"Fury"
comments? pforooghi@compusmart.ab.ca
I’m at least glad to say that I found "Fury" more entertaining and interesting than the last couple of episodes. However, it still wasn’t as absorbing, moving, or thought-provoking as I’d like a Voyager episode to be. I suppose I should give up on this expectation. I don’t have all that much to say about the show; it didn’t really inspire much in the way of analysis, but I will make a few general comments.
The return of Kes. Well, many people were not happy to find out that Jennifer Lien was coming back to portray a malevolent, vengeful, and resentful Kes. I was one of those people. I kept thinking that TPTB aren’t satisfied with how they have ruined their current characters, so they are going back to assassinate the one who is no longer on the show. After having watched the show, I have changed my mind somewhat. Although it can be said that this new Kes was completely out of character and unrealistic, given the fact that Kes was always a kind-hearted, gentle, and loving woman, I can see why the writers decided to take the character in this unexpected direction. Kes was shown as being very hurt and angry, and these feelings can often manifest themselves into acts of vengeance. Granted, her need for revenge against Voyager was illogical, but anger and revenge seldom understand logic. As we all know, Janeway did not force Kes to leave the ship three years ago, rather Kes wanted to do it because she did not want the ship and its crew to be destroyed. However, the older Kes has become so consumed with "fury" and the desire to seek revenge because her transformation into a higher being was not successful, that she has apparently forgotten this crucial point. It takes the younger Kes to remind her of it. After this point, a neat, tidy, and predictable ending is achieved. Finally, I would venture to say that the writers thought that bringing back Kes in this form would be more conducive to an exciting, interesting hour. To me, that’s highly debatable. Regardless, they still could have written a great story if Kes were allowed to interact with the current crew, including Seven, who for all intents and purposes, replaced her. And this is the main problem I had with the episode. I wish that Kes were allowed to interact and reconnect with her old friends, instead of spending the entire time trying to plot their destruction. This in itself was very disappointing to me.
Finally, I was a bit confused by how Janeway was able to kill the older Kes. I thought that at this point in her evolution, she would be impervious to the effects of phaser fire. I guess I was mistaken. Still, this bit didn’t seem too realistic to me.
In the final analysis, although the premise of this episode was interesting, the execution left a lot to be desired. I kept thinking throughout the show that something was missing, and that something was the lack of interaction between Kes and the crew. I should clarify: the lack of positive, constructive interaction. For lack of a better word, the lack of heart. Also, I thought the ending was very rushed and forced, which made the episode altogether superficial and unsatisfying. For these reasons, I am giving "Fury" two comm badges.
Cheers!