History Recap / StarTrekVoyagerS1E12Cathexis

* ShoutOut: Tom Paris has fond memories of [[Film/BackToTheFuture "Doc" Brown]].

* WhatIsThisFeeling: The Doctor underplays the scene where Janeway offers him autonomous control of his on/off switch. This is a man whose needs have never been up for discussion, and [[FirstTimeFeeling he doesn’t quite know how to respond to the offer]].

* ParanoiaFuel Suspicion spreads among the crew with the realization that anyone could be under alien control and working to thwart them.

* {{Homage}}: Janeway's holonovel seems to crib liberally from ''Literature/JaneEyre'', with her as the new governess to a girl in the household of a bachelor gentleman with a stern personality and a house with something mysterious on the top floor.

Janeway is partaking in a holodeck holonovel when she gets word that Tuvok and Chakotay's shuttle has returned after an apparent attack, with both men incapacitated. It turns out that Tuvok has a cureable concussion, but Chakotay is comatose, having been drained of all his neural energy. After recovering, Tuvok explains that they were attacked by an unknown vessel near a dark nebula, so Janeway charts a course for the nebula to get answers. Not much can be done for Chakotay, so Torres performs a medicine wheel ritual sacred to Chakotay in hopes of helping. Meanwhile, Kes's telepathic abilities are acting up again, and she feels another presence on the ship.

Strange things start happening around the ship. As they approach the nebula, the ship starts charting a course away even though Paris insists he did no such thing. Later, the warp core gets shut down by Torres, though she insists the same. A study of their brain engrams shows that a different brain wave was in control of their actions during these moments. Realizing that they've got a body-jumping alien puppetmaster on the loose, Janeway gives her command codes to the Doctor, since he's the only one immune to its effects. Kes announces that she can sense the alien, and Tuvok suggests that he mind-meld with her to help her focus, but when the pair get into a turbolift, they both get rendered unconscious. Tuvok again bounces back, but Kes is comatose.

Paranoia is rampant, so Janeway orders a ship-wide magneton scan to find the culprit, which will be ready in a few hours. The Doctor informs Tuvok that Kes was physically attacked, and Janeway believes Tuvok must have been possessed to do it himself. She orders the Doctor to scan Tuvok, but the Doctor has been put offline by the mysterious saboteur. This transfers all command codes back to Janeway, so she splits them with Tuvok to prevent them all from getting into the hands of the alien at once. But suddenly the alien takes control of Janeway and attacks Tuvok. A phaserfight breaks out, and Tuvok stuns everyone to end it.

But evidence quickly starts mounting that Tuvok has been lying about the mysterious vessel they've been following, and Janeway notes how he is continually at the center of the alien's sabotage. She orders Kim to stop the ship. Tuvok declares that Janeway is under the influence of the alien because she's trying to prevent them from entering the nebula, just like the saboteur. When Kim refuses to heed Tuvok's new orders, the Vulcan pulls a phaser, seizes control of the bridge, and charts a course for the nebula. He finally admits that he's the saboteur, possessed by an alien race called the Komar, who feed on brain energy. But Torres gets possessed and ejects the warp core, stopping the ship. Janeway puts together all the clues to realize that there have been two entities aboard the ship, and the one that jumps between bodies is actually Chakotay.

Janeway activates the magneton burst to stun Tuvok and drive the Komar spirit out of him. But the ship is inside the dark nebula and getting attacked by the Komar. Chakotay inhabits Neelix, who is at Kes's bedside, and rearranges the stones on the medicine wheel. Janeway deciphers the stones as a map out of the dark nebula, and she charts a course to safety. Later, the Doctor manages to finally revive Chakotay. Janeway welcomes him back, but Chakotay says it feels like he never left.

Janeway is partaking in a holodeck holonovel when she gets word that Tuvok and Chakotay's shuttle has returned after an apparent attack, with both men incapacitated. It turns out that Tuvok has a cureable concussion, but Chakotay is comatose, having been drained of all his neural energy. After recovering, Tuvok explains that they were attacked by an unknown vessel near a dark nebula, so Janeway charts a course for the nebula for answers. Not much can be done for Chakotay, so Torres performs a medicine wheel ritual sacred to Chakotay in hopes of helping. Meanwhile, Kes's telepathic abilities are acting up again, and she feels another presence on the ship.

Paranoia is rampant, so Janeway orders a ship-wide magneton to find the culprit. The Doctor informs Tuvok that Kes was physically attacked, and Janeway believes he must have been possessed to do it himself. She orders the Doctor to scan Tuvok, but the Doctor has been put offline by the mysterious saboteur. This transfers all command codes back to Janeway, so she splits them with Tuvok to prevent them all from getting into the hands of the alien at once. But suddenly the alien takes control of Janeway and attacks Tuvok. A phaserfight breaks out, and Tuvok stuns everyone to end it.

But evidence quickly starts mounting that Tuvok has been lying about the mysterious vessel they've been following, and Janeway notes how is continually at the center of the alien's sabotage. Tuvok declares that Janeway is under the influence of the alien because she's trying to prevent them from entering the nebula, just like the saboteur. When Kim refuses, Tuvok pulls a phaser, seizes control of the bridge, and charts a course for the nebula. He finally admits that he's the saboteur, possessed by an alien race called the Komar, who feed on brain energy. But Torres gets possessed and ejects the warp core, stopping the ship. Janeway puts together all the clues to realize that there have been two entities aboard the ship, and the body-hopping spirit is actually Chakotay.

* TwoDSpace: Chakotay uses his medicine wheel to show Voyager how to get out of the nebula.
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The magnaton flash scan, used to purge the ship of energy beings (not Chakotay, fortunately).

* BlatantLies: Chakotay apologises for having to knock around Tuvok. You know, that Starfleet mole who infiltrated his crew with the intention of betraying them to the authorities? Tuvok of course replies that no apology is necessary.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint
** B'Elanna asks Harry's opinion on the latest TechnoBabble, only to find him staring into space. Tuvok draws a phaser while B'Elanna scans him with a tricorder, only for an alarmed Harry to reveal he was merely pondering what had just been said.
** "Mr Neelix, just because a man changes his drink order, doesn't mean he's possessed by an alien."

* {{Fanservice}}: Normally, medical technology on "Star Trek" is advanced to a point where patients can be treated and even operated on while fully clothed. But Chakotay's injuries require a complete removal of his shirt, for the entire episode, for [[MrFanservice some reason or another.]]

** Janeway has [[TimTaylorTechnology all power]] [[DivertingPower diverted to the thrusters]] including life support, so they can escape the nebula before the Komar break through their shields ([[FridgeLogic but wouldn't that include]] the power going to the shields?)
* HesDeadJim: The Doctor re Chakotay.

* MauveShirt: [[spoiler:Ensign Durst has a larger speaking role, so naturally he dies in the next episode.]]

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: InUniverse; Captain Janeway isn't happy at their paranoid reaction to Harry Kim (see ComicallyMissingThePoint).

* ParanoiaFuel (InUniverse): Suspicion spreads among the crew with the realization that anyone could be under alien control and working to thwart them.

* [[HeKnowsTooMuch She Knows Too Much]]: Kes is rendered unconscious and the Doctor's program is locked down under numerous security codes.

On an away mission, Tuvok and Chakotay's shuttle is attacked by an unknown alien force, leaving Chakotay comatose and seemingly brain-dead. Voyager tries to return to the scene of the attack to find out what happened, but finds that a noncorporeal presence is on board the ship, jumping from body to body and controlling the crew members in an attempt to keep them away.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Doctor is given command authorization of Voyager. Somewhat perturbed, the Doctor asks if that means he's in command. The Doctor will be more eager to become an Emergency Command Hologram in later seasons.

* WhatIsThisFeeling: The Doctor underplays the scene where Janeway offers him autonomous control of his on/off switch. This is a man whose needs have never been up for discussion, and he doesn’t quite know how to respond to the offer.

** "Mr Neelix, just because a man changes his DrinkOrder, doesn't mean he's possessed by an alien."

** When Neelix demands the Doctor investigate someone who's ''supposedly'' NotHimself (just because he changed his DrinkOrder), the Doctor tells him he's being paranoid. He then stares at Neelix with mock suspicion. "In fact, one could say you're acting a bit ''too'' paranoid."

* [[HesDeadJim He's Brain-Dead, Jim]]: The Doctor re Chakotay.

* DeadpanSnarker: Janeway asks if the Doctor can handle the responsibility of taking charge of Voyager in an emergency.
-->'''The Doctor:''' Of course...I make life and death decisions every day.
-->'''Paris:''' I feel better already.

* SpreadShot: When the alien intruder starts taking over members of the bridge crew in succession, Tuvok fires his phaser on wide beam to knock everyone out. When Tuvok's revealed to be hostile, he takes over the bridge by threatening to do it again, [[DeathRay with the phaser set to Kill]].

* BeamSpam: When the alien intruder starts taking over members of the bridge crew in succession, Tuvok fires his phaser on wide beam to knock everyone out. When Tuvok's revealed to be hostile, he takes over the bridge by threatening to do it again, [[DeathRay with the phaser set to Kill]].

** When Neelix demands the Doctor investigate someone who's NotHimself, the Doctor tells him he's being paranoid. He then stares at Neelix with mock suspicion. "In fact, one could say you're acting a bit ''too'' paranoid."

* CuttingTheKnot: When the alien starts jumping from one crewmember to another, Tuvok solves the problem by stunning everyone on the bridge with a wide beam shot.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: B'Elanna asks Harry's opinion on the latest TechnoBabble, only to find him staring into space. Tuvok draws a phaser while B'Elanna scans him with a tricorder, only for an alarmed Harry to reveal he was merely pondering what had just been said.

* DontSneakUpOnMeLikeThat: After her MirrorScare, Janeway startles when Lord Burleigh lays a hand on her shoulder.

%%* MirrorScare

** Janeway has [[TimTaylorTechnology all power]] [[DivertingPower diverted to the thrusters]] including life support, so they can escape the nebula before the Komar break through their shields (but wouldn't that include the power going to the shields?)