Barcley and Troi on Voyager - What did you Think?

[tomalak301]

I've just been watching some of "Pathfinder" tonight on Spike (I recorded it and will watch the entire episode later since it is late) and I got to wondering. Given the backlash of TNG characters on Enterprise, what did you think about Barcley and Troi on Voyager. Granted, Pathfinder is a much better episode than TATV (And I kinda liked TATV) and it was more of a voyager crew, but the similarities are there. Just the fact that it was two characters from another series taking up a lot of screen time for this episode and some down the line is still there.

For me, I originally wasn't sure, but as time went on, I loved the fact that these two characters were on Voyager. I've always liked Barcley and am not surprised he would work on the project to bring Voyager home. As for Troi, I didn't like Troi much in the series (She was much better when she got the uniform and casualized the hair in the movies) but it was awesome to see her in Voyager. If there was one thing I really wanted to see more of it was more of a story with the cooperation of the Federation and Voyager to get the crew home. Still, for these two characters, it was great having them on Voyager.

 

[RoJoHen]

I loved them on Voyager. However, I did find it silly that every Barclay episode REQUIRED Troi's presence as well.

Barclay was trying to find Voyager. You'd think he could accomplish something in an episode without Troi's psychiatric help.

 

[Akiraprise]

I enjoyed both of the characters on Voyager. It was kind of nice to get a glimpse of the Alpha Quadrant and what was happening there once in a while.

 

[Mrs Paris]

I liked them on the show, their scenes were cute and funny.

I always felt kind of bad for Reg though in Pathfinder

 

[anais]

They added a nice bit of texture to the whole getting-back-in-touch-with-Starfleet arc. However, I do think they were used too much, at least considering the repetitive nature of Troi's contribution to the plot. If I wanted to watch Troi counceling Barclay, I would have tuned into TNG. Watching the last season and a half of Voyager, I was left with the impression that they were featured more than some of the show's regulars.

 

[Mrs Paris]

They added a nice bit of texture to the whole getting-back-in-touch-with-Starfleet arc. However, I do think they were used too much, at least considering the repetitive nature of Troi's contribution to the plot. If I wanted to watch Troi counceling Barclay, I would have tuned into TNG. Watching the last season and a half of Voyager, I was left with the impression that they were featured more than some of the show's regulars.

Troi was in 2 episodes

 

[anais]

They added a nice bit of texture to the whole getting-back-in-touch-with-Starfleet arc. However, I do think they were used too much, at least considering the repetitive nature of Troi's contribution to the plot. If I wanted to watch Troi counceling Barclay, I would have tuned into TNG. Watching the last season and a half of Voyager, I was left with the impression that they were featured more than some of the show's regulars.

Troi was in 2 episodes

Still too much in my opinion.

 

[freak]

I actually liked them. At first I didn't really think it would work. But I do like them together. I'm sort of like Barclay...I've got phobias too and would probably be a traitor to the 24th Century!

 

[Mrs Paris]

I liked the part with his cat Neelix

 

[Warp Coil]

They added a nice bit of texture to the whole getting-back-in-touch-with-Starfleet arc. However, I do think they were used too much, at least considering the repetitive nature of Troi's contribution to the plot. If I wanted to watch Troi counceling Barclay, I would have tuned into TNG. Watching the last season and a half of Voyager, I was left with the impression that they were featured more than some of the show's regulars.

Troi was in 2 episodes

Actually, I believe she was in 3 (to be specific) - Pathfinder, Life Line and Inside Man.

I actually thought having Barclay and Troi on VOY worked well. Troi didn't do very much but I didn't find her inclusion to be offensive or intrusive.

 

[Mrs Paris]

They added a nice bit of texture to the whole getting-back-in-touch-with-Starfleet arc. However, I do think they were used too much, at least considering the repetitive nature of Troi's contribution to the plot. If I wanted to watch Troi counceling Barclay, I would have tuned into TNG. Watching the last season and a half of Voyager, I was left with the impression that they were featured more than some of the show's regulars.

Troi was in 2 episodes

Actually, I believe she was in 3 (to be specific) - Pathfinder, Life Line and Inside Man.

I actually thought having Barclay and Troi on VOY worked well. Troi didn't do very much but I didn't find her inclusion to be offensive or intrusive.

that's right, she was in Pathfinder

 

[The Habs Fan]

I also like the Barclay and Troi episodes on VOY. Because DS9 went off the air and Voyager was stuck in the Delta Quadrant, I like that the writers gave us some Alpha Quadrant stories in Voyager seasons 6 and 7. I thought that all of the "Alpha Quadrant episodes" were excellent (Pathfinder, Life Line, Inside Man, Author Author)

 

[PhoenixIreland]

You forgot message in a bottle, I LOVED that ship!

 

[Lynx]

Although I really love those both characters, I wasn't too fond of seeing them on board Voyager.

The premise for Voyager was that they were lost in space, transported to the other side of the galaxy and no one back home did know what had happened to them.

The crew members didn't know anything about what was going on back home either which is actually realistic when they are so far away from Federation space.

But that premise was ruined already in season 4 with "Message In a Bottle". Suddenly the could contact Earth as easily as making a phone call from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The we had holograms from Picard's crew jumping on and off Voyager like it was a downtown bus when they still were very far from the Alpha Quadrant.

If they had showed up near Federation space in season 7 and Enterprise had arrived there to meet them, then it would have been OK with some TNG characters on Voyager.

As for characters from TNG and TOS in the Voyager series, it worked better in episodes like "Projections", "Death Wish" and "Flashback". None of those events did affect the premise for the series.

 

[Mrs Paris]

Although I really love those both characters, I wasn't too fond of seeing them on board Voyager.

The premise for Voyager was that they were lost in space, transported to the other side of the galaxy and no one back home did know what had happened to them.

The crew members didn't know anything about what was going on back home either which is actually realistic when they are so far away from Federation space.

But that premise was ruined already in season 4 with "Message In a Bottle". Suddenly the could contact Earth as easily as making a phone call from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The we had holograms from Picard's crew jumping on and off Voyager like it was a downtown bus when they still were very far from the Alpha Quadrant.

If they had showed up near Federation space in season 7 and Enterprise had arrived there to meet them, then it would have been OK with some TNG characters on Voyager.

As for characters from TNG and TOS in the Voyager series, it worked better in episodes like "Projections", "Death Wish" and "Flashback". None of those events did affect the premise for the series.

Your statements are incorrect. In Message in a Bottle they did make contact with the Federation thanks to the Hirogen array. That was one time they had contact. After that they didn't have ANY contact until the season six episode Pathfnder...two years later. And then they are only able to send a data pack once a month. And it wasn't until the 20th episode in the last season that they were able to have 11 minutes of talk time. That's hardly "as easily as making a phone call from Los Angeles to San Francisco"

 

[Stag]

I never got the sense that they were used too much and at least it helped push the story along, unlike Troi's appearance in ENT which is a post for another forum.

I think the added dynamic of contacting the Alpha Quadrant was something that was needed in helping to wrap up the show.

My only issue is this - In the Voyager world, they, the characters (not the actors mind you) did not know that they were getting home in 5 or 6 or 7 episodes. however as a viewer you realized the show was coming to a close and that this was the final season. Yet the feel to the episodes was one of "Hang on, we'll be home in a couple more episodes, never mind the 70 year thing".

So this regular contact with Starfleet contrasted to where they had none previously, gave the show a sense that they were closer to home then they really were and took some of the underlying premise for the show away - alone in the wilderness, having to make decisions on their own, survive on their own - it changed up the dynamic of the show. I remember being somewhat pleasantly surprised they did not switch over to the Starfleet grey uniforms by the end of season 7.

 

[Mrs Paris]

they weren't in that regular contact. They were realy only able to send small data packets once a month.

 

[exodus]

I hate Barclay and was never fond of Troi.
I guess it's a pet peeve but I just find socially inept characters or people like Barclay irritating. It's kinda ironic considering I'm a sci-fi fan that has also attended my fair share of Cons. They portray Troi sometimes as a bitch and it kinda turns me off to her character because she has no reason to be one. You ain't no Seven of Nine, honey!

I don't ever watch any episodes featuring those two characters.

 

[Mrs Paris]

I hate Barclay and was never fond of Troi.
I guess it's a pet peeve but I just find socially inept characters or people like Barclay irritating. It's kinda ironic considering I'm a sci-fi fan that has also attended my fair share of Cons. They portray Troi sometimes as a bitch and it kinda turns me off to her character because she has no reason to be one. You ain't no Seven of Nine, honey!

I don't ever watch any episodes featuring those two characters.

hey!!! Going to cons doesn't make you socialy inept....I've been to many conventions

 

[The Habs Fan]

You forgot message in a bottle, I LOVED that ship!

Yeah, I forgot about that episode. It's also excellent and has one of the few Dominion references in Voyager.