[DigificWriter]

I just finished Tuvix, and am probably the only Voyager fan in history to make the statement I'm about to make: I don't think Janeway's decision was controversial. Now that I've made that ballsy statement, let me explain it.

I believe that she faced, essentially, the same basic decision faced by any person who has ever had to make a decision regarding the usage and/or removal of life support, and see absolutely no controversy in that kind of decision.

It's hard to say whether or not a Federation court of law would've agreed with the decision from a moral standpoint, but I have a hard time believing that such a court would have legally punished her for the decision.

[DigificWriter]

I've been trying to avoid double-posting because I know it's somewhat against the rules, but wanted to post an in-depth analysis of Voyager's first two seasons as I started the third, as well as some thoughts on Basics, Part 2.

Others may vehemently disagree, but I think Voyager starts off incredibly strongly, particularly if you watch its first two seasons in the correct order with Season 1 consisting of Caretaker, Parallax, Time and Again, Phage, The Cloud, Eye of the Needle, Ex Post Facto, Emanations, Prime Factors, State of Flux, Heroes and Demons, Cathexis, Faces, Jetrel, Learning Curve, Projections, Elogium, Twisted, and The 37s and Season 2 consisting of Initiations, Non-Sequitur, Partuition, Persistence of Vision, Tattoo, Cold Fire, Maneuvers, Resistance, Prototype, Death Wish, Alliances, Threshold, Meld, Dreadnought, Lifesigns, Investigations, Deadlock, Innocence, The Thaw, Tuvix, Resolutions, and Basics, Part 1.

I also think that if you compare Voyager's second season to that of its immediate predecessor, DS9, and successor, Enterprise, it comes out as the second-best of the three overall, with Threshold being the only episode of it to be considered bad by most people (an opinion that, as noted, I don't share). Enterprise's second season has some very good episodes in it, but I feel like it sort of loses momentum in a few places, something that I don't think happens with either DS9 or Voyager.

Another strength of Voyager Season 2 for me is that it starts and ends with the Kazon and with Chakotay-centric stories, which lets its serialized elements really shine. Basics, Part 1 is also a really well-written finale that ends with the perfect cliffhanger.

As good as Basics P1 is, though, Basics P2 surpasses it, IMO, evoking memories of the ending of BSG's second season and the beginning of its third season, and also providing Brad Dourif a chance to really shine as Suder, who, for me, was one of the show's better recurring characters even though he only appeared in 3 episodes.

[Chris]

Honestly, when it was originally airing, I found the first season of Voyager a bit hard to get into. The storylines often seemed a bit dark, and I found the tension amongst the crew a bit off putting. In hindsight I can realize that it was necessary and natural for a crew in that predicament.

[DigificWriter]

After finishing Basics P2 and Sacred Ground, both of which I greatly enjoyed, I decided to watch TNG Season 3's The Price as a prelude to False Profits and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as a prelude to Flashback, and would definitely recommend doing so to everybody else even if you've already seen them (I hadn't). I also just finished The Chute, and found that watching it more or less on the heels of TUC really enhanced it as well because I picked up a lot of parallels between what Tom and Harry go through in the Akritirian 'Chute Prison' and what Kirk and McCoy went through on Rura Penthe.

[Chris]

hmm ... I never would have thought of those parallels. It's good to know that you found the storylines nicely dovetailed into each other.

[DigificWriter]

I just finished Remember, the Brannan Braga/ Joe Menosky-conceived episode featuring the Enarans that was originally developed for TNG, and have to say that I wholly agree with Menosky that the episode works a lot better as a B'Elanna-centric Voyager episode than it would have as a Deanna-centric TNG episode.

Had it been a TNG episode, it would've been far less effective as a narrative because it would've been just one of many episodes of its type. As a Voyager episode, though, it stands out as being unique.

[Chris]

I didn't realize that they had revamped episodes from another series. Interesting.

[DigificWriter]

I just finished the Future's End 2-parter, and have a few observations, one continuity-related, one concerning something that I really wish the PTBs had gone ahead with, and one related to the similarities between it and the TNG episode A Matter of Time.

There is a bit of a continuity discrepancy between these two episodes and its Season 6 sequel Relativity with regards to Braxton, but I can understand what the thinking probably was at the time: the character was a one-off guest star and they were more than likely wanting to tie things up neatly and concisely.

My second observation has to with Sarah Silverman's character of Rain Robinson and what I think was a major missed opportunity and something that Brannon Braga really ought to have pushed for, which was to bring her aboard the show as either a regular or recurring character. She would've added a very unique dynamic to the series even in a semi-recurring capacity, and it would've been neat so see her romance with Tom play itself out and how it might've factored into the development of his and B'Elanna's relationship (which they'd already started to hint at in The Swarm).

Finally, I've always enjoyed the TNG Season 5 episode A Matter of Time, and therefore thought it was neat that Future's End is basically the Voyages version of that episode, but with more content added.

Edited to add something (11/1/13): I was reposting my viwing order(s) on another site, and noticed something I hadn't before: According to its Stardate, Course: Oblivion takes place BEFORE Dark Frontier despite being produced after it and should be re-ordered accordingly.

[Chris]

Glad to hear that you continue to enjoy your rewatch.

[DigificWriter]

I'm starting to find that, contrary to my own conclusions, there are several instances where, based on various factors, it seems like the PTBs aired certain episodes out of their correct/proper order when, in fact, they didn't. In addition to the instances I've already documented, it has happened with Fair Trade, Alter Ego, Coda, and Blood Fever.

It might seem as if the fact that I keep having my conclusions proven wrong would invalidate the stuff I've been saying re: Voyager being a 'Serialized Procedural' and having much more continuity and serialization than it is perceived to, but it in fact does the opposite and bolsters that argument because it shows that the PTBs weren't just randomly airing eps out of order and that they were paying attention to how things needed to play themselves out even if it might seem otherwise.

[Chris]

It's good to be able to re-evaluate first impressions.

I totally agree with you about the continuity in the show.

[DigificWriter]

I've finished all of Season 3 and the first two episodes of Season 4 now, and have to say that it is during these 28 episodes that it really becomes apparent Just how much of a Serialized Procedural the show actually is, as 21 (Basics Part 2, Sacred Ground, The Swarm, Future's End Parts 1 and 2, Warlord, Macrocosm, Fair Trade, Alter Ego, Coda, Blood Fever, Unity, Darkling, Before and After, Real Life, Distant Origin, Displaced, Worst Case Scenario, Scorpion Parts 1and 2, and The Gift) of those 28 episodes are directly or indirectly related or connected to one another in ways that make it imperative that they be watched in the proper sequence.

The remaining 7 episodes also help add to the show's overall 'narrative tapestry', but don't feature the level of interconnectivity that the other 21 eps in this stretch do.

BTW, one interesting thing about viewing this stretch of the show is that I very much consider the Borg as a whole to be one of my favorite recurring aspects of Star Trek and Seven of Nine to be one of my favorite characters not just in Voyages but in all of Star Trek, but I had never actually seen the species' debut in Voyager or Seven's 2-part debut (Scorpion P2 and The Gift) before.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by DigificWriter (View Post) Seven of Nine to be one of my favorite characters not just in Voyages but in all of Star Trek,

Interesting. I always enjoyed Seven, especially her interactions with the EMH and Janeway. To me, the writers did a nice job showing her embracing her humanity and learning to fit in with the crew. Overall though, I've seen a lot of people cite Seven as their least favourite character.

[DigificWriter]

You must run in different Trek fandom circles than I do, because, on another Trek-centric board I frequent, there's a poll running right now asking people's opinions on Seven and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

As an aside, I'm only about halfway through Part 1 of the Year of Hell 2-parter, but, so far, the episode has been the perfect example of the things I've been saying re: Voyager's continuity and serialization. Thus far, we've seen every single specific detail that we learned about the YoH from Before and After (the loss of Sickbay, the Mess Hall becoming a triage center, the chronoton torpedo lodged in the Jeffries Tube on Deck 11, the nature of B'Elanna's injuries) realized in some fashion, even if things play out differently than they did in that earlier episode; if the show didn't have continuity or serialization, this kind of symmetry wouldn't be present to the degree that it is.

[Chris]

As I said, I enjoyed her but I've seen a lot of comments about her just being a ploy to attract the male audience.