Lynx, did you see my post at the end of Page 1?
No, unfortunately I missed it. But now I've read it.
Thanks for the tip!
#1 The Maquis raider survives the events of "Caretaker" and flies alongside Voyager, Chakotay sacrificing his ship in the S1 finale. Season 2 follows the Maquis crew integrating into the Voyager crew, finally solidified in the "Basics" two-parter.
Yes to the plotline as such but please no Starfleet-Maquis bickering for two seasons. Possible conflicts should be solved in season one, otherwise it will turn to the bickering crap that Stargate Universe was all about.
#2 If the budget doesn't allow for Maquis's ship to stick around, put the ex-Starfleeters in uniform, but those who were never in Starfleet, keep them in civilian attire, but give them rank provisional insignia and com badges. Come Season 2, slowly transition everyone into Starfleet uniform, because Chakotay forced the issue, reminding Janeway they are now one crew. Same arc as above: two seasons for the shift from two crews to one crew. Have most of the conflict in S1. Make S2 more about the Maquis assimilating into Starfleet life and finding that difficult compared to the Maquis way.
I agree on the uniform thing, I've always thought hat the Maquis should have been turned init a "special force" on the ship with Chakotay as leader or highest in command.
As for the maquis, i think that most of the controversy would have been sorted out if they had been a special force group on the ship instead of Starfleet.
#3 Chakotay was pretty ballsy in S1-3. Keep that Chakotay around in later seasons. In S4, have Chakotay and Seven butt heads almost every episode, kind'a like Chakotay and Paris in S2.
No Chakotay and Seven drama please! It was more than enough with all tthat wimpering around Seven and her "search for humanity" as it was.
#4 Come S5 finale, keep the Equinox around. The original Captain dies. Chakotay takes command with a promotion from Lt. Comm. to full Comm. and a mix of Equinox and Voyager crew. This last for the entirety of Season 6. In the season finale, it's the Equinox destroyed by the tactical Borg cube as Chakotay and crew scramble through the wreckage to escape pods after Chakotay gives the order to abandon ship.
Could be an interesting scenario.
#5 In the final season, once they did the Seven's homelife holodeck episode, just say screw it and start doing the Seven-Chakotay relationship. Don't be like, "Nah... we're not doing that," and then have them on their 3rd date in the series finale.
As I wrote before, no Chakotay-Seven drama, thanks.
#6 In S4, have Chakotay finally confront Janeway about their feelings for each other. Janeway doesn't reject him fully, but rather, "I can't, not until I get this crew home," make it clear to the audience that if they get home while they're still young and both single, sure, but not until then. Then in the series finale, when she learns that Seven will die in the arms of her husband... Chakotay... it makes the finale that much more gut punching. She lost Seven to an away mission injury. She lost Tuvok to madness. Because she waited too long, Chakotay moved on to Seven then Chakotay went downhill emotionally over Seven's death and died of heart break just after they got back to the AQ.
No, that was not good at all. I don't want Chakotay being killed off and I want nothing of that Chakotay-Seven drama.
And the destructiv s**t episode in season 6 would never have been done, instead a decent return of Kes in season 7.
He was going to be killed off in the S4 premiere but ending up in a popular magazine over the summer lead to his character surviving miraculously thanks to the Doctor. Kes evolved into a nightbright instead in the following episode.
I would rather say that Kes was turned into a bl***y joke in that "following episode".
Not as destructive as that episode in season 6 but still devastating to the character.
Neelix was the only one who got heavy alien makeup, that actor is a champ. 
