The Killing Game
Encyclopedia
"The Killing Game" is a two-part episode of Star Trek: Voyager
, the 18th and 19th episodes of the fourth season. A Hirogen
hunting party has taken over Voyager and put its crew to work as living holodeck characters. Their minds are controlled by neural interfaces which make them believe they are their characters, and the Hirogen hunt them in two holodeck programs. The first half of the episode has a 4.4/5 rating and the second half of the episode has a 4.3/5 rating on the official Star Trek
website (as of May 17, 2007).
warrior complete with holographic cranial ridges when she is critically wounded by a Hirogen participating in a Klingon holodeck program. The Hirogen heals her wounds and she is put back to work in a second, more spectacular program: Toulouse
in Nazi-occupied France
circa 1944. The Hirogen find Nazism
fascinating, and are using the program to experience life in a military bent on conquering the planet. The Hirogen take on the roles of Nazi officers patrolling the town of St. Clare, with Voyagers brainwashed crew as their prey, members of the French Resistance
.
Janeway is now Katrine, a French restaurateur and leader of the underground plotting against their Nazi occupiers. She works with a bartender (Tuvok
), who is loyal to the movement, and a chanteuse and munitions expert (Seven of Nine
, whose voice was not dubbed
during the songs). Neelix
plays a baker who ferries messages and secret codes to the resistance headquarters. He is eventually wounded and transferred to the Klingon program after his recovery. B'Elanna
is a heavily pregnant French girl named Brigitte whose affair with a Nazi Captain allows her access to enemy areas (Roxann Dawson
actually was pregnant while filming this episode).
The Hirogen enjoy using the Voyager crew in the simulation, because they are more rewarding to hunt down and kill than are holograms. In Sickbay, The Doctor is furious that he must repeatedly save his crewmates from life-threatening wounds sustained as they are hunted in the simulations. He is also distressed that there has already been one Voyager fatality. Harry Kim
, who is being forced to expand the holodecks throughout the entire ship, works with The Doctor to regain control of the ship and its crew from the Hirogen.
The Doctor finds a way to release Seven and Janeway from their neural interfaces, and the two plan to break the Hirogen's hold on the rest of the crew. Just then, the Americans storm St. Clare with the help of the French Resistance. Captain Miller (Chakotay
) and Lt. Bobby Davis (Tom Paris
) arrive to take down the Nazi stronghold in the town, calling in an air strike to blow up German headquarters. The explosion overloads the holo-projectors' already strained circuitry and blasts an opening from the holodeck into the rest of the ship. Holograms invade Voyager and the ship becomes a World War II battleground.
Janeway fights off holo-soldiers and Hirogen Nazis to plant explosives in Sickbay. When it blows, the neural interfaces release the Voyager crew and they find themselves immersed in a war, or in the case of Neelix, amidst a group of drunken Klingons. Meanwhile, the leader of the Hirogen captures Janeway and she realizes what he is trying to do. His own culture will never survive with their lifestyle of wandering in scattered hunting parties, and if he could establish holo-programs his people could stay together and experience countless hunts of all kinds. Janeway takes advantage of his wisdom and the two establish a truce.
Unfortunately, one of the other Hirogen has become inspired by Nazi philosophy. He assassinates his leader and aims to conquer Voyagers crew in the spirit of righteous domination. Just in time, Neelix and The Doctor manage to merge the holo-programs, unleashing the murderous Klingons on the Nazis before they can execute the Voyager crew. Harry overloads the holodecks and the program finally ends.
After days of fighting, a truce is called between Voyager' s crew and the Hirogen. The Hirogen agree to leave Voyager in exchange for holodeck technology.
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 18th and 19th episodes of the fourth season. A Hirogen
Hirogen
The Hirogen are a fictional race in the Star Trek universe, a long-running plot device in the Star Trek: Voyager television series, appearing nine times in Seasons 4-7....
hunting party has taken over Voyager and put its crew to work as living holodeck characters. Their minds are controlled by neural interfaces which make them believe they are their characters, and the Hirogen hunt them in two holodeck programs. The first half of the episode has a 4.4/5 rating and the second half of the episode has a 4.3/5 rating 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 May 17, 2007).
Episode synopsis
Captain Janeway is a KlingonKlingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
warrior complete with holographic cranial ridges when she is critically wounded by a Hirogen participating in a Klingon holodeck program. The Hirogen heals her wounds and she is put back to work in a second, more spectacular program: Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in Nazi-occupied France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
circa 1944. The Hirogen find Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
fascinating, and are using the program to experience life in a military bent on conquering the planet. The Hirogen take on the roles of Nazi officers patrolling the town of St. Clare, with Voyagers brainwashed crew as their prey, members of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
.
Janeway is now Katrine, a French restaurateur and leader of the underground plotting against their Nazi occupiers. She works with a bartender (Tuvok
Tuvok
Tuvok is one of the main characters on the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok is a Vulcan who serves as the ship's chief of security and its chief tactical officer. Tim Russ portrayed Tuvok throughout the show's run, from 1995 to 2001....
), who is loyal to the movement, and a chanteuse and munitions expert (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...
, whose voice was not dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
during the songs). Neelix
Neelix
Mr. Neelix is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He is played by actor Ethan Phillips.-Fictional Biography:Mr. Neelix is a Talaxian originally from Rinax, a moon of the planet Talax, in the Delta quadrant, although his great-grandfather was Mylean. His entire family...
plays a baker who ferries messages and secret codes to the resistance headquarters. He is eventually wounded and transferred to the Klingon program after his recovery. B'Elanna
B'Elanna Torres
B'Elanna Torres is a main character in Star Trek: Voyager played by Roxann Dawson. She is portrayed as a half-human half-Klingon born in 2349 on the Federation colony Kessik IV. Torres joined the Maquis in 2370 and was serving on the Val Jean when brought to the Delta Quadrant...
is a heavily pregnant French girl named Brigitte whose affair with a Nazi Captain allows her access to enemy areas (Roxann Dawson
Roxann Dawson
Roxann Dawson is an American actress, producer and director, best known as B'Elanna Torres on the television series Star Trek: Voyager.-Acting:...
actually was pregnant while filming this episode).
The Hirogen enjoy using the Voyager crew in the simulation, because they are more rewarding to hunt down and kill than are holograms. In Sickbay, The Doctor is furious that he must repeatedly save his crewmates from life-threatening wounds sustained as they are hunted in the simulations. He is also distressed that there has already been one Voyager fatality. 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:...
, who is being forced to expand the holodecks throughout the entire ship, works with The Doctor to regain control of the ship and its crew from the Hirogen.
The Doctor finds a way to release Seven and Janeway from their neural interfaces, and the two plan to break the Hirogen's hold on the rest of the crew. Just then, the Americans storm St. Clare with the help of the French Resistance. Captain Miller (Chakotay
Chakotay
Chakotay , played by Robert Beltran, is a character in Star Trek: Voyager. He is the First Officer of the USS Voyager.-Character biography:...
) and Lt. Bobby Davis (Tom Paris
Tom Paris
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Paris serves as the chief helmsman and an auxiliary medic aboard the USS Voyager...
) arrive to take down the Nazi stronghold in the town, calling in an air strike to blow up German headquarters. The explosion overloads the holo-projectors' already strained circuitry and blasts an opening from the holodeck into the rest of the ship. Holograms invade Voyager and the ship becomes a World War II battleground.
Janeway fights off holo-soldiers and Hirogen Nazis to plant explosives in Sickbay. When it blows, the neural interfaces release the Voyager crew and they find themselves immersed in a war, or in the case of Neelix, amidst a group of drunken Klingons. Meanwhile, the leader of the Hirogen captures Janeway and she realizes what he is trying to do. His own culture will never survive with their lifestyle of wandering in scattered hunting parties, and if he could establish holo-programs his people could stay together and experience countless hunts of all kinds. Janeway takes advantage of his wisdom and the two establish a truce.
Unfortunately, one of the other Hirogen has become inspired by Nazi philosophy. He assassinates his leader and aims to conquer Voyagers crew in the spirit of righteous domination. Just in time, Neelix and The Doctor manage to merge the holo-programs, unleashing the murderous Klingons on the Nazis before they can execute the Voyager crew. Harry overloads the holodecks and the program finally ends.
After days of fighting, a truce is called between Voyager