"Barge of the Dead"
Production no. 923

Director: Mike Vejar.
Story by: Ronald D. Moore& Bryan Fuller.
Teleplay by: Bryan Fuller.

"Whatever you experienced, it wasn't real."
"It doesn't matter whether you think it was real; it was real to me."
(Janeway and B'Elanna)

Plot:  When B'Elanna is injured in a shuttle accident, she ends up aboard the Barge of the Dead, a ship which, according to Klingon myth, carries the souls of the dishonoured to Gre'thor, or Klingon Hell. Whilst there, she finds out that she has condemned her mother, who carries the burden of her daughter's dishonour. When B'Elanna is revived, she plans to do all it takes to return to the Barge and claim her mother's dishonour as her own.

Guest cast: 

Eric Pierpoint ("Kotar")
Karen Austin ("Miral")
Sherman Augustus ("Hij'Qa")
John Kenton Shull ("Brok'Tan")

Some trivia:

*  Eric Pierpoint has also played Ambassador Voval in TNG's "Liasons" and Captain Saunders in DS9's "For the Uniform".
*  A story about Klingon Hell was originally envisioned for DS9 but was never made.

Memorable scenes:

*  There is a pretty good scene between Janeway and B'Elanna where they're arguing about religious matter aboard the ship.
*  The scene where B'Elanna is on the Barge and is asking what people want from her: the battle of the self.

Some quotes:

"When we can't accept that we've died, we create the illusion of life to hold on to."
(Klingon on the Barge)

"Tell me what you want from me!"
"We don't want anything from you, B'Elanna. We only want you."
(B'Elanna's battle of the self)

My comments:  I found "Barge" to be one of VOYAGER's best episodes ever! There was great acting from Dawson and the whole idea of Klingon Hell was brilliant. It was about time that B'Elanna had her own "spiritual" episode. As for the storyline where B'Elanna is battling her own conflicting Klingon and human heritage, it can be traced all the way back to the Season 1 episode "Faces" and is a storyline continued in "Day of Honor" and "Extreme Risk". Definately one to watch!