Discuss Star Trek: Voyager
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rewatch thoughts
posted by SteveSTAFFMOD on February 18, 2022 at 5:28 AM
Over the past couple of years I've been watching all the Star Trek shows. After Voyager it's back to TOS.
But Voyager: It isn't as bad as I remembered. The first season was strong compared to DS9 and TNG. I'm almost done with S2 and you can see the issues. Neelix is so annoying, but I think he's OK as the cook. I just don't like that they use him as the expert for all alien races encountered. And Kes I think could have been the heart and soul of the show but they just didn't know what to do with her. She's pretty much Nurse Chapel with less lines in S2. I wish somehow she was the alien race advisor instead of the cook. Torres and Chakotay could have been great characters but they don't seem to have too much to do -- their romance would be cool (I don't know if this happens.) Chakotay and the crewmember that turns out a traitor was pretty decent. Janeway is amazing. The doctor is just as great. The vulcan is played well but has nothing interesting to do. The conflict between the Marque and Federation is interesting but having them all wear Starfleet uniforms makes it hard to tell who's from what team. Ship conflicts and survival lost in space was done better in the Battlestar reboot -- it never really feels like they're just hanging on.
I know some big changes are coming but so far a satisfying Star Trek show. I think the main beef is the cast doesn't connect as friends like other ST series.
The video quality on Paramount + is SD and some of the transfers are just plain bad. Considering ST is a tent pole for their service they'd at least get better transfers of the shows. Not looking for a whole upgrade but at least make it better than VHS quality -- which it looks like at times.
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 5:42 AM
I much preferred Voyager over the others. It is on every night on the H & I channel, along with all the others, starting at 8:00 pm (pacific time).
So you have forgotten that Torres & Paris marry & have a child?
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 5:55 AM
I think I didn't get that far into the series back in the day it first aired! Paris is a good character but I really would have rather it be Torres and C. Torres is so attractive it's annoying her alien bumps. They did a much better balance of alien/human makeup with 7 of 9. Another bummer about the show is they had to create all new aliens because of their circumstances. They do bring a few of the classic aliens back but not enough for my taste.
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 5:59 AM
Also in the tradition of annoying "name" guest stars on Treks, Joel Grey as the crazy lonely father is unbearable.
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 6:39 AM
Sorry, didn't mean to spoil it for you. I remember back then people wanted Chakotay & Janeway to get together.
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 7:38 AM
You're right of course. 90s shows didn't really let strong female leads have relationships but Janeway and him I totally see. That would have been the best. I really like the premise of this ST as far as running story but I can't help but think it was about 15 years too early.
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 7:51 AM
It gets a lot of flack from the people who call themselves ST 'purists'. I personally hated TOS, too campy & Shatners scenery-chewing was beyond annoying. I was a fan of NG after they settled in, although I wasn't a fan of Riker, too pompous! I liked DS9 for the most part but what seemed to me the endless war with the Dominion got to me & I stopped watching for a while. Enterprise was so 'off & on', it's no wonder it failed. There would be a couple of good episodes, then a string of bad ones, then a few good ones. It just wasn't consistent.
As for Janeway & Chakotay. They almost got together a couple of times but Janeway always stopped things because 'it wouldn't be right because I'm your captain'. 🙄
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 7:56 AM
Well when I was young TOS was all we had so it holds a special place. If that didn't work we wouldn't have had anything else. As for Enterprise, after binging, I realized the people that said stick with it because it gets better were wrong. It was all hit and misses. Agree about DS9 and TNG -- but I will say TNG was not very good. Certainly not worthy of the praise it gets. Number One with his trombone, good lord. When Harry Kim played a clarinet during S2 I went, "no. not again!" Picard with is flute. Ugh.
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 8:07 AM
I'm not sure how old you are but I'll bet I'm older than you? I was a teenage girl when TOS came out & wasn't really interested in space, etc.
Lost in Space came out a full season before ST, didn't you watch that?
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 9:04 AM
OK. I think you're older. I did watch Lost in Space (and the Netflix reboot is just fine, BTW) but on repeats along with ST and Space 1999 -- which was in it's original run. After all that Star Wars happened.
Doctor Smith was great but the stories didn't do it for me. I do like that they killed Billy Mummy in DS9, and had him on Babylon 5 (which is as close to ST as you can get)
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 9:48 AM
I was born in the early 50s. I didn't really watch LIS either. I was looking at TV shows that were around in 1966/1967 & honestly I really didn't watch a lot that was on TV then. Probably, The Monkees, That Girl, maybe Bewitched?
I did like Babylon 5 but my favorite 'space' shows from the late 90s & early 2000s were the Stargate franchise (except the last one, Universe).
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 9:54 AM
never seen the Stargate shows. I kind of lump them with Highlander and other cheese. Lol.
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 10:46 AM
Stargate SG-1 was far from cheesy, neither was Atlantis. You should give them a try if you can.
Reply by Steve
on February 18, 2022 at 10:48 AM
Adding them to my list (avoiding UFO and Space 1999 which I have been kicking down the road)!
Reply by bratface
on February 18, 2022 at 10:54 AM
Now those ones are pure cheese, along with early Doctor Who.
Start with SG-1, then if you like the series, watch SG: Atlantis (there was some crossover between SG-1 & Atlantis at the beginning of Atlantis), SG: Universe was just doom & gloom through both seasons (40 episodes).
Reply by Steve
on March 9, 2022 at 6:18 AM
I've gotten to Season 4 with 7 of 9. Fascinating. First, I can just imagine the frustration of Kate Mulgrew who, with the Doctor, where the breakout stars so far. Mulgrew made it clear she didn't want to be sexual, and even threw away the falsies in her bra early on in the show (apparently all Star Trek shows up to and including Enterprise had the woman enhance their breast sizes. DS9 added Leeta for the same kind of "sex appeal" bump(s) for the same reason I bet. Not to mention Tasha Yar's sister in TNG. At least she only did one episode. But the space cat suit is so dated and really you probably got diminishing returns for ratings. Producers just went ahead and made a 7 of 9 Vulcan for Enterprise and she just never caught on) So anyway, with Mulgrew making sure she's not sexual and B'Elanna Torres being angry -- and made hard to look at with that bad makeup-- there was no sex appeal on the show. Well I guess for the hunky second in command and cute Kes.
Anyway, Kes leaves just as 7 of 9 joins. Showing off her amazing body. It seemed to light a fire under Mulgrew who somehow is even better as the Captain after she appears. And, to be quite clear, Jeri Ryan is very good in the part. The scenes between 7 and the Captain shows a real chemistry between characters. Tom Paris is gaining some weight in Season 4, the doctor's role is greatly increased. The comic relief cook is now just the guy that gives sage advice at the mess hall. So far, all or most of the episodes seem to be about 7 or the doctor -- and I'm not complaining. I just imagine the cast must have been more than a bit annoyed by what was happening.