Lieutenant Torres is excited to experiment on photonic energy samples from a protostar, but a glitch in the annular confinement causes a momentary problem. When Janeway suggests Ensign Kim could help, the computer says he's nowhere on the ship. The crew track down his last known location: the holodeck, which is now filled with photonic interference. Chakotay and Tuvok go to investigate. They discover that the holodeck is still running Kim's Beowulf program. It can't be shut down, and the safety controls are offline. Inside, they encounter Freya, a viking shieldmaiden, who says that Beowulf went to fight Grendel but was killed. From her description, Chakotay and Tuvok realize she's talking about Harry.
The pair follow Freya to the mead hall of her father King Hrothgar to get more details, claiming they are Beowulf's kinsmen and want to avenge his death. The dubious king orders them to perform sentry duty on the hall overnight to prove their worth. Their tricorder readings suggest that Kim was converted into energy by a holodeck glitch, but as they see a bright mass coalesce in the hall, Janeway loses contact with them, and they are gone, apparently converted to energy just like Kim.
Janeway recruits the Doctor to investigate next, since he's the only person on the ship who can resist the energy conversion, being converted energy himself. Kes suggests that he finalize his name selection before the mission. The Doctor's image is transferred into the holodeck, where he encounters Freya and introduces himself as Schweitzer. The pair gather some poisonous mushrooms before heading to the mead hall, where Unferth challenges the Doctor to a duel to prove his worth. The Doctor lets Unferth's sword pass harmlessly through him and then scores a hit on Unferth to win the duel, then gives the wounded thane some medical advice. The Danes are all amazed and treat the Doctor as a hero.
The Doctor waits for Grendel that night. Freya has taken quite a shine to Schweitzer and invites him to "share her warmth" in bed if he desires. But there's no time for holo-love, because Grendel shows up. It's a glowing mass of tentacles, one of which grabs the Doctor's arm. He's beamed back to safety minus the arm. Readings of "Grendel" suggest that it's a life form. When they perform tests on the photonic energy samples from the protostar, one escapes, dodging all their force fields to leave the ship and rejoin the photonic lattice outside. Janeway realizes that "Grendel" must be taking her crew hostage to demand the release of its own life forms. She gives the Doctor the remaining sample as a peace offering in hopes of convincing the lifeform they meant no harm.
The Doctor takes the sample back into the holodeck. Freya is overjoyed to see him again, and he explains the sample as a talisman to defeat Grendel. Unferth ambushes the Doctor, accusing him of being in league with Grendel, but Freya sacrifices her life to save the Doctor, and Unferth flees with the sample. Freya gives the Doctor one final kiss before he takes up her sword and pursues Unferth to the mead hall. There, he cows Unferth with a lit torch, getting him to surrender, and spares the man's life due to his Hippocratic oath. When Grendel returns, he returns the photonic lifeform and requests his crew back. Grendel vanishes, and the three missing crewmen reappear. Kim, still in Danish armor, is very confused.
Janeway announces that she's adding a formal commendation to the Doctor's file and asks if he wants to be called Schweitzer permanently, but the Doctor decides that the name is connected to a painful memory, so he won't keep it. Janeway assures him that he'll have more adventures.
This episode provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Freya, shieldmaiden and daughter to King Hrothgar.
- Action Survivor: The Doctor is no action hero but does what he needs to to stay intact and complete his mission.
- Alien Abduction: Turns out Voyager has done this accidentally, so the aliens have taken Ensign Kim in retaliation, and later Chakotay and Tuvok.
- All Up to You: While investigating Harry's disappearance, Chakotay and Tuvok also vanish after being attacked by Grendel. Given that he's a photonic being, the Doctor is sent in under the assumption that he won't be harmed. This turns out to be untrue, but he still volunteers to return to the holodeck and finish the job.
- An Arm and a Leg: 'Grendel' turns out to be an Energy Being that envelops the Doctor's arm. He's projected back to safety in Sickbay and is shocked to find his arm missing, though the damage is quickly repaired.
- And the Adventure Continues: Janeway predicts that the Doctor's adventure will be the first of many.
- Badass Boast: A righteously pissed off Doctor beats the crap out of Unferth for murdering Freya, and delivers an epic one when sparing his life:EMH: The only reason you won't die is because I've taken an oath to do no harm.
- BFS: The Danes all use big-ass (and ahistorical) longswords that are so heavy the Doctor is unable to lift it the first time he's given one.
- Canon Sue: In-Universe, as the holodeck characters are programmed to treat anyone playing the hero as a great warrior.Chakotay: We are Beowulf's kinsmen. My name is Chakotay and this is Tuvok. Have you seen Beowulf?
Freya: Yes. He was like no other. Hair straight and raven black. Eyes bright with fierce fire. The burning gaze of a hero.
Tuvok: Grandiloquence notwithstanding, that would qualify as a description of Mister Kim. - A Day in the Limelight: A Doctor episode.
- Deadpan Snarker
- This exchange:
Freya: You are truly a man of many talents, Lord Schweitzer. Your people must value you greatly.
EMH: You would think so.- After Unferth sprains his wrist swiping through his intangible body, the Doctor suggests he might like to put some ice on it.
- Chakotay and Tuvok have a discussion on the use of demons in literature to cope with fear and other dark emotions. Naturally Tuvok replies that demons don't exist in Vulcan literature, whereupon Chakotay smirks and says that explains its popularity.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The way the holodeck characters repeat the same dialogue to each new person entering the program is meant to invoke computer Role-Playing Games.
- Energy Beings
- Failed Attempt at Drama
- Freya hands the Doctor a BFS to duel Unferth. He immediately drops it.
- When the Doctor is asked to provide a Badass Boast of his deeds, he talks of curing a bad case of measles on Voyager.
- First Contact: Though it takes them a while to realise it.
- First Love: Freya to the Doctor, though, alas, it ends in tragedy. He later abandons his chosen name of 'Schweitzer' because of the painful memories it would evoke.
- Gargle BlasterFreya: We brew the Atuta into a broth which we drink before battle. It brings on the spirit of the bear and gives us strength to swing our swords.
EMH: It's more likely to bring on profuse sweating, convulsions and acute delirium! This is an amonita muscaria, a fungus common to sub-arctic climates and, let me assure you, quite poisonous.
Freya: Yes, but those it does not kill it makes strong. A most hardy plant. - The Glomp: Freya embraces the Doctor after he returns, having survived his encounter with 'Grendel'.
- The Heart: When the Doctor is nervous about stepping out of the familiar confines of Sickbay, Kes inspires him with some well-chosen words.
- Holodeck Malfunction along with aspects of an RPG Episode.
- I Come in Peace: The Doctor calls on Grendel to face him. When the Energy Being bursts into the hall, he opens the sample container, freeing the smaller Energy Being in a sign of good faith, asking that their own crewmembers be returned. They are.
- I Kiss Your Hand: The Doctor is Holding Hands with a wounded Freya, and kisses her hand after she dies.
- Inherently Funny Words: 'Schweitzer' was chosen by the writers for the Doctor's name because of the Anachronism Stew humor of it being chanted by a bunch of hairy Vikings.
- Intangibility: After ineptly dueling with Unferth, the Doctor realises he's making an idiot of himself, puts away his sword and invites his opponent to take a swing. The blow passes through his holographic body, greatly impressing the Danes with his magic.
- It Can Think: The samples beamed on board Voyager turn out to be a sentient form of life. The crew only discover this when one escapes its container, breaches the hull and flees to some kind of photonic spacecraft.
- Limb-Sensation Fascination: The Doctor with his replacement arm.
- Mandatory Line: Harry Kim appears in his Beowulf costume and wants to know where he's been the entire episode.
- Mythology Gag:
- The Doctor loses an arm to Grendel, whereas in the saga Grendel loses an arm to Beowulf.
- Kes suggesting the Doctor take a name before going on the Away Mission may be an example, as we all know what happens to nameless crewmembers who go on Away Missions.
- The Nameless: Kes suggests that the Doctor take a name before going on the Away Mission, because it will make him feel more like a Starfleet officer. He decides to name himself after the famous doctor Albert Schweitzer. But when Freya says his name with her dying breath, the Doctor decides not to use it because of the painful association.
- The Need for Mead: The Doctor joins the Danes in feasting on elk, drinking from whatever is in the mug set before him. Later when specifically offered mead, he turns it down.
- No Sense of Personal Space
- Janeway lays a familiar hand on the Doctor's shoulder, surprising him somewhat, as he's not used to being treated like a person.
- Freya tells the Doctor it's important to stay warm, also while stroking his body. The Doctor is babbling that she's done an excellent job stoking the fire when she gives him a "Shut Up" Kiss.
- Pre-Climax Climax: Freya drops a big hint to 'Lord Schweitzer' that she's willing to offer this. Proving the oft-made comment that the crew really do use the holodeck for sex.
- Say My Name: The Doctor is pleasantly surprised when the Danes all start chanting his new name, but not so much after Freya says it as her last words.
- A Shared SufferingFreya: Do you know what it is to be alone among many and unable to speak your fears?EMH: I think I do.Freya: How do you survive?
- Take Up My Sword: A dying Freya hands her BFS to the Doctor. This time he doesn't drop it.
- Taking the Bullet: As Unferth is about to stab the Doctor (he's carrying the container holding the Energy Being, so can't turn intangible) Freya jumps in front of the dagger and is fatally wounded.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: The Doctor doesn't kill Unferth because of his Hippocratic Oath.
- Took a Level in Badass: The Doctor after Freya dies. He takes up Freya's sword, marches into the King Hrothgar's hall, faces down Unferth with a red-hot fire iron, then makes a successful prisoner exchange with the photonic aliens.
- *Twang* Hello: Freya greets anyone entering the program by chucking her spear past their face into a tree.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Even though they're just scripted characters in a standard entertainment holodeck program, the Doctor treats the Beowulf characters like real people. He refuses to kill Unferth because of his Hippocratic oath and apparently feels genuine sorrow at the death of Freya. This makes sense considering that he is himself a holographic AI.
