"The 37's" is a very daft episode, to be honest, but it's kinda silly fun, plus the visual of Voyager landing on a planet for the first time is very cool.
TNG could have done the premise but having everyone that much farther out made it more natural for VOY to have done.
The mechanics of how the vehicle could still operate is a bit much to swallow, but it's easier to roll with than some modern tv where they look at an item from the past, but before I digress...
The episode spoils itself by pointing out the historical figure in question, and the episode doesn't do much with said historical figure -- which, on reflection, is anything but trite. Any time an episode brings up a major character, right on cue thank Pavlov, you expect they're going to be given something prominent later on. Like Spock in
TNG or Davy Jones in
The Brady Bunch, now we have Amelia and - yes, thankfully - she's not used. Partially because flying a shuttlecraft or starship is nothing like flying an aeroplane, and we didn't need a redo of the antics shown in "Relics" either.
Also, the debate on staying on this shiny new world -- it feels like a partial, semi-inversion of "The Masterpiece Society"'s tropes.
Plus, only Tuvok could say with any dignity the following line: "I suggest we increase the ventilation in the cargo bay before we are asphyxiated." Neelix would say "We'd all have more fun if we all got high together!"
If done right, Amelia as a new crewmember may have been more rewarding as well...
