While it will never be considered a classic episode of the show, The Cloud has a rather breezy, relaxed tone to it, more focused on character development than action or suspense. And every single Star Trek series had these. Sure there's a minor bit of danger involved towards the Voyager, but this episode is more considerate to the crew and their adapting to being lost in the Delta Quadrant, looking for their way back home. This episode focuses on exploring the unknown, encountering what they think is a nebula worthy of researching, not knowing it is a lifeform. When they investigate the nebula, for it is rich in omicron particles that could benefit the ship as an energy resource, they encounter a barrier that proves to be a nuisance. Organic matter attaching to the ship drains energy and the trip out of the "nebula" definitely exhausts reserves. It turns out that this isn't a nebula at all, with the use of weapons against it causing injury. So Janeway feels compelled to help heal it's wounds with use of the ship...the being also has regenerative abilities.
This episode has a variety of subplots such as Paris introducing Kim to his French Bistro holographic program, Chakotay encouraging Janeway to find her spirit animal, Neelix reinventing himself as a morale officer to help boost the spirits of the crew, Kes planting an intimate kiss on the lips of an approving Neelix, and Janeway hoping to improve the morale of her crew by not distancing herself but instead integrating with them. Janeway's pool playing skills and the way Paris surrounds himself with French babes at the Bistro are highlights of the hologram. Neelix annoying Janeway about his new brand of coffee and surprising the crew on the Bridge with snacks offer some funnier moments. This will not serve as an example of the series' most exhilarating output, but it does prove it cares about its characters.
This episode has a variety of subplots such as Paris introducing Kim to his French Bistro holographic program, Chakotay encouraging Janeway to find her spirit animal, Neelix reinventing himself as a morale officer to help boost the spirits of the crew, Kes planting an intimate kiss on the lips of an approving Neelix, and Janeway hoping to improve the morale of her crew by not distancing herself but instead integrating with them. Janeway's pool playing skills and the way Paris surrounds himself with French babes at the Bistro are highlights of the hologram. Neelix annoying Janeway about his new brand of coffee and surprising the crew on the Bridge with snacks offer some funnier moments. This will not serve as an example of the series' most exhilarating output, but it does prove it cares about its characters.
