Facing relationship troubles, Tom and B’Elanna take the radical step of spending time together.
One thing I enjoy about the annual Third Episode Of The Season, Time To Make B’Elanna Miserable tradition is that, even when it’s about her relationship with Tom, the story is really about B’Elanna. Which is why “Drive” doesn’t quite work for me.
Which is not to say it’s a bad episode. It’s a solid story and it largely achieves its goals (advancing the Tom/B’Elanna relationship, checking in with Harry and confirming that he is the Delta Quadrant’s most eligible bachelor, letting Janeway and Chakotay stand improbably close to one another). But I feel like it could have been more.
I think part of the problem is that Kenneth Biller has taken over as the day-to-day showrunner while Brannon Braga moved on to start prepping Enterprise. Braga had his faults, and writing interesting or believable romances was way outside of his skillset, but he generally did a better job than Biller. The script itself is by Michael Taylor, and it’s perfectly okay, but it’s not Taylor’s best work, and I feel like we’re in the hands of a showrunner who isn’t really interested in the story at hand.
I have complained before about how much the Paris/Torres relationship consists of Tom going off and immersing himself in a new hobby while B’Elanna tuts and scolds. And I’ve wondered why B’Elanna doesn’t join him, or why she doesn’t seem to have hobbies of her own. The answer, of course, is that that’s not what girlfriends are for.
“Drive” perpetuates the pattern. Tom forgets his sexy weekend away with B’Elanna (please note, this is their anniversary!) in favour of a cool race. B’Elanna is put out and planning to break up with him, but first she’s gonna take Harry’s place as Tom’s co-pilot.
Obviously no one is going to actually communicate any of their feelings here, so it’s a surprise to Tom when she turns up, and he reacts to her presence with all the delight of the Pope getting a birthday card from JD Vance.1 He’s pissy and even sulking, sounding like a little boy declaring that icky girls are banned from his treehouse. He’s insistent that he’s the pilot and he’s in charge, and this is one of those things that is technically reasonable but feels like a dick move.
Given how long this pattern has been going on, it’s remarkable that B’Elanna is finally willing to do something about it. Tensions rise as the plot develops and oh yeah I forgot to mention the B plot the sexy pilot Harry has been flirting with turns out to have sabotaged the Delta Flyer because she’s a xenophobe who hates the peace and cultural exchange represented by the race.
Tom and B’Elanna have to flee the course and dump the warp core before it blows and kills everyone. This is a nice echo of “Day of Honour”, which also advanced their relationship over a warp core ejection. Finally, and very possibly for the first time since “Day of Honour”, they have an honest conversation: B’Elanna thinks Tom isn’t interested in their relationship and takes her for granted; Tom would like to be all-in, but thinks he should accommodate B’Elanna’s emotional avoidance. He demonstrates his dedication by asking her to marry him, and maintains the proposal even after they don’t die.
Reader, she marries him.
I don’t hate this. I think Tom and B’Elanna’s problems are to an extent organic to their characters. They’re both, deep down, very anxious people who crave love and fear rejection. I’m not convinced that this is the right time to get married, but that’s me.
I just feel like so much of this episode, and their whole relationship, has run on sitcom gender stereotypes. Women be wanting feelings! Men be tinkering with cars! B’Elanna gets to be needy once a year, and the rest of the time she’s scolding and humourless.
This is, in part, because Voyager is a product of its time, but I think of other relationships from science fiction of the 1990s, and a lot of them are doing better. It’s unreasonable to expect Tom and B’Elanna to be Mulder and Scully, but I’d settle for an exploration of their actual characters, not just the stereotypes to which they conform. “Drive” almost makes that point, but not quite.
Oh yeah, the b plot
I suppose technically that’s the race/terrorism plot, but actually I want to talk about how Harry has quietly stepped into a new role, carrying himself with a confidence and flirtatious charm more reminiscent of Will Riker than early Tom Paris. By which I mean, Tom started out a man who flirted with women reflexively, maybe even compulsively, whether or not they seemed interested, and regardless of whether the situation was appropriate.
Riker, on the other hand, always gave the impression that he was flirting because he was genuinely interested in a woman. I think it’s why, nearly 40 years after TNG first premiered (I’m sorry to be the bearer of confronting news), Riker generally doesn’t come across as sleazy.
And neither does Harry. He’s immediately attracted to Hot [Terrorist] Pilot Irina, but the days of “sweating and stammering because he’s in a room with a generically pretty woman” are gone. He’s eager to learn from her, and he’s eager to spend time with her, and she seems to reciprocate.
At least until he realises she’s a terrorist, which understandably gives him the ick. But I can’t fault his response, which is to deal with her now; have feelings about it later. He’s an experienced professional. Someone should promote him.
I just need to talk about Janeway and Chakotay real quick
Like, imagine you’re FaceTiming your boss, and this is happening behind him.
Other observations
- Because it’s the third ep of the season, it’s also time for our annual check in on B’Elanna’s friendship with Neelix. It’s still strong! She curls up on a mess hall couch and spills her guts, and he’s still her ride or die BFF. I hope he got to be her man of honour at the wedding.
- Irina is played by Cyia Batten, who was the first of three actresses to play Tora Ziyal in DS9. She was also a member of the Pussycat Dolls, back when they were a burlesque dance troupe rather than a second rate hip hop act.
- I love the colourful design of Irina’s ship, and I want to like her costume, but it’s so tight that in one scene you can see her bellybutton beneath the fabric. Did the budget not extend to a lining? Come on, guys.
In conclusion
I wish this was better, for B’Elanna’s sake, but it’s absolutely a good episode. Three sabotaged fuel converters out of five.