Although the pre-episode hype gave 'Natural Law' a certain notoriety before it had even aired, reactions to the episode are decidedly mixed.

• First up is O.Deus of TrekWeb, who describes it as "one of the worst episodes of the season." Deus wasn't impressed with the pointlessness of the episode, asking why the writers thought they needed to tell this particular story. "The first half of Natural Law has all the dramatic and intellectual excitement of a half hour of static and noise," he wrote. "For those few fans hoping for a romance between Chakotay and 7 of 9, the opening classic fanfic hurt/comfort scenario might have suggested some possibilities but as awful as that possibility might have been, it's better than what we actually got; which was nothing."

  The full commentary can be found here.

• Jason Bates at IGN Sci-Fi wasn't particularly keen on the episode either, again pointing out that the episode basically had no plot to speak of. Bates also thought that the B-plot was just a little bit silly:

  Yeah, there was also a subplot back on Voyager, but it was one of the craziest side stories I've ever seen -- Tom Paris is forced to take pilot lessons from some breezy old man because of a traffic violation! What's next, Janeway applies for a library card?

  For the complete review, in which the episode is awarded 2 out of 5, visit IGN Sci-Fi.

• The criticism continues over at the Trekker Newsletter, where reviewer Jaqueline Bundy awarded the episode 4 out of 10. In particular, she thought that the episode contained "mixed messages" over the importance of the Prime Directive, as well as sloppy art direction. The full review can be found here.

• Of course not everyone disliked 'Natural Law' - Michelle Erica Green thought it was one of the season's better episodes, because of the many questions it raised. Here's a quotation from her review:

  The Ventu are shown as an idyllic species with no disfiguring diseases, no evidence that the women are oppressed or the weak enslaved, no signs of inequity or suffering. Yet Chakotay and Seven develop only a very primitive understanding of their language and society. Voyager's crew is incapable of determining whether the Ventu might welcome the technology that seems to fascinate them. What makes these paternalistic Starfleet officers think the curious Ventu would choose to keep their lifestyle?

  Head over to Get Critical for the complete analysis.

• Rob Adams at Section 31 was pleasantly surprised by the episode, saying that the writers caught him off guard. In particular, he praised the acting and the comedy of the subplot, which he thought was "perfect." The full review, in which the episode is awarded 8/10, can be found here.

• Finally, Cinescape reviewer Michael Marek enjoyed the story, calling it "interesting" and "well executed." For Marek, the ethics were the episode's highlight:

  I also liked the ethical question of whether it is in the best interest of the Ventu to provide them the benefits of civilization, such as improved medical care, or better to leave their culture undisturbed by outsiders. The conclusion of the episode is unsettling - that the genie may be out of the bottle, because now that the Legosians have had a glimpse of technology that dampens the force field, they may find a way to permanently disable it, and begin exploiting the lands of the Ventu.

  The entire review can be accessed over at Cinescape.

  Discuss this news item at Trek BBS!
   Add TrekToday RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
  Also a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fan? Then visit CSIFiles.com!

  Find more episode info in the Episode Guide.