Barge of the Dead
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 6 October 1999
- ON
- UPN
- STARDATE
- None given
- DIRECTED BY
- Mike Vejar
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 223
WRITTEN BYTeleplay by Bryan Fuller; story by Ronald D. Moore & Bryan Fuller
A shuttle accident leaves B'Elanna Torres with a head injury and a terrifying vision: a voyage aboard the Klingon Barge of the Dead, bound for the underworld, with her late mother aboard.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
B'Elanna Torres is injured when an ion storm damages her shuttle, which is carrying a Klingon relic. Unconscious, she finds herself aboard the Barge of the Dead, steered by Kortar towards Gre'thor, the Klingon underworld. Among the damned is her mother, Miral, condemned because of B'Elanna's rejection of her Klingon heritage. Revived by the Doctor, Torres is convinced the experience was real, and she persuades Janeway to let the Doctor put her back into a coma so she can return. On the barge she offers to take her mother's place, and Gre'thor takes the form of Voyager, with distorted versions of her crewmates turning on her. When Tuvok attacks with a bat'leth, she refuses to fight back. Miral tells her this is the first step towards redemption, and promises they will meet again. B'Elanna wakes on Voyager and embraces Janeway.
- 01Ronald D. Moore first pitched the idea for Deep Space Nine's “Soldiers of the Empire”, where it was turned down as too philosophical for so late in the season.
- 02The episode gives Star Trek's first detailed depiction of Gre'thor, the Klingon underworld, which had previously only been mentioned.