U.S.S. Voyager, NCC-74656

Photo from:  http://tinyurl.com/4wa36

The Good and the Bad

There were many great episodes: 

"Year of Hell, Parts I and II" (Janeway at her best) 
"Scorpion", Parts I and II" (Introduction of the cool Species 8472 and Seven)
"Faces" (A great B'Elanna episode) 
"The Thaw" (Psychology lovers feast and a scary and psychotic clown) 
"Threshold" (Campy fun albeit a disturbing scene with Paris' tongue) 
"Tuvix" (Tough and unsettling decision for a captain and the most discussed Trek episode ever on the Internet) 
"Emanations" (If only because of the message and a cute Harry Kim) 
"Random Thoughts" (A powerful performance by Tim Russ and interesting study of violence) 
"The Chute" (An interesting look at the Paris and Kim friendship)
"Warlord" (A very different Kes) 
"Macrocosm" (With G.I. Janeway in a tank top no less) 
"Blood Fever" (The sexiest show on Voyager) 
"Scientific Method" (Excellent, creepy sci-fi story) 
"Phage" (With equally creepy Vidiians) 
"Mortal Coil" (Cool agnostic musings), 
"Message in a Bottle" (Great fun comedy with the neat Prometheus ship) 
"Timeless" (Cool episode with Chakotay having something to really do this time and an older, very attractive Harry Kim)
"Relativity" (Interesting time-travel story)
"Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy" (Hilarious stuff with the lovable Doc) 
"Lifeline" (With lots of passion and great acting by Picardo including excellent special f/x) 
"Critical Care" (A message a la Trek) 
"Repentance" (Another classic Trek message) 
"Friendship One" (Another, if a bit obscure, timely message) 
"Flashback" (We get to see George Takei, TOS' Sulu, with that deep, 
cool voice of his) and I'm sure many of you out there could list many 
more. 

I refuse to list the bad ones although I have mentioned some below. If I 
did I would have to write too big an essay and I'm sure you know which
ones they are anyway. 

The Characters

Commando Janeway hunts macroviruses in "Macrocosm"                                     

The Borg Queen is confronted by Admiral Janeway in "Endgame"     

Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) 

As captain's go I have to say I liked Janeway. I know many felt that she was erratic, even crazy at times, myself included, but frankly I thought Kate Mulgrew did a fantastic job with what she was given and I liked the character. Her hand gestures, her facial expressions, her demeanor were a hoot at times and certainly priceless. Her voice will always be memorable. 

She has become a classic Trek captain. Was she that different from the rest? She wasn't written well I admit but I still feel she was great, especially in "Endgame". I loved Admiral Janeway. She was a kick-ass Admiral and Captain, well, some of the time. 

Still, I think the writers did a grave injustice to the character by writing her as a matronly, sexless captain. Their belated attempt to make her appear to have sexuality with their "Fair Haven" and "Spirit Folk" episodes is a testament to how women, in particular older women, are written for TV. It's a shame that she wasn't another Kirk. Kirk you say?? Yes I say. As an older woman, I would have loved to see that. Ok, just a little bit of it. Nothing too blatant, just a little hint here and there that she was all woman. I would have loved to see someone that reflects what is actually out there! Yes, we older ladies do have fun. Yes, even your mother does. Dignified is one thing, prudish quite another. 

As a fellow in a mailing list I am subscribed to suggested, did the writers deliberately sabotage the character of Janeway or is it that writing for an older woman in authority was impossible for them? Needless to say the previous captains were reasonably well written so why was it so hard to write for Janeway? If the next captain is well characterized then there may be some validity to the above. 

Episodes of note: "Year of Hell Parts I and II", "Endgame", 
"Macrocosm". 

Chakotay and Terrellian boxer in "The Fight"

Chakotay (Robert Beltran)

Having difficulty writing the Janeway character may explain why the first officer was so badly written as well. Chakotay was an enigma at first and interesting but ended up being a set decoration. 

Unlike Spock of TOS who had presence, Riker of TNG who had aspirations and worth or Kira of DS9 who had strength and authority, Chakotay was a shadow on the show. Being the original leader of the Maquis was not part of his portrayal, at least not for long, which is disappointing. He should have been a thorn in Janeway's side; a problem for her to deal with, as should have been the Maquis crew. There should have been conflict and with a slow resolution to it, we may just have had some credible character development. 

It's difficult for me to decide whether it was totally the fault of the writers or Robert Beltran for the way the character ended up being viewed, as wooden, but considering how he was written after the last few seasons, I leave it up to the viewers to decide. 

The most puzzling and in fact repulsive thing they did to the character however was making him the object of Seven's desires. It simply did not fit the character or hers. It made him appear as a lecher due to the fact that there was no real set-up for the relationship. Moreover, the hints early on in the series of a possible Janeway/Chakotay relationship, which was subsequently dropped, disappointed many fans. Mulgrew and Beltran had chemistry together and were well-matched. 

Episodes worth noting:  "The Fight" is possibly one of Voyager's worst 
episodes.  Although Chakotay was good in "Timeless".

Tuvok mind-melds with Torres in "Random Thoughts"

Tuvok (Tim Russ) 

Sadly, one of the most underused characters on the show. He should have been second to the captain and Janeway's confidant as the two worked well together. I realize they didn't want another Kirk/Spock relationship but
in hindsight, I wonder why? I think it would have been great. It was there in the early seasons but they inexplicably gave up on it. 

Tuvok is one of my favorite characters in spite of the writers' neglect. Tim Russ did an excellent job as the stoic, emotionless being. He had Vulcan traits down to a T. His interactions with Neelix could have been memorable were it not for the writing. Yet, oddly enough, he was not written as a Vulcan (as we know them) should have been. He should have been the most intelligent and resourceful of the crew but instead we got you know who. Nonetheless, that foot dance scene in "Homestead" where Neelix leaves the ship did bring a tear to my eye. 

Episodes of note: "Random Thoughts" and "Riddles".

The Doctor fantasizes of being the 'Emergency Command Hologram' in "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy"

The Doc (Robert Picardo) 

Another of my favorites apart from Tuvok and Janeway. He is possibly the most well-rounded of the crew and this speaks volumes about character development on the show when a hologram has more depth than the human crew! Still, they overdid his character in the end as they also did with Seven. 

Nonetheless, Robert Picardo's passion, panache and comedic talents were the highlight of many episodes. The oft quotes of "I'm a doctor, not a ..." were a welcome tribute to the original fans of our beloved Dr. McCoy. But the Doc, with no name, is still one of my all time favorites if only because he was such an original. And no, I don't count the name they gave him in the season finale as a name. 

Episodes where he shined: "Life Line", "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy", 
"Living Witness" and "Message in a Bottle". 

Torres beams onto the Cardassian-designed "Dreadnought"

B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) 

The fearsome Klingon half-breed with teenage mood swings and temper to match pretty well describes the character for most of the show till they decided to marry her off to Paris where she quickly became a Stepford wife. Ok, maybe not as bad as that but she went from someone to be reckoned with to someone with virtually no personality. 

Is that what marriage does to women, especially someone like B'Elanna? Hard to believe and although some might argue she grew up, I just don't buy it. Giving her character more maturity was a good idea but did they have to ditch her spunkiness too? 

Nonetheless, Dawson did a good job with the character. She was believable as an engineer and handled all the techno babble with flair. 

Episodes of note: "Faces", "Blood Fever" and "Dreadnought".

Paris starts to mutate in "Threshold"

Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) 

This character was supposed to be the bad boy of the crew. And at first he was. But of course, for reasons that are unknown, they (the writers) couldn't think of a way to make him, let's say, different from the rest. They couldn't come up with any way to make him mischievous or rebellious, save for the odd juvenile prank in "Spirit Folk" where he had Kim kiss a cow.

This is too bad as the the show could have used something or someone to spice it up, and no, Seven didn't fill the bill. She was written as an emotional teenager with angst forever experiencing the new emotion of the week...ho hum. Still, to be fair, she was competent.

I suppose I should say something about the sole romantic relationship on the show, that of Paris and Torres, but frankly, except for the episode "Blood Fever", there was never any real chemistry between the two although in that episode, they rocked together. Speaking of relationships, I don't consider the contrived Seven/Chakotay liaison as credible, so in my mind, it doesn't count. 

Episodes of note: "Blood Fever", "The Chute", "Threshold" (if only 
for the gruesome scene with the tongue), "Drive" (where one could cheer 
and feel pride in a Voyager character). 

Harry Kim, 15 years older, in "Timeless"

Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) 

Ensign Harry, enough said? Not really since in "The Chute" and "Timeless", we could see how Garrett Wang can act and can have substance. But for some reason, the writers maybe?, he never really did much on the show. The relationship with Paris was there but never seemed to quite gel. He was certainly easy on the eyes though. 

Episodes of note: "Timeless", "The Chute" and "Emanations".

Neelix in "Mortal Coil"

Neelix (Ethan Phillips) 

Neelix was the most annoying character of all the characters on Trek save for Icheb and Naomi Wildman and no, I don't count TNG's Wesley (Will Wheaton) as one of them. Still I grew to like Neelix in the last season and I'm glad they had closure for his character. Too bad they left out most of the rest of the crew in the final episodes in terms of closure. 

Episodes worth noting: "Mortal Coil" and "Jetrel".

Kes/Tieran in "Warlord"

Kes (Jennifer Lien) 

Kes, in my opinion, is one of the characters that should have had a long life, no pun intended. Her powers and personality could have added a great deal to the show. Instead, towards the end of season 3, they put her in a catsuit and changed her hairdo perhaps thinking it might help the ratings. Of course nothing came of it. They let her go because they said they couldn't think of anything to write for the character. They couldn't think of what to do with a telepath? My guess is that they let her go because the catsuit et al didn't work to improve the ratings. 
Considering who replaced her, I don't think I'm that far off in my speculation. I guess they had to let her go thinking a sexier character would up the ratings. Then again, there was only a minor ratings blip when Seven showed 
up so...  Another rumor that was floating around the net was that Lien was having drug problems. Whether any of this is true, I'll opt for the catsuit not working to raise the ratings. It's more logical and believable.

Still, Jennifer Lien's sexy voice along with her big blue eyes, her sweetness and innocence will always make her part of Trek lore, regardless of the abhorrent "Fury" episode. 

Episodes worth noting: "Warlord" and "The Gift". 

Seven of Nine working undercover for the timeship "Relativity"

Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) 

I've kept her for last if only because Voyager could have been called "The Jeri Ryan Hour" for most of the last four seasons. 

Added for her obvious attributes, but not only for that, she became the star of the show. And for a while she added a great deal and her character was engaging. But the endless Seven is growing up, Seven is experiencing a new emotion a la Spock, Data, and Odo episodes soon became tiresome, much like Doc's singing. 

Many thought that she was to be the blond bimbo of the Trek series and to some extent that is true but in fact, Jeri Ryan can act and her character was intelligent and competent albeit ridiculously attired in that overly sexy catsuit and 5" heels.  While supposedly being inexperienced in sex of any sort, the juxtaposition of the the catsuit and her innocence smacked of bimbo.  I suspect adding the character of Seven may just have kept the show from sinking altogether however. Although there was a slight ratings blip when she first appeared, the ratings soon returned to the way they were before. Unfortunately, they also eventually eroded even more but may have gone down further if not for Seven.

Episodes of note: "Relativity", "Drone" and "Scorpion Part II". 

As badly under-developed as the characters were, the cast of Voyager was a good one nonetheless. Even though they were written in two- dimensional terms more often than not, the actors were still able to project enough personality to endear themselves to the fans. Indeed, they made their characters believable for the most part. 

Review

Many cite the dismal ratings as a confirmation that Voyager was a bad show and like to compare TNG's ratings with those of DS9 or Voyager. During TOS' run and TNG's, sci-fi shows were scarce on TV but by the
time of DS9 and Voyager, TV was saturated with this type of program. In addition, the emergence of video game systems with all the new games, arcades and the burgeoning Internet around this time didn't help.  Moreover, sci-fi has a smaller audience so it took a harder hit than most TV genres. Further, people of  the age-bracket that sci-fi appeals to would naturally gravitate towards these new forms of entertainment and thus choose them over watching TV.

Although all TV program ratings took a downturn around this time, sci-fi shows were particularly hard hit. Except for perhaps "The X-Files" of course. It had a broader appeal (being a blend of fantasy, horror, sci-fi and conspiracy theories) and thus garnered a larger audience. Most true sci-fi just made it by. Finally, citing poor ratings as a sign that Voyager was a failed show is not using a reliable measure if you consider all the factors as listed above.. Moreover, Voyager was on a network, UPN, rather than being syndicated so it
reached a smaller audience to boot.

Still, Voyager was a proverbial mixed bag. It had some fantastic episodes but for the most part, the episodes were average to below average in quality so there is an argument for saying the show wasn't the best. Using the ratings however as proof is not using a reliable measure.

One of the things that can be said about the Voyager series is that it was good a lot of the time but was more than often extraordinarily bad. 

The usual, well-founded, complaints were: there was a severe lack of continuity; rushed endings with great beginnings leaving the viewer more than dissatisfied a few too many times; little to no character
development save for a few select characters; ridiculously repetitive (revisiting the same character trait) and redundant character development of those select characters; what happened to a character in one episode 
was promptly forgotten in the ensuing episodes and the change was never seen again; rehashed storylines from the show itself no less to the animated and other series and finally as a result of this and for other reasons, predictable storylines. Still, to be fair, with the availability of spoilers on the Internet for most of Voyager's episodes at the time, it begs the question:  If you know ahead of time what's going to happen, how can you 
find the episode unpredictable?

Being the fourth series and after over 30 years of Star Trek, it's no wonder that Voyager suffered from the been there, done that syndrome but it also had a paradoxically restrictive premise. 

I say paradoxically simply because it seemed to offer unending possibilities for stories but instead it ended up giving us the we almost had a way home stories too many times and giving us too many of the new and unfortunately not improved, flimsy villain, ridge head aliens of the week. As the ship was always on the move, it also effectively 
stopped the development of a decent, well-developed nemesis for Voyager. It also prevented any recurring characters from appearing which would have helped enormously with character development.  

For instance, imagine if on DS9, there had been next to no recurring characters.  Do you think that Quark would have been as rich a character as he became without the interaction he had with Garak, Odo, Brunt, Rom, Nog, Grand Nagus Zek, Ishka, amongst others?  I think not.

So, in come the clowns, er, Borg, which were TNG's nemesis, while they had a perfect, original villain for Voyager in Species 8472. Making these new bad guys human was a great idea (cost wise), if only they'd had the lobes to come up with some good writing and God knows some good mystery stories. Making Species 8472 the main, recurring, developed villain would have been original and unique to the series.

In their zeal to create a believable threat in the Borg, the first mistake they did was to dumb them down and make them easy to defeat. Next they humanized them with the Queen but worst of all they came up with Borg kiddies! Possibly the worst thing about this show was its kiddiefying of Trek: Flotter and Treevis, Nanny, smotherly Janeway, Nanny Neelix, Nanny Seven and of course the Borg kiddies. (See "Collective", "Once Upon a Time", "Bride of Chaotica", "Spirit Folk" for examples.) But the wimpifying of the Borg was the biggest mistake. 

What they did to Q as well was extremely disappointing.  They took the only character and species that was unpredictable, mischievous and just plain fun and followed through with the logical outcome of the existence of such a species. What I mean is, they showed that having it all doesn't equal being happy. 
Ho hum... 

I admit I'm not a young kid but I'll bet my bottom dollar, as they say, that no fan wanted them to kiddiefy Trek including kids themselves. While I enjoyed "Lost in Space" when I was a child nothing came close to the original Star Trek series and it wasn't a kid's show. In fact, some of the episodes of TOS were downright adult 
in nature and not for children to view in my opinion so why kiddiefy Trek? TOS did manage to start the whole Star Trek phenomenon without resorting to dumbing down the episodes or appealing directly to kids. 

Still, the show did have its gems. It is still Trek, albeit Trek lite as some have said. It's not my favorite series. DS9 holds that place. But I liked the show nonetheless and those gems, along with the consistent and excellent special f/x and good cast, kept me and a heck of a lot of fans watching.

 
Overall, I give this series a B-.

Gisele La Roche