VOY relationship arcs: actual and potential

[cosmic mouse]

...inspired partly by this thread, but also by a couple of side conversations that have started in other threads since I joined this board last summer:

So, the entire premise of VOY being stranded 70+ years from home probably lends itself more to the development of interpersonal relationships between the crew more than any other ST series.

Tom and B'Elanna is the most obvious of these (and probably the only one that was truly developed in a fashion that made "sense" to the audience and gave the proverbial bang for the buck...pun intended, I think).
Seven/Chakotay was thrown together towards the end of the series and, despite my personal support of it, that one could have used more development, even if the end result might not have been wholly realized anyway.
Janeway had a number of possibilities that were left unexplored, probably because she was Captain and she deemed herself unable/unworthy of a role within a relationship.

So, in the interest of drubbing up conversation about this what are some other relationships that could have worked?
What if it really is going to take more than the average crew member's lifetime to get back to the Alpha Quadrant?

Or, more generally speaking, how do you alter "crew conduct" in light of the fact that the current set might not survive/live long enough to get home?

 

[Tracy Trek]

Well, it's been a head canon of mine that if it had taken longer for them to get home, that Icheb and Naomi were a couple after they both grew up.

 

[Prax]

For Paris being such a nerd, he had the best and most developed relationships.

Paris and Kim began a genuine friendship with good chemistry in season 1, episode 1.

And of course Tom and B'elanna, which was planned before the pilot episode, and gradually worked to the end.

Tom and the Doctor- Also began in season 1, and also had great chemistry

Tom and Tuvok- Almost a bromance

Tom and Kes(for a small bit)

Tom and Janeway- They had a very believable relationship, with an interesting background.

Tom and Neelix- similar to Tom and the Doctor.

Tom and Rain Robinson- Very good romantic chemistry for a two-part episode.

Tom and Chakotay- They had their differences, and it was fun to watch them.

The more I think about it, the more impressed I am at how many solidly displayed, and ongoing interpersonal relationships came from Tom Paris.

 

[cosmic mouse]

Tom was a pretty gregarious guy... who enjoyed the finer (i.e. accessible/ relatable* low-brow fare) qualities of life. The character did come off as pretty genuine; he even offered some initial support to Seven in early season 4. That's one potential friendship that didn't really evolve at all.

*why is spellcheck telling me this is misspelled?

 

[cosmic mouse]

Well, it's been a head canon of mine that if it had taken longer for them to get home, that Icheb and Naomi were a couple after they both grew up.

And we got to see them briefly during Shattered, if memory serves. No indication of a relationship there, but also no time, as there were more pressing issues at hand.

 

[Timewalker]

Tom was a pretty gregarious guy... who enjoyed the finer (i.e. accessible/ relatable* low-brow fare) qualities of life. The character did come off as pretty genuine; he even offered some initial support to Seven in early season 4. That's one potential friendship that didn't really evolve at all.

Tom occasionally invited Seven to join recreational activities, such as taking part in a Captain Proton holodeck session and a game of ping-pong.

*why is spellcheck telling me this is misspelled?

There is no guarantee that whoever programmed your spell checker actually knew how to spell.

 

[Prax]

Spell check is my friend.
Auto correct is my most hated enemy.

 

[Refuge]

I think we were kind of expected to think relationships may have been happening off screen. Like in the 'Good Shepherd' Janeway (and us) get to see previously unremarkable crew members... in their 'natural' habitat. You have a loner (Harren) and then the other two are actually friends - Telfer and Celes.

Of the characters those that couldn't pursue real relationships of either the romantic or friendship kind relied heavily on the holodeck. Kind of makes one wonder if there were no outlet like that whether the crew would have mingled even more amongst themselves. And speaking of holograms I think Seven would have been better off with the Doctor but they did have a friendship and that counts too.

 

[cosmic mouse]

I think we were kind of expected to think relationships may have been happening off screen. Like in the 'Good Shepherd' Janeway (and us) get to see previously unremarkable crew members... in their 'natural' habitat. You have a loner (Harren) and then the other two are actually friends - Telfer and Celes.

This is true (and likely)... I would have preferred to see one or two more active relationships from more prominent crew members. That stuff doesn't always have to happen behind the scenes.

I can't agree with you on the Doc and Seven though: to me they would have been incompatible and mis-matched, although Seven's true human personality hadn't really even emerged by the series' finale, so who knows? To me the Doc would have been better with someone more sentimental/romantic and less challenging. And if they did go in that direction than the Doc shouldn't also have been her mentor... that's got problems written all over it, kind of like a teacher getting it on with one of their students. Plus the chemistry was also clearly one-sided, not unlike Janeway and Chakotay, actually.

 

[Refuge]

This is true (and likely)... I would have preferred to see one or two more active relationships from more prominent crew members. That stuff doesn't always have to happen behind the scenes.

I can't agree with you on the Doc and Seven though: to me they would have been incompatible and mis-matched, although Seven's true human personality hadn't really even emerged by the series' finale, so who knows? To me the Doc would have been better with someone more sentimental/romantic and less challenging. And if they did go in that direction than the Doc shouldn't also have been her mentor... that's got problems written all over it, kind of like a teacher getting it on with one of their students. Plus the chemistry was also clearly one-sided, not unlike Janeway and Chakotay, actually.

The Doctor and Seven did have that mentor, challenging pupil dynamic. I love that episode where he inhabits her being and pigs out on cheesecake. It's kind of sweet at the end where she sits with him and describes sharing a meal. I guess though he ultimately was shown in Endgame to have a human partner 'Voyager' had to walk a line of having such a impacting character (like him or not) as the Doctor who was still a hologram. It would be a big call for a human to commit to that. Kes was always rather caring of him.

I actually thought early Voyager days Kes and Tom were going to be a couple and Chakotay and B'Elanna.

 

[cosmic mouse]

@Refuge I agree on the cheesecake ep . That was hilarious and kind of cute. Ryan especially was fantastic in that one.
Also, I can see Tom and Kes early on, not so sure about Chak and Belanna , but there maybe was some kind of vibe there , even briefly, during the first season.

 

[Tracy Trek]

Chak and Belanna , but there maybe was some kind of vibe there , even briefly, during the first season.

I know she had a fantasy about him. But after that, I felt like he was sort of a surrogate father for her.