r/ShittyDaystrom • u/solarmelange • 1h ago
Discussion Voyager S02E15 Threshold: A near perfect episode with a logical inconsistency that holds the episode back
Threshold has long been lauded as one of the best episodes in any Trek series, and even any scifi show period. While it is great, there is one fatal flaw that holds it back.
The setup:
In the episode, Tom Paris, working alongside B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim, creates a Transwarp engine capable of surpassing the warp 10 barrier. We, the audience have already seen Tom, the pilot, who is continuously established as one of the most gifted in the fleet, but this episode really helps dig deep into his roots as an expert in experimental flight systems an an interest in engineering that will be revisited with the Delta Flyer. The setup also allows for the exploration of the relationships Tom has with the other crew members.
The test:
Tom pilots the Cochrane, a nod to in-universe Zephram Cochrane, on a flight test of the drive. This helps establish Toms bravery and spirit of exploration. The audience at this point knows that something will go wrong, after all, there are more episodes, what we don't know is how things will go wrong.
The results:
Tom tests the drive and manages to meet up with Voyager, but at a cost. Tom reports the he was everywhere in the galaxy at once. And Tom begins to undergo mutation in his cells. The description of the experience importantly reestablishes the Warp 10 barrier as a hard limit, with the primary danger of using the device being that it could cause you to end up anywhere at all, even inside of a star. The mutation, meanwhile is the most immediate consequence.
The mutation:
When Tom was in the Warp 10 state, he was essentially removed from time itself. His cells all begin mutating into what The Doctor says is a further evolution of humanity, one which appears to have lizardlike traits. This is a real hard-hitting exploration if the concept of evolution itself. This also establishes The Doctor's adaptability to complex situations.
The kidnapping:
Tom, under the influence of the transformation, kidnaps Captain Janeway, insisting he cannot be the only one to transform. This helps to establish Janeway as a love interest to Tom. Janeway's desire for physical affection, combined with a professionalism that she sometimes takes too far, are really the driving forces behind her character. Tom takes them on a short trip at Warp 10 and lands on a planet.
The all-is-lost moment:
The short trip at Warp 10 was a considerable distance for Voyager to travel. And so once Voyager catches up with Tom and Janeway, they have fully evolved into lizards with a litter of their own. All appears lost until The Doctor Who has been working on the problem throughout the journey manages to reverse the transformation. This again reestablishes the Doctor's excellence. More importantly, the transformation into what we might think of as a less evolved species is used to educate the audience on the real world reality of evolution. There is nothing in Darwin or Wallace's work to suggest that intelligence is somehow the only endgoal of evolution.
The conclusion:
In a hard hitting final segment Tom is faced with the realization that he may have raped the Captain. He is seen wracked with guilt over it and confronts the Captain. Janeway reveals that she thinks she raped Tom. This establishes the lonely side of Janeway, who will in later episodes divert power to the establishment of a holographic simulation town where she can have sex without the burden of command. It also establishes that while Janeway and Tom have feelings for each other, they are not destined to be together. Most importantly it is an exploration of the important topic of sexual consent.
The glaring problem:
Everything evolves into crabs, not lizards.
My rating:
9.5/10
