Revisiting the 6th Season

[tomalak301]

Almost done:

Life Line

Great episode. Loved seen Reg, Troi and Zimmerman again, even though I wonder why there wasn't anything referring to Projections. At least minus Troi, this was almost like a "Projections" reunion. I know it was all part of the holodeck and stuff, but I've always wondered why no one knew who barcley was from that episode. Still, great stuff from Picardo in the double role, and it's always good to see this era Troi pop up every now and again.

The Haunting of Deck 12

It wasn't bad, but I couldn't help but think Voyager was doing TNG's "Lonely Among Us." Granted it was a story (A pointless one at that but still a story) but it was the same plot. A electromagnetic lifeform comes on Voyager by accident and is looking for a way home back to a nebula. I did like the Borg children asking questions all the time though. Seriously, I think the borg children might be my favorite "children" group in all of trek.

 

[tomalak301]

And...The Final Episode of the Season.

Unimatrix Zero

This is a great finale. I love the concept of a Borg dream world, and it's pretty much what you expect from a finale, action, intregue, and some excitment. I think what I really liked about this episode though was we finally got to see Jeri Ryan be Jeri Ryan. When she's acting Seven, she's so serious and so Borg. We got to see some much needed personality, which is something I was very much hoping the writers would maybe get into Seven at this stage of the game. It's been three years since she was seperated from the collective, it's only appropriate that some personality would be given at some point. I liked Annika's chemistry with Axiom, and I just like the whole thing of unimatrix 0 and the people we met there. It's really a shame after these two episodes we never heard from them again. There was so much potential here.

I think why I don't consider this the best or even second best finale (Those belong to Scorpion and then Equinox and then I'd probably rank Basics after that) was because the cliffhanger was questionable. So thier plan was to be assimilated? Yeah, ok with that. It's kind of a stupid plan just because who would want to be assimilated into the collective but oh well.

I'll have some overall thoughts on the season later. Who knows, once I get season 7, I might continue this, even though it won't be till Christmas time or something.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I really enjoyed Unimatrix Zero Part I as well. I thought it was just a neat concept with this secret world inside the Collective. It had so much potential to be a really epic storyline too bad the writers didn't use it to its full potential.

I enjoyed seeing Susanna Thompson again as the Queen, the trio made up as Borg drones, the destruction of the Delta Flyer only added to the sense that this was a big event. I also thought the teaser was great with the way it started on a very macroscopic level and quickly reduced things to a close up on the drone's eye. I thought it was a very interesting finale.

 

[startrekwatcher]

It's kind of a stupid plan just because who would want to be assimilated into the collective but oh well.

Not really. As we saw in this episode Janeway was unnerved by the destruction of yet another colony by the Borg and as we saw over the series she had encountered so many species assimilated and left devastated by the Collective--the aliens in Unity, the aliens in Blood Fever, the aliens in Day of Honor, Icheb's people, the aliens in "Hope and Fear".

So I could definitely see Janeway thinking of the Unimatrix rebellion as a way to finally bring down the Borg and that being assimilated was a small price to pay on her part if it meant destroying the Collective not through genocide like Picard's virus was to do but through actually liberating the drones.

And you have to remember she was going by herself but Tuvok and Torres volunteered. I could definitely see the logic for Tuvok as chief of secirity and Kathryn's closest friend. Also as a Vulcan he would understand the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few and with his disciplined mind I'm sure the assimilation process wouldn't be as traumatic.

 

[tomalak301]

^I can understand Janeway's feelings on this, but I still don't like any plan that has to do with purposely getting yourself assimilated. Given the brutality of it and just what you sacrifice, I think the price is just way too high and that's why I thought it was a stupid plan.

As for my overall thoughts on this season, it was a lot better than what I thought. There were some surprises this year that I hadn't noticed the first time. When I bought Season 5 and 6, I was hoping for episodes in Season 6 that I may not have remembered liking and ended up did liking. The biggest surprise was probably Good Shephard. That was a great episode and it once again dealt with the lower crew perspective. I also really liked we got to see areas of the ship we hadn't seen before, like Deck 15.

Fury, while still infuriating, wasn't my least favorite episode of the season. That fell to Virtuoso and the reason that episode was so bad was because this was the second time this season that the Doctor felt underappreciated. I'm sitting here wondering what must this crew do for the Doctor to be happy, since they've done a lot and he was still complaining. I know it was trying to go for the whole Fandom currupts thing, but I have a real hard time believing that he would leave Voyager so easily.

I think the underrated episode of the season has to be Muse. That was a big surprise and I think I didn't like that episode before. I think the overrated episode of this season, while a tough call, might be Tinker, Tenor, Doctor Spy. I didn't find this episode funny the first time and I still don't. I think I called this episode rediculously outlandish, and I stick by those words, especially during the cool over-the-top ECH sequence.

Overall, good season. Not great since it seemed rather inconsistant, but good. I'm looking forward to whenever I get season 7 and seeing those episodes again. I think the episode I'm most looking forward to seeing again that I haven't seen in a while is Workforce.

 

[Keith1701]

"Equinox" is actually one of the few season 4-7 episodes that I did like. Good story.

I agree....... Good Choice!

 

[Bonzo the Fifth]

It's funny I should see something like this just after getting my interest piqued again by re-watching "The Voyager Conspiracy". As someone else already said re: that episode, the real wallbanger wasn't Seven's incessant prattling or the gullibility of Chakotay and Janeway in 'almost' falling for it, but the fact that, even though Seven's conclusions were invalid, her PREMISES weren't. The tetryon reactor, the tri-cobalt warheads, etc. were real, legitimate questions that just got swept under the rug and never mentioned again... For years now, I've wondered if there really was something going on there and Seven just missed it by thaaaat much...

But that's probably a topic for another thread (assuming someone else hasn't tackled it already).

 

[Akiraprise]

^ If you want to start a thread on that go for it.

Just about everything has probably been discussed in here at one time or another. Nothing wrong with talking about it again.

 

[tomalak301]

Well, I got one more Christmas Gift today, which was Season 7 of Voyager. It took about 4 years, but I've finished the collection. I've actually seen some of these episodes quite recently (Unimatrix 0, Drive, Repression, Imperfection, Critical Care, and Lineage) but I'm looking forward to seeing the rest. Not sure how I feel when I get to Endgame again, but we'll see what happens. I am really looking forward to seeing Workforce again since I think that's one of Voyager's most underrated 2 parters.

 

[Lord Garth]

I've been re-watching Star Trek: Voyager for three months. Over the Christmas break I've been able to zip through the last three seasons. I'd never seen most of S6 or S7 before.

The sixth season was very high-concept. The seventh season seemed more down-to-earth by comparison. I like them both for different reasons but I'll stick to the sixth season for this thread.

I can't believe I missed out on episodes like "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy".

Certain episodes actually play better than their titles imply. "Dragon's Teeth" sounds like it would be a stupid episode, going by the title alone, but the Vaadwaur are actually an interesting species and it was nice to get to know some of the history of the Delta Quadrant.

"Memorial" is a war episode that I'd put up against any DS9 episode. This episode feels like VOY's answer to "The Siege of AR-558".

"Virtuoso" and "Muse" are just out there artistically. I liked VOY going into music and theatre.

"Alice" and "Live Fast and Prosper" seem to have more of a seventh season feel to them. Light weight and can let their hair down.

What I like about late-VOY is that they finally arrived in a part of the Delta Quadrant that seems a bit more civilized a lot less primitive. It seems like the DQ can be split into three parts: before the Nechrid Expanse, around Borg space, and then after the two years of darkness "Night" where you have alien races that know about the Borg but are left alone. The Delta Quadrant seems like it has a lot of texture if you notice the space Voyager travels through during the seasons.

 

[tomalak301]

I'm kinda liking season seven. It does feel weaker than the others but so far there's been some pretty good episodes. Some thoughts on what I've gotten to so far:

Flesh and Blood: I had an issue with the end of this the first time, but watching it again, I could only think of one question. Why was Seven punished for inhebiting individuality and doing what was best for the ship but the Doctor gets a slap on the wrist for being "who he is." I can understand why Janeway didn't punish him, but it sure seems a bit hypocritical, since I found the two situations (Prey is the episode I'm referencing in relation to Seven) kind of similar.

Inside Man: We really needed two Ferengi shows on this series. Ugh.

Body and Soul: This episode was kinda funny but kinda stupid at the same time. Sure seems to be a theme this season of Holographic rights with this, Flesh and Blood and Auther Auther later on.

Lineage: Did B'Elanna have the best episodes or what. So far this is my favorite one of the season.

Nightengale: Kim really did become a joke of himself in these late episodes. Kinda feel sorry for the guy.

Critical Care: Nice allegory on the health care system and my second favorite episode of the season so far.

Shattered: This one might be a guilty pleasure since I've always enjoyed it.

 

[kimc]

"Memorial" is a war episode that I'd put up against any DS9 episode. This episode feels like VOY's answer to "The Siege of AR-558".

I also like this one a lot and it's underrated by many Voyager fans imo. I know there was some controversey over whether Janeway made the right decision in repairing the memorial but I think it was the right one. Unfortunately human nature being what it is the only way we can often emphasize with a war experience is to "relive" what it was like for those who were there. Besides, they also put warning buoys out.

 

[tomalak301]

Watched 3 more:

Repentance: Not bad but I kind of wish there was someone on the crew who agreed with the culture that these prisoners should be put to death. I kept on thinking this is starfleet's prime directive not to interfear but it seems like they are way too judgmental. I did however like the relationship forged between Seven and Icho.

Prophecy: Why was this episode done, and so soon after Lineage? Just seemed unnecessary and kind of dumb.

The Void: Decent episode but I thought Alliences tackled the issue of forging allies better.

 

[2 of 10]

For a bit more technological approach to season 6:

Voyager travelled 1,238 LY's.

Went though 3 Nebulas, A class-2, class K and a class-J.

Passed close to one more nebula a class-T.

Checked out the Particle Fountain.

Crossed Paths with A Graviton Ellipse (One Small Step) and with a Borg Transwarp Conduit.

Got closer to the AQ, using shortcuts of 200 LY's with the Vaadwaur Subspace Corridor, and 600 LY's using the Graviton Catapult

Made First Contact with The Hierarchy.

Besides all these activities it was just another dull year in the DQ...