Faces (Star Trek: Voyager)

"Faces"
Star Trek: Voyager episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 14
Directed by Winrich Kolbe
Teleplay by Kenneth Biller
Story by Jonathan Glassner
Kenneth Biller
Featured music David Bell
Production code 114
Original air date May 8, 1995 (1995-05-08)
Running time 45 minutes[1]
Guest appearance(s)

"Faces" is an episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. It is the 14th episode of the first season and was first broadcast by UPN on May 8, 1995. "Faces" was developed from a story by Jonathan Glassner and Kenneth Biller. Biller wrote the teleplay which was directed by Winrich Kolbe.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet and Maquis crew of the starship USS Voyager after they are stranded in the Delta Quadrant far from the rest of the Federation. In this episode, a Vidiian scientist Sulan (Brian Markinson) separates B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) into a full-blooded Klingon and a full-blooded human in order to find a cure for a disease. The Voyager crew rescues Torres and restores her, while she attempts to reconcile with her identity as a half-human half-Klingon. The episode also guest stars Tarik Ergin as Lt. Ayala, and Rob LaBelle as an unnamed Talaxian prisoner. Actress Joy Kilpatrick was cast as Dawson's photo double to avoid a reliance on split screen.

The episode was developed as a character study to further explore Torres' internal struggle with her identity. Dawson was originally resistant to the episode, but later identified it as one of her favorite performances, which deepened her understanding of her character and improved her acting abilities. Human Torres and Klingon Torres were treated as two separate characters during the development and filming of the episode. The characters' makeup was conceived by Michael Westmore to emphasize the difference between them. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 6.1/10 percent; a drop from the previous week. "Faces" was well received by the cast and crew and television critics, with Dawson's character and performance praised. The episode's final sequence garnered negative reviews from critics and fans for the lack of empathy shown to Torres by the rest of Voyager's crew.

Plot

On stardate 48484.2, an away team consisting of Lieutenants Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), B'Elanna Torres, and Peter Durst (Brian Markinson) has gone missing while on a mission on the planet Avery III. The Vidiian Chief Surgeon Sulan (Brian Markinson) reveals to Torres that he conducted a procedure on her that changed her from a half-human, half-Klingon hybrid into two bodies (a full-blooded Klingon and a full-blooded human) in order to develop a cure for the Phage, a deadly disease afflicting his race. Sulan explains that he intends to infect Torres with the disease to track its reaction. He plans to study Torres' genetics since Klingons have a natural immunity to the Phage. Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), Lieutenant Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ), and Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), who had formed a search party to locate the missing crew members, are captured by Vidiians and forced to dig tunnels.

Sulan examines the Klingon Torres as she experiences extreme agony from the Phage. He documents how her body is fighting the infection, and believes that Torres will be honored for being a part of uncovering a cure. Klingon Torres expresses pride in her Klingon identity, causing Sulan to compliment and feel attracted to her. Klingon Torres explains her origins. Her father left when she was five, and she did everything to hide her Klingon heritage as a child. She tries to use her sexuality to have the scientist release her, but his desire to find a cure overcomes his lust. The human version of Torres is kept imprisoned with Paris and Durst in their bunkroom. Human Torres is characterized as weaker and more timid than her Klingon counterpart, and is deemed too ill to work in the mines. She works on a security console in the barracks to contact USS Voyager without the guards' knowledge.

Meanwhile, Sulan kills Durst and grafts his face over his own in order to appear more appealing to the Klingon Torres. Klingon Torres escapes from Sulan's laboratory, and rescues her human version after she is caught communicating with Voyager. After arguing about their respective weaknesses, and past expulsion from Starfleet Academy, the two halves work together to formulate a plan. The human Torres suggests finding a Vidiian computer console and shutting down the shields for the complex so that Voyager can transport them to the ship, while the Klingon Torres deals with guards they encounter on the way. Chakotay, disguised as a Vidiian guard with the help of Tuvok and The Doctor (Robert Picardo), breaks into the Vidiian facility at the same time Torres deactivates the shields. Klingon Torres sacrifices herself to protect the rest of the crew members from Sulan. They are transported back to Voyager, where Klingon Torres dies what she feels is an honorable death. The Doctor restores the human Torres to her original self by reintegrating the Klingon DNA over the course of several days. He explains Torres must be restored to her prior state, as she would die without her Klingon half. Human Torres admits to feeling incomplete without her Klingon identity since she admires her Klingon heritage. After being reintegrated, she realizes that she will spend the rest of her life dealing with the conflict within herself.

Production

Writing

A man wearing a black/brown shirt speaks into a microphone while looking to the right.
The script for "Faces" was written by Kenneth Biller (pictured) following the original pitch by Jonathan Glassner.

"Faces" was pitched by writer Jonathan Glassner, and was later revised by executive story editor Kenneth Biller.[2] In an interview with The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, Biller said that the only similarity between the original pitch and the final copy was that the episode deals with the character B'Elanna Torres being split into two parts. In the episode's first draft aliens, using a machine, had separated Torres into human and Klingon parts as part of an experiment attempting to achieve purity within a species. Executive producer Michael Piller described the draft as originally focusing on: "somebody's idea that this could be the result of a hideous concentration-camp kind of experiment, that is, genetic demonstration of some sort."[3]

Biller and executive producer Jeri Taylor were both critical of Glassner's pitch; Biller found it to be "very melodramatic and hokey", and Taylor called it "a tired idea" and "too on the nose for B'Elanna." Producer Brannon Braga explained that the decision to purchase the concept was to do a storyline involving an evil twin in the show's first season, and "get it out of the way." However, Braga felt the concept could be a mistake, and negatively compared it to a hypothetical storyline in which Data (Brent Spiner) would be made human. Piller said the episode was almost abandoned, but he felt that the conflict between Torres' human and Klingon halves, and her identity as a woman, would be a worthwhile storyline.[3] The series' writing team expressed concern that the episode would be compared to two episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series ("The Enemy Within" and "The Alternative Factor"). Piller added: "[w]e knew we could not do the evil-versus-good story that the original Star Trek had done."[4] Biller was assigned to write the script as his second writing assignment for the series; his first had been for "Elogium".[5][6] Biller attributed his interest in the episode's concept to his personal experiences with his younger, adopted brother's struggle to understand his biracial identity. Even though Biller was initially critical of the pitch's melodrama, he felt that his version had the melodrama expected of a Star Trek episode.[2]

Biller incorporated the Vidiians into the episode, believing that their technology would present a conceivable method by which Torres could be separated. The Vidiians were featured in an earlier season one episode titled "Phage".[7][8] Biller explained that: "the Klingons have these systems that allow them to fight off disease and injury much more effectively than other races" and "[i]f I were this scientist with this incredible technology and I encountered a species I'd never seen before and it seemed that there was some promise she might hold the secret to a cure to this disease, I would do exactly what [Sulan] did."[2] Biller said that he had difficulty writing Sulan as a sympathetic villain. He looked to Gene Roddenberry's approach to portraying antagonists in the Star Trek franchise: "[A]liens should never be patently evil. They may have a set of values that differ from our own, but be careful of making them mustache-twirling villains."[9] Biller viewed the interactions between Sulan and the Klingon version of Torres as being inspired by the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. He attributed a Klingon's strength as the ideal beauty for a Vidiian, and that Sulan would develop an attraction to Torres. Biller said that the Klingon version of Torres was more manipulative than Beauty from the fairy tale, as she uses her sexuality to convince Sulan to follow her demands.[7] Biller found that the episode added more elements of horror to the series, and pointed to the moment when Sulan grafted Durst's face over his own as a "sick moment of inspiration" and a "classic horror movie moment." He felt that Sulan's discomfort with his appearance indicated that he was a fully developed character.[6]

Several elements of the script were changed prior to the submission of the final draft on February 24, 1995.[10] Biller argued that Torres should remain human. He felt that the episode should have a longer impact on Torres' character development, and believed: "[w]e couldn't get to the end of the episode and say that Torres has now resolved all her issues and is at peace with herself." The episode was originally going to be set in a jungle, but the location was changed to caves after director Winrich Kolbe calculated that the former idea would exceed the episode's budget.[7]

Casting and filming

Brian Markinson was cast as Sulan, the episode's primary antagonist. Due to the sequence in which his character attaches Durst's face to his own, Markinson was also tasked to play Durst.[11] Rob LaBelle, who was a close friend of Biller, was cast as an unnamed Talaxian prisoner but he concealed the connection during his audition to avoid preferential treatment.[12] LaBelle later appeared in the series as the Takarian servant Kafar in "False Profits" and Talaxian settler Oxilon in "Homestead".[11]

Because of budgetary concerns, the episode was produced near the end of the first season.[6] It was the fourth episode of the series Kolbe directed, and he later said that everything ran smoothly despite his lack of familiarity with the story arcs and characters.[13] The sets for the Vidiian mines were constructed on Paramount Stage 18.[14] Materials used to create security consoles in the Vidiian laboratories were previously used for the construction of Klingon starships.[15] The prosthetics and make-up for the Vidiians was handled by make-up supervisor Michael Westmore.[16] The episode (along with the rest of the first season) earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series for the 47th Primetime Emmy Awards, but lost to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[17]

Cast members have commented on their performances in the episode. Robert Beltran said he felt uncomfortable acting in the facial mask worn for his character's Vidiian disguise. He described the prosthetics as "that raw, wounded face, which made me feel very vulnerable as a person", and viewed it as an acting challenge.[18] Garrett Wang said that his role in the episode was restricted to technobabble.[19] Robert Picardo appreciated the interactions between Torres and The Doctor as they represented how his character was originally "just a functionary doing his job."[20] Picardo added that his scenes showed that it was too soon for his character to understand the importance of his operation on Torres, or to develop any sort of relationship with her.[20]

Various bloopers occurred during the filming of the episode. The first take of a scene in which Chakotay, Tuvok, and Kim encounter two Vidiians was interrupted when Beltran forgot his line and improvised a joke about the aliens' appearance. Kolbe was unsatisfied with several of the following takes and told the actors to "put a little acting into this one, please".[14] During the filming of another sequence, Nana Visitor, who plays Kira Nerys in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, walked on set by accident.[21]

Separation of B'Elanna Torres

Two women are staring at each other while standing in a dark room. The woman on the right has ridges on her forehead and curly hair, while the one on the right has straighter hair and a uniform with a yellow strip.
The Klingon and human halves of B'Elanna Torres confront one another. The scenes between the two are noted for revealing the long-running plot arc of Torres' conflict about her identity.

The cast and crew spent some time considering the representations of the human and Klingon halves of Torres. Roxann Dawson was initially doubtful about the script, believing that the concept was occurring too early in the series for her to understand her character well enough to play her as two separate people.[22] Dawson said that she was physically shaking when reading through the script for the first time.[21] She later viewed the episode as an acting challenge that broadened her abilities and deepened her connection with the character.[21][22] In order to better approach the storyline, Dawson said: "I was able to delineate these two sides that up until then were just metaphors." She reasoned that the episode provided an opportunity "to personify two aspects of this character."[4] Two versions of the script were provided for Dawson, with one labeled as "The Klingon" and the other as "The Human". The scripts treated the human and Klingon versions of Torres as two separate characters through the emphasis on their flaws. Dawson clarified that "The Human" did not have strength or courage while the Klingon did not have logic or control. She felt that the Klingon should receive more prominent attention of the two, especially as Torres struggles with that side of her identity throughout the series, and wanted the episode to capture the Klingon's respect for the Human and their relationship.[23] She added that the episode's central theme was: "learning to respect the parts of one's self that make up the whole person."[21] "Faces" was noted for establishing Torres' ongoing inability to reconcile her human and Klingon identities, in "the most literal battle." This story arc would be continued in the later episodes "Day of Honor" and "Prophecy", in which Torres would eventually accept her Klingon heritage.[24]

During the episode's filming, actress Joy Kilpatrick was cast as Dawson's photo double. Dawson described having a great working relationship with her stand-in. While discussing Kilpatrick, she said: "I was about to tell her what I was going to be doing so she could give me the beats that I could react to properly" and found her to be supportive and intuitive.[4] Kilpatrick was not credited for her performance in the episode.[25] Kolbe noted that the episode used a lot of visual effects, specifically to create the illusion of the two versions of Torres.[21] The casting of a photo double allowed Kolbe to not rely heavily on split screen, but the scheduling was carefully planned to account for the make-up used for both roles.[4] Dawson described the prosthetics for the Klingon version of Torres as "a forehead, nose, and teeth." She felt that the look was not as sophisticated as the character's normal appearance as a half-human half-Klingon because of the lack of skin tones and nuances of the facial features. While Dawson's make-up typically took two hours to apply, the full Klingon prosthetics took around three hours.[26] To save time reapplying the make-up and prosthetics repeatedly, each day's shooting would concentrate on one of the two characters, which would then switch on the following day. Dawson compared the experience to repertory theatre.[4] Despite the casting of the photo double, and attention to scheduling, Kolbe expressed a disappointment in not being able to shoot more scenes with the two versions of Torres in the cave, but understood the frequent use of the split screen could negatively impact the production cost.[7] After the episode had aired, Dawson called her parents to ask their opinions. They replied: "[y]ou were good, but the girl that played that Klingon was really great!" Dawson took their remarks as a compliment.[22][27]

Reception

Broadcast and release

"Faces" was first broadcast on May 8, 1995, on UPN at 9 pm Eastern Standard Time. According to Nielsen Media Research, it received ratings of 6.1/10 percent meaning that it was watched by 6.1 percent of all televisions in the United States, and 10 percent of those watching television at the time. This placed it in 77th place overall for the week. This was roughly a 7.4 percent drop in viewership from the previous episode "Cathexis", which earned an average rating of 6.4.[28]

The episode was first released for home media use on VHS in the United Kingdom in 1995 as part of a two-episode collection with "Cathexis".[29] The episode was first released on DVD as part of the first season release on February 24, 2004, in the United States.[30] This was followed by a release in the United Kingdom in 1996,[31] which was subsequently re-released in the following year.[32] The episode was also available on numerous streaming video on demand services, such as Amazon Video,[33] iTunes,[1] and Hulu.[34] A 4-inch action figure of Klingon Torres was released by Playmates Toys, including the following accessories: a Vidiian bioscanner and phaser, a Bat'leth, a D'k tahg, a Klingon ceremonial sword, and a Klingon display base.[35][36]

Cast and crew response

The episode was positively received by the cast and crew, for its representation of Torres' internal conflict over her half-human half-Klingon identity. Biller identified the episode as his favorite of the three scripts he wrote for the show's first season; he also wrote "Elogium" and "Jetrel".[37] He viewed the scene depicting Torres' realization that she was human as one of the best from the episode.[2] Dawson described the episode as a "very big step for B'Elanna" and appreciated that the script avoided a cliché ending by leaving room for Torres to deal with her internal struggles with identity.[21] Near the end of the show's final season, she found it to be a highlight episode.[38] Taylor and Beltran praised Dawson for her ability to play two contrasting characters;[2] Beltran added that it was a great episode that showcased Dawson's abilities as an actor.[18] While Kolbe initially found Dawson's inquisitiveness and frequent questions during filming to be a challenge, he felt that she did "a hell of a job on that one."[39] He enjoyed the completed version of the episode, but expressed disappointment at its ending.[7]

The producers and writers also commented on the appearance of the Vidiians in the episode. Piller, Braga, and Taylor praised executive producer Rick Berman's decision to reformat the Torres' storyline with the inclusion of the Vidiians. Freelance writer Skye Dent, who had helped with the original development of the Vidiians for "Phage" was impressed by the episode's representation of the alien species, and felt it was an improvement over her concepts.[3] Biller highlighted the scene revealing Sulan's transplant of Durst's face onto his own as "my classic moment in Voyager first season."[4]

Critical reception

Critical response was largely positive, with Juliette Harrisson at Den of Geek highlighting "Faces" as one of three episodes to watch from the first season due to "some fine character work from Roxann Dawson." Harrisson also noted that the episode helped to establish "Voyager's most successful romantic pairing" (Torres and Paris).[40] TrekToday's Michelle Erica Green felt that the episode was an effective character study of Torres and showcased Dawson's abilities as an actor. Green, however, found that the plot was an unoriginal take on the evil twin storyline and the science was unbelievable in the context of the show.[41] Jamahl Epsicokhan of Jammer's Reviews identified "Faces" as a standout from the first season, since it did not recycle its story from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He praised Dawson's performance, and expressed disappointment that the character was frequently restricted to technobabble throughout the rest of the series.[42] Will Nguyen of Treknews.net identified the episode as a positive development for Torres that enabled the audience to better understand her character.[43]

Critics and fans responded negatively to the episode's final sequence. Taylor described getting negative fan mail about the lack of sympathy expressed by Voyager's crew members for Torres in the ending. She clarified that Chakotay's response to Torres was intended to be unresponsive rather than cold, and acknowledged that he should have "put his arm around her and show[n] some warmth" as suggested by fans.[4] Green was surprised that Torres was not given a pep talk by either Janeway or Chakotay in the final scene.[41] Epsicokhan, on the other hand, found the lack of answers from Chakotay to be an appropriate ending given the focus on Torres' personal conflicts.[42]

References

Citations

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  3. 1 2 3 Gross & Altman (1996): p. 145–146
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gross & Altman (1996): p. 146
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  23. "Roxann Biggs-Dawson: ST: VOY's Half Klingon". Star Trek: Communicator. No. 104. New York: FANtastic Media. October–November 1995. p. 56.
  24. Ruditis (2003): p. 315
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  37. McIntee (2000): p. 45
  38. "Roxann Dawson". The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine. Vol. 2 no. 2. New York: Starlog. June 2001. p. 18.
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Bibliography

  • Gross, Edward; Altman, Mark A. (1996). Captains' Logs Supplemental: The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-671-00206-0. 
  • McIntee, David (2000). Delta Quadrant - The Unofficial Guide to Voyager. New York: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0436-7. 
  • Okuda, Michael; Okuda, Denise; Mirek, Debbie (1994). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. London: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-03475-8. 
  • Poe, Stephan Edward (1998). A Vision of the Future. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-53481-3. 
  • Ruditis, Paul (2003). Star Trek Voyager Companion. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7434-1751-8. 

External links

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