The Seska/Kazon arc

[DigificWriter]

^ Not really; the kinds of episodes you mentioned are linked by theme, but not plot.

With story arcs such as those I mentioned, though, you have each subsequent episode building on the events of the interconnected episode prior. To use the Viidian example I cited as an illustration, you have Phage starting things off by introducing the race, Faces building on and directly referencing the events of Phage, Lifesigns marking a partial change in the Viidians' attitude towards/relationship with Voyager, Deadlock building on the events of both Phage and Faces, and Resolutions building on and directly referencing the events of Lifesigns and building on the events of Phage, Faces, and Deadlock as well.

Of course, some of the kinds of episodes you mentioned do fit into individual characters' story arcs, but don't form story arcs in and of themselves because they don't directly build on or reference one another, which is what constitutes a story arc in a "Serialized Procedural" series like Voyager.

 

[locutus101]

^ Not really; the kinds of episodes you mentioned are linked by theme, but not plot.

With story arcs such as those I mentioned, though, you have each subsequent episode building on the events of the interconnected episode prior. To use the Viidian example I cited as an illustration, you have Phage starting things off by introducing the race, Faces building on and directly referencing the events of Phage, Lifesigns marking a partial change in the Viidians' attitude towards/relationship with Voyager, Deadlock building on the events of both Phage and Faces, and Resolutions building on and directly referencing the events of Lifesigns and building on the events of Phage, Faces, and Deadlock as well.

Of course, some of the kinds of episodes you mentioned do fit into individual characters' story arcs, but don't form story arcs in and of themselves because they don't directly build on or reference one another, which is what constitutes a story arc in a "Serialized Procedural" series like Voyager.

I beg to differ. With the "doctor is malfunctioning " story arc we have first "the doctor has been running for too long an needs to be reinitialized" everybody except for Kes and including the doctor himself thinks it's a good idea.

Then you have the doctor gets stolen and tortured (the doctor even makes a reference to the preceding episode when he says that he's still retrieving his memories after that last misadventure) and gets a mobile emitter.

The mobile emitter becomes part of all subsequent episodes.

Then you have the doctor turns himself into Jekyll and mister hyde by tampering with his own program.

etc...

I don't know about you but this sounds a lot like a story arc after your definition to me.

 

[DigificWriter]

^I'd personally classify that as an ongoing character arc moreso than a plot-specific story arc, but I now see the point you were trying to make and will concede that, when you describe it in those terms, it does technically fit my definition.

At any rate, I love that we're even having this conversation in the first place because it's a testament to Voyager's strengths as a "Serialized Procedural" series.

 

[locutus101]

^I'd personally classify that as an ongoing character arc moreso than a plot-specific story arc, but I now see the point you were trying to make and will concede that, when you describe it in those terms, it does technically fit my definition.

At any rate, I love that we're even having this conversation in the first place because it's a testament to Voyager's strengths as a "Serialized Procedural" series.

Yes, you're right. There is some continuity in Voyager in spite of what some people (including yours truly sometimes) keep saying.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ There's a lot more than just "some" continuity and serialization present in the show. It's Star Trek's first (and only, so far at least) successful "Serialized Procedural" and, IMO, is among the better examples of that subgenre.

 

[locutus101]

^ There's a lot more than just "some" continuity and serialization present in the show. It's Star Trek's first (and only, so far at least) successful "Serialized Procedural" and, IMO, is among the better examples of that subgenre.

Well, I am afraid I'll only meet you part way on that.

 

[DigificWriter]

Can you elaborate, please?

 

[locutus101]

Can you elaborate, please?

Well, as I said, I agree that there is some continuity in Voyager but not to much else. There are a lot of things that leave a lot to be desired.

 

[DigificWriter]

The show has flaws, but when looked at on the whole, the good vastly outweighs the bad.

 

[Sophie74656]

The show has flaws, but when looked at on the whole, the good vastly outweighs the bad.

This is definately a matter of opinion but I completely agree with you

 

[DigificWriter]

Let's do an objective comparison, starting with the bad:
- The show didn't entirely live up to the fullest potential of its premise, 'softening' or abandoning certain elements that could've enhanced its overall serialization

- In spite of a great cast, some of the characters were ultimately not given their due

Now, the good:
- Caretaker set the show off on a defined path that was adhered to throughout the course of the rest of its 7-season run: getting the ship and her crew home

- The vast majority of the characters had defined arcs that allowed them to grow and progress over the course of the series

- The series expanded the overall mythology of the Star Trek franchise more than any of the other installments in terms of the species and locations that it introduced over the course of its 7 seasons

- The series expanded the characterization of Q more than any of the other series in which he appeared, and also fleshed out the Q Continuum as a whole, retroactively making the character's earlier appearances work better because you know where things are headed

- The series successfully melded the serialization of Deep Space Nine with the episodic format of The Original Series and The Next Generation

- The series expanded the diversity and inclusiveness of the franchise more than any of its other installments

- Narratively, the series offered up far more good stories than it did poor stories

I could keep going, but I think I've made my point.

 

[Sophie74656]

Let's do an objective comparison, starting with the bad:
- The show didn't entirely live up to the fullest potential of its premise, 'softening' or abandoning certain elements that could've enhanced its overall serialization

- In spite of a great cast, some of the characters were ultimately not given their due

Now, the good:
- Caretaker set the show off on a defined path that was adhered to throughout the course of the rest of its 7-season run: getting the ship and her crew home

- The vast majority of the characters had defined arcs that allowed them to grow and progress over the course of the series

- The series expanded the overall mythology of the Star Trek franchise more than any of the other installments in terms of the species and locations that it introduced over the course of its 7 seasons

- The series expanded the characterization of Q more than any of the other series in which he appeared, and also fleshed out the Q Continuum as a whole, retroactively making the character's earlier appearances work better because you know where things are headed

- The series successfully melded the serialization of Deep Space Nine with the episodic format of The Original Series and The Next Generation

- The series expanded the diversity and inclusiveness of the franchise more than any of its other installments

- Narratively, the series offered up far more good stories than it did poor stories

I could keep going, but I think I've made my point.

I'm not disagreeing with this at all but I think it would be difficult to do something like this because many things are opinion

 

[DigificWriter]

None of the things I mentioned are matters of opinion; they're objective things that the series did right, and that make it worth watching - whether you're a Star Trek fan or not - if you're willing/able to accept it as-is.

Anyway, back to the subject of story arcs. I think it would be fun to try and track the exact number of specific story and character arcs that the show presents over the course of its 7-season run, either as a whole or divided by season.

 

[Sophie74656]

None of the things I mentioned are matters of opinion; they're objective things that the series did right, and that make it worth watching - whether you're a Star Trek fan or not - if you're willing/able to accept it as-is.

Anyway, back to the subject of story arcs. I think it would be fun to try and track the exact number of specific story and character arcs that the show presents over the course of its 7-season run, either as a whole or divided by season.

At the very least I think saying that the show didn't live up to it's potential is an opinion, because I think it did

 

[locutus101]

...
Anyway, back to the subject of story arcs. I think it would be fun to try and track the exact number of specific story and character arcs that the show presents over the course of its 7-season run, either as a whole or divided by season.

Yes, though I would be surprised if it hadn't already been done.

 

[DigificWriter]

At the very least I think saying that the show didn't live up to it's potential is an opinion, because I think it did

Hmm. That's both an interesting amd refreshing perspective, as even most fans of the show will generally acknowledge that there was more they could've done with the series' premise.

 

[locutus101]

Hmm. That's both an interesting amd refreshing perspective, as even most fans of the show will generally acknowledge that there was more they could've done with the series' premise.

Interestingly enough, I don't think that Voyager's first season is anywhere near as bad as TNG's or even DS9's.

 

[Sophie74656]

Hmm. That's both an interesting amd refreshing perspective, as even most fans of the show will generally acknowledge that there was more they could've done with the series' premise.

There are of course more things I wish they did with episodes and characters, but overall I am very happy with the show. It is by far my favorite

 

[locutus101]

I think they could have found a way to bring Seska back for the finale. It would have been interesting to have her back one last time.

 

[Seven of Five]

She could have played the Borg Queen instead of Alice Krige. It would have made zero sense, but it would have been awesome.

Another arc that I liked that isn't mentioned on the Memory Alpha list is the Paris/Torres relationship. Mostly it was season seven when they got married and B'Elanna fell pregnant, and there were lots of excellent moments between the two.