Cheap Star Trek - Voyager, Episode 47: The Chute (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 47: The Chute

Harry Kim and Tom Paris trapped in an alien prison
Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) and Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) are enjoying shore leave on Akritiri when they are falsely accused of a terrorist bombing that killed 47 people and sent to prison in "Star Trek: Voyager," Episode 47, "The Chute" (Story by Clayton C. Harris, Teleplay by Kenneth Biller, Aired: September 18, 1996). The chute refers to the long metal chute by which Kim arrives in the alien prison, where he already finds Tom, who shows him the "clamp" worn by every prisoner. It cannot be removed without playing with the nervous system of the prisoner wearing it. Meanwhile, back on "Voyager," Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is informed by Liria (Robert Pine), the Akitirian ambassador, that Kim and Paris have been imprisoned because of the bombing. However, it seems the proof of the pair's guilt is that traces of trilithium were found on their clothes. Janeway then sets off to prove her crewmembers are innocent and to find the real terrorists.

The question, of course, is whether Janeway can get Harry and Tom out of their hellhole while they are still in one piece. The boys are doing their best to escape on their own, trying to figure out a way of getting past the force field in the chute so they can use it as a way of getting out. However, Harry is not meant for the harsh prison life and things get pretty bad for both of the "Voyager" officers. "The Chute" is another one of those episodes focusing on the education of young Harry Kim, although a strong subplot of the episode is that the Akritiri provide another one of those alien civilizations with a really stupid justice system. Of course, this implicitly makes the Federation, with its Earth based justice system, look every so much better and continuing the "Star Trek" tradition of making human beings look like the noblest creatures in the entire universe. But the chief attraction here is putting young Harry Kim through the wringer and having the kid on the "Voyager" bridge get another short course in growing up in the Delta Quadrant.

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Garrett Wang at his best
"The Chute" is one of the grittier episodes of Voyager, and a good change of pace - especially for the characters of Harry Kim and Tom Paris.

In this episode, Tom and Harry find themselves in a prison where inmates are "received" when they slide down a chute into the inmate population...where they are received with violence. There is no way out of this prison - the inmates are essentially left there, with "clamps" installed on their skulls that work to activate the hostile impulses in their personalities. Essentially, the situation faced by the inmates is reduced to the old "survival of the fittest" game...and it is *rough*. This is NOT the "prettiest" episode of Voyager around - but it is a solid effort.

The interaction between Tom and Harry in this episode is outstanding, and in my opinion, this is one of Garrett Wang's best performances in the Voyager series. I give it 4 stars, with a "must see" for Harry Kim fans.

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Heartbreaking Episode
"The Chute" is where Tom and Harry get thrown into a prison, but Tom arrives there first, and is then under the control of "The Clamp". However, if I remember correctly, Harry isn't affected that much, only like 2-3 times, most likely more. But what really affects him is when Tom gets stabbed and then the episode takes a dramatic change. But you'll have to see the rest for yourself. Enjoy, but be ready for anything!