"Prophecy"

Review by  Rina Keaton

Klingons in the Delta Quadrant. Klingons with no knowledge of the Khitomer Accords in the

Delta Quadrant. Assuredly one of B'Elanna Torres' worst nightmares. Yet, the potential

nightmare became a second step in B'Elanna's appreciation of her Klingon heritage - the first

occuring in "Barge of the Dead."

"Prophecy" is about Voyager's encounter with a Klingon generational ship that have been

traveling for the last 80 or 90 years. Its inhabitants are searching for the 'Kuvah Magh', otherwise

known as a Klingon savior. When Captain Kohlar, the Klingons' leader, sees the pregnant

B'Elanna Torres, he realizes that he has found the very savior. Only his idea of the savior and

that of his crew seem to vary. Kohlar sees B'Elanna and Tom Paris' unborn child as the means to

convince his people to cease their wanderings and form a colony on a planet. Naturally, all sorts

of problems arise from this situation.

One problem is B'Elanna's reluctance to accept the idea of her child as the Kuvah Magh. Another

is the Voyager crewmen's difficulty in dealing with 200 Klingons (they destroyed their ship upon

learning of the Kuvah Magh's appearance on Voyager) on board. Harry Kim is forced to flee

from the amorous attentions of a female Klingon named Ch'Rega. And one last problem arises -

certain Klingons led by one T'Greth, are skeptical of the idea of the Klingon/Human hybrid as

the mother of the Kuvah Magh. Eventually, this leads to a bat'leth duel between Tom and

T'Greth and an attempt by the latter to lead an insurgence aboard Voyager.

And how do I feel about "Prophecy"? One, it is not very original. Cultural clashes between

Klingons and Starfleeters have been done to death, most memorably in TNG's "A Matter of

Honor." "Prophecy" is also guilty of predictability. One knew the Klingons and Voyager's crew

would establish peace. One knew Neelix would become the long-suffering Tuvok's roommate

the moment the former suggested that Voyager's crewmembers share quarters. One knew the

Klingons would attempt a takeover of the ship and one knew that B'Elanna would finally begin

to embrace her mother's heritage. Tom's bat'leth duel with T'Greth was surprisingly dull and I

found the episode's opening sequence rushed. Yet, despite these flaws, I would still give

"Prophecy" four stars (****). It was a sheer pleasure to watch. I never had so much fun watching

a Trek episode since Season 5's "Bride of Chaotica!" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." Some

people found the episode's humor silly. After the intensity of "Shattered" and "Lineage" and the

dull pretensiousness of "Repentance," I found the humor a breath of fresh air. And although I

knew B'Elanna would eventually accept her Klingon heritage, I still found that moment

surprisingly poignant.

Episode Highlights

Tom Paris' reaction to B'Elanna's tales at the Klingon banquet

Neelix's appreciation of Klingon culture and Ch'Rega

The phaser shootout on the Bridge (Tom's duel with T'Greth in this scene was more exciting than

their bat'leth duel)

Tuvok's reaction to finding Neelix and Ch'Rega inside his quarters (classic moment)

Memorable Quote

"The only Klingon I'm afraid of is my wife after a double shift." - Tom Paris to T'Greth

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