Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold (1996)

-Written by Kyle Bain.  

When Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) hopes to join the ranks of Zefram Cochrane and Neil Armstrong by reaching warp 10, he finds that he’s accidentally altered his genetic makeup. As the crew attempts to save their friend from certain death, they must first try to understand why Paris has allowed hubris to get the best of him. 

Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold attempts to explore the internal struggle of Tom Paris, examining the fact that he feels he’s a disappointment to his crew and to those who often believed him to be exceptional. At the core of this episode is something innately Star Trek, innately human that immediately grabbed hold of me. I greatly appreciated the intention behind this episode, as it greatly appeals to the simple, yet complex idea of being. Why are we here? How can I contribute to the world around me? These are questions that inevitably cross each of our minds at one point or another–and Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold uses this as a way to initially reach viewers and provide them a legitimate reason to care about this episode.

I fully understand that Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold ranks among the worst episodes in all of the Star Trek canon–but I feel that there are a series of instances in which the episode is quite wonderful. Again, that aforementioned appeal to humanity is enough for me to appreciate this episode, but there are also moments of [out of character] comedy present in this episode that interestingly appealed to me as well. 

In an episode that’s meant to be intense and powerful, I’m not entirely sure there’s a place for humor, and yet I found it to create some sort of balance. What initially appears to be a story about an existential crisis quickly shifts to body horror, often depicting Paris in grotesque and otherworldly ways. Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold relies on this comedy, however, in order to create a tonal balance opposite Paris’ transition. Absurd comedy from The Doctor (Robert Picardo) and dry humor on behalf of Tuvok (Tim Russ) caused me to laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Seemingly, the further Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold gets from reality, the more this series of writers employs interestingly grounded comedy to reel it back in. 

Again, I know that for the typical Star Trek fan, the humor is cringe worthy at best–but I feel it’s fair to say that Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold manages to employ it in a way that has the potential to resonate with viewers regardless of their station within the Star Trek fandom. 

Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold is inherently Star Trek at its core–possessing levels of sophistication that just aren’t fully realized. In an episode that is meant to focus heavily on Paris, this team ultimately drops the ball in that regard. While he remains the primary vehicle for this story to be told, he’s often unconscious or completely unrecognizable as the result of makeup and prosthetics. The episode manages to fail in developing him effectively–being one of the series of issues by which Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold is plagued. 

Modest set designs (with the exception of the sick bay) cause Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold to become far more minimalist than it should have been–more proof that this almost exists as a bottle episode that plays far too little into the greater narrative of Star Trek: Voyager. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the infamous salamander scene. It serves no purpose, creates no level of suspense or drama, and does nothing for the greater stories of either Paris or Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). At the very least, it’s odd; at worst, it’s borderline beastiality It further fractures the narrative, and it has viewers scratching their heads to this day. 

There are moments of potential brilliance within Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold, but most of those instances are quickly glossed over, without ever building into something significant. I hold onto the idea that the episode’s potential is enough for me to appreciate it, but my experience with Star Trek: Voyager up to this point hasn’t been entirely favorable, likely causing me to feel better about this particular episode as a result. Star Trek: Voyager - Threshold has frequently been named one of the worst Star Trek installations in history, and I can see how one might form that opinion. However, there’s something here that worked for me–and I can’t say that I’m upset about having watched it. 

Directed by Alexander Singer. 

Written by Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor, Brannon Braga, Michael De Luca, Kenneth Biller, & Lisa Klink. 

Starring Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jennier Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Raphael Sbarge, etc. 

7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE