Vis à Vis (episode)
A genome thief switches physical forms with Tom Paris.

Summary

Teaser 
The Doctor finds Lieutenant jg Tom Paris inside a holoprogram called Grease Monkey, which was a 1960s-style car garage complete with "surf rock" music emanating from a nearby portable radio of that era. The Doctor calls Paris' attention to the fact that his new medical assistant has been rather lax in his duties to improve upon his skills as an assistant, instead choosing to spend the time he should have been spending in sickbay working on a mechanical "patient" of sorts, a vintage 1969 Chevy Camaro. The conversation ends when Paris gets a call from the bridge to take the helm. When he arrives on the bridge he is still wearing his garage overalls.

An alien ship emerges out of a spatial distortion just ahead, its outer hull sparking with what appears to be an energy overload. Paris believes that the ship is being powered by a coaxial warp drive, an experimental propulsion system that could be the cause of the spatial distortion. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok's readings from the tactical console reveal that the alien ship's warp engines are overloading.

Act One 
Realizing how dangerous a coaxial warp drive explosion could be to nearby space and with the crew unable to hail its pilot or beam them off the ship, Paris decides to create a symmetric warp field that could possibly contain any instabilities in the alien ship's warp core. There is the possibility that the symmetric warp field could cause the  to collide with the ship. Captain Kathryn Janeway agrees to Paris' plan and he carefully maneuvers Voyager close to the alien ship so that Voyagers warp field surrounds both ships. With the alien ship's warp core powering down, Voyager receives a hail from the other ship. A humanoid male alien requests repairs to his ship, which Janeway offers help for and which the alien accepts before beaming aboard Voyager.

The alien identifies himself as , a test pilot from the fourth planet of the Benthan system who is currently test-piloting the very ship that the crew of Voyager had put themselves at risk to rescue. As Janeway talks with Steth about helping him repair his ship, Commander Chakotay has a talk with Paris about the lieutenant's seemingly lackadaisical attitude toward his duties as both the navigator and the medical assistant before he decides to assign him to helping Steth with the repairs. On board Steth's ship, Paris gets to know its pilot a little better with some friendly conversation concerning Steth's previous flying missions. Paris tells Steth about the time when he took his father's shuttle out for a joyride. At one time during the repairs, when Paris' back is turned, Steth briefly transforms into an alien female of another species. Steth invites Paris to come with him on his test-piloting adventures, promising that he would have a great time but Paris turns down Steth's offer, realizing that he has responsibilities on Voyager and that B'Elanna Torres would be furious if he just took off.

Paris then later meets Torres in the mess hall on a lunch date that he is late for, explaining that he was helping Steth with his ship's repairs. Torres is wondering what's going on with Paris, why he's been canceling dates and spending lots of time in the holodeck. Paris tries to tell Torres that nothing's going on and that he doesn't need to report every moment that he's not spending with her to her, causing Torres to storm out of the mess hall.

Meanwhile, on Steth's ship, he checks with its computer to see how long it will be before his body reverts to its previous form and it reports that it will be three hours and thirteen minutes and that complete genome recovery is imminent.

Act Two 
The following day, Paris takes Steth into his garage holodeck program to tell him about an idea he had for fixing the alien ship's propulsion system that he came up with, similar to a 20th century car's carburetor. Sometime during the discussion, when again Paris' back is turned to Steth, he transforms yet again into the alien female humanoid, though his voice is still that of his male form. He reverts back to his male form again before Paris notices anything. Shortly after, Steth goes into Cargo Bay 2 and uses his alien device to access all information regarding the lieutenant when Seven of Nine comes into the room and notices what he was doing. Steth says that he was looking for files for polaric modulators and ends up leaving the room under the pretense of looking for the files elsewhere. Seven warns Steth that he should familiarize himself with the protocols of being on board a Federation ship.

The repairs on Steth's ship are soon completed and Paris is on board to make a final check on the propulsion system's flow field parameters when he notices that one of his tools from his holoprogram's toolbox is sitting on that ship's computer console. Steth reveals to Paris that he needed that tool to sample his DNA from the cellular residue left on it, finding that Paris' DNA is compatible, he pins Paris to a wall and grabs him while he and Paris change forms with each other. Now in the form of Paris, Steth stuns Paris (who is now in the form of Steth) and sends him and the coaxial warp drive ship on their way while Steth assumes Paris' life on board Voyager.

Act Three 
Steth, in Paris' body, begins to assimilate to his life. He has conversations with Chakotay, Kim and The Doctor doing his best to keep up relationships. Chakotay wants him to try implementing some of Steth's technology on the ship, starting with a Class 2 shuttle. He enthusiastically says he can do it, happy to have an immediate task he can succeed in. However, he then has to find sickbay, and has trouble doing it, being caught by Kim in the process and having to explain away his ignorance. Kim reminds him about a golf game they have coming up, so he takes it upon himself to learn the game. 

When he finally finds sickbay, The Doctor gives him several tasks, but it's immediately clear he cannot perform basic functions. After a bit of stumbling, he convinces The Doctor that he has been shirking his duties because he has been trying to live up to The Doctor's abilities, an impossible task. The Doctor is convinced he has an inferiority complex and gives him time off to relax.

Later, he goes to Torres' quarters to practice golf and wait for her. She is annoyed he casually continues to go into her personal space after not having an open conversation earlier. Steth quickly adapts and, talking about himself in the third person, makes up a story about how Paris talked to Steth and got some advice, took the day off to see her. She became convinced.

Paris, in the form of Steth, wakes up and finds out that he is now on board Steth's ship. However, he's unable to command the ship to go back to Voyager and, furthermore, is soon attacked by various alien ships, accused of being a thief.

Act Four 
Outside, another alien ship enters and drives off the ones taking Paris into custody. A female humanoid being identical to the form Steth was turning into earlier beams aboard, and says she is Steth. She says Steth had her body earlier, and Paris then realizes that both he and this female humanoid (the real Steth) are victims of a shapeshifting identity thief that was posing as Steth.

Meanwhile, Steth in Paris' body is pushing the fun of his new life and starts to have trouble in the process. He pulls Torres from an important EPS recalibration she was working on with Ensign Vorik to the transporter, attempting to take her on an impromptu picnic on the fourth planet of the Kendren system, where the ship is currently gathering supplies. Torres likes the idea, but quickly turns to her responsibilities. Steth turns on her, holding her head and wondering aloud how he's not sure what he ever saw in her. Later, he goes to the mess hall to waste time reading and drinking to intoxication when Seven comes in to remind him he was supposed to meet her in the shuttlebay, to which he doesn't give a real excuse. Seven can see he is drunk, and notes he is on duty. Steth tries to get her to join him, but she refuses, saying she'll complete the work herself without his help. He goes back to reading, but Seven can see he is reading Janeway's personal logs. She confronts him about it, and he threatens her not to interfere with him. She immediately leaves and reports to Janeway.

Janeway calls Paris to her ready room and confronts him about his behavior. Steth is defensive, and argues away the behavior before offering to go to his quarters for "rest". Janeway instead orders him to sickbay for tests, and this angers Steth. He exclaims there's nothing wrong with him and then attacks her, however, she's able to call for security. They find the shapeshifter physically assaulting Janeway and shoot him unconscious. They take him to sickbay.

Act Five 
The alien and Paris decide to work together to bring this shapeshifter to justice, breaking through the lockout commands and getting the warp drive online. They finally are able to get the ship running to find Voyager.

Meanwhile, The Doctor can't wake Paris. Neurological scans didn't reveal anything unusual, but a blood analysis reveal traces of a second DNA pattern. When the alien ship returns to Voyager, Paris tries to warn the crew about the identity thief. Janeway is initially incredulous and orders a tractor beam to hold the ship until the crew hears from her. However, Janeway, instead of going to sickbay again, goes to the shuttlebay and takes off in the shuttlecraft that has recently been modified with Steth's coaxial warp technology. Paris insists to Chakotay that the shapeshifter is now in the form of Janeway and that he can catch the shapeshifter if he releases the tractor beam. He convinces Chakotay he really is himself by mentioning a previous conversation, and Chakotay agrees.

While in pursuit of the shuttlecraft, the shapeshifter fires on Steth's ship and prepares to go into coaxial warp before Paris decides to hit the shuttlecraft's polaric modulator with a chromoelectric pulse to disable its "carburetor". With the shapeshifter stopped, Paris and Steth bring him back to Voyager where Paris, Steth and Janeway are put back in the right bodies and the shapeshifter into the female humanoid form of his previous victim. Steth says that he's going to try finding every victim the shapeshifter has violated when he brings it back to Benthos.

Later on, Paris brings Torres into his Grease Monkey holoprogram to make peace with her for all the hours he felt he should have spent with her, taking her inside the Camaro he was working on to passionately kiss her as the "surf rock" music plays on in the background.

Log entries 
"Captain's log, stardate 51762.4. The repairs to Steth's coaxial drive have been completed, well ahead of schedule."

"Captain's log, supplemental. The Doctor has treated Mister Paris' phaser wounds, but has been unable to wake him. The motive for his attack remains a mystery." (This entry was actually performed by the Janeway imposter.)

"Captain's log, stardate 51775.2. While the alien intruder remains trapped in the body of his last victim, The Doctor has found a way to return Tom, Steth and me to our own bodies."

Memorable quotes
"Ow! Ow! What do you think you're doing, doc?"
"An impromptu auditory exam."
"Did I pass?"
"With flying colors, which leads me to believe you did hear me when I requested you meet me this morning."
 - Tom Paris and The Doctor in Paris' "grease monkey" holodeck program when The Doctor uses the horn of the car

"If it's any consolation, I have spent most of the morning immersed in a complicated surgical procedure."
"Really?"
"A classic case of atrophied shocks. They needed to be extracted to prevent chrome abrasion. It was touch and go for while, but the prognosis is excellent."
"You'll be ready for neurosurgery in no time."
 - Tom Paris explaining his work on a holigraphic car to The Doctor

"Somebody call for a driver?"
 - Tom Paris, when entering the bridge wearing an oil stained "grease monkey" suit from his holodeck program

"No offense, but I'd like to get out of your body as soon as possible."
 - Paris, in Steth's body, to Daelen

"How can you be so sure?"
"Advanced subspace geometry. It's the one course at the Academy where I actually paid attention."
 - Chakotay and Tom Paris

Background information

Title, story, and script 
 This episode had the working title "Perspectives".  The term ultimately used as the title of this installment, "vis à vis," is a French term literally meaning "face to face".
 Actor Dan Butler likened this episode to a certain film. "It's sort of [an] homage to ," Butler reckoned, "the movie with  and ." (Braving the Unknown: Season Four, VOY Season 4 DVD)
 This episode's writer, Robert Doherty, was – at the time of writing the installment – an assistant to the producers of .
 The episode's final draft script was submitted on .

Cast and characters 

 Seven of Nine actress Jeri Ryan was impressed by Dan Butler's acting here, in his various roles as Steth as well as Tom Paris and the alien intruder when each of the latter two are occupying Steth's body. "He's got a tough role to play," the actress related about Butler, "and he's doing a really good job." (Braving the Unknown: Season Four, VOY Season 4 DVD)
 Actor Robert Duncan McNeill appreciated that this episode gave him an opportunity to play the rebelliousness of a young Tom Paris. "It's fun, in this episode, to play those qualities that I came on playing, you know? It's always fun to play the bad guy! It's the Paris that we know now, [who] is a good guy, but he's got this secret in this episode, you know. And so, it's great. Everybody thinks he's still the good guy, but he gets to cause some trouble." (Braving the Unknown: Season Four, VOY Season 4 DVD)

Production and music 

 This episode's production period included , a day on which Jeri Ryan became distracted by the prosthetics that Dan Butler wore. "Jeri [...] had a very difficult focus problem," Butler remarked, "and would go, 'I was staring at your nostrils and, you know, [the forehead prosthetics]." The day after this incident, an amused Ryan herself commented, "Well, it's a little problematic, because he's got [two noses] and you look right in his [upper] nostrils, so it was throwing me off a little bit yesterday. It's like a magnet; you just look right at it. And, of course, he's [pointing at it] and blowing both noses, which doesn't help, doesn't make things any easier." The activities on the day when Ryan made that statement included not only video interviews with her, Dan Butler and Robert Duncan McNeill but also the shooting of the scene in which the alien intruder transfers between the bodies of Steth and Paris. (Braving the Unknown: Season Four, VOY Season 4 DVD)
 The songs playing at the beginning and end of the episode in the holodeck are "Night Rider" and "Let's Go Trippin'" by Dick Dale. Ronald B. Moore – this installment's visual effects supervisor – was influential in selecting this music, particularly the former composition. "Since it was a '60s kind of thing I was able to get them to use music from Dick Dale," Moore recalled. "Dick came down, and I was able to give him a tour of the set." The song that plays in the episode's final scene was a result of a recommendation from Dennis McCarthy, who had once been a member of Dick Dale's backing band and was now the composer of this episode. Moore offered, "I was told that he heard the music and said, 'I used to be a Deltone.' This is a small world. He suggested that they close the show with another Dick Dale song. They got to [do that]." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 103)

Effects 
 CGI involved in the design of Steth's ship was done by Digital Muse, under the supervision of Ron Moore. To create the effect of both Steth's ship and a shuttlecraft individually emerging from coaxial space, Moore took inspiration from  and decided to surround each craft in an outline of energy. "To create these ships that unfolded, I decided to do kind of a literal thing, so that a ship would be like origami and unfold," Moore remembered. "We could get a little bit of energy to outline the shape, and then inside it we would see the ship unfold and fill it up. That would give it shape, so you'd have a feeling that it was a ship you were looking at all the way through, yet it was still unfolding. The problem with putting energy on the outside, it makes it harder to see what's inside. So it was a delicate balance [...] Energy defined the shape." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 103)
 Showing Steth's ship destabilizing in the teaser involved coloring the energy outline in shades that were unusual for the craft. "I tried to show that [with] color [....] When Steth was having trouble we had a lot of reds and oranges start running through this shell which was normally blue and green," Ron Moore explained. "I've found that in the [compositing] bay, I have some control, and do the final tweaking there. That's what we did with the color." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 103)
 Ron Moore found some difficulty with visualizing the morph in the scene wherein Paris and the alien impostor, disguised as Steth, swap bodies. "Digital Muse did some nice work on that," Ron Moore commented. "It got really confusing when we got Steth and Paris together up against the wall. This is Paris to Steth, this is Steth to Paris. I was afraid I was going to get one of them wrong." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 90)
 The creation of the scene in which Paris, in Steth's body, is confronted by Daelen's ship and a pair of Benthan fighter ships utilized CGI models designed by the visual effects company Digital Muse. Ron Moore said of the vessels, "We weren't going to see them much, just [in] a couple of shots [...] I would get sketches from Muse and pick a direction that we'd want to go, make whatever changes we felt necessary. That's what we did for both [ship classes]. We wanted to play this size thing a little bit, with the biggest one being Daelen's ship." The size differential helped make it conceivable that the arrival of Daelen's ship would intimidate the Benthan crafts into immediately departing, relieving the visual effects artists of having to create a big battle. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 90)

Continuity
 Paris' biographical database,shown being reviewed by Steth, is mostly lifted from the "Tom Paris" entry in the Star Trek Encyclopedia.
 Tom Paris' interest in vintage automobiles was first established in  and revisited in .
 Steth steals a box wrench from Paris' garage and takes it back to his ship. This suggests that some of the tools in Paris' holoprogram are not actually holographic but have been replicated.
 Steth, inhabiting Janeway's body (unknown to the audience), makes a supplemental entry to the Captain's Log. It is unclear why he would do this.

Reception 
 This episode was enjoyable for Ron B. Moore. He happily stated, "That was a fun show for me." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 103)
 The episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 3.1 million homes, and a 5% share. 
 Cinefantastique rated the episode 2 and a half out of 4 stars. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 102)
  scored the episode 4 out of 5 stars. ()
 The unauthorized reference book  (p. 233) gives the installment a rating of 6 out of 10.
 The design of Steth's ship was re-used in a number of subsequent Voyager episodes (, , , and ). Interestingly, it also appeared in an episode of Joss Whedon's .

Video and DVD releases 
UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 4.10, catalog number VHR 4631, 
As part of the VOY Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references

Guest Stars 
Dan Butler as Steth
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Daelen

Co-Stars 
 Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited Co-Stars 
 Richard Bishop as Voyager operations officer
 Kelli Coloma as Dorado
 Unknown actor as Avik (voice)

Stand-ins 
 Brita Nowak – stand-in for Jeri Ryan and stand-in/hand double for Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

References 
20th century; 1969; 24th century; 2371; ability; Advanced Subspace Geometry; aggression; alcohol (alcoholic beverage); atrophy; ; Bentha; Benthan; Benthan Guard; Benthan fighter ship; Benthan system; Benthos; bicycle; biobed; biographical database; blood; Borg cube; box wrench; break; brig; California; Camaro; capillary; carbon monoxide; carburetor; cardiopulmonary reconstruction; cheek; Chevy; chromoelectric pulse; Class 2 shuttle (unnamed); club; coaxial core; coaxial drive explosion; coaxial leap; coaxial space; coaxial warp; coaxial warp drive (aka coaxial drive; coaxial induction drive; differential induction drive); continent; Daelen's ship; day; Delta Quadrant; DNA; DNA stability analysis; duty shift; Earth; eidetic memory; Entaban; Entaban territory; exatanium; fabric of space; Federation; fridge; fuselage; garage; genetic virus; gesture; girlfriend; golf; "Grease Monkey"; hair; heart; Highway 1; histrionics; holodeck; holotechnology; inferiority complex; ingrown toenail; intoxication; isokinetic containment field; joyride; ; Kendren IV; Kendren system; kilometer; Kotaba Expanse; Lake Tahoe; lingo; logic; Maquis; mechanic; medical text; medievalism; metabolic referent; mind; mint condition; ; monument; muscle car; Navigation matrix 1711; neurological scan; New Zealand; Ninipia Prime; nucleotide; orbit; Pacific Ocean (ocean); ; Paris Program Alpha-1; Paris' shuttle; Personal log, Kathryn Janeway; physio-sensor; picnic; plasma manifold; polaric modulator; polyduranide; psyche; quote; red alert; sand wedge; scan emitter; selected DNA exchange; spatial disturbance; Starfleet Academy; Steth's ship; subatomic particle; symmetric warp field; test pilot; toolbox; Trakian ale; vascular congestion; wind

Biographical database references 
2372; admiral; amphibious creature; arrested; biographical database; bistro; Caldik Prime casualties; Chez Sandrine; cellular DNA; commission; conn; culpability; discipline record; evolutionary process; Federation Penal Settlement; France; graduate; living area; mutation; New Zealand; physical training; semester; son; Starfleet Academy; Maquis; mercenary; parole; pilot; resistance group; transwarp threshold; warp 10

Deleted references 
fettran sauce; Olvimian; spice pudding; Steth's wife; Tactical Flight Group

External links 
 
 
 
 "Vis à Vis" at FiveMinute.net

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VOY episodes