Star Trek Voyager question

[ginnyinWI]

I'm new to this series--must have been doing something else during the 90s--like oh, raising kids, finishing college and stuff like that. So I'm watching all the reruns on Spike. I've seen about four shows so far.

My question: what is their mission--is their mission just to get back home? I've heard a few references to being "closer" to home. What happened, and where are they going, anyway?

I'm a fan of the original Star Trek TV series and have seen them all. This one is a fairly good continuation. I find the story lines are similar. Okay, without the Tribbles. But still good.

[wyldwolf]

1. yes, the mission is to get back home

All in all, I found Voyager to be the worst series. It did have it's great moments.

[Orrex]

2. I could check Wiki, but let me see...

IIRC, their original mission was to investigate the unlawful actions by the outlaw Maquis, a group of rebels taking operating during the Federation/Cardassian strife. Somehow, Voyager and a Maquis vessel got yanked through a wormhole and wound up deep in the Delta Quadrant, having suffered heavy casualties and damage. Under these circumstances Janeway joined with the Maquis crew to try and get everyone home.

That's my recollection anyway. Voyager itself was a new vessel barely out of dock, so the limitations and strengths weren't entirely revealed at the time of the pilot episode.


On the whole, I found Voyager to be terribly uneven. There were many good episodes, most notably showcasing Seven of Nine and the Holographic Doctor, but there were also far too many holodeck episodes. I also have misgivings about the way the show treated the Borg, effectively reducing them from an unrelenting, monolithic entity to a bunch of sympathetic men and women with tubes in their heads.


Also, Voyager includes what I believe is the only episode from any Star Trek series to be officially declared non-canonical!

[wyldwolf]

3. They missed a great opportunity with the Maquis

Had I been a writer, I would have created a constant atmosphere of near-mutiny on board Voyager or at least played up the tension between Federation members at the Maquis.

[Butch350]

13. That wouldn't work..

Because both the maquis and the regular voyager crew would have been constantly battling peripheral villians plus each other.
No! This is not the rebulicans and democrats - the crew works best as a team.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Which episode was non-canonical? n/t

[Orrex]

6. The one where the Delta Flyer went Warp 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_(Voyager_episode)

It's canon to the extent that it's a live-action episode, rather than a novel or one from the animated series. However, I read an article previously that made a more formal declaration of non-canonicity, insofar as these things are ever formal. Roddenberry himself was famously inconsistent when it came to what was and what wasn't official.

[47of74]

18. Yep, and if you want a blow by blow description of the episode

You should look here...

http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Star_Trek/Voyager/Threshold.aspx

[ginnyinWI]

9. thanks

Looks like there is more depth to get into with this one, anyway. I wanted a series I could get into so we'll see how well it "wears" with me. I do like The Doctor (his only name?) and Tuvoc reminds me of Spock--maybe without the ironic twists though.

[Kind of Blue]

5. My Goodness, you lazy woman

:rofl: :rofl: you barely had anything to do in the 90s. Just kidding, you sure were anything but!

I agree with Orrex about the original mission of Federation vs Marquis and then the trials and tribulations of getting back home. And agree about 7 of 9 and the doctor. But disagree as to its unevenness in Borg treatment. I think the whole 7 of 9 storyline story gave further insight into Borg mentality. I remember one in particular that I loved and for lack of a good word, it was a secret space of mind, a refuge, a sort of paradise, where some Borg could be their original selves while hibernating. Another episode involved 3 runaway Borgs, though free, who could not disconnect from the connection between themselves. There was the storyline of the found Borg children. I do remember an episode about a fearsome species that even the Borg could not take down. But never do I remember the Borg collective ever giving up their resistance is futile ways. It even culminated (I think) in the series finale when Janeway battles the Queen in a tremendous fight involving time travel.

I also disagree with wyldwolf that it was the worst. To me, Enterprise holds that honor.

[wyldwolf]

7. "Enterprise" had the benefit of having one outstanding final season and four mediocre ones...

whereas Voyager had seven mediocre seasons, IMO.

[Kind of Blue]

8. Well, to each its own :)

As much as I disliked it, Enterprise did not diminish my big old crush on Scott Bakula :loveya::rofl:

[Butch350]

12. I beg to differ...

I have the complete Voyager dvd collection. To me every single season of Voyager is excellent. I love the characters, it is well
written and it introduces new alien races to the Star Trek Universe. At first I did not like Voyager but once I gave it a chance
and bought the 1st season - I just couldn't,, (can't) get enough of it. IMHO OC!

[Butch350]

14. Enterprise sucks - it was a bastard child of the Star Trek Universe!!

[ginnyinWI]

10. I think you're right about Enterprise.

I've only seen a couple of episodes, but it seems to be run by the CGI/Special effects guys--not real writers. It's all explosions all the time! The other one I take a dim view of is Deep Space Nine. At least on the surface: that one seems to be run by the guy who create the aliens. But I really don't know much else about it so I guess should reserve judgement.

[Kind of Blue]

11. Unimatrix Zero

that's the name of the subconscious realm in this Borg episode that to me was a good story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimatrix_Zero

In the surreal, utopian Unimatrix Zero, Borg of various species and ages (including children) from throughout the massive geography of the Collective exist as their individual, unassimilated selves and interact with one another as such. While out of regeneration, they revert to normal drones and have no memory of their time spent together there. The Borg Queen knows about Unimatrix Zero, considering it a disease, and destroys drones discovered capable of visiting it...

[Orrex]

15. Re: The Borg

I don't mind the runaway Borg or even the Borglings. What bothered me was the way the collective came to be portrayed as a sort of sociopath that could be rehabilitated or at least reasoned with. I greatly preferred the Borg as a monolithic entity beyond negotiation or bargaining. That made them like a phenomenon of nature with a purpose.

The Voyager portrayal IMO turned them into (generally speaking) an enslaved race ultimately worthy of our sympathy. Sure, they are in fact a slave race, but in ST:TNG they were a nightmarish force unlike any other race or culture, like nothing the Federation had faced, just as Q described them.

I particularly disliked the relative ease with which the Voyager crew dealt with the Borg, wheras a single cube was sufficient to destroy a big chunk of the Federation's fleet.

Ultimately this is going to come down to a matter of taste, and that's fine.


I'll say this, though: the episode called The Drone is one of my favorites from any Trek series. Top notch from start to finish.

[Kind of Blue]

19. You're so right about the question of taste.

And I see your point about TNG. I would have preferred it if the Borgs did not need to enslave others, that just being Borg is enough. IMHOP, that would have given the storyline an awesomely frightening punch.

The subtlety that I see is that no matter how big and bad Borg is, an enslaved collective of differing species is against nature and therefore will not work because they do not evolve. And there's always another bigger and/or badder, as in Species 8472 (living in organic fluid space) and its superior advanced biology that Borg technology cannot match, as well as the impossibility of filling every leak in the Bork universe, such as in Unimatrix zero.

I think the ease of dealing with Borg comes from the edge Seven of Nine adds to the show. Except for individuals captured or disabled, I think I've missed the Voyager episodes of Borg garnering sympathy. I may be wrong but do remember in TNG, Captain Picard weighing the option of wiping out Borg completely with a virus.

The Drone was indeed a good episode. Now that drone could have possibly defeated Species 8472. Wouldn't it be an awesome Borg line to develop? I mean here would be your "monolithic entity beyond negotiation or bargaining," if only Borg revered biology as much as technology :)

[Butch350]

20. "Unimatrix Zero"

[Sabriel]

16. The Q episodes are particularly good

There's a real chemistry between DeLancie and Mulgrew.

(Edited to add: I miss that show!)

[Orrex]

17. I didn't care for the Q Continuum's Civil War, though

Also, the actress who portrayed Q's wife has never really thrilled me, despite the hundred different Trek roles she's played.

[and-justice-for-all]

21. Voyager and Enterprise are my favorite ST Tv series...

I so want to bang Tripp..nt

[Kind of Blue]

22. Well, you go boy.

:hi: Although I didn't like Enterprise, my Love for Scott Bakula knows no end :)

[and-justice-for-all]

23. Yeah, I would do him too...LOL

[poverlay]

24. The BEST ship, captain and crew in the Trek universe! Flame away. I adored this show and watched

every episode. It debuted about the same time my daugher was born and helped me through new daddydom.

Yes there were mistakes made. Primarily it wasn't given the money and attention it deserved, but isn't that always the complaint? There was sooo much unexplored potential in this show that it made me sick. Not as sick as the realization that there would likely never be a movie.

I could go on and on about how much I respect and am utterly in love with Captain Janeway. About how great a curmudgeonly hologram with a heart of gold made the most knowledgable and interesting doctor in Trek history. About Tom and B'ellana and Kes and Neelix, oh Tuvok was the best Vulcan a Vulcan could be and Seven~ the sexiest most over and under utilized character I've ever seen. Harry was really a great "newbie" character and then there was the finest Trek character ever conceived. The stunningly beautiful, powerful, graceful, amazing character I've ever seen in Trek: USS Voyager. Gods I love that ship.

The scene with the shields and the escort in the finale was so incredibly wonderful it's in my top 5 greatest TV moments of all time. I just wish there were more.

Anyway, If anyone wants to ramble on about how great a show, trivia, nit-picking, fanfic, regrets, hopes whatever~ feel free to pm me.

[ginnyinWI]

25. Still my favorite ST series.

I DVR it at its 2 a.m. showing and play it while I work out the following afternoon (indoor bike). I'm continually delighted with the original ideas the writers come up with, and with the characters on Voyager. Who would have thought of an enemy that attacks people in their dreams?

I've been trying out ST Enterprise and ST-NG. Enterprise is so juvenile--the captain and officers all seem like 14 year old boys. They'd never qualify for jobs that important given their emotional ages! ST-NG is unfortunatly pretty dated now. Not "funny-dated" like the original series is now, but kind of touchy-feely 80s dated. It's all about how people feel!

Captain Janeway is the best. She's responsible, smart, and brave. And she's a grown-up.

[Kind of Blue]

26. Great update, ginnyinWI.

I'm so glad you like Voyager.