Some musings on the „Star Trek: Voyager“ episode „Innocence“

„Life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages.“  -Mark Twain

  

Tuvok's shuttle crash lands on a moon, where he meets a group of what appear to be alien children who begin mysteriously disappearing one by one.

I have, perhaps, an odd approach to rating Star Trek episodes. Some are excellent all around, yet they don't resonate with me emotionally, and I find it hard to evaluate what I cannot connect with. For “Innocence“, the opposite is true. It is only an average episode, yet it strikes a very deep chord within me. Let me show you where I feel it falls short, and why it is nonetheless among my favourite “Voyager” episodes.

Several things diminish this episode for me. Firstly, the plot is rather drawn out. Picking up the pace would have made it more interesting. It takes the crew too long to discover that Tuvok is missing. They should have noticed in short time that he'd stopped reporting in. It also takes Tuvok too long to realize that there is more to the “children's” story than meets the eye.

Secondly, the portrayal of the “adult” Drayans is reduced to just a few characteristics, most notably xenophobia and mercurial temperaments, neither of which make them very appealing. The spirituality we get at the end is not enough to compensate. Even their dress makes them look as if they are in mourning. In fact the “adults” seem drab and joyless, in stark contrast to the very lively “children”.

But what bothers me most, from a scientific perspective, is the reversed ageing process, which clearly violates the laws of physics. (notation) Granted, this is true for much of the “science” of Star Trek, otherwise the series couldn't tell the stories that it does. However, this is one point in which I cannot suspend disbelief.

That said, the concept of reversed ageing is not new in fiction. Two examples come to mind. As early as 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald, inspired by a quote from Mark Twain, wrote „The Curious Case of Benjamin Button“. In the realm of Star Trek, the Animated Series episode "The Counter-Clock Incident” has the crew pass into an alternate universe and grow younger as time runs backward. Near the end of “Innocence”, the Drayans explain that the apparent children are in fact of advanced age and have been brought to this moon in order to pass peacefully from this life to the next. From a purely literary standpoint, this reversed ageing strikes me as a fitting illustration of how the elderly in our world can become increasingly childlike in mind and spirit as they approach the end of their lives.

So perhaps this point really isn't so negative after all, but rather bears much further discussion. This leads nicely into what makes “Innocence” so meaningful for me. We see this story through the eyes of Tuvok. Much of what he goes through reminds me of my experiences with my ageing grandmother, and of accompanying a close friend, who died of cancer several years ago, on his final journey.

At the beginning we see Tuvok at the side of a dying Ensign Bennett, a young man who passes away long before his time. Tuvok simply remains by his side and assures him that he will be remembered and missed. Though this scene is very brief and can in no way compare with my friend's long battle with cancer, it reminds me a little of one night just a few days before he passed away. Several other friends and I stood around his bed, sharing stories, praying with him and letting him know how much he had blessed each of our lives.

Tuvok's interactions with Tressa and the other “children” make me think of my experience with my grandmother's progressive dementia. In the years before she passed away, she became more and more childlike. When I visited my mother, who was caring for her, I often found myself reading her stories, tucking her into bed, praying simple prayers with her, trying to dispel her fears and confusion, singing her to sleep and so forth, just as she had done for my mother, and later for me. Occasionally she would have moments of clarity and speak like the 96-year-old she was, telling me, say, how much I reminded her of my mother when she was my age. Tressa's suddenly adult remarks at the end of the episode call those bitter-sweet memories to mind once more.

I am often ill at ease with children, so I commiserate with Tuvok's initial discomfort, and find it heartening that he does learn to approach the “children” on their level and open up to them. In so doing, he also shows the viewers more about Vulcan culture, and about himself, which makes him much more real to me. I find his singing voice average, but even that only contributes to the realism. I would have loved to have heard some of his lullaby in Vulcan, but even so it was quite nice.

We see the importance of leaving this life at peace with yourself and with the world, and of not having to face death alone. My friend, my grandmother and I shared a faith that allowed them to do that, and lets me know that one day I'll be with them again. They passed on with as much dignity as possible, and they were not alone, which gave me great comfort in the midst of the grief.

There are several other points that I enjoy about the episode. The young actors, especially the girl who played Tressa, do a fine job. The “children's” behaviour seems very natural. It is amusing to see little flashes of irritation from Tuvok. Chakotay gets a bit of character development as he tells Janeway about his diplomatic mishap. The Doctor is excellent, as always. I like the warning against pursuing technological advancement at the expense of ethics, personal relationships and self-discovery. Granted, we've heard that many times before, but the message holds true nonetheless.

The faulty scientific premise and slow plot development keep me from giving this episode a top score. Yet it touches the core issue of what it means to age and die with dignity. Addressing such basic questions has always been one of Star Trek's great strengths, and that is what makes this otherwise unremarkable episode so meaningful for me.
 

"May this day find you at peace, and leave you with hope."
- First Prelate Alcia