Episode Review - Repression
Reviewed by Andy Taylor

Synopsis
During a date in a holodeck movie theatre, Tom and B'Elanna discover the unconscious body of Ensign Tabor, one of Voyager's Maquis officers. He is comatose, and the Doctor detects cranial microfractures and contusions that lead to the conclusion that he was attacked.

The holodeck sensor logs must have been adjusted, and Tuvok is sure that a member of Voyager's crew is responsible. When Janeway queries Tuvok's certainty, he concedes that his viewpoint is based on a hunch too strong to ignore.

Several more crewmembers lapse into comas, all displaying similar symptoms to Tabor, and all of them among former Maquis aboard Voyager. The Doctor cannot discern the exact cause of the comas, but Tuvok notes the assailant must have access to security protocols to avoid detection.

Chakotay and B'Elanna gather the former Maquis crew, and instruct them to report anything suspicious to Tuvok. There is reluctance among some of the crew, however, citing the Vulcan's placement to betray the Maquis seven years earlier. Meanwhile, Tom and Harry isolate a photonic residue of Tabor's assailant in the holodeck, but not clearly enough to identify him or her without further enhancement.

Harry is dismayed to learn that Tuvok has been reading his private communications against Starfleet protocol. Tuvok cites his security officer status as justification in special circumstances. The attacks began shortly after the last communications arrived, and Harry is among six recipients whose physical appearance match the photonic residue retrieved in the holodeck. Harry is appalled at Tuvok's suspicions.

Tuvok is puzzled by the incidents, noting them as defying logic. When Ensign Tabor revives he recalls nothing between the holodeck and sickbay. Chakotay later discovers B'Elanna in a coma; Tuvok is also present. He talks of a holy time, before attacking Chakotay and initiating a mind-meld. Chakotay is also rendered comatose.

Tuvok later continues his investigation, seemingly unaware of his participation in the attacks, and puzzled by their pattern. When he reveals he is certain the perpetrator is male and challenging him directly, Janeway believes he is taking the case too personally, and suggests he rest.

Meditating in his quarters, Tuvok is assailed with visions of the assaults on the comatose crewmembers. A further vision has a victim fighting back, and Tuvok discovers he has a bruising consistent with that which would have been imparted. He then sees a Bajoran reflected in his mirror, and leaving his quarters he is told not to question his mission.

Tuvok joins Harry and the captain, who are refining the photonic image in the holodeck. Tuvok confirms he is the assailant, and the image of the Bajoran appears again. When confined to the brig, Tuvok is tormented by images of the Bajoran, but is able to isolate his reference to a holy time as connected with the Bajoran incantation. He mentions that he had checked all communications received before the attacks began, except his own.

A study of the communication reveals a message calibrated to interact with Vulcan synaptic frequencies on a subliminal level. The Bajoran is referring to a holy time, an awakening, and a return to the dark from which life springs. A recovered Chakotay recognises the Bajoran as Teero Anaydis, a vedek expelled from the Maquis for persisting with mind control experiments. Such was his fanaticism that he considered the other Maquis traitors for rejecting his ideas, and vowed to sustain his fight single-handedly. Janeway is puzzled that this should involve controlling Tuvok in the Delta Quadrant.

Tuvok recalls meeting Teero, but little else until the captain suggests he may have used mind-control techniques during their encounter. Meditation prompts recollections of restraint, and Teero talking of an interest in controlling Tuvok's repressed personality. When he sees Teero in the brig again urging him to complete his mission, Tuvok relays a Bajoran incantation to Chakotay.

The incantation is a signal to the former Maquis, and primed by Tuvok's mind-meld they mount an insurrection, reaffirming their loyalties despite all Maquis hostilities ceasing in the Alpha Quadrant three years earlier.

Now in command, Chakotay tests Tuvok's loyalty by ordering him to shoot Janeway with a phaser. Tuvok fires, but the weapon malfunctions. When alone with Chakotay Tuvok renders him unconscious and performs another mind-meld.

Tuvok has shed Teero's control, and he and Chakotay return Voyager to Janeway's command. She later asks how Tuvok knew the phaser aimed at her was faulty. He replies that a test of loyalty would be a large risk with a fully functioning phaser set to kill, so he had a hunch it would not work. The captain vows to trust his hunches in the future, as they settle to another double feature in Tom's holodeck cinema.
(From Official Star Trek Fact Files)

Summary
First of all, let me be the first to welcome back 'Evil Tuvok.' We've seen him in such episodes as 'Meld' and 'Cathexis.' But, most importantly, let us welcome back the Maquis, the first time that they were a real threat probably since DS9. The Maquis characters on board Voyager were a concept that was never fully utilised in the show's run, which had worried some fans as the Maquis and Starfleet were originally at each other's throats. However, this group of characters has now had this aspect of their background whisked out for all to see, and what interesting viewing it all makes.

I always envisioned any type of Maquis rebellion to take place over a couple of episodes, with some sort of dire consequences happening at the end, and then maybe continuing for another couple of episodes. However, this concept (which was very interesting) managed to do all of that in under three-quarters of an hour, with time for an update on Tom and B'Elanna's relationship (they were married last week, and to contradict some fans' scorn over Voyager's continuity, they were still married this week. )

It was also nice to see the Maquis people from the earlier Maquis episode, 'Learning Curve' from way back in season 1. Alongside the mention of the downfall of the Maquis rebellion in the Alpha Quadrant three years earlier (thanks to a Dominion invasion, as people will remember) and Tuvok's 'treacherous' past (for the Maquis at least), we had some good continuity that gave the episode some backbone. Not once did it seem like a Maquis plot had popped up out of nowhere, despite it being seven years without a decent story.

Tuvok was used very well in this episode - he always seems at his best whenever conducting some form of investigation, like in this episode. This, along with the reappearance of 'Evil Tuvok,' gave Tim Russ something interesting to do for the first time since 'Riddles.' Chakotay was above average also, and when B'Elanna was brainwashed towards the end with Chakotay, her brilliant ignorance of the fact that Chakotay had just shot her new husband was deliciously ironic. Also, following on from last week's initiative, Seven Of Nine was almost completely absent from the episode - swap her minute appearance with a minor character perhaps, and this could easily have slotted into one of Voyager's seasons.

Which brings me onto the episode's pitfalls. One, which is not directly linked to the episode, but has to be said anyway – why wait so long for a Maquis rebellion episode? As mentioned, this episode could have been shown back in Voyager’s first season. It’s a shame that it does look like that anything not previously covered will be crammed into Voyager’s last season. Surely the last season should be filled with character closure and interesting plots linked to established stories and/or aliens. But that doesn’t matter because this wasn’t bad.

Secondly, why did the Maquis take over this ship so easily? Not all of them, as specified, had been brainwashed – I bet there weren’t even twenty members available for ship-overrunning duty. Maybe Janeway just didn’t want to believe it was happening?

Finally, after saying everything about how interesting the story was (which it was, don’t get me wrong), I just found this a little dull. It didn’t seem to have anything special in it, especially after the emotion in both ‘Imperfection’ and ‘Drive,’ and the adrenaline rush in ‘Drive’ and possibly even ‘Unimatrix Zero Pt.2’ (I’ll give the episode some credit, it was much better than that.) Though However, it was nice to finally see some Tuvok/‘Evil Tuvok’/Chakotay/Maquis/did-I-miss-anything-out action for a change.
Final Opinion
Some long overdue Maquis development, which was also, unfortunately, a little dull.

Rating: 7/10