How Do You Feel About Chakotay?

[2takesfrakes]

Personally, I like Chakotay -- in fact, he's one of my favourite characters in STAR TREK. I'd consider the character a natural leader and someone who's dependable and a good friend to those he calls his friends. And the women he's encountered were suitably impressed, as well. I like Robert Beltran's performances, as I consider him to be a very likeable actor. On the other hand ... I know, from having read and participated in this forum over time that these opinions I'm voicing here are not universal amongst you VOYAGER fans. To be Frank & Ernest, I'm hoping to be surprised by your responses.

 

[catshadowsi8]

I like him and I don't have a problem with Beltran's acting.

Chakotay seems to perform his duties well and the crew clearly like and respect him. He is a good fit with Janeway and they have a nice chemistry together (I'm not talking romantic chemistry here either).

However i suspect this thread will head south rather quickly so I hope you are ready for choppy waters. Lol

 

[plynch]

Dulls.Ville.
Wooden acting.
As in, I think he is the worst actor (just in terms of delivering lines) of any series regular in the franchise. It's almost like someone in a lesser fan film.

 

[Sophie74656]

I could take him or leave him. I don't hate him, but he was far from my favorite character. If they had killed him off i don't think i would have been upset

 

[Sophie74656]

Dulls.Ville.
Wooden acting.
As in, I think he is the worst actor (just in terms of delivering lines) of any series regular in the franchise. It's almost like someone in a lesser fan film.

I agree with this but in terms of this thread I'm trying to separate the character from the actor.

 

[Catarina]

I could have sworn you've inquired about this before.

I have a soft spot for the character. I do for people I see potential in. I know most people didn't care for him. I prefer to appreciate what he offered rather than what he didn't. I like that he wasn't aggressive but he did if he had to, if it came to it. It's nice not seeing a meat head stereo type. I did feel like he was always trying to set up camp or live in the ship forever. He was always wanting to find another avenue. He wasn't supportive as he claimed. A voice of reason, I get, but it was used a lot just as her inflexible nature was grating at times.

 

[Lynx]

My second favorite character after Kes and one of my all-time Star Trek favorites.

Great character and a great First Officer with a lot of potential, even if that potential was somewhat wasted by the writers and producers in the later part of the series.

Robert Beltran did a great job in portraying Chakotay.

 

[Kilana2]

My second favorite character after Kes and one of my all-time Star Trek favorites.

Great character and a great First Officer with a lot of potential, even if that potential was somewhat wasted by the writers and producers in the later part of the series.

Robert Beltran did a great job in portraying Chakotay.

Any scenes where Chakotay was not likeable or acted wooden wasn't Robert Beltran's fault. Sometimes the actors don't like what the writers did with their characters. I like his friendship with Janeway and his professional demeanor and his ability to adapt to a life on board a Starfleet ship without forgetting his time in the Maquis. His leadership qualities are great.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

It's also impressive how he manages to have a professional relationship with Janeway before and after "Resolutions".
The underlying sexual/emotional tension between both was nicely written and excellently played not just in this one episode but throughout the whole series. It's very easy to overact such a situation. Robert Beltran and Kate Mulgrew managed to get it exactly right. Only very few actors could have given as good a performance.

 

[Spot261]

How do I feel about Chakotay?

With my hands?

 

[Terok Nor]

He bored me. Tolerable only when Seska was around. Should've been written out along with the almost as boring Harry Kim long before Kes or any other character had their name put in the hat.

 

[Makarov]

I really like the character and the actor. Even back when the series was airing Chakotay was a favorite of mine. It's only rewatching the show years later that I can see the character had untapped potential.

I think it might have been interesting to have Chakotay not get along with Janeway more often. Scenes where they disagree are really good. He was also kind of unpredictable. In the year of Hell how he almost sides with the bad guy, I was intrigued.

I'd go as far to say I think he could have carried an entire series as the captain

 

[Kytee]

I really liked him, I think he balanced strength and compassion well.
Of all the first officers I could see him being closer to his crew, knowing each of them personally .
I appreciated how his character was spiritual and that was an important part of who he is , but didn't define him completely.

I also always felt that his actions in Caretaker were vital in setting the tone of the show with regards to the two crews working together.
He was forced to make a decision , to sacrifice his ship and take his crew to voyager. In that very moment I think he knew he was also deciding to follow Janeway.
Ideally , they would have had more time to plan how to travel together ( Assuming the Kazon werent a threat ) but things were not ideal, he had to make a choice and accept it wholeheartedly , so he did.

 

[Lynx]

I really liked him, I think he balanced strength and compassion well.
Of all the first officers I could see him being closer to his crew, knowing each of them personally .
I appreciated how his character was spiritual and that was an important part of who he is , but didn't define him completely.

I also always felt that his actions in Caretaker were vital in setting the tone of the show with regards to the two crews working together.
He was forced to make a decision , to sacrifice his ship and take his crew to voyager. In that very moment I think he knew he was also deciding to follow Janeway.
Ideally , they would have had more time to plan how to travel together ( Assuming the Kazon werent a threat ) but things were not ideal, he had to make a choice and accept it wholeheartedly , so he did.

Chakotay was smart.

He knew that the only way to get back to the Alpha Quadrant was by Voyager.
So therefore he made a logic decision, that he and his people should join the Voyager crew.
I guess that the reason for both crews starting to get along rather quickly was that his people, with the exception of a few of them, did know that Chakotay was right and they respected his decision.

 

[thribs]

He's a Maquis so I never trusted him. You just know he was binding his time to take over.

 

[Kytee]

Chakotay was smart.

He knew that the only way to get back to the Alpha Quadrant was by Voyager.
So therefore he made a logic decision, that he and his people should join the Voyager crew.
I guess that the reason for both crews starting to get along rather quickly was that his people, with the exception of a few of them, did know that Chakotay was right and they respected his decision.

completely agree, as a leader his best chance to save his crew was to join with Voyager. I think how quickly his crew integrated with star fleet also suggests that they respect him as a leader and are willing to follow him even if they might not have made the same choice if they were leading.

 

[Sophie74656]

Chakotay was smart.

He knew that the only way to get back to the Alpha Quadrant was by Voyager.
So therefore he made a logic decision, that he and his people should join the Voyager crew.
I guess that the reason for both crews starting to get along rather quickly was that his people, with the exception of a few of them, did know that Chakotay was right and they respected his decision.

That's exactly why the two crews worked together. They all knew they needed Voyager to get home and a mutiny would not get them home

 

[catshadowsi8]

He's a Maquis so I never trusted him. You just know he was binding his time to take over.

Yet he had every opportunity to do it in Equinox, and even more so in Repression where he had already taken the ship, yet he did not take advantage.

 

[Sophie74656]

Yet he had every opportunity to do it in Equinox, and even more so in Repression where he had already taken the ship, yet he did not take advantage.

Exactly. If he wanted to he could have at many points

 

[Refuge]

I like Chakotay. He has sense of calm and he doesn't have a ridiculous ego. I don't for a second feel he would have a problem leading or a problem following. Where necessary Chakotay is a conscience.

Regards the actor. He's a good looking man, but it's that twinkle in the eye that gets me.