‘EX POST FACTO’ (VOY)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
I’ve heard it argued that this ‘Voyager’ episode has similarities to the ‘TNG’ episode ‘A Matter of Perspective’. Whilst that may be true in some respect, I still found this episode enjoyable to watch. 🙂
This episode is also the first one to be directed by LeVar Burton, who played Geordi La Forge in ‘TNG’. He would later direct seven episodes of ‘Voyager’. LeVar must enjoy directing ‘Star Trek’ episodes. 😀
I also argue ‘Ex Post Facto’ is a better episode compared to ‘A Matter of Perspective’. This is because the solving of the crime in this story is straight-forward, as there aren’t a lot of confusing aspects to it.
This episode also helps to establish Tom Paris’ character well in Season 1 of ‘Voyager’, especially when he gets into trouble and is accused of murder. I like how his innocence gets proven by Tuvok. 🙂
In the episode, Tom Paris and Harry Kim visit the home planet of the Baneans. Tom gets convicted of murdering an engineering physicist called Tolen Ren. The punishment he receives hurts the mind. 😐
He must re-live Ren’s last moments every 14 hours. Essentially, Tom is accused for being seen with Ren’s wife before he stabs him in the living room of his home. And the similarities to ‘TNG’ are there.
In ‘A Matter of Perspective’, Riker was accused for openly flirting with someone’s wife and for killing the husband. Here, Tom is accused for openly flirting with someone’s wife and killing the husband. 😐
Like Riker in ‘TNG’, Tom denies being with Ren’s wife on the night he was murdered. It was intriguing to see how the mystery in this ‘Voyager’ episode became unravelled compared to ‘TNG’s episode. 🙂
Voyager learns of Tom’s fate once Harry Kim has returned to the ship. He tells Janeway and Tuvok what occurred when he and Tom were invited to dinner at Tolen Ren’s house and they met the wife.
Ray Reinhardt guest stars as Tolen Ren, the husband who gets killed in the episode, and Robin McKee guest stars as Lidell Ren, Tolen’s wife. The couple have a dog who becomes a pivotal witness.
Apparently Tom was bored when Harry worked with Tolen Ren on a damaged piece of equipment. Tom spent some time with Lidell. She’s young compared to her husband who was older than her.
Harry was forced to leave without Tom. Voyager soon heads off to the Banean home-world to resolve this issue with Tom, despite encountering the Numiri, whom the Baneans are at war with. 😐
The Baneans allow Captain Janeway to see Tom who gives his side of the story. When Tom re-lives Ren’s final memories before he died, he loses consciousness. Tom is suffering ill from the treatment.
Despite initial objections, Francis Guinan as Minister Kray allows Janeway and Tuvok to return Paris to Voyager for medical care. Of course, Voyager doesn’t leave the Banean home-world’s orbit in this.
Very soon, Tuvok conducts an investigation into the murder. This includes questioning Lidell at her home and performing a mind meld with Tom in order to establish what Tolen Ren’s memories were like. 🙂
Experiencing the memory for himself, Tuvok notices the alien writing overplayed on top of the vision. This gives Tuvok the clue that Tom is innocent, especially when comparing notes with Harry.
Tuvok also recognises the height difference between Tom and Lidell in the memory, which is different to reality. He also deduces the murderer knowing about Banean anatomy to kill with a single stab.
In an Agatha Christie-styled gathering, Tuvok concludes Lidell was involved in the murder of her husband. So was her lover – Aaron Lustig as the doctor who implanted the false memory into Tom. 🙂
I like how the dog comes in and recognises Aaron Lustig’s doctor to confirm he was the one responsible for murdering Lidell’s husband. Lidell and the doctor are quickly arrested in the episode.
Thankfully, the false memory in Paris is removed. I like how the episode concludes with Tom thanking Tuvok for proving his innocence and calling him a friend, despite Tuvok often being alone. 🙂
‘Ex Post Facto’ is another enjoyable ‘Voyager’ episode in the series. It might not be rated highly by others, but I regard fondly. I consider it a better story compared to ‘TNG’s ‘A Matter of Perspective’.
‘Ex Post Facto’ (VOY) rating – 8/10
| The previous story
For ‘Voyager’ was |
The next story
For ‘Voyager’ is |
| Return to Star Trek | |
| Return to Sci-Fi |
Bradley's Basement 