| "The 37s" | |||
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| Star Trek: Voyager episode | |||
Voyager encounters an old airplane, which originated from Earth |
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 1 |
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| Directed by | James Conway | ||
| Written by | Jeri Taylor Brannon Braga |
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| Production code | 120 | ||
| Original air date | August 28, 1995 | ||
| Guest stars | |||
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Tarik Ergin as Lt. Ayala |
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes | |||
"The 37s" is the 17th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the first episode of the second season.
The Voyager crew discovers a 1936 Ford pick-up, as identified by Paris, floating in space and rusted. Paris starts up the truck, startling everyone with backfire, and turns the AM radio and pick up a morse code S.O.S..[1] They lay in a course for the source of the signal. Reaching their destination, the atmosphere prevents transporters and would be dangerous for a shuttle craft to fly, Janeway orders the ship to be landed on the surface. After an initially bumpy ride down to the surface, Voyager lands successfully without incident. After landing, the away team detect the signal and an unknown energy source. Janeway's team discovers a plane that belongs to the 1930's, presumably a 1936 Lockheed Electra 10-E. Chakotay's team discover the source of the energy emmissions in a cave and call for backup from the other away team. They discover a cryostasis chamber, still functioning, finding all occupants barely alive along with Captain Kathryn Janeway's personal hero Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan. The senior staff deduce that the occupants were captured by aliens.
To prevent severe culture shock for the thawed 37s, human crewmen are present and study up on 20th Century culture. Upon reviving, all the 37ers demand an explanation and are shocked to learn they have been taken from Earth and brought to the Delta Quadrant over 400 years ago. Noonan, not believing their story, holds the away team hostage and tells Chakotay- back on Voyager- to let Noonan talk to F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover. Tuvok and Chakotay plan a rescue operation because the atmosphere prevents transporters from working. Janeway attempts to convince Earhart to let them go and see what they're talking about. Noonan, partially inebriated, thinks of putting the away team in the stasis units, but Amelia says that they should see their ship.
On their way to rescue the captain, Tuvok's party is ambushed by unknown forces pinning them just outside the cave. As Janeway and some of the 37s exit the cave, Noonan is hit and they take cover behind stones. Chakotay and Tuvok lay down cover for Janeway as she attacks the force from the rear. She disarms them and find them to be human. Earhart and Noonan (and the others) are revived and Earhart is given a tour of the Voyager, learning about her place in history. As the Doctor attempts to repair the injury Noonan sustained, the alcohol in his blood is limiting the treatment, so the Doctor compensates while Noonan confesses his love for Earheart. Two of the attackers explain that the aliens, Briori, abducted 300 humans in 1937, who were dubbed "The 37s" by their descendents, and brought them to the planet in the Delta Quadrant for slave labor. They later revolted and took control of the Briori tech to colonize the world for themselves.
When crew of the Voyager comes upon the planet in the 24th Century, the 37s have been left in stasis for centuries and the descendants of the original Terran abductees have developed several cities on the planet's surface using fusion-based technology left by their captors. Janeway, after seeing the cities made by the descendents, feels even more homesick than before, but is conflicted on whether to let the crew settle for the colonized world, or keep going in a potentially futile effort home. In the mess hall, Neelix prepares the revived 37s lunch from what he could gather from 20th century Earth. The 37s talk about making a new life for themselves on the planet, seeing as how they have nothing on Earth. Meanwhile, the crew debates about whether to stay or keep going. When offered a chance to join the Voyager crew, Earhart, Noonan and the other 37s decline, deciding to stay on their adopted homeworld and the crew decide to remain aboard trusting Capt. Janeway to get them home safely.
The episode makes numerous references to the Earhart legend, adding one element; in this version of the story it is revealed that Noonan has fallen in love with his pilot, and romance blossoms between the two as they choose to stay on the planet. In the end, all of the 37s decide to remain on the planet. Despite being offered the opportunity to settle on the Earth-like planet, every member of the Voyager crew declines and resumes their journey home.
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