The Doctor, transmitted to Jupiter Station, tries to heal the ailing Zimmerman, his brilliant but belligerent creator. Enterprise counselor Deanna Troi deals with the psychological foibles of hologram and human.
(Originally aired May 10, 2000)
| Picardo on Picardo |
Zimmerman (to Barclay): I'm dying, Reginald. And there's nothing anybody can do about it. |
Doctor: He used his own physical parameters as a model for my matrix. I can't say I blame him. A doctor needs to inspire confidence in his patients. Compassionate eyes and a strong chin can go a long way. |
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Directed by Terry Windell
Story by John Bruno &
Robert Picardo
Teleplay by Robert Doherty & Raf Green and Brannon Braga
ADDITIONAL CREDITS
Dwight Schultz - Barclay
Marina Sirtis - Deanna Troi
Tamara Craig - Haley
Jack Shearer - Admiral Hayes
WHAT HAPPENED
Lieutenant Reginald Barclay arrives at Jupiter Station, and goes to see Dr. Louis Zimmerman, the holography pioneer who invented (in his own image) the Doctor. The cantankerous Zimmerman asks, with little interest, about Barclay's
Project Pathfinder (an effort to aid the starship Voyager).
Barclay asks how Zimmerman is, and the aging, bald genius replies that he is dying. (more
spoilers)
ANALYSIS
"Lifeline" is a well-crafted, well-acted, psychologically astute episode. It adeptly mixes humor and emotion, while avoiding the mawkishness that sometimes rears its head on the series.
Robert Picardo, who co-wrote the story, puts in excellent performances as both the Doctor and the hologram's caustic creator Zimmerman. (A man of myriad talents, Picardo incidentally also stars in SPACE.com's popular new game,
Astronorama.)
That the episode takes place in the Alpha Quadrant is salutary. In the stepped-up contacts between Voyager and the Federation, one sees the possible beginnings of an end to the lost starship's predicament -- and the possibility of a role in movies and the like beyond this series' conclusion.
WHAT WE LEARN
Certain medical holograms have been transferred to non-medical duties.
DANGLING PLOT THREADS
Will the Federation adopt an enlightened policy toward former Maquis fighters?
Will insect-sized hologram spies play an important role in future conflicts?
And will we be seeing more of Haley, Zimmerman's intriguing assistant?
REALITY CHECK
Voyager's communications with the Federation are transmitted via a "cyclic pulsar."
Pulsars are rotating neutron stars, but it's not clear what's meant by "cyclic." Pulsars were discovered in the 1960s, and initial speculations held that they may be beacons of alien intelligence (hence they were also known as LGM, or Little Green Men), but this idea was soon discarded by the mainstream scientific community.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK
A monster has been hiding on Voyager's Deck 12 in an episode cunningly enough entitled "The Haunting of Deck 12". Featuring the ever-popular
Neelix.
What do you think? Send your comments to the
long-suffering critic.
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