VOY S4E8 and E9 "Year of Hell" Review By AnswerMan

Horrible:Meh:Adequate:Good:Fantastic

I have a feeling that many will criticize "Year of Hell" for the use of the dreaded reset button. But I will argue that it is in fact the best use of the reset button. I agree that the reset button is a trope that is used all too much on procedural television out of necessity to wrap things up within the hour. However in "Year of Hell" the reset isn't just a shortcut to a quick wrap-up on the story, it's the point of the story- the proper culmination of everything we've seen up until that point.

The Krenim are a race of dominating people that use sophisticated temporal weapons, but have been beat back to nearly nothing by the Zahl, who are an otherwise welcoming race, even though they harbor a deep hatred of the puny Krenim. Then all of a sudden everything changes, much like in "Yesterday's Enterprise" and they are clearly in a different timeline. Except this time there's no Guinan to alert the crew that something is off. Now it's the Krenim that have the advantage in the war, and don't take kindly to the Voyager cutting through their space. The two are deeply embroiled in regular fire-fight, and Voyager has no defense against their torpedoes, which somehow cut right through their shields. They solve this by modifying their shields against the temporal weapons, which has a unique side effect. More on that later.



Annorax is captain of a ship that has a weapon that can somehow, using temporal techniques, wipe things from ever having existed. He is using the weapon to attempt to restore a timeline that is favorable to him, with the Krenim in power and his family alive. The ship exists outside the space time continuum, and for that reason they don't age on the ship. They have been on this mission for over 2000 of everyone else's years. Damn. Unfortunately for Annorax, Janeway's new temporal shielding prevents Voyager from being affected, which has drastic implications on the timeline that he is trying to create. Creating new realities by eliminating things and people from existence is tricky business, and some anomaly like Voyager can really muck it up. So Annorax pays Voyager a visit to see what the deal is, takes Chakotay and Paris to pick their brains, and forces Voyager to go hide in a nebula.

The story then basically branches off into two, with one following Voyager's pitiful situation, and the other getting to know Annorax and the crew. For the latter, the crew is understandably losing their resolve after a couple millennia of plugging away. However, Annorax makes a good point that they might as well keep going, since they have eternity to get it just right. He is a man obsessed, and we slowly learn that it's more personal than philosophical. Annorax wants his life put right, not so much the universe. What's disappointing is how quickly Chakotay falls into the same trap, plotting ways that perhaps they can alter the timeline in a way that Voyager wouldn't be stuck in the Delta quadrant. But Paris keeps his resolve, and sees Annorax for what he is- a genocidal monster.

Meanwhile back on Voyager, everything is going to shit. Most of the crew has evacuated, and the skeleton crew left behind is sick and broken. Tuvok is blinded by an explosion, and Janeway is so stressed that The Doctor attempts to relieve her of duty, but she basically laughs it off. Here we get to see Janeway in her most bad-assery state. She's fixing things herself, making bold decisions, and even runs into a burning schoolhouse to save a class of kindergarteners (though it's unclear why The Doctor, who cannot be harmed physically, wouldn't have made a better choice).

Anyway it all ends with Janeway going down with the ship, and Kamikaze-ing the timeship in a coordinated effort with the sabotaging crew to destroy it. And BOOM! Biggest reset ever, every change that Annorax ever made to time has been reverted, putting him back with his family, and Voyager receiving a heads up to avoid that region of space due to the dispute between the Krenim and the Zahl. Again, I say this is the best use of the reset button, because it actually completes the story of Annorax. He is a broken man, missing his family, and drunk with power. Putting him back where he belongs and undoing all of his misdeeds is an appropriate end for him.

HOWEVER, I have questions. Why does destroying the ship reset the timeline from 2000 years ago? Is that really how that would work? If so, why didn't Annorax already do this? And wouldn't putting things back the way they were just leave Annorax to re-build the weapon ship like he did the first go round, creating a paradox? It's kind of a catch 22 for me, because I love time travel stories, and yet I always end up picking them apart like this.

But, I admire that this is a unique story, with a great villain. This type of story is what I was hoping for with the new Discovery series. Why not go 1000 years past what is familiar? I always thought a weapon ship like this, or the 28th century time ships explored earlier in the Voyager series, or following the temporal investigations would make for a great series. In this case, I think it made and Fantastic two-parter. It feels truly separate and special from a regular episode. From the dark lighting, to the total completion of an isolated storyline, you know that when you watch "Year of Hell" you are in for a treat.


Published November 9, 2018