Janeway's decision in "Scorpion" comes back to haunt her, in one of the strangest ways you can imagine.
And yes, that is Boothby!
Voyager detects a Species 8472 outpost with a simulation of Starfleet Headquarters inside - they are preparing for an invasion of Earth based on their earlier, negative experiences with Voyager and the Borg, but can Janeway talk them down?And yes, that is Boothby!
This episode provides examples of
- Analogy Backfire: The Doctor tells Seven about how Weapons of Mass Destruction have been designed as a deterrent measure without the intent to actually use them. Seven responds with the fact that such weapons killed 600 million people in World War III.
- Awkward Kiss: As Chakotay is ending his date with 8472!Valerie, she tells him that human dating rituals have something called a "good night kiss." She mentions that she hasn't done it before, and presumes he (as an 8742) hasn't either. His reaction as she closes in for the kiss is priceless.
- Boldly Coming: PG version when Chakotay twice makes out with Archer, who is really of Species 8472. Top that, Kirk.
- Call-Back: Paris makes a gallows joke regarding Harry's first encounter with 8472; it almost dissolved him from the inside, but Tom says it was just trying to get to know him; can't fault a person for that!
- Chekhov's Flower: A certain flower grown in the real Starfleet Academy and tended by Boothby becomes a symbol of 8472's alliance with Voyager, and their friendship.
- Continuity Nod: It's Boothby! Known as the longstanding groundskeeper of Starfleet Academy and mentor to cadets and captains alike, he, or rather an 8472 wearing his form, is now the mouthpiece for his species. Valerie Archer tells Chakotay that a lot of officers wouldn't be where they are today if not for Boothby. One such officer whom she name-drops is Picard, who once admitted that he owes his career to Boothby.
- Cue the Sun: Boothby orders this to more easily track Chakotay.
- Easily Forgiven: Conditionally; while this contingent of 8472's has forgiven Voyager their collusion with the Borg, their superiors may not feel the same.
- Fake Town: The spy version with a fake San Francisco in the middle of the Delta Quadrant.
- Failed a Spot Check: Chakotay is still wearing his "Maquis" crew member rank designation, which was unique to the crew of the Voyager. No one, cadets or staff, at the Academy notice (or mention) this.
- Fantastic Racism: Though it's somewhat justified, as the Borg have definitely burned 8472 in the past; it's wrong, though, when "Boothby" refuses to believe Seven has ceased being a drone; she is a big part of his species' mistrust of the humans.
- Fan Disservice: Archer's partial reversion from human form, but it doesn't last too long.
- Heel–Face Turn: Archer and Boothby undergo this by the end, but Bullock is a holdout; he comes around eventually.
- Honey Trap: Archer seduces Chakotay, whom she suspects of being human, to get at his DNA to confirm it.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: One of the trainees is struggling to maintain his human form, and Archer admits if he doesn't get it under control they're going to have to pull him from the program.
- Involuntary Suicide Mechanism: The captured "ensign" releases a toxin into his bloodstream to prevent further interrogation from Janeway.
- Meaningful Echo: After 8472 agree to a truce, Admiral Bullock repeats his Drill Sergeant Nasty-lite introduction to visitors from Voyager, only altering it to the truth.
- The Mole: Chakotay and Tuvok are this in 8472's simulation.
- The Nudifier: Chakotay tells Archer a story about a Teleporter Accident doing this to him.
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: Both humanity and Species 8472 to each other:
- Janeway outright acknowledges once she is finally able to open a dialogue that at the time she aligned with the Borg, she didn't have a complete understanding of the reality of the situation and didn't discover until after she had already committed Voyager to the Borg's assistance that it was the Borg who started the fight.
- Species 8472 has little real understanding of the complexities of the political situation outside their space. They had no idea Voyager was so far from home, or that Starfleet can't casually send ships across the Delta Quadrant to attack them. Nor can they comprehend that not all species are as aggressively expansionist as the Borg.
- Sexy Silhouette: The shower version.
- Stock Footage: A night-time establishing shot of the Golden Gate Bridge along with Starfleet Headquarters is taken from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
- Two Decades Behind: In-Universe. Since the only Starfleet information Species 8472 has came from Voyager, they are dressed in the division-color-over-black ensemble from TNG/early-DS9/VOY rather than the black and grey uniforms from Star Trek: First Contact.
