2.11 — “Maneuvers”

2.11 — “Maneuvers”

Plot: A signal beacon transmitting Federation codes gives hope of rescue to Voyager, but it is a ruse luring the crew into an Kazon attack. The mastermind is Seska, the defector from Season One who was revealed to be a Cardassian spy disguised as Bajoran who infiltrated the Maquis before starting a romantic relationship with Commander Chakotay. A cat-and-mouse game ensues, with Seska cast as the sharp-clawed, petulant kitten and Chakotay as the frustrated, insubordinate mouse.

Thoughts: The most disappointing thing about “Maneuvers,” to me, is the wasted potential held by the Seska character following her abrupt departure from the ship in VOY 1.11, “State of Flux.” As I write the first draft of this, I am getting ready to head off to California for Worldcon 76, the World Science Fiction Convention, and my head is full of short stories, novelettes, and novellas appearing on this year’s Hugo ballot. There is so much a talented writer could have done with this character. Especially if that writer was a woman! Did you know that the group of 22 authors who received the 24 Hugo nomintions this year allocated to novels, novellas, novellettes, and short stories contains exactly two cis white men? It’s a diverse collection of writers, and a rich, wonderful collection of writing, although I haven’t yet gotten to read any of the novels. The two aforementioned cis male authors were both in the novel category, and lest we get too complacent in the advancement of gender equality, I am darkly tempted to speculate that the payments rendered to the estimable John Scalzi and Kim Stanley Robinson for their novels dwarf those received by nearly all of the other female, trans, and nonbinary authors. At any rate, I can confidently report there is a great breadth of quality work being done in the science fiction field by a breadth of writers.

I digress at such length because I want to talk about something more interesting than “Maneuvers,” an episode I was tempted to turn off out of embarrassment. I am not sure if I was more embarrassed for the actors, or for myself for the predicament of having to watch this warmed over Fatal Attraction (1987) retread. Presented with the opportunity to develop the character of Seska, staff writer Kenneth Biller can’t think of anything better than casting her as the monomaniacal sexually-preoccupied villain in a melodrama.

We can discuss the noxious sexual stereoptypes, if you want, in the comments.

Obviously Chakotay’s command position would be forfeit, having mutinied in such a serious fashion, if Voyager had a shred of realism or self respect at this point in its history. I’m starting to wish we could skip ahead to the Borg stories in Season Four, when the writing of the series is rumored to improve.

Meanwhile, I believe we have some reprise Seska episodes in store.

1 out of 5 things I don’t want to remember.

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Maneuvers_(episode)