Barge of the Dead
"Barge of the Dead" was developed from a story by Ronald D. Moore and Bryan Fuller, who wrote the teleplay, and was directed by Mike Vejar.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet and Maquis crew of the starship USS Voyager after they are stranded in the Delta Quadrant, far from the rest of the Federation.
In this episode, the half-Klingon, half-human B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) has a near-death experience and appears to be sent to the Klingon version of Hell known as Gre'thor.
Morale officer Neelix plans a celebration of the discovery of the object, believing it originates from the Alpha Quadrant and thus proves Voyager is getting closer to home; Torres resists the proposal for a party.
Discussing why he left the series, he said he wanted to further develop more of its story arcs and characters, particularly focusing on the "internal strife among people trapped aboard ship(s) without any reasonable hope of finding sanctuary anytime soon".
ExtremeTech's Joel Hruska wrote that the show's later seasons would typically feature Seven of Nine, the Doctor, and Janeway to the detriment of the rest of the cast, while Fuller would draw more attention to the more underused characters.
[8] While discussing the episode, actress Roxann Dawson described the storyline as a "classic Star Trek story" due to its focus on family.
[3] TrekToday's Edward James Hines identified "Barge of the Dead" as the final part of a "probably unplanned 'Torres Trilogy'", which also included the episodes "Day of Honor" and "Extreme Risk".
[10] Writer Paul Ruditis viewed the emphasis on Torres' "duality of nature" as leading to the development of several episodes prominently showcasing her character, including "Barge of the Dead".
[11] Ruditis connected Torres' storyline to Seven of Nine's in "Survival Instinct", writing that they both "deal with issues of life and death, with dramatic results".
Religious studies scholars Ross Kraemer, William Cassidy, and Susan L Schwartz interpreted the representation of Gre'thor and Klingon spirituality as borrowing from Norse and Greek mythology, specifically the crossing of the rainbow bridge Bifröst or the river Styx.
[14] Exploring the influence of the Greek story of Odysseus (Latin: Ulysses) on Star Trek: Voyager, the Classical philologist Otta Wenskus points to Siren-like creatures who call out with the voices of those loved by those on the barge.
Though the motif of a barge and ferryman is not present in Homer's portrayal of the underworld in the Odyssey, it was subsequently popularized by its use in Virgil's Aeneid and Dante's Inferno.
[16] Kraemer, Cassidy, and Schwartz argued that "Barge of the Dead" mirrored the Star Trek: The Next Generation season six episode "Rightful Heir" by not providing a clear answer as to whether Torres' experiences in the Klingon afterlife were real or part of an hallucination.
IGN's Peter Schorn wrote that the episode was "[a]nchored by Dawson's panicked performance", and praised the focus on the character's internal conflict.
Despite her praise of Dawson, Tim Russ, and Kate Mulgrew, TrekToday's Michelle Erica Green felt the episode bore too many similarities to earlier Star Trek installments and the 1990 film Flatliners.
[26] Hines, writing for the same publication, disliked how Fek'lhr, introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Devil's Due", was absent and felt he could have been represented with CGI animation.
[10] Ranking it at number thirteen out of the twenty-two Star Trek episodes written by Fuller, Blastr's Dany Roth praised the writer's attempt to better address Torres as a character, but felt his approach to the afterlife and spirituality were too direct and literal.
