Before people flip out and think I made a topic bashing VOY, let me explain. I think the idea of the show was incredible. A show where a Federation ship is lost in the truly unknown, alone and without back up. To top it off, half of the crew is going to be members of an organization that disliked the Federation. Both sides must unite if they want to live and make it back to their homes in the Alpha quadrant. Sounds good doesn't it? Too bad VOY completely ruined all of that. Instead of becoming a serious show about coping with life in an alien "universe", they did the exact same thing that TNG did, except weaken it. When it comes down to it, VOY simply did not take enough risks. It did not go boldly, but timidly. It had so many oppurtunities to be revolutionary, but it didn't do it. Imagine if TNG played it safe and didn't let Picard become assimilated? Or Sisko violating the prime directive to force the Romulans into the Dominion War? We would have lost such great character developing episodes.
Going into the unknown...
Q sent the Entreprise-D to the Delta quadrant because things humanity are not ready for were there, for example, the Borg. The Borg were so advanced and powerful, that they could take out a fleet of Federation ships. Wait...did I say they? I meant ONE of their ships could do that. VOY traveled through the Delta quadrant and did not meet any unique species. The only ones that were interesting were the Nacene(Caretaker species). They were wasted really fast. Everyone else was something that you would see in the Alpha quadrant. The Hirogen, Malon, Vidiians, Kazon, and Species 8472 while plain looking(minus 8472 who looked awesome), actually had pretty cool cultures. But they were still something I would expect to find in the Alpha quadrant. A complete dissapointment. The anomalies were not really interesting either. It was things that VOY were able to always easily get out of without any repurcussions. There was nothing unique about the Delta quadrant. They may as well have done a show in the Alpha. It seemed like they just wanted to abuse the idea of being lost. Wasted now...
Maquis and Federation crew...
There was SO much potential with this. Season I dealt with it for a little while. It was a problem, but after season I, it didn't seem to matter. They just melded into the crew and that was that. Now they were all a Federation crew. Yippee! BORING. Not risky at all. What was the point of making them Maquis? They became Federation officers starting season II anyways... They shouldn't have made the Maquis, a people who were willing to die for their cause, such push overs. Janeway NEEDED them due to the losses she suffered. Chakotay could have agreed to be a commander, but said they would not always go with Federation rules. That they would never follow the prime directive. Can you imagine how conflicting that would have been in future episodes? If Janeway pulled the "No! This is a Federation ship! We follow the Prime Directive!!!(Unless I need to violate it, which I do a lot later with no remorse)." He could said "I just scarficed my ship to save this one. You owe us. Good luck flying the ship without any backup and half the normal compliment of crewman..." She would have had to crumble. Then in future episodes when a problem arose, Janeway could preach the Prime Directive, while Chakotay would argue how a Maquis officer would do it. So much conflict. DS9 had it with the Federation officers mixing with the Bajoran Militia. They dealt with it well and the Bajorans never became the quintesential Federation officers. I won't even comment on how cool it would have been for a mutiny arc. Like three episodes dedicated to a VOY civil war. Such a waste...
Q and the Borg...
The VOY fans get angry when I say this, but both of those brilliant ideas made by TNG, were wasted with this show. The Borg were beaten season after season after season. Wait, the Borg? By Voyager? The little science ship? Are you saying the little science ship could do what a fleet of Federation starships could not do? I doubt it. They watered down the Borg for plot points. Seven of Nine was a VERY good idea on VOY's part. Her assistance could probably find weaknesses with Borg, but it only goes so far. The Borg would adapt from her absence and knowledge. She can only help the ship so much. The Borg were a terrifying enemy, but no longer. Once the ship reached the dreaded Borg space, the following seasons could have revolved around surviving against the Borg. Please note I'm not saying, FIGHTING, I said surviving. Can you imagine how gritty it would be for the ship having to survive through Borg space? While I do like the way they got out of it, "Kes' gift", I thought it was a cheap deus ex machina. They managed to completely circumvent Borg space and back to TNG, watered down. Yay. VOY gets lost in the area of space where the Borg are from and they skip their entire space in one episode. What was the point? Yes, I know people will point out the Borg were later seen, even out of their space. True, but they came back week after week, where VOY would easily blow them up. I will admit that VOY made two good Borg episodes when Chakotay found that "collective" that was freed from the Borg Collective. Also, the episode when three Borg came onboard and they used to know Seven. Because of her, they were trapped in a mini collective. This show took a risk by killing them off at the end, instead of the EMH finding a miracle cure. Not enough of these episodes though. They should have shown Hugh, the Borg from TNG, in the show. He was supposed to be freeing Borg if I recall or how about the Borg freed from the "Dream world". Didn't they discover a way to free other Borg too? That was never heard of again. So much wasted with the Borg.
Onto Q now. He was of course this trickster alien. An omnipotent being that would torture humanity, not just for amusement, but for a lesson to be learned. Testing humanity to see if they could go into the unknown. What the hell happened to Q in VOY? Death Wish. A good episode, albeight a predictable one. I knew Quinn would not join the crew with all of his knowledge. He would get the crew home in a week, bending a geodesic folds and such. Good idea nonetheless, although the idea of an omnipotent being wanting to die because he was bored is so flawed. Its such a Human made idea. "I wouldn't want to live forever! I'd get bored!" Um...what? In a universe that is forever expanding and new species are born everyday with infinite realities, you get bored? I doubt it. He should have simply wanted to experiance death. To see a TRUE unknown. Not..."I'm bored." Then the Q civil war emerged from this dumb idea. Not to mention, we finally see the much talked about continuim from TNG, and its a friggin desert road. What the hell was that all about? I understand its supposed to be imagery. "The road is the universe and leads back here. We've done everything there is to do!" STUPID. I doubt the universe can ever been fully seen, omnipotent alien or not. They explored the universe and all of time? Come on. Beings that have become masters of time itself should not be getting bored of their jobs. They don't work at friggin Burger King flipping burgers. Q wants to bear a child with Janeway. Ok, gross. But fine whatever. I'll admit that Q and Janeway play off of each other brilliantly. Too bad that it was wasted. Can you imagine Q popping up every know and then torturing VOY? He could offer them a way home, but by doing so, they would have to A) violate the prime directive or B) Hurt a species or whatever. Can you imagine him going secretly to the Maquis Chakotay and offering the same deal? Janeway and Chakotay conflicting. Nope. Instead he becomes a dad by...humerously I'll admit...mating. When he becomes a dad...the Q we knew DIED. He became this NICE, now grown up, alien. Please bring Q back from TNG. Please....
Um...how many shuttles and crewman can you lose? VOY battle damage?
Here are some more repurcussions that NEVER surfaced. Shuttles were easily rebuilt, no problem to resources. Once every season a resource problem would sprout. In the end, VOY would always get it. So freaking boring. This show had the only ship that could land on a planet. They did it what? Every one episode every two seasons? WASTE. I'm not saying they should have abused it to the point where it got boring, but a little more use of it's "uniqueness" would have been nice. Can you imagine if the USS Defiant NEVER cloaked? They should have landed more often to hide from enemies, due to engine problems, the crew wanting to actually GO to a planet. I don't care, just anything. Resources should have been a problem. They never did and when I say problem? I don't mean, at the beginning and then they get it in the end. I mean, they never get them and from then on something doesn't work. There was never a sense of danger. Can you imagine after losing crewman after crewman, what toll that would take on the ship? Well, apparently it had none on the show. Because the loss of crewman was barely ever mentioned. They should have lost so many, that it would start to become a worry. That security officers would be helping in engineering, while science officers were helping the injured in sickbay. A sense of unity within the ship. The ship was marketed as not a standard Federation ship. Yet it sure did look and act like one. They could have "solved" the loss of crewman problem by absorbing the Equinox crew. Lastly is battle damage. Every episode....VOY would look spotless and nice. Such a pretty ship. I've seen worse looking starships that DID recieve maintaince constantly. What is the deal? How did they always repair the hull if they never land anyways eh? Also, if you tell me "They went to alien stations for repairs!!!" Really? That is exactly what the ENT-D did. So what was the point of being lost without help then if they could go to a space station for repairs? Can you imagine how cool it would have been if the next episode, Janeway is complaining to Torres about the damaged phaser array? It would show continuity. It would show DAMAGE. Eventually of course it would be repaired, but at least give it like three seasons or something. I like Year of Hell, because it shows the way it should have been. How the bulkheads were falling apart. The crew had DIRTY uniforms. Injured crewman all about. Everyone, captain included, rushing to repair things. It would have made a sense of closeness amongst them. Guess not...
Equinox-WASTED
I would like to comment on the Equinox and what a waste. Raise your hands if you didn't know the Equinox would be destroyed by the end of the two parter. Yeah, It was painfully obvious the Equinox wouldn't make it. Such a waste. I know maintaining two ships in the show would have been impossible, but maybe for a few more episodes? That would have been cool. The two ships helping each other or as reoccuring enemies. The two parter could have ended with the Equinox fleeing after VOY emerged victorious. Then maybe it popping in and out every few episodes. Like Weyoune did for DS9. Eventually, after being a reoccuring bad guy to VOY, finally the fight comes down to Ransom and Janeway. Ransom suddenly turning good was weak IMO. I mean, at least they kept the commander guy bad. But Janeway could finally beat Ransom. Then they bring the Equinox and VOY to a planet and completely strip it of resources and hull parts, etc. It could be left behind, a dead monument to a corrupt group of officers. Janeway could then force the Equinox crew to join them or remain on the planet. Show a more FORCEFUL Janeway.
Having ethics is a good thing right?
Last but not least, ethics. Something Janeway loved to have until she needed to shed it for personal gain. How cool would it have been if Janeway, after years of struggles and Chakotay's whisperings of disobedience, for her to start to question the prime directive. She did it on the show, I'll admit that. But in the end, minus Tuvix, she would find a way to not violate it. Tuvix would have been cool on her part, if she wasn't so damn hypocritical. At some points she liked using it and at others, she didn't. Hypocrite. It should have gotten to the point where the ship was so bad that she would give a small amount of bio-memtic gel to a culture for hull parts or something. I'm not saying she should have become as bad as Ransom, but her ethics should have become less than savory. Not because she is evil, but because she is desperate to bring her crew home. Anyway possible...
Did the Dominion War happen in this universe?
Would it have killed VOY to mention the Dominion War a litte more? The very place they were trying to return to was in danger! What was with the apathetic view with the war? It's not like Starfleet got into wars every other day, did it? The Dominion (arguably) was one of the greatest threats the Federation ever faced. They should have mentioned the Breen attack on San Francisco. There should have been WAY more with the destruction of the Maquis by the Dominion. There was only that episode when Torres was suicidel, but...that's it. Another mention of the Dominion was the episode where the USS Prometheus was captured by the Romulans. Romulans!?!? That makes no sense at all. Why would the Romulans capture it? How many times can the Romulans do stuff like that to the Federation and Starfleet will simply ignore it? It should have been the Jem'Hadar, possibly with everyone's favorite Vorta(Weyoun) at the helm, to have stolen it. If Starfleet was planning on using the power of the Prometheus class against somebody, it would be the Dominion, not the Romulans. I know the Romulans hadn't joined the war yet, but it still was dumb. They should have better connected it. I understand that the DS9 people didn't want their precious creations to mix with VOY and vice versa, thus the lack of continuity in some cases, but it wouldn't have killed them. It wasn't really a plot hole or anything that Romulans did it, but I think that there was this...strange idea that they should ignore DS9 going ons.
Temporal Federation boldly went...no where
What was the deal with the temporal Federation? Arguably one of the worst inclusions in Trek history. How many times did the TOS, TNG, DS9, and other crews affect time? Why were they never there? Why did they not save Earth when the Borg attacked it(in the past)? Why did they not help Sisko, Bashir, and Dax in the early 21st century? Why did they not help Kirk and co. get a whale? What? Are they just lazy and prefer the other crews to handle it? What was the point of their inclusion? At least in ENT, it made a little more sense, but in VOY....ugh...
Endgame...my oh my...
I'm sure there are topics about Endgame and all that, so I won't go on a long rant about them. However, Janeway's actions... what the...? She violated the temporal prime directive (uh...where did Temporal Federation go...again?). It makes no sense that the character does that. How many aliens and others did Voyager go on to save? Well...they certainly wouldn't now thanks to Admiral Janeway. She went back because the "family" is broken, but she only went back in time to save a FEW people, not the entire crew! What about them? Didn't she worry that bringing futuristic weapons would alter the balance of power when she brought them home to the Alpha quadrant? I guess not by the looks of it. All she could see were her crew. There were too many questions, more then answers in that episode. Poorly done...
Ok that is my rant and my observations on VOY and it's missed oppurtunities. I'm sure others have commented on some of this stuff before. If so, sorry. I don't mean to beat a dead horse. Also, this isn't a "I hate VOY" topic. I do like VOY, but I'm simply dissapointed on the missed opportunities. Feel free to debate and discuss...
Going into the unknown...
Q sent the Entreprise-D to the Delta quadrant because things humanity are not ready for were there, for example, the Borg. The Borg were so advanced and powerful, that they could take out a fleet of Federation ships. Wait...did I say they? I meant ONE of their ships could do that. VOY traveled through the Delta quadrant and did not meet any unique species. The only ones that were interesting were the Nacene(Caretaker species). They were wasted really fast. Everyone else was something that you would see in the Alpha quadrant. The Hirogen, Malon, Vidiians, Kazon, and Species 8472 while plain looking(minus 8472 who looked awesome), actually had pretty cool cultures. But they were still something I would expect to find in the Alpha quadrant. A complete dissapointment. The anomalies were not really interesting either. It was things that VOY were able to always easily get out of without any repurcussions. There was nothing unique about the Delta quadrant. They may as well have done a show in the Alpha. It seemed like they just wanted to abuse the idea of being lost. Wasted now...
Maquis and Federation crew...
There was SO much potential with this. Season I dealt with it for a little while. It was a problem, but after season I, it didn't seem to matter. They just melded into the crew and that was that. Now they were all a Federation crew. Yippee! BORING. Not risky at all. What was the point of making them Maquis? They became Federation officers starting season II anyways... They shouldn't have made the Maquis, a people who were willing to die for their cause, such push overs. Janeway NEEDED them due to the losses she suffered. Chakotay could have agreed to be a commander, but said they would not always go with Federation rules. That they would never follow the prime directive. Can you imagine how conflicting that would have been in future episodes? If Janeway pulled the "No! This is a Federation ship! We follow the Prime Directive!!!(Unless I need to violate it, which I do a lot later with no remorse)." He could said "I just scarficed my ship to save this one. You owe us. Good luck flying the ship without any backup and half the normal compliment of crewman..." She would have had to crumble. Then in future episodes when a problem arose, Janeway could preach the Prime Directive, while Chakotay would argue how a Maquis officer would do it. So much conflict. DS9 had it with the Federation officers mixing with the Bajoran Militia. They dealt with it well and the Bajorans never became the quintesential Federation officers. I won't even comment on how cool it would have been for a mutiny arc. Like three episodes dedicated to a VOY civil war. Such a waste...
Q and the Borg...
The VOY fans get angry when I say this, but both of those brilliant ideas made by TNG, were wasted with this show. The Borg were beaten season after season after season. Wait, the Borg? By Voyager? The little science ship? Are you saying the little science ship could do what a fleet of Federation starships could not do? I doubt it. They watered down the Borg for plot points. Seven of Nine was a VERY good idea on VOY's part. Her assistance could probably find weaknesses with Borg, but it only goes so far. The Borg would adapt from her absence and knowledge. She can only help the ship so much. The Borg were a terrifying enemy, but no longer. Once the ship reached the dreaded Borg space, the following seasons could have revolved around surviving against the Borg. Please note I'm not saying, FIGHTING, I said surviving. Can you imagine how gritty it would be for the ship having to survive through Borg space? While I do like the way they got out of it, "Kes' gift", I thought it was a cheap deus ex machina. They managed to completely circumvent Borg space and back to TNG, watered down. Yay. VOY gets lost in the area of space where the Borg are from and they skip their entire space in one episode. What was the point? Yes, I know people will point out the Borg were later seen, even out of their space. True, but they came back week after week, where VOY would easily blow them up. I will admit that VOY made two good Borg episodes when Chakotay found that "collective" that was freed from the Borg Collective. Also, the episode when three Borg came onboard and they used to know Seven. Because of her, they were trapped in a mini collective. This show took a risk by killing them off at the end, instead of the EMH finding a miracle cure. Not enough of these episodes though. They should have shown Hugh, the Borg from TNG, in the show. He was supposed to be freeing Borg if I recall or how about the Borg freed from the "Dream world". Didn't they discover a way to free other Borg too? That was never heard of again. So much wasted with the Borg.
Onto Q now. He was of course this trickster alien. An omnipotent being that would torture humanity, not just for amusement, but for a lesson to be learned. Testing humanity to see if they could go into the unknown. What the hell happened to Q in VOY? Death Wish. A good episode, albeight a predictable one. I knew Quinn would not join the crew with all of his knowledge. He would get the crew home in a week, bending a geodesic folds and such. Good idea nonetheless, although the idea of an omnipotent being wanting to die because he was bored is so flawed. Its such a Human made idea. "I wouldn't want to live forever! I'd get bored!" Um...what? In a universe that is forever expanding and new species are born everyday with infinite realities, you get bored? I doubt it. He should have simply wanted to experiance death. To see a TRUE unknown. Not..."I'm bored." Then the Q civil war emerged from this dumb idea. Not to mention, we finally see the much talked about continuim from TNG, and its a friggin desert road. What the hell was that all about? I understand its supposed to be imagery. "The road is the universe and leads back here. We've done everything there is to do!" STUPID. I doubt the universe can ever been fully seen, omnipotent alien or not. They explored the universe and all of time? Come on. Beings that have become masters of time itself should not be getting bored of their jobs. They don't work at friggin Burger King flipping burgers. Q wants to bear a child with Janeway. Ok, gross. But fine whatever. I'll admit that Q and Janeway play off of each other brilliantly. Too bad that it was wasted. Can you imagine Q popping up every know and then torturing VOY? He could offer them a way home, but by doing so, they would have to A) violate the prime directive or B) Hurt a species or whatever. Can you imagine him going secretly to the Maquis Chakotay and offering the same deal? Janeway and Chakotay conflicting. Nope. Instead he becomes a dad by...humerously I'll admit...mating. When he becomes a dad...the Q we knew DIED. He became this NICE, now grown up, alien. Please bring Q back from TNG. Please....
Um...how many shuttles and crewman can you lose? VOY battle damage?
Here are some more repurcussions that NEVER surfaced. Shuttles were easily rebuilt, no problem to resources. Once every season a resource problem would sprout. In the end, VOY would always get it. So freaking boring. This show had the only ship that could land on a planet. They did it what? Every one episode every two seasons? WASTE. I'm not saying they should have abused it to the point where it got boring, but a little more use of it's "uniqueness" would have been nice. Can you imagine if the USS Defiant NEVER cloaked? They should have landed more often to hide from enemies, due to engine problems, the crew wanting to actually GO to a planet. I don't care, just anything. Resources should have been a problem. They never did and when I say problem? I don't mean, at the beginning and then they get it in the end. I mean, they never get them and from then on something doesn't work. There was never a sense of danger. Can you imagine after losing crewman after crewman, what toll that would take on the ship? Well, apparently it had none on the show. Because the loss of crewman was barely ever mentioned. They should have lost so many, that it would start to become a worry. That security officers would be helping in engineering, while science officers were helping the injured in sickbay. A sense of unity within the ship. The ship was marketed as not a standard Federation ship. Yet it sure did look and act like one. They could have "solved" the loss of crewman problem by absorbing the Equinox crew. Lastly is battle damage. Every episode....VOY would look spotless and nice. Such a pretty ship. I've seen worse looking starships that DID recieve maintaince constantly. What is the deal? How did they always repair the hull if they never land anyways eh? Also, if you tell me "They went to alien stations for repairs!!!" Really? That is exactly what the ENT-D did. So what was the point of being lost without help then if they could go to a space station for repairs? Can you imagine how cool it would have been if the next episode, Janeway is complaining to Torres about the damaged phaser array? It would show continuity. It would show DAMAGE. Eventually of course it would be repaired, but at least give it like three seasons or something. I like Year of Hell, because it shows the way it should have been. How the bulkheads were falling apart. The crew had DIRTY uniforms. Injured crewman all about. Everyone, captain included, rushing to repair things. It would have made a sense of closeness amongst them. Guess not...
Equinox-WASTED
I would like to comment on the Equinox and what a waste. Raise your hands if you didn't know the Equinox would be destroyed by the end of the two parter. Yeah, It was painfully obvious the Equinox wouldn't make it. Such a waste. I know maintaining two ships in the show would have been impossible, but maybe for a few more episodes? That would have been cool. The two ships helping each other or as reoccuring enemies. The two parter could have ended with the Equinox fleeing after VOY emerged victorious. Then maybe it popping in and out every few episodes. Like Weyoune did for DS9. Eventually, after being a reoccuring bad guy to VOY, finally the fight comes down to Ransom and Janeway. Ransom suddenly turning good was weak IMO. I mean, at least they kept the commander guy bad. But Janeway could finally beat Ransom. Then they bring the Equinox and VOY to a planet and completely strip it of resources and hull parts, etc. It could be left behind, a dead monument to a corrupt group of officers. Janeway could then force the Equinox crew to join them or remain on the planet. Show a more FORCEFUL Janeway.
Having ethics is a good thing right?
Last but not least, ethics. Something Janeway loved to have until she needed to shed it for personal gain. How cool would it have been if Janeway, after years of struggles and Chakotay's whisperings of disobedience, for her to start to question the prime directive. She did it on the show, I'll admit that. But in the end, minus Tuvix, she would find a way to not violate it. Tuvix would have been cool on her part, if she wasn't so damn hypocritical. At some points she liked using it and at others, she didn't. Hypocrite. It should have gotten to the point where the ship was so bad that she would give a small amount of bio-memtic gel to a culture for hull parts or something. I'm not saying she should have become as bad as Ransom, but her ethics should have become less than savory. Not because she is evil, but because she is desperate to bring her crew home. Anyway possible...
Did the Dominion War happen in this universe?
Would it have killed VOY to mention the Dominion War a litte more? The very place they were trying to return to was in danger! What was with the apathetic view with the war? It's not like Starfleet got into wars every other day, did it? The Dominion (arguably) was one of the greatest threats the Federation ever faced. They should have mentioned the Breen attack on San Francisco. There should have been WAY more with the destruction of the Maquis by the Dominion. There was only that episode when Torres was suicidel, but...that's it. Another mention of the Dominion was the episode where the USS Prometheus was captured by the Romulans. Romulans!?!? That makes no sense at all. Why would the Romulans capture it? How many times can the Romulans do stuff like that to the Federation and Starfleet will simply ignore it? It should have been the Jem'Hadar, possibly with everyone's favorite Vorta(Weyoun) at the helm, to have stolen it. If Starfleet was planning on using the power of the Prometheus class against somebody, it would be the Dominion, not the Romulans. I know the Romulans hadn't joined the war yet, but it still was dumb. They should have better connected it. I understand that the DS9 people didn't want their precious creations to mix with VOY and vice versa, thus the lack of continuity in some cases, but it wouldn't have killed them. It wasn't really a plot hole or anything that Romulans did it, but I think that there was this...strange idea that they should ignore DS9 going ons.
Temporal Federation boldly went...no where
What was the deal with the temporal Federation? Arguably one of the worst inclusions in Trek history. How many times did the TOS, TNG, DS9, and other crews affect time? Why were they never there? Why did they not save Earth when the Borg attacked it(in the past)? Why did they not help Sisko, Bashir, and Dax in the early 21st century? Why did they not help Kirk and co. get a whale? What? Are they just lazy and prefer the other crews to handle it? What was the point of their inclusion? At least in ENT, it made a little more sense, but in VOY....ugh...
Endgame...my oh my...
I'm sure there are topics about Endgame and all that, so I won't go on a long rant about them. However, Janeway's actions... what the...? She violated the temporal prime directive (uh...where did Temporal Federation go...again?). It makes no sense that the character does that. How many aliens and others did Voyager go on to save? Well...they certainly wouldn't now thanks to Admiral Janeway. She went back because the "family" is broken, but she only went back in time to save a FEW people, not the entire crew! What about them? Didn't she worry that bringing futuristic weapons would alter the balance of power when she brought them home to the Alpha quadrant? I guess not by the looks of it. All she could see were her crew. There were too many questions, more then answers in that episode. Poorly done...
Ok that is my rant and my observations on VOY and it's missed oppurtunities. I'm sure others have commented on some of this stuff before. If so, sorry. I don't mean to beat a dead horse. Also, this isn't a "I hate VOY" topic. I do like VOY, but I'm simply dissapointed on the missed opportunities. Feel free to debate and discuss...