Project Pathfinder

[Picard Alpha]

After recently watching Pathfinder and Lifeline (both fantastic episodes in my opinion), I've started wondering why the writers even bothered introduced this alpha quadrant quandary other than obviously teasing us and Voyager's crew with Starfleet, Earth, Admiral Hayes, an on screen mention of DS9, and Jupiter station. We had some fantastic scenes, one in particular when Janeway first makes contact with her old chum Admiral Paris and the thought of regular communication with Starfleet. Suddenly 30 thousand seems closer to home... Watching the end of season six it seems like the obvious set up for getting Voyager home during her final season. Even the Borg queen mentions this during their banter on the view screen in 'Unimatrix Zero'. I'm left wondering why in the world didn't the writers use this tool to their advantage during Voyagers final run... They already blew the time setting it up!

Ohhhhhhh well. Overall I can look past Voyagers shortcomings. I haven't re watched the series in several years and I've really enjoyed catching it on DVD this time through. I'm getting a lot more out of it than I ever did in first run. I just never thought this one thing would really bother me...

 

[kimc]

While the "keep a docking bay open for us" scene was one of the most touching of the series I also lost patience with the alpha quadrant story line. Too much Barclay I guess.

 

[2 of 10]

Voyager did use the Pathfinder espisode and the MIDAS Array to good use in another episode. In "Hope and Fear" they used communication with Earth as a backdrop to the main story, but without the communication with Earth the rest of the story would not have worked out very well.
Loved the scene when Admiral Hayes gives Voyager some information about some new technology, when the message ends. Kathrine say "Admiral Hayes, good man, bit of a windbag Though" she totally deadpans this line, it worked great.

Lets also not forget that if it was not for Pathfinder Lt. Carey would still be alive, in "Friendship One" the only reason they went to the planet that Carey was kiilled on was because Earth wanted to follow up on the Friendship One probe...

Resistance is Futile

 

[JNG]

I didn't feel that way at all...I liked seeing Barclay and Troi and Dr. Zimmerman and all that. Even the bit with the Ferengi-hired hooker was kind of interesting (I think the actress made a silk purse out of a sow's ear with that).

I would argue it did effectively set up Voyager's return in an emotional sense, by making us feel she was part of the Trek family—and helping the crew believe, on a day-to-day basis, that people cared and that home wasn't an impossible dream so far away it wasn't worth thinking about. I believe this was exactly the creative intention and I am not sure why you'd say the writers didn't "use this tool."

 

[Jeri]

I like seeing Barclay and all his episodes; he was thoroughly in love with Voyager, and that alone makes me like him.

But I think the point in Pathfinder and all related episodes is to start the viewers truly thinking about the culmination of the journey. It was going to happen, and here was the foreshadowing to it. I thought it was well done.

 

[Picard Alpha]

I didn't feel that way at all...I liked seeing Barclay and Troi and Dr. Zimmerman and all that. Even the bit with the Ferengi-hired hooker was kind of interesting (I think the actress made a silk purse out of a sow's ear with that).

I would argue it did effectively set up Voyager's return in an emotional sense, by making us feel she was part of the Trek family—and helping the crew believe, on a day-to-day basis, that people cared and that home wasn't an impossible dream so far away it wasn't worth thinking about. I believe this was exactly the creative intention and I am not sure why you'd say the writers didn't "use this tool."

By no means am I arguing the case that I didn't want to see Reg or Deanna on VOY. I stated that both Pathfinder, and Life Line were very well done episodes. In fact I think Counselor Troi's character was probably better used in these 2 episodes than most of TNG. My original intention was to state that it would have been cool had the writers used this tool (Project Pathfinder) to get Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant, instead of Janeway playing with the Borg Queen. They devoted story time to developing Project Pathfinder and indicated Starfleet was doing everything they could to get them home. Hell, Admiral Hayes even suggests he sent starships out on a deep space assignment that are going to rendezvous with Voyager! To the viewer; it seemed like the logical direction to take the show, and to me the more interesting angle.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

most people think of barclay as a tng character, but i think its interesting that he was actually on more episodes of Voyager (screentime may be another issue).

another point: Barclay was one of two supporting cast members of tng to make it into a movie (along with the Alyssa nurse) while Ro Laren and Tasha got snubbed

 

[Picard Alpha]

most people think of barclay as a tng character, but i think its interesting that he was actually on more episodes of Voyager (screentime may be another issue).

another point: Barclay was one of two supporting cast members of tng to make it into a movie (along with the Alyssa nurse) while Ro Laren and Tasha got snubbed

Neat points! I almost forgot about his scene in FC... Typical Barclay... All geek ed out about meeting Cochran.