Voyager: The Show that Changed My Mind About Star Trek

As a kid, I always saw my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and parents watching Star Trek.  I was never super into it because, of course, I wanted to be a kid and play.  However, this type of exposure to the show made me think of it as boring and not worth my time.  I even made it a point to not watch any of the Start Trek movies or TV shows.  Then I tried watching Star Trek: Voyager at the recommendation of a friend of mine.  At first, I was super reluctant to watch this infamously “nerdy” show, but then I gave it a chance and it grew on me.  In fact, now I absolutely adore Star Trek and have now watched most of the series available and am currently working on Next Generation.  How did Voyager change my mind?  Well, the same way it could change any other Star Trek hater.  Find out below!

**Spoiler Alert!**

The starship Voyager

First, let me give you a brief overview of Voyager’s plot.  The Starship Voyager was built for the purpose of short-term exploration and scientific discovery; it was not really meant to be away from a starbase too long.  In this starship is a crew that is expecting to be away from home only for a short time on a mission to apprehend some Maquis rebels, when they and the ship of the outlaws they are chasing are hurdled across the galaxy. They are so far away, it would take over 70 years at top speed to get back home.  While in what is called the Delta Quadrant, they befriend the outlaws and welcome them into the crew because the outlaws’ ship is destroyed, leaving them nowhere else to go.  Throughout the series, the crew of the Voyager struggles to get along and stay alive while they desperately try to get home.  The journey is arduous and deadly, but the crew strives to maintain their professionalism and humanity, which ultimately works to their benefit.

To say the least, the story that guides this show is brilliant, but I won’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything for people who haven’t seen the show.  :)

So, what were some of my reasons for liking the show?  For one, the characters are sooooo well-developed and relatable that, by the end of the show, you feel like you’re a part of the Voyager’s crew.  It takes a lot for a show to do something that big, too.  And I think the show accomplished this because of the likability of the characters written into the script and portrayed by the right actors.  The directing must have been good too, because the man cast really knew what to do to properly convey the purpose of the series.  

Specifically, some characters that I really loved were The Doctor, Seven of Nine, Captain Kathryn Janeway, and Tuvak.  The Doctor is a hologram without a name who was unfortunately cast into the role as the ship’s permanent doctor when the humanoid doctor for the ship died in transit to the Delta Quadrant.  The Doctor has a horrid bedside manner and has a hard time with understanding his humanoid patients.  And, folks, he ends up being an absolutely hilarious character.  There are a few episodes focused on the opera-loving Doctor as he tries to understand what it means to be a hologram in the humanoid world. His journey is a pretty cool one to watch.

Seven of Nine: Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix Zero One

Then there is Seven of Nine, who was added to Voyager’s crew after a run-in with the Borg.*  Having been assimilated at the age of 8, all Seven knew was the Borg life.  So, when the Voyager crew managed to turn her human again, she had no idea where to start.  Seven goes through many challenges as she searches out an answer to the question, “What does it mean to be human?”  Her battle with unknown, human emotions is a fascinating analysis of what it means to be ripped away, both culturally and mentally, from one’s own species.  Overall, she’s a very well-written character portrayed by a very fitting actress who does a great job personifying such a complex character.

Next, is Captain Kathryn Janeway, and holy cow, she is awesome!  If you love a strong female character, here she is.  Janeway is a career-driven woman who ends up becoming something of a mother figure for the displaced crew of her ship.  She risks her life continually for her crew and ends up being the reason why Voyager was actually able to make it home in the end.  She’s also just generally intelligent and personable, which makes her the ideal leader for the Voyager.  I feel like this character did so much to really make me realize that Star Trek has been consistently ahead of its time when it comes to giving all types of people—male and female alike—equal treatment and equal opportunity at playing a big role in the futuristic world of Starfleet.

Captain Kathryn Janeway

Another character I thought was done well is Tuvok.  Tuvok is a Vulcan man who has no choice but to be away from his wife and children as he is trapped in the Delta Quadrant.  Although this might be emotional for some, Tuvok maintains his muted Vulcan emotions as the series progresses, which actually provides for some quality humor.  Tuvok’s character adds a lot to the show as a whole as he is a mentor to many; often being a rock of support for the entire crew, especially the captain.

Tuvok

Other characters were fantastic too, such as Harry Kim, Tom Paris, and B’elanna Torres, but I mentioned the ones above because they stood out to me in a significant manner.

In addition to the great character development was also the interesting nature of the storyline.  Voyager gives us a new place to explore that has not been seen in any other Star Trek series.  This makes the experience of watching the show very unique since you are introduced to various new species in the Star Trek universe that are not shown anywhere else.  

My rating out of 10: I give this show a 7/10 because it has amazing characters, a great storyline, and is just cool.  I took a few points off because I don’t feel that it is a perfect show and, occasionally, there are some really weird episodes.  Overall, I feel like this show does something other series don't do—develop characters so well that the viewers feel like they are part of the cast.  This was a one-of-a-kind show, even when compared to the other Star Trek series.

Thanks for reading!  Ciao for now.

Corey Cherrington

*The Borg is a collective of biological, weaponized drones (humanoids), each of which has no choice but to relinquish all trace of individuality and personal freedom when they are forcibly “assimilated” into the collective.  They are perhaps the most frightening, mysterious villains in all of Star Trek.