30 Years on, Voyager‘s B’Elanna Split Episode Remains Fascinatingly Fraught

Star Trek has always been fascinated with the idea of characters pulled between two worlds. Spock’s exploration of his human heritage, Worf’s status on TNG as an early example of post-peace Klingon integration with the Federation, even Sisko’s position as a Starfleet officer thrust into the simultaneous roles of guiding diplomat, military leader, and spiritual emissary—time and time again the series has been drawn to this character archetype across ideas of race and status. Early Star Trek Voyager was no exception with its interest in B’Elanna Torres, one of the show’s early breakout characters. The Maquis rebel turned chief engineer who embodied this trope not just through her own journey as an ex-guerrilla, but also as a half-Klingon woman—and the show’s first real attempt to explore that latter, 30 years ago today in “Faces,” had to tread fertile, yet highly contentious ground. “Faces” was the 14th episode of Voyager‘s debut season, and saw the return of the Vidiians, a race of al ... Read full article.