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Latent Image (Voyager episode)
Encyclopedia
"Latent Image" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager
, the eleventh episode of the fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.6/5 on the official Star Trek
website (as of August 7, 2007).http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/104365.html Robert Picardo said in interview for the DVD collection of season 7 that this is not only his favorite Voyager episode, but also the most important in the development of the Doctor's character.
discovers evidence that Ensign Harry Kim
has, at some point within the previous two years, undergone surgery of a complex and specific nature, which could only have been performed by the Doctor himself.
Having no memory of the procedure, The Doctor attempts to reconstruct evidence surrounding the time period, but finds that some of the files in his extensive photographic collection of the crew have been deleted. A reconstruction and search of the files reveals pictures of a crewmember of whom he has no recollection - Ensign Jetal.
Despite several anonymous attempts to delete the results of his investigations from his recent memory, The Doctor eventually discovers a conspiracy by the crew to keep him from remembering events that led to the holographic equivalent of a psychotic break
. The trouble started when a shuttlecraft was attacked, causing several casualties. The Doctor was faced with making a choice between two critically injured patients - Ensign Jetal and Ensign Kim - with an equal chance of survival, but a limited amount of time in which the Doctor could act, meaning that he had to choose which of the two to save. The Doctor happened to choose Ensign Harry Kim
; Jetal died on the operating table. As time passed, the Doctor was overpowered by guilt, believing that his friendship with Harry somehow influenced his choice. The Doctor fears that he may have, however inadvertently, let Ensign Jetal die so that his friend could live. These events created a conflict between those parts of his program that compelled him to act impartially, and those that comprised his ethical sensibility.
On having the previously deleted files of these events reinstalled into his memory, the Doctor's mental stability begins to deteriorate as before, and Captain Janeway
is faced with deleting his memories of events once again, or attempting to allow the Doctor to come to terms with his guilt, although this would possibly endanger the crew by effectively leaving them without an experienced medic in the interim.
Having been convinced by Seven of Nine
that the Doctor has reached a point in his personal development where he deserves the chance to evolve beyond the constraints of his program - and by extension, his very nature as a piece of technology - Janeway allows him to retain his memories and eventually come to terms with what he's done.
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, the eleventh episode of the fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.6/5 on the official Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
website (as of August 7, 2007).http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/104365.html Robert Picardo said in interview for the DVD collection of season 7 that this is not only his favorite Voyager episode, but also the most important in the development of the Doctor's character.
Plot
During a routine medical examination of several members of Voyagers crew, The DoctorDoctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
discovers evidence that Ensign Harry Kim
Harry Kim (Star Trek)
Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:...
has, at some point within the previous two years, undergone surgery of a complex and specific nature, which could only have been performed by the Doctor himself.
Having no memory of the procedure, The Doctor attempts to reconstruct evidence surrounding the time period, but finds that some of the files in his extensive photographic collection of the crew have been deleted. A reconstruction and search of the files reveals pictures of a crewmember of whom he has no recollection - Ensign Jetal.
Despite several anonymous attempts to delete the results of his investigations from his recent memory, The Doctor eventually discovers a conspiracy by the crew to keep him from remembering events that led to the holographic equivalent of a psychotic break
Psychotic break
A psychotic break is a term used to describe an occasion of a person experiencing an episode of acute primary psychosis, either for the first time or after a significant period of relative asymptomaticity. Several types of psychoactive drugs have been shown to correlate with psychotic breaks...
. The trouble started when a shuttlecraft was attacked, causing several casualties. The Doctor was faced with making a choice between two critically injured patients - Ensign Jetal and Ensign Kim - with an equal chance of survival, but a limited amount of time in which the Doctor could act, meaning that he had to choose which of the two to save. The Doctor happened to choose Ensign Harry Kim
Harry Kim (Star Trek)
Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:...
; Jetal died on the operating table. As time passed, the Doctor was overpowered by guilt, believing that his friendship with Harry somehow influenced his choice. The Doctor fears that he may have, however inadvertently, let Ensign Jetal die so that his friend could live. These events created a conflict between those parts of his program that compelled him to act impartially, and those that comprised his ethical sensibility.
On having the previously deleted files of these events reinstalled into his memory, the Doctor's mental stability begins to deteriorate as before, and Captain Janeway
Kathryn Janeway
Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew, is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. As the captain of the Starfleet starship USS Voyager, she was the lead character on the television series Star Trek: Voyager, and later, a Starfleet admiral, as seen in the 2002 feature film Star Trek...
is faced with deleting his memories of events once again, or attempting to allow the Doctor to come to terms with his guilt, although this would possibly endanger the crew by effectively leaving them without an experienced medic in the interim.
Having been convinced by Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine is a fictional character on Star Trek: Voyager, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager left Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space proved only...
that the Doctor has reached a point in his personal development where he deserves the chance to evolve beyond the constraints of his program - and by extension, his very nature as a piece of technology - Janeway allows him to retain his memories and eventually come to terms with what he's done.