The original of this review was pretty specific, so let me, Maryland J. Koba, give you a brief synopsis:
John Gegenhuber appears in the Star Trek: Voyager season finale as a Kazon warrior named Tierna. The Kazon, which the Voyager encountered on their first day in the remote Delta Quadrant, are scavenger aliens with bony foreheads, a bad attitude, and even worse hair. They are intent on stealing the Voyager's technology for themselves. Captain Kathryn Janeway doesn't want to share with them, ostensibly because they would beat up on their neighbors and other clans - but mainly because they're a bunch of irritating Klingon-wannabees. Meanwhile, first officer Chakotay's Bajoran lover, Seska, turned out to be a genetically-altered Cardassian. Seska gave the Kazon some of Voyager's replicator technology, with disasterous consequences for the Kazon ship. When she was found out, she defected to the Cardassians and is now the consort of the head Kazon, Maj Cullah.
John Gegenhuber has played another Kazon twice before. His first appearance was when Chakotay was captured by the Kazon and Seska used his DNA to impregnate herself. Meanwhile, Cullah think's Seska's carrying his kid. Who's the real father?? JG played the leader of another Kazon clan who was taken aboard the Voyager along with Cullah to bargain for Chakotay's return. He gets one good shot in on Cullah, but that's all you see. His second appearance was even shorter - he reprised his role as the rival clan leader, but only had a few lines. All that makeup for nothing! In Basics Pt. 1, he gets a demotion, but is a major character. Hey, it's a tradeoff. Incidentally, the folks at Star Trek were so impressed with JG's talent that they asked him back. Our management, Trekkies that they are, inform me that very few actors return as the same kind of alien on ST. Good for him!
Anyway, the plot of the story is that the Voyager comes across a shuttle with a almost-dead Kazon in it. They revive him, and discover that he's Tierna, a member of Seska's personal bodyguard. He says that Cullah found out that Seska's baby wasn't his, killed her, sold the kid into slavery, and Tierna barely escaped with his life. Although Chakotay is hesitant about his ex-lover, his instinct is to go after his son. Real bad idea. After getting them through the Kazon defenses, the Voyager is cornered. In a move designed to fake out the Kazon, the crew projects holographic ships during the battle. Except that they accidentally space their holographic doctor in the process! Their pilot, Tom Paris, escapes in a shuttle to get help from some friendly aliens. Just as it seems like the Voyagers are prevailing, the Kazon pull their trump card. Tierna pulls a needle out from under his toenail, injects himself with something, and blows himself up! The Voyager is captured by the other Kazon, Cullah and Seska come aboard and leave Janeway and her crew are marooned on a deserted planet. Or is it deserted? Cullah takes command, Seska sits in Chakotay's position and nurses the very-much-alive kid, and the only Voyagers left on board are the Holodoc and Suder, a psychopath who was under house arrest.
(What follows is the original KOBA-TV review...)
Well, it's no wonder that Mr. Gegenhuber wouldn't tell us how his character dies in the ST:V finale. For those of you who weren't at NP96, he talked a little bit about being on Voyager, and mentioned that his character died, but that's about it. Let's just say that he went out with a bang. Chakotay is made out to be the Homer Simpson of the Delta Quadrant again. Chakotay, #whap#, always trust your #whap# first instincts #whap#! Stay the heck away from that Cardassian bimbo! Tierna seemed to be a little too hostile to a people who just saved his life. And, giving them those command codes was just a little too convenient. But, the highlight for me was Tierna and Chakotay almost fighting in Sick Bay. Sigh. If only he didn't have on that Kazon makeup...
Tierna's end was certainly... memorable. He was all over the place! That explains why he had a higher red cell count in his bloodstream. More oxygen. All he had to do was inject a catalyst, and boom! Talk about going out in a blaze of glory. Even up to the end, I was wondering what the deal was with his toenail. Is that Kazon toejam? I thought it was either cyanide or a microtransmitter. What a surprise when he blew himself up. All I can say is that JG certainly wins the prize for the best death of all the E2-ers guest starring on other shows. (Although CB's death-by-voodoo in "Tales From the Crypt" comes close.)
Other parts of this were great, too. Docs in Spaaaaaace! I didn't think they'd space the Doctor. And, where in the Delta Quadrant is Tom Paris? I'll bet you a genetically-bred orchid that he used the suped-up shuttle to go to Warp 10. How DARE Cullah hit Janeway! Chakotay looked like he was ready to take on Cullah all by himself after that. (Sigh) And, the ultimate, Seska nursing the baby in Chakotay's chair. Brrrr!
In all, Basics Pt. 1 rates six Kazon toenails out of five. As for what happens next, I'm sure we'll find out Suder or lader.
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