Launched in 1995 as one of the anchor series of the new UPN network launched by Paramount, this show was the first incarnation of Star Trek to premier on a television network since the original flavor debuted in 1966 and it was the first Star Trek show to feature a female captain- Kathryn Janeway (ably played with just a touch of Katharine Hepburn by Kate Mulgrew). The show follows the adventures of the Starship Voyager, flung 70,000 light years across the galaxy with no way home. This being television, our protagonists manage to find a way to shorten what's expected to be a 70 year journey into 7, picking up 10,000 light years here, 300 light years there during certain pivotal moments of the series. They encounter new dangers, face old (at least by Star Trek standards) enemies and capture a touch of the panache and derring-do of the original series by exploring the unknown realms of the final frontier.
As with all television shows, it takes a couple of seasons to really find its feet. By this point in the Star Trek television franchise, everything was starting to feel a little worn and weary- the aesthetic of the show hadn't changed and up until Season 3 when Voyager joined the trend of CGI special effects, the show still used the traditional Star Trek methods of miniatures and camera tricks to make a lot of special effects shots. Aesthetics and technology aside, the formula for the franchise was also getting a bit worn around the edges. Although Deep Space Nine had pushed that formula into refreshing and rewarding new directions, Voyager initially seemed like a return to the same old mission of the week formula that The Next Generation had done for seven seasons and the Original Series had done for three before that.
But by Season 3, Voyager started to get its sea legs- thanks to the appearance of a tried and true nemesis, The Borg. They were big, bad and ready to assimilate everyone in sight and once their local guide Neelix (Ethan Phillips) ventured into territory that even he didn't know suddenly Voyager felt like it was really exploring the unknown. No offense to the 'new' bad guys the Kazon that dogged Voyager during Seasons 1 and 2, but they almost but not quite pushed themselves into iconic bad guy status. Various subplots with the shipboard traitor/spy Seska (played with delicious villainy by Martha Hackett in various guest appearances) and the Kazon provide some of the most intriguing moments in the first couple of seasons. Neelix's one time girlfriend, another Delta Quadrant native by the name of Kes (Jennifer Lien) shoves Voyager 10 years closer to home and past the majority of Borg space at the start of Season 4 when she is replaced by ex-Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)- who, of course, is very well endowed and wears very form-fitting uniforms, thus becoming a nerd pin-up icon in the space of about an episode. Eventually through some technological magic, Voyager makes contact with Starfleet Command back home and continues getting closer and closer until one final showdown with the Borg that's a classic piece of space opera- even if it does rely on the tiresome old trick of time travel bring Voyager home with it's satisfying series finale of 'Endgame.'
There are a few interesting sub-plots that run throughout the course of the show. First Officer Commander Chakotay's (Robert Beltran) Native American heritage and mysticism is explored several times, as is the holographic Doctor's (Robert Picardo) quest to become more human and 'expand his program'- his journey provides some of the most thought provoking moments of the series as his sentience and humanity are debated several times. He is after all, a hologram. Helmsman Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeil) and Chief Engineer the half Klingon B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawnson) fall in love, get married and get pregnant- though the first cast wedding in Star Trek history gets short shrift- we don't even get to see the ceremony! The show failed to take Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) anywhere much, keeping him fresh faced young and kind of naive throughout the show, which is a shame and Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) provides the usual Vulcan antics which also don't go anywhere too groundbreaking- even for Star Trek.
Because this is a Star Trek show, we're going to have to give it not one, but 2 grades. First we've got to rate its place in the Star Trek franchise and second we've got to rate it in the context of television as a whole. In terms of Star Trek I'd rate Voyager second behind Deep Space Nine- though I haven't explored The Next Generation or the Original Series with any depth as of yet.
Overall- *** out of ****: A solid B+ of a science fiction show- had longtime producer Rick Berman shaken things up in terms of tweaking a very tried and true formula and aesthetic, Voyager could have been a truly iconic piece of television. That said, it's a solid, entertaining piece of television- even if it does seem a bit pedestrian every now and again.
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