Robert Beltran

[Discofan]

I'll take your word for it. To me, a sudden allergy leading to an actress leaving the show, sounds a bit iffy and, well, convenient. Especially since Kes had spent the last leg of the season with her hair being long and her ears fully covered.
...

However, the fact that her ears were fully covered lends credit to the idea that she had become allergic, otherwise, you'd have to admit that it's kind of absurd to create an alien race and hide the only trait that identifies it! For example, the only times that Spock's ears are covered is when the plot demands it.


Just think if Armin Shimmerman had become allergic to his makeup and had a really bad reaction to it. He wouldn't need makeup anymore to look like a Ferengi.

 

[TigerCat]

The Kashyk episode? That was a nice one, I'm a sucker for subterfuge and that one had it all.

So far, I prefer the earlier seasons, when the "we're a lifetime away from home" was daunting but not as depressing as it feels later on. One of my favorite episodes is Equinox, because, to me, it feels like it's the other side of the coin. That's what Voyager could have been like. In essence, they're fighting themselves.
Of course I also love Pathfinder because it's when contact with home is made, and a ray of hope is created. Yeah, they sent/received letters earlier and the Doctor did make contact too, but in my eyes, Pathfinder is the beginning of them reaching Earth.
(Had I been writing the show, that's when the trip home would start getting serious with them gaining ground until they finally returned to Earth in the finale).

Then again I also really like Threshold for the sheer insanity of it!

 

[Discofan]

Maybe what annoyed Beltran is that most episodes where he played more than a token part, it was about his "Indian Heritage"... He must have grown sick of that.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

Not renewing a contract, technically is firing, unless the actor/actress wishes to leave the show.

Well, the 1st contract all regular actors have signed was for a duration of 3 years. At the end of this contract of 3 years, a new contract (which is often automatic, especially in long run shows but sometimes, between the end of a contract and the beginning of the following one, actors and/or producers take this opportunity to leave ofr actors and make changes in the casting for producers, without risking a breach in contracts and
substantial legal indemnities that go with) including a salary increase was offered to all but Jennifer Lien so, technically speaking, she wasn't fired as seeing as producers waited the end of this contract of 3 years to inform her that she wouldn't be proposed a renewable by tacit agreement of her commitment to the series for the coming years.
In return, producers offered her the possibility to end Kes storyline, offering her a dignified exit, in a 2-parts episode, "Scorpion" (what wasn't offered to Terry Farrell/Jadzia Dax, btw) in the 1st episode of 4th season and they had to say her that she could eventually come back later for an episode, what she did. However, shame they "screwed up" so much her return over an episode of s6 (and that for once was insulting! ).

 

[TigerCat]

Well, the 1st contract all regular actors have signed was for a duration of 3 years. At the end of this contract of 3 years, a new contract (which is often automatic, especially in long run shows but sometimes, between the end of a contract and the beginning of the following one, actors and/or producers take this opportunity to leave ofr actors and make changes in the casting for producers, without risking a breach in contracts and substantial legal indemnities that go with) including a salary increase was offered to all but Jennifer Lien so, technically speaking, she wasn't fired as seeing as producers waited the end of this contract of 3 years to inform her that she wouldn't be proposed a renewable by tacit agreement of her commitment to the series for the coming years.

It may not have been a technical firing as I thought, but let's be real, letting an actress known she won't be needed anymore, is essentially firing. To my eyes at least. Waiting till the end of her contract to do so, is simply a way to cover against a potential lawsuit for breach of her original contract.

In return, producers offered her the possibility to end Kes storyline, offering her a dignified exit, in a 2-parts episode, "Scorpion" (what wasn't offered to Terry Farrell/Jadzia Dax, btw) in the 1st episode of 4th season and they had to say her that she could eventually come back later for an episode, what she did. However, shame they "screwed up" so much her return over an episode of s6 (and that for once was insulting! ).

I like "Scorpion" but, to me at least, Kes' departure was abrupt. Perhaps that's part of why I dislike it. Yes, her mental powers had grown considerably when Voyager ran into Suspiria, but after that, they regressed again until suddenly Kes was too powerful to remain safely on board. Had the idea not to renew her contract been decided on early enough, I do believe (or at least hope) the progression of her abilities would have been shown earlier over the course of the last few episodes maybe.

I just watched *that* episode (you are talking about "Fury" right? Is Kes coming back again later on?) last night and it really was ridiculous. Kes being elderly and with dementia-fueled anger, I can understand, but that was... I believe there is a poster here with a cat nickname/photo (Lynx, something I think) who called that episode a big FU to the character and the fans. I'm inclined to agree.

Maybe what annoyed Beltran is that most episodes where he played more than a token part, it was about his "Indian Heritage"... He must have grown sick of that.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was part of it. He definitely acted his heart out in those episodes and you can see he really put all of himself in them.

 

[chris of nine]

The shift is away from Getting Home.
Stand-alone episodes or return-to episodes here in season six, for example.
If you, as a writer, want to extend the series, you have to use as many new plot ideas as possible. Small arcs.

For instance, the Lyndsey Ballard story in Ashes to Ashes. Love that.

The Borg children arc.

The Barclay story, although it actually is about getting home.

Tuvok goes through childhood.

There are fails, like Fury and Spirit Folk.



I don’t mind that they chose to do this.

I like season six.

 

[TigerCat]

However, the fact that her ears were fully covered lends credit to the idea that she had become allergic, otherwise, you'd have to admit that it's kind of absurd to create an alien race and hide the only trait that identifies it! For example, the only times that Spock's ears are covered is when the plot demands it.

The long hair first appeared in "Before and After", I believe when she traveled through her own life and were an indication of her changing ages. Considering it was after that she she left behind her dresses and began dressing more "grown up", it could be argued that she decided to keep the long hair because it too was a more grown up look.

Perhaps she could have become allergic to the glue, but why didn't they try different glues or sticking the ears on a head piece and wearing it with her long hair to still show them?

Hey, if I can find cat/animal ears for Halloween, I'm sure the crew that came up with Ferengi masks or Talaxian masks or Clingon masks, could have rigged something up

The shift is away from Getting Home.
Stand-alone episodes or return-to episodes here in season six, for example.
If you, as a writer, want to extend the series, you have to use as many new plot ideas as possible. Small arcs.

For instance, the Lyndsey Ballard story in Ashes to Ashes. Love that.

The Borg children arc.

The Barclay story, although it actually is about getting home.

Tuvok goes through childhood.

There are fails, like Fury and Spirit Folk.



I don’t mind that they chose to do this.

I like season six.

 

[A Dax]

Yes, I never saw Chakotay and Seven as a couple. .

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

A view which was shared by a lot of people but for different reasons (JC, J/7, C/Marla, etc...).

 

[Leviathan]

The plan to write him off the show involved Voyager visiting the Planet of the Tree-chippers.

 

[Discofan]

I thought after the rubber tree people, he would have found the more evolved rubber castle people who spent all day bouncing up and down...

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

The plan to write him off the show involved Voyager visiting the Planet of the Tree-chippers.

Well, knowing how ready Chakotay was to settle on the New Planet in "Resolutions" and how comfortable he was with pretty nothing surrounding him and almost everything to build, it would have been easy to change the scenario and make him bored with the life on Voyager and/or too in love with a female alien to let her leave alone. Result: once she would have let him know her will to leave Voyager, he would have proposed to follow her and together, find a place and raise a family. ...Et voilà!

 

[Discofan]

I don't know why they put Boothby in so many episodes where he had nothing to do. Like why would he be in Chak boxing program? Doesn't make much sense.

 

[Leviathan]

Well, knowing how ready Chakotay was to settle on the New Planet in "Resolutions" and how comfortable he was with pretty nothing surrounding him and almost everything to build, it would have been easy to change the scenario and make him bored with the life on Voyager and/or too in love with a female alien to let her leave alone. Result: once she would have let him know her will to leave Voyager, he would have proposed to follow her and together, find a place and raise a family. ...Et voilà!

...I dunno, I kinda prefer mine.[brrrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzztttttttttttt] mulchtastic ending.

 

[Prax]

I don't know why they put Boothby in so many episodes where he had nothing to do. Like why would he be in Chak boxing program? Doesn't make much sense.

I believe that makes one episode.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

I believe that makes one episode.

Nope. If I remember well, Boothby, the handyman groundskeeper appeared in 2 episodes ("The Fight" where Chakotay had allucinations of Boothby as a boxing coach, while he was in coma and in "In the Flesh", which was in 2 parts, as an alternate Boothby when Specioes 8472 decided to recreate San Francisco's Starfleet Command & Academy in perfect detail including familiar faces.

 

[Prax]

Nope. If I remember well, Boothby, the handyman groundskeeper appeared in 2 episodes ("The Fight" where Chakotay had allucinations of Boothby as a boxing coach, while he was in coma and in "In the Flesh", which was in 2 parts, as an alternate Boothby when Specioes 8472 decided to recreate San Francisco's Starfleet Command & Academy in perfect detail including familiar faces.

"I don't know why they put Boothby in so many episodes where he had nothing to do"
In "In the Flesh," Boothby is a major and important character, and has plenty to do. It's his largest Star Trek role.

 

[DonIago]

Also Ray Walston is awesome, though I agree his being in "The Fight" seemed like an odd choice.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

We can see Boothby's character with Jen-Luc Picard in TNG.

 

[Farscape One]

While his 2 appearances in the franchise on "The First Duty" and "IN THE FLESH" were excellent, his third appearance in "THE FIGHT" came out of nowhere and was odd.