Night

This Story: Season 5 Episode 1 (production code 195)
VOY Overall: Episode 95
Trek Overall: Story 520, Episode 550
Airdate: 14 Oct 1998
Written by Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky
Directed by David Livingston

Notes

• Running fired torpedo count: 40 (13 this episode!) – This is a continuity problem, because in the first season episode “The Cloud“, it was said they had a total of 38 of them, and they couldn’t be replaced.  So either this is a real world “we don’t care anymore” production issue, or one of their stops afforded them the ability to restock offscreen.
• Confirmed crew deaths since pilot: 19 (crew of 140 (my count says 134)).
• The first appearance (of four) of Paris’ Captain Proton holodeck program.
• Several references are made to the pilot episode “Caretaker” here.
• Neelix orders “Bergamot tea“. Bergamot is another name used for “Earl Grey” tea – which of course he orders it by saying “Bergamot tea. Hot” – a seeming reference to Capt Picard and TNG.
• It is stated that Janeway’s first command was the USS Billings.
• The “target practice” game on the Holodeck that first appeared in the prior episode appears here again.  It is named this time – “Velocity”.
• Steven Dennis plays two separate unnamed “Night Aliens” in this episode.  He was also Fennim in “Think Tank“, Onquanii in “Warhead“, Crewman Thompson in Equinox Parts I & II, and an Androrian (Tholos) in the Enterprise episodes “The Andorian Incident” and “Shadows of P’Jem“.
• Martin Rayner makes his first of three appearances as Dr. Chaotica here.  He also appeared in “Bride of Chaotica!” and “Shattered“.

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