Worst Case Scenario (Star Trek: Voyager)
"Worst Case Scenario" is the 67th series and 25th and penultimate episode of the third season of Star Trek: Voyager. This episode focuses on events that take place on a spacecraft virtual reality system (a Star Trek holodeck on board the USS Voyager), involving a plot based on factions established earlier in the series.
| "Worst Case Scenario" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Voyager episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 25 |
| Directed by | Alexander Singer |
| Written by | Kenneth Biller |
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Production code | 167 |
| Original air date | May 14, 1997 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
| |
Plot
Various members of Voyager's crew discover a holodeck simulation called "Insurrection Alpha", in which the Maquis members of the ship's crew mutiny against the Starfleet officers. The program appears unfinished, and its author is unknown. As the program becomes popular, Tuvok admits he wrote the program himself, to train his security officers in the event of a possible Maquis rebellion; however, as the Maquis proved to integrate well with their crewmates, Tuvok abandoned the program, believing that it would only exacerbate tensions on board the ship. However, given how popular that Insurrection Alpha has already become amongst the crew, Tom Paris offers to help complete the remainder of the program with Tuvok's help, turning the program into a full-fledged holonovel.
When Paris and Tuvok start to work on the program in the holodeck, they suddenly find themselves trapped in the virtual brig. They are addressed by the simulation's version of the former crew member Seska, who admits that before she had escaped the ship, she had discovered Tuvok's program, and created this trap should he attempt to alter it. Seska's alterations not only affect the holodeck but other parts of Voyager, threatening the well-being of the whole crew. While Tuvok and Paris attempt to survive the simulation, Captain Janeway and B'Elanna Torres attempt to effect changes in the simulation to help them. Ultimately, finding themselves cornered by the virtual Seska and her Maquis crew, Tuvok causes one of the simulation's phaser rifles to overload; the impact ends the simulation, and allows Tuvok and Paris to safely exit the holodeck.
Reception
The Hollywood Reporter ranked this episode in the top 15 of Star Trek:Voyager in 2016.[1] SyFy ranked "Worst Case Scenario" among the top 10 ten episodes of the series in 2015, noting it one of the Star Trek classic holodeck stories.[2]
In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter rated "Worst Case Scenario" the 64th best television episode of all Star Trek franchise television prior to Star Trek: Discovery, including live-action and the animated series but not counting the movies.[3]
In 2016, SyFy ranked this the 5th best holodeck episode of the Star Trek franchise.[4]
In 2019, CBR rated "Worst Case Scenario" the 9th best 'holodeck' episode of the Star Trek franchise.[5]
References
- ""Worst Case Scenario" - 'Star Trek: Voyager' — The 15 Greatest Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Granshaw, Lisa (January 16, 2015). "20 years later: Our top 10 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ""Worst Case Scenario" - 'Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- Granshaw, Lisa (October 5, 2016). "From baseball to Sherlock Holmes: The top 10 Star Trek holodeck episodes". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- "Star Trek: Ranking the 20 Best Holodeck Episodes". CBR. January 4, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
External links
- Worst Case Scenario on IMDb
- "Worst Case Scenario" at TV.com
- Stoppe, Sebastian (2016). "Getting Immersed in Star Trek, Storytelling Between "True" and "False" on the Holodeck" (PDF). SFRA Review (316): 4–15. Retrieved July 20, 2016.