Discuss Star Trek: Voyager
Discuss → TV Shows → Star Trek: Voyager → General
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 Steve
on March 23, 2022 at 7:36 AM
On to deep into season 5. Some real good sci fi here and some big stinkers. The anti-me-too episode was embarrassing. And then last night the episode I was actually enjoying because it's so different went sideways. The plot is Janeway researches her family tree and finds out about her supposed relative from 400 years ago helped start jumpstart the space program. In the year 2000, she meets a guy (at least ten years too old for her) at a bookshop. The episode came out in 1999 but she correctly predicts the Y2K Bug was nothing to worry about! What's bad for a refreshingly real-looking on location episode is these evil developers are buying up and closing small businesses in this nice downtown area to build a Space Needle/mall?? And Grandma Janeway takes the side of John Carrol Lynch's evil developers instead of the small business the love of her life cherishes. My goodness.
Overall it's funny to see most episodes focus on Seven and the Doctor, even having the doctor fall in love with Seven. Two things I don't get: The fake Paris and Torres get married but it's a fake out and they're aliens. But it seems like they are married now? Did I miss the real wedding?? Also explain the science of the Doctor being beamed everywhere when they could just upload his program where ever?
oh and the George Costanza episode... oh boy.
Reply by Knixon
on March 31, 2022 at 12:39 AM
There are ample reasons to skip Space: 1999 although the sets and effects were way ahead of anything else for the times. But "cheesiness" aside - purple wigs, etc - you shouldn't skip UFO. They had some pretty amazing stories.
Reply by Steve
on March 31, 2022 at 12:42 AM
I did try Space 1999. The show just isn't consistant with story and characters. I really want to love it! OK. I will add UFO to the top of my stack.
Voyager actually is humming along nicely in Season 6. A few stinker episodes -- more dissing of the IRISH from Star Trek! But some really good stories.
Reply by Knixon
on March 31, 2022 at 2:54 AM
Let's try this again. I'm not sure if I didn't actually post it correctly before, or if it got removed for some reason. (If comments are being removed, there should be explanations given.)
I think it was a mistake to include the "spoiler-filled" opening in the first episode of UFO, it's been a long time now but I'd hope that when it was actually aired, they didn't use the intro until the second episode. So when I point people to youtube, I make it skip that part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1XOacWCbuo&t=78s
Reply by bratface
on March 31, 2022 at 3:43 AM
I don't remember ever watching it but what is in the intro that is a spoiler?
Reply by Steve
on March 31, 2022 at 3:48 AM
that's one hell of a teaser open!
Reply by Knixon
on March 31, 2022 at 4:02 AM
If I tell you before you watch it, that's also a spoiler.
Reply by bratface
on March 31, 2022 at 4:10 AM
I have NO plans to watch it, too cheese bally!
Reply by Knixon
on March 31, 2022 at 4:18 AM
Well you can just go to the start of the youtube video, don't skip to 78 seconds as in the url I posted. But I think in terms of people first seeing the show, the way things are revealed in the first episode is better than seeing it all in the intro.
And if you never saw it, how do you know it's too cheese bally? Some of the accoutrements might be, 50 years later, but as I mentioned earlier, the stories are a different... well, a different story! Rather like original Trek, actually...
Reply by bratface
on March 31, 2022 at 4:37 AM
I did watch the intro & I'm just confused as to what you consider a spoiler.
I didn't watch OST, old Doctor Who, most sci-fi from the 60s, 70s, 80s, etc., because of the cheese ball/cornball acting, effects, etc. I was born in the early 50s so it's not because I'm only used to seeing wham-bam really cool special effects. I just couldn't get past how really awful they were. And of course, that is just MY opinion.
Reply by Knixon
on March 31, 2022 at 4:49 AM
Well, Steve, don't read this if you haven't seen the episode yet!
The spoilers are that they show Skydiver, Moonbase, etc, before the "alien menace" has even been discovered within the show.
Reply by Steve
on April 1, 2022 at 12:34 AM
Yeah. Jeri Ryan was probably just brought on board for the sex factor, but she's great (and even better in Picard {ducks around Trekkie trolls}. I actually think Mulgrew got better in season 6. She's probably the most no-nonsense captain. I really didn't like when TNG got all buddy buddy near the end -- always using first names. Never any chain of command. Anyway, loving it at season 6.
Reply by wonder2wonder
on April 1, 2022 at 1:00 AM
Love Seven & Raffi and Stealing a Police Car.
Reply by Steve
on April 1, 2022 at 1:41 AM
Yeah. The Star Trek 4 vibes crack me up. Even the same guy playing his music loud on the bus. As far as the car chase goes there was zero reason to have one. It was just fun to watch.
Reply by Steve
on April 1, 2022 at 6:54 AM
OK. Watching a Voyager episode right now with The Rock and Star-Trek-permanent-guest-star Jeffrey Combs. Heat up the popcorn!