Ep 20. Favorite Son

Favorite Son is the twentieth episode of the third season of Star Trek: Voyager. The episode revolves around Harry Kim, who finds himself in a strange situation. His DNA is traced back to a planet called Listeria, where he is believed to be a descendant of a legendary hero. The planet's inhabitants, a matriarchal society called the Mari, are ecstatic to discover Harry's lineage and welcome him back to their planet with open arms. However, the Voyager crew soon discovers a sinister plot behind the Mari's hospitality.

As Harry starts to embrace his newfound role as a hero on Listeria, the Voyager crew begins to notice strange changes in his behavior. He becomes increasingly distant and isolated from his crewmates, and his loyalty to the Mari becomes unwavering. B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris try to get to the bottom of Harry's strange behavior, convinced that there's something more than hero worship going on with the Mari.

As the plot unfolds, the Voyager crew discovers that the Mari have been using Harry as a pawn to help them fulfill their own agenda. The Mari queen reveals that they have been genetically engineering Harry to become the perfect mate for their queen. They intend to use Harry to help them create a new generation of offspring that will ensure their survival. Harry is torn between his loyalty to the Mari, and his duty to his crewmates on the Voyager.

Meanwhile, the Voyager itself is in peril. The Mari threaten to attack the ship if Harry does not comply with their demands. Captain Janeway must negotiate a way out of the situation while trying to save Harry from the clutches of the Mari. The episode is a rollercoaster ride of a plot where the stakes are high and the action is intense.

As the episode comes to a climax, Harry must choose between his loyalty to the Mari and his sense of duty to his crewmates. The episode is all about self-discovery for Harry Kim. He must confront who he really is and what his duties truly are as a Starfleet officer. In essence, Favorite Son is an episode about the dangers of blind hero worship and loyalty to a cause.

The episode is a fantastic standalone piece in the series, while also connecting with the wider ongoing narrative of the Voyager crew trying to make their way back home. With a well written and engaging plot, the episode delivers great character development for Harry Kim, who has often been a secondary character in the series. Its themes of duty, loyalty, and self-discovery are timeless and resonate with viewers even today.

Favorite Son is a great episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and a must-watch for any fan of the franchise. Its well-written plot, great character development, and themes make it a standout episode in the series.