Rewatching Voyager

[tomalak301]

The Chute

Now this is one of the series most underrated episodes. We really get into the friendship between Kim and Paris here and it's a lot more character driven than what its gotten credit for. I always say I think Wang's best performance was Timeless, but I think in terms of present Kim, Wang was fantastic in this one, and so was McNeil. This episode also makes me hungry, considering they talk about food and a nice stake for a lot of it.

 

[stardream]

I agree with you about the aliens on the planet. I would much rather have seen then just trying to survive in the wild alone.
Why on earth did they give Neelix so much at authority at that point in the journey?
I really liked the part where they finally flew away beyond Kazon space. The Kazon weren't really a threat. I've described them before like bees or mosquitoes. They CAN be dangerous but they are mostly annoying.

Season 2 closed out Chakotay's relevance to the show. He still had some good episodes and some good scenes and I'm glad he was there but from this point onward he started to fade into the background.

I am in complete agreement with you about Flashback. I recently watched the DS9 episode and while it was whimsical and fun it felt like it was pandering way to much to the fans if that makes any sense. This time around it felt cheesy...but still in a good way. Flashback with all its problems felt like a 'real' episode. I have no idea if that makes any sense.

I liked The Chute the first time around. I like anything with Tom and Harry but on subsequent viewings, it struck me how really dark this episode was. Still think it's good despite that.

 

[Thomas Eugene]

BASICS is a good episode - the only two things I don't like about it are Hogan's death and Janeway's order to eat worms. Yuk ...
Whenever I watch this one, I always think of how I wish Suder could have been kept over the long term. His chemistry with the Doctor was at least as good as his chemistry with Tuvok and it is nice to see that the mind meld had its consequences - a change for the better.
In contrast to you, I also liked the aliens. The whole idea of even the "primitive" men having to learn to cooperate with the aliens was brilliant, I thought.
And when Voyager appears at the end ... it's always a touching scene.

FLASHBACK is a fantastic episode in my book - with Janeway, Sulu and the others. We also learn something about Tuvok's past - basically how much he matured due to having become a parent. This was thought-provoking (I, of course, can't know it because I'm gay ). The virus was a good idea and also how the two nebulae connected the two centuries/stories. When I watch episodes like this, I often wish I'd know TOS a little better (never seen it except for a few eps).

THE CHUTE to me is an episode that would do a lot better on DS9 - that's the show with the dark tone. Still, as you also mentioned, it's nice to see a Tom-Harry episode - as a gay man I tend to read a bit more into it than just friendship ... The last time I watched a convention on YouTube (don't ask me which one, I don't know), Garret Wang said about this episode that there was one scene when Robert Duncan McNeill whispered into his ear: "O, how I hate when I'm not the hero" - or something along those lines ...

These are three (altogether four) very different episodes but I think they embody the essence of Voyager all the same: a sense of family, a sense of belonging - something I have never seen to this extent on any other TV-shows (certainly not on Star Trek). The way the Doctor interacts with Suder ("One hologram and one sociopath may not be much of a match for the Kazon, but we'll have to do.") and when he later praises him for his achievement ("You would have been proud of him, Mister Tuvok"); the way Chakotay takes his leave of Seska - also how he interacts with his father and later how this family relationship is mirrored in his relationship with his extended family (Voyager); the very fact that Janeway backs him when he can't decide if he can go after "his" son or not; Janeway's trying to help Tuvok by subordinating herself to a Vulcan mind meld right after having seen some of the consequences a few months before in MELD; Janeway's being nostalgic for Kirk et al; Tom's forgiveness and basically love for Harry ("You want to know what I remember? Someone saying, this man is my friend. Nobody touches him. I'll remember that for a long time.") - these are exactly the things that make these episodes (just like most of the others) outstanding to me.

 

[stardream]

Garret Wang said about this episode that there was one scene when Robert Duncan McNeill whispered into his ear: "O, how I hate it when I'm not the hero" - or something along those lines ...

I can believe that. He had similar sentiments about the next episode, the Swarm. He was injured and out of commission for the first part of the episode. He wanted to do things...not literally just lie around which I suppose is understandable.
It was along the same lines of Dawson complaining about having to act with machines...or against herself.

 

[tomalak301]

I am in complete agreement with you about Flashback. I recently watched the DS9 episode and while it was whimsical and fun it felt like it was pandering way to much to the fans if that makes any sense. This time around it felt cheesy...but still in a good way. Flashback with all its problems felt like a 'real' episode. I have no idea if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense. Tribbles was a great example of filmmaking and utilizing the technology of the time (The Forrest Gump Technology). Flashback was an actual episode with new material and like I said, I loved seeing TUC from the Excelsior's point of view.

 

[Capn Nick]

I really liked Chutes. I always like and believe the Kim/Paris friendship but they get a lot less time, at least it seems so, than other friend pairs in Star Trek shows. You see them in bits of other episodes socializing but not as often in a whole story. I think it's a well done episode and the actors really play a believable friendship and the characters make choices that fit their characters. It's also one of my default episodes when I defend Harry Kim as a character

 

[tomalak301]

These are three (altogether four) very different episodes but I think they embody the essence of Voyager all the same: a sense of family, a sense of belonging - something I have never seen to this extent on any other TV-shows (certainly not on Star Trek). The way the Doctor interacts with Suder ("One hologram and one sociopath may not be much of a match for the Kazon, but we'll have to do.") and when he later praises him for his achievement ("You would have been proud of him, Mister Tuvok"); the way Chakotay takes his leave of Seska - also how he interacts with his father and later how this family relationship is mirrored in his relationship with his extended family (Voyager); the very fact that Janeway backs him when he can't decide if he can go after "his" son or not; Janeway's trying to help Tuvok by subordinating herself to a Vulcan mind meld right after having seen some of the consequences a few months before in MELD; Janeway's being nostalgic for Kirk et al; Tom's forgiveness and basically love for Harry ("You want to know what I remember? Someone saying, this man is my friend. Nobody touches him. I'll remember that for a long time.") - these are exactly the things that make these episodes (just like most of the others) outstanding to me.

You make a great point about Voyager epitomizing the sense of family and friendship. I loved that scene at the end of The Chute where Tom compliments Kim about saving his life and yeah there was a sense of we're all in this together that these three episodes showed. It's a theme that goes on through the series, and it gets highlighted in Season 4 with Year of Hell and the messages from home.

 

[tomalak301]

The Swarm

If it wasn't for the Doctor and Kes story, this episode would have been your typical Voyager encounters hostile alien story. It's not bad, but it was very much average. Because of the Doctor and Kes, I liked this episode quite a bit. I always hear one of the criticisms of the Kes character was the writers didn't know what to do with her and she was kind of a meaningless character on the show. Well, this episode shows why she is not. Going back to season 1, one of the things I love about Kes was her vouching for the Doctor and convincing the crew to treat him as if he was a member of the crew. Along the way, she's taught him how to adapt to his programming, grow his programming, fall in love, and now in this episode she's doing it again. She is standing up to The Doctor and not willing to make that easy reset solution. It's very true to her character and this episode was more of a Kes episode than Doctor episode. I just wish we would have seen the Doctor relearn everything but I also saw the next episode, and I would like to think that because we didn't see the Doctor that much, that's what he was doing.

False Profits

Speaking of next episode, I hate this one a lot. I applaud the writers to follow up TNG's The Price and bring back the Barzan wormhole, but the only reason why was so they can have a Ferengi episode on Voyager. There is nothing about this episode that is redeeming. The problem I have with a lot of Ferengi episodes is they try so hard to be funny but they come across as corny. There are some that are successful (Magnificant Ferengi, Menage a Troi, Most of the Quark solo episodes) but for the most part, they come across as annoying.

 

[Thomas Eugene]

Kes's character was coming along nicely throughout the whole of Season 3 and then she was suddenly out. Quite disappointing actually.
Janeway risked a lot on this episode but she has a tendency to act rashly whenever this feeling, this guilt of "I stranded the crew in the Delta Quadrant" makes its way to the surface.

In contrast to you, I like the Ferengi episodes. Although I don't really know DS9 very well, I remember that they were a nice change from the ordinary run of the dark tone of that show.
I found FALSE PROFITS pretty entertaining - there was a lot humour on this ep. However, what I even like more about this story is what a lot of people hate: the fact that there's a chance to get closer to Earth but at the last moment this chance is lost. I like episodes like this - if for nothing else, they help forge the crew into one big family ...

 

[stardream]

The Swarm was also the episode where the writers started playing with the idea of a Paris/Torres relationship.

I go back and forth on the False Profits. On the one hand it's nice to have some series continuity and to see Neelix dressed up as the Grand Nagus but I just don't think the dialogue was very well written. It could have been 'tightened up'.

 

[Archimago]

Hey guys quick question, I was watching Voyager on Putlocker but now they've banned it on virgin media does anyone else know an online way of watching it?

 

[tomalak301]

Hey guys quick question, I was watching Voyager on Putlocker but now they've banned it on virgin media does anyone else know an online way of watching it?

Do you have Netflix? It's on Netflix, and I think it might be on Startrek.com too.

 

[tomalak301]

The Swarm was also the episode where the writers started playing with the idea of a Paris/Torres relationship.

I forgot to mention that. I really loved that scene because they are just so adorable together. Tom and B'elanna might be the best developed relationship in Trek, right up there with Sisko and Kassidy.

 

[Archimago]

Do you have Netflix? It's on Netflix, and I think it might be on Startrek.com too.

If you saw my face when you've just told me it's on netflix DDDDDDDDDD

 

[Thomas Eugene]

If you saw my face when you've just told me it's on netflix DDDDDDDDDD

Why? What was your face like?

 

[Archimago]

Why? What was your face like?

Pure Joy I always crave watching it, and my laptop is good but the putlocker got banned and now since I know it's on netflix... I can watch it all!

Also quick question Mr Paris which is the epsiode in which chakotay and Janeway are left on the planet and commander Tuvok assumes command?

 

[TonyLeung82]

Pure Joy I always crave watching it, and my laptop is good but the putlocker got banned and now since I know it's on netflix... I can watch it all!

Also quick question Mr Paris which is the epsiode in which chakotay and Janeway are left on the planet and commander Tuvok assumes command?

End of season 2, "Resolutions"

 

[Thomas Eugene]

Pure Joy I always crave watching it, and my laptop is good but the putlocker got banned and now since I know it's on netflix... I can watch it all!

Also quick question Mr Paris which is the epsiode in which chakotay and Janeway are left on the planet and commander Tuvok assumes command?

Your question has already been answered, Lieutenant Archimago so here's a little visual input:

You always crave watching it? My God, it's like I'm hearing myself speak ... This morning I watched two DS9 episodes (INVASIVE PROCEDURES and CARDASSIANS) and then I thought, "Oh, all right ... let's just get back to Voyager ..."
I know I'm obsessed with this show - it's like a drug to me - but I still think it's better to be addicted to this than to some kind of mind-altering substance. When my friends and I get together (usually once a month), we watch 8-10 episodes in one go. Right now we're planning to binge watch a whole season (26 eps) in July, starting on a Saturday afternoon through the the night on to Sunday morning! Crazy, isn't it?

 

[Archimago]

End of season 2, "Resolutions"

Thank you good sir I'll watch that tonight.

Your question has already been answered, Lieutenant Archimago so here's a little visual input:

You always crave watching it? My God, it's like I'm hearing myself speak ... This morning I watched two DS9 episodes (INVASIVE PROCEDURES and CARDASSIANS) and then I thought, "Oh, all right ... let's just get back to Voyager ..."
I know I'm obsessed with this show - it's like a drug to me - but I still think it's better to be addicted to this than to some kind of mind-altering substance. When my friends and I get together (usually once a month), we watch 8-10 episodes in one go. Right now we're planning to binge watch a whole season (26 eps) in July, starting on a Saturday afternoon through the the night on to Sunday morning! Crazy, isn't it?

Very nice art as always. And yes i've never really watched many whole TV series over again, with some series the occasional epsiode bur Voyager is the only one I always come back to. Unfortunately no one I know except the wonderful people on here of course are really into Voyager they just go oh that one with the female Captain right yeah watched thst once or something (And I just facepalm mentally and think they don't know what they're missing out on). Wish I had friends like yours! I would love to do a marathon . You know I don't think I've ever heard you mention it or me ever ask what is your full time favorite epsiode? One that you could just never get tired of?

 

[TonyLeung82]

Thank you good sir I'll watch that tonight.

your welcome, took me 3 seconds to think about it, only remembered the german title of this episode :-)

You know, when i think in retrospect about this episode, I always will remember the waste of losing time for the Voyager-crew to come home. Janeway stays with Chaky on the planet, Voyager travels away. Long time, I think at least 3 weeks or even 1 month (one way). Then flys the way back 1 months for rescueing the both. And then again this 3-4 weeks flying the same way. This waste of time for the travel itself to getting home I will always remember.
Please correct me, when i am wrong with the times.