Recap / Star Trek Voyager S 4 E 5 Revulsion

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On the day that Lt. Tuvok gets a promotion to Lieutenant Commander, Voyager receives a distress call from an isomorphic projection who claims to be the only one left on board a space ship after all its crew have been killed. The Doctor and Lt. B'Elanna Torres respond to the call and discover some disturbing facts. Meanwhile, as Lt. Tom Paris fills in for the Doctor in Sickbay, Ensign Harry Kim deals with having to work with Seven of Nine because he feels attracted to her.

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This episode provides examples of:

• Absurdly Ineffective Barricade: When B'Elanna shuts a sliding door just in time to block him, Dejaren, being a hologram, simply walks through the door, though this does at least force him to drop his hammer and the Doctor's mobile emitter.
• A.I. Is a Crapshoot: The EMH and B'Elanna come across a sentient isomorphic projection who is the only survivor on a space ship. He ended up killing his crew hours before contacting Voyager and lied about how his crew died. In the climax, he tried to kill B'Elanna twice and he suffered a minor Villainous Breakdown when the Doctor tried to reason with him. It turns out that treating a self-aware program like an unfeeling tool is a good way to have it go insane and murder you.
• All There in the Manual: The HD25 Isomorphic Projection is named Dejaren, but that name is never mentioned even though the subject of the Doctor's lack of a name comes up.
• Always Female: Implied in Tom's reaction to being drafted to help the Doctor.
  Tom: You want me to be the new nurse?
  EMH: If that's the title you prefer.
• Aesop Amnesia: Averted; B'Elanna stands by her Love Confession from "Day of Honor".
• Ambiguous Situation: It's ambiguous how much truth there is to Dejaren's claims of abuse, since we only have his word to go on and he is proven to be a liar.
• An Aesop: In-Universe; the Doctor decides at the end of the episode that he's going to be a bit more tolerant of organics and their sloppy ways.
• Anguished Declaration of Love: Tom gives B'Elanna the opportunity to claim she didn't mean it, but when she says otherwise grabs her for a "Shut Up" Kiss.
• A Shared Suffering
• Attack Its Weak Point: Dejaren hits the Doctor's mobile emitter to shut him down.
• Ax-Crazy: Dejaren. He ended up killing his crew hours before contacting Voyager and he lied about how his crew died. In the climax, he tried to kill B'Elanna twice and he suffered a minor Villainous Breakdown when the Doctor tried to reason with him.
• Badass Armfold: Subverted when it leaves the Doctor's mobile emitter open to attack.
• Big "NO!": Several of these by Dejaren:
  • "No! No! No, no, no, no, no! We don't need nourishment, we don't suffer disease. We're the higher form of life!"
  • A standard Big "NO!" interrupted by static as B'Elanna switches him off.
  • "No! No! No! You're unstable! You're a hologram that thinks like an organic!"
• Blatant Lies:
  • The episode opens with Dejaren dragging away a bloody corpse, so his story of the Serosan crew dying of disease is clearly wrong.
  • Played for Laughs when Doctor says it took a "few days" to get the social skills needed to interact with Voyager's crew.
  • Harry has no idea what Seven could have meant by "helping her learn more about our complex social interactions".
  • Chakotay also claims he has no idea what Seven was talking about, but after Harry leaves Chakotay breaks out in a big grin.
• Bludgeoned to Death: Dejaren attacks his victims with a hammer.
• Call-Back: Tom Paris is assigned to assist the Doctor again, as was his task in Season One before Kes took over the job.
• Canon Immigrant: Janeway relates her first encounter with Tuvok, which is taken from Jeri Taylor's novel Mosaic.
• Cassandra Truth: The Doctor doesn't take B'Elanna's concerns about Dejaren too seriously, that is, until the deranged isomorph shares his extremist views on organics with him personally.
• Chekhov's Gun
  • Dejaren is serving B'Elanna a tray of food when he nearly steps on a power cord exposed at one end. B'Elanna has to warn him to "Watch out!" Later, when the isomorph turns homicidal and corners B'Elanna, she uses said power cord to destroy him.
  • The Doctor is given several warnings that his mobile emitter could be fragile.
  • Dejaren shows the Doctor his holographic fish. Later Dejaren attacks B'Elanna and is only stopped when she shuts off all the holo-emitters. Then the Doctor catches sight of the fish in its tank and realises the holo-emitters on the bridge are still operating.
• The Comically Serious: Both Tuvok and Seven display their own dry wit in response to the inanities of their colleagues.
• Computer Equals Monitor: Zigzagged; B'Elanna deactivates Dejaren by turning off the computer, but shuts him down the second time by sticking the power cable into his hologram.
• Curse Cut Short
  EMH: Do you recall my own behaviour when I was first activated?
  Torres: How could I forget? You were a major pain in the—
  EMH: My point is, I too was somewhat alienated from the rest of the crew.
• Deadly Euphemism
  Dejaren: Oh, you're getting blood everywhere. I'm going to have to deactivate you.
• Deadpan Snarker: All over the place in this episode.
  • Tuvok: "During my years on Voyager I have come to respect a great many of you. Others I have learned to tolerate." (stares at Tom and Harry, who had just been telling everyone about a prank they played on him)
  • EMH to Tom: "The Captain has authorised me to recruit someone with advanced medical training to help out in Sickbay. Unfortunately, the most qualified crewmember is you."
  • Seven of Nine: "I understand the concept of humour. It may not be apparent, but I am often amused by human behaviour."
  • A smitten Harry is talking about how intelligent Seven is.
  Tom: She ought to be; she's assimilated enough people.
• Didn't Think This Through: The unstable Dejaren thinks he can do as he pleases with no consequence, seeing himself as a higher form of life, but when rightfully pointed out to him by the Doctor Isomorphics have their limits just as organics do, does he begin to freak out.
• Dies Wide Open: The episode opens with a crewman staring into space, then he's dragged off leaving a blood trail against the bulkhead.
• Distress Call: Dejaren sends one in the teaser.
• Do Androids Dream?
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: While ranting to the Doctor about why he disdains organics, Dejaren mentions his creators engaging in "carnal pleasures". Shortly afterwards, he murmurs that they took advantage of him, suggesting that he was raped.
• Double Entendre: Having seen Tom kissing B'Elanna, the Doctor works in as many as he can get away with.
  EMH: For a Klingon you have a decent bedside manner.
  Torres: Thanks.
  EMH: I wonder what kind of bedside manner Mister Paris will exhibit.
• Do You Want to Copulate?: Said by Seven to Harry Kim. He flees.
• Fantastic Racism: Isomorphics against organics.
• Fatal Attractor: Tom warns Harry against falling for a Borg. He doesn't listen.
• Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: The unstable Dejaren views the ship not as his designated place of work but as an extension of himself, and absolutely hates organics touching and messing it up.
• Foreshadowing
  • The subject of AI-hologram rights becomes an important issue for the Doctor in later seasons.
  • Harry and Seven are assigned to upgrade the Astrometrics Lab, which will be a new set in the series, first shown in "Year of Hell".
• Final Girl: It's B'Elanna who shuts down Dejaren for good.
• First Injury Reaction: Seven is shocked when she cuts her hand, as she would have instantly regenerated as a Borg drone.
• Foil: Dejaren can be seen as one for the Doctor, as while the Doctor might occasionally complain about his treatment from the rest of the crew, he would never go this far and is genuinely seen as a friend by most of the organic crew.
• The Gadfly: Chakotay assigning Harry to continue to work with Seven.
• Go Mad from the Isolation: Dejaren was kept in a tiny room and barely interacted with the crew.
• Hidden Depths: Harry realises the Emotionless Girl he's working with is complex, emotionally vulnerable, and even has a subtle sense of humor. It's nice to know he can look past the catsuit.
• Hologram Projection Imperfection: Used in the teaser not only to show Dejaren is a hologram, but to provide the reason why he makes a Distress Call in the first place as his system is breaking down.
• Intangible Man:
  • When B'Elanna first realises Dejaren is a killer she takes a swing at him, only for her fists to pass through his body. Dejaren then plunges a hand into her chest and tries to puncture her heart.
  • Dejaren swipes at the Doctor with his hammer—it passes right through him. So the Doctor casually tosses his tricorder through Dejaren, folds his arms and says, "This could get tedious." Unfortunately that leaves his mobile emitter exposed to Dejaren's second swipe.
• It's a Long Story: Done for Rule of Three

  Dejaren: What's your name?

  EMH: I don't have a name. It's a long story.

  Dejaren: I'd like to hear it, and everything else about you.

  • Tom to B'Elanna. "I need to go check on Harry; he's having a nervous breakdown. It's a long story."
  • Then the Doctor pretends to be a Neat Freak to yank Tom's chain.
    Tom: What's up with him?
    B'Elanna: It's a long story. (end credits)
• Layman's Terms: Seven suggests using a "radical dislocation" to remove a Borg artifact, e.g. pull it out.
• Limited Advancement Opportunities: Averted here when Tuvok gets promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Unfortunately the scene was Harsher in Hindsight for Harry Kim fans.
• The Main Characters Do Everything: Given that Tom is already in a crucial role as helmsman, there seems little reason to make him the Doctor's assistant as well, other than Rule of Funny.
• Moment Killer: The Doctor interrupts Tom and B'Elanna's First Kiss.
• My Sensors Indicate You Want to Tap That: Despite the episode being called "Revulsion", certain crewmembers show anything but that for each other.

  B'Elanna: Does this mean you're too tired to meet later in my quarters?
  Tom Paris: Are you sure your heart can take it?
  EMH: I'm detecting elevated hormonal levels. If you two don't take it easy I'll have to declare a medical emergency.

  • And of course Seven of Nine's famous comment to Ensign Kim:
    Seven: I may be new to individuality, but I am not ignorant of human behavior. I've noticed your attempts to engage me in idle conversation, and I see the way your pupils dilate when you look at my body.
• Neat Freak: Dejaren. The Doctor is also a bit of this due to his programmed profession, but decides to take it up to eleven upon his return to yank Tom Paris' chain.
• No Guy Wants to Be Chased: When Harry suggests they spend some private time on the holodeck, Seven sees through his intentions and bluntly asks Do You Want to Copulate?, causing Harry to retreat in flustered confusion. In fairness taking up Seven's offer might be seen as taking advantage of her, given that she has No Social Skills.
• No Sense of Personal Space: Seven of Nine, as Harry discovers to his discomfort.
• No, You: "No, you're unstable!"
• Odd Couple: Tom Paris is roped in to help the Doctor in Sickbay. Harry Kim is assigned to work with Seven of Nine.
• Official Couple: Tom and B'Elanna finally hook up to become the only permanent couple on Voyager.
• On Three: Harry has to explain to Seven what this trope means. She describes it as "crude, but effective".
• The Oner: Beginning something of a recurring trend across the next two seasons of Voyager, a glorious one: immediately after Tuvok's promotion becomes official, the camera follows B'Elanna and Tom from the mess hall to the hallway where they have their first kiss, then continues after the EMH interrupts them, allows Tom and the EMH's ensuing conversation to play out, returns to the mess hall, shows Chakotay and Kim talking about the astrometrics lab upgrades, and finally ends on Janeway's conversation with Neelix. Altogether, this shot is roughly two minutes in length.
• Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: A large contingent of male fans (and some female) feel this is the only valid reason why Harry would turn down a guaranteed opportunity to have sex with Seven of Nine. Other fans have pointed out that if things had progressed to that point, it could clearly be seen as Harry taking advantage of her.
• Pet the Dog: Dejaren takes comfort in taking care of a holographic fish that he made to keep him company.
• Plot Parallel: While he has an ulterior motive on his part (whether or not he wants to admit it), Kim's stated reason for wanting to get closer to Seven is to help her adapt to being "part of the team", and though she is unconvinced of his sincerity, she does express a willingness to explore her humanity. Meanwhile, after seeing the sort of misanthropic insanity Dejaren has fallen into, the Doctor becomes more determined than ever to embrace his humanity (right down to adopting disorderliness and a bit of chaos to oppose Dejaren's obsessive Neat Freak nature). This will only continue going forward as the Doctor and Seven pursue this mutual Character Arc together.
• Power Cable Attack: Despite the fact that there's nothing to jab the cable into.
• Rapid-Fire "No!": Dejaren, in one of his responses to the Doctor when he starts to have a breakdown.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Dejaren gives one to B'Elanna regarding organics in general, alerting her to the fact that he's completely off his rocker.
• Rebel Relaxation: The Doctor puts his feet up on his desk, after concluding he needs to unwind a bit—amusingly enough, in the same manner Paris did earlier.
• Recycled In Space: The similarities to a horror movie where a couple stumble across an isolated cabin with a serial-killing nutcase are obvious.
• The Roast: Hosted by Tom and Harry, of course, just before Tuvok's promotion.
• "Shut Up" Kiss
  Paris: About what you said. I mean, the part about...being in love with me. I realise you were suffering from oxygen deprivation and we were literally seconds away from death, so I know you probably didn't mean it...
  Torres: Oh no, I meant it...but I don't expect you to reciprocate. Really, you can just pretend that I didn't say it...in fact let's just pretend that I didn't—
  Paris: (grabbing her for a passionate kiss) Shut up.
• Squick: Dejaren's In-Universe reaction to organic bodily functions, from eating to mating.
• Suggestive Collision: Harry yanks Seven away from an exposed conduit, then realises he's got his hands all over Miss Delta Quadrant 2374.
• Tap on the Head: Dejaren uses a hammer to knock out B'Elanna. It's possible those Klingon forehead ridges she hates saved her life, because she wakes up quickly.
• Tragic Villain: Dejaren, reconstructed in that it's implied his disgust with organics isn't entirely because of his mistreatment and discrimination, but just the same, his contrast with The Doctor implies good treatment might have averted his descent into villainy. Then again, we only have his word for it since we never see any mistreatment, and the alien hologram was shown to be lying from the start.
• Turned Against Their Masters: Dejaren, but for very good reasons, mostly.
• Villain Ball: Though justified as Dejaren is essentially insane.
  • Chronic Evidence Retention Syndrome: Dejaren hides the bodies of the crew on a lower level instead of having them Thrown Out the Airlock. This seems unusual given his obsession with keeping the ship clean; they may be like Serial Killer trophies for him to gloat over. It's also possible that he just didn't have the opportunity as his program started malfunctioning about that time.
  • Low-Speed Chase: Dejaren does the 'Ominous Walk towards the Final Girl giving her time to grab something to kill you' stunt.
• Villainous Breakdown: Dejaren suffers one in the climax. He failed to understand why another holographic being would want to help organic beings when his existence was probably less satisfactory than the EMH's.
• Wall Slump: How the episode starts.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Dejaren says the crew was abusive to him, and even hints at sexual abuse.