Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Nightingale (2000) User Reviews

The show's writers give Harry Kim a tough time

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 3 August 2020]

Harry Kim takes command of an away mission that breaks the Prime Directive.

This might a be difficult episode for some to take as it involves themes that have been explored in multiple Star Trek episodes and doesn't provide a very positive portrayal of one of Voyager's main characters.

We have seen characters endure their first command experiences before. Spock, La Forge, Crusher to name a few. Captain Kirk had rocky ride in his first time back commanding the Enterprise in the original Motion Picture. This is something that has pretty much been done to death by the franchise. Add to that the Prime Directive element which has similar issues.

All that said it has a pretty good main plot that works well. It drew me in and I watched it with intrigue, went through moments of suspense and was ultimately entertained. The sub-plot was even better and offered effective relief from the events of the main narrative.

What is difficult to watch is the Harry Kim character behaving this way. Starting from an arrogant sense of entitlement, through almost David Brent like characteristics to the inevitable car-crash of his first command.

Only having his hand held through it all by Seven of Nine stopped things from being a complete and utter disaster.

To be fair to the writers they eventually make Harry admit that he's not ready for command, but it doesn't take away the fact that because they rinsed him so badly we now struggle to take him seriously again. In some ways you feel it would be kinder to kill a character off than humiliate them.

While searching for Dilithium, Ensign Kim takes command of an alien medical ship.

[eonbluekarma · 7/10 · 1 May 2007]

This episode explores ensign Kim's motivation to gain more experience in command situations. There have been many episodes featuring Kim as the main story arch, but this is the first time he actually takes command of a vessel, although it is not Voyager or another Federation ship. From early on in Voyager, ensign Kim's acting was suspect at best, but if you compare a later episode like this one to one of his early ones, a definite difference in the quality of his acting can be seen. In this episode he faces the weight of commanding a ship, a new experience for his character. That weight is handled well, resulting in a thoroughly watchable performance by Wang.

Harry gets to be a captain

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 10 May 2010]

While Voyager is on a planet for repairs Harry Seven and Neelix are off in the Delta Flyer looking for fuel. As they are searching an alien ship appears and fires across the bows of the Flyer. It turns out they were actually targeting a cloaked ship in front of them. When that ship requests help saying they are transporting vital medical supplies Harry decides to help. After disabling the attacking ship's weapons Harry helps the stricken ship get back to Voyager although once there they find that the attackers are already there in apparently friendly discussions with Captain Janeway about getting needed parts. Once they depart Harry tells the captain about the attack and is given permission captain that ship back to its home world. On the way the cloak fails and they are immediately confronted by several ships. At this point he comes to the conclusion that they aren't in fact carrying medicine and it is in fact the cloaking device which is being transported. Back on Voyager there is a lighter plot thread where Icheb starts to think B'Elanna fancies him.

This was a good episode and Garrett Wang did a good job as Harry Kim, it was nice to see him get a chance to command a ship and have to make some difficult decisions. Guest star Ron Glass, better known as Firefly's Shepard Book, is impressive as the scientist on the ship Harry gets asked to captain. The secondary story added a bit of levity and was fairly funny if only a small part of the story.

Captain Kim

[thevacinstaller · 6/10 · 18 February 2023]

Well, I hope that the alien society that was developing the cloaking technology is not the aggressors of this war. I guess at some point you just throw your hands up in the air and pick a side.

I really enjoyed an episode like this from TNG's first season with LaForge ----- this one is decent enough but doesn't have the emotional impact that one did. I did enjoy the journey of Harry discovering the complexities of decision making for the superior officers and SO9 was our Deanna Troi in this episode giving him some sage like advice. I hate being that a guy (a lie) but if I was the head writer, I would make the aliens whom harry is helping the aggressors of this war taking place. Have Harry's first real command be a real eye opener about perceptions and reading a room properly.

I actually enjoyed the B-Plot of this one. I was amused by Icheb's incorrect interpretation of torres interest in him and I laughed quite a bit when he 'broke up' with her. I feel like kindred spirits in this one with Icheb because I think women are totally into me when they show the most basic interest in me.

I wish they would have gone with my awesome script idea --- don't be afraid to be a bit punchy with the scripts ---- we can take a hit.

Save the life of cloak designers but no cloak for Voyager...

[wwcanoer-tech · 6/10 · 2 November 2021]

A "first real command" episode is a good idea but the episode doesn't work very well. They could have developed a better premise.

Who would set down a starship, for days of repairs that will leave it disabled for days, inside the territory of a people whom you have not met? And then send your shuttles away to search for resources? You can't rescue them and they can't rescue you. (The say that there's several search teams even though in the opening we see shuttles lifting parts.)

It's not surprising that the Kraylors lied. I'd like to see Harry do more investigating of their story, really challenge them "How do I know that you're not the aggressor or insurgent?", including checking the vaccines and crew manifest, but providing subtle clues of their lies that Harry doesn't see.

The visit to Voyager should have been cut. It doesn't make any sense that Janeway would risk angering the Anari (with whom they already have a trade deal) while disabled on the planet. Harry doesn't need to ask mommy to be captain, he should just do it and then return with a proud story. They always make Harry look so weak. Apparently that annoys many people.

When the cloak designers took over, it appears as if they never needed Harry's help at all. Could have shortened Seven's long talk with wimpy Harry and had Harry enter, watch a moment and then stop the crew from taking an ill-advised action, showing that he is indeed needed. Build his confidence through action instead of talk.

I don't like Harry surrendering and then breaking his word. That could really anger the Anari who would then crush Voyager. Find a better way through the blockade.

Fun to have Harry appear in a cloaked ship but how does it end there? How does Harry essentially save a world and then walk away with nothing? The esteemed Federation keeps meeting people with cloaks, even borrowing cloaked ships, now saving cloak designers, but never even gets a cloaked shuttle until DS9.

It's Like Playing "Captain" When You Were a Kid

[spasek · 6/10 · 20 July 2021]

That is what this episode reminded me of: when we were kids, and we'd romp around the neighborhood playing out childhood fantasies as Star Wars or Star Trek characters, and you always had some kid playing the Captain.

Watching Harry Kim act like a kid playing captain was just...cringeworthy on so many levels. I couldn't decided whether to laugh or grimace. I'm sure I ended up doing both.

Once again, Wang's delivery of his lines shows why he's just not a great actor. And when you're across excellent actors like Mulgrew, Russ, and Ryan, you can't help but stand out even more.

Watching Seven chew Harry a new one because he's acting more like a petulant teenager than a Starfleet officer, was a golden moment in this episode.

You know you're watching a so-so episode when you're more interested in Torres and a teenaged Icheb than you are in Harry Kim, which isn't a good thing. This is an episode one can easily skip over in the future. I know I will.

He Is Given Way Too Much Responsibility

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 17 September 2018]

I won't go into much detail. Once again our would be "Captain" fails to check out all the details before making decisions. While Voyager is idle having repairs done on her, Harry and others are in a shuttle, looking for dilithium. He encounters a race that seems to be peaceful after they are attacked. Watch and see.

Underrated episode

[michalbavly · 7/10 · 21 April 2022]

Underrated episode, see ansin Kim takes responsibility and evolving. The dilemmas and contradictions between the prime directive and the everyday life and demands is resurfacing once again.

Harry Kim screws up...again.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 6 March 2015]

I have always thought that the character of Ensign Kim was fatally flawed in many ways. He always seemed too weak and a bit pathetic-- and this show only makes him seem worse.

When the show begins, Harry is in charge of a mission on the shuttle. They witness a space battle and impulsively, stupid Harry intervenes. Remember--the Federation SUPPOSEDLY has a non- interference directive, but somehow Kim thinks it just doesn't apply to him. Later, after Harry suggests to the Captain MORE interference, the stupidity of this comes to bit him on the butt.

The bottom line is that again and again, Kim screws up because instead of acting like a Starfleet officer, he acts like a child. Man up, Harry...and remember the stuff they SHOULD have taught you at Starfleet Academy. Remember--he knew NOTHING about the war and intervened. What if this race he helped had been like Space Nazis?!!? Come on Harry, quit acting like you are still 12...and Captain Janeway, why didn't you throw him in the brig for this?! Inconsistent and silly.

I'm about halfway through and I'm fairly bored

[beanslegit · 6/10 · 22 February 2021]

So this is a very Harry heavy episode, so I would say watch it if you like the character, otherwise there's not really much to this one so far.

Probably I will skip this one soon if things don't pick up shortly.

Goof: When the young borg dude goes the doctors office to fix the emmitter, he just leaves after their conversation and doesn't fix it. lol

Playing a captain doesn't make you a captain

[tomsly-40015 · 3/10 · 3 February 2024]

Harry Kim once again gets his own episode and blows it like usual. Engage! Right against the wall with warp 9.9. I don't think I'm the only one who thinks that Kim is the most boring and superfluous character in this series, who neither has any special skills as an officer, nor is he particularly interesting, humorous, articulate, or witty as a person.

This time our boy Kim gets to play captain on a freighter. The passengers not only fool him the whole time, they also use false pretenses to get him to take on this mission in the first place. Once again Kim gets involved in the conflicts of other species and is not only up to his neck in an interplanetary war, but also drags Voyager into it. Just so he can get his five minutes of fame as captain. And then he is finally captain and controls the execution of all his orders and prevents the crew from doing their work independently. Only when Seven jumps in and points out that one of the ship's systems is not working properly (namely the captain), he is willing to give the crew more leeway.

His claim is downright ridiculous that he would have been a lieutenant or even lieutenant commander by now if he hadn't been stranded in the Delta quadrant. There has hardly been a situation in the past episodes in which Kim has particularly stood out. And as far as I know, constantly falling in love with the wrong women doesn't get you promoted in Starfleet. Otherwise he would already be a highly decorated fleet admiral.

It's a Harry episode.

[timothy_sarver · 2/10 · 10 August 2018]

Unless for some insane reason you like that little mama's boy, you're going to hate this episode.