In The Flesh

**** (4 stars out of 5)

Those tripodal space invaders from the dimension as full of green goop as my own lungs are back with a crazy new scheme. Like the pod people of Mill Valley, they've taken the shape of everyone at Starfleet Academy. They've also taken the shapes of Commodore Ross from Space Above and Beyond, Billy Pelzer from Gremlins, and Poopdeck Pappy from Popeye.

To what end? These people, if you'll recall from the first brush of Kes' telepathy, were devoted to the destruction of all life in our galaxy. Now they're so utterly devoted to infiltration that they are willing to sneak in among the humans they hate and fear like a disease. And hang out with them on dates!

In fact, the one pretending to be Valerie Archer (Hmm. Famous family? We'll think more of that name later.) is willing to sneak in really, really close to the specific disease called Commander Chakotay. For smooches!

The pod grown from Gardener Boothby has decided not to believe a thing Janeway says, since her high-minded ideals are clearly "targ manure"... if she'll ally with Borg. Huh. Funny, that. I drew the same conclusion last year.

"In The Flesh" finally, brings up the consequences from Janeway's off-the-rails decision during 'Scorpion'. It's just too bad they weren't as severe as the "good guys" deserved. Instead, with a mild afternoon picnic where they play at being slightly less attack-y, Voyager suddenly has Species 8472 giving them flowers. It's almost as though some writer remembered what Star Trek morals used to be. BUT THEY STILL NEVER ASKED THEM THEIR REAL NAMES! "No, honest, we HATE the Borg. We only harbour one, coat our ship with their technology, and repeatedly call strangers by their Borg names. So why aren't you nicer to us, Species 8472?"