15 Years Later, VOY Seems So Much Better
- Thread starter Starfleet Engineer
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I've enjoyed Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Also the Sopranos. And I'm liking The Man in the High Castle.
I did. When Voyager first aired I was just entering college so I was mostly busy doing college things.
I saw a few episodes but they didn’t capture my attention and when they started heavily promoting Seven of Nine, I thought, “Oh great, this series sucks so much that they need T&A to keep it going.”
Now, however, I’ve been doing a mega-marathon beginning with TOS, and currently I’m near the end of season four of Voyager and it’s much better than I thought.
Granted, there are some crew members that I think are really lame such as Chakotay, Wang and Torres, but the show has really good crew members like Tuvok, The Doctor, Janeway and Seven of Nine.
Neelix was super annoying for the first few seasons but they toned him down a lot and he grew on me especially after watching “Mortal Coil.”
Voyager is sort of like TNG if a third of the episodes are crazy ones like “Phantasms,” so a I find the series very entertaining even though it doesn’t reach the heights as some of the great DS9 episodes.
Voyager Season 4 and 5 are probably my favorite Voyager seasons along with some episode from Seasons 6 and 7.
There was a lot of potential build up in Seasons 1 to 3 but I never liked the Kazon as antagonists (always liked the Hirogen more) and some plotlines went nowhere.
There was a lot of potential build up in Seasons 1 to 3 but I never liked the Kazon as antagonists (always liked the Hirogen more) and some plotlines went nowhere.
^The thaw: I agree the concept itself and the settings and such are stupid, but IMHO the clown's acting is great! Which saves the ep for me.
All the things wrong with it back in the day are still wrong with it. Probably more noticeable by current standards.
For me it's by far the weakest show in the franchise but it's still Trek. I've watched it all, enjoyed it all to greater or lesser extents and purchased all the DVD's and Blurays.
For me it's by far the weakest show in the franchise but it's still Trek. I've watched it all, enjoyed it all to greater or lesser extents and purchased all the DVD's and Blurays.
I STILL like the feel and the resonance of Voyager. I like it more each time I watch it.
That's a really interesting way to put it. I recall the late 1990s being extremely overstimulating - I just didn't have time for Voyager then.
Voyager is great for casual viewing.
The producers seem to have went through a lot of trouble to keep things the same episode to episode so that you could rewatch the episodes in nearly any order; when I catch episodes of Voyager on broadcast here and there it's always gratifying to know the story will be completely wrapped up by the end of the hour and there are few 2 parters.
Always a great pleasure to catch one I've never seen before.
I just finished the series for the second time in 15 years. Started in mid January and finished mid April.
There was one season, I think the 5th?, where Paris seemed to be an expert on everything. It was a little annoying. He's an expert pilot, an expert on 20th century cars, an expert on this, expert on that. It stuck out like a sore thumb while binge watching, but it was over by the next season. For such a screw up, he seemed to be some kind of super intelligent guy. It didn't fit well with the character they had created up to that point for him.
Endgame was good, but unsatisfying because there was no real closure with the characters. It was good for a regular episode, but not for a series finale. I'm glad that Tuvok didn't end up like he did in the first timeline, or I assume he was cured, though we don't know.
I thought it was interesting to recognize, this time around, that this series was more "by the book" with Starfleet rules and regs than maybe any of the other series and I did recognize why Janeway is, arguably, considered one of the greatest captains in Starfleet history. I never would've considered that watching the series the first time through.
Are post-Endgame novels any good? Do they get into the crew's lives after getting home?
There was one season, I think the 5th?, where Paris seemed to be an expert on everything. It was a little annoying. He's an expert pilot, an expert on 20th century cars, an expert on this, expert on that. It stuck out like a sore thumb while binge watching, but it was over by the next season. For such a screw up, he seemed to be some kind of super intelligent guy. It didn't fit well with the character they had created up to that point for him.
Endgame was good, but unsatisfying because there was no real closure with the characters. It was good for a regular episode, but not for a series finale. I'm glad that Tuvok didn't end up like he did in the first timeline, or I assume he was cured, though we don't know.
I thought it was interesting to recognize, this time around, that this series was more "by the book" with Starfleet rules and regs than maybe any of the other series and I did recognize why Janeway is, arguably, considered one of the greatest captains in Starfleet history. I never would've considered that watching the series the first time through.
Are post-Endgame novels any good? Do they get into the crew's lives after getting home?
The ones by Kirsten Beyer are.
Voyager does have arcs and plotlines, they are just somewhat looser than DS9 and it does keep its continuity(mostly with references quick lines of dialogue, and the like) and also has plenty of good stand alone episodes. Which gives it a lot of rewatch value as opposed to say Season 7 of DS9 where one has to rewatch the whole season essentially.
Soooo good.
I know I like it better now because it's just the episodes. When it first aired, it had some really bad, cheesy, gimmicky marketing.
"Smackdown Champion vs. Battlestar Babe"
"Voyager goes to HELL, and back again!"
I remember that episode. They did not go to "hell". They went to a cave and hatched an egg.
Also, commercials were the worst in the 90's and there were just too many.
"Smackdown Champion vs. Battlestar Babe"
"Voyager goes to HELL, and back again!"
I remember that episode. They did not go to "hell". They went to a cave and hatched an egg.
Also, commercials were the worst in the 90's and there were just too many.
I had mixed feelings about Voyager in the beginning. On the one hand, I applauded the rather unique scenario compared to all the other Star Trek series premises. Yet, there were a number of issues.
First, I really didn't like the way Voyager was stranded in the Delta quadrant. They could have utilized the array and left behind timed charges to destroy it once Voyager was gone, so that it wouldn't fall into the hands of the Kazon. Janeway's decision was a cop-out. But of course, something had to strand Voyager. The plot device to do it could've been an intense energy emission from the array that causes the charges to explode prematurely... achieving the stranding of Voyager.
I didn't like Mulgrew at the start. Her voice... so very annoying. She seemed to tense her throat muscles in such a way as to cause her pitch to go up with a nasal buzz. Thankfully that eventually abated. Mulgrew was also a bit inconsistent with her Janeway personification, part of that being the fault of the writers. But... I have to say that in the end, while she wasn't my favorite starship captain, I thought she did a very good job of it.
Without any reservation, I have to say I absolutely despise the Kazon characters, especially Seska. My antipathy for them has only increased over time. I can't watch those episodes, so for me Voyager really gets going once the Kazon have been left behind.
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Voyager progresses really well through its 7 seasons, and there's not much I would change. I just wish there was a "coda" episode... that once they're home, we get a "feel good" story that wraps up what happens to all the crew. I know, we sort of get that in the 1st half of the ending two-part episode, seeing the first "alternative" result of the Voyager crew. But it's not quite the same... the best was DS9. They had a really good last episode.
Lastly, I do like revisiting Voyager on occasion. When you've spent a good run of time with the later seasons, going back to the first season is a strange experience. Everyone looks a bit different, a touch younger, except perhaps for Beltran. But there are little moments here and there that are good. I like seeing how Belana changes course, gets a solid chance to lead in engineering, and become chief engineer. And also seeing the EMH progress. That initial time when Kess makes a point of calling him a person and his reaction. The doctor's evolution to gain credibility from the crew and eventual "sentient being" recognition. Really wonderful to see those early days of Picardo's portrayal.
First, I really didn't like the way Voyager was stranded in the Delta quadrant. They could have utilized the array and left behind timed charges to destroy it once Voyager was gone, so that it wouldn't fall into the hands of the Kazon. Janeway's decision was a cop-out. But of course, something had to strand Voyager. The plot device to do it could've been an intense energy emission from the array that causes the charges to explode prematurely... achieving the stranding of Voyager.
I didn't like Mulgrew at the start. Her voice... so very annoying. She seemed to tense her throat muscles in such a way as to cause her pitch to go up with a nasal buzz. Thankfully that eventually abated. Mulgrew was also a bit inconsistent with her Janeway personification, part of that being the fault of the writers. But... I have to say that in the end, while she wasn't my favorite starship captain, I thought she did a very good job of it.
Without any reservation, I have to say I absolutely despise the Kazon characters, especially Seska. My antipathy for them has only increased over time. I can't watch those episodes, so for me Voyager really gets going once the Kazon have been left behind.
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Voyager progresses really well through its 7 seasons, and there's not much I would change. I just wish there was a "coda" episode... that once they're home, we get a "feel good" story that wraps up what happens to all the crew. I know, we sort of get that in the 1st half of the ending two-part episode, seeing the first "alternative" result of the Voyager crew. But it's not quite the same... the best was DS9. They had a really good last episode.
Lastly, I do like revisiting Voyager on occasion. When you've spent a good run of time with the later seasons, going back to the first season is a strange experience. Everyone looks a bit different, a touch younger, except perhaps for Beltran. But there are little moments here and there that are good. I like seeing how Belana changes course, gets a solid chance to lead in engineering, and become chief engineer. And also seeing the EMH progress. That initial time when Kess makes a point of calling him a person and his reaction. The doctor's evolution to gain credibility from the crew and eventual "sentient being" recognition. Really wonderful to see those early days of Picardo's portrayal.
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It's interesting that bit about you saying you didn't like the concept of Voyager stranded in the Delta Quadrant - fair enough. Personally I found it liberating. Like when I watch an 'Inspector' series or some police drama I hate the dynamic of the lead detective getting scolded by the Superintendent, having that someone watching over him or her. Voyager being her own boss I found appealing.
I've been watching "Criminal Minds" of late. Thirteen seasons and when you binge watch it's amazing how when you go back for another re-watch how that ageing thing makes you smile. It's a totally different experience taking in any series when you see it week to week and year to year, versus in one hit.
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