This article mentions suicide.
Star Trek: Voyageris filled with great episodes, but ten stand out among the rest. Sure, likeevery season ofStar Trek: Voyager, there are a few duds in the show’s second run. However,Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Janewayand her crew had really started to hit their stride as having a story worth telling by the time ofStar Trek: Voyagerseason 2, and the ten best episodes are largely examples of how fun and weird the show was capable of being.
Ofall theStar TrekTV shows,Star Trek: Voyagerwas just the fourth to be made in live-action, so it was under pressure to perform as well as its predecessors. Although the show is incredibly popular these days, that wasn’t always the case. Thankfully, theStar Trek: Voyagercastwas able to carry on and end the story on its own terms after 7 seasons. Although the show’s inaugural run included some strong episodes,Star Trek: Voyagerseason 2 was the beginning of Janeway’s era of the franchise coming into its own.
10"Threshold"
Episode 15 is still a cause of much debate among Voyager fans
“Threshold” has earned a bit of a reputation over the years for being a pretty ridiculous episode. As such,Star Trek: Voyagerfans have developed something of a love/hate relationship with the story. However, I think it has been unfairly maligned.It’s not just a great Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) episode, but it’s also built around a fascinating concept of trying to reach the fabled speed of warp factor 10.
It has all the elements of a greatStar Trekstory, and only arguably falls down when it’s revealed that Paris is slowly evolving due to his warp 10 experiments.
It has all the elements of a greatStar Trekstory, and only arguably falls down when it’s revealed that Paris is slowly evolving due to his warp 10 experiments. Having said that,the process of Paris' gradual evolution is fascinating, and it’s actually the fact that Paris pulls Janeway down that same path and procreates with her when they’re alien salamanders that Trekkies tend to turn away from the installment. Regardless, it’s a great watch, and the relative success of warp 10 briefly offers the ship hope of a speedy trip home.
9"Twisted"
Episode 6 is Voyager’s creative take on a TV tradition
BecauseStar Trek: Voyageris part of such a sprawling franchise that had already developed tropes and traditions of its own, it often didn’t feel the need to draw on certain storytelling tricks from the wider TV industry. “Twisted,” on the other hand, is a rare example ofVoyagerdoing just that. The entire episode is set aboard the show’s titular starship, with no planetfall or obvious contact with new alien species. In a way,“Twisted” is a take on the classic bottle episode, where an installment is shot in one location for budgetary reasons.
All 5 Star Trek: Voyager Character Promotions After Janeway’s Ship Returned To Earth
The story didn’t end when Star Trek: Voyager’s titular vessel reached home in “Endgame,” and the franchise has revealed far more about Janeway’s crew.
“Twisted” had a big advantage over other bottle episodes in thatStar Trek: Voyagerhad a lot of pre-built sets to use. So, the installment could pen a sci-fi storyline that shuffled all the usual shooting locations around the ship, which meant what would have been a highly recognizable layout became something new. Either way,“Twisted” could only reach a certain level of qualitybecause of this production decision, so it wouldn’t be fair to rank it any higher.
8"The 37’s"
Episode 1’s storyline provided Janeway’s crew with an unexpected taste of home
Star Trek: Voyagerseason 2 began with an episode that is still heavily beloved by the fan base. After following an ancient SOS signal to an alien world, which also allows for asuper-rare USS Voyager landing sequence, Janeway and her crew discover a group of humans who have descended from abductees taken from Earth in the 1930s by a group of unseen aliens called the Briori.Among those in statis is aviation legend Amelia Earhart(Sharon Lawrence).
“The 37’s” is similar to “Threshold” in that both episodes suggest the crew will be able to make themselves at home sooner rather than later.
“The 37’s” is similar to “Threshold” in that both episodes suggest the crew will be able to make themselves at home sooner rather than later. However, “The 37’s” calls for members of the crew to remain on the alien planet if they want to settle into a larger human society. It’s a brilliant and heartwarming decision forced upon everyone, made even better that no one chooses to leave the ship.“The 37’s” loses points for teasing such a brilliant plot with the Brioriand the human rebellion against them, which is only ever mentioned and never shown.
7"Non Sequitur"
Episode 5 explored an interesting alternate timeline for Harry (& Tom)
Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) went through some pretty bizarre experiences during his time aboard the USS Voyager, but the show also made sure to let viewers know what his life could have looked like if he had never secured such a posting.The episode gives Harry everything he thought he wanted. As one of the youngest members of the Voyager crew, he was taking the ship’s unexpected journey to the Delta Quadrant especially hard. A time anomaly sent him home, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to be back with his new family.
Harry manages to correct the timeline by the end of “Non Sequitur,” but the episode does a great job of making it seem like an impossible task.
“Non Sequitur” is brilliantly written, and also reveals the impact Harry had on Tom Paris' life, as McNeill’s character also never made it to Voyager because Kim wasn’t there on Deep Space Nine to prevent a fight between Paris and Quark (Armin Shimerman) inStar Trek: Voyager’s pilot episode. As expected,Harry manages to correct the timeline by the end of “Non Sequitur,“but the episode does a great job of making it seem like an impossible task, and also not revealing it to be some kind of meaningless illusion.
6"Prototype”
Episode 13 takes B’Elanna down an unexpected path
Roxann Dawson’s B’Elanna Torres had some solid episodes based entirely around her, and “Prototype” is a shining example of just how good such installments could be. Mostly responsible for maintaining, repairing, and improving Voyager’s various systems,Dawson’s character is given far more to do “Prototype” than simply replacing warp conduitsand scrubbing plasma manifolds.
“Prototype” is one of severalStar Trekepisodes by franchise legend, Jonathon Frakes. He is best known for playing Commander William Riker.
The episode focuses on several compelling subject matters, including reproductive rights, war, and even howStarfleet’s Prime Directivecan be interpreted. Although B’Elanna never intends to do any harm, designing a new robot that would disrupt such a delicate balance in that area of space almost turns out to be a massive mistake. If she hadn’t managed to destroy the prototype,the devastation left in Voyager’s wake would have been unknowable.
5"Basics, Part I”
Episode 26 leaves Star Trek: Voyager season 2 on a massive cliffhanger
Although “Basics, Part I” is essentially a big setup episode so that theStar Trek: Voyagerseason 3 opener can shine, it’s also a brilliant installment in its own right. So early into the show’s run,the season 2 finale constantly threatens Voyager’s crewand makes it genuinely seem as though they’re never going to reach home. Plus, “Basics, Part I” bringing back Brad Dourif’s Lon Suder 10 episodes after his debut was a masterstroke of what was dancing around episodic storytelling.
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TV was different in 1996, as streaming and other on-demand services were a long way away. As such,Star Trek: Voyagerwas one of many shows that often had to hit the reset button at the end of each episode, and limit references to previous installments in case they’d been missed by the viewers. “Basics, Part I” treads the line expertly by paying off the crew’s long-running feud with the Kazon, as well as allowing Suder’s storyline to come to fruition after being absent for so many episodes. Plus, it’s genuinely concerning to think about the crew being stranded.
4"Meld"
Episode 16 introduced one of the biggest eventual heroes of the “Basics” two-parter
Lon Suder’s first of three episodes gives him a fascinating starting point. The episode revolves around Dourif’s character murdering a fellow shipmate for seemingly no reason, and Tuvok’s (Tim Russ) investigations into the matter fail to offer him any logical explanation for the incident. Dourif’s performance is spectacular, and it’s especially easy for the show’s human viewers to step into the logical mind Vulcan mind of Tuvok as he struggles to comprehend what was going through Suder’s head.
Tuvok finding himself unable to control a similar drive to kill proves just how deep Suder’s darkness ran.
Perhaps even more fascinating than the effect Tuvok and Suder’s Vulcan mind-meld had on Dourif’s character is the impact it had on Russ' in-universe persona. While it soothed Suder’s violent urges, Tuvok finding himself unable to control a similar drive to kill proves just how deep Suder’s darkness ran. The two men essentially step into each other’s shoes, althoughthankfully Tuvok is able to revert to his old self.
3"Projections"
Episode 3 is a fascinating exploration of the Doctor’s program
Any episode that delves deeper into Robert Picardo’s Doctor and his holographic nature is brilliant, but “Projections” ranks somewhere near the top of that particular group of stories. The installment puts an exciting spin on the blueprint by suggesting that the Doctor isn’t a hologram at all, but is actually Lewis Zimmerman, the flesh-and-blood creator of the Emergency Medical Hologram.“Projections” revolves around the question of what is real and what is not, which is already a sensitive topic for a holographic character.
“Projections” is another of theStar Trekepisodes directed by Jonathon Frakes.
Furthermore, “Projections” achieves a rare task forStar Trek: Voyagerby managing to acknowledge the larger franchise. Because Janeway’s crew is cut off from Starfleet, the show often struggled to reference characters from previous efforts likeStar Trek: The Next GenerationandStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. Although the episode doesn’t include the real Reginald “Reg” Barclay,seeing Dwight Schultz reprise his role inVoyageris a fantastic experiencefor seasoned Trekkies.
2"Tuvix"
Episode 24 forced Captain Janeway to make an impossible decision
I’m certain that"Tuvix" is burned into the memory of everyStar Trek: Voyagerfan. Although the transporter malfunction that merged Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Tuvok into one entity was unexpected, the decision of whether to essentially order his execution by separating him again was something that haunted Janeway for pretty much the entire episode. In fact, hearing Tuvix (Tom Wright) beg for his life is still something that I struggle to forget myself.
The whirlwind of philosophical debates makes “Tuvix” unforgettable.
The decision thrust upon Janeway isn’t the kind of dilemma a Starfleet captain is routinely expected to resolve.There’s no real way to prepare for something like Tuvix’s presence, and I still don’t think there was a solution that would have been inarguably correct. Although Janeway ultimately chose to prioritize the well-being of two of her crew members to whom she had grown attached, it would have been an equally difficult decision to allow them to remain merged without the agency to decide for themselves. The whirlwind of philosophical debates makes “Tuvix” unforgettable.
1"Death Wish"
Episode 18 is a compelling worldbuilding episode about the Q Continuum
John de Lancie is so brilliant as Qthat his memorable performances create the fitting illusion that he’s been far more ubiquitous across theStar Trekfranchise than he actually has. After appearing in eight episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generationand a lone installment ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, the actor crossed over for hisStar Trek: Voyagerdebut in 1996. However, what’s so brilliant about “Death Wish” is that it manages to tell an excellent story with de Lancie’s larger-than-life Q in what is essentially a supporting role.
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Gerrit Grahm’s Q2, who eventually becomes known as Quinn when he’s made human, takes the audience on an unexpected tour of the Continuum which attempts to contextualize the character’s desire to end his own life. Essentially viewed as gods to this point,Quinn’s shocking storyline shines a whole new light on his omnipotent race. As well as being an enthralling episode in its own right, bringing back John de Lancie and Jonathon Frakes' Commander Riker into the fray is another example ofStar Trek: Voyagerbrilliantly snatching at its rare opportunities for fan service.
