| "Tsunkatse" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Voyager episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 15 |
| Directed by | Mike Vejar |
| Story by | Gannon Kenney |
| Teleplay by | Robert Doherty |
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Cinematography by | Marvin V. Rush |
| Production code | 232 |
| Original air date | February 9, 2000 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Tsunkatse" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet and Maquis crew of the starship USS Voyager after they were stranded in the Delta Quadrant far from the rest of the Federation.
In this episode, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) is abducted, along with Tuvok (Tim Russ), while on a survey mission and forced by her captors to fight in an arena for the entertainment of others. It featured Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a guest role as a Pendari fighter, and former Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actors J. G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Combs.
Directed by Mike Vejar, it was developed from a story by Gannon Kenney and turned into a teleplay by Robert Doherty.
The episode first aired on the UPN network on February 9, 2000. It had originally been called "Arena". The crossover between Voyager and the UPN wrestling show WWF Smackdown was described as a "clever marketing ploy" by Russ,[1] but received a negative fan reaction on broadcast. However, it received the highest ratings of the season having been watched by 4.1 percent of all Nielsen households during sweeps month. It received mixed reviews by critics, with praise reserved for Combs and Hertzler. The fight scenes were praised by Black Belt magazine.