So, if Star Trek were more "realistic" in the sense that you're always pretty sure your favorite characters are going to stay alive (with the exception of ) and Trek were more like the series 24 where main characters are ALWAYS at risk for being killed... and you have to choose 3 main cast members from Voyager to lose their life, who would it be? How would you have them killed? And how would you conclude the story without them?
1. VOYAGER:
Harry Kim - would have been killed in the episode "favorite son" accidentally by the species that kidnapped him. Being kidnapped and genetically altered by an alien race has consequences, you don't always get rescued and returned to normal.
Chakotay - would have been killed in shuttle crash. He was certainly in enough of them to have statistically been killed at some point. Tuvok would take his place as first officer, and the Maquis crew would start to feel betrayed.
Tuvok & Neelix - killed in a transporter accident leaving "Tuvix" as first officer. Genetically reversing such a dramatic physical and mental merging is unlikely to be discovered by our CG doctor at the end of the episode.
1. VOYAGER:
Harry Kim - would have been killed in the episode "favorite son" accidentally by the species that kidnapped him. Being kidnapped and genetically altered by an alien race has consequences, you don't always get rescued and returned to normal.
Chakotay - would have been killed in shuttle crash. He was certainly in enough of them to have statistically been killed at some point. Tuvok would take his place as first officer, and the Maquis crew would start to feel betrayed.
Tuvok & Neelix - killed in a transporter accident leaving "Tuvix" as first officer. Genetically reversing such a dramatic physical and mental merging is unlikely to be discovered by our CG doctor at the end of the episode.