Faces (Star Trek: Voyager)

rdf:langString Faces (Star Trek: Voyager)

rdf:langString List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes

rdf:langString * Rob LaBelle as Talaxian prisoner * Brian Markinson as Peter Durst / Sulan * Barton Tinapp as Vidiian guard * Joy Kilpatrick as Roxann Dawson's photo double

rdf:langString Star Trek: Voyager

rdf:langString Kenneth Biller

rdf:langString "Faces" is an episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. 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. The 14th episode of the first season, first broadcast by UPN on May 8, 1995, "Faces", was developed from a story by Jonathan Glassner and Kenneth Biller. Biller also wrote the teleplay, which was directed by Winrich Kolbe. In this episode, a Vidiian scientist named Sulan (Brian Markinson) captures and performs medical experiments on the half-Klingon, half-human B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson). He separates her into a full-blooded Klingon and a full-blooded human to find a cure for a disease, known as the Phage. The Voyager crew rescues Torres and restores her to her original state, while she attempts to reconcile with her identity as a half-human half-Klingon. The episode guest stars Rob LaBelle as an unnamed Talaxian prisoner. Actress Joy Kilpatrick was cast as Dawson's photo double to avoid a reliance on split screen. "Faces" was developed as a character study to further explore Torres' internal struggle with her identity. Dawson was originally resistant to the episode, but later identified it as one of her favorite performances, which deepened her understanding of the character and strengthened her acting. Human Torres and Klingon Torres were treated as two separate characters during the development and filming of the episode. Michael Westmore designed the characters' makeup to emphasize the differences between them. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 6.1/10 ratings share; a drop from the episode broadcast the previous week. "Faces" was generally well received, and Dawson's character and performance were praised. Some critics had a more negative response to the script and the final sequence; fan and reviewers felt Voyager's crew showed a lack of empathy for Torres in the ending. The episode has also been the subject of academic analysis on race.