Cheap Star Trek - Voyager, Episode 31: Alliances (Video) (Roxann Dawson, Tim Russ, Gabrielle Beaumont, Kenneth Biller, Cliff Bole, John Bruno, LeVar Burton, James L. Conway, Allan Eastman, Jonathan Frakes) Price

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Customer Reviews of Star Trek - Voyager, Episode 31: Alliances

Captain Janeway tries to make an alliance with the Kazon
"Star Trek: Voyager" Episode 31, "Alliances" (Written by Jeri Taylor, Aired January 22, 1996) has Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) confronting the realities of being stuck in the Delta Quadrant trying to get home when she agrees to try and form an alliance with the Kazon. "Voyager" has been under repeated attack by the Kazon and the ship has been damaged. Running out of options, Chakotay tells Janeway that the Maquis would have exploited the competing factions of the Kazon and urges her to do the same thing. Janeway is reluctant, but when Tuvok argues that such an alliance could provide some degree of stability to that section of the Delta Quadrant, she agrees to make the appropriate overtures. However, both the initial talks between Janeway and Chakotay with their old friends Seska (Martha Hackett) and Culluh (Anthony De Longis), and those between Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and a representative of another Kazon faction go from bad to worse. But then things take a turn for the better and a conference of warring Kazon factions is called to try and establish peace in the quadrant. Unfortunately arriving on the scene as well are the Trabe, who were once the slaves of the Kazon and who are now exiles. Throw into the mix Seska's machinations to use the conference as another move in the effort to capture "Voyager" and it is just a question of how bad things are going to be at the end of this one.

My only real problem with this episode is that even if Chakotay has things he wants to keep secret from Janeway regarding Seska there is no way that the Captain should ever trust Seska or her ally. However, I certain appreciate the way "Alliances" complicates the situation for the "Voyager" crew, although it is a bit difficult to follow all the political implications. Granted, forming alliances is going to be a prime ingredient in getting "Voyager" further along on its long journey home, but Janeway's first diplomatic steps should probably have been something considerably less ambitious. Then again, just to argue out one final flip, after the monolithic enemies of the Star Trek universe from the Klingons and Romulans to the Borg and Cardassians, it is a pretty good change of pace to have the Kazons with their multiple factions (although, once again, it seems there is a pretty good parallel between the Kazons and the factions of the Middle East that are vying for control). The bottom line is that "Alliances" is an above-average "Voyager" episode, with implications down the road for more than the Chakotay-Seska sub-plot.

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One of Voyager's best!
This episode is full of action and it has an interesting plot twist! I love it! And to keep things interesting, Seska's hair is curled this time around! Haha! (Not that that is important!). More importantly, we get to see that darned ol' Seska again. I was a little surprised that she agreed to talk about an alliance with Voyager, but oh well, the episode was still great!

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Good background for the Kazon
Well, since the Kazon are perhaps "the" villans of Voyager Seasons 1 and 2, it's good that we discover the roots of their aggression. In this episode, we explore the hostile and distrustful relationship between the Kazon and the Trabe, and the result is an excellent episode filled with good dialogue and action.

Unfortunately, the crew of Voyager is, by the end of the episode, left in a position of complete isolation from both the Kazon and the Trabe...but Janeway stands her moral ground with both, and that counts for something!

Also in this episode, Seska makes an appearance, giving us still more reasons to hate her (as if we didn't have loads by this time!)

Overall, and enjoyable episode and one worth viewing from season 2.