatedly befriends aliens with advanced technology, but never asks them to send her home. After she makes peace with Suspiria in Cold Fire , it should be easy to convince her to send the crew home. When Janeway helps win the Q Civil War in The Q and the Grey , it seems only reasonable to ask Q for a favour. There is something disappointing in how Janeway seems to have resigned herself to the journey taking as long as it takes, particularly considering her arc in Night .

Janeway is under-performing by an (astro)metric.

The ending is unsettling for other reasons. There is something strange in the speed with which 8472! Boothby goes from boldly threatening to blow Voyager out of the sky to politely inviting Janeway to spend a few more days in their facsimile. There is a strange undercurrent to the episode, as the audience tries to figure out why Species 8472 are so eager to compromise in In the Flesh after being so hardline in Scorpion, Part I and Scorpion, Part II . There is a subtle implication that Species 8472 are more agreeable in In the Flesh because they look more human.

To be fair, there is a reasonable point to be made here. In creating a duplicate of Earth, Species 8472 are inviting themselves to experience the world from humanity’s perspective, to walk a mile in their bipedal forms. 8472! Archer makes a similar point to Chakotay. “At first glance, they’re so primitive,” she explains of humanity. “Genetic impurities, no telepathy, violent and yet they’ve created so many beautiful ways to communicate their ideas. Literature, art, music. At times, I’ve actually enjoyed being in this form.”

Archer foe.

However, the decision to keep the Species 8472 characters in their human form reinforces the idea that peaceful discussion and conversation are only possible between people who look (and act) very similar to one another. “How do you shake hands with an 8472?” Janeway muses at one point, but it is a completely irrelevant point. Culturally, the engagement flows in only a single direction. Species 8472 take human form, build a human environment, grow human plants, read human books. None of the Voyager crew make a similar effort to engage with their new friends.

It is something of a recurring trend across Voyager , something that arguably sets it apart from the multicultural perspective of Deep Space Nine . It is impossible to imagine an episode of Voyager engaging with an alien culture in the same way that The Magnificent Ferengi is built around the Ferengi or Soldiers of the Empire is built around the Klingons. Ironically for a series that positions the Borg as a recurring antagonist, it often feels like Voyager is a show about the necessity of assimilation.

Inject a little drama.

This idea is reflected across the series, from the presentation of “monstrous” recurring aliens like the Malon or the Vidiians as antagonists through to the idea that Seven of Nine is redeemed through becoming (physically) more “human.” Boothby even alludes to this point during the negotiation sequence. “There’s a drone sitting at this very table. Look at her, all gussied up to look like a human being.” Although episodes like Nemesis might subvert this idea, Voyager repeatedly suggests that the best way to make peace with something monstrous is to make them human.

In its own way, this is a very retrograde theme, something lifted from the cultural attitudes of fifties Americana. It is an attitude that values assimilation above diversity, conformity above distinction. It is a very conservative interpretation of the Star Trek philosophy, one that values other cultures so long as they are willing to present themselves in forms that conform to our heroes’ cultural norms. Ironically enough, it is the flip side of those fifties sci-fi and horror films about communist infiltration, an anxiety about the dangers of conformity and repression.

No sex please, we’re Starfleet.

Even beyond these themes, In the Flesh indulges in a great deal of nostalgia. Kate Vernon plays 8472! Archer as a seductress from some forgotten fifties film noir . She is all arched eyebrows and coy flirtation, at once inviting and dangerous. Indeed, 8472! Archer makes an interesting contrast to Chakotay, seeming much more human than her love interest. Vernon plays the part very broad, but it is a stylistic choice that works very well. The performance owes a lot to Rita Hayworth or Veronica Lake. 8472! Archer is a sexually charged and potentially dangerous woman.

That said, it does lead to a delightfully absurd “let me slip into something more comfortable” moment when 8472! Archer escorts Chakotay back to her quarters for a nightcap. As is expected in these retro seduction scenes, the kind played entirely straight in The Enterprise Incident , 8472! Archer excuses herself for a costume change. This allows Chakotay some time for snooping, as he watches her sexy silhouette. However, when 8472! Archer emerges from her room, she is – if anything – even more dressed than she had been going in.

To be fair, it does look more comfortable.

This retro charm is only increased by the presence of Ray Walston, making an unlikely return to Star Trek following his guest appearance in The First Duty . Walston was the star of My Favourite Martian , a popular early sixties sci-fi sitcom, making him part and parcel of this large nostalgia within the episode. As Tim Russ explained to Star Trek Monthly , the cast were thrilled to have him:

During one of our episodes featuring the late Ray Walston – from [60s TV show] My Favorite Martian [and Boothby in Star Trek] – we were shooting a scene that was very heavy with dialogue. Ray was having a tough time with the lines, as were some of us regulars on the show. It took all day to shoot this one scene and during a short lighting break Ray spoke a line from Hamlet. Then Robert Beltran answered him with the next line from the play and the two of them continued on reciting the lines for about two or three minutes, perfectly. You could hear a pin drop on the set, and we all applauded afterwards.

Boothby is a very strange choice to appear in In the Flesh , particularly given the abundance of other characters who could have been used in the role; Admiral Alynna Nechayev, Admiral Bill Ross, President Jaresh-Inyo, Admiral Jeremiah Hayes, Admiral Owen Paris. The choice of Boothby is very telling, a way to include an acknowledgement of the franchise’s (and the genre’s) history.

As with Night , there is also a sense of reflection within Voyager itself. Most obviously, the discovery of a replica of San Francisco represents a metaphorical homecoming for the crew. However, the episode also provides the opportunity for characters to reflect on their history and the decisions that brought them to this point. Everybody seems to point to familiar landmarks and the history that goes with them, or remember stories about key figures like Boothby or Admiral Nimembeh.

Janeway even embarks upon a short journey down memory lane, recalling the events of Caretaker . As she studies the habitat in Astrometrics, she admits to Chakotay, “Brings back memories, even if it is just a re-creation. I remember my last visit there. I was given my general orders for Voyager’s first mission. Proceed to the Badlands and find the Maquis.” Chakotay nods, “The orders that brought us together.” Where Voyager a stronger series, this might tie back into Janeway’s depression in Night . Instead, it is just an expression of what was.

Ray of hope.

It is another expression of Brannon Braga’s renewed interest in the show’s history and the characters’ pasts, something that animates a lot of the fifth season. This nostalgia is never developed into a strong sense of continuity or momentum, instead focusing on the past as a far-away realm rather than something that motivates or informs these characters. The fifth season of Voyager is intrigued by what has happened before, but rarely considers how these events might influence the characters in the present day and beyond.

In the Flesh benefits from a strong supporting cast. Ray Walston, Kate Vernon and Tucker Smallwood all imbue their characters with more life and more personality than the script would suggest. Even as these members of Species 8472 play at being human, there is a clear sense of distinct individuality to their performances. These feel like very different people, with very different outlooks. Of course, these outlooks never seem truly alien, but they do feel distinct from one another.

It’s a Smallwood, after all.

Tucker Smallwood would go on to play a recurring role on the third season of Star Trek: Enterprise . He recalls that his guest appearance on Voyager was not necessarily a pleasant experience :

“The Voyager episode came about in a year (1998) that was very difficult for me physically. I contracted Bells palsy (Bells palsy is a condition that causes the facial muscles to weaken or become paralyzed but is not permanent with the proper treatment.). I woke up one morning and it looked like I’d had a stroke in the night. For some months, it was questionable whether I’d ever work again. I went through acupuncture, steroids, and all the rest of that”, Tucker explained. “I had told my agent don’t submit me for anything, if they ever see me like this I’ll never work again because you cannot be damaged goods in this business, I’ll just lay low and stay with the therapy and keep a positive thought. He called me one day and said there’s a role here that sounds like it would really be good for you it’s on Star Trek: Voyager. I said, I could play an alien, I sound fine I just look bad but I could do that because they hide you in makeup, that would be great.” The role of Admiral Bullock on Star Trek: Voyager in the fifth season episode In the Flesh was an alien, Species 8472, unfortunately an alien disguised in human form. “I went for it anyway and I got it and then people would say, you looked so stern and so implacable and I said that’s the only expression I had, if I tried to do anything else only one side of my face would work so I had this one expression and it was very rigid and stiff and arbitrary. Slowly after that I continued to regain control of my features and I began to work again.”

In spite of this significant physical limitation, Smallwood does good work in the role. He uses his paralysis very well, suggesting a character not entirely comfortable in his skin.

Giving those young recruits quite a bullocking.

In the Flesh is also notable as the first episode of Voyager to be written by Nick Sagan. Sagan was one of three young new writers to arrive on Voyager around. Bryan Fuller had joined the staff during the fourth season, and became a story editor at the start of the fifth season. Nick Sagan and Michael Taylor were recruited at the start of the fifth season, both having successfully pitched episodes to earlier iterations of the franchise. There was a clear sense that Brannon Braga was trying to put his own stamp on Voyager , following the departure of Jeri Taylor.

While Fuller and Taylor would work on Voyager through to the end of the show, with Ronald D. Moore describing how they “were treated very shabbily” by the rest of the staff during his time there, Sagan would depart Voyager after only spending a single season in the writers’ room. Nevertheless, Sagan contributes a number of impressive ideas and engaging episodes to the fifth season as a whole. His first three scripts – In the Flesh , Gravity and Course: Oblivion – are particularly impressive.

The sweet smell of success.

Sagan fondly recalls his work on Voyager , acknowledging that the show itself was a source of affectionate nostalgia for him :

Brannon came to me; he remembered me from Next Generation. It was his first year, all by himself, since Jeri Taylor had retired the previous year so he had the option of bringing in people. He brought in me and he brought in Mike Taylor. No one had ever asked me to do this before, and I had an interesting connection with the Voyager space programme. So I thought, “How cool would it be to go from Voyager to Voyager?”

After all, Sagan’s voice was included in the “golden record” on the real-life Voyager probes . Aside from that, his father had helped to popularise space exploration .

Keeping curfew.

As such, Nick Sagan’s tenure on  Voyager was a homecoming of sorts. The Star Trek franchise had a long and rich history of cross-pollination with the real-life space programme, an expression of the same idealism and curiousity that had led the United States into outer space; Tomorrow is Yesterday famously predicted the moon landing that would arrive mere weeks after the broadcast of Turnabout Intruder , the first space shuttle had been named “Enterprise” , Mae Jemison cameoed on the franchise .

Nick Sagan provides a very strong connection between the Voyager probe and the Voyager show, between the real-life trek to the stars and Star Trek itself. In its own weird way, this fits with the affectionate nostalgia that permeates In the Flesh . In many ways, In the Flesh feels like a connection to the pulpy mid-twentieth century science-fiction, while Sagan provides a very firm connection to the mid-twentieth century race to the stars.

He ain’t heavy. He’s my soon-to-be-exposed Species 8472 infiltrator.

In the Flesh is a little too clumsy and broad to really resonate as one of Voyager ‘s strongest episodes, but it is an endearing genre throwback. If Voyager is heading backwards, then there are worse stops to be made along the way.

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Filed under: Voyager | Tagged: in the flesh , nick sagan , ray walston , species 8472 , star trek , star trek: voyager , voyager |

18 Responses

A strange little episode.

I’ve always wondered that if Species 8472 ultimately turned out to be so reasonable, doesn’t that mean even the show admits Janeway was wrong to save the Borg? Yes they suffered a significant setback in ‘Scorpion, Part 2’ and as you point out they have spent significant time learning about humans… but the fact that they are able to change in a way the Borg (as a collective) seem unable and unwilling to do so does make Janeway’s actions more questionable.

(I think if my first encounter with lifeforms from another dimension were the Borg I think I’d be paranoid to begin with too.)

It’s odd. Janeway strikes a deal with 8472 in a not-dissimilar way as Picard brokering a truce with the Borg.

Of course, even if the Borg were serious about turning good, it wouldn’t take, because they are too profitable.

I think Voyager would have to be a bit more introspective to acknowledge that. It would certainly be an interesting idea, and would be a nice call back to Night. Unfortunately, it’s forgotten almost immediately.

Stockholm syndrome. The story is lame, but visually this is the best Star Trek had looked in a while. Also it’s amazing what a soundtrack can do to elevate an episode. (I also liked the music in Bliss which is otherwise terrible.)

I’ve heard it said here and elsewhere that Voyager is a throwback to early sci fi (or TOS). Vernon and Walston belong to another era of TV, which helps it go down a lot smoother.

“Admiral Alynna Nechayev, Admiral Bill Ross, President Jaresh-Inyo”

Ah, but you’re naming obscure characters. Hey, TNG fetishists! Here’s names you recognize from stuff you like!

Ha! Fair point.

Oh my word, Voyager. In many ways, a criminally underrated series

I’m not sure I’d go so far as to suggest “criminally”, but certainly a little better than its reputation would suggest.

I don’t know if you’ve mentioned this in your reviews, but Starfleet headquarters has a great view of the Golden Gate bridge. Looks great, but in real life there is no land there, just a rocky cliff face. As far as I know, “In the Flesh” is the only Star Trek story to address this. In the exterior shots, the HQ is built on stilts, like a giant dinner plate.

I did not know that. Good spot!

An impressive analysis! I always loved Voyager and felt that the Species 8472 stories were woefully under used. Unfortunately I think they suffered from “How do we make them characters without making them human?” and I think science fiction in general is terrible at answering that question. This is just my opinion of course, but I think having more diverse backgrounds in the writer’s room really makes a difference in how to approach what it means to be a person, to have a culture, and to be alien in another’s eyes and to see others as aliens. I’m particularly reminded of the book Binti by Nnedi Okorafor which has some themes like that. That aside there’s this strong desire especially in Voyager to explore these themes, and what it means to survive….without being as serious as DS9. Its easy to appreciate why, but I really would love if Species 8472 was revisited in order to really push the Federation and a captain as cool as Janeway. They have so much potential.

Yeah, I think the Star Trek franchise really needed more diversity behind the scenes.

The series gets so into these very good and interesting themes sometimes, and I’m hoping the new series isn’t too JJ Abrams and is more DS9. Its sort of ironic though because it feels like, in some ways, the TOS did far more exploring of inhuman aliens than many of the later series despite later series having higher effects budgets

I don’t know. I don’t mind borrowing the visual language of the Abrams films, because television has evolved in terms of technique and technical investment. (Much like TNG borrowed a lot of TMP’s visual language.) But, yeah, a story more in keeping with Deep Space Nine would be greatly appreciated.

Looks like Seven brushed up on her World Wars after the Hirogen commandeered Voyager. I seem to recall she knew nothing about WW II in that episode but sure knows about WW III in this one. 😉

Ha! Nothing like a little motivated learning!

You raise a lot of good questions, Darren. I found this episode to be very incoherent regarding the former encounter with Species 8472 and the events of Scorpion and after that. Voyager did have contact with Starfleet after that – so why should Starfleet not prepare plans? Janeway seemed to have forgotten that or missed to mention it intentionally in the negotiations with Boothby et al.

I can see what it’s doing. And there are interesting parts of it. But it is a bit messy.

I think this episode just re-emphasizes just what a horrific selfish crime Janeway committed by siding with the Borg rather than letting the two super-powers fight it out. It’s a follow up to the very valid accusations of the alien in ‘Hope and Fear’. If anything, 8472 should be peppering Janeway with questions about the Prime Directive and her own selfishness.

I see a lot of imitation of DS9 in this episode, with an attempt to have their own little changeling paranoia moment.

I also see a subtle PG-rated homage to the 1995 film ‘Species’, with the hot alien lizard lady, the insinuation of a hybrid infiltrator.

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Star Trek: Voyager

“In the Flesh”

Air date: 11/4/1998 Written by Nick Sagan Directed by David Livingston

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

"The last 8472 I met tried to dissolve me from the inside out." — Harry in "understandable skepticism mode"

Review Text

Nutshell: Derivative of classic Trek in many ways, but it still manages to work reasonably well.

Fifteen years ago, I might have called "In the Flesh" an allegory on current times. Aired in 1998, however, this episode feels more like a thinly guised contemporary history lesson—a throwback to a recent era more suited for allegory by the TOS style of storytelling.

With its obvious parallels to the Cold War, "In the Flesh" is a TOS episode if I've ever seen one. Given the sociopolitical atmosphere of today, the episode's intentions feel strangely dated. And given how much TOS I've been watching lately, I've taken on a new appreciation for Trek stories that tackle real issues in the context of sci-fi premises—provided they're done well. A subtext usually can't work unless what's on the surface also fares well.

That probably goes double for "In the Flesh," which is all the more dependent upon what the surface story is about, simply because the subtext lacks the immediate relevance it seems to need. It's one thing to talk about the Cold War during the Cold War. It's another thing to talk about it some 10 or so years after it has ended—and even longer since it was at the height of its urgency. It's not commentary anymore; it's retrospect.

Never mind. "In the Flesh" is a workable, though not stellar, Voyager outing that provides a meditation on the theme of mistrust, where neither side can bring itself to trust the other. In this case, it's humanity (or at least the Voyager crew) versus Species 8472, whom the Voyager crew finds manning a Delta Quadrant outpost whose inhabitants have taken human form and have artificially duplicated Starfleet Headquarters down to its last detail to use as some sort of elaborate training facility. They've even duplicated the legendary Boothby (Ray Walston), Starfleet Academy's head groundskeeper ( TNG fans take note).

The episode does a fair job of evoking a sense of mystery; at first I thought Chakotay was on the holodeck or something. As the story continued and it became obvious this was more than the average Trekkian illusion, I was intrigued. When Chakotay and Tuvok are forced to bring one of the alien impostors (Zach Galligan) back to Voyager , the unveiling of that mystery is handled reasonably. Some brief touches of understandable paranoia, like Janeway testing Chakotay to be sure he's the genuine article, help move things along. Doc's method of revealing the man behind the mask, however, feels a little too much like DNA magic.

But never mind again. "In the Flesh" is plot-driven for much of the way, as Chakotay poses as one of the impostors so he can "keep a date" with Commander Relanna Archer (Kate Vernon), a faux human who might offer some insight into the alien plan. Archer is no fool, however—she's on to Chakotay, even though he plays a smart game.

It's nice to see Chakotay in action again, and it's particularly nice to see him in a plot that doesn't turn out to be " Unforgettable , Part II," despite the trailer's attempts to make this show look like an episode where "Chakotay unwittingly falls for 8472 in disguise." Rather, the story displays Chakotay being subtle, smart, and sensible in his choice of words and methods of investigation—which is a refreshing change of pace for a character who, in my opinion, too often doesn't get nearly enough to do.

I honestly don't have much more to say about the plot, because I don't feel the need or desire to recap everything blow by blow. Suffice it to say that the investigation and the conflict that arises when Chakotay is exposed and captured makes for a good view. It's not spectacular or earth-shaking, but it's quietly involving on a plot level.

The episode's latter passages are about the aforementioned theme of mistrust between human and 8472. Janeway wants her first officer returned to her, but the 8472s want to interrogate him. They're convinced Starfleet is planning some sort of strike, so they themselves are planning for the worst. The irony, of course, is that neither side wants war, but neither side can immediately bring itself to invest in trust, either.

Eventually, Janeway hammers out a meeting with the 8472 leaders, where an open dialog can be started. This meeting is dramatically successful, if for no other reason, because of Ray Walston's line delivery and his character's mince-few-words approach to verbal negotiation. I can't remember a character I've seen where Walston didn't play this type of personality, and that's probably because he's good at it. (One might as well use what one's got.) While this is an example of the actor being the center of attention more than the character, I do think Walston manages to capture the fear manifested as anger and distrust that an 8472 might understandably have.

Bringing a more understandable agenda—one based on fear—to 8472 in this episode seems to me like a sensible notion. The overlarge and less-than-interesting threat of "purging our galaxy" is something that can't continue to work outside the confines of " Scorpion ," so moving on to make 8472 a group with whom negotiation is possible was the only alternative if they were to be used again. I'm glad to see "In the Flesh" accomplishes this. On the other hand, one of 8472's appeals was the fact they were so non-human, so different in physical concept, so alien . Now we have 8472s taking human form, chatting with Janeway in such humanistic terms—which is so humanly typical of Star Trek that I almost want to condemn the banality while I praise the idealism.

The mild allegory on the nuclear weapon scare is a little too obvious at times, including one scene where Janeway says: "Somebody has to take their finger off the trigger. It might as well be me." At least she said "trigger" instead of "button."

On the given terms, however, I'd like to point out that Sagan's script missed an opportunity by not addressing the simple issue of what the 8472s call themselves. "Species 8472" is a Borg name, and I tend to think removing that designation might have been a proactive dramatic device toward conveying the peace and understanding that "In the Flesh" so doggedly wants to promote.

Overall, I'm giving "In the Flesh" a guarded recommendation. The show is entertaining by its own merits, and the messages are of classic Star Trek idealism. When you scrutinize, you will see that it's more a rehash of themes that have been visited many times over than it is a fresh take on such material. But ... I suppose there are worse things in the world.

Next week: The Delta Flyer crashes. I guess it had to happen eventually. I just didn't figure it would be so soon...

Previous episode: Extreme Risk Next episode: Once Upon a Time

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Comment Section

112 comments on this post, jakob m. mokoru.

Well, I really liked this episode. Three stars are ok, although I wouldn't have minded a three and a half either! ;-)

"'In the Flesh' is plot-driven for much of the way, as Chakotay poses as one of the impostors so he can "keep a date" with Commander Relanna Archer (Kate Vernon), a faux human who might offer some insight into the alien plan." The character's name is Valerie Archer.

sorry but voyager managed, in this episode, to take possibly the best alien species created and turned them into tree hugging peace loving douches. from laying waste to borg planets to this. i HATED this episode when i first watched it and still hate it now. a 'date' with species 8472...what utter nonsense

Voyager does classic Trek and it worked well. I like this a lot. And in 2010 there's talk of a new Cold War. Everything old is new again.

I agree with BlinD. Species 90210 may have been cool at one point, but they really jumped the shark in this episode.

A fairly interesting episode and it does make me appreciate Voyager as a TOS of the 90s. I think even Janeway cracked a smile in this episode (for the most part up to now this season she just seems to have looked fed up and curtly barked a few orders)

I find it impossible to buy the basic premise here - that Species 8472 has gone to all the effort of recreating Starfleet command in such impeccable detail and disguising themselves and behaving EXACTLY as humans. I didn't believe a word of it. It stretches credibility to breaking point and beyond. Even if we accept that 8472 can make themselves look like humans, I found it impossible to believe they could so easily behave so human (the fact Chakotay even romances one of them was quite cringeworthy). I just didn't buy it! The episode was interesting and intriguing, but I couldn't get over my fundamental lack of belief in the plot. As with many Voyager episodes, I get the impression that Braga and co like to come up with high-concept hooks for their episodes that sound really cool (aliens recreating Starfleet headquarters in a prelude to invading the alpha quadrant!) and then try to flesh them out from there, even when the logic simply doesn't fit.

I don't agree with Icebling, I think that the fact that Species 8472 is so different and that we as viewers know almost nothing about them gives the premise some credibility. One of the few things we know is that Species 8472 are highly intelligent, so it's not unthinkable that a part of their mind can effectively become human - in other words they are extremely good at role-playing. The rest of their psyche might be so alien that it doesn't really translate all too well into our universe, which cuts it off from their new "human side". Communication with the Voyager-Crew is only possible in "human" terms. It is like when one side learned the language of the other perfectly, while the other side remains totally ignorant.

Hard to believe that if some 8472 had trouble holding their human form while alive, that the one they captured could do it even after it died.

Ah, how simple life would be if all military conflicts were caused by misunderstandings and paranoia, and all that was needed to resolve it was for both sides to sit down and talk for five minutes. This is a good episode that could have been a great one if the solution hadn't been as clear-cut at the end, e.g. if some 8472 were still not ready to trust us humans. And I completely agree that we should have found out their real name.

I have to agree with BlinD and Iceblink. The Cold War allegory was all well and good, but I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy this episode. They took the extremely interesting, mysterious, and menacing Species 8472 and effectively neutered them with this story.

I think they would have been better to either leave 8472 alone and not have more stories about them, or to be slow and cautious in their deconstruction of them like they were with the Borg. While I agree with the sentiments of this episode, I have to say I don't find them particularly genuine or convincing here. It's more about goofing around with Chakotay and "look, Starfleet HQ" than it is substance. Archer's change of heart in the conference room was cartoonish. The idea of enriching the species' motivations beyond "you will be purged" to "we are paranoid xenophobes" was a good one, but one episode is not enough to accomplish this, especially when the focus is on other topics so much of the time. 2 stars I think.

Though, I have to admit that Pon Farr night at the Vulcan nightclub sounds like fun.

Yay, Ellen Tigh!!! Great to see Kate Vernon in a pre-BSG role.

As others have said, it was an interesting premise for perhaps another alien species, but made no sense for species 8472. Why couldn't they have been kept truly alien and different than all the other species? And then, if my memory is correct, we never hear from 8472 again in the series. The world the writers are creating has to be logical and consistent even if it is science fiction; otherwise how can they viewer suspend disbelief?

"It's Ponfarr night at the Vulcan nightclub." is still the best and most perplexing sentence ever uttered.

In the bar scene where Valerie and Chakotay meet, after one of the extras "reverts", she discusses how hard it is to be human, and "that's why (she) reads their books." But she was reading a Vulcan book, not a human one. I too was frustrated how Species 8472 was "neutered", as one reviewer above wrote. The episode was well executed and enjoyable despite a major flaw in its concept. If it had been a novel species instead of 8472, it would have been more believable. 2.5 stars

I saw this when it aired..I think I was around 15 years old at the time. The whole idea that those massive inter-dimensional aliens could take a magic hypospray and become human struck me as...dumb. Still does. Voyager has a knack for neutering effective villains that borders on the disturbing. Then there's the contrived plot. So Voyager locates this bio-dome just in the nick of time, huh? How lucky for Earth. I guess species 8472 was just stuntin' with the whole "we will purge your galaxy of life" line.

Another thought..imagine how great Voyager could have been if the Borg loomed as a constant threat. I mean TNG's Borg, not Voyager's Borg. Aside from a few close calls with cubes, the Borg should not have been in the show at all..they should have only lurked in the background as an ever-present potential catastrophe. Sort of like how the Kazon were in the first season.

Looks like Voyager is damned if it does, damned if it doesn't... Let's just accept it then as TOS of the nineties. What was wrong with having a species imitate humans to figure out who we were and understand us? Besides, another shapeshifting alien wouldn't have been incredibly interesting, and it still keeps the Borg on the outside, that is, good humans, good 8472, bad Borg, some credit is deserved for maintaining trek ideals. Plus it was a good use of Boothby and the other admiral, and an insight into us from the outside. Evil aliens is only fun for so long, which is precisely why the Borg lost their edge - you just can't do evil forever.

I am watching the whole series on DVD now and I am almost finished. I had the same feelings for this episode as "BlinD". Why do you turn species 8472 - in my eyes the best invention of VOY - into a bunch of TeleTubbies??? It's so bizarre ..... What a waste! Maybe they were to expensive to visualize ... so they couldn't use them anymore in there "normal" shape - but turning them into this .... a shame!

I thought this episode was very successful! A great demonstration of Star Trek idealism.

I had no idea Kate Vernon, aka Ellen Tigh from BSG, was Valerie Archer here till I read this review! My, how people change. (Then again I didn't realize Magneto and Gandalf were played by the same person in their respective franchises till about a month ago.) Great ep, probably in my top 5 VOY eps. I feel that this ep, along with "Distant Origin", "Living Witness" and "Memorial" are the Voyager episodes which best represent Star Trek idealism. (Irrelevant note: Pon farr night at the Vulcan club sounds fun. ;) ) 4 popcorns.

I have to side with the nay-sayers here. One of my bigger gripes with the franchise is that the aliens too consistently tend to be rather human; Species 8472 was, up to this episode, a welcome exception. They didn't necessarily need to remain as antagonists, but they should have remained inscrutable.

HolographicAndrew

Yeah this was good episode, I just wish they had used some other alien rather than 8472. They were a pretty cool enemy to begin with, why mess with that so soon? And they go so far as to actually make them human in this episode. Other than that pretty good episode, nice performance by Robert Beltran in this one and the previous episode too.

HolographicAndrew, I agree completely. I refer to this episode as the "neuter Species 8472" episode.

As a Voyager fan, this episode absolutely breaks my heart. Aside from the plot itself (which is frankly ludicrous) we are forced to witness an unforgiveable form of creative genocide; an entire species extinguished by a writers brainfart. It highlights one of the biggest flaws of voyager as a whole: the unerring ability to create an exciting, innovative concept for an alien adversary, and then proceed to absolutely *FUPP* it up, in this case catastrophically. Species 8472 had the potential to be one of THE standout aliens not just in Voyagers run, but in all of Trekdom. They were like nothing we had seen before. Unique, sinister, malevolent, creepy and scarily powerful, they had so much potential for development. So naturally the next step is.....to utterly castrate them, by turning them into the Delta Quadrants answer to Barney. I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall during that writers meeting: "I have a cool idea. Lets make one of them into a love interest for Chakotay (i mean, what the actual fupp?!?!?) and we can turn another into that lovable old curmudgeon, Bootheby (I have no words). Then we can all make friends, hold hands and sing Kumbaya together. The end." I genuinely don't know whether to vomit or cry. Whoever was responsible for writing and approving this abomination should be taken outside and beaten to death with their own storyboards.

Whoever wrote this episode was either on drugs or just not very bright. The very idea that Voyager would encounter these aliens from another plane of existence here of all places, and that they would have made an almost perfect reenactment of Starfleet Academy... and... look I'll just stop there. Preposterous doesn't even come CLOSE to covering it. It's REALLY BAD. REALLY SILLY. And it just doesn't work. It's one of the most illogical and ridiculous episodes I have ever seen.

I'd give this episode 3.5 stars, and only because I too didn't care for the magic DNA transformation that revealed 8472. But overall this was a great episode in the theme of classic TOS. And it's once again irritating to see all the commenters who fancy themselves sci-fi writers. @dlpb, please demonstrate to all of us the scripts you've written that have made it on the air. Just one, please. Doesn't even have to be sci-fi, just a TV show script you've written that was successful.

I am not being paid thousands, Shannon. If it were my job to script-write, I would do a much better job than this. However, I have relocalized Final Fantasy VII, which has been downloaded by thousands of people (well over 10,000): www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-05-29-why-would-someone-spend-five-years-retranslating-all-of-final-fantasy-7 I would like to note it did not take 5 years :P It was more like 6 months with huge gaps in between. FF7 has over 150,000 words.

I will say in DLPB's defense that while that is an impressive effort, the vast majority of reviewers for TV, movies, books, etc. are not writers... and we as a society are ok with that. If the only people that liked your episode are other screen writers you are going off the air. I thought the episode had charm and some good acting... but let's be honest here and also say it also had a major retcon, some serious fun with DNA and required suspension of disbelief in the premise. I didn't hate it, but the haters have a point. Seriously.

All fiction requires suspension of disbelief to some degree or other. A good fiction won't challenge it much, if at all. This episode was so preposterous to me that I was being reminded at every turn that fallible writers were at the helm. That's not a good thing for any fiction. Species 8472 was supposed to be a race unlike any we had every seen before. But then they get them creating a Starfleet Academy in the middle of nowhere and morph into humans. It takes an INCREDIBLE leap of faith to take that seriously. I think it's a missed opportunity because 8472 (despite the shoe-horned excuse to be as bad-ass as the Borg) had potential to have a good arc.

Oh so that's you... small world. Well, excellent work DLPB! I saw that article (being a huge FF7 fan myself) and although I think the awful original translation is part of the game's charm, it's great to have this version too. Sometimes we just didn't have the foggiest idea what they were saying!

This is one of those appalling episodes that really stands out in my mind. Technically speaking it's passable - there are far worse episodes from a dramatic and narrative standpoint. The issue is how they cannibalize one of the only original aliens in the series. The premise is ludicrous - a species with the power to blow up planets, that in power terms, could squash the Federation like an insect has gone to the trouble of constructing an elaborate recreation of Starfleet academy? To do what? Infilitrate starfleet? Ummm... why? I get the cold war reference, but such a plot would have been more appropriate for the Romulans. In tone deaf blindness to all context, story and logic, this one ranks up there with that admiral's comment in Insurrection that the Borg and Dominion attacked the Federation because there was "blood in the water". Ugggh. It's almost like the writers didn't even watch Scorpion, or have any concept of who Species 8472 were. On a more positive note, this episode did confirm something I had been saying since Janeway first made her bargain with the Borg in Scorpion - Janeway is basically a war criminal. She not only violated the Prime Directive, she aided and abetted the Borg in defeating one more race. Wow, it turns out you really CAN negotiate with species 8472. It turns out taking sides in an interstellar war based on a 3 second telepathic transmission from a single alien isn't the wisest course. So yeah, Janeway is a monster.

grumpy_otter

I liked this. To me, it wasn't about 8472 for all the reasons detailed above, but it was just a fun premise that I enjoyed watching, not least because of the marvelous Kate Vernon. But I want to comment to point out one possible cool thing--when we first see Boothby at the very beginning of the episode, the flower he plucks is a completely bizarre sort of alien flower. Was that a little clue from the set designer or propmaster?

Plothole: When the 8472s would have carried out their mission and reached Earth, they would have been spotted instantly by the fact that their uniforms are out of date. Starfleet cadets now wear the gray uniform with the colored top, whereas regular officers wear the black uniform with the grey top! If 8472 indeed went to Earth as they claimed and gathered information from Starfleet Command (while believing that information about them would be classified) they would have seen the new grey uniforms. Are they colorblind as a species? With such attention to detail and precision, you'd think jokes like "Pon Farr night at the Vulcan nightclub" would be the extent of their inaccuracies.

Shannon - Fri, Aug 14, 2015 - 12:52pm (USA Central) "And it's once again irritating to see all the commenters who fancy themselves sci-fi writers. @dlpb, please demonstrate to all of us the scripts you've written that have made it on the air. Just one, please. Doesn't even have to be sci-fi, just a TV show script you've written that was successful." Shannon - Wow! So unless something is stamped with the word "official" it doesn't exist? You really do live in a very consciousness reducing world of nothing but official image and absolutely no unofficial substance! As I said to you earlier, it's pretty robotic of you. What matters in life is your substance, not your official paperwork. You don't need external validation or permission to exist. You're probably one of those people who believes your children are "illegitimate" unless mommy and daddy first got some bullshit bureaucratic paperwork from the State (marriage certificate). As Robert pointed out, it's the customers (us) who decide what is or what is not successful or acceptable. We ultimately decide a show's ratings, not the professional writers. They are doing it for us, not themselves. We are their critics and their bosses. I find your comments elitist, autistic, and dehumanizing. Seriously Shannon, give yourself permission to exist without a government stamp on your forehead that reads "approved."

icarus32soar

James, I recommend "vomit" over "cry". I do when they "kiss" cos all I see is a purple leg in disguise.BlinD, I totally agree, I hate this episode for so many reasons, I refuse to start enumerating them. Suffice it to say even the great Ray Walston has some appalling lines, and Valerie Archer is the second most hateful "woman" in ST after Icheb's mother.

Grumpy-otter, the flower Boothby plucks at the start of the epid a very real Earth thing, a Banksia...native to the southern hemisphere, Australia Africa etc.I'm an Australian and I scored a chuckle when I saw it. Just like so many of Neelix's alien fruit and veg are common produce in fresh produce markets.

Sorry the flower is a Protea...similar to Banksia.

nottatrekkie

I am with the haters. First, Janeway did not ally with the Borg briefly in order to get through Borg space. The decision was based on Species 8472's being a very clear threat. Its HATRED of all life in our Universe was based on our form of life being so fundamentally different from that in Fluidic space. The previous installments make one thing clear: 8472 had a deep innate hatred of anything "not themselves" and their desire was to purge any unpure existence. They were utterly malevolent. Janeway agreed to assist in driving them out of our space and back into theirs because they were a direct threat to everyone. Scorpion did not depict the Borg as cuddly during that brief alliance. It portrayed them as a threat carefully balanced on the edge of betrayal. This episode, however, depicted 8472 as the misunderstood teenager that just wanted some Wuv. It was absurd and undermined all writing before it. It made Janeway's decision to assist the Borg against a common foe utterly unnecessary and ludicrous. It was made in complete denial of all that was established about species 8472. Someone above said that Janeway was a 'War Criminal.' She wasn't until "In the flesh" made her into one. ...And Shannon is an idiot.

Diamond Dave

As noted above, mechanically this is a decent enough episode. Interesting premise, bit of cold war paranoia, some very Trek touchy feely stuff about diplomacy triumphing overall, and some decent performances. And yet - I also have considerable sympathy with those who disliked the idea of Species 8472 being neutered in this way. The whole point of them was to make them utterly alien and malevolent - by humanising them and making one the cuddly old Boothby you've drawn the teeth of what I think was a classic villain. This might have worked better with another species. 2.5 stars.

Thanks, icarus32soar, that is very cool about the flower! But I think my point might still be valid since Starfleet is based in San Francisco and somehow an Australian flower is there. 8472 wasn't terribly careful in their horticultural replication and simply used a bunch of earth species without caring where they were from. (Or not realizing)

How does it make sense to give away the only weapon you have against a species who wants to destroy you, in the (unlikely) hope they will listen to Boothby and make peace with you?

Species 666 morphs into species 90210? WTF!? This episode makes me want to vomit - imagine if Chakotay had been morphed into an 8472 - would they have still tried the kissing scene? What a joke - the inability of writers to see things from the alien perspective is so ingrained - they may as well just make every alien species humans with pointy ears, or a flat nose .. or .. oh ok .. they did that already. The probability that any alien species will have empathy (and therefore a conscience) is extremely low. Most aliens will be psychopaths - as soon as Janeway teleports them aboard - gives up the nanobots - bends over and spreads her ass cheeeks - take your pick - the aliens should have rammed it home. Its about time Janeway was seriously punished for her combination of fatal flaws - projecting human ethos onto aliens, self destructive naivete, and narcissism. There are nearly 150 crew who can be dismembered, permanently disabled, or brutally killed in front of her - its time the bodies started piling up as a consequence of her stupid decisions. She is never punished for her stupidity - therefore we can just expect more and more. In a previous episode we are treated to this classic Janeway suicidal decision. "We could abort the super-powered Borg baby who has the ability to self teleport - ah no .. lets see how it turns out." The result is a heart-warming affirmation that actual realistic consequences will never be applied. How dearly I would have loved 8472 to simply transform as soon as they got her alone in the briefing room - tear off Chakotay's head and hand it to her .. "Here you go dear .. add this one to the collection."

This is one of those "the episode is pretty cool, but" episodes. For the love of pete.... they neutered the most fearsome awesome alien species since the Borg. Damn it. They could have just left them on the shelf for a new trek series in the future to bump into. Kate Vernon is one sexy lady.... I believe this was Ray Walston's last appearance on Star Trek. I'll go 2.5 stars.

I tend to agree with T'Paul...

oh, and I think its so fake when janeway starts moaning when she gets the rose ... ooooh ooooh

It was a good episode, great to see some more indepth looks at Starfleet Academy as you barely ever see much of it except the main ground, but the ending is a bit far fetched. Chakotay and the woman share one kiss and recite some quotes and suddenly they're 100% trusting of each other so Boothby just accepts that as "Oh they must be good guys then" and it's all resolved, what would make more sense is if they used the nanoprobes to close the entrance and exit to fluidic space, therefore virtually ending any conflict or war between them permanently rather than relying on verbal agreement.

Ray Walsron was my favorite Martian but never jelled in any way as a Trek character. His acting is terrible. He has ruined every episode he's in.

Very nice. Even Janeway and Chuckitoutkotay were at least watchable here. (***)

I gotta agree with the sentiments here that while in isolation a good "old fashioned" Trek episode, in the context of Species 8472 it was a disaster. After the Borg the Fluidic Space Aliens offered the most compelling and greatest threat to the Star Trek universe. This was a species that WRECKED THE BORG at every engagement. The Borg have been a staple of high-tension stakes and drama for Star Trek through it's run since TNG, and yet when we get a species that out-classes the Borg in the existential threat stakes we hear nothing of them for ages then suddenly a sort of whimpering goodbye in this episode. They are robbed of all real threat for the viewer, humanized quite literally, everyone kisses and hugs and makes up (again for Chakotay, quite literally) and then forgotten. I might even risk saying that it was a concious decision to castrate the species and consign them to Star trek history. A tragic loss of opportunity for further exploration and expansion of Species 8472 in a compelling way.

Holo-imager? Why not call it a camera? Or better yet, why can't tricorders take pictures? I agree with a lot of the sentiments expressed here. That the database extracted from voyager could be used to accurately copy starfleet hq is 1 thing, but that they could use it to learn to act passably human is ludicrous. And 8472 is completely different from when they first appeared, which is a real shame. Those things aside it was still an enjoyable episode. 2.5 stars

all you haters need to just STFU or stop posting. good grief you're sounding like bitter as hell idiotic cry babies

EnglishJack

This episode completely fails when Janeway's 'holier than though' brand of negotiation is not rewarded with instant destruction for the starship and its entire crew. Put yourself in the (rather large) shoes if Species 8472. You have devoted a huge level of costs and resources to a project which will let you infiltrate the territory of a hated enemy. A scouting force from that enemy stumbles upon your plan and the operation is compromised. However, the enemy commander obligingly informs you that they alone possess knowledge of your intentions and (currently) have no means to report back to their own people. That is the point where no sane military commander could pass up an opportunity to seal that kind of potential information leak. Simply killing a small number of enemy personnel offers guaranteed security and immediately restores and validates all the financial and individual investment already stuffed into your project. Letting your enemy go and providing even more information about your weapons and capabilities would virtually be an act of treason against your own people.

This is one of the flat-out best episodes of any Trek. Genuine diplomacy, with Janeway taking her finger off the trigger, signalling the end of a cold war. The tensions between species was extremely well played, the writing was good, Chakotay's bond with the alien woman was romantic and genuine. Far less staid and stodgy than many Trek episodes, well paced and extremely interesting.

I can understand a possible reasoning for this episode being that by introducing an alien species that is worse than the Borg, they've diminished the Borg and just created "yet another really bad guy". I suppose also continuing with a CG race would have been costly. However on first watch it really was very frustrating as species 8472 was finally a truly alien non-humanoid species and something to fear, then suddenly they've been humanised, turns out they're not so bad after all and they all end up having a hug. Hated it because of that. Re-watched and still find it frustrating. It wouldn't be so bad if they were developed further as a species infiltrating the Federation and other worlds. Though is derivative. In actual story and delivery, it worked well until the happy ending. That and the frustration of ruining a good alien wrecks the episode. Could have been a 4 star, more like 1.

so much impotent rage from commenters at a make-believe show not reflecting and validating their world view...

I really enjoyed this episode, but only for entertainment reasons. I can't say I agreed with the show "neutering" 8472 as Justin pointed out, and the concept of them being just as scared of us as we are of them was a bit...old. And why did they give them the nanoprobe technology? Isn't that kind of a bad idea? Anyways, the old guy made me laugh a lot, and I really liked watching Chakotay going under cover. 3.5 stars

Startrekwatcher

Meh 2 stars. Wrong aliens for the story. Would face been better tweaked focusing on Founders on DS9

Kim: "I've always wondered what it would be like to date an alien." Hasn't he already? Twice, IIRC.

Prince of Space

Oh wow... it’s going on 2 years since “John” schooled “Shannon” up there about not being so robotic... so elitist... so requiring things to be “official.” What a maverick, what a free-thinker! One can just sense that John takes 15 items to the “12 Items Or Less” line at the grocery store and dares anyone to contradict his intrinsic worth by counting them. Even after almost 2 years, I still get goosebumps reading his comment. As for this episode, it’s damn silly all the way around. Completely and totally silly. But still an enjoyable hour, so what are ya gonna do? Life just isn’t fair, cause this episode *should* be better and yet it isn’t. But it’s still entertaining. Grrrrrr

I tend to agree with the consensus that this is entertaining but goofy, shallow, and stupid. I guess I'm willing to put up with a certain amount of goofy/shallow/stupid depending on what the episode presents to counterbalance it, but the ep just seems ill-conceived. I don't really mind revealing that 8472 are not purely malevolent and that a peaceful solution is possible; "your galaxy will be purged" as an extreme defensive posture in light of the Borg's aggressive attack makes sense. But the draw of 8472 was how alien they were, and this episode jettisons that for a chance to see some more (pre-First Contact) Starfleet costumes and some of the Starfleet HQ set. I guess the idea is maybe that 8472 learned to be nice by being in Federation bodies for a while, sort of in the style of the way the aliens are corrupted/saved by becoming flesh in By Any Other Name, but that sort of goes counter to the fundamental "they think humans and other Feds are out to get them" narrative, anyway, and so the result doesn't hold together. The only real thought I had about what this story *could* be doing is that it's a bit of a take-off on the Founders material on DS9, and imagining whether it would be possible to use diplomacy on another race of shapeshifters set on infiltration/domination, but even if this one-episode ultra-light take on the Homefront problem were a good idea, why make it 8472? The Cold War stuff just doesn't feel credible in the way something like TNG's The Enemy did -- an episode from which this episode borrows both the "we'll disarm first" solution and the idea of the captain asking a crew member to give their "blood" (nanoprobes in Seven's case), though the implications of Janeway maybe ordering Seven to give up her own nanoprobes from her bloodstream are not examined. Chakotay is the lead for most of the episode, but his relationship with Archer doesn't seem *that* consequential in the negotiations as compared to Janeway's own material, so the amount of time taking up on the Chakotay/Archer stuff doesn't quite seem worth it, despite Vernon's fun performance with some proto-Ellen Tigh snarking and boozing. The ending is especially weird if you stop to think about it. 8472 seem to believe that the Federation is a big enough threat to them that they must plan an elaborate subterfuge, not exactly their style. They don't believe Janeway that the Federation doesn't have weapons that could take them out. And so, when Janeway offers to turn over *her own ship's* weapons, they just accept that, even though the whole point is surely that if Janeway's lying, her drop-in-the-bucket weapons would have no real significance. And then Janeway shrugs off "Boothby's" prevaricating "well, we'll see, I'll put in a good word for not destroying Earth" and speeds on her way, not seeming particularly worried about the threat -- probably because the 8472's just look human and so not that scary. Whatever. The spy stuff early on, which takes up the bulk of the episode, is mostly fun and well executed, if shallow, as I said, and I don't mind the Classic Trekkian messaging, just that it's not handled with that much grace, and the ending is especially unsatisfying. 2 stars maybe?

I found it slightly interesting but i always felt like they wrapped it up too quickly and gave up on species 8472 too easily.

Where did 8472 get all of this information? They never say. Let's say they did get ahold of a starfleet database somehow. That would in no way let them act totally human. It's ludicrous. They are an alien species from not only another part of the galaxy, but from another dimension. How would they have the slightest idea what it means to be human? Whatever. How do phasers fire nanoprobes anyway? Why would Janeway give away the knowledge of our only real defense against these still largely unknown aliens, who threatened to wipe out our entire galaxy? Our ultimate weapon in exchange for some dna tech, and info about generators and environmental controls? Because she is the worst captain ever, that's why. There's lots more to bitch about, but I can't stand to think about it. An implausible idiotic episode. Zero stars.

I'm going to bump my rating up for this one. I just watched the next episode and had forgotten what a true zero star episode was like. So 1 star for this episode.

I Hate Janeway

1. Enjoyable episode, Robert Beltran did a good job with it, I think he's a good actor held back by Chakotay being given a boring personality. 2. Demonstrates how EVIL Janeway was in Scorpion. The Borg are the greatest threat to the entire galaxy, and when you discover they are at war with another species, you DON'T HELP THE BORG. The Borg will never return any favors to humans whom they will try to assimilate again in the future, but we see that Janeway made another dangerous enemy for mankind by taking sides. This is also, I think, the first episode showing Seven being wrong and the captain being right. (Although by being right here, it's an admission that she was horribly wrong in Scorpion.)

Betty Taylor

I am watching this episode and now after all these years I find it stupid. The writers could not find a descent subject to write about that week so they come up with BOOTHBY the mindless gardener to be in charge of STARFLEET!!!! Ugh! This just shows the great warriors 8472 are boobs! They stole the info to begin with yet cannot figure out that gardeners do not run the military. Possibly, that is why the Borg were able to infiltrate 8472 space to begin with! The Boothby actor was one of my favorites when I was growing up but when they put him in Star Trek I felt sorry for him as he was like I am now, on his last legs. Actually, I stopped caring for him in MY FAVORITE MARTIAN because he took on that hateful and snide manner he used in as Boothby. I hate this episode and the regular cast except for Seven were idiots.

SouthofNorth

An episode that manages to be pedantic, sermonizing, smug, pretentious and boring within 50 minutes of running time. 1 star. FF Rating: Watch the stuff at the beginning which is kind of fun and then FF over all of the ridiculous romance scenes. In fact just keep that FF button pressed until it's mercifully over.

Elliot Wilson

This episode is mostly above average and very good, but... the basic premise just doesn't work. Species 8472 came into the show wanting to purge the galaxy of all life. This episode wants to make peace with them. That's actually a good idea that could potentially safeguard the Federation for centuries to come. But they completely fumbled the ball. That would be like presenting the Nazis or the Soviets as they are in a work of fiction, and then at the end, have them be just misunderstood. Purging the galaxy of life is a serious thing to do. If it were me, I'd have this episode be about 8472 learning that other races in the galaxy are nothing like the Borg. That's a concept that really would have worked, realizing, "Gosh, you really aren't an expansionist, imperialistic power wanting to wipe us out and absorbing us into your collective like the Borg, you're really good people." They just didn't do that. One of the reasons Voyager really wastes its potential. This idea had promise, like everything else on Voyager. They just didn't make good use of it. But I still enjoy this episode for what it is. Boothby is always a delight. XD

You don’t seem to cover the massive plot hole. How did species 8472 produce such an exact copy of Starfleet?

All the people complaining that 8472 has been turned from evil to “90210” forget that a) the perception of 8472 has changed already since we now know they didn’t start the war and they are not some great evil as we saw in Prey (S4) b) this an allegory on the Cold War during which Russians were being depicted by the US as a cold-hearted, evil empire (google Ronald Reagan’s speech), when in fact they aren’t. As for the inconsistencies of the Earth replication, of course it will have errors, since 8472 have incomplete information about starfleet they are bound to have made mistakes. It’s a way for the writers to show that spying your enemy from afar is bound to create misconceptions (which is accurate)

Amusing. Nice to see the Star Fleet Academy. Chakotay has such a way about him. It's no wonder Valerie wanted to try a kiss. I never really cared about species 8472, so it didn't bother me that they were neutered. It was preachier than Voyager normally gets, but fully in the Trek tradition.

Sean Hagins

This was one of my favourite episodes from the latter half of the series when I saw it way back in the '90s, and still is! Not only are the BIG BAD aliens actually not as evil as they seem, it shows how hatred can spring from misunderstanding. Think of the context, Species 8472 were minding their own business when the Borg attacked! I can easily see why they think the non-fluidic universe should be "perged" as the one told Kes. But you can see that they weren't just mindless killers in the episode with the Hirogen. The 8472 they were hunting just wanted to go home. I think a peaceful resolution is a better story than all-out war, unlike other commenters here

I like the ideas behind this episode but it's just seems too much of a stretch given what we know of Species 8472. One can understand their fear of the Federation after "Scorpion" but the whole bit of recreating Star Fleet and humans etc. seems like an overly elaborate way of preparing to destroy the Federation. I guess in a way it is somewhat like the Dominion planting shapeshifters among Star Fleet officers, but for 8472 to establish several bases in the DQ to master being human and then travel 60K light years to attack Earth seems a stretch to me. We know 8472 as being extremely powerful with all kinds of telepathic abilities etc. But they were 1-dimensional and VOY wanted to give them another dimension, so here we are. But this was an interesting episode -- good use of Chakotay here although it was very confusing at first. Was he in a holodeck or something in the opener? And how did the 8472 get such detailed info on the Federation anyway -- this should really concern Janeway. Her gambit is unrealistic to me, and this is supposed to be another bit of education for 7, who admits if she had her way, it would be all-out war. But at least Voyager knows 8472 still fear the Borg nano-probe weapons. Good to have Boothby as a reliable guest character -- that helps the episode a fair bit. I guess the negotiations and diffusion of paranoia is handled well -- it's just the whole premise that is shaky, for me. But the tried-and-true Trek ideals of coming to a peaceful and mutually beneficial understanding between 2 very different species is somewhat sensibly portrayed here. There was enough tension as both Voyager and the 8472 were prepared to fight. And there was enough tension with Chakotay on his date. Definitely an episode that holds the interest and I'm glad it didn't descend into the usual action sequences. One line cracked me up -- when one of the 8472 said "pon farr night at the Vulcan night club" -- Anyhow, the weakness of the episode is the lack of credibility of the 8472's plan to impersonate Star Fleet to such a degree from like 60,000 light years away. 2.5 stars for "In the Flesh" -- decent, interesting episode but one that strains credibility even for VOY. For me, the 8472 episodes have been among VOY's best ("Scorpion" and "Prey") but here it's not really the 8472 and it destroys what mythos they had when they can morph into humans exactly and recreate Earth etc. But there are some worthy scenes with Chakotay and Boothby and of course the standoff and a nice, happy ending in TOS style.

Jonah Falcon

I loved this episode because of Ray Walston. Oh, and because of Ray Walston. Could have used more Ray Walston.

"Anyhow, the weakness of the episode is the lack of credibility of the 8472's plan to impersonate Star Fleet to such a degree from like 60,000 light years away." The Dominion Changelings wave hello.

Chrome’s Voyager Alt

“‘Anyhow, the weakness of the episode is the lack of credibility of the 8472's plan to impersonate Star Fleet to such a degree from like 60,000 light years away.’ The Dominion Changelings wave hello.” Of course The Dominion had a stable wormhole so, yeah.

@ Chrome’s Voyager Alt "Of course The Dominion had a stable wormhole so, yeah." For what we know about fluidic space, it might just be a simple as setting a point and entering our space. It might be like a mobile borg transwarp hub. Distance might be irrelevant.

Right, we don’t know what fluid space is and is easy to conclude the writers themselves don’t know. The wormhole on the hand, is very well established over multiple episodes including the pilot. So the Dominion comparison is invalid and Rahul’s criticism is fair.

@ Chrome "So the Dominion comparison is invalid and Rahul’s criticism is fair." So what's wrong with species 8472 practicing in the Delta Quadrant? They are telepathic, so they could gain the necessary info from their contact with the Voyager crew and any Borg they linked with. The Borg had federation/Earth knowledge. Remember, we (Federation) had an incredibly powerful weapon against them. One in which they had no defense... seems like a plausible angle for them to take.

Yanks, it’s a matter of details. You may remember TNG’s “Future Imperfect” where machines could read Riker’s mind and create a “future” for him but it was riddled with holes, as would seem likely from simulating something the simulators know nothing first-hand about. Nor am I being unfair to Voyager, as I made the same criticism about TOS’ “Patterns of Force” copying Nazism. However, I think even Patterns makes more sense as they had someone from Earth with historical expertise who should understand and be familiar with the Nazis.

I don't know that anyone is being unfair to anything. What I'm saying is that it's more than plausible for species 8472 to do this using the information they had, albeit patchy and incomplete.

The episode itself gives no details but Janeway theorizes that they may have stolen info from the Borg. Maybe I’m missing something here, but the episode’s premise sounds like it’s built on quicksand.

"Remember, we (Federation) had an incredibly powerful weapon against them. One in which they had no defense... seems like a plausible angle for them to take." I beg to differ, extremely. Let's recap what we learned from Scorpion. These were the guys who could one shot a Borg cube - that would be the same type of ship that could take on a Federation *armada* single handedly - with a ship the size of a runabout. Oh yeah and they could string together 9 of their little runabout ships for a makeshift death star / planet killer. And they were shown to have hundreds if not thousands of these ships. Do the math. That's what? 100+ makeshift planet killers? So yes, 8472 had no "defence" against the nanoprobe weapon except -uhhh using their hundreds of *death stars* to blow up the Federation in about 6 minutes? What's offensive about this episode is that it completely negates what we saw in Scorpion. It is a massive retcon of a species that had only been shown once or twice before. In other words, classic Voyager writing. Because yes, species 8472 could turn Earth into chunky rocks and probably blow up the sun while they're at it just for kicks, but Janeway defeated the Borg with coffee. Never underestimate the power of coffee.

Jason, Your first point is really moot. I (Federation) have the knowledge and technology necessary to "open a rift" (or whatever they called it) into fluidic space. While the ships linking together is impressive, I'm prepared to conduct random genocide in your backyard... my resources are limitless and my resolve is absolute. .. as a matter of point, we have currently manufactured and stationed in excess of 1 million warheads (the big ones) ready to deploy.... I do agree with you (see my comments above) about this episode and species 8472. They neutered a GREAT villain... better than the Borg in my view.

To all the folks that claimed Species 8472 have been "neutered" and that no alien race would be empathetic, your response is so very human, albeit, American human. As I continue my journey through Voyager from beginning to end, this episode has been one of the best.

"It's pon farr night at the Vulcan nightclub." Wow. Just wow. I wonder what that's like.

Awful, misguided episode. The fact it neuters the 8472 isn't even the main thing wrong here - it's just really poor drama; insipid, pious and nonsensical. It's bad, but not in the ways that Voyager is more typically bad. Several of the dialog scenes are horrendous, then there's the issue of Walston's performance. Just a really ill-thought-out script that should have been either a) nixed at concept stage, or b) once it did make it into the draft phase, needed a hell of a lot more work.

This episode is rubbish. 8472 donning human skins, talking in idiomatic English, spouting dialogue like 'You can't trust them! Theyre seducing you!' Everyone wrapping up genocidal conflicts while strolling between the meeting room and the bridge.... These are beings from another type of spacetime. We get all their complexity piped through the character actor awshucks rhetoric of a cameo. Rubbish.

Spock's Ears

"In The Flesh" the fake Boothby (Species 8472) meets Chakotay in the garden opening scene. Chakotay asks him who he is ?... "Boothby's the name, been here for 54 years" ..... (WHO DOESN'T KNOW BOOTHBY??!?) *54 YEARS DUDE!!!* FIFFFTEE-FOUURRR Years!! ... (Chakotay should have been busted as a spy, right then and there! ) Let's see if I got this straight: 1.Chakotay arrives unannounced, 2.no one knows him, 3.he's got a camera, and 4. He doesn't recognize the head dude, who has been there longer, than the statues! Come on!!!

This wasn’t bad, but they cut to the chase way too soon. There was way more story available with 8472.

LOL, Spock's Ears, fair point. I enjoyed the episode, but you guys have convinced me of its many flaws.

This is one of not-too-many episodes that stayed etched in my mind all these years since I first saw Voyager two-plus decades ago. I loved the Starfleet Academy recreation and the entire premiss of the show. What I really, truly loathed, and well rehashed by previous commenters, is the ludicrous denouement. Sit down with your sworn adversary and love-bomb them with some wry and witty repartee for five minutes, and presto, you're 9/10 of the way to lasting peace. If only someone would tell the Israelis and Palestinians... Hummus, not Hamas! Oy gevalt! Not only is the idea that bitter, bloody conflicts are just misunderstandings and suspicion absurd, but this episode managed to emasculate and eviscerate species 4872. That was a really cool race, with many potential story arcs calling for immersive and entertaining sci-fi action... - but now they, too, have joined the kumbaya Oprah collective. I guess the big bad polluters, the Malon, are now the closest to anything approaching a worthy opponent we'll have. Cosmic warming? Delta climate change? Who on Voyager is going to take the mantle of St. Greta? Ugh.

I find it interesting that Jammers, writing in the 90s and at the height of the so-called Pax Americana, viewed this episode as a historical retrospective on MAD and the Cold War. Viewing this episode in 2020, and arising from my left-leaning, non-interventionist views on foreign policy, I can't help but note how prescient I find this episode's overall moral message to be. I suppose living in an America that has been at war for nearly 20+ years in the same region (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc.) can offer a new perspective on an episode that preaches understanding and building trust with foreign "adversaries". Perhaps the MAD parallel is a bit outdated, but I think the idea that you have two powers at a standoff is a timeless one. I mean, in 2020, you can see varying degrees of standoff between the United States and a number of countries and organizations including the Taliban, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. All situations, to one degree or another, can find some parallel with this episode. I just have one minor gripe. I find it somewhat gag worthy how much Star Trek, in general, hyper-focuses on the importance of Earth. Beyond the fact that the Federation is home to hundreds of alien species who all have their own home planets, a large number of the humans wouldn't be nearly as fond as Earth as, say, Janeway or Kim are. They would have grown up on starships or far off colonies. It may just be me, but I find it odd that Voyager's mission of returning home is almost always couched in the language of "we're returning to Earth" rather than "we're returning to the Federation".

@MikeyZ I don't really think this episode is comparable to the Israel-Palestine situation. The "conflict" between Voyager and Species 8472 is barely a year old. There's no lingering animosity that stems from decades of active conflict and failed peace negotiations. The current situation is more surface-level in its level of mistrust between the two sides. That, I think, makes it much easier for diplomatic relations and peace negotiations to get started. Its more like military-type suspicion and caution of the other side's capabilities and goals rather than a deeper cultural type of mistrust that is taught to children in schools and everyday life. @Spock's Ears I did find that to be strange. Chakotay served in Starfleet for some time. He probably should have known who Boothby was. On a side-note, I always find it funny listening to Tom give 20th century examples to 24th century problems. It just makes me think of some colonel in the Situation Room bringing up how the French invaded northern Italy in the 1500s when discussing some strain between French and Italian troops serving in Afghanistan on the NATO mission.

Too bad species 8472 is such an inappropriate subject for this allegory. The cold war was between two equal superpowers. The Federation is an insect compared to 8472.

I can't bear this episode. I can't get over the perfect recreation of Star Fleet HQ and the pitch perfect 8472 posing as humans.

An obvious question that Janeway didn’t ask - where did 8472 get their intelligence? The answer to that could have been so interesting. How did they know who Boothby was and know so many exact details? Missed a trick there. Next up - wherever they got their information from, it was out of date. Those uniforms were wrong. Bugged me.

I agree with Jammer. It's good to see Chakotay as the focus, and that they gave him a real issue to solve instead of the one dimensional Native American theme he gets shoehorned into all too often. He reminded me of Kirk or Riker with his romantic diplomacy skills. I understand the criticism that a great enemy was neutralized and agree that it needed to be done more gradually. Other enemies in the Trek universe took great efforts to find peace with the Federation over many years, as opposed to Chakotay breaking down barriers on a single date. It begs the question: does Star Trek need to have black and white "bad guys"? Was this species pure evil? After all, it attacked the Borg, which was a terrible threat to many species. I liked that we got to hear their side of the story, and that common ground was found with a seemingly irrational enemy. I love battles just as much as anyone else (I loved DS9), but battles can also be fought at the negotiation table.

One of the things that 8472 got wrong was the number of Ferangi star fleet officers. I saw at least 3 of them when in reality Nog was the first and only Ferangi to join star fleet.

It struck me when re-watching this episode that it also came rather soon after the somewhat similar Changeling infiltrators on Earth arc of DS9. A couple of years by broadcast dates, according to Memory Alpha. Apparently the original pitch didn't have any of the political and military infiltration and shape-shifting - 8472 were instead to have been shown to have been the basis of various legends of demons and mythological monsters om Earth. That would have made the episode even more TOS-like.

This is a good episode. I loved the concept of them working in an Earth-like training ground. I thought it was well handled. They get to the traditional Trek point in this one, but avoided long over the top preachy monologues, I always appreciate the more subtle approach, as opposed to the frying pan Trek so often hits us over the head with.

I liked the episode overall, and it's executed well enough for 3 stars. It makes sense that Species 8472 is terrified of the Federation and Walston sells the hell out of his role. Kate Vernon is quite convincing as well. Voyager's own terror at discovering the simulation and instantly realizing the implications was great. But I agree, Species 8472 was "humanized" way too soon. Very alien aliens that held lots of potential. This could have been longer... and did Voyager ever learn how 8472 got such detailed information about Earth such that they could reproduce Starfleet HQ down to the personal of the gardener?

Also, I'm old enough to remember the Cold War and remember thinking when this first aired that it was quite cringey when Tom pointed out the Soviets used to make fake towns. Super on the nose. At least his love of the (rough) time period had previously been established. Janeway's comment about finger on the trigger was way too on the nose, especially since the situation really wasn't that much like the Cold War. But all these years later, those statements barely register.

It's too bad there was never any follow up with species 8472 after this episode. "I hope we can give this process alive" said Janeway... as we never even hear the name 8472 mentioned again. Yet another aspect of the series that had no follow through, just a Great Reset plot device. The reason why follow up would've been helpful was because Boothby said he would take news to his superiors but that he couldn't "promise the Moon'". That suggests the risk was never fully put to rest, it was just on hold. I really wanted to hear an explanation about how 8472 was able to recreate Starfleet HQ in such great detail even though they had never been to Earth. There was a vague reference to "obviously they got ahold of a database", but that's not enough. Even a couple of lines of dialogue could've resolved it and made it more believable. Although I loved the classic Trek approach to the conference room conversation, I found the immediate de-escalation a little difficult to believe, particularly where Voyager first shows up and everyone is armed to the teeth. The last encounter with 8472 was ruthless and cold, "Your galaxy will be purged." There was no reasoning with them, they were bent on destruction. The only thing the viewer can assume from "In the Flesh" is that 8472 in human form gave them a more agreeable disposition. I also wonder why their plan was reconnaissance and infiltration of Starfleet instead of just randomly showing up with a bunch of bioships and doing a planet-busting surprise attack on Earth. All in all, I liked this episode and gave it 3/4 stars. I just wish we got some follow up.

Planet of Hats

I barely remembered this episode, but what jumped out at me the most about it was my feeling that the show is repeating its mistakes here. With the Borg, Star Trek had an inscrutable, implacable enemy that felt truly alien and terrifying - an aura that progressively decayed as the showrunners anchored them to human-feeling faces like the Borg Queen. Species 8472 should by all rights be even less comprehensible and even more terrifying: They're an extragalactic species whose spatial plane functions on fluid-based physics seemingly entirely unrelated to how real space works. This episode just treats them like any other species by literally slapping human faces on them, thereby robbing them of their aura of mystery and menace. The entire premise of the episode falls apart from there, starting from this one: Why does a species that lives in another dimension decide the best way to deal with the Federation is to create a facsimile of Starfleet Academy in our universe, coincidentally on Voyager's course? This is a species that we last saw dealing with a perceived menace by obliterating entire planets. Surely the amount of effort involved in setting up this convoluted shapeshifting gimmick is infinitely smaller than sending a couple dozen bioships over and renovating Earth into an asteroid belt. If that's how they deal with the Borg, why the complete attitude change with respect to the Federation? It just makes no sense.

Unlike many episodes here as I do a rewatch (after several years) I remember this episode very well. It is probably my all-time favourite Voyager episode (or at least its way of there). I like the peaceful resolution between Voyager and Species 8472. It also shows that fear and misunderstanding led to the way both sides were ready to fight. While I don't like shows with grey areas usually, 8472 isn't an "evil" race, and unlike say the hive Borg, they aren't about conquest and/or destruction.

@Planet of Hats It makes sense to me how 8472 acted since they obviously learned about Federation culture. If they studied various races, they can see that the Borg literally are nothing but a colony bent on absorbing all they encounter and making them join them. The Federation stuff they copied shows them as using art, and peaceful means of exploration. Perhaps this was so different than what they expected that they decided to study it

@Eric S Good catch there!

I was sure I’d find unanimous guffawing at this episode and yet so many like it. Others above already pointed out most of the things that made my eyes roll out of my head. I don’t have a problem with 8472 being reasonable and persuadable. They don’t have to be evil; it follows from “Prey” that they aren’t. But after Prey continued to build up the mysteriously advanced and intelligent vibe, 8472 now turns out to be completely understandable by humans — and it’s the HUMANS who lead THEM into higher diplomatic, nonconfrontational planes. Doesn’t this go against everything Trek? Isn’t the idea that as species advance, they get better at solving problems without conflict? Shouldn’t this episode have been about 8472 tutoring Janeway & Co, rather than the other way around? Which brings me to: About 1/3 thru, I anticipated the moral dilemma here was going to be Janeway again doubting herself (continuing a theme from Night) because if she hadn’t teamed up with the Borg to battle 8472, then 8472 wouldn’t have decided to target Earth. I could see some existential angsting over how her decisions from a year ago were now about to cause an intergalactic war (and maybe some more of Chakotay pointing out that she did what she thought was right at the time and captains can’t anticipate every outcome or they’d be frozen). But then the episode sashayed right past that into kumbaya.

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Star Trek: Voyager • Season 5

S5 E4: In The Flesh

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46M NOV 04, 1998 TV-PG

S5 E4: The crew of Voyager discover a simulation of Starfleet Headquarters being run by Species 8472.

Starring: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips

Full Episodes

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Scorpion (episode)

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Title, story, and script
• 3.2 Cast and characters
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Effects
• 3.5.1 Holographic Leonardo da Vinci
• 3.6 Reception
• 3.7 Home video releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Special guest star
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 Stunt double
• 4.6 Stand-ins
• 4.7 References
• 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Resistance is not futile

In a region of space , two Borg cubes advance on their next intended targets for assimilation . Their hail is cut off abruptly as energy beams lash out at the cubes, which are instantly destroyed.

Act One [ ]

On one of the USS Voyager 's holodecks , Captain Kathryn Janeway is running a Leonardo da Vinci holo-program , conversing with a Leonardo hologram in a simulation of the historical figure's workshop. As Janeway convinces the hologram to take her on as a student, she receives an urgent hail from Commander Chakotay , who urges her to go to engineering to take a look at something.

There, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres explains that the long-range probe they sent out months ago has stopped transmitting. However, she was able to catch the last few seconds of telemetry, which show a Borg drone 's face staring into the viewscreen . Janeway quickly realizes the implication: after nearly three years in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager is finally approaching Borg space.

Chakotay demonstrates a diagram of the Northwest Passage

Janeway immediately calls a meeting of the senior staff and explains that it is unknown how many Borg vessels are out there but that their space appears to be vast, including thousands of star systems . Voyager is no doubt entering the heart of Borg territory and, unfortunately, there seems to be no way around it. However, there might be a way through it. Chakotay explains that, before the probe was disabled, it detected a narrow corridor of space devoid of Borg activity – which members of the crew nicknamed "the Northwest Passage ". Navigating through it, however, may prove complicated, as the passage is filled with intense gravimetric distortions , probably caused by a string of quantum singularities . The crew are left with no choice, though, but to go through the passage.

All over the ship, preparations are finalized. In engineering, the warp drive is checked, yet again. Tuvok goes through weapons checks with his security officers . Chakotay and Kim review planned tactical options in case the Borg invade the ship.

One of Kes' premonitions

While The Doctor and Kes examine the Borg drone corpse the crew discovered three months earlier looking for possible ways to protect the crew from being assimilated. The Doctor has found that the Borg assimilate by injecting the victim with nanoprobes which quickly take over the bloodstream and suggests a defense which would involve fighting against the infection before it can spread. Kes suddenly experiences a vivid vision of dismembered Borg drone corpses, piled up on one another. She has no idea what this means but it disturbs her greatly. She experiences these and other frightening visions for the next two hours; visions of dead drones and Voyager 's destruction haunt her mind. Tuvok, who is Kes' mentor in honing her telepathic abilities, is informed of this development. While he discusses Kes' predicament with Janeway and Chakotay on the bridge , the ship begins to tremble. Kim reports that long-range sensors detect transwarp signatures 5.8 light-years away closing from behind. Before they know it, fifteen Borg vessels are rapidly closing on them from 2.1 light-years away. Subspace turbulence forces Voyager out of warp.

Fifteen cubes bear down on Voyager

Much to everyone's surprise, the enormous vessels do not attack, merely racing past Voyager . One cube slows and scans the ship, then speeds up to rejoin the others. The subspace turbulence affecting Voyager dissipates. The crew is at a loss to explain their unusually good fortune.

Act Two [ ]

Kim confirms there's no damage, and systems are coming back online. Janeway orders the ship to resume course while she reviews the Starfleet database for data on previous Borg encounters. Chakotay interrupts her later to inform her the passage is still clear then, seeing she hasn't eaten, offers to eat with her. She declines, then explains she has been seeking useful information on the Borg from the logs of other Starfleet commanders but has gotten nothing. Although she knew when Voyager first started its journey back to the Alpha Quadrant they would eventually hit Borg territory and everyone has tried to prepare themselves for the challenge, she asks about what happens if the danger is too large; do they press on or retreat to friendly territory, permanently abandoning the journey home. Chatokay gently assures her that he and everyone else will support her and that she is not alone. Janeway says that she cannot imagine a day without him – though just three years ago, she didn't even know his name. While they are talking, Tuvok hails her to the bridge.

There, he and Kim report that the Borg cubes have suddenly stopped 5.2 light years away, for an undetermined reason. Janeway orders Paris to take Voyager to the coordinates of the dormant Borg ships at warp 2. The crew then finds that every one of the fifteen cubes has been destroyed – with only a few life signs remaining. Tuvok detects two residual weapons' signatures in the debris: one Borg and the other of unknown origin. Astonished, Paris asks the question that everyone else is wondering: who could bring such devastation to the Borg?

Act Three [ ]

" Who could do this to the Borg? "

The idea of someone more powerful than the Borg seems rather incredible. Kim thinks they might have found an ally but Chakotay warns not to jump to conclusions. While scanning the vicinity for other vessels, the bridge officers detect a biomass attached to one of the Borg ships. They confirm that it is organic but do not receive a response when they send out a standard greeting. They try to beam it away from the ship, but cannot get a lock on it and a tractor beam also doesn't seem to have an effect. They realize that whatever is attached to the Borg cube is impervious to their technology. Janeway orders Chakotay to lead an away team to the cube to take a short-range scan of this biomass.

Voyager discovers a peculiar vessel

The vessel "docked" to the remnant of a Borg cube

Tuvok and Kim join Chakotay on the away team and beam aboard the cube. As they look around, they find nothing but dead drones scattered amid the wreckage. As they move on, they find a pile of dismembered Borg corpses reminiscent of the visions Kes had earlier. They continue forward to the object and find that it has created a gaping hole in the cube's hull and fused onto it. Interestingly, there is a Borg unsuccessfully continuing to attempt to assimilate it. Scans reveal it to be an organic-based vessel with high concentration of antimatter particles, possibly a warp core . Chakotay and Tuvok board the ship to investigate while Kim accesses a Borg distribution node to download their tactical database.

The dead, infected drone

In Voyager 's sickbay , Kes is carrying a tray when she is suddenly overwhelmed by visions of Kim screaming in abject agony. She collapses, frantically warning that the away team is in grave danger and that they need to leave the cube immediately.

On the Borg ship, Kim calls the other two officers to his position, as he has detected something that is biological in the vicinity but does not appear to be Borg. Just then, Janeway hails and tells them to prepare for immediate return to Voyager . The unknown life form suddenly tears through a wall of the cube, entering a corridor where the away team is. Immediately, it attacks nearby drones, swiping them before turning to Kim and attacking him. Kim collapses, screaming in excruciating pain, just as he had in Kes' vision. The creature moves to finish him but, just then, the away team is beamed back aboard Voyager .

Voyager spirals up of control

On the bridge, Paris reports that the alien ship is detaching and powering up, apparently readying to fire a weapon. Kes, who is also on the bridge, experiences another vision of the pilot on that bio-ship communicating with her. Janeway orders Paris to take them out of the area at maximum warp. As Voyager moves away, the bio-ship fires, not landing a direct hit but Voyager loses control. Paris is able to jump to warp speed, and the bio-ship does not give chase. An alarm-stricken Kes tells Janeway that it is not the Borg that they should be worried about but this new species. Kes informs the captain that the creature told her, " The weak will perish. "

Act Four [ ]

Kim is being ravaged by the alien's attack

As Janeway enters sickbay, she is horrified to view Harry Kim's condition. The Doctor tells her that the alien cells are consuming his body from the inside out, while he is conscious. He shows her the scan of the alien cells which contain more than a hundred times the DNA of a Human cell. It would take him years to decipher it. The Doctor is unable to sedate Harry as anything that penetrates this species' cell-membrane – biological, chemical or technological – is instantly destroyed. Janeway realizes that this is probably why the Borg cannot assimilate the species. The Doctor, however, believes that Borg technology holds the key to saving Kim, as he hopes to unleash an army of modified Borg nanoprobes into Kim's bloodstream , designed to target and eradicate the infection. He has successfully managed to dissect a nanoprobe, access its recoding mechanism and reprogram the probe to emit the same electrochemical signature as the alien cells. That way, the probe can do its work without being detected. The Doctor is not certain he will be able to modify enough nanoprobes in time to save Harry.

The Doctor presents his solution to the Captain

On the bridge, Tuvok and Torres show Chakotay a part of the tactical data Kim retrieved from the cube. According to it, the aliens – designated by the Borg as Species 8472 – have engaged the Borg twelve times in the last five months and, each time, the Borg have been defeated swiftly. The bridge officers also finally determine that Species 8472 comes from the Northwest Passage – which would explain why it is a region devoid of Borg activity. While discussing this, Tuvok detects 133 bio-ships coming from a quantum singularity. A grim-faced Janeway watches the visual as it shows hundreds of the aliens' ships streaming forth from quantum singularities in the Northwest Passage.

Kes notifies the captain that the aliens have been communicating with her further. Their new messages are even more frightening than the first; she feels malevolence and cold hatred. Kes says that what they are doing is carrying out an invasion and that they intend to destroy everything. Voyager is taken 5 light-years away at maximum warp to wait.

Chakotay and Janeway discuss their next move. The Northwest Passage is no longer an option as a route through Borg space. Now, the choice is between facing the Borg in their space or staying behind and giving up hope of ever returning home. Chakotay reminds Janeway that just because they're turning around doesn't mean they won't find another way home, but Janeway still can't bring herself to tell the crew they're remaining in the Delta Quadrant and is desperate for another choice between permanent isolation or almost certain death. She decides to get some sleep and see how she feels with a clear head, as she hasn't slept for 2 days.

Janeway however can't bring herself to rest and heads to the da Vinci holodeck simulation, the decision she must make weighs heavily on her mind. She tells Leonardo her problem (as a metaphor) and he suggests she journey with him to church and make an appeal to God. This suddenly gives Janeway an idea… she could do a deal with the "devil".

Act Five [ ]

In the briefing room, Janeway outlines her plan: an alliance with the Borg , against their new enemy. Voyager 's crew will offer the Borg a way to defeat their enemy and, in return, the Borg will grant them safe passage through their space. Janeway references The Doctor's findings regarding the nanoprobes, which she believes can be used as a biological weapon against Species 8472. The officers are incredulous at her suggestion of teaming up with such an entity. Janeway is adamant that her stratagem will work, however. She has The Doctor save all of the research regarding the nanoprobes in his holomatrix . She also explains that, if the Borg threaten Voyager in any way, the crew will simply erase The Doctor's program.

After everyone else leaves, Chakotay – who has remained rather quiet throughout the meeting – tells Janeway that he believes that what she proposes is far too dangerous. Illustrating his reasoning by citing a parable of the scorpion that allowed itself to die rather than overcome its deadly nature, he argues that her plan is a huge mistake, as she is underestimating the true evil of the Borg. He explains that no amount of diplomacy, reasoning and incentive-providing will ever change what the Borg are. They have no guarantee that the Borg will actually keep their hands off them after they acquire the information. He also wonders how much Voyager 's safety is ultimately worth, that Janeway is willing to give advantage to a species guilty of murdering billions; they would essentially be giving the Borg the means to assimilate yet another species, just to get themselves home. But Janeway is convinced that they will be able to keep the Borg at bay with the bargaining chip they have. She furthermore believes that helping to assimilate Species 8472 might actually not be such a bad idea, given the malevolence they have expressed towards the entire galaxy. Chakotay, however, remains steadfast in his objection to her plan accusing her of being so blinded by her desire to go home that she is closing herself to all other options. Janeway asks him to trust her, firmly stating that the time for debate is over as she has made her decision. Chakotay reluctantly agrees that, as her first officer, he will comply with her orders but makes it clear she does not have his support. With misty eyes, Janeway says she guesses that she is alone after all. She dismisses him sadly but her resolve is unshaken.

Voyager arrives at an assimilated system. Several Borg cubes are in the area, and one of them seizes the ship in a tractor beam. Janeway notifies the Collective that she has tactical information about Species 8472. She offers to negotiate for it but the Collective refuses. Janeway has Torres transmit (to the cubes) a sample of the research, showing the 8472 cells being destroyed by the Borg nanoprobes. The captain declares that this is a sample of the data and threatens to destroy it, if the Collective does not listen to what she has to say. There is a long pause. She again offers to negotiate but, as she speaks, she is transported to the cube, finding herself on a catwalk spanning the vessel's vast interior.

Janeway negotiates with the Collective

The Collective instructs her to state her demands. She states that there is only one demand: safe passage through Borg space in exchange for the data. Once her ship is past Borg territory, she will give them their research. The Collective does not accept because their space is vast and her passage would take too long. They demand the technology immediately. Janeway refuses because if she gives the data to them right away, they would assimilate Voyager . The Collective explains that Species 8472 has to be stopped and the Collective's survival is Voyager 's survival. Janeway then comes up with a plan: they would collaborate – as Voyager traverses Borg space – in order to craft a bio-weapon using the data. She is in the middle of outlining this plan when the cube is violently shaken.

Voyager and the cube escape the planet, but only just

On Voyager 's bridge, Tuvok informs Chakotay that a quantum singularity has opened 20,000 kilometers away and that more bio-ships are coming through. The cube's shields are weakening but not enough to beam Janeway back to Voyager . Nine bio-ships converge in a star pattern and head toward the assimilated planet . They destroy the planet and all the Borg cubes in the vicinity, except for the one holding Janeway and Voyager . The remaining cube hurtles away at high warp, just ahead of the explosion, with Voyager still held firmly in its tractor beam.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Memorable quotes [ ]

" We are the Borg. Existence as you know it is over. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is fu… "

" Better to ride the rapids than face the Hive. "

" Think good thoughts. "

" In their collective state, the Borg are utterly without mercy, driven by one will alone: the will to conquer. They are beyond redemption, beyond reason. "

" It is my opinion that the Borg are as close to pure evil as any race we've ever encountered. "

" It's nothing to be ashamed about, echoing the greats. Ensign Hickman in astrophysics does a passable Janeway." " If we manage to survive the next few days, I'm going to have a chat with Ensign Hickman. Imitating the captain – surely that violates some kind of Starfleet protocol."

"Three years ago, I didn't even know your name. Today I can't imagine a day without you. "

" We might have just found our ticket through Borg space: an ally. " " Let's not jump to conclusions. "

" A skeletal lock, huh? We'll have to add that one to the transporter manual. "

" The weak will perish! "

" They have an extraordinary immune response. Anything that penetrates the cell membrane, chemical, biological, technological, it's all instantly destroyed. That's why the Borg can't assimilate them. " " Resistance in this case is far from futile. "

" Fight it, Harry! That's an order! "

" There are times, Caterina, when I find myself transfixed by a shadow on the wall, or the splashing of water against a stone. I stare at it, the hours pass, the world around me drops away… replaced by worlds being created and destroyed by my imagination. "

" There's a path before me… the only way home. And on either side, mortal enemies bent on destroying each other. If I attempt to pass through them… I'll be destroyed as well. But if I turn around… that would end all hope of ever getting home. "

" What if I made an appeal… to the Devil? "

" The Borg aren't exactly known for their diplomacy. Can we really expect them to cooperate with us? " " Normally, the answer would be no, but if what I've learned from the aliens is true, the Borg are losing this conflict. "

" There's a story I heard as a child, a parable, and I never forgot it. A scorpion was walking along the bank of a river, wondering how to get to the other side. Suddenly, he saw a fox. He asked the fox to take him on his back across the river. The fox said 'No. If I do that, you'll sting me and I'll drown.' The scorpion assured him, 'If I did that, we'd both drown.' So, the fox thought about it, and finally agreed. So, the scorpion climbed up on his back, and the fox began to swim, but halfway across the river, the scorpion stung him. As the poison filled his veins, the fox turned to the scorpion and said, 'Why did you do that? Now you'll drown too.' 'I couldn't help it,' said the scorpion, 'it's my nature'. "

" We'd be giving an advantage to a race guilty of murdering billions. We'd be helping the Borg assimilate yet another species just to get ourselves back home. It's wrong! "

Background information [ ]

Title, story, and script [ ].

• "Scorpion" takes its name from the parable Chakotay shares with Janeway after briefing the crew on her plan to form a temporary alliance with the Borg. The parable is most commonly known as The Scorpion and the Frog , but for unknown reasons Chakotay's version substitutes a fox for the frog. The Italian dub keeps the frog in the story.
• Even before it was firmly decided that the Borg would reappear in Star Trek: Voyager (as the series' team of writer-producers were considering if they should, following the defeat of the Borg and their queen in the film Star Trek: First Contact ), Brannon Braga had come up with one of the story points of this episode. He noted, " I think it would be cool if the USS Voyager came upon a Borg graveyard, and basically, they're all dead. Obviously, somehow they'll come back to life. I just think it's a cool setting, and it's an interesting pay off to the movie. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 24 , p. 37) Evidently, however, the cause of the destruction thereafter changed from being the Borg's defeat in First Contact to Species 8472.
• This installment was not the first choice for the finale of Star Trek: Voyager 's third season , a fact that even CGI Effects Director Ron Thornton became aware of (despite his purview being quite different from that of Voyager 's writing staff). ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 37) Originally, " Year of Hell " was planned to be Voyager 's third season finale but, with the choice made to shake up the cast in Season 4 , this episode was the result. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 34 , p. 12; Delta Quadrant , p. 207) This episode also replaced an undeveloped story idea that featured biomimetic lifeforms , doppelgängers of the Voyager crew, arriving at Earth to much enthusiastic furore before then causing havoc on the planet; although Joe Menosky and Brannon Braga started to collaborate on scripting that plot, dissatisfaction with the writing of the teleplay resulted in the writing duo instead turning their attentions to the "Scorpion" project. The same aliens who appeared in the unfinished script ultimately featured in Season 4's " Demon " and the fifth season installment " Course: Oblivion ". ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 31, No. 11, p. 49)
• Brannon Braga's initial idea for this episode was originally influenced by two then-recent Borg-related Star Trek productions: the film Star Trek: First Contact (which Braga himself had co-written) and the earlier third season Voyager installment " Unity ". Braga recalled, " Late one night I was sitting in front of the TV and I saw a promotion for Voyager on the air on UPN . I saw an image of a Borg corpse from the show we were doing, 'Unity'. It struck me then and there that First Contact had come and gone. It was time to deliver the Borg in a big way, at which point we threw out the cliffhanger we were working on at that time, and came up with 'Scorpion I' and 'II'. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 75) Years later, however, Braga hesitantly recounted that the moment of inspiration had come when he " was sitting at home, late one night, and I was watching a video tape of one of our episodes; it had a Borg mummy in it or something. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season 4", VOY Season 4 DVD ) Regardless of how exactly he saw footage from "Unity" at the time he had the thought for this episode, he clarified, " All we had planned for the Borg was that 'Unity' episode […] I thought, we can't just do 'Unity'. It's not enough. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 75)
• Voyager co-creator and Executive Producer Jeri Taylor credited Brannon Braga, who Taylor considered to be a highly inventive writer generally, with the idea for Species 8472. ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• Although the concept of a Borg graveyard had unsuccessfully been considered for "Unity", the reason – according to Brannon Braga – that the idea was included in this episode was "not because we were dying to do a Borg graveyard." Braga further explained, " It's kind of an image that we had held over, but it fits into the events of the story perfectly. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 17)
• The sequence wherein multiple Borg cubes pass by Voyager was part of an attempt, made by Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky, to feature memorable, large-scale images in the two-parters that were included (at least partly, as in the case of the "Scorpion" two-parter) in Star Trek: Voyager 's fourth season. Menosky explained, " We made a conscious effort to put back [in] amazing images that are memorable, and that the character stuff works in and around, things like from 'Scorpion Part I', little Voyager with 15 Borg cubes blasting by. I loved looking at that […] A big part of this is not just visual effects but images. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 75)
• A starship battle in Borg subspace tunnels was temporarily considered for inclusion in this episode. The idea was discussed before being dismissed. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 7) Similarly, the idea of having the Borg use quantum slipstream drive was also contemplated. " We were going to have the Borg ships raising slipstreams and have big fights in those slipstreams, " Brannon Braga reflected, " But we had too many ideas for that episode and some just didn't make it. " ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 42)
• The holographic Leonardo da Vinci was added to the story at the request of Janeway actress Kate Mulgrew . Although she twice (on separate occasions) referred to the idea as having been her own, Mulgrew also indicated a lesser degree of personal involvement in the character's conception by saying, " I helped come up with the idea. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 46 , p. 26; Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 23; The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 33) Leonardo actor John Rhys-Davies offered, " The whole thing was Kate's baby and she had done a lot of research into it. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 58 , p. 40) Mulgrew's inspiration for the character was that it would give Janeway someone creative to confide in. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 4; The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , pp. 33-34) Concerning exactly how she made her contribution to this character concept, Mulgrew offered, " I think it was Brannon Braga who asked, 'Where did art most notoriously meet science in history?' And I said, 'With Leonardo da Vinci.' He said, 'Exactly.' " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 34)
• During the scripting process, the members of Species 8472 were at one point described as being fourteen feet tall. The script, while being written, was very vague about most of the aliens' other details. Concept artist Steve Burg recounted, " It just said, 'A great beast of some sort blasts through the wall, kills two of the Borg and hits Harry, knocking him out.' " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 28)
• The final draft of this episode's script was submitted on 26 February 1997 . This document refers to Species 8472 as being at least ten feet tall and wearing an alien breathing apparatus aboard the Borg cube. [1]

Cast and characters [ ]

• Kate Mulgrew liked many aspects of this episode, citing it as one of her eight favorite installments of Star Trek: Voyager 's third season. For example, Mulgrew was highly proud of having come up with the idea of a holographic Leonardo da Vinci. " For me, 'Scorpion' introduced another element of Janeway that I loved, " Mulgrew explained, " and that was Leonardo da Vinci. " The actress went on to state that, because she had assisted with the conceptual development of the Leonardo hologram, she was "very pleased." ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , pp. 32 & 33) Mulgrew not only thought that the character concept was "a really good idea" but also believed the holographic program "makes sense." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 23) Additionally, the actress was delighted by how this episode initiates the bond between her character of Janeway and the Leonardo hologram. " They begin an extraordinary relationship on the holodeck, " Mulgrew enthused. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 4)
• Without auditioning for the role of the holographic Leonardo da Vinci, John Rhys-Davies was offered the part by Star Trek: Voyager 's producers. Having been a long-term Star Trek fan, he was delighted to accept the offer. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 58 , p. 38) Kate Mulgrew enjoyed working on this episode with the actor. Shortly following the completion of her work on the episode, Mulgrew stated, " John Rhys-Davies is just perfect for it. We had a very good time working together. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 34)
• Both Kate Mulgrew and Joe Menosky noticed that, by this point in the third season, the character of Janeway and the persona of the actress playing her were seeming to gravitate more towards one another and that this development appeared to be benefiting the portrayal of the Starfleet captain. Menosky commented, " In 'Scorpion Part I' [Janeway] was becoming a little more risk taking, and edgy, and frankly, a little bit more like Kate Mulgrew. I've always said, even Jeri Taylor used to always say, 'if Captain Janeway were only more like Kate, we would have a much better captain on our hands.' For whatever reason, our writing and Kate's kind of freewheeling personality seemed to come together a bit more, at the end of the [third] season. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 86) Mulgrew herself remarked that, particularly "towards the end of the season," she made some "very important breakthroughs" with becoming "much more relaxed and more allied with Janeway". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 23)
• Jeri Taylor was impressed by the acting, in this episode, of both Kate Mulgrew and Chakotay actor Robert Beltran . " Weren't they good? " Taylor rhetorically asked. " I felt that the actors more than rose to the occasion. They really liked the idea of that conflict [between Janeway and Chakotay] and how it would test their friendship, and they really poured themselves into it. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 113)
• Kim actor Garrett Wang liked how this episode introduced a new, villainous alien species. He observed, " All of a sudden, now you have an enemy which is even more… fearful than the Borg, an enemy that can single-handedly take out the Borg. 'Who could that be?!', you know? Up 'til that point, I mean, the Borg was the end-all, be-all of enemies, you know? Nobody could defeat – and then, now, you've got, 'Who are these guys?!', you know? […] So that episode, to me, was… I loved it because it introduced, you know, a 'new villain.' The sci-fi fan in me really enjoyed working on that episode, for that. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• Garrett Wang was less pleased, however, about having to play the out-of-action Kim. " I mean, I wasn't too happy that, most of the episode, I was on a bio-bed with green goop on my face, " Wang remarked, before loudly echoing of the writers (wearing a big grin on his face), " 'Who else but Kim needs to be tortured in the bio-bed?', you know? No one else, just Kim. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• This episode marks the final appearance of Jennifer Lien ( Kes ) as a regular cast member.

Production [ ]

• The makeup appliances for the holographic Leonardo da Vinci, as created for this episode, consisted of a beard, mustache and eyebrows as well as a nose that was styled in much the same way as Leonardo's was. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 169)
• Director David Livingston appreciated the fact that, for this episode, Species 8472 was scripted to appear for merely a few brief moments, giving only fleeting glimpses of the species. " It was kind of played a little bit like Alien , " Livingston remarked, " where you don't really get a huge look at it, which, to me, is always the best way to portray these things. If you look at them too long and too closely, they start to fall apart a bit. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• According to the unauthorized reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 188), the Borg costumes in this episode were reused from Star Trek: First Contact , as were "much of the Borg's furnishings."
• After Garrett Wang portrayed a reaction to seeing the approach of the massed Borg cubes that fly by Voyager , his fellow actors jokingly mimicked him. Wang commented, " I notice onscreen on my sensors that all these Borg cubes are coming upon us, but they don't even stop for us […] And my lines are like, 'Captain, I'm reading one – no, three – no, five – no, seven Borg cubes.' And the way I said it, I said, 'Capt-taiiiin…' " Wang laughed. He then continued, " I really extended out the 'Captain.' So from then on, [Robert] Beltran and [Robert Duncan] McNeill would always go, 'Cap-taiiiin…' " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 106 , p. 40)
• Visual Effects Producer Dan Curry acted as second unit director on this installment. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96) As such, he was involved in the directing of the scene wherein an away team from Voyager passes the pile of Borg corpses aboard a Borg cube. The heap of deceased drones was not an on-set element, however. Recalling the filming of the scene, Curry said, " The actors knew where to look, on stage, so they would walk around and say, 'Okay, it's up there.' " ("Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• Visual Effects Supervisor Ronald B. Moore worked on the filming of the scene in which a member of Species 8472 bursts into a corridor, attacks Kim and then hurries away. Ron Thornton enthused of this scene, " Ron Moore and the live-action guys did such a great job of shooting the live action that it had a massive amount of drama–the wall suddenly blows out, so we could make the creature come in. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 38)
• Performing the scene wherein Janeway speaks with the Borg Collective while aboard one of the Borg cubes represented a scary challenge for Kate Mulgrew, who consequently had to do several takes of the scene. To aid her performance, Mulgrew imagined she was in an extremely contained space, surrounded by hordes of serial killers. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 4; The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 33) This footage was filmed by Dan Curry's second unit team. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96) " They put you on the stage with just a blue screen behind you, and they say, 'This is the Borg hive. You are surrounded by them. You can go four inches this way. You can go two inches this way, and forward no more than an inch and a half, " Mulgrew told an audience at the Pasadena Grand Slam Convention on Friday 21 March 1997 , " and meanwhile you play the three-page scene, and you are jeopardizing not only yourself, but the assimilation of your entire species […] I played the scene with so much quiet that I scared myself! " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 4)

Effects [ ]

• Although Visual Effects Supervisor Ron Moore usually used a mixture of effects methods, the visual effects of this episode were virtually all CGI. This method of effects was costly but a saving of finances enabled the profuse usage of CGI here; Jeri Taylor noted that, for this episode, the production crew of Star Trek: Voyager had "some extra money saved so we [could] go all out." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 31 , pp. 27 & 13) Both David Livingston and Senior Supervising Visual Effects Animator Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz appreciated the fact that this episode allowed for more digital effects than usual. " [It] really, really pushed the envelope, " noted Lebowitz. " It had an incredible amount of complicated effects work, stuff that would have probably been prohibitively expensive to have done with miniatures. That might have been one of the first shows where you can really say that without CGI they couldn't have done it. It was really a compliment that they even wrote an episode like that. I think it showed that they were finally having some confidence in the work that was being done, and they decided to really push it. I was really happy that they were finally writing episodes knowing that this stuff can be done more effectively now. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 58 , p. 44) In agreement, Livingston noted, " That was fun, because we got to deal with CGI figures. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• The effects in this episode (in particular, the creation of Species 8472) were influenced by the success of effects in the earlier third season episode " Macrocosm ", particularly the computer-generated design of the macrovirus . ("Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)
• Despite this episode's script being sparse on details regarding Species 8472, the episode's visual effects artists were able to glean some information about the aliens from their involvement in the story. Dan Curry noted, " We had a script for a very vicious alien creature that had to be so powerful and so fearsome that it was able to chop up and destroy the Borg. " The aliens were then designed – for their debut appearance in this episode – by Curry, Steve Burg and CGI animator John Teska . ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features)
• Meanwhile, Adam Lebowitz worked on the CGI Species 8472 bio-ships , the Borg cubes and Voyager . Ron Moore and coordinator Cheryl Gluckstern devised the two different forms of energy beam that the bio-ships' weapons fire: the style that is emitted from the single bio-ship that Voyager initially comes across, and the more concentrated blast that is fired by the formation of bio-ships. Recalling the creation of the latter style of blast, Moore said, " I wanted to do something that was a little bit different than Star Wars ' Death Star. I thought it was more interesting if they could share the strength of each and then create this monster beam. " The beams were visualized by Greg Rainoff at Digital Magic , using Harry animation. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 95)
• The teaser of this episode involved a lot of work for CGI supplier Foundation Imaging . Ron Thornton explained, " We originally built the Borg Cube for an earlier episode [i.e. 'Unity'], but we really had to trick it out for this one, because in the first few seconds, two Borg Cubes are blown up, so we had to create a lot of pieces for each explosion. " Using a studio model and motion-control photography rather than CGI would have made the sequence somewhat easier and less time-consuming, as Foundation would not have had to deal with the painstaking task of crafting the explosions. ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 38)
• During the creation of the sequence wherein Voyager is passed by an armada of Borg cubes, the visual effects team were not entirely certain how big to make the effect. " Initially when we did that shot, " Ron Moore recalled, " we thought it was a little bit over-the-top. The idea is that these Borg cubes are really, really big, and whatever drive they're using is throwing out some kind of electromagnetic field that's kicking the Voyager around. So we did a second softer version, and we looked at it and looked at it, and finally the decision was made to go back to the original. It's a lot more fun. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96) Visualizing this sequence with such traditional effects methods as a model and motion-control photography would have been problematic. " The mount would have given us a problem, " Ron Moore explained. " We could have done a side mount, maybe, but it would have been a lot more subtle. " In other words, what the effects team veered away from, when it came time to create the sequence. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, pp. 95-96)

Ronald B. Moore and Paul Hill work on this episode in the edit bay at Digital Magic

• The green-tinged polaron beam that is utilized by one of the Borg cubes to scan Voyager 's bridge was actually rendered CGI by Digital Magic. Ron Moore said of this effect, " The thing that was important to me was that it would look like it was dimensional, when the light would hit the face, and then you'd see it in the background. We played with it in the edit bay. A lot of times with CGI this works out better, because there's a lot of freedom in the edit bay. Something like the scanning beam works until you make it too heavy, and you can't see through it. It's very subtle. With Paul Hill in the edit bay, we laid down one of the passes bright, another one with a little green in it, and we plugged in the flat fan-like surface as it went across. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96)

The pile of Borg action figures

• The pile of dismembered Borg seen on the disabled cube was actually a twelve-inch pile of Playmates Toys action figures. Dan Curry recalled, " We didn't have the budget or the time to create full-scale body chunks, because of the cost and time it would take to do that. So, I asked our licensing department for a bunch of Borg toy action figures […] And kudos to the person who sculpted those toys, because the detail – especially the facial detail – was so good that I was able to take the toy action figures, cut them up with a Dremel cutting tool, and then I stacked them up with hot glue and shot them at home against a little blue screen cove. " To complete the scene in which the away team members from Voyager pass the pile of corpses, the live-action footage that Dan Curry had already shot of the actors was composited together with the Borg drone models. Curry remarked, " By compositing the stack of action figures, it looked very real. And the toy faces were sculpted so well that I was able to do close-ups on a [tiny] head, […] filling the TV screen with them, and they looked very good. Of course, it was in kind of a smoky environment, but um… So, the toys served us well and saved the production company lots of money. " ("Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects", VOY Season 3 DVD special features) Ron Moore commented, " That was something we all knew immediately was perfect for Dan […] He really had a lot of fun painting it, showing it to everybody. He'd come in and tell us, 'It's real disgusting now,' and he had a big smile on. It was great. We used it in a couple of shots, one with our crew, and one without. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96)
• While Chakotay, Tuvok, and Harry Kim are exploring a Borg cube, they encounter a Borg drone repeatedly trying, unsuccessfully, to assimilate the Species 8472 bio-ship attached to the cube. For a single shot in this scene, Industrial Light & Magic assisted with the inclusion of some Borg assimilation tubules that extend from the drone's fingers. Ron Moore stated, " Since ILM had done the tubules for the last feature, First Contact , [Producer] Peter Lauritson set it up so that they would go ahead and give us those tubules again for the show. We added the electricity. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96)
• The look of the Species 8472 infection that can be seen on both the infected Borg corpse and Harry Kim, while he is also stricken with the condition, was created by Greg Rainoff using Harry animation. " The idea was that they wanted to show that even though the Borg was dead, whatever these aliens had done to him was still at work, " Ron Moore revealed. " Later when we see Kim in sickbay, it's the same thing. If you look closely, you'll see that these veins are growing bigger and leaning just a little bit. We wanted to tie those two [effects] together. Greg on the [Harry] actually painted them on. He would paint one vein a little longer, then do an effect to reveal it so it looked like it was growing. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96)

An enhanced photograph (showing the Orion Nebula ) that was used for this episode

• To depict a red nebula near the Borg colony world that is destroyed by a formation of bio-ships in the episode's conclusion, an image of the Orion Nebula – captured by the Hubble Space Telescope – was modified and composited together with the effects footage. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 31 , p. 29)
• Although Foundation Imaging worked extensively on this episode, the company had no input on the interior Borg cube matte shot in the episode's final scene. [2] (X) The shot used recycled footage from Star Trek: First Contact . Ron Moore remembered, " We picked some pieces out of the Borg collective that was used in the feature [film] […] We took certain frames and had them re-rendered, or re-shot by Illusion Arts so we'd have nice clean frames. All of them in the feature were moving, so they had a little bit of a [motion] blur to them. So we picked frames, had them give them to us clean without the blur, then Dan went in and painted the bridge. " Subsequently, Janeway was super-imposed into the shot, using the second-unit footage that Dan Curry had taken of actress Kate Mulgrew. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96)
• The creation of the CGI for this episode took a total of about six weeks. [3] (X)
• Jeri Taylor and Voyager 's other producers were extremely satisfied with the visual effects of this episode. Shortly after working on Voyager 's third season, Jeri Taylor said of this installment, " That was one of our experiments with computer-generated graphics. We're more and more happy with the kinds of things we're able to get with CGI, and fortunately for a price we can afford. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 113) The visual effects artists themselves were pleased with their work on this episode. Ron Moore noted, " We were very proud of it. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96)

Continuity and trivia [ ]

• This episode references Star Trek episodes from both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Janeway mentions Q and his act of introducing the Enterprise to the Borg, as depicted in TNG : " Q Who ", and the Battle of Wolf 359, as depicted in DS9 : " Emissary ".
• This episode has one of the shortest teasers in Star Trek , at just under twenty seconds and with only a single (unfinished) line of dialogue spoken by the Borg.
• This is the last of three episodes of Voyager 's third season to feature the Borg; other than "Unity", their third season appearances also include the final scene of " Blood Fever ". As noted in the script of this episode, the Borg body parts here came from "the Borg corpse last seen in 'Unity,' which has been dissected." Another link between those two episodes is that Brannon Braga intended for the revelation, in this episode, that Species 8472 was overpowering the Borg to account for the condition of a disabled Borg cube that Voyager comes across in "Unity". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 17)
• This episode marks the third time in Star Trek that an end-of-season cliffhanger story revolved around the Borg, the previous occasions being TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds " and TNG : " Descent ". Coincidentally, the former of those two episodes was at the end of TNG's third season , just as this episode is at the end of Voyager 's third season.
• In TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ", that series' hero ship, the USS Enterprise -D , comes across a fleet of destroyed and damaged Starfleet ships, having been decimated by the Borg (at the Battle of Wolf 359 , which is referenced in this episode). Likewise, in this episode, the series' hero ship, Voyager , comes across a fleet of destroyed and damaged Borg ships, having been decimated by Species 8472. While the former scene is commonly referred to as the "graveyard scene," the script of this episode refers to the site of the latter scene as a "cemetery of decimated ships" and "a graveyard of debris".
• The assimilation tubules that appear in this episode previously appeared in Star Trek: First Contact . In fact, the script of this episode notes that the tubules were "seen in 'First Contact,' when the N.D. was stabbed in the neck". In an audio commentary for that film, recorded by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore , Braga comments, " A lot of stuff we established in here involving tubules, and maybe even nanoprobes , we would go on to use a lot in Voyager because the Borg became a big part of that show. " This episode was, however, the first episode to establish the concept of Borg nanoprobes, nanotechnology having been briefly referenced in the Borg-related episodes "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" (in particular, nanites ) and " Descent, Part II " (specifically, nano-cortical fibers ).
• This episode marks the beginning of a development of tension in the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay that culminates in the latter character considering mutiny in the season 6 premiere, " Equinox, Part II ". Kate Mulgrew was thankful for the introduction of this tension, describing it as "a very good thing to have." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 22) Shortly after completing her work on this episode, the actress commented, " There's some real heat between them, especially after the events of 'Scorpion, Part I'. It will take some time before Janeway and Chakotay can re-establish the kind of intimacy and trust they had. In the meantime, though, the tension will give the relationship a wonderful new dynamic. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 32)
• After being introduced in this episode, Species 8472 appeared in both Seasons 4 and 5 . Their fourth season appearances are the concluding part of this episode's two-parter and " Prey ", whereas their Season 5 appearances are " In the Flesh " and (in a holophoto ) " Someone to Watch Over Me ".
• When Janeway references Captain Amasov in this episode, it is an in-joke reference to Isaac Asimov , famous 20th century science-fiction writer, cybernetics supporter, and friend of Gene Roddenberry .

Holographic Leonardo da Vinci [ ]

• The holographic Leonardo da Vinci, following his debut appearance here, featured in the fourth season episode " Concerning Flight ". The holographic recreation of his workshop appears not only in that episode but also in the Season 4 installments " The Raven ", " Scientific Method ", and " The Omega Directive ".
• The robot that the holographic Leonardo is working on, in this episode, is based on a real work that Leonardo created. Although the final drawings of the robot are lost (if they ever existed), preliminary sketches have been input into computer simulations that confirm that the sketches were indeed meant to be of a mechanical man. While the sketches were known of, it was not until the 1950s that a professor from the University of California realized what they were meant to be. (For more information, see Leonardo's robot at Wikipedia or Lodestar's Lair .)
• Janeway points out to Leonardo: " Someone once said… all invention is but an extension of the body of man… " This "someone" is Marshall McLuhan , popular for his studies in media theory. One of his theses is that all media are just extensions of our Human bodies; for example, a radio is an extension of the ear and binoculars are an extension of our eyes. This theory directly relates to the character of the Borg.
• A few words of Italian are spoken on the holodeck. The term " Esatto " (meaning "exactly") is used twice: first by Leonardo da Vinci, upon confirming for Janeway that all he received in return for painting the Cardinal's nephew was the Cardinal's gratitude, and secondly by Janeway, when Leonardo responds to her suggestion of gliding like a hawk rather than flapping like a sparrow. In an example of Italian profanity , he finally swears, " Che cazzo! " (literally translated as " What the fuck! "), when his Arm of Hephaestus snaps a cog. The episode's script does not specify the translations of these terms, but does indicate to the reader that Leonardo's expletive is "cursing". Additionally, Leonardo addresses Kathryn Janeway using the Italian version of her first name, "Caterina".

Reception [ ]

• During her appearance at the 1997 Grand Slam Convention, Kate Mulgrew declared this episode would be "shocking, unpredictable, mesmerizing, and terrifying." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 4) She also said of this installment, " It is going to be a marvelous episode. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 16)
• However, Kate Mulgrew was admittedly unsure, initially, how the two-part "Scorpion" story line would be resolved. " Frankly, I don't know what's going to happen, " she confessed, at the 1997 convention. " I don't know how they are going to rectify this cliffhanger. It's pretty scary. " A particular aspect that Mulgrew was uncertain would return was the character of Leonardo da Vinci, though the actress hoped he would have "longevity and tenure on the series." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 4) Mulgrew also wished that the Leonardo hologram would return in the fourth season and that there would be another occasion where Janeway's adoption of "knowledge and psychological tools" from Leonardo would be shown. ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 34)
• Brannon Braga was ultimately very pleased with this episode. " I think it's just classic Star Trek," he enthused, shortly prior to the episode's initial airing. " It's a show with a lot of action, a great new alien race, and lots of Borg, but it's also got a real moral dilemma in it. " Braga continued by wordily explaining that the dilemma he referred to was, specifically, the question of forming an alliance with the Borg, who he referred to as "the Devil," just as Janeway does in this episode. Braga concluded, " It's a very interesting show. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 18) He also included this episode among a few examples of third season Voyager installments that he thought were good (the other episodes being " Distant Origin " and "Unity"). ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 29 , p. 13)
• Jeri Taylor was also highly satisfied with this episode, citing it as one of the highlights of Star Trek: Voyager 's third season and referring to it as "simply smashing." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 31 , p. 11)
• One particular scene that was very popular among the producers was the one in which Janeway realizes Chakotay does not agree with her. " I think it's one of the best scenes we've ever had, " Jeri Taylor raved. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 113) Brannon Braga similarly enthused that the same scene was "a great scene". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 18)
• So pleased was Ronald B. Moore with this episode's effects that he gave some thought to nominating it for an Emmy Award . " This will be the one I'm putting up for Emmy [consideration] this year, " Moore declared, as Visual Effects Coordinator Mitch Suskin began to work on the effects of " Scorpion, Part II ". ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96) Ultimately, though, this episode was not nominated for an Emmy.
• An accurate summary of this episode leaked onto the Internet prior to the episode's broadcast. This did not, however, displease Brannon Braga, who merely expressed extreme gratitude that the episode had generated fan interest (even if obsessive) and implied that he thought such interest was harmless as "it's not like people are selling stuff." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, pp. 101 & 107)
• This episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 5.6 million homes, and an 8% share. [4] (X) At the time, this episode was estimated to have had 7.86 million viewers. It was number 62 of prime time television episodes in its week of first broadcast. Jeri Taylor said of the episode's high number of viewers, " It was very gratifying. I think that they were very comparable with our ratings for ' Future's End, Part II [!] ' which is the highest I think we had all year. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 107) Actually, together with the first part of the "Future's End" two-parter – namely, " Future's End " (which had an identical Nielsen rating to this installment but a slightly higher share percentage) – this episode was only the third most watched installment of Star Trek: Voyager 's third season (on first airing), behind both "Future's End, Part II" and " Basics, Part II ". (Contrary to Jeri Taylor's beliefs, the most watched episode of the season was "Basics, Part II", not "Future's End, Part II".) [5] (X) Taylor also said of this episode's ratings, " Our numbers at the end of the year and for the season finale exceeded our numbers last year, so there looks to be an upward kind of trend. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 31 , p. 13) This is technically an accurate statement, as this installment's Nielsen rating was higher than that of the second season finale " Basics, Part I ", although both episodes had the same share percentage. [6] (X)
• One of the viewers who watched this episode when it aired in the United States of America was Bryan Fuller . Viewing the episode shortly after being hired to join Voyager 's writing staff (beginning in the fourth season), Fuller was amazed by this episode's production values and was duly excited by the prospect of writing for the series. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 67)
• In the United Kingdom , this episode – upon its first broadcast in September 1997 – was the highest-rated program on Sky One during that entire month, with nearly five million viewers. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 34 , p. 7)
• One fan criticism aimed at this episode was that many aspects of it looked like "rip-offs" of certain elements from Babylon 5 . These likenesses included, from this installment, Species 8472 and their bio-ships as well as the quantum singularities used as interdimensional rifts, as compared to the Shadow creatures, Vorlon ships and the Shadow phase-in effect from Babylon 5 . Adam Lebowitz responded to these criticisms, saying, " At no point when we were working on 'Scorpion' did *any* of us here at Foundation notice similarities between it and B5. " [7]
• Cinefantastique rated this episode 3 and a half out of 4 stars. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 113)
• Star Trek Monthly scored this episode 4 out of 5 stars, defined as " Trill -powered viewing". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 32 , p. 93)
• Writer K. Stoddard Hayes clearly holds this episode in high regard. In Star Trek Magazine  issue 179 (p. 18), she describes the moment when a fleet of Borg cubes regardlessly passes by Voyager , en route for another target, as "an astonishing twist" and comments, " Out of the stunned silence on the bridge, Paris murmurs what we are all thinking: 'Who could do this to the Borg?' " Hayes also remarks that Janeway later "embarks on her most remarkable partnership yet," regarding the captain's deal with the Borg.
• The unauthorized reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 190) gives this installment a rating of 10 out of 10.
• The book Star Trek 101 (p. 175), by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block , lists this episode and the concluding part of its two-parter as being, together, one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: Voyager .
• Following this episode's first airing, rumors circulated that two particular members of Voyager 's main cast – namely, Garrett Wang and Kes actress Jennifer Lien – would be written out of the series at the start of the fourth season. The fact that this third season finale concludes with a cliffhanger ending in which Kim is apparently near death made Garrett Wang seem more doomed for departure than Lien did. However, it was Lien alone who left the series following this season finale (specifically, in Season 4's second installment, " The Gift "). ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 17 , p. 37)

Home video releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 3.13, 20 October 1997
• Released on 24 September 1999 as part of the Japanese LaserDisc set Star Trek: Voyager - Third Season Vol. 2
• In feature-length form, as part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: Voyager - Movies : Volume 2 (with "Year of Hell"), catalog number VHR 5072, 18 September 2000
• As part of the VOY Season 3 DVD collection
• As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Borg collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay
• Roxann Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
• Jennifer Lien as Kes
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Lieutenant Tuvok
• Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

Special guest star [ ]

• John Rhys-Davies as Leonardo da Vinci

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Patrick Barnitt as Borg drone
• Michael Beebe as Murphy
• Jeff Cadiente as Borg drone
• Cullen Chambers as operations officer
• John Copage as sciences officer
• Tarik Ergin as Ayala
• Caroline Gibson as operations officer
• Grace Harrell as operations officer
• Sue Henley as Brooks
• Kerry Hoyt as Fitzpatrick
• Charles Imoto as operations officer
• Julie Jiang as operations lieutenant junior grade
• Zach LeBeau as Larson
• Susan Lewis as operations officer
• Rad Milo as operations officer
• Tom Morga as Borg drone
• Trina Mortley as sciences officer
• Borg drone (probe analyzer)
• Borg drone (victim)
• Alexander Xavier Ponce-Bonano as Borg drone
• Keith Rayve as command officer
• Craig Reed as Borg drone
• Joey Sakata as operations officer
• Richard Sarstedt as William McKenzie
• Lydia Shiferaw as command officer
• Jennifer Somers as sciences officer
• Deborah Stiles as command officer
• Infected Borg drone
• Kashimuro Nozawa
• Voice of the Borg
• Species 8472 invader
• Species 8472 pilot

Stunt double [ ]

• Peter Lai as stunt double for Garrett Wang

Stand-ins [ ]

• Sue Henley – stand-in for Kate Mulgrew
• Susan Lewis – stand-in for Roxann Dawson
• Lemuel Perry – stand-in for Tim Russ
• J.R. Quinonez – stand-in for Robert Picardo and utility stand-in
• Keith Rayve – stand-in for Robert Duncan McNeill
• Joey Sakata – stand-in for Garrett Wang
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Robert Beltran and John Rhys-Davies
• Jennifer Somers – stand-in for Jennifer Lien
• John Tampoya – stand-in for Garrett Wang
• Trevor Janes – stand-in for Ethan Phillips and utility stand-in
• Unknown actor – hand double for John Rhys-Davies

References [ ]

2370 ; abbot ; access point ; Achilles ; alloy ; amusement ; Antimatter ; " Arm of Hephaestus, The "; Amasov ; assimilation ; assimilation tubule ; astrophysics lab ; Battle of Wolf 359 ; binary matrix ; biological weapon ; biomass ; bioreading ; bio-ship ; Borg ; Borg Collective ; Borg cube ( unnamed 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 ); Borg space ; Breen ; bronzetto ; cardinal ; Catarina ; cell ; cell membrane ; cellular structure ; chapel ; classified ; " clean bill of health "; conduit ; da Vinci's Cardinal and his nephew ; decompression cycle ; destroyed Borg planet ; Delta Quadrant ; devil ; disruptor beam ; distribution node ; dissection ; DNA ; dozen ; electrodynamic fluid ; emergency power ; Endeavour , USS ; Enterprise -D, USS ; evasive maneuvers ; fear ; first Borg star ; flattery ; flock ; fluidic space ; flying machine ; goose grease ; gravimetric distortions ; heart ; Hephaestus ; Hercules ; Hickman ; holodeck ; horse ; imitation ; inflection ; interdimensional rift ; intuition ; Italian ; Leonardo da Vinci's workshop ; life sign ; line of fire ; maestro ; meter ; micron ; microscopic level ; monk ; nanoprobe ; near miss ; neuropeptide ; " Northwest Passage "; oak ; omen ; organic ; organic-based vessel ; organic conduit ; parable ; particle ; Picard, Jean-Luc ; polaron beam ; prayer ; premonition ; protective shielding ; Q ; red alert ; safe passage ; Santa Croce ; scudi ; sedative ; short range scan ; skeletal lock ; solar system ; smiling ; space ; space-dwelling organism ; Species 8472 ; Species 8472 bio-ship ; square millimeter ; standard greeting ; Starfleet database ; Starfleet protocol ; starling ; submicron subspace turbulence ; System D43119 ; System D43119 star ; tactical alert ; tactical database ; telepathic species ; telepathy ; transwarp ; transporter lock ; transwarp signature ; traveler's inn ; vision ; weapon of mass destruction ; weapon signature ; Wolf 359

External links [ ]

• " Scorpion " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Scorpion " at Wikipedia
• " Scorpion " at the Internet Movie Database
• " Scorpion, Part I " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Scorpion, Part I" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

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Species 8472

• Non-humanoid species
• Races and cultures
• Extradimensional races and cultures
• Telepathic species
• 1.1 Early events
• 1.2 Armada timeline
• 1.3 25th century
• 1.4.1 First Splinter timeline
• 4 Technology
• 5 Known individuals
• 6.1 Behind the scenes
• 6.2 External links

History [ ]

Early events [ ].

This interdimensional race originate from a region of space outside the known universe with their home being a place that had no stars or planets but instead consisted entirely of bio-matter. ( ST video game : Armada II )

The extra-galactic realm that was their home dimension was known only as fluidic space. However, their origins were largely unknown and it was not even clear whether the race had a homeworld. Speculation by some indicated that Species 8472 may have formed within the organic fluids that populated their dimension. Regardless, what was known was that they were the only race to form within fluidic space and the concept of other species was completely alien to them. ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

The earliest known encounter with the species was in the 2370s when the Borg Collective began their failed attempt to assimilate the race. ( VOY episode : " Scorpion ")

The Borg driven from their realm, Species 8472 became aware of the Milky Way Galaxy and initiated a purge of all other life forms, starting from Borg space. All their attacks against the Borg were victories and it is possible that in a matter of time, the Borg would have been potentially destroyed had it not been for the interference of the Federation starship USS Voyager who formed an alliance with the Collective and developed an effective weapon against Species 8472. After facing their first losses from the weapon, Species 8472 retreated back into their realm. ( VOY episode : " Scorpion ")

Despite the call to return, a few members of this race were left behind some of which became prey of the Hirogen , prized as unique trophies. ( VOY episode : " Prey ")

Another stranded 8472 found itself in another extra-dimensional realm, on a Borg Cube trapped within the graveyard that circled the Forge , it and its spawn were killed as part of a deal made between the Borg and the USS Voyager's Hazard team . ( VOY video game : Elite Force )

By 2375 groups of 8472 had returned to the galaxy where they built space station habitats that would simulate conditions within the Alpha and Beta Quadrants in an attempt to gain intelligence on the race that had defeated them. This tactic seemingly came to an end when the crew of the USS Voyager were able to convince the 8472 on one station to make peace with the Federation over the misunderstanding that all races within the galaxy had declared war on Species 8472. ( VOY episode : " In the Flesh ")

Armada timeline [ ]

Unfortunately this time of good will was not to last and in 2377 8472 returned to purge the galaxy of all life, striking not just in the Delta Quadrant but also into Federation space in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Stray 8472 ships also found themselves involuntarily pulled into the galaxy by the Cardassians who had found a way to open a rift into fluidic space and used it as a weapon pulling in agitated 8472 vessels at their whim.

This invasion was defeated by the combined alliance of the Borg stranded in the Alpha Quadrant and the Federation who ventured into fluidic space to destroy the Rift Maker organisms which maintained the gateways into the Galaxy ( ST video game : Armada II )

25th century [ ]

A group of Undine follow their leader.

The earlier truce was later revealed to be only an agreement with a section of the Species 8472 population, and not all-encompassing. Whether Species 8472 wished to continue its genocidal schemes or make peace was unknown for a time. In 2390 the USS Enterprise -E was in the McAllister C-5 Nebula and detected quantum singularities that possibly indicate Species 8472 in the area. The next year , Starfleet created a task force to investigate the possible return of Species 8472. The team interviewed members of the USS Enterprise and former members of the USS Voyager crew.

Not known to many, Species 8472, who was also known as the Undine, had been active in the late 24th century where they infiltrated the Gorn Hegemony government and subverted them in order to force them to fight in a drawn-out conflict with the Klingon Empire . Later in 2395 , the Undine attempted to kill Ja'rod of the House of Duras whereupon it would masquerade as him. Ja'rod whilst on shore leave was ambushed by three members of the shapeshifting species but was able to slay two of the infiltrators and capture the third for questioning onboard the IKS Kang . Through interrogation, Ja'rod learnt of the Undine's motivations to infiltrate the Klingon High Command and after the defeat of the Gorn , the Undine involvement in their government came to light to the Klingon High Council thus heightening the Klingon 's xenophobia towards other races. ( STO website : The Path to 2409 )

An Undine warrior battles a Borg Drone.

The first major sign of active Undine war efforts against the galactic powers was when they abducted the Vulcan ambassador Sokketh and replaced him with one of their own. This member of the species was stationed at Earth Spacedock and in 2409 Starfleet was tasked with escorting him to P'Jem where the world was discovered to be blockaded by a Klingon task force. It was only after battling these Klingons did the Starfleet forces learn that Sokketh was an Undine who fled whereupon one of their dreadnaughts entered into the system. The arrival of Starfleet reinforcements managed to destroy the Undine ship and defeat the threat posed by this infiltration. ( STO mission : " Diplomatic Orders ")

At this point, the Undine were involved in not only combating the Federation and Klingon races but also the Borg. The Collective in the meantime sought the means to complete its original goal when it entered into fluidic space namely to assimilate the Undine. They were successful in capturing several members of the species in the region of space known as NGC-4447 . Ultimately, they succeeded in assimilating one member of the race to serve as a prototype for future assimilations of the species. However, a strike force from Battle Group Omega succeeded in destroying the drone along with its guards. ( STO mission : " Assimilation ")

Despite the state of war with the other races, Starfleet attempted to forge peaceful relations with the Undine by entering into fluidic space from a stable portal in the Zemet system . Though negotiations failed, it did lead to the Federation's first contact with another inhabitant of this extradimensional realm known as the Hylasa . It was also discovered during this expedition that the Undine had, again, been provoked into acting in normal space: the Iconians had attacked the Undine and framed the nations of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants for the incursion, likely in an attempt to weaken both groups. ( STO mission : " Fluid Dynamics ")

Undine soldiers.

The Undine began a series of major offensives very late in 2409 . During a battle between the Dyson alliance, comprising the Federation, Klingon Empire , and the Romulan Republic , and the Voth , both sides passed through an Iconian Gateway from the Solanae Dyson Sphere and entered the Jenolan Dyson Sphere . An Undine battle group blasted its way through the Jenolan sphere's neutronium main door, accidentally obliterating a Voth Citadel -class starship , but the allied ships were able to defeat the task force. After a disagreement over the ownership of the Dyson sphere nearly erupted into a shooting war between the members of the alliance, Rear Admiral Tuvok proposed a conference to settle the matter. ( STO mission : " A Step Between Stars ")

In 2410 Tuvok's summit was interrupted by the appearance of a large Undine armada within the Dyson spheres that set course for Earth . This fleet inflicted severe damage to Earth Spacedock , necessitating a near-complete rebuild, and caused heavy casualties to Starfleet before reinforcements could stop it. Amidst the battle, Tuvok discovered in a mind-link with the Undine previously masquerading as Eric Cooper that the attack on Earth was a diversion: the Undine were really after Qo'noS . Reinforcements including the USS Enterprise -F and the RRW Lleiset rushed to the Klingon homeworld and were able to blunt the offensive, destroying an Undine planet killer in the process. After the battle, the Federation and Klingon Empire declared an armistice, ending the Federation-Klingon War of 2405-2410 . ( STO mission : " Surface Tension ")

With the end of the war, a new alliance was formed, known as the Alpha Quadrant Alliance , but one loose end still remained. The Undine masquerading as Cooper continued to strike at Tuvok, trying to destroy his mental defenses and take him out. Aided by the captain who joined him in stopping the Solanae Dyson Sphere from jumping, Tuvok was able to track down Cooper's location and board his modified bioship. Here, Tuvok was able to contact one of the Undine's higher-ups and was able to convince them that the Needs of the Many outweigh the Needs of the Few and that, by working together, the Undine could be strong and survive. Despite Cooper's protests, they agreed and ended up destroying Cooper for his weak-minded thoughts. The Undine retreated back into fluidic space. ( STO mission : " Mindscape ")

Alternate realities [ ]

In an alternate timeline , the USS Voyager crew discovered that this species was still at war with the Milky Way galaxy in other alternate timelines due to the fact that their realm does not have such timelines. The Torres Generator was used to seal the barriers between their realm and all other alternate timelines. As a species, they preferred the name " Groundskeepers " to "Species 8472". ( VOY - Infinity's Prism short story : " Places of Exile ")

First Splinter timeline [ ]

By 2381 Willem Batiste , an undercover agent for Species 8472, used Project Full Circle to maneuver the USS Voyager back to the Delta Quadrant where he intended to return to his home in fluidic space . After being betrayed by McDonnell he was rescued by the Species 8472 member known as Valerie Archer . Although initially refusing to accept him, due to his potential as a 'pollutant' to the fluidic space, he was eventually allowed to complete his journey home. ( VOY novel : Unworthy )

Biology [ ]

Species 8472 are a tripedal species and perhaps one of the tallest species encountered by the Federation . They do not possess vocal cords however do possess eyes which serve as their sensory organs. They are telepathic which they use to great effect in scanning the minds of other races and using it as a form of tracking mechanism when hunting enemy starships.

The race uses their large arms in combat to great effect with a single strike being possibly fatal to any species known, this is in part due to their amazing immune system. Species 8472 are perhaps the ultimate expression of biological perfection as they possess a near flawless immune system that attacks and destroys any form of 'infection'; both biological and technological. This was also the reason why the Borg failed in assimilating them. Species 8472 use this to their advantage in melee by physically attacking their opponents, transferring blood and immune cells to their target. Victims of such strikes can be best described as being 'eaten alive' as the immune cells from Species 8472 are transferred to its victim which begin to destroy its new 'host'. ( VOY episode : " Scorpion ")

Despite their large size, they are capable of shape shifting and are capable of taking humanoid forms which they use to infiltrate other species when it became necessary after their war with the Borg. However, this seems to be a difficult process for them one which can fail as the members that do so have been known to experience a process known as ' reversion '. This essentially means that the race cannot maintain their form and reverts back to their natural appearance. Upon death, the body is also known to return to its natural form. ( VOY episode : " In the Flesh ")

Their evolution in fluidic space seems to have given them quite a few characteristics that differ from other races one of which is them capable of surviving in the vacuum of space without any form of protection; which suggests that they do not respire as humanoids do. They do not even need to sleep for rest and find the concept very 'alien'. Another fact of their evolution is their being capable of entering periods of hibernation when faced with injury in an attempt to heal themselves. Finally, their mastery of biology allows them to effectively poison themselves should they face capture.

The race appears to have five sexes though little else is known in this regard. ( VOY episode : " Someone to Watch Over Me ")

Culture [ ]

A hologram of an individual in 2381 .

Nearly nothing is known about the races culture due to the species xenophobic nature. In all their purges, they have been known to be aggressive and single minded in their aims to destroy all other forms of life and had marked both the Borg and Federation as enemies. Whether this remains as the case after Voyager's attempted negotiations with the race is unknown however considering their invasion of the Alpha Quadrant, it is possible that they believe all races are hostile and need to be destroyed.

During their first invasion into the galaxy, a common telepathic command that would be send from their minds would be 'the weak will perish'. This perhaps suggests that the race believes in a survival of the fittest policy and do not tolerate 'weaker' species. However, they also believed that the intrusion into their realm by the Borg was a threat to their 'genetic integrity' but as to what this means is unknown. It is perhaps possible that having not encountered another species before, that Species 8472 was simply responding to the threat of invasion as the Borg were the race that had first attacked them.

Species 8472's central authority and leadership are not known to the powers of normal galactic space, nor is it known exactly how centralized their organization is or how widespread their telepathic connection to each other is. A number of factions apparently exist, with differing opinions of the Federation and other inhabitants of galactic space. Different insignia are known, and are possibly associated with the separate factions. While the faction initially involved in Borg encounters began the first infiltration program, they were convinced by the crew of Voyager that the Federation was not a threat to fluidic space. However, a majority of Undine consider the Federation to be their sworn enemy. ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many ) Their single-minded purpose made them a threat to all other species who were targets of their aggression. ( ST video game : Armada II )

Their name was initially a designation given to them by the Borg though it was claimed that the actual name of the race was the Undine. This was the closest approximation capable of being produced to a humanoid speech organ though a translation to Federation Standard meant that the Undine translated to mean "Groundskeepers" . It was believed that this name was used to imply their stewardship in the protection of fluidic space. ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many )

Nicor class bioships destroying a Borg cube .

Technology [ ]

Species 8472 uses biological technology which seems to possess aspects of their own genetic structure. They are capable of moving between normal space and their own fluidic realm through the use of Quantum singularities . Their kind had no need for resources such as dilithium , metals or latinum but instead used bio-matter. Virtually any substance was capable of being broken down into bio-matter for the needs of Species 8472. Such acts were achieved through Collector craft that gathered the necessary raw material that was taken to the Transmuter to undergo the bio-matter transmutation process. ( ST video game : Armada II )

The technology used by this race was entirely organic in nature with their starships and space station's actually being genetically designed organisms bred for specific purposes. Many of these simply required a single pilot to operate them with nearly all such 'structures' being mobile allowing them to navigate through space on their own power. The biological traits of their technology also meant that they did not require repair but simply healed themselves from any injuries. These same traits also made it nearly impossible to board, transport or tractor their vessels. ( ST video game : Armada II )

As their starships are living creatures, they respond to the telepathic commands of its 'pilot'. This has several advantages for them, one of which is that the ships are capable of healing themselves after battle. Their organic form also is immune to tractor beam and transporter technology which prevents their capture. Their battleships emit a form of bio-pulses that are highly energetic and capable of dealing considerable damage to Borg cubes . They could combine and reroute these pulses into a frigate vessel which could generate such power that it was capable of cracking and destroying planets. This seems to require four to eight battleship vessels in addition to the frigate to accomplish this task which shows their power in regards to energy manipulation.

Despite this, it is known that they are vulnerable to specific nanoprobe weapons which are designed to 'act' as part of the immune system before destroying the creature. This works equally well on both an individual member of the race and their starships due to the similarity in genetics between the two.

The race is known to employ several different types of starships and organisms in battle, most of which are biological in origin. However there are space stations known as terraspheres that were near mechanical in appearance. There have been known sights of active shipyards employed by the race however there have been mobile 'starbases' that produce the simpler bio-ships while gateways into fluidic space allow the entry of larger more powerful warships.

The following are what assets they use in space:

• Species 8472 battleship
• Species 8472 frigate
• Species 8472 behemoth
• Species 8472 destroyer
• Species 8472 scout
• Species 8472 defender
• Species 8472 mothership
• Species 8472 active embryo
• Species 8472 passive embryo ( ST video game : Armada II )
• Dahut -class frigate
• Nicor -class cruiser
• Dactylus -class bioship
• Dromias -class cruiser
• Vila -class battleship
• Tethys -class dreadnought
• Undine planet killer ( ST video game : Star Trek Online )
• Command bioship ( STO mission : " Mindscape ")

Known individuals [ ]

• David Gentry
• Designate 1001
• Designate 2232
• Designate 3020
• Designate 4187
• Eric Cooper
• Valerie Archer

Appendices [ ]

Behind the scenes [ ].

Species 8472 first featured in Star Trek: Voyager in the two-part episode " Scorpion " whereupon they played smaller roles throughout the show. They were later utilized as a faction as well as a story element within Armada II where they engaged in an invasion of the galaxy as well as forced the Borg to ally with the Federation in order to combat the menace.

In Christopher L. Bennett 's short story " Places of Exile ", the race played a role where it was detailed that they lacked any parallel realities intersecting their universe, and due to their invasions of the normal universe they faced the threat of duplication of their invasion forces. This along with the activation of the Torres Generator was an attempt to explain the lack of further presence of Species 8472 in the Star Trek universe. The Boothby infiltrator also indicated that they preferred to be called "Groundskeepers" though this is not a canon name for the race.

They also feature in the backstory of Star Trek Online and were particularly involved in the Klingon storyline as being a motivating factor for their increased xenophobia. In the game, they are given the name of Undine similar to the novel name, but this is not a canon term for the race and they remain known as Species 8472 for this article.

External links [ ]

• Species 8472 article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Undine article at The Star Trek Online Wiki .
• 1 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 Lamarr class

Star Trek: Should Janeway Have Let Species 8472 Wipe Out The Borg?

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Over the years, Star Trek has had its ups and downs. The Original Series, iconic as it is today, was canceled due to poor viewership, and even the series that fans consider the greatest, The Next Generation , had a very poor rating until season two landed. One of the most divisive programs was, and still is, Voyager, which gets a lot of negative reviews not only due to the often poor writing, but from some morally convoluted decisions made by the protagonists. One of the biggest examples of this is when Captain Janeway sided with the Borg, who were on the brink of extinction, and decided to help them defeat Species 8472. But was this really such a bad decision?

Starting off with the giant tribble in the room, the biggest issue fans have with what Janeway did, was not that she sided with the Borg and helped them survive, but that she did so by committing genocide. Species 8472, the designation given to this alien race by the Borg, were some of the nastiest aliens found within the Star Trek universe, a bunch of extra-dimensional apex predators. They were, despite first appearances, incredibly intelligent, and came from a dimension known as fluidic space, which was accessed by the Borg in an attempt to assimilate them through quantum singularities. They were, despite being organic, immune to assimilation, and the Borg's attempt was considered an act of war. They drove the Borg out of their space, and followed them into the Federation/Borg dimension, with the explicit aim of Borg xenocide.

RELATED: Star Trek: What Are The Origins of the Borg?

This might seem, at first, like a good thin. The Borg have been primarily villains throughout their tenure on Star Trek , a terrifying force hell-bent on assimilating and destroying cultures. They seemed to be unstoppable, with the Federation only able to hold them back rather than defeat them properly, they were always a looming threat in the background. Species 8472 offered a solution, if the crew of the USS Voyager had simply sat back and allowing them to wipe the Borg out. Species 8472's aggression wasn't even unjustified or unprovoked — the Borg had invaded their space and tried to assimilate them. Bt of course, things for Captain Janeway were never simple.

The biggest issue with allowing this plan to unfold was that Species 8472 were really nasty. Janeway did consider the idea of letting them destroy the Borg, consequently making the universe a much better and safer place, but this all ended when she met a member of the species. They were ruthless and attacked without provocation. All attempts to communicate were met with the words "the weak shall perish" — a motto on par with the Borg's “resistance is futile.” Before she left the show , the character Kes managed to make telephonic communication with them, which resulted not only with her being seriously injured, but led her to reveal their nefarious plans: Species 8472 would not stop at ending the Borg, but would continue to “purge” the galaxy. Considering how effectively they were killing Borg, something the Federation had been struggling to do for years, they were a considerable threat to all life in the universe.

Their plan to wipe out all life in the galaxy stemmed from their desire to never allow another living organism to enter their fluidic space, as the Borg had opened a door that could be opened again. Species 8472 just wanted to be left alone, and they would annihilate anyone that could potentially jeopardize this. It thus makes sense why Janeway did what she did. Faced with two highly powerful foes that stood in her way to return home, she made a deal with the more reasonable one. What's more, they had worked out an effective way to wipe out Species 8472. They had found a way to harness what were basically bioweapons, moderating nanoprobes created by the holographic doctor , but could not use them on the scale needed to stop 8472. Thus, they partnered up with the Borg, who used the weapon in exchange for relatively free passage through their space.

Many fans take issue with the way in which Janeway sided with the Borg, the use of a genocidal biological weapon used on nightly intelligent sentient beings truly being the icing on the cake. However, there is a resounding consensus that overall it was the right decision to make. The Borg were powerful and terrifying, and continued to pose a real threat to the Federation, but it’s a case of "better the devil you know." The Borg, in all their culture absorbing, assimilating glory, were a far better option than the ruthless desolation and xenocide at the hands of 8472, who had made it clear that they would not stop until every living organism that was not a member of their race was wiped out.

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Borg, Voyager, Species 8472 and the Q

Moderator: Vympel

Post by Dennis Toy » Fri Aug 09, 2002 5:26 am

Post by Mr. B » Fri Aug 09, 2002 5:30 am

Post by Jim Raynor » Fri Aug 09, 2002 8:02 am

Post by SPOOFE » Fri Aug 09, 2002 9:25 am

Besides, wasn't there a Voyager episode in which a Q admitted that their race wasn't as omnipotent as believed, and that they just seemed that way because of they were so much more advance than the Feds?

Post by Darth Yoshi » Fri Aug 09, 2002 9:32 pm

Post by Master of Ossus » Fri Aug 09, 2002 9:53 pm

Post by seanrobertson » Fri Aug 09, 2002 10:09 pm

Both 8472 and the Q are overrated. I find it interesting that every unknown or poorly understood thing in ST is automatically assumed to be all powerful.

The 8472 fleet in Scorpion was several thousand strong, and they managed to destroy only a handful of planets in a 5 month war with the Borg.

Somehow, Trekkies assume that they have a fleet of millions or billions of ships and can wipe out worlds by the hundreds.

It's also comple BS that every Trekkie thinks that nanobots are the only way to take them out, just because their armor was to strong for Voyager's or the Borgs' weapons.

The general perception of Q is even worse. Like you said, all we've seen are a few small-scale tricks and occasional time-travel, all easily explainable by existing Trek technology, albeit more advanced than the Federation's. For some reason, this is taken to be proof that Q can wipe out the Empire with a snap of his fingers. Besides, wasn't there a Voyager episode in which a Q admitted that their race wasn't as omnipotent as believed, and that they just seemed that way because of they were so much more advance than the Feds?

And what about the time when the Voyager crew were able to threaten several Q? Q weapons or not, why couldn't they just kill the Voyager crew instantly with a thought?

Post by Gil Hamilton » Sat Aug 10, 2002 12:33 am

Post by consequences » Sat Aug 10, 2002 8:56 am

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Star Trek: Prodigy: 15 Season 2 Easter Eggs & Things You Missed

• The Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer reveals exciting visuals and Star Trek Easter eggs; premieres July 1st on Netflix.
• Admiral Janeway relapses back to drinking coffee; Voyager characters reunite for a top-secret mission to rescue Chakotay.
• A new Vulcan character, Maj'el, is introduced in the Prodigy season 2 trailer and there are exciting hints at a Borg transwarp conduit and 8472 bio-ships.

The first official trailer for Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 has been released, and it's packed full of Star Trek Easter eggs that can be easy to miss. Premiering on Netflix on July 1st, and releasing all 20 episodes at once, Prodigy season 2 will reunite Star Trek: Voyager 's Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) with the Doctor (Robert Picardo) as they embark on a top-secret mission to rescue Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) from an alternate timeline. Joining the returning Voyager characters are Prodigy 's young leads, Dal R'El (Bretty Gray), Gwyndala (Ella Purnell), Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas), Zero (Angus Imrie), and Murf (Dee Bradley Baker).

CBS Studios have revealed the new Star Trek: Prodigy trailer for season 2 , which contains more of the dazzling visuals that audiences have come to expect from the Star Trek animated series. The Prodigy season 2 trailer also gives the first proper look at the USS Voyager-A in action, as it takes flight and combats various threats. Watch the Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer below, which is packed full of tantalizing teases and Star Trek Easter eggs:

Everything We Know About Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 joins season 1's episodes on Netflix in summer 2024 so that all 40 episodes will be available on the streamer.

Admiral Janeway Is Drinking Coffee Again

But just a small pot..

After Star Trek: Prodigy season 1 made Janeway a tea drinker , it seems like she's back to drinking black coffee in season 2. In Prodigy season 1, Admiral Janeway stated that her doctor had advised her to cut back on coffee. Given the stressful nature of the USS Voyager-A's complex mission, perhaps Janeway feels that she needs caffeine to get through it. While Janeway may have relapsed, her coffee intake is clearly being monitored by The Doctor, who won't be shy in telling her that she's had enough.

Admiral Janeway first gave up tea in the Star Trek: Voyager finale, "Endgame", also on doctor's orders.

A Lurian From DS9 On The USS Voyager-A

Star trek: discovery had lurians in starfleet.

It appears that Dal R'El and the rest of the Star Trek: Prodigy characters aren't the only young warrant officers serving on the USS Voyager-A. In a brief scene in one of Voyager's corridors, three other warrant officers are seen, one of which looks like a Lurian. Star Trek 's best loved Lurian is Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd), who propped up Quark's Bar in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . This young Lurian won't have much time for socializing, as they're part of Janeway's time-traveling rescue mission.

Murf On Vulcan

As the Doctor explains that everyone has a role to play on their new mission, the trailer cuts to Murf holding a clutch of weapons. Quite how Murf ends up in ritual combat remains to be seen, but it seems very likely that this scene is taking place on Vulcan. The orange skies and the ancient structures that surround Murf reflect similar images of Planet Vulcan in Star Trek , from the iconic Kirk and Spock fight in "Amok Time" to the stunning Vulcan vistas in Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Prodigy Introduces A New Vulcan Character

Michaela dietz plays maj'el.

A new Vulcan character is seen interacting with the regulars during the Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer. The recurring cast list for Prodigy season 2 includes Steven Universe 's Michaela Dietz as Maj'el. As the rest of the recurring cast are characters who also appeared in season 1, Ma'jel is presumably the Vulcan character seen in the trailer. She's also almost certainly named after Star Trek 's Grand Dame, Majel Barrett, who played Number One, Nurse Christine Chapel, and Lwaxana Troi over a 30-year period.

Bearded Chakotay

Prodigy season 2 is the search for chakotay.

There's only a fleeting glimpse of Captain Chakotay in the Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer, but it speaks volumes. Janeway's mission to rescue her former Number One is the driving force behind Star Trek: Prodigy season 2. After he abandoned the USS Protostar, Captain Chakotay and his crew were grounded and stranded in the Delta Quadrant. The trailer's single shot of Chakotay in Prodigy season 2 shows Janeway's former Number One with a full beard and longer hair, looking up to the stars, perhaps hoping for rescue.

Voyagers Chakotay & What Happened To Starfleet Hero In Star Trek: Prodigy

What happened to Voyager's Chakotay is the biggest mystery of Star Trek: Prodigy season 1, and it will play a major role in Janeway's season 2 story.

Has Gwyndala Joined Starfleet

Gwyn wears a variation on the prodigy crew's starfleet uniforms..

At the end of Star Trek: Prodigy season 1 , Gwyn chose to leave her friends behind to prepare the Vau N'Akat for First Contact with Starfleet. However, in the trailer for Prodigy season 2, it looks like Gwyndala has also been recruited as a warrant officer. Gwyn's Starfleet uniform has the colors reversed, which either means that she's on a higher rank than her former USS Protostar crewmates, or that she's serving aboard Voyager in a different capacity. Either way, the synopsis for Prodigy season 2 teases that the crew is also tasked with saving the Vau N'Akat home world, which means she could serve on Voyager in a diplomatic capacity.

Although he seemingly sacrificed his life in Star Trek: Prodigy season 1, the Diviner (John Noble) is listed by CBS Studios as a returning character in season 2.

Giant Tribbles?

The prodigy crew are menaced by fluffy balls..

It's not clear what they are, but at one point in the trailer, Dal and the crew are menaced by giant rolling balls of fluff. As Dal orders his crewmates to fire phasers, Zero notes that the spherical creatures are " unphased ". It's possible that these aren't Tribbles, especially as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine revealed that they had gone extinct by the 24th century. However, Contable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) brought one back from the 22nd century, creating another Tribble epidemic. Is it possible that DS9 's Tribbles spawned even larger offspring?

Does Rok-Tahk Have A Mini-Me?

Or has rok-tahk discovered a new life form.

It may be that the creatures aren't giant Tribbles at all, and are actually larger versions of the cute creature Rok-Tahk is holding in her hands. The tiny alien life form looks like a cute space hedgehog, which would match the larger creatures that advance on Dal and Zero earlier in the trailer. Perhaps rather than Tribble fur, the spheres are covered in giant hedgehog spines. There's also another opportunity, which is that Rok-Tahk has found another member of her species, given the similarities in color and physiological make-up.

A New Klingon Villain

Who is the eye-patch-wearing klingon warrior.

There's also a brief glimpse of an eye-patch-wearing Klingon who points a phaser at presumably a member of Star Trek: Prodigy 's young crew. It's unclear who this Klingon is, or whether they're a one-off villain or a recurring antagonistic presence in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2. What it does show, however, is that Prodigy season 2 will continue to delight in playing in the huge sandbox that is the Star Trek universe.

Why It Took Star Trek Almost 24 Years To Visit The Klingon Home World

The Klingons have been an integral part of Star Trek for almost 60 years, so why did it take nearly 24 years to visit their home world, Qo'noS?

Holographic Janeway Is Back!

Is this a flashback or has hologram janeway been rebooted.

She's just in the corner of one shot, but Hologram Janeway appears to be back in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, after apparently sacrificing herself at the end of season 1. Interestingly, the poster artwork for Prodigy season 2 shows two starships, the new USS Voyager-A , and what looks like the USS Protostar. Given that time travel is involved in Prodigy season 2, it's certainly possible that the Protostar is recovered from an earlier point in the timeline, resurrecting Hologram Janeway in the process.

A Borg Transwarp Conduit

Are the borg still active in prodigy season 2.

The announcement of the date of Star Trek: Prodigy 's release on Netflix is housed inside a Borg transwarp conduit. Famously, Janeway and the crew of the USS Voyager used the Borg Collective's transwarp corridors to return to the Alpha Quadrant in the Star Trek: Voyager finale. Perhaps Janeway is hoping to use the Borg technology once again to try and enter the time tunnel that leads to Chakotay. The Borg Collective were dormant in Prodigy season 1, but their transwarp conduit looks active in the season 2 trailer, which could have worrying implications.

The USS Voyager-A Has A Cetacean Ops

Prodigy continues star trek's love affair with whales..

A humpback whale's eye staring through a porthole and Murf entering its tank draws obvious comparisons with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . This glimpse of a whale toward the end of the Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer feels like confirmation that the USS Voyager-A has a cetacean ops. First mentioned in Star Trek: The Next Generation , this is a section that uses whales and dolphins to assist the navigation of a starship. By giving the new Voyager its own cetacean ops, Prodigy is continuing Starfleet's love affair with whales .

Janeway's Vest

Admiral janeway gets reacquainted with her inner ellen ripley..

If Captain Janeway removed her Starfleet uniform down to her vest then Star Trek: Voyager fans knew that things were very serious indeed. Janeway fought off the giant Macroviruses while in her vest and slacks, and in "Year of Hell" she wore her vest when she flew the USS Voyager into the Krenim time weapon. The Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer reveals that while older, Admiral Janeway is still ready to be the action hero when the situation demands it . There are two shots of Janeway in her vest, reassuring Dal, and piloting a small shuttle during some kind of battle sequence.

Star Trek: Voyager's Janeway Becoming Ripley From Alien Explained By Producer

Brannon Braga explained his surprising inspiration for the Star Trek: Voyager season 3 episode where Captain Janeway becomes Ripley from Alien.

The USS Protostar Under Fire

A prodigy season 1 flashback or a sign of things to come.

The Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer comes to a close with what looks like the USS Protostar under fire from an imposing looking Vau N'Akat ship. It's known that Jameela Jamil will be back as Ascencia in Prodigy season 2, so it's possible that she's launching an attack on another Protostar-class starship in the present day. However, as it's expected that Chakotay and Janeway will be reunited at some point in Prodigy season 2, this battle sequence could be part of a flashback to the events leading up to him abandoning the USS Protostar.

The Return Of Species 8472?

Are those species 8472 bio-ships in prodigy's season 2 trailer.

The Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 trailer features a fleet of ships that look suspiciously like the bio-ships constructed by Species 8472. Natives of fluidic space, Star Trek: Voyager 's Species 8472 alien villains were one of the most terrifying things Janeway found in the Delta Quadrant. While Janeway and the crew of the USS Voyager did eventually negotiate peace with Species 8472, it's possible that something in Prodigy 's alternate future has restarted hostilities.

The Star Trek: Prodigy trailer is stuffed full of exciting imagery that makes the short wait until July 1st feel much longer. It's heartening to see that, despite its tumultuous journey to screens, Prodigy has lost none of its infectious energy or love for the Star Trek universe. On top of that, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 looks to be a must-watch for fans of Star Trek: Voyager . Not only does it reunite Janeway, the Doctor, and Chakotay, but it also returns to the Delta Quadrant to explore how much it's changed. Better yet, this is just a short teaser for the excitement to come.

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 releases all 20 episodes on Netflix on July 1st.

Star Trek: Prodigy

Cast Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, John Noble, Jason Mantzoukas, Brett Gray, Angus Imrie, Jameela Jamil, Robert Picardo, Jimmi Simpson, Ella Purnell, Dee Bradley Baker

Release Date October 28, 2021

Genres Drama, Sci-Fi, Adventure

Network Netflix

Streaming Service(s) Netflix

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Kevin Hageman, Dan Hageman

Showrunner Kevin Hageman, Dan Hageman