"Haunting of Deck Twelve"
comments? pforooghi@compusmart.ab.ca
What a surprisingly refreshing, fun, and entertaining episode! I really enjoyed this show. It was certainly more original and inspired than some of the banal fare we’ve been treated to in the latter half of this season. "The Haunting of Deck Twelve" was indeed a terrific penultimate show.
I was particularly impressed by the overall mood and tone set in this episode. Given the fact that Neelix was telling the children a "ghost story", the ominous, foreboding mood necessary to sustain such a tale was established very early on, and permeated the entire show, right up until the end. Furthermore, the way this episode was shot reminded me of the old film noirs, in that a lot of blacks and reds were used throughout to emphasize the sense of gloom and foreboding. This dark, menacing atmosphere, coupled with an equally menacing score, helped to enhance the overall feel of the episode tremendously. I was enthralled by this tale from beginning to end. The story did not for a moment become tedious nor did the tense and ominous mood at any time abate. Overall, I was very much impressed by how they pulled it all off.
I must say that I found the Borg children particularly delightful. Their reactions to Neelix’s story were very endearing, and very reminiscent of how most children, irrespective of their species, would react to a haunting tale. And, Seven sure wasn’t kidding when she said that these children have overactive imaginations! This was most evident when the children were speculating as to the fate of that Talaxian ship Neelix told them about. Not only did they have colorful imaginations, but gruesome ones too. Thinking that the survivors on board had to eat one another was really something. Now that was creepy! I loved how their minds worked! Also, I really like how their sense of humour seems to be paralleling that of their mentor, Seven’s. When Mezoti said that "Snacks are irrelevant, go on with the story", or when Icheb said that "our cardiopulmonary system is reinforced" in response to Neelix’s caveat that this story is not for the faint of heart, I kept thinking that this is exactly how Seven would have replied in such instances. The Borg sense of humour is odd because they are so literal, but it is also rather amusing and, dare I say it, cute.
As far as subtext goes, this episode did treat us to a small bit of J/7 interaction which was greatly appreciated by this fan, especially after such a long deprivation. Not much to go by, but Janeway’s bark "Seven, you’re with me!" did make my heart skip a beat. As well, how too close for comfort they were in Astrometrics, with their hands practically touching one another. Simply divine! Wish we had a little more of that in this episode. It would have made for an even more enjoyable show.
I must give some kudos to the fact that continuity was respected in this episode with the presence of that nervous, eager to please Ensign. Voyager is unfortunately not terribly fateful to continuity from episode to episode, so when it is, I believe their efforts should be applauded and encouraged.
In the final analysis, this was a very entertaining, enjoyable, not to mention spooky and ominous episode. Qualities which no doubt were responsible for making it such an entertaining outing! LOL I was impressed by the writers’ decidedly different yet imaginative premise, and fervently hope that this originality will spill over into the next season. A good show, very deserving of its three comm badges!
Cheers!
