State of Flux (S1E11)
Airdate: 10 April 1995
Written by: Chris Abbott
Directed by: Richard Scheerer
Running Time: 45 minutes
Nothing illustrates the progress the Star Trek franchise made during its Golden Age quite like a comparative analysis between the retrospectively much-maligned Season 1 of The Next Generation and the inaugural season of Voyager. While the former was forced to find its footing on a painful basis of trial and error, the latter was launched from the shoulders of previous gigantic achievements, exhibiting a clear, coherent vision and, more importantly, possessing greater resources, superior direction, better acting, and more sophisticated writing. This evolution in quality is starkly illustrated in how Voyager handles its "wham" events, a category in which the episode State of Flux holds a significant place, a narrative pivot that, in some ways, corresponds forcibly with the second-season finale of TNG.
Drawing from the critical lens applied to Skin of Evil—the twenty-third episode of TNG Season One—it is essential to understand the seismic shift that event caused in Star Trek history. That episode shattered the franchise's unspoken covenant regarding the safety of its principal cast. It was a moment of brutal realism that forced the audience to confront the genuine possibility of loss. State of Flux operates on a similar wavelength but with a distinct, decidedly darker twist that reflects the grittier, more morally ambiguous tone of Voyager. It signals that the crew is no longer playing in a sandbox of safe heroes but is navigating a landscape of treachery and survival.
The episode commences with Voyager's constant, desperate struggle for food supplies during its long and perilous odyssey through the Delta Quadrant. During one such foraging expedition, the ship finds itself confronted by a cloaked Kazon vessel in the planet's orbit. Janeway orders an immediate beam-out of the away team, but Seska is apparently missing. Chakotay, driven by a mixture of concern and adherence to protocol, stays behind to search for her. He stumbles upon a cave where a brief firefight ensues with two Kazon warriors before he is forced to retreat. Upon returning to the ship, Chakotay is treated for minor injuries but remains troubled by the encounter.
Back on Voyager, Seska, who had a romantic history with him in the Maquis resistance, brings him his favourite mushroom soup. Later, she claims she made it herself, using mushrooms taken from the ship's supplies in a "Maquis operation." To Chakotay, this is a clear breach of discipline and a sign of insubordination, particularly given the scarcity of resources. He is furious, threatening retribution. Seska attempts to placate him with new romantic overtures, but his anger persists, setting a tense domestic atmosphere that foreshadows the coming betrayal.
Soon afterwards, Voyager detects a distress call from a Kazon ship. Acting on it, Janeway dispatches a boarding party that finds almost the entire crew dead, save for one comatose Kazon. The disaster on the Kazon ship appears to have been caused by a mishandled piece of equipment bearing Federation markings. Janeway is now faced with disturbing possibilities: that someone from the Alpha Quadrant was in the Delta Quadrant before, that Kazon can access Alpha Quadrant, or, more disturbingly, that someone from Voyager is giving away technology to the enemy. Seska immediately becomes the prime suspect after being caught trying to retrieve a piece of technology without Janeway's orders. She is injured, reprimanded, and interrogated, her composure cracking under pressure as the detective work piles up against her.
The case against Seska complicates when Kes, during an exam, discovers that she possesses Cardassian blood. Seska explains this with Orkett's disease, a childhood affliction that forced her to take a bone marrow transplant from a friendly Cardassian woman. Further investigation uncodes messages between Kazon and Engineering, narrowing the suspects to Seska and Lieutenant Carey. Janeway and Tuvok set a trap, which confirms Seska's guilt. When confronted, she reveals that she is indeed a Cardassian, originally infiltrated into the Maquis. Now, she claims that by trading technology, Voyager can turn the Kazon into a powerful ally. She escapes to a Kazon ship via a pre-programmed beam, and Janeway's attempt to pursue her is thwarted by the Kazon numerical superiority. As Voyager retreats, Chakotay and Tuvok discuss Seska, noting that they were both fooled by her, a realization that stings deeply.
Skin of Evil and State of Flux share a similar "wham" moment in which a major female character leaves the ship. There are, of course, obvious differences, like Tasha Yar being a regular character receiving a heroic death, while Seska is a recurring character that "dies" by being revealed as a traitorous spy and defecting to the enemy. Yet, the emotional impact on the crew, at least some of them like Chakotay, is as great and underlines that Voyager will have a much darker tone than TNG. It suggests that trust is a luxury the crew cannot afford.
The episode was originally conceived through a pitch by freelance writer Paul Robert Coyle. State of Flux is much helped by the direction of Robert Scheerer and, even more so, by an excellent acting performance from Martha Hackett, who develops one of the most memorable characters of the entire series. She plays Seska with a chilling mix of charm and menace, making her a formidable antagonist who feels like a genuine threat to the ship's survival. The episode works excellently as a combination of a spy thriller and a mystery, and it also, like most good Star Trek, relies heavily on continuity, including the previous episode, which provided a red herring in the form of Lieutenant Carey as an unreliable officer, a classic narrative device executed with precision.
However, what doesn't work is Neelix trying a little bit too hard to be comic relief at the very beginning of the episode, interrupting the mood with forced humour that feels at odds with the episode's underlying tension. Despite this minor flaw, State of Flux is a pivotal moment in the series' early development, proving that Voyager was not merely a clone of its predecessor but a show willing to explore the darker, more complex corners of the Star Trek universe.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
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