History Recap / StarTrekVoyagerS5E19ThinkTank

** The Hazari set one for ''Voyager'' in the form of a planetoid laced with dilithium.

** When the Think Tank see through this act they hack Seven's brain, enabling Voyager's crew to hack them in turn to knock out the Think Tank's UniversalTranslator.

** The Hazari [[EarthShatteringKaboom blow up an entire planetoid]] to immobilize Voyager's warp field.
** Voyager plants subspace charges in a fake debris field.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Kurros wants: the unreliable Quantum Slipstream technology, Neelix's recipe for Chadre'Kab, Chakotay's Olmec figurine... and Seven of Nine.

** Voyager's helped a lot of species out with their replicators, so that's what Janeway recommends as payment for taking care of the Hazari problem.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The ColdOpen does a great job setting up Kurros's FauxAffablyEvil and InsufferableGenius personality. The Think Tank has just saved an alien world from seismic earthquakes and demand an extremely rare ore as payment. The planet's representative explains that the ore was lost in one of the quakes, but Kurros snaps that he already knows it's a lie, as the Tank detected them warping it away. The representative then begs them to take something else, as the aliens need the ore to fuel their replicators and thus feed their people--but Kurros refuses to budge and says that he'll let their world be destroyed if he doesn't get exactly what he wants.

-->'''Kurros:''' Is it an escape route or is it a trap? Do they know that you know that they know? It is the best kind of puzzle.
* ItsTheOnlyWay: The Hazari blow up the planetoid, destablising Voyager's warp drive and trapping them in a field of inflammable gas. Faced with a demand to surrender, Janeway [[DivertingPower diverts power]] to the shields and fires on the gas, blowing them clear so they can do a HyperspeedEscape.

* LaserGuidedKarma: For its deception, coercion and lacking of moral compass, Voyager leaves the Think Tank to the mercy of the vengeful Hazari:

* PragmaticVillainy: Once Janeway determines that Kurros is TheChessmaster for the episode, she suggests that ''Voyager'' and the Hazari [[EnemyMine work together]] to take down the Think Tank in revenge. The Hazari happily agree--not only did the Think Tank trick them into a contract under false pretenses, but there's a ''much'' fatter bounty on the group due to their long history of making enemies.

* PunyEarthlings: Kurros commits a faux pas when he refers to the 'limited lifeforms' on Voyager. He quickly backpedals when Seven takes offense.

%%* TrapIsTheOnlyOption

* {{Unobtainium}}: The Think Tank's vessel uses that old Trek standby, neutronium.

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Kurros wants: the unreliable Quantum Slipstream technology, Neelix's recipe for Chadre'Kab, Chakotay's Olmec figurine... or Seven of Nine.

** Kurros gives a HannibalLecture, points out that on ''Voyager'', Seven is unable to explore the full limits of her potential; that she'll always be just short of perfection, and claims that with the Think Tank, she will be one of the greatest minds in the galaxy.

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Kurros wants: the unreliable Quantum Slipstream technology, Neelix's recipe for Chadre'Kab, Chakotay's Olmec figurine... and Seven of Nine.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: For it's deception, coercion and lacking of moral compass, Voyager leaves the Think Tank to the mercy of the vengeful Hazari:

* [[OnlyInItForTheMoney Only In it for the Knowledge]]: Helping people is a desirable side effect to what the Think Tank really want: improving their knowledge.

* AlienLunch: Inverted; Kurros is puzzled by Janeway's liking for coffee.
-->'''Janeway:''' It's an acquired taste.

* CuttingTheKnot: A light puzzle game that has ''Voyager'' stumped as far as the solution is solved by Seven simply scanning the puzzle and then pushing the right buttons.

* PetTheDog: Kurros drops a free bit of tactical advice against the Hazari, and it works.

* AlienNonInterferenceClause / EvenEvilHasStandards: The Think Tank has a very light one; any job that helps people and advances the Think Tank's knowledge is fair game, save for those involving genocide or [[WeaponOfMassDestruction Weapons of Mass Destruction]], as that would destroy uniqueness, the one thing the Think Tank values the most.

* CastingGag: Creator/JasonAlexander playing Mr. Kurros, who wants a woman named Seven because she is unique, then throws a fit when he's not allowed to have her, is almost certainly an intentional nod to [[Series/Seinfeld George Costanza]] wanting to name his first born Seven and throwing a fit when someone else decides to name their kid Seven, because it ruins the uniqueness of the name.

--> '''Janeway:''' Well, I'm sure you'll find a solution. Just give it some... thought

* CallBack: Kurros claims that his Think Tank have discovered a cure for the Vidiian Phage!

* GildedCage: Kurros gives a HannibalLecture, points out that on ''Voyager'', Seven is unable to explore the full limits of her potential; that she'll always be just short of perfection, and claims that with the Think Tank, she will be one of the greatest minds in the galaxy.

-->'''Neelix:''' Should I have the Doctor prepare a hypospray?
-->'''Janeway:''' Excuse me?
-->'''Neelix:''' So you can absorb the caffeine more directly.

-->'''Kurros:''' If you do not convince Seven of Nine to join us now, the destruction of your ship is 99.8% certain.
-->'''Janeway (to Tuvok):''' Fire.

* RubiksCubeInternationalGeniusSymbol: Subverted; a Rubix-like puzzle called Sheer Lunacy is driving the crew to frustration, even though Seven of Nine says the solution is easy. This appears to indicate Seven's genius but she later reveals this solution is to [[BoringButPractical cheat by scanning the device]]. This gives Janeway a EurekaMoment on how to defeat the Think Tank.

* TrapIsTheOnlyOption

* TrojanPrisoner: With her own Trojan malware!

* YouWouldntShootMe: The explosion of the planetoid creates a cloud of gas that knocks out Voyager's engines. When Janeway orders the phasers charged, Y'Sek says she's bluffing, as firing would ignite the gas. [[YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith Janeway raises the shields to maximum and fires anyway]], the blast throwing them clear.

* ItsTheOnlyWay: The Hazari blow up the planetoid, destablising Voyager's warp drive and trapping them in a field of inflammable gas. Faced with a demand to surrender, Janeway has [[DivertingPower diverts power]] to the shields and fires on the gas, blowing them clear so they can do a HyperspeedEscape.