'Prototype'

Stardate: 49270.9
Written By: Nicholas Correa and Kenneth Biller
Directed By: Jonathan Frakes
Rating: **** (out of 5)

Firstly, I really liked that �Robot Cam� view during the Teaser.  It gave us a different view of Voyager, though a close-up of Voyager would�ve looked cool, and we got to see what beaming looks like.

The story is pretty good, a race of Androids, who killed their creators, are fighting a War against another race of robots, in the same situation and with the same technology, and neither are able to reproduce.

The Robots weren�t really enemies to Voyager because they where programmed to defeat people that threaten them, and Janeway and B�Elanna in a really good scene, debate such issues.  B�Elanna says she can help the robots, but Janeway says its breaking the Prime Directive.  B�Elanna argues that they are sentient and would Janeway do the same thing if they are organic, etc etc.

Suffice to say the argument is done well.  But the Robot forces issues by taking B�Elanna captive on their ship and forcing her to work, or they will destroy Voyager.

As Voyager formulates a rescue plan, the other robots come along and fight, giving chance to a shuttle to go in the shields and beam out B�Elanna.  Before she is beamed out, B�Elanna manages to start up one of the Robots, but kills it later because she feels she is doing the wrong thing, help make them win a war, them who murdered their creators.

The Robots can�t be blamed, they where programmed to defeat their enemies.  So when their creators tried to stop them from fighting after a truce, they became the enemy.  It shows, like DS9 does often with the Jem�Hadar, that following orders to the letter isn�t a good thing.  But these poor things have no choice, they can�t reprogram themselves.

If B�Elanna managed to get further with her research, she could�ve reprogrammed the Robots to stop the war, but the Prime Directive is still an issue there - what would their purpose be then?

This isn�t an issue of sentience that has been explored by Trek before, this is an issue of programming.  And this different twist, with B�Elanna conflicted by her feelings, the laws and the Robots� conditions makes for great viewing.

I don�t really see how these Robots are more advanced than Data from TNG.  But it�s still a challenge for B�Elanna who, in a way, is like a Doctor to these robots.  And she feels compassion for them just like a Doctor would for a patient.

I can�t say the resolution �It must have been difficult� really does anything for the messages the episode puts across.  What exactly does that mean?  It means B�Elanna feels bad for what�s happened, but what can she do about it, how can she resolve it?  Might she, herself, try to make a robot, her child so to speak?  Is this how much value she places in these mechanical beings?

And what will become of the Pralor and Cravic robots?  Who�s going to win.  It might have better if we discover that the Pralor have no chance in winning, making B�Elanna feeling even more conflicted.  But because we get no follow-up at the end to either of theses issues, I can�t give this a five star rating.  Almost perfect.