This Week's Episode: "Tsunkatse"
Mission Image Archive for 'Tsunkatse'
Summary: While on shoreleave, the crew becomes fascinated by a bloodsport known as Tsunkatse. When Tuvok and Seven of Nine are kidnapped by an irrepressible alien, Penk, Seven is forced to fight in Tsunkatse to ensure Tuvok's safety. When the crew sees Seven fighting, they must find a way to rescue both her and Tuvok.
Rating: 7
Best Scene: The fighting scenes were well choreographed, it is just too bad the shadow of the camera kept getting in the way.
Worst Scene: None really stick out.
Best acting award goes to: Jeffrey Combs returns as his devious self, and J.G. Hertzler as the Champion was quite good as well.
Best Line: "I'm delegating" -- Chakotay after assigning B'Elanna to the bridge so he could go and watch the Tsunkatse tournaments.
Impressions:
Well, well. We could hardly tell that it was February sweeps, could we? Firstly, we have an episode dealing with UPN's most successful show, WWF Smackdown!, three guest stars, including the infamous "Rock", J.G Hertzler (DS9's Martok and many other Star Trek characters), and Jeffrey Combs (DS9's Weyoun). On top of that, next week the Borg return. Yep, it's sweeps.
So, since it is sweeps, this episode is nothing more than a ratings hungry show, and it doesn't try too hard to be anything but. So, that makes the show enjoyable. The fighting scenes were well choreographed (though, if you look closely when the Rock first appears, you can see the shadow of the camera getting in the way), and the different camera angles in the pit were nice. The visual effects were good, and the alien makeup for the audience was quite good. The sets were good (did anyone notice that in the "locker room" set, the archway around the door is the same archway around the rolling doors on DS9's Promenade set? I guess they didn't get rid of everything when the show ended). The acting was all pretty standard, and we even had a little character development for Brannon Braga's little darling, Seven of Nine. But, this episode certainly shouldn't have aired next to "Memorial".
Why you ask? Well, I have to agree with Michelle Erica Green on this one. Last week, we have the crew shaken with memories of a terrible war that was fought, and this week, we have the very same characters who were tramautized enjoying the bloodsport of Tsunkatse. Guess they easily forgot what they learned last week. Oh well, so much for continuity in Star Trek.
Even though "Tsunkatse" is predictable, and reeks of a ratings stunt by the producers, it still doesn't remove the 'fun factor' of the show. Yes, it was a mindless episode, but you have to admit, it is still entertainment. It was nice to see two DS9 regulars return, and even nicer to see the return of a Hirogen, perhaps Voyager's best enemies to date. I have a hard time believing that there was Hirogen hunting parties this far out (remember, Voyager has travelled quite a distance since they last ran into the Hirogen). But little technicalities like that don't spoil the episode entirely.
The show itself would have been a complete waste of time for the series as it would have no future impact, if it had not been for Seven's revelation that she had lost her humanity. It is nice to see of all of Voyager's characters, Seven is the only one who written consistantly, unlike other characters who get new interests (Tom's cars, boats, ocean loving side and Chakotay's explorer within) when it suits the storyline.
This review is short, but there really isn't much to be said of "Tsunkatse". It certainly won't be a memorable episode of season six, and it was predictable and mindless, yet at the same time it is fun, and for that, I will award it a seven out of ten (did you notice the number of commas in that sentence...yikes!).
Until next week, when the "Children of the Borg" return. Yikes. The publicity department wasn't trying to make a parallel with "Children of the Corn", were they? Paramount really has to fire that department for the ridiculous promos that Voyager has.
