So, I just started Voyager

[RyuRoots]

After finishing TNG, DS9, and all 4 TNG movies I've decided to go back and check out Star Trek: Voyager

I'm six episodes in so far, and oh lord. Even now, Janeway has quite a reputation for making massively stupid decisions. The doctor is great, Paris is fairly cool and I like Tuvok and Kim as well. Also even now, the show is terrible about technobabble and technical solutions. I mean...the holodeck power system thing is probably the most glaringly idiotic. Also, why would "reverse polarity of the shields" ever be a good idea? Wouldn't that like...block all outgoing shots and allow all incoming shots? What makes it worse is that we have "rotate shield modulation" and shield frequency and stuff from TNG that they could've used that'd work fine.

All the eps so far have topped out at "okay" for me, but I'll definitely keep watching. For the good doctor, if nothing else. I had thought about just watching some of the best eps as outlined by my friend (though I'll watch Threshold when I get to it. I'm told it's required viewing for Voyager). Think I should do that, or just keep on trucking through the whole thing?

 

[Vulcan Princess]

If you haven't seen Voyager before, I would recommend watching them all, just to get the full effect, but if you're doing a re-watch, by all means, do the good-parts version.

And have fun with Threshold. Most people think it's a terrible episode. Personally, I think it's so bad that it's good, in a stupidly funny way.

 

[Jaespol]

Its best to stick in there.
I remember feeling exactly as you did when I was watching season 1 + 2 (it doesn't really get much better until season 3 in my opinion). The technobabble was almost unbearable and I'd scream at the tv every time a shuttle crash served as the set up for a storyline. I also despised the Kazon but the Vidiians were a great, if underused, villain.
Now I don't think Voyager is as good as TNG or DS9 and I doubt you will ever think so either but things really do pick up from the latter half of season 3 into season 4 + 5 when we get a new addition to the crew (but unfortunately lose another) - Seven of Nine who is my favourite character of all time despire her only being in my 3rd favourite Star Trek series. You'll also get plenty of Doctor action, too much in fact and you may find him starting to really piss you off in season 6/7 like he did me.
So as long as you don't expect too much like continuity, even character development or non technobabble solutions for problems, then you might just enjoy Voyager.

 

[neogothboy74]

And I actually think that Season 1 is better than Seasons 2 or 3. But even in those seasons there are occasional winners. Good luck!

 

[Tachyon]

I already know what this thread is going to contain.

- Too much techobabble (riiight... like there wasn't such a thing in other series, ha ha!)
- Janeway is crazy/psycho/bi-polar/etc. (riiight...)
- Chakotay is wooden character, Janeway's lapdog - he should have been killed.
- Neelix is so effed up - he annoys me so they should have got rid of him!
- There is no continuity! (riiight...)
- Voyager is trying to be TNG-2 (like TNG would have not been TOS-2... TOS+TNG+VOY= Series on starships, but each of them unique nonetheless)
- There is no Sisko, so Voyager sucks.

Did I miss something from "the most recycled" Voyager criticism?

Carry on.

 

[Dingo]

The 3rd-4th Season episodes are pretty neat, with the Torres/Paris romance and Seven's introduction. (Frankly minus the eye candy factor I wasn't a fan of Seven).

I like the 5th and 6th Season and the various lower decks episodes (Learning Curve from 1st Season and Good Shepherd from the 6th Season readily spring to mind.) and frankly thought they could have used more such lower decks episodes.

 

[Tachyon]

I think 5th season is my fav. Night and Once Upon A Time are right there, alonside Extreme Risk and Juggernaut. And Gravity and The Fight....

 

[TheGodBen]

In my opinion Janeway is completely inconsistent, Chakotay was a waste of a character and Neelix is so annoying it hurts. The overuse of technobabble and the almost complete lack of continuity make this show a poor man's TNG, and the lack of The Sisko didn't help things.

Did I miss anything?


On a serious note, I agree with neogothboy74 in that season 1 is superior to 2 & 3, and since I haven't watched 4-7 in almost a decade I cannot comment upon them. That first season did have a lot of potential though, and is probably the best first season of all the new Trek incarnations.

 

[Praetor]

From what I recall, season 1 is better than 2 and it bottoms out in 3, then 4 picks back up a little building up to a pretty good 5 and 6, then season 7 starts to drop off again back down to a season two quality.

So approximately for me (assuming ***** to be maximum on the Relative VGR Quality Scale):

S1 - *****
S2 - ***
S3 - **
S4 - ***
S5 - *****
S6 - ****
S7 - ***

Something like that, anyway. But if you're watching the first time, I recommend not skipping anything. Except maybe 'Threshold.'

 

[kimc]

But if you're watching the first time, I recommend not skipping anything. Except maybe 'Threshold.'

If he skips "Threshold" he won't have any idea what the rest of us are talking about when we mention lizard babies.

 

[TheGodBen]

But if he watches it he runs the risk of damaging his TV by throwing something heavy at it, or gnawing off one of his fingers. Is the risk worth it?

 

[Praetor]

"Risk... Risk is our business. That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her."

 

[Jaespol]

For me - on a scale relative to Voyager

S1 - ***
S2 - **½
S3 - ****
S4 - *****
S5 - *****
S6 - ***½
S7 - ***

 

[freak]

If I were you, I'd watch the whole series, no matter how painful it may seem. And give Threshold a shot..it does have an interesting prospect even though it does make me cringe at times. My favorite seasons were years 2 and 3. All the crap happened in year 2 while I was anticipating the cliffhanger to year three.