If you were Janeway and could pick one additional crewmember from the other series...

[marlboro]

A decent narrative concept, but a terribly disappointing background for the franchise's first female captain/star. As much hate as the character has gotten even as a seasoned, experienced captain, I don't even want to know how she would've been treated if she 'just inherited/didn't earn' the position.

On the flip side, it would give the writers a chance to show her earning the right to lead both the Federation and Maquis crew. I don't think less of Sisko because he only started out as a Commander. Just the opposite, in fact; it makes him more interesting to me.


Back on topic: in the Titan novels Troi becomes a "first contact specialist" in addition to her counseling duties. Her empathic abilities and knowledge of psychology would prove useful in dealing with a conflicted crew and also when meeting with a constant stream of new alien species .

 

[Grendelsbayne]

On the flip side, it would give the writers a chance to show her earning the right to lead both the Federation and Maquis crew. I don't think less of Sisko because he only started out as a Commander. Just the opposite, in fact; it makes him more interesting to me.

It's not really comparable, though. Commander or Captain, Sisko was unquestionably in charge from the start. Janeway being a commander would've been fine, if it were normal for an Intrepid class ship to be commanded by someone of that rank. It's the part where she's introduced as first officer and only gets command when the captain dies that would cause issues.

 

[marlboro]

Fine, I won't use my time machine to go back and switch the Voyager pilot script with one of my own.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I don't even want to know how she would've been treated if she 'just inherited/didn't earn' the position.

Would she not have earned the right to be "a heartbeat away" from the CO?

 

[Grendelsbayne]

Would she not have earned the right to be "a heartbeat away" from the CO?

I'm not saying the complaints would be reasonable. The opposite in fact. I'm just saying, given the endless yukyuks I've heard about Janeway being a 'woman driver' (which is such a stretch it doesn't even really make sense), I'm glad the showrunners made a concious effort to showcase her as a traditional captain with the same respect and authority that the others were given. It did not stop the idiotic response from some quarters, but I truly believe it severely limited the scope of it by not framing Janeway as a character far apart from the traditional captain.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I'm not saying the complaints would be reasonable. The opposite in fact. I'm just saying, given the endless yukyuks I've heard about Janeway being a 'woman driver' (which is such a stretch it doesn't even really make sense), I'm glad the showrunners made a concious effort to showcase her as a traditional captain with the same respect and authority that the others were given. It did not stop the idiotic response from some quarters, but I truly believe it severely limited the scope of it by not framing Janeway as a character far apart from the traditional captain.

Maybe. I don't think any post-Picard lead received universal respect from fans. However, I believe the show cut itself off from using Kate Mulgrew's talents by not showing a maturing, dynamic Janeway. I think it worked in Sisko's favor, who started as neither captain nor hero, and if Enterprise had had another three seasons, it would have worked in Archer's, who w started far from being a hero.

 

[HugeLobes]

Making Sisko commander was more to emphasize that DS9 wasn't too important before the discovery of the wormhole and that Sisko didnt have as much invested in his Starfleet career at that point. Post probably seemed pretty lousy at first, just getting the Bajorans ready to join the Federation. The whole point was to establish Sisko was at his lowest point at the start of the series.

Still filled with grief over his wife. Angry and dissatisfied with Starfleet. Forced to take himself and his kid to some backwater.

So, I actually think making Janeway a commander could have worked.

The first half of season one could be Janeway acting as a bridge between the methods of the old school captain and the radical new Maquis.

Janeway wouldn't have been at her lowest point before VOY, but she would have been unused to autonomous command in a situation that suddenly demanded those skills more than ever before. The biggest missed opportunity was friction between Maquis and Starfleet, and this would have been an interesting way to explore that. Wouldn't be my first choice, but there's merit to it from a storytelling perspective.

I guess the major problem would have been that they'd just done the same sort of thing with Sisko.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Making Sisko commander was more to emphasize that DS9 wasn't too important before the discovery of the wormhole and that Sisko didnt have as much invested in his Starfleet career at that point.

Actually, making him a commander was a decision made very early to distinguish him from Picard and that Sisko has a journey. As Piller said, Sisko needs to become a hero.

 

[HugeLobes]

Actually, making him a commander was a decision made very early to distinguish him from Picard and that Sisko has a journey. As Piller said, Sisko needs to become a hero.

Yeah, but don't those two things work together? It's not Sisko working from commander to captain that gives him a journey as much as the way commanding DS9 changes his outlook on life and commitment to Starfleet. The whole commander to captain thing is just a small part of that.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Yeah, but don't those two things work together? It's not Sisko working from commander to captain that gives him a journey as much as the way commanding DS9 changes his outlook on life and commitment to Starfleet. The whole commander to captain thing is just a small part of that.

The expectation was that Sisko's journey would not be particularly smooth, that he would have setbacks and he would doubt himself. That changed when Piller cast the best actor he could get rather than the one who fit the bill. Brooks was older than what they initially pitched, and I think that changed how the writers approached Sisko. There was more of an effort to make him self-assured.