This sounds like a nice explanation and I really wish it were true. However, both in-universe and in real life the character of Kes was pretty much neglected (to put it mildly) so I have my doubts if Janeway or the others ever felt that way in later seasons. Kes is hardly ever mentioned after she leaves, she is never there in episodes in which it would be an obvious thing to have her (like LATENT IMAGE, RELATIVITY or SHATTERED) and then FURY is an outright insult to both the character and the actress in my book.
Also, although the circumstances of her leaving are somewhat obfuscated, it seems that she left the show with a bad taste in her mouth.
But like I said ... it's a nice theory. Let's hope that it's true, at least in-universe.
ONE SMALL STEP
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Interesting, I didn't know that. I can imagine his frustration - although it seems that after Jeri Ryan joined the cast, he was frustrated with everything!A moving story and a wonderful acting from Phil Morris and an interesting directing from Robert Picardo.
If I remember well, "One small step" was one of the episodes which has frustrated Robert Beltran, and after to have re-watched it, I can understand why :initially, this story had to highlight the character of Chakotay, and all in all, it was Jeri Ryan/ Seven and Phil Morris/Lt John Kelly's performances which magnified this episode. Plus, and let's be honest here, Beltran's character really didn't come up (his obsession with the Ares IV made him commit an error in judgment, which put the away team composed of himself, Tom and Seven in danger. Without talking about his "excessive" authoritarianism at times).
Anyway, a good episode, where past and present chapters were harmoniously unndertaken!![]()
Interesting, I didn't know that. I can imagine his frustration - although it seems that after Jeri Ryan joined the cast, he was frustrated with everything!
Nevertheless one of VOY's best ... such a moving story.
And for today here are our redshirt officers ... although this time they look a bit different from their usual selves:
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Yep, wouldn't they ingested non-edible food, especially Chakotay but Tom Paris is not bad at all, either?! ;-)
It got to be a joke that in the later seasons, it seemed like almost every time Chakotay led an Away Team, he would get injured so that Seven could rise to the occasion. "Prey"--he leads the hunting party and gets hurt; "Juggernaut"--he gets hurt, but here Be'Lanna steps up to lead; "Collective" (with the kid drones)-- he isn't hurt, but gets locked up the rest of the episode so that Seven can be front and center (Capt Kirk's crew would have escaped and helped sabotage the cube. Just sayin'); "One Small Step"--he get injured and Seven goes over to the capsule; "Natural Law"--his leg is hurt so Seven has to go find the shuttle wreckage. If you think about it, there are probably more. No wonder the guy got frustrated with the "That Again" type of writing for his character.If I remember well, "One small step" was one of the episodes which has frustrated Robert Beltran, and after to have re-watched it, I can understand why :initially, this story had to highlight the character of Chakotay, and all in all, it was Jeri Ryan/ Seven and Phil Morris/Lt John Kelly's performances which magnified this episode. Plus, and let's be honest here, Beltran's character really didn't come up (his obsession with the Ares IV made him commit an error in judgment, which put the away team composed of himself, Tom and Seven in danger. Without talking about his "excessive" authoritarianism at times).
I must admit being a Tuvok fan that in Tsunkatse seeing Tuvok out of commission, so Seven could take on the star role of contender in the ring, left me with mixed feelings. It was gratifying to see a strong woman but it also felt like a plot point to have Tuvok disabled.It got to be a joke that in the later seasons, it seemed like almost every time Chakotay led an Away Team, he would get injured so that Seven could rise to the occasion. "Prey"--he leads the hunting party and gets hurt; "Juggernaut"--he gets hurt, but here Be'Lanna steps up to lead; "Collective" (with the kid drones)-- he isn't hurt, but gets locked up the rest of the episode so that Seven can be front and center (Capt Kirk's crew would have escaped and helped sabotage the cube. Just sayin'); "One Small Step"--he get injured and Seven goes over to the capsule; "Natural Law"--his leg is hurt so Seven has to go find the shuttle wreckage. If you think about it, there are probably more. No wonder the guy got frustrated with the "That Again" type of writing for his character.
Nevertheless, One Small Step is a deeply moving episode.
It got to be a joke that in the later seasons, it seemed like almost every time Chakotay led an Away Team, he would get injured so that Seven could rise to the occasion. "Prey"--he leads the hunting party and gets hurt; "Juggernaut"--he gets hurt, but here Be'Lanna steps up to lead; "Collective" (with the kid drones)-- he isn't hurt, but gets locked up the rest of the episode so that Seven can be front and center (Capt Kirk's crew would have escaped and helped sabotage the cube. Just sayin'); "One Small Step"--he get injured and Seven goes over to the capsule; "Natural Law"--his leg is hurt so Seven has to go find the shuttle wreckage. If you think about it, there are probably more. No wonder the guy got frustrated with the "That Again" type of writing for his character.
Nevertheless, One Small Step is a deeply moving episode.
How about eps like SHATTERED, UNFORGETTABLE or IN THE FLESH? Is he satisfied with those? Or does he complain about those ones as well? He comes across as a great whiner to me ... but perhaps he has his reasons.I must admit being a Tuvok fan that in Tsunkatse seeing Tuvok out of commission, so Seven could take on the star role of contender in the ring, left me with mixed feelings. It was gratifying to see a strong woman but it also felt like a plot point to have Tuvok disabled.
If you read Beltran’s comments to any extent, he was not just concerned about his own character’s development and screen time, but that of several of the other actors as well, and the overall quality of the show. Seven’s addition and development could be interesting at times, but I agree with Beltran that focusing too much on Seven, the Doctor, and Janeway (and turning them into virtual superheroes) in the last couple of seasons was not good for the overall creativity of the show; it led all too often to contrived and boring episodes IMO. Voyager was usually at its best, I think, in the ensemble pieces, with some exceptions.How about eps like SHATTERED, UNFORGETTABLE or IN THE FLESH? Is he satisfied with those? Or does he complain about those ones as well? He comes across as a great whiner to me ... but perhaps he has his reasons...
After Seven joins the show, (almost) everything revolves around her. I actually don't mind that even when it's blatantly obvious (like in RANDOM THOUGHTS where you have the feeling that all those things during the previous 40+ minutes happened only to give Seven the opportunity to discuss the matter from her perspective). She is a good character and fun to watch. I'm not saying that the others couldn't have been given more camera time or better stories. All I'm saying is that VOY is still a very good show (the best one for me) even though these things actually happened. I guess part of the reason why I feel like this is because Janeway is my fav character and she was never shoved into the background.
It was actually Beltran’s idea. Of course it didn’t take a genius. I had thought myself as a viewer during the 6th Season that the only way Chakotay would get more screen time now was if he hooked up with Seven.If Beltran felt upstaged by the Seven character, one has to wonder what he thought about the big reveal in Endgame, (That Chakotay and Seven were in a relationship).
If Beltran felt upstaged by the Seven character, one has to wonder what he thought about the big reveal in Endgame, (That Chakotay and Seven were in a relationship).
I don’t know that Mulgrew rejected Janeway/Chakotay from the beginning. I’ve heard different things. Certainly, Mulgrew never wanted Janeway to be a sex object, but that doesn’t preclude a healthy well-rounded character. Lorerunner over on Youtube who does the “Ruminations” reviews, and claims some degree of research, said that Mulgrew was OK with a romance between the characters (and if the reports are true, Mulgrew has admitted that she and Beltran were practicing off stage, if you know what I mean…). In fact “Resolutions” originally had a kissing scene that was shot but edited out. A clip from it is still floating around the internet. Since then, Mulgrew has offered explanations of why the characters couldn’t have a romance due to protocol, yada yada yada. Not necessarily that she didn't want them to.-> by the way, Mulgrew, who has rejected from the beginning, the idea of getting Janeway and Chakotay closer, remained faithful to her idea.![]()
I don’t know that Mulgrew rejected Janeway/Chakotay from the beginning. I’ve heard different things. Certainly, Mulgrew never wanted Janeway to be a sex object, but that doesn’t preclude a healthy well-rounded character. Lorerunner over on Youtube who does the “Ruminations” reviews, and claims some degree of research, said that Mulgrew was OK with a romance between the characters (and if the reports are true, Mulgrew has admitted that she and Beltran were practicing off stage, if you know what I mean…). In fact “Resolutions” originally had a kissing scene that was shot but edited out. A clip from it is still floating around the internet. Since then, Mulgrew has offered explanations of why the characters couldn’t have a romance due to protocol, yada yada yada. Not necessarily that she didn't want them to.
I do recall reading prior to one of the later seasons that Mulgrew requested that the writers include more of the friendship between Janeway and Chakotay, which made sense for the actress, since they played well off of each other IMO.
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