Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy

ST episode
name = Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy


The Doctor experiences daydreams
series = VOY
ep_num = 124| prod_num = 224
date = October 13, 1999
writer = Bill Vallely
Joe Menosky
director = John Bruno
guest = Jay Legget as Phlox
Googy Gress as Overlooker
Robert Greenberg as Devro
stardate = Unknown
year = 2376
prev = Barge of the Dead
next = Alice

"Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy" is an episode of "", the fourth episode of the sixth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.6/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of November 25, 2007). [ [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/108146.html STARTREK.COM : Episode ] ]

Plot summary

Captain Janeway dismisses the importance of a nebula that the U.S.S. Voyager is currently passing through. Her next order of business is from the ship's holographic doctor, who wishes his program to be altered so he can take command if needed. Janeway rejects this plan. To boost his morale, the Doctor implements a plan allowing himself to daydream.

However, in the nebula, a Hierarchy starship is hidden. One of the crew members sights the Voyager and gets permission from the Hierarchy to use the Doctor as a method to spy on Voyager. However, the Doctor's daydreams become the "vision" that the crew member sees. The crew member reports this to the Hierarchy. However, the captain sees something else - the Voyager's store of antimatter. Meanwhile, the Doctor is having trouble telling reality from his fantasies.

The enemy ship decides to use a "Stealth 3" plan to destroy the Voyager and get the antimatter. However, the crew member warns the Doctor through his daydreams about the situation. The Doctor is then told that he should act as the captain because one of the daydreams the Hierarchy saw was the Doctor daydreaming about turning into the captain. The Doctor tells Janeway of this. Initially she believes the Doctor simply has lost touch with reality again. She is soon convinced and the Doctor's original command program is implemented for real. Janeway, however, works from a hiding spot to give the Doctor advice and orders.

Unfortunately, the Hierarchy vessel has gotten permission to proceed to a "Stealth 4" assault instead. Instead of a warning shot being fired before boarding the ship, a full phaser blast is used. The ship is rocked. The Doctor decides to use one of his fantasies, which the enemy believes is reality. He declares he will implement the photonic cannon, an entirely imaginary weapon. This bluff succeeds and the enemy retreats.

The episode ends with Janeway giving the Doctor a medal of honor and telling him that she will assign a team to research adding command functions to a hologram.

Production

The episode was originally titled "The Secret Life of Neelix" and intended to be a story about when Neelix's daydreams take on a life of their own when aliens become involved. However it was shifted around and rewritten to become a story involving the Doctor. [cite web|url=http://trekweb.com/Voyager/missions/224.html.bak|publisher=Lost in Space: Star Trek Voyager|title=Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy|accessdate=2007-08-28] The premise is based on the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber in which Walter Mitty daydreams heroic adventures while running an errand for his wife.cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue187/interview.html|title=Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo considers the journey home|first=Melissa J.|last=Perenson|publisher=SciFi.com|accessdate=2007-08-29] The title of this episode is a reference to the 1974 spy novel "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" by John le Carré. The 1979 BBC television serialization of that novel included a character played by veteran actor Patrick Stewart.

Writer Joe Menosky describes the episode as "five days of scriptwriting paradise" because "the story itself becomes your friend and collaborator, it is rich enough to support you and keep feeding you ideas as you execute the script". [cite web|url=http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=sxeymub5r4EFw|title=Interview: Scribes Joe Menosky and Michael Taylor on Their STAR TREK Classics|first=Steve|last=Krutzler|quote=I came out of the staff meeting when we finished that story break practically giddy with anticipation because I just knew I was in for five days of scriptwriting paradise and the end result was going to be good. In that case, the story itself becomes your friend and collaborator, it is rich enough to support you and keep feeding you ideas as you execute the script -- and you'd have to be an idiot to screw it up.|publisher=Trek Web] During the writing of the script, Joe Menosky asked actor Robert Picardo for "a list of what the Doctor's fantasies might be. Needless to say, a life drawing of Seven of Nine was the first suggestion [Picardo] made." [cite web|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/community/chat/archive/transcript/6143.html|title=Interview with Robert Picardo ("The Doctor" - VOY)|publisher=StarTrek.com|date=July 14, 2004|accessdate=2007-08-30]

Actor Robert Picardo described the filming of the episode as "the most fun I've had in shooting the entire series ... It was great fun and one of our most successful outings at humor on our show."

Reception

The episode is a significant departure from typical Voyager episodes due to the story's extensive use of comedic elements, making it a popular favorite among many viewers. It has been cited as "most entertaining episode of the season to date, and a Voyager classic."cite web|url=http://www.reviewboy.com/tinkertenor.html|first=Jim|last=Wright|date=October 17, 1999|title=Jim Reviews "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy"|publisher=Delta Blues - Jim Wright's Star Trek:Voyager site|quote=All in all, this has my vote for most entertaining episode of the season to date, and a Voyager classic. It made me laugh--a lot. But it didn't do just that, and that's what I really liked. The humor didn't come at the expense of characterization or consistency.]

The episode has an average rating of 4.6/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of November 25, 2007) and 8.1/10 on IMDB. [imdb title|id=0708998|title=Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy] [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/108146.html]

References

*cite web|url=http://www.treknation.com/reviews/tinker_tenor_doctor_spy.shtml|first=Edward James|last=Hines|date=October 13, 1999|title=Review of "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy"|publisher=Trek Nation

External links

*memoryalpha|Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy
* [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/VOY/episode/108146.html Episode synopsis at Startrek.com]