"The Thaw" - Voyager activates an automated messages from members of the Kohl settlement who, years earlier, survived an environmental catastrophe by submitting themselves into artificial hibernation. When the crew transports the Kohl's hibernation pods on board, they find humanoids in deep stasis with supressed metabolic activity - but with active minds and complex sensory systems controlled by a computer - and that is where the nightmare begins, on "Star Trek: Voyager" airing MONDAY, APRIL 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on UPN. Michael McKean, a popular talent whose credits include "Saturday Night Live," "This is Spinal Tap," and "Laverne & Shirley", guest stars as an evil clown, the embodiment of Fear.
In an effort to help the Kohl people, Torres and Kim equip two pods with Starfleet technology and submit themselves into stasis. With their mental and physical activities closely monitored, they enter the environment created by the computer attached to the Kohl pods. Once there, Torres and Kim find that the humanoid's dreadful fears about recovery and survival have caused their computer program to manifest a devious, omnipotent clown - the idealization of their fear - and a cast of other nightmarish characters. Then, the clown holds Torres and Kim hostage while making increasingly unreasonable demands of Janeway.
Starring Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway, Robert Beltran as Chakotay, Roxann Biggs-Dawson as B'Elanna Torres, Jennifer Lien as Kes, Robert Duncan McNeill as Lt. Tom Paris, Ethan Phillips as Neelix, Robert Picardo as The Doctor, Tim Russ as Tuvok, Garrett Wang as Harry Kim.
The special guest star is Michael McKean as the Clown. Guest starring are Thomas Kopache as Viorsa, Carel Struycken as Spectre, Patty Maloney as the Little Woman, Tony Carlin as the Physician and Shannon O'Hurley as the Programmer.
The story was written by Richard Gadas and Michael Piller and the teleplay was written by Joe Menosky. The episode is directed by Marvin Rush.