Here lies Thomas Eugene Paris, beloved mutant.
While it is certainly corny, Threshold doesnt quite deserve its ignoble reputation.
Is that enough to elevate Threshold to the upperTrektiers?
No, but it is enough to give the episode a better reputation than the one it has now.
When Chakotay and Tuvok find Paris and Janeway, theyve changed into giant salamanders and mated.
Yes, thats an episode with a strange premise, one of many inVoyagers first few seasons.
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InVoyager, these problems stemmed from failures in the very premise of the show.
And yet, despite these shortcomings, Threshold still successfully checks off a few importantTrekboxes.
In the Zephram Cochrane Tradition
Threshold begins with a classicTrekproblem.
Tom Paris wants to cross the warp threshold to test the limits of his spacecraft.
When his simulations hit problems, Paris consults Kim and Torres, and the trio brainstorms ideas.
Threshold begins as an example of Starfleet at its best.
However, Toms refusal to be bound to his physical limits are nothing new toStar Trek.
Going beyond limits is part of Starfleets ethos.
Words cannot properly explain Toms transformation, which director Singer lets occupy the middle section of the episode.
But it fails, and he becomes a monster.
That failure and the price that Paris pays has always been part of theTrekadventure.
Toms grotesque mutation shows the stakes of the test.
Silly Trek is Not Stupid Trek
Is Threshold silly?
Going forward often involves crossing boundaries, even if its stepping over the threshold into goofiness.
