Star Trek: Voyager - A Marathon Re-visit.

[SRFX]

YEAR OF HELL, PART I - 4x08 - 5/5

Here we have, unequivocally, my favourite episode of Star Trek: Voyager.

Everything about this episode is great. The premise, the acting, the dialogue and the action are all top notch. It also helps I am a huge fan of Kurtwood Smith - I may refer to his ship as Red Foreman's Time Ship. His character, Annorax is very well portrayed and compelling, although he doesn't really get explored until part II.

I also really love that for the first time in the series an affinity between Janeway and Voyager is being solidly established.

My only complaint is that I wish Braga had gotten his plan into action make this a season arc. But I suppose we will have to be satisfied with Enterprise S3 (one of my favourite Trek seasons of all time).

[SRFX]

YEAR OF HELL, PART II - 4x09 - 5/5

The pace of this episode slows down considerably from Part I, due to the story now dedicating a great deal of screen time to Chakotay and Paris on the timeship. But this is by no means a bad move. It allows Annorax to be developed, even if it causes Chakotay to come off a bit gullible in the process.

Seeing Voyager in complete ruin is awesome and the resolution of Janeway slamming Voyager into the timeship definitely goes down as one of the best scenes in all of Trek.

Despite being a reset button episode, it felt appropriate for an episode like this to end in such a way and the ending events are absolutely spectacular. Not to mention the final scene showing Annorax and his wife in his home, showing him working on time calculations leaves the story open a little bit - who knows what changes he might ultimately make to the time line again?

[Markira]

SRFX wrote:

---

YEAR OF HELL, PART II - 4x09 - 5/5

The pace of this episode slows down considerably from Part I, due to the story now dedicating a great deal of screen time to Chakotay and Paris on the timeship. But this is by no means a bad move. It allows Annorax to be developed, even if it causes Chakotay to come off a bit gullible in the process.

Seeing Voyager in complete ruin is awesome and the resolution of Janeway slamming Voyager into the timeship definitely goes down as one of the best scenes in all of Trek.

Despite being a reset button episode, it felt appropriate for an episode like this to end in such a way and the ending events are absolutely spectacular. Not to mention the final scene showing Annorax and his wife in his home, showing him working on time calculations leaves the story open a little bit - who knows what changes he might ultimately make to the time line again?

Agreed. That was one of the most badassest things I've ever seen done in Trek.

[SRFX]

RANDOM THOUGHTS - 4x10 - 3/5

Year of Hell was going to be a tough act to follow for any episode that succeeded it, so it's no surprise this episode is fairly average Voyager. That said, the concept is interesting enough and the black market of negative thoughts is different, if a little goofy.

However once it's revealed that the bad guy has this violent thought fetish, things play out a quite predictably. That said, it was nice to see a rational conflict between the aliens of the week and Janeway for once, instead of just stupidity resulting in a firefight.

[SRFX]

CONCERNING FLIGHT - 4x11 - 2/5

Now, this episode was well intentioned, but it's just so dumb. There are too many corny pieces of dialogue between Janeway and Da Vinci, not to mention so many logical flaws throughout the story. I find this enjoyable only if your brain is switched off, and only then, could I watch through it.

Da Vinci is a fine inspiration for Janeway and even a great little diversion for her in the holodeck. But dedicating a whole episode to him is just a waste of time; I don't care about holodeck characters. I mean, it would be different if he achieved sentience, but he didn't. He just acted like a holodeck recreation of Da Vinci in a new environment, and I don't care about that at all.

[SRFX]

MORTAL COIL - 4x12 - 3/5

Hooray! Neelix is dead! Except he didn't get credited with "Special Guest Appearance by Ethan Phillips as 'Neelix'" so of course he won't be dead for long.

Seven's Borg medical knowledge that resurrects Neelix is cool 'n all but of course this ability never comes up again. Voyager's going to lose a few more crew members between now and Endgame and of course Seven won't lift a Borg finger to save any of them.

Complaints aside, I feel sorry for Neelix in this episode. He undergoes a crisis of faith which is yet another interesting development for his character. Unfortunately, like what happens more often that not in Voyager, a serious issue gets a pretty pat ending.

Episode gets bonus points for stating that the Kazon are so shit, the Borg wouldn't assimilate them.

[SRFX]

WAKING MOMENTS - 4x13 - 3/5

Another dumb episode with a goofy premise but I can't help but enjoy it. I wasn't gonna count Harry being stuck asleep as Harry Horror, but then later on Harry gets punched by Seven in the face simply to act as a 'diversion'.

But then it doesn't count, since it's a dream that everyone is in.

Average fun.

[SRFX]

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE - 4x14 - 5/5

Yet another one of my all time Voyager favourites. Great performances from Andy Dick and Robert Picardo who play off each other superbly. Fun concept, great dialogue, the introduction of a badass new ship class and the fact we back to the Alpha Quadrant for some shenanigans all add up to make this another highlight of the season.

Probably my only disappointment was that we didn't get to see the Doctor talk to Starfleet Command, but that's okay.

[SRFX]

HUNTERS - 4x15 - 4/5

Nice to see events following on from the previous episode.

The letters from home stuff is really good and I love to see it's not all good news. A solid episode, with great character stuff and the Hirogen are further exposed as a new threat.

[SRFX]

PREY - 4x16 - 4/5

As a species, the Hirogen seem a little dumb, but that is outweighed by the fact they seem to be able to ruin everyone's shit with ease. Bringing Voyager, the Hirogen and Species 8472 together makes for a one awesome episode. Janeway and Seven's continual disagreements come to a head again. This is probably my favourite aspect of season 4 (so I'll be sad to see it gone when it inevitably mellows later on).

[Jeff O'Connor]

I kind of wish season four of ENT's 'trilogies are awesome' mentality had somehow bled backwards into season four of VOY so that "Year of Hell" could have at least been a three-parter. There are some moments where I really feel that the desire for a full season was obvious; those allied races whose ships tag along with Voyager toward the end, for example, almost come out of nowhere.

[teacake]

Jeff O'Connor wrote:

---

I kind of wish season four of ENT's 'trilogies are awesome' mentality had somehow bled backwards into season four of VOY

Bled backwards.. through time?

ENT's trilogies were a very pleasant surprise. Mini arcs, fantastic stuff.

[Jeff O'Connor]

You got it. Bleeding backwards through time. Consider it a Jeff-ism and just nod and smile.

I'm sure I could come up with some technobabble explanation if pressured, but all I meant was I wish the writers' desire to do trilogies in ENT had also existed for VOY. Would have been awesome, especially with things like "Year of Hell".

[SRFX]

Well apparently Braga wanted to go for it, but either UPN or Jeri Taylor (or I suspect both, Taylor is a veritable fountain of shit opinions) held it back to a two parter.

The Hirogen stuff kinda plays out in it's mini arc, culminating in The Killing Game.

[SRFX]

RETROSPECT - 4x17 - 2/5

Formulaic and forgettable whodunit story that is only elevated slightly by the fact that Kovan committed suicide instead of being exonerated. Oh, and I also enjoyed the fact that Voyager is buying arms. It's realistic they would need to do this at some point.