When the Doctor finds a hole in his memory, he determines to find out what has caused it. But the answers are more frightening than he realized.
Stories that feature the Doctor are invariably very good, even if only to see Robert Picardo. Over the last few years, he's got some of the most interesting and varied plotlines, covering drama, comedy, suspense and mystery. This is the Doctor's equivalent of The Next Generation's The Measure of a Man, and it's just as good.
What works so well here is that it is impossible to predict what will happen next. Who is responsible for the missing memories and why? Is there an alien presence on board the ship? And seeing the Doctor using his immense intellect to solve the puzzle is fascinating. But it's when the answer is revealed that te story really turns up trumps, as the hologram is forced to come to terms with his actions, and run the risk of being reprogrammed for his irrational behaviour through the conflict that has arisen in his program. The fact that the Doctor is a hologram and shouldn't behave the way he does is dealt with effectively in this way, giving his human-like qualities a technological explanation which isn't too technobabble-like.
It's a superbly constructed script, incredibly well performed, emotional, moving and thought-provoking, and one of the best Voyager has had for a while, with too many stories this season being something of a letdown.
*****
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