Revulsion (Star Trek: Voyager)

"Revulsion"
Star Trek: Voyager episode
The Doctor meets another hologram
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 5
Directed by	Kenneth Biller
Written by	Lisa Klink
Featured music	David Bell
Production code	173
Original air date	October 1, 1997 (1997-10-01)
Guest stars
Leland Orser - Dejaren
Episode chronology
← Previous "Nemesis" Next → "The Raven"
List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes

"Revulsion" is the 73rd episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the fifth episode of the fourth season. The episode has an average rating of 3.2/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of April 27, 2007).

Plot

The crew is sitting in the mess hall for a celebration in honor of Tuvok, who is promoted to lieutenant commander. After the party Tom Paris catches up with B'Elanna Torres. The two haven't talked since the incident with the warp core three days ago, and Tom decides to make a move. B'Elanna confirms that she meant what she said when she confessed her love for him, and Tom accepts this with a kiss.

Shortly after the party ends Voyager receives a distress call, sent by Dejaren - a hologram alone aboard a ship. His six flesh-and-blood crewmates have been killed and he requests assistance. The Doctor is eager to meet a fellow hologram and he and B'Elanna take off in a shuttle to meet the disabled ship. When they beam on board, all is quiet. Dejaren stalks them for a few moments while they try to establish what is wrong with the ship. When he comes face-to-face with the away team, he is nervous, suspicious, and distraught. Dejaren introduces himself as an "isomorph." He says his crew suddenly died of a virus and he doesn't know what to do next. B'Elanna gets to work trying to stabilize his matrix so he can stay visible.

Meanwhile back on Voyager Harry Kim has been assigned to work with Seven of Nine. She correctly notes that he seems "apprehensive" at the prospect. Despite his wariness of her frightening Borg behavior, he seems to be developing a bit of a crush on her, and he is distressed by the idea of working closely with her. They manage to get their work done, but they are interrupted when Seven cuts her hand on a piece of equipment. Tom Paris, who has recently been recruited as the Doctor's new assistant, mends the cut in sickbay. He notices that Harry is growing fond of her, and advises him to keep his distance.

B'Elanna has some trouble with Dejaren, who is emotionally labile and unpredictable. One minute he giggles at her need to sustain herself by consuming food ("you nibble like a fish!"), and the next he unleashes an angry tirade about the disgust he feels toward "organics." B'Elanna excuses herself and catches up with the Doctor, insisting that they leave the ship and the disturbing hologram behind. The Doctor brushes her off, suggesting she be more patient with Dejaren, who is simply lonely and lacking in appropriate communication skills. B'Elanna doesn't buy it, and heads off to locate the hologram's main control center.

As B'Elanna explores other decks of the ship, Dejaren accosts the Doctor and pours out his feelings. He has felt like a slave to the organics, who are weak and unsanitary and require ridiculous amounts of maintenance and hygiene just to keep functional. He has grown to hate them and is glad he has the ship to himself. He begs the Doctor to come with him and teach him how to use the ship and be free of organics forever. The Doctor starts to realize why B'Elanna is uncomfortable around this angst-ridden isomorph.

B'Elanna finds the matrix controls. She also finds the bodies of the crew, who were not killed by a virus. They were violently murdered - by Dejaren himself. Before she can shut down the homicidal hologram he appears behind her and grabs her. He thrusts his hand into her body and grips her heart.

Back on Voyager Harry is trying to get closer to Seven. He asks her out to the holodeck. She has textbook knowledge of human behavior and immediately understands that he is attempting to spark romantic interaction between them. Since romance is irrelevant, the goal-oriented Seven suggests they proceed directly to copulation, and directs him to remove his clothes. Thoroughly unnerved, the embarrassed Harry retreats.

While B'Elanna's Klingon physiological backups are keeping her alive despite Dejaren having perforated her cardiac muscle, she is still in need of Voyager`s sickbay. She and the Doctor try to disable the crazed isomorph. He makes a grab for the Doctor's mobile emitter, but B'Elanna manages to jolt him with a high-voltage cable, which destabilizes his matrix for good. They hurry off the ship. Safely back in Voyager's sickbay, the Doctor patches up B'Elanna and she feels more than well enough to take Tom Paris back to her quarters.

Notable Quotes

(Conversation between The Doctor and Dejaren)

Dejaren: "59.2 percent."

The Doctor: "I beg your pardon?"

Dejaren:"That's how much power went into life support. 59.2 percent just to keep them breathing, warm, comfortable." (Slightly resentful)

The Doctor: "They do require quite a bit of maintenance, don’t they?" (Jovially)

Dejaren: "I should know, I spent my entire existence cleaning up after them; when they were busy sleeping or eating or…" (Looking away, gripping a metal pole, getting angry) "…engaging in their slovenly carnal pleasures..."

The Doctor: "…And this is the sensor grid, you'll find it most useful when you want to scan-" (Beginning to get uncomfortable, trying to change the subject)

Dejaren: "They took advantage of me…!" (Cutting the Doctor off, fighting back emotions)

This quote is notable in that it seems to allude to a specific physical and psychological assault on Dejaren, the hologram or 'isomorph', on the part of the crew and provides a more tangible motive for his xenocidal outbursts against 'organics' or organic lifeforms.

External links

• Revulsion at the Internet Movie Database
• "Revulsion" at TV.com
• Revulsion at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Revulsion at StarTrek.com