Excessive Criticism of "STAR TREK VOYAGER"

[LJones41]

For the past two decades, I have never encountered so much criticism of one particular Star Trek show than I have for STAR TREK VOYAGER.

Ironically, I used to buy it. Or accept it. One of the reasons I had ignored STAR TREK VOYAGER for so many years, because I had assumed that those fans who had deemed it inferior to the other shows in the franchise were right. When my sister found out that the rest of our family was ignoring the show, she fervently suggested that we watch it. This happened when the early Season Five episodes were going through its first run. Well, we did. We watched some of those early Season Five shows. We also watched the previous episodes from Season One to Season Four that were currently in syndication. And guess what? My family became fans of the show.

I'm not going to claim that VOYAGER was perfect. Yes, it had its flaws. But I was also able to pick out both major and minor flaws in the other Trek shows at the time - TOS, TNG and DS9 - while still enjoying them.

This fervent need to nitpick everything about STAR TREK VOYAGER in order to deem it as some kind of pop culture disaster is mind boggling to me. Every time I access an article about the show or a Trek message board, it is just constant. And most of the complaints I have come across are either about some minor flaw or how Janeway is a terrible starship captain. More importantly, these same fans seem very reluctant to point out the flaws - both minor and major - about the other Trek shows. At least not to this degree.

What is going on? If you're going to state that VOYAGER simply the worst show in the Trek franchise, don't expect me to buy this argument anymore. After seeing the show, I really am having great difficulty in accepting this view. So what is it? What is the real truth? I guess in the end, these are questions that no one can really answer. After all, art and entertainment are subjective.

 

[stardream]

I think some of it had to do with expectations. Some fans 'expected' the show to be something like what Battlestar Galactica later became and what they got was 'TNG-lite'. Their expectations weren't met. Most who feel this way are honest enough to admit this.

The rest, I'm not sure. I understand not liking it because we can't all like the same things but like you, I don't understand the 'hate'. I'm not a fan of Enterprise but I don't hate it.

 

[Sophie74656]

Well, it's all opinion, right?
But Voyager was my introduction to Trek and so it has a special place in my heart. So special in fact that right now I am going through a very painful divorce and part of what has helped durring my bouts of depression and anger has been watching Voyager.

So what I loved about it more than any other series was the characters. I like TNG but found the characters one dimentional and boring. They are all perfect people always doing the "right" thing.

Voyager is by far my favorite series but I can say that the first season is quite bad, as is the second season. I think it wasn't until Kes left that the show really became great (nothing against her, just a point in the show)

 

[Sophie74656]

I think some of it had to do with expectations. Some fans 'expected' the show to be something like what Battlestar Galactica later became and what they got was 'TNG-lite'. Their expectations weren't met. Most who feel this way are honest enough to admit this.

The rest, I'm not sure. I understand not liking it because we can't all like the same things but like you, I don't understand the 'hate'. I'm not a fan of Enterprise but I don't hate it.

There are actually a lot of paralells between Battlestar, which I also love, and Voyager. The ship they built, Laura was like Voyager building the Delta Flyer. Finding the other Battlestar Pegasus was like finding the Equinox. Their whole journey to earth obviously.

 

[USS Firefly]

I don't hate it but, my biggest complains are that they hit the reset button after almost every episode and that It indeed felt like TNG lite.
The resources they said were limited in the first two episode were soon forgotten and they had invinite shuttles, photon torpedo's, energy, etc.
And they used the Borg too much.
But I loved the ship design and In my opinion Picardo acted great.

 

[m.lp.ql.m]

One of the main plot points of the show was supposed to be Maquis and Starfleet crews being forced to work together. Would have been a fantastic source of drama. They quickly brushed that whole idea under the rug in the very first episode.

 

[Sophie74656]

One of the main plot points of the show was supposed to be Maquis and Starfleet crews being forced to work together. Would have been a fantastic source of drama. They quickly brushed that whole idea under the rug in the very first episode.

The season finale of season 1 deals with crew members who are having difficulty integrating into the crew. So it was not forgotten in the first episode. There is another episode in season 1 where Janeway specifically mentions that the two crews are beginning to work together. In the second episode there is talk about the maquis vs starfleet crew after B'Elanna punches Lt Carrey. In The Voyager Conspiracy, there is talk about maquis vs starfleet. When Voyager makes contact with the federation there is talk about maquis vs starfleet crew.

 

[Sophie74656]

I don't hate it but, my biggest complains are that they hit the reset button after almost every episode and that It indeed felt like TNG lite.
The resources they said were limited in the first two episode were soon forgotten and they had invinite shuttles, photon torpedo's, energy, etc.
And they used the Borg too much.
But I loved the ship design and In my opinion Picardo acted great.

Well yes there were things that were never mentioned again, but not always the case. But this happened in every show. Major examples right off the top of my head...one from TNG is the Child (I think that's what it's called) Deanna carries and gives birth to a child, she loves him, then he dies/goes away and she is devastated. Never mentioned again. In DS9 Obrien lives a lifetime as a prisoner and suffers mental breakdowns because of it. Never mentioned again. All the shows did this, but as always Voyager gets all the criticism.

 

[Sophie74656]

Using the Borg too much is a common complaint I have heard. But they were in the Delta Quadrant, the home of the Borg. Plus the Borg had proven very popular in TNG and First Contact. But again you can say that about other shows too. DS9 had a lot of Klingon episodes, nobody complains about that.

 

[m.lp.ql.m]

The season finale of season 1 deals with crew members who are having difficulty integrating into the crew. So it was not forgotten in the first episode. There is another episode in season 1 where Janeway specifically mentions that the two crews are beginning to work together. In the second episode there is talk about the maquis vs starfleet crew after B'Elanna punches Lt Carrey. In The Voyager Conspiracy, there is talk about maquis vs starfleet. When Voyager makes contact with the federation there is talk about maquis vs starfleet crew.

It's good they didn't forget about it, but when the show debuted, it was played up as a major plot point. Sure, there was 'talk' later on, but where was the drama it was supposed to have generated? Otherwise, the whole premise was wasted. Created and included for no reason.

This ultimately is why many people disparage Voyager. It had so much promise. We really wanted to like it, but were let down.

 

[Sophie74656]

It's good they didn't forget about it, but when the show debuted, it was played up as a major plot point. Sure, there was 'talk' later on, but where was the drama it was supposed to have generated? Otherwise, the whole premise was wasted. Created and included for no reason.

This ultimately is why many people disparage Voyager. It had so much promise. We really wanted to like it, but were let down.

Well that's a matter of opinion of course. I was never let down. But to each their own.
did it need the drama? I don't know. What would be the point. They still have to work together to get home and they knew that. Personally I feel that more conflict between the crews would have gotten old and repetative. But that's just me.

 

[TonyLeung82]

Voyager is a good series. I can not understand why other people judge something, while they do not even watched it. Dont they have an own opinion? Watch it with your own eyes, feel positive or negative about it, judge it then, and decide about your opinion.
And in my opinion it is a good series.

 

[Sophie74656]

Voyager is a good series. I can not understand why other people judge something, while they do not even watched it. Dont they have an own opinion? Watch it with your own eyes, feel positive or negative about it, judge it then, and decide about your opinion.
And in my opinion it is a good series.

That's a personal pet peeve of mine, and not just about Voyager. When people say they hate something but they never experienced it.

here eat this...no I hate it...have you ever tried it?...no...then how do you know you hate it?

 

[stardream]

Well that's a matter of opinion of course. I was never let down. But to each their own.
did it need the drama? I don't know. What would be the point? They still have to work together to get home and they knew that. Personally, I feel that more conflict between the crews would have gotten old and repetitive. But that's just me.

I agree. The drama between the crews could only have lasted for so long and when you think about it, it would make little sense. They are in the Delta Quadrant...the conflict with the Cardassians back home means nothing on Voyager. It could have lasted for maybe one season at the most.

 

[Sophie74656]

I agree. The drama between the crews could only have lasted for so long and when you think about it, it would make little sense. They are in the Delta Quadrant...the conflict with the Cardassians back home means nothing on Voyager. It could have lasted for maybe one season at the most.

Exactly. Though I think maybe as the season 1 finale a possible mutiny could have been interesting. Something like another episode where there was a possible way home that Janeway would be against on principle but the maquis wanted to use it. It might not even have to be all maquis. I'm sure there are people who have children and spouces at home that would risk their future careers in starfleet to get home sooner.

 

[Jedman67]

Voyager suffered a lot from 2 dimensional characters, inconsistant/lazy writing, an excess of treknobabble and an overuse of the Reset Button. There were very few serialized 'arcs' throughout the series run and character development was kind of stiff.
It wasn't bad - that it ran for 7 seasons is proof enough. But it seemed to have a disproportionate number of flops compared to the other shows - although the first 2 seasons of TNG could give it a run for its money - and there were some real fantastic episodes from time to time.

 

[Sophie74656]

I have possibly a stupid question. What do people mean by "reset button"

 

[TonyLeung82]

I have possibly a stupid question. What do people mean by "reset button"

reset button means, the episode itself never happened at the end. Like there occurs something (destruction, death, pregnancy, progress or maybe love) in this episode, and at the end of it through time travel, dreaming or illusion the complete progresss in the story never appeared. One example is the 2-parter in Season 4 "Year of Hell". It never happened, because Janeway destroyed Annoraxs Time-Ship. It is the worst in story telling, the audience feels betrayed and it is frustrating.
The second meaning of reset button could be, that in the episode something happened and it happened "real", but later on in the series nobody will ever mention or talk about it again. Then it is also like it never happened.

 

[Sophie74656]

reset button means, the episode itself never happened at the end. Like there occurs something (destruction, death, pregnancy, progress or maybe love) in this episode, and at the end of it through time travel, dreaming or illusion the complete progresss in the story never appeared. One example is the 2-parter in Season 4 "Year of Hell". It never happened, because Janeway destroyed Ransoms Time-Ship. It is the worst in story telling, the audience feels betrayed and it is frustrating.
The second meaning of reset button could be, that in the episode something happened and it happened "real", but later on in the series nobody will ever mention or talk about it again. Then it is also like it never happened.

So again, that happens in every series. I mentioned before (was it this thread or another?) off the top of my head in TNG Deanna got pregnant, gave birth, loved her child, lost it, was devastaed and it was never mentioned again. In DS9 Obrien had the memories of a lifetime in prison and was severely traumatised by it, and it was never mentioned again. Every series had these "reset" episodes.

 

[Vandervecken]

I agree with the OP, and I will venture one big reason. I don't think it is any coincidence with what the OP has described that this is the only show with a woman captain. Believe me, I am pretty non-PC and I am usually the last one to see sexism or racism in something; I see many people be oversensitive to things that are not even remotely, in my opinion, sexism or racism. But in this case, I simply don't believe that the captain being a woman didn't have a lot to do with the weird Voyager hate I remember from the get-go, for a show that is on-the-whole well crafted and engagingly acted and written. It isn't like Mulgrew is a poor actor! She's a good one! Way better than Avery Brooks (which, I admit, is not saying much, but it goes to my point).