Often the subject of disagreement, Voyager is talked about poorly by some and praised by others. Seeing plenty of posts about it here. Well ya know - I think Voyager is underrated.

That show took risks. They ran some stories that were just risky in terms of writing and production - sometimes it was a hit, sometimes a stinker. That’s why it has some amazing episodes and some really really stupid ones, because they were willing to take a chance on something uncertain. And I respect that, too many shows these days feel like the same recycled crap because television has become so risk-averse and they’re not willing to take a chance on something that might turn out dumb.

So we got ones like the infamous warp 10 episode, and those are remembered as cases where the show got really dumb. But as an example, Seven of Nine could’ve completely bombed that show. Yes it looked like they were bringing on a bimbo for sex appeal, and they absolutely could’ve went that route with her. Fans might’ve hated the change no matter what. I mean, that’s a big deal, losing a main character and adding a new one - shows don’t always survive that.

 

Also there are things I notice from a production standpoint. From reading about the making of TNG, one thing I remember is them talking about never wanting to damage the costumes or get them dirty, or damage the set. That increases their production costs, cheaper to just not do that.

But Voyager does this all the time. Uniforms are always getting burned and torn, Neelix spills things on his shirt, the bridge is shown being blown up or completely transformed. All the times they have smoke inside there, there’s something with water, parts are broken off - that’s something they had to clean up for the next episode. If they show burn marks on the captain’s chair, that means they’ll have to be cleaned or the whole prop replaced, at the risk of it not being identical or impossible to fix.

 

So the point is - respect for taking those risks. Didn’t always land, but plenty of them did.

  • astromd@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    I really enjoyed Voyager and still watch episodes regularly. For me it was the idea of being so far from the “known universe” and what that would be like.

  • Jesoko@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    I love Voyager. It’s one of my go to’s to watch, and when asked, I will always say Janeway is my captain.

    But I’m also a Star Trek: Enterprise apologist, so i might be easily pleased.

  • Sherri W (SyntaxSeed)@phpc.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    @catshit_dogfart Voyager was my main Trek when I was younger and will always be my favourite. Janeway was awesome, and it’s location in the Delta quadrant, far from Starfleet, made for some unique story opportunities.

    When Seven was introduced, I was already bitter about the move Sliders made to remove a beloved character and bring on a hot woman, so I was really upset that Voyager did the same. But grew to love the character over time.

    Voyager was fantastic & made me a Trek fan.

    #StarTrek

    • GoatTnder@startrek.website
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      2 years ago

      I’m still really sad that Kes was written off. Got no problem with Seven, but Kes was a good character on her own.

      But, Neelix was pretty crap until Kes was removed from the show. Without her to be constantly jealous of, Neelix finally started to be useful and interesting.

      • Shut_up_Wesley@startrek.website
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        2 years ago

        I think the character of Kes was very poorly written. It limited the acting range of Jennifer Lien, which is only really given a chance to shine in the episode Warlord.

  • crowebear@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    I’m watching through it now for the first time (I already worked through TNG and DS9). I’m liking it a lot more than I expected, given what I’d heard about it. I really like the premise, and Janeway is a badass. Plus even the characters that others don’t seem to like as much, I enjoy. I’m about halfway through season 4 and I have noticed a drastic increase in quality of the episodes too, lots of cool stuff going on, and Seven is awesome. I started calling Janeway Insaneway in my head after a couple of stunts she’s done.

  • shirro@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    I liked Voyager a lot the first few times. We used to binge it on VHS box sets. There are good and bad episodes like any series. The cast generally do well with what they are given and the design and production quality of the show for its time is excellent. Some of the characters get less development than they could have and the technobabble is often overdone but the show was unfairly treated by a lot of the star trek fandom then and now.

    • @mastodon.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      2 years ago

      I grew up with Voyager and it holds a special place in my heart. I think it was a show of high highs and low lows, compared to other Treks. I wish they had the bravery to serialize it the way DS9 was.

  • AllonzeeLV@vlemmy.net
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    I totally agree. Voyager is what got me really into Trek. It really set the tone that it’s easy/easier to live by the high minded, aspirational values of the federation when resources are abundant to infinite, but Voyager showed us that those values just as important if not moreso in the darkness.

    And let’s be honest, Sisko didn’t really even seem to subscribe to those values, so DS9 wasn’t similar in that regard.

  • gingerrich@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    I’ve been ploughing through Trek since April and am finally at season 6 of Voyager. While it is better than I remember it’s still my second least favourite Trek so far. Some really good episodes but the ratio of stinkers and/or just plain boring ones seems very high and I am finding it a real stamina battle.

  • StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    In my view, having rewatched Voyager again decades after first run, the show not only took successful risks in several episodes like the Demon duology or The Thaw, it has some ‘best ever’ episodes for employing some classic Star Trek tropes.

    At the time, I suspect some fans focused on the ‘not new idea’ more than ‘did it better than’ but at this point it’s fairly clear.

    For fans who came to Voyager first (including our kids), the original TOS and TNG episodes that Voyager built upon just seem weak by comparison.

    More, when SNW does something similar, people are viewing these kind of episodes from the perspective of how well done within a type rather than criticizing them for reworking a trope.

  • hellswaters@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    One of the issues I think voyager faced is trek fatigue.

    That was at a time where major overarching universes were not a thing. People were not use to a universe being on the air as much as it was. Then fans were upset because how dare it have a female captain. Mix in a lot of other sci Fi on tv, voyager was in a tough spot.

    Today I think fans are seeing it for what it was supposed to be. You can put it on and enjoy an episode while on your phone. No need to overly focus, no huge plot lines. Just what rank is Tom that season.

  • Notscii@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    Voyager got me into star trek. Whilst it’s not my go-to to rewatch, I find myself thinking about it more often than any other show. The “cut off from rest of human civilization” is just too good.

  • KIM_JONG_JUICEBOX@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    What are episodes people think are dumb?

    I think the last seasons the writers really had some fun and the actors must have loved those.

    • catshit_dogfart@startrek.websiteOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      2 years ago

      Let’s see, I don’t remember episode titles but from memory:

      • The one where Harry Kim is having visions of a planet full of hot desperate women who want him for a mate

      • The one where they’re on a prison colony and Chakotay has to fight The Rock. And this was before Dwayne Johnson’s film career really took off.

      • The one where they go Warp 10 and devolve into lizard creatures. The lizard versions of Tom Paris and Janeway have lizard babies.

      • The one where Janeway falls in love with a holodeck character

      • The one where Kes comes back and she’s evil

      It’s a real mixed bag. Sometimes you swing and you miss, and I respect them for even giving these stories a chance. Also I rather like Tuvix.

      • z500@startrek.website
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        edit-2
        2 years ago

        With Threshold I always was mildly impressed with how they made a point that evolution doesn’t necessarily mean that a species will become super advanced somehow. That they evolved “in-place” instead of over generations is still a pretty bonkers misunderstanding of evolution that they always fall for, but I guess watching them turn into lizards over the next several decades probably wouldn’t make the best TV lol

  • daq@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 years ago

    As I read though your post, I realized there’s similarities to the Star Wars Prequels. They were hated at the time probably for the same reasons you mentioned, it was different, new things were added that the older and louder fans didn’t like, but as time went on, those people quit complaining so much and people realized there was a lot to enjoy… I guess some things just need time.

    • OpticalData@startrek.websiteM
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      2 years ago

      Interestingly it was almost an opposite phenomenon, Voyager was widely liked at the time but became less popular as serialised TV shows took off.

      It’s now coming back again as people are getting a bit burned out by everything having to have a season long plot line

      • Leer10@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        2 years ago

        I think that’s what I really liked about DS9 and what happened in Enterprise that I wish could’ve happened with Voyager: front loaded with unserialized episodes but then the final seasons having some real stakes, strong character growth, and a big story to bring the series to a close.

  • spock0001@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    Probably an unpopular opinion but I quite liked season 1 of voyager with the kazon. Had a bit of an exotic wild west feel.

    • OpticalData@startrek.websiteM
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      2 years ago

      It always amuses me that Seasons 1&2 had the most serialisation, but are often the least liked by the same people that complain the show wasn’t serialised enough

      • Corgana@startrek.website
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        2 years ago

        I really like the “vibe” of seasons 1&2. The writing and characters were still finding their footing, but I loved the feeling of wild exploration and risk-taking. Very TOS.