Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Dreadnought (1996) User Reviews

An accidental attack

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 20 July 2010]

The crew of Voyager find the wreckage of a ship and are surprised to find that it was destroyed by a Cardassian weapon. It had been captured by the Maquis and reprogrammed to attack a Cardassian target however before reaching its target it was lost in the Badlands. At the time they assumed it was destroyed but now it is apparent that it was brought to the Delta Quadrant by the same array that brought Voyager and the Maquis ship there in the opening episode. Luckily the person who reprogrammed the weapon is B'Elanna Torres, so if anybody can deactivate it she can... unfortunately though she only has a limited time to do it as the weapon has found a planet that resembles its original target, a planet with several million inhabitants. At first B'Elanna thinks she has successfully deactivated it but hadn't counted on the efficiency of her own programming when it reactivates assuming that she must have been coerced by the Cardassians. As she struggles to stop the attack it looks as if she may have to sacrifice herself to protect an alien culture from the weapon she launched.

This was a decent episode centred on B'Elanna, Roxann Dawson did a good job in that role and as the voice of the weapon. As the weapon got closer to the target the tension raised nicely. While there wasn't any real doubt that she would succeed it was unclear just how the planet would be saved until the final few minutes.

Wow, Torres...you REALLY screwed up here!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 February 2015]

The plot to "Dreadnought" is incredibly contrived but it is a good episode. After all, a super-weapon that Torres created back in the Alpha Quadrant during her Maquis days should NOT suddenly appear in the Delta Quadrant--and the explanation for this is rather lame. Regardless, this giant and intelligent bomb is headed towards a nearby planet--one it will likely obliterate unless Voyager is able to stop it. Fortunately, Torres thinks she can stop it...but the process isn't nearly as simple as she thinks. After all, she doesn't realize that Dreadnought has the ability and willingness to lie--even to her, its creator. How all this actually ends up is very talky...very. But it's still an interesting concept and worth seeing because it's rather unique and involves explosions, aliens and the like. It's also exceptionally tense and nail-biting--especially towards the end of the show.

Bomb Squad

[Bolesroor · 7/10 · 2 February 2011]

The crew encounters the Dreadnought, a Cardassian doomsday device intent on destroying a planet.

B'Elanna, who had previously encountered this mega-weapon, had disabled the ship's destructive capabilities. Since then it has been re-activated and she must race against time to dismantle the bomb.

Hmmm... the scene in which B'Elanna confides to Paris that Chakotay had covered for her at the briefing- and that she'd reprogrammed the ship's computer with her own voice- seem mysteriously tacked on... like it was a re-shoot and her voice was added to Dreadnought in post-production. I could be wrong, but these two factors up the ante for the otherwise weak story and make the drama more urgent and personal. If B'Elanna had simply failed in reprogramming Dreadnought she could not be blamed for its current threat, but since her admission that she had defied Chakotay's orders there is an added responsibility on her part.

If she had indeed defied Chakotay and he was covering for her at the briefing, why was there no look or exchange from him to show that he knew more than he was saying? Additionally, why was there no follow-up whatsoever on this supposed secret she shared with Chakotay? There is no scene in which they discuss it, no sign on his part that he knew anything more than what he reported to the Captain. Strange, no?

B'Elanna's voice on the Dreadnought's computer seems heavy-handed and repetitive. How many times can we marvel at the the irony that she seems to be battling herself or repenting for her own sins? This is an unremarkable episode with an unresolved plot line: why was Tom disheveled? Because he's bored with Starfleet regulations? This is not even close to a substantial B-story in the episode, and again feels shoe-horned in for some future payoff.

It is only Janeway's interaction with the leader of the threatened planet and her self-destruct sacrifice that give the episode any substance. Still waiting for Voyager to get it together... wondering why I'm being so patient.

GRADE: B-

Voyager to the rescue

[tomsly-40015 · 7/10 · 15 December 2023]

This is an interesting episode in which the Voyager crew has to stop a misguided missile from the alpha quadrant that is about to kill millions of people on a planet which it has falsely acquired as its target. The irony is: It is a missile that has been captured by the Maquis and reprogrammed by Torres once to go for a Cardassian target but was pulled to the delta quadrant just like Voyager and now is a ticking time bomb.

But let's talk about the elephant in the room: The highly devastating, self-guided and autonomous Cardassian missile with self defense and countermeasure capabilities and a sophisticated AI that is able to predict probabilities of a mission failure and can act accordingly. A missile that can destroy a whole moon or half a planet. Why did we never see this weapon in use by the Cardassians before?

And why would they build a missile that is basically a shuttle? With enough room inside to stand and walk. With life support, environmental controls and lights (breathable air inside as well as a warm atmosphere, air pressure and humidity). With artificial gravity. With computer stations, monitors and input consoles. With an intruder detection system consisting of a DNA scanner and voice recognition. But most of all: With a carpet! Just imagine - they built this highly advanced WMD and then a handyman worked for hours to lay a carpet on the floor in a missile that is about to be destroyed in a big explosion. A wonder that it didn't come with food replicators, too. Maybe only in the MK II version.

And why does the computer not just switch off the lights and the artificial gravity to prevent Torres from sabotaging its mission?

In the end Janeway would even sacrifice Voyager to stop the missile which shows again her character and her strong beliefs in Starfleet values. But luckily Torres is able to blow the missile and its carpet up before it can hit the planet or Voyager. Mission accomplished!

A cautionary tale about WMD development.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 2 July 2021]

Who could have imagined the development of a WMD would have unfortunate consequences?

It is interesting to watch the process of the inventor attempting to kill/disable it's own creation.

It's a solid episode but it's just missing a few elements to truly capture my full attention.

Enjoyable B'Elanna Torres episode

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 14 November 2023]

Voyager happens across something else from the alpha quadrant.

This is a reasonably good episode that has a very coincidental premise that I can just about (by the skin of my teeth) get past for the story to work. It is also quite similar in structure to the previous episode 'Prototype'.

The main strength for me is Roxanne Dawson, who is pretty compelling in her Torres v Dreadnought scenes. Also, there is a reasonably cool self destruct sequence that manages to create tension regardless of the fact you know the ship (along with a couple of main characters) will not be destroyed. Katie Mulgrew shows Janeway's stoicism very well here and is supported well by the likes of Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Beltran and Tim Russ.

For me it's a 6.5/10, but I round upwards.

Good Potboiler!

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 19 August 2018]

Somehow the Maquis got caught up with the Kardassians at some point and Torres and her gang built a death ship. This ship shows up and because of some mistaken programming heads for an earth-like planet where it would kill millions. On numerous occasions, the self-destruct sequence is put into motion on Star Trek incarnations. Torres seems to know what to do (I don't understand it) and matches wits with the computer system she created (and she is filled with guilt). This is extremely intense but one never really understands the science.

Good episode. Badly done science for trek.

[Robin_clarke41 · 3/10 · 16 August 2015]

A number of huge mistakes with this episode:

1. How did this super weapon get in the Delta quadrant again?! 2. Torres was able to reprogram this thing from the Cardassians but can't reprogram it from her own programming?! 3. And this is my biggest problem with this episode: HOW THE HELL DID THE EVIL CARDASSIANS HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF HAVING SUCH A POWERFUL WESPON AND DO NITHING WITH IT!!!!!!!

I mean the Cardassians are this egotistical, power hungry, scheming race doing everything they can to get the upper hand in the Alpha quadrant - even join the dominion. And here they are with what is essentially a drone that can wipe out a fleet of starships??!!! WTF?! This totally upsets the delicate race/ship/technology/power balance we have become accustomed to since TNG. bottom line is that if the Cardassians had these they would have used them to conquer the alpha quadrant. Not sit on them quietly and let them be stolen by terrorists. Annoyingly this episode was done well and the effects and script was good. If only they kept the show true to the science it has done so well since TOS.