This episode isn't perfect. Mainly because Chakotay's attitude here seems somewhat out of character. Despite these flaws, the episode is chock-full of interesting and relevant themes worth exploring.
Space exploration has always been a kind of a spiritual journey in my opinion. One of humanity noblest endeavors. And this episode pays tribute to that! I always loved Star Trek's attitude towards space exploration: it's not something irrelevant that just throws away money and resources, as many would have you believe in our contemporary world. It's the outward expansion of the human spirit. An expansion towards the Universe. Reaching out, discovering and redefining ourselves along the way. Even if it means to face failure. Because failure and success are just two sides of the same coin. You can't appreciate success if you haven't failed. And as the Mars pilot Lt. John Kelly says in his own words in the episode 'Don't see it as a failure..I don't'.
I really liked that Seven, understands all this in the end of the episode, when she says that 'In a sense, we're more alike than one might think. In a sense, his desire to explore was not unlike a quest for perfection. His contributions helped secure humanity's future...and my own'.
These are really very deep themes worthy of appreciation and reflection upon. And are very relevant also today, in a world fixated on being as risk-averse as possible, and dismissive of the value of exploration and discovery. And it has always been such a pleasure that these themes are integral to the Star Trek philosophy as well and this episode chooses to pay such a tribute to this.
Space exploration has always been a kind of a spiritual journey in my opinion. One of humanity noblest endeavors. And this episode pays tribute to that! I always loved Star Trek's attitude towards space exploration: it's not something irrelevant that just throws away money and resources, as many would have you believe in our contemporary world. It's the outward expansion of the human spirit. An expansion towards the Universe. Reaching out, discovering and redefining ourselves along the way. Even if it means to face failure. Because failure and success are just two sides of the same coin. You can't appreciate success if you haven't failed. And as the Mars pilot Lt. John Kelly says in his own words in the episode 'Don't see it as a failure..I don't'.
I really liked that Seven, understands all this in the end of the episode, when she says that 'In a sense, we're more alike than one might think. In a sense, his desire to explore was not unlike a quest for perfection. His contributions helped secure humanity's future...and my own'.
These are really very deep themes worthy of appreciation and reflection upon. And are very relevant also today, in a world fixated on being as risk-averse as possible, and dismissive of the value of exploration and discovery. And it has always been such a pleasure that these themes are integral to the Star Trek philosophy as well and this episode chooses to pay such a tribute to this.