What season does Voyager get “good/great”?
- Thread starter EnriqueH
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I liked Voyager all the way through, but I would say Season 4 is where it got consistent.
Never, though you’ll find the odd inspired episode throughout the series.
Seasons four and five are probably the most consistent, and have some of my favourite episodes in them.
Having said that, it does remain inconsistent, though not as bad as parts of seasons two and three got.
Having said that, it does remain inconsistent, though not as bad as parts of seasons two and three got.
Yeah, I’m finding that, while I’m enjoying Voyager, I do find the episodes inconsistent. It’s enjoyable as a sort of Star Trek lite, but it doesn’t seem to be packing the emotional punch of TNG and DS9, but then those shows ALSO took a couple of seasons to get going so I’m viewing Voyager with a bit of a forgiving attitude. But I was wondering when and if it gets really good.
Maybe I'm easy to please, but I liked it all the way through.
It's hard to judge VOYAGER seasons, at least the first 3, properly for one basic reason.
UPN.
I say this because seasons 1 and 2 had four episodes each held over to the next season, and season 3 got shortchanged by not being able to produce four more episodes because of it, which is why VOYAGER ended up with four less episodes than DS9.
An example... "PROJECTIONS" was an excellent episode, and it would likely give season 1 a better score overall by most people had it aired as produced. "THE 37's" works far better as a season ender than a premiere, which definitely would have given better closure to the season than "LEARNING CURVE".
And while I can understand the reasoning behind pushing "BASICS, PART II" back as a season premiere, leaving a cliffhanger season ending, and holding over "FLASHBACK" due to the Anniversary, they didn't have hold back "SACRED GROUND" or "FALSE PROFITS"... the former being the far better of the two. And besides, regarding "FLASHBACK", couldn't they have simply produced it in early season 3, like DS9 did with "TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS"?
(Side note regarding the episode holdovers: I remember reading that UPN did it so they can get a jump on the new season ahead of other networks. Okay, I can behind that logic. But they aired them completely out of order, mixing up both seasons.
For instance, season 2 started with a season 1, then a season 2, two season 1s, a season 2, then the last season 1. Why not just air the season 1s in a row, THEN start with season 2s? It's especially glaring here versus the season 2/3 ones because of the font change with the episode titles and credits. They really thought fans, or even casual viewers, wouldn't notice?
Then for season 3, we get... two season 2s, two season 3s, a season 2, a season 3, then a couple weeks of repeats before the last season 2 holdover.
Clearly, several episodes are already finished by the time the network wanted to jumpstart the season, so why didn't they just air them first and keep the episodes within their produced seasons? We might have gotten a full season 3 otherwise, which frankly would have made it better overall... the first and last six episodes were great, while the middle was mostly... meh. I think we would have gotten really good extra 4 episodes.)
Having said all that, here is my personal ranking...
Season 1... as aired, not bad. I feel it's better overall if you watch the produced ones heldover with season 1 instead of airdate order.
Season 2... it gets more hate than it deserves. It had some genuinely good ones... "PERSISTENCE OF VISION", "MANEUVERS", "RESISTANCE", "DEATH WISH", "ALLIANCES", "MELD", "LIFESIGNS", "DEADLOCK", "THE THAW", "TUVIX". They dabbled with arcs here, and while using the Kazon as the subject matter was a poor choice, it was a good idea because of all the STAR TREK shows, THIS is the one that should have been the most serialized. I think the series could have been even better if they just kept trying what they were doing in this season.
Season 3... personally, only season 7 is weaker than this one. I say this because we got 6 good/great episodes in the beginning... "THE CHUTE", "REMEMBER", "THE SWARM" (The Doctor story was the better of the two plots), "FUTURE'S END" two-parter, and "WARLORD"... and the 6 at the end of the season... "BEFORE AND AFTER", "REAL LIFE", "DISTANT ORIGIN", "DISPLACED", "WORST CASE SCENARIO", and "SCORPION". The middle of the season was... middling. VERY hit or miss with them.
I would say seasons 4 and 5 are the most consistent. High concepts, good stories overall for both. Introducing Seven was a great choice.
Season 6 was like a rollercoaster... really good highs, very bad lows. My favorites... "SURVIVAL INSTINCT", "TINKER TENOR DOCTOR SPY", "DRAGON'S TEETH", "ONE SMALL STEP", "BLINK OF AN EYE", and "MEMORIAL".
Season 7 just felt kind of like the middle of season 3 for me. Weakest season of the series.
I should also note that VOYAGER, with the exception of the first two seasons of TNG and DISCOVERY, went through more changes in the writers room than all other spinoff shows, particularly the ones in charge. I don't think it's a coincidence that this series feels more uneven and inconsistent than other spinoffs. That should be taken into consideration when trying to rank the show, for fairness' sake.
This post ended up being FAR longer than I expected, so please forgive the info dump.
UPN.
I say this because seasons 1 and 2 had four episodes each held over to the next season, and season 3 got shortchanged by not being able to produce four more episodes because of it, which is why VOYAGER ended up with four less episodes than DS9.
An example... "PROJECTIONS" was an excellent episode, and it would likely give season 1 a better score overall by most people had it aired as produced. "THE 37's" works far better as a season ender than a premiere, which definitely would have given better closure to the season than "LEARNING CURVE".
And while I can understand the reasoning behind pushing "BASICS, PART II" back as a season premiere, leaving a cliffhanger season ending, and holding over "FLASHBACK" due to the Anniversary, they didn't have hold back "SACRED GROUND" or "FALSE PROFITS"... the former being the far better of the two. And besides, regarding "FLASHBACK", couldn't they have simply produced it in early season 3, like DS9 did with "TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS"?
(Side note regarding the episode holdovers: I remember reading that UPN did it so they can get a jump on the new season ahead of other networks. Okay, I can behind that logic. But they aired them completely out of order, mixing up both seasons.
For instance, season 2 started with a season 1, then a season 2, two season 1s, a season 2, then the last season 1. Why not just air the season 1s in a row, THEN start with season 2s? It's especially glaring here versus the season 2/3 ones because of the font change with the episode titles and credits. They really thought fans, or even casual viewers, wouldn't notice?
Then for season 3, we get... two season 2s, two season 3s, a season 2, a season 3, then a couple weeks of repeats before the last season 2 holdover.
Clearly, several episodes are already finished by the time the network wanted to jumpstart the season, so why didn't they just air them first and keep the episodes within their produced seasons? We might have gotten a full season 3 otherwise, which frankly would have made it better overall... the first and last six episodes were great, while the middle was mostly... meh. I think we would have gotten really good extra 4 episodes.)
Having said all that, here is my personal ranking...
Season 1... as aired, not bad. I feel it's better overall if you watch the produced ones heldover with season 1 instead of airdate order.
Season 2... it gets more hate than it deserves. It had some genuinely good ones... "PERSISTENCE OF VISION", "MANEUVERS", "RESISTANCE", "DEATH WISH", "ALLIANCES", "MELD", "LIFESIGNS", "DEADLOCK", "THE THAW", "TUVIX". They dabbled with arcs here, and while using the Kazon as the subject matter was a poor choice, it was a good idea because of all the STAR TREK shows, THIS is the one that should have been the most serialized. I think the series could have been even better if they just kept trying what they were doing in this season.
Season 3... personally, only season 7 is weaker than this one. I say this because we got 6 good/great episodes in the beginning... "THE CHUTE", "REMEMBER", "THE SWARM" (The Doctor story was the better of the two plots), "FUTURE'S END" two-parter, and "WARLORD"... and the 6 at the end of the season... "BEFORE AND AFTER", "REAL LIFE", "DISTANT ORIGIN", "DISPLACED", "WORST CASE SCENARIO", and "SCORPION". The middle of the season was... middling. VERY hit or miss with them.
I would say seasons 4 and 5 are the most consistent. High concepts, good stories overall for both. Introducing Seven was a great choice.
Season 6 was like a rollercoaster... really good highs, very bad lows. My favorites... "SURVIVAL INSTINCT", "TINKER TENOR DOCTOR SPY", "DRAGON'S TEETH", "ONE SMALL STEP", "BLINK OF AN EYE", and "MEMORIAL".
Season 7 just felt kind of like the middle of season 3 for me. Weakest season of the series.
I should also note that VOYAGER, with the exception of the first two seasons of TNG and DISCOVERY, went through more changes in the writers room than all other spinoff shows, particularly the ones in charge. I don't think it's a coincidence that this series feels more uneven and inconsistent than other spinoffs. That should be taken into consideration when trying to rank the show, for fairness' sake.
This post ended up being FAR longer than I expected, so please forgive the info dump.
Exactly how I feel, and that was the intention of the writers... breather episodes, particularly during the Dominion War. DS9 was the most consistent of the shows, and it's likely due to the writing staff changing very little over the years. DS9 may be very dark, but it balances it out with very light episodes. People tend to forget that TOS got really dark at times. It just doesn't show as much because of the humor injected into episodes and the color scheme of sets/costumes overall, though that is as much a sign of the era as a creative choice.
Kirk's unborn child and wife dead ("THE PARADISE SYNDROME")... the extinction of an entire species because a probe thought they were imperfect ("THE CHANGELING")... destroying paradise to save the people by arming them ("A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR")... racism leading to the complete destruction of a people ("LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD")... trying to introduce a deadly disease to an overpopulated world ("THE MARK OF GIDEON")... killing the last member of a species, though it killed several crew and was about to kill Kirk ("THE MAN TRAP"), and that was the FIRST episode that aired. There's more, but I don't want to make another too long post.
It was a creative choice for TOS to feel like a space western, though, where bleak events occur in the context of a romanticized setting. The escapism is about going out there with great lighting and music and hope for the future most of all, whatever happens.
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This is probably a dick thing to say, but.... watch it and decide for yourself.
What is good/great is personal. You might enjoy things I don't. I might love things you hate. I know people who love all of Voyager. I don't. I adore DS9. I know Star Trek fans who despise it. Give it a shot, see what you think
What is good/great is personal. You might enjoy things I don't. I might love things you hate. I know people who love all of Voyager. I don't. I adore DS9. I know Star Trek fans who despise it. Give it a shot, see what you think
Season 2 is the best season. Lots of great episodes!
Of the first three seasons, I have to agree that season 2 is the best.
Re: Remembering season 1.
I was sad after watching the last episode of "Picard" when I realized the BORG assimilated the Sikarians. While I never liked Magistrate Gath, Harry Kim's girlfriend didn't deserve that fate.
I wonder if the BORG were lead to Sikaris because of their encounters with Voyager.
I liked Voyager all the way through and this episode is a good example of why I liked it. Janeway's dressing down of B'Elanna and Tuvok. B'Elanna realizing she had to own up to her error, Seska whispering into B'Elanna's ear like Wormtongue.
That is why Voyager has been and always will be my favorite.
I was sad after watching the last episode of "Picard" when I realized the BORG assimilated the Sikarians. While I never liked Magistrate Gath, Harry Kim's girlfriend didn't deserve that fate.
I wonder if the BORG were lead to Sikaris because of their encounters with Voyager.
I liked Voyager all the way through and this episode is a good example of why I liked it. Janeway's dressing down of B'Elanna and Tuvok. B'Elanna realizing she had to own up to her error, Seska whispering into B'Elanna's ear like Wormtongue.
That is why Voyager has been and always will be my favorite.
Agree with this in terms of consistency. 6 has some crackers in it (VOY Conspiracy, Muse, Blink of an Eye, etc.) and the last 25% of season 3 is quite strong imo, but 4 and 5 are where it's at.
I liked Voyager from the beginning and I cared more about the characters, pretty much all of them actually. I can't say that about the other shows, especially TNG which, in my opinion had the weakest characters and cast.
Voyager gets consistently good from the last six episodes of season three onward. Parts of seasons 2 and 3 are pretty rough going, despite the fact that I do enjoy the series all the way through. The show does achieve a better level of consistent quality from the end of 3 onward.
