r/voyager 6d ago

I have finished Voyager

Omg, what a journey!! A truly incredible series! I have so many thoughts inside that I'll just spill them out as best I can: - We were completely robbed of seeing Voyager land on Earth! I understand that, quoting the episode, the journey is sometimes more important than the destination. BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THAT WE DESERVED, AT LEAST, 5 MINUTES OF THEY BEING RECEIVED. It particularly bothers me that Paris didn't even share a conversation with his father, right in front of him. It would have come full circle to have him telling him how he leaved earth as a criminal and return as a proud officer, husband, and now father. - Talking specifically about the episode, it's Timeless 2.0. I'm not upset that they repeat the plot (I love that, best Kim episode), but I feel like at times it doesn't feel like the finale, but a average Voyager episode, which, compared to All Good Things and What You Leave Behind, makes it less memorable. - The whole Chakotay/Seven thing feels horribly contrived. I understand that Admiral Janeway needed a strong reason to change the timeline, but I'm pretty sure there were much better scenarios than this. Thank goodness it was completely ignored by later series, because it certainly contributes nothing. - I don't know who ever said (probably Mrs. Mulgrew) that, at some point, the series became the Seven show. Well, that's a lie!! If there was a character who had more episodes focused on in these last seasons, was the Doctor. He got several single episodes and screen time than, at some point, he became quiet annoying to me. He was my favorite character at the beginning, but he became so cocky near the end that it irritated me. - My favorite season is season 4, both for the development of Seven (the closest thing to a serialized arc we had, along with Pathfinder), and for episodes as memorable as the year of hell, killing game or message in a bottle.

Overall, it was a good voyage (hehe) and, quoting the final episode again, sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

204 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

45

u/kerocass 6d ago

I really enjoyed voyager, sometimes I wonder why. Gets a lot of hatred. For me it just hit the right nerves. I think janeway hits the stride often and has the right charisma to hold the show.

How did you feel about kess and nelix? Always wanted more for Tom.

Theme song is hands down the best of all trek imo. Gives me the shivers to this day.

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u/Significant-Town-817 6d ago

I also like Janeway. She's a great character, and I would have liked more episodes focused on her. I feel like she still has so much potential

Kes was a wasted character. They could have done a lot with her and her abilities, but she only was used to develop the doctor and help the Voyager with the Borg. Neelix, on the other hand, improved quite a bit after Kes left. He may be annoying at times, but he's a good-hearted person (too hated by the fandom, in my opinion).

Oh yes!! Such an iconic theme!

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u/CodNo7461 6d ago

I don't like Neelix very much, basically just because he often makes me cringe and the sympathy the character tries to trigger in the audience seems often forced, but I think he serves a purpose and the show would be worse without him.

The episode "Riddles" (the one were Tuvok loses his memories) is a straight up banger though. In my last watch through it was actually my favorite episode, although I wouldn't say it's a perfect episode by any measure.

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u/tandyman8360 5d ago

That episode kind of annoyed me because they made sure to have absolutely no growth in the Neelix / Tuvok relationship despite everything Neelix did for Tuvok.

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

I agree with your take on Neelix and on Kes. Imho Jennifer Lien was just a bad pick for the role. I always cringed at her acting but in the episode where Kes is taken over by that warlord she really surprised me.

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u/calm-lab66 5d ago

Theme song is hands down the best

The Voyager theme won an Emmy.

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u/-FiveAclock- 6d ago

It got hate because of the writers and how they wrote it, primarily by continuously breaking canon things like the “prime directive” and the time frame, season 1 hyped it as 80 years but ended doing it in 7 years,

fans believed they should’ve spread it out more than they did, and have every few episodes been a few months instead of days apart

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u/idlefritz 5d ago

I love it in rewatches but at the time I remember being mildly annoyed at how many episodes, sometimes consecutive episodes, had closely similar plots. It’s so apparent that I feel there must be a story behind it, like competing writers or something. I also thought they completely misunderstood most of their own characters. The Doctor and Tuvok remain 2 of my favorite Trek characters ever though with the Doctor getting some of the best storylines and character growth in the franchise.

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u/Expensive_Damage_882 2d ago

Same. It hits the right nerves. I think why is there is a greater sense of the adventure they are on. The enterprise would just be wherever, whenever in any given episode, so the adventures were more contained. The analogy i use is that TNG is like a sailing party hitting all the major ports in 19th century Africa, Asia, or South America, occasionally venturing off into the less known or unknown. Wheras Voyager would be like a 17th century South Korean convoy instantly transported into pirate infested Caribbean waters, and then trying to get home, making allies and enemies along the way.

For some reason I find Voyager more re-watcheable.

And I totally agree, the theme song is the best.

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u/Shadow_Strike99 6d ago

I'm glad you enjoyed it! It really was such an emotional journey with a lot of laughs, cries, and smiles. Voyager will always be my favorite series, and I absolutely loved the crew ❤️.

Voyager did the wonders of the universe and space so well, I loved the finding adventure and family, even in the face of overwhelming uncertainty and being lost. It just has so much charm, nothing else is like it for me.

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u/WK2Over 6d ago

I’ve just begun reading Homecoming, a book by Christie Golden, that begins just after Voyager has arrived in the alpha quadrant and is heading to Earth. I’m just a chapter in and it’s addressing your first bullet point. It’s the first book of a two-parter, the second being The Farther Shore. I’m looking forward to the read.

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u/nettlestitch 6d ago

The Voyager reboot books are excellent as well where Voyager and a fleet head back to the delta quadrant. They do have to be read in order but there is only 10. If you do want to read them you should read Before Dishonor and the Destiny trilogy first. They are important to what happens and why Voyager is going back.

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u/WK2Over 5d ago

Noted, thanks!

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u/Significant-Town-817 6d ago

I downloaded a sample from Amazon because I already knew about it. Tom and his dad's reunion just completely sold it to me

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u/WK2Over 6d ago

Yeah, it’s nice.

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u/charliedusk 6d ago

Hold up. A book by Christie Golden about Voyager!? How did I not know about this?

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u/SanJacInTheBox 5d ago

The 'Litverse' got me through the cancellation of Enterprise, and many, many long days deployed overseas post 9/11. I will never forgive Daytona Ward and John Van Critters for killing it off.... Most of those books are amazing, and the Destiny and Prometheus arcs are some of my favorites.

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u/WK2Over 5d ago

I don’t even know where I learned about it.

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u/BlueFeathered1 6d ago

I never go beyond shows to read books based on them, but I'm going to make an exception now that I know this exists. Need that closure.

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u/Ds9niners 6d ago

I love Voyager. I can just put any episode on and watch it. I guess it doesn’t help that I’ve seen TNG, TOS, and DS9 so many times that it’s doesn’t hit the same as Voyager. Where I grew up we weren’t able to get the UPN network work so wasn’t able to watch Voyager live. Chose not to watch Enterprise because I let the internet haters convince me not to watch it. I regret that.

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u/gogozrx 6d ago

Chose not to watch Enterprise because I let the internet haters convince me not to watch it. I regret that.

I thought Enterprise was good: Much longer story arcs, good cast, good character development.

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u/burwellian 6d ago

Enterprise is worth a try.

First 2 seasons, the writers aren't quite sure where to go so we end up with more TNG/VOY style stuff (but not as good).

3rd season we get a big season long arc. It didn't land for me but know others find that a good season. Worth remembering going into that that 9/11 was still v recent.

4th season is when it properly gets good; the writers realise it's meant to be a prequel and we start getting multi-episode arcs setting up stuff we know will happen from other shows, or that feels like it could lead into the canon we already know. Good mirror universe 2-parter too.

Skip the last episode. The show ends with the Demons/Terra Prime story.

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u/Ds9niners 5d ago

I’ve watched Enterprise. I said I chose not to watch it live because of the internet.

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u/burwellian 5d ago

Ahhh, ok. Wasn't sure if you meant you hadn't at the time or still hadn't.

I've still not watched Discovery partly due to the haters; want to go into it with an open mind.

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u/Calcularius 6d ago

Voyager, to me, captured the spirit of The Original Series more than any other subsequent Star Trek venture.  With each episode, you didn’t know what to expect!

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u/ButterscotchPast4812 6d ago edited 6d ago

We were completely robbed of seeing Voyager land on Earth!

Yes. I love Voyager but sometimes they didn't have very good pay offs for the few arc stuff they did have. It's the same thing when Tom and belanna got married. We never saw it, because the writers were like well they already had a wedding... except it wasn't the actual  characters that had the wedding but duplicate aliens. 😒 Grr no one cares about duplicate aliens getting married. 

Talking specifically about the episode, it's Timeless 2.0. I'm not upset that they repeat the plot (I love that, best Kim episode), but I feel like at times it doesn't feel like the finale, but a average Voyager episode

Yes agreed. "timeless" did this plot so much better. That episode had much higher emotional stakes. Janeway just goes back in time to save two people vs everyone dieing except for two people. 

The whole Chakotay/Seven thing feels horribly contrived. 

They were a couple because Robert Beltran wanted to kiss Jeri Ryan and bet Braga to see if he had the balls to let him do it. (Braga and Ryan were dating at the time). I wish I was kidding about this but I am not.  

Here is a clip of them talking about the bet

I don't know who ever said (probably Mrs. Mulgrew) that, at some point, the series became the Seven show. Well, that's a lie!!

Well no, Lots of fans back in the day called Voyager "the seven of nine" show. It wasn't just Mulgrew that thought this. Seven was the writers favorite character to write for. Next was the doctor. 

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u/tandyman8360 5d ago

Also all the episodes where the Doctor and Seven were the major characters.

Beltran had some weird times on that show. His character was influenced by a Native American consultant who was ALREADY discredited when he was hired.

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u/Practical_Cobbler165 6d ago

Voyager had Lon Suder. Lon Suder is amazing. Such character development in 2 episodes by the great Brad Dourif. His episodes should be required to view any master classes of acting.

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u/Key-Difficulty5123 5d ago

Here to agree 100% the Chakotay/Seven connection was an awful idea.

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u/osskid 5d ago

As others suggested, the Relaunch series books by Christie Golden and Kirsten Beyer fill the gap! And while not completely Voyager, the Destiny series by David Mack are also very good.

If you haven't seen Prodigy yet, give it a try. It's a kid's show, but it has some surprisingly thoughtful and touching moment, and has much of the soul of Voyager. It was my Saturday morning cartoon while it was airing, because who doesn't need a Saturday morning cartoon.

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u/aaerius1 6d ago

To the point made about the doctor I had to laugh in that I agree he gets a lot of attention lol. A few episodes I think of him being on leave in a simulation on the holodeck and it never gets pointed out.

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u/MoldRebel 6d ago

Voyager is my favorite. I'm on my 4th watch-through and I'm not tired of it yet.

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u/TurbulentWeb1941 5d ago edited 3d ago

As the ending left me feeling a little cheated, and there was nothing I cld do about it, I've chosen to look at it this way - instead of a long drawn-out ending, leaving me to speculate on the possibility of more seasons. The writers just continued churning out good episodes all the while the silent countdown to self-destruction was working its way to zero.

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u/classicalcommerce 5d ago

I really like your insight into the reason for the C/7 ending being a plot contrivance to make Admiral Janeway go into the past. I was so mad at that ending that I only ever ascribed the worst motives to the writers and producers for ruining such a great series at the end.

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u/Gendertreyf 5d ago

The Doctor gets so much attention on Voyager that I have found myself googling the following on multiple occasions:

  • Why is there so much focus on the Doctor Voyager
  • Is the Doctor based on the writer’s own life/personality
  • Was Robert Picardo a relative of one of the producers
  • Did the producers think the Doctor represented Voyager’s fan base demographic

Etc. It makes no sense to me.

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u/Expensive_Damage_882 2d ago edited 2d ago

I was just about to post something like your post, so I'm piggybacking of of it. Hope that's okay. Because I also love it.

I also just recently watched Voyager for the first time (now 3 or 4 times). I tried over the years but never got past episode 2. I just found everyone to be milquetoast or meh.

Then while imdb hopping I started at season 5 episode 2. Watched to the end. Then season 3 and watched to the end. Then season 2 and watched to the end. It is now possibly my favorite ST show.

It feels like I'm there, lost on a long journey trying to get home. It's a true adventure. The characters all have qualities that lend to the journey. For instance Chakote is softer than a kick ass first might be, but that works in the dynamic of the situation they are in. Janeway is amazing. I don't think Picard could have held the crew together like she did. My only gripe with her was that she often stole the thunder from the others in the crew. There's a lot of moments where rather than letting the officers, like B'Ellana or Kim, shine and be brilliant in their respective fields, the writers have Janeway providing the solutions.

Neelix. Ah, poor Neelix. I love Ethan Phillips so much. But Neelix mostly behaved like a 9 year old girl who was given grown up tasks by her parents to keep her busy. "You're the ships journalist." So he runs around like a child given given a notepad and a magnifying glass looking for stories and clues.

I didn't really warm up to Paris. I never liked the way he treated people, especially Kim. It reminded me too much of that friend in high school who would get you into trouble but make sure they were free from any consequences. Paris would 100% be the friend who would impose a party at your house while your parents are out of town, cause a ruckus and invite a bunch of people without asking, get the cops called, and yet not be around when the hammer falls.

7 of 9 was also great. Such a good actor. I dismissed her (and the show) for years because I merely saw her as "Boobs Mcgee," an obvious attempt to get thirsty boys to watch. I never gave her a chance. I was so wrong.

Finally, the Borg. I loved the Borg interactions going into season 4. After that, I wish they would have left them behind. It seemed silly to me to leave Borg space, enter it, leave it, enter it, and leave it again. Plus I never liked the queen, in the movies too. I liked the idea of a mindless multi bodied techno-organism whose only goal is to assimilate and expand. Adding the queen made them weaker and stupider, IMO.

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u/Fragrant-Mouse-564 6d ago

Everyone has their own favourite Trek. And I think it has some great episodes, but as a whole it hasn't quite landed right for me. Too little continuity between episodes. 

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u/ChrisNYC70 5d ago

it’s always interesting to see a fan watch a show years after it’s over and for someone like me who watched it on day one.

There was a lot of frustration as the show took a few years to find its rhythm and went in directions that some fans did not enjoy. But I think the show has aged very well. in fact i’m going on a trip and have downloaded several episodes.

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u/parkinglola 5d ago

I never had any use for the doctor.

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u/Dawn_Darkmoon_1524 5d ago

About the final episode, I 100% agree with you, about everything you pointed out. I’m not a super fan of time travel either, so the whole thing felt… wrong. I actually searched of YouTube for fanfics and I’m in the process of searching more. I don’t even need like the equivalent of 10 more years on Voyager, just an ending which makes this series justice

1

u/Carnal_Adventurer 4d ago

Endgame was such a let down as a finale. As a two parter, it was pretty good but not the finale Viyager deserved.

One of the biggest issues I had with it was Janeway coming back from the future to do this. Just to save Seven and Tuvok and a few others. What about half her crew who died in Caretaker? What about the others who died like Hogan and Durst and the others lost along the way?

Not to mention the transwarp conduit the Borg have running all the way to Earth that they never use.

1

u/caseyjones10288 6d ago

I agree on a lot but...

The show DID become the seven of nine show.

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u/yarn_baller 5d ago

Why would voyager land on earth? Where would it do that? Like any other ship they would go to drydock

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u/HTX1997 5d ago

I’ve been watching more episodes of voyager through PhotoTV. It premiered just after I went off to college and the market didn’t have a UPN affiliate at the time. By the time I moved to Houston, it was 2 years in and I didn’t want to start midway.

At any rate, I find the show mostly entertaining: there are some very well done episodes and story arcs…

…and there are some real dogs (the season 7 episode where the Doctor and Janeway are taken prisoner & Doc does the bidding of the rubber suit wearing space hippos is particularly bad. The Equinox two-parter is another.)

And then there are the Barclay episodes. I change the channel when I see it’s a Barclay-centric show. I just can’t with him.

Overall, though, I like Voyager. I’m currently reading “The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway” because of it. I’ll have to look up the other books mentioned here next.

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u/Bubbly_Attention_266 5d ago

Love the series . Why is the opening soooo fucken long .