Favorite Son: ha I didn’t write anything while I watched this like a zombie at 5:30 in the morning. This was definitely one of the better episodes to me. It was simple and interesting, makes for a good stand alone plot. The whole “I always knew I was special,” thing made me cringe a little bit... that was kind of awkward. But the episode was paced very well, from “It’s totally possible they’re telling the truth and really do reproduce this way, glad he found his way home,” to “Oh shoot missed the virus that implanted this DNA.”

Do I love that the whole allure of staying on the planet was sex with women? Of course not. But it was actually a reasonable choice because we know Harry would say no. I don’t know if this ever changes but Harry still seems entirely committed to Libby (who by the way, seemed like a perfect match for him in that one episode awhile back and I see why he’s holding out hope). Personally, at this point, I wouldn’t hold anyone on this show responsible for not staying faithful to an earth partner. I’d honestly encourage it if it makes things more bearable in the long run because this show definitely skips over the whole trauma of this situation. But I also have a lot of respect for the choices they have made so far. I like the poeticism of it.

I just think it was a well produced episode. Star Trek objectification for plot purposes aside, the idea was clever. And we got one of those classic Voyager gut wrenching moments when we see the dude essentially mummified on the bed. Although, any theories on why they just... left the mummy there? Just one little loose end.

Before and After: oh, I see. Tom marries EVERYONE.

“I’ve got enough feelings for both of us.” My HEART! Tom is just so lonely, and wants to love somebody, and it’s killing me because I feel it too and I’m not stranded out in space.

My soul is melting. I’m going to cry it’s so sweet. There’s a country song about the loving someone more and more than they thought was possible each time. Something about, “And I thought I loved you then.”

Annnd then we had to ruin it with a birthing scene. Why. It didn’t ruin it completely I am very wrapped up in this.

Oh my God Tom had to watch B’Elanna die... and Chakotay just telling him that when this ends they’ll all have a lot of grieving to do- which is so true in this situation but so brutal.

I absolutely love Kes’s long hair. Just thought I’d throw that out here.

This episode was drastically emotionally frontloaded. I felt so many very intense things and then about half an hour in it just stopped. It got boring, the solution was boring, the result was boring, and are we not talking about how Kes just suddenly grew hair since the last episode? I don’t want to discount the first 3/4 of the episode, that was beautiful. It was artistic, emotional in a way that wasn’t just depressing. It just dropped right off. Pace changed, interest changed.

Real Life: first of all, very fitting title now that I think about it.

Watching Tom openly flirt with B’Elanna made my heart flutter a little bit. I try not to root for relationships in these shows, but I want to see someone fall in love. I’m in that kind of mood.

And here’s Tom, taking any opportunity to stop flying the big ship so he can start flying a little one. I think B’Elanna had the perfect reaction to EMH’s family. But I love how Kes was polite and supportive at dinner. That said it feels like B’Elanna took it a bit too far. I’m sure this is going to be wholesome in the end but if we were trying to approximate the average family... you know actually I have no idea what an average family would behave like. I certainly didn’t have an average family. But ya know, I HOPE that the average rebellious teen doesn’t try to do a violent ritual on a random stranger for honor... I didn’t have a rebellious phase. Unless you count occasionally forgetting to look both ways before crossing a street when I’m in a bad mood...

Wow all this program did was hurt him. I’m not crying about a hologram, YOU’RE CRYING ABOUT A HOLOGRAM. Not that holograms are any less real but ahh this is not where I thought this was going to go. Awe he lied to Kes about it.

The other plotline in this is significantly less interesting, although we had B’Elanna on the bridge sheerly for the drama of it. The camera keeps panning to Tuvok for no reason.

Tom’s facial expressions in this an the last episode were perfect. I think they were a little exaggerated in a way but there’s less being said and more being expressed.

I think the whole point of this last scene, and the message of the episode was to just take it in sometimes, so I put down the writing and sat here and cried my eyes out. That was so simplistically tragic. Funny story, every time I leave my family or hang up the phone, even to go for a walk down the street I say I love you. We don’t get to prepare for bad things. The funny thing is when they are slamming the door because we’re so mad at each other someone just needs to get out for a bit and I say I love you and I get this really grumpy, mumbled I love you back. Awe hell I’m crying again.

The other plotline also actually fits with the doctor’s which is unusual for this type of episode, at least to my perception. But Tom just had to ride out a physical challenge, let the storm play out. The doctor had to ride through this emotional challenge, let it run its course. But man it was brutal.

And if Tom ever says, “It’s a whopper,” again I’m voting him off the island. That was so awkward! It’s almost as bad as, “Like a snake through a tube,” except I’m not sure anything could be that bad but I just laughed so hard for even thinking of that line so cheers to that.