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Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. It was produced for seven seasons from 1995 to 2001, and is the only Star Trek series to have a female captain, Kathryn Janeway, as a lead character. The show was created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor and based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry. It is sometimes shortened to ST:VOY, ST:VGR, VOY or VGR.

The series follows the adventures of the USS Voyager and her crew who become stranded in the Delta Quadrant, seventy thousand light-years from Earth. At warp speed, it will take Voyager seventy-five years to return to the Alpha Quadrant, and more specifically, Earth.

Plot overview

Template:Spoiler

In the pilot episode, “Caretaker,” USS Voyager is sent on a mission to locate a ship piloted by a cell of the Maquis, a terrorist organization created in protest of a treaty between the Federation and Cardassians. Tom Paris (a former member of the Maquis) is brought out of prison to help find the ship, and discovers that his reputation as a troublemaker has turned the ship's First Officer and Medical Officer against him. During a chase through the dangerous Badlands, both ships are transported to the other side of the galaxy by an ancient alien known as the Caretaker. While being pulled across the galaxy, several members of Voyager's crew are killed, including the ship's first officer, Chief engineer and all medical staff including the ship's doctor.

Both ships are attacked by Kazon raiders intent on capturing the Caretaker's Array. Rather than using the Caretaker's Array to return home, Captain Janeway decides to destroy it to prevent it from being misused.

The Maquis ship collides in a successful attempt to destroy one of the Kazon ships, but not before its crew are able to transport safely to Voyager. The Starfleet and Maquis crews are forced to integrate and work together as they begin the long journey home. Chakotay, the leader of the Maquis group, becomes first officer. B'Elanna Torres, a half-human, half-Klingon female Maquis member becomes chief engineer, much to the dismay of Lieutenant Carey, a less qualified Starfleet crewman who should have been next in line for the position. The Vulcan Tuvok is revealed to be a spy on the Maquis ship under the command of captain Janeway and resumes his duties as a security officer. The Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH Mark I), designed for short term use only, becomes ship's only doctor after the death of the entire medical staff. In the Delta Quadrant the crew gains new additions to the crew such as Neelix (a member of the Talaxian race that was nearly wiped out and scattered through out the galaxy) and Kes (member of the Ocampa race that lives with the aid of the entity known as the Caretaker). Along the way home, the crew must contend with many hostile species, including the Vidiians, the Borg, and the extra-dimensional Species 8472.

The USS Voyager returns home in the series finale Endgame.

The conflict between the fiercely independent Maquis revolutionaries and the by-the-book Starfleet crew is a central theme of the first season, but by the second season, it has largely been worked out. Only Janeway remains anguished for the entire run of the series over the consequences of her decision to destroy their only known way home.

Themes

Voyager continues the themes presented in the original Star Trek series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, such as explorations of space and of the human condition. It also demonstrates democratic principles (peace, openness, freedom, cooperation, and sharing) and philosophical issues such as the sense of self and what it means to be human. In the Star Trek series, the examination of humanity is typically explored by contrasting non-human characters with human ones (for instance, the Earth-born Kirk and McCoy against the Vulcan Spock). On Voyager, these non-humans include the Emergency Medical Hologram (The Doctor), who is actually a computer program, Vulcan security officer Tuvok, Talaxian Neelix, half Klingon/half Human B'Elanna Torres, Ocampa Kes, and the former Borg drone Seven of Nine (although, biologically speaking, Seven is Human; having been a Borg drone for most of her life means that she has not developed normal human behavior patterns when she first becomes part of Voyager's crew). Voyagers bio-mechanical computers allowed the ship to relate to the ever expanding crew in unique ways, and adapt to new situations.

Voyager was probably more reminiscent of the original Star Trek series than Star Trek: The Next Generation (although greatly technologically advanced, the size of the ship is almost identical to the original series' Constitution class Enterprise. Seven of Nine's post also grew similar to that of Science Officer, as held by Spock in the original series.) The show was often grittier than Star Trek: The Next Generation, with the members of the thrown-together crew often clashing in ways that would have been almost unthinkable on Picard's Enterprise.

Another of Voyager's distinguishing elements is the departure from the "best and the brightest" theme of Star Trek: The Next Generation in particular. Rather than a group of ace Starfleet Academy graduates, the characters in this series included an ex-convict, former freedom fighters, a notably unseasoned captain, and an unusually militant Vulcan. As a full-blooded Vulcan, Tuvok did not suffer from Spock's angst regarding his "half-breed" status and was consequently impatient with the emotions of those around him. Also, as head of security, he was more likely to suggest an aggressive course of action. Compared to the Next Generation characters, the Voyager crew on the whole had more personal issues, with Torres struggling with her Klingon/human heritage, Paris working to overcome his criminal past, Neelix haunted by memories of his race's near-extinction, and so on.

The most common plot theme is the implications of being stranded far from home. Voyager has only limited resources and no easy way to replenish them; its crew is cut off from the normal chain of command and institutions of its society. Janeway often expresses that though they are cut off from Starfleet, it is still their duty to live by Starfleet values and regulations, and this philosophy often brings her into conflict with Chakotay, Tuvok and other members of her crew who are more willing to make compromises in order to get home. Their situation frequently faces them with difficult choices of necessity versus idealism. Unlike the other Star Trek series, the crew of the Voyager cannot just stop at a starbase for repair or resupply. They often have to make trades with alien cultures or find completely new solutions to unforeseeable problems. They are also stuck with each other, which makes for new plot twists - for example, shipboard romances are not discouraged - but it also means that promotions are very rare, leading to some resentment. To overcome their claustrophobia the crew rely on the holodeck more than other Starfleet crews, with some of their holodeck adventures becoming ongoing plotlines, such as Tom Paris' Captain Proton serial, or Janeway's recurring trips to the home of Leonardo da Vinci. Some of these recurring holodeck stories end up behaving in much unexpected (and sometimes dangerous) ways due to alien interference or holodeck malfunction.

In the concluding seasons, the ship's isolation is partially relieved when Lt. Reginald Barclay, back at Starfleet Command on Earth, developed a means for Starfleet to be in regular contact with the ship.

Reactions

This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed.

The reception from Star Trek fans has been mixed. There was speculation that Voyager and Deep Space Nine would compete for viewers.

One obstacle that the show faced was that Voyager was the first Trek series to air on a single television network (rather than be syndicated) since the original series. This factor stripped Voyager's writers and producers of a certain amount of creative control. UPN wanted the show to feature more action than previous iteration of Star Trek, and ongoing storylines were discouraged.

The central character of Captain Kathryn Janeway brought praise and criticism. Although female captains had been featured as guest characters in each of the previous Star Trek series, as well as in several theatrical movies, Janeway was the first female character to star in a Star Trek series in the role of captain. Some women who watched the show claimed Captain Janeway as a role model, and many male viewers also admired her. But while Kate Mulgrew's acting on the show was often regarded as superb, some (including short term writer Ronald D. Moore) criticized what they saw as the inconsistent command style of Captain Janeway and Mulgrew's rather regal manner was not universally admired. (It is notable that Janeway preferred to be called "Captain" or "Ma'am", although Starfleet captains are generally called "sir" regardless of their sex.) While Janeway was generally a more empathic captain than the Trek norm, she was also capable of aggression when the occasion demanded and was very definite about maintaining her authority when other characters overstepped their bounds.

Janeway has also been praised as the most "human" captain since James T. Kirk of the original Star Trek. She wasn't passed off as perfect, like Captain Picard of Star Trek : The Next Generation. She often had conflicts with her First Officer over many choices made. This was reminiscent of the conflict scene in the Original Star Trek, where the First Officer and other members of the crew didn't agree with the captain, making the show much more relatable.

Voyager fans praised the show's humor, which usually resulted from "odd couple" character pairings. The contrast between Neelix and Vulcan security officer Tuvok was often featured, as was the contrast between hot-headed Chief Engineer (B'Elanna Torres) and calm and cool ex-Borg (Seven of Nine): "The Borg wouldn't know fun if they assimilated an amusement park." The Doctor's angst and frustration over his development and treatment as a hologram was also often played for laughs, although it was also the source for drama (the main feature in the episode "Flesh and Blood").

Because Voyager had such a specific premise, it was subject to criticism when it frequently violated its own continuity, and failed to support that premise. In the series' sixth episode, one character declares that the ship has a non-replaceable supply of 38 photon torpedoes, but by the end of the series' run a minimum of 93 have been fired (fan site). These extra torpedoes were never explained. Others have pointed out the fifteen shuttlecraft lost by the crew (on a ship that, according to the show's "bible", carries only two). However, these things are easily explained if you watch the series. The crew is seen building a new craft (The Delta Flyer) from scratch in the season 5 episode 'Extreme Risk', so demonstrating that the crew was able to build more shuttles to supplement those it left Earth with. Also, in the season 4 episode 'Retrospect', the crew is seen negotiating for new weapons, which shows that ship's supply of torpedoes were replenished over the course of the journey. There are also alleged inconsistencies in trans-warp theory, Borg technology and technological supremacy over the Federation, and astrometric data. Even the color of the trans-warp conduits changed between the episode entitled "Dark Frontier" and the series' finale, "Endgame." In addition, aliens that Voyager encountered thousands of light-years away would reappear on the show. For example, in the seventh season episode entitled "Homestead", Voyager encounters a Talaxian colony deep in the Delta Quadrant. The Talaxians claim they fled the war that tore their planet apart and created this colony. However, their homeworld is 40 thousand light-years away from the colony, meaning it would have taken them forty years to travel that distance (assuming they could achieve warp speeds comparable to Voyager). However, it only took them about five. However, true fans will tell you that in a science fiction series, where people have advanced technology and travel through wormholes, anything is possible.

The series made use of the reset button technique, wherein plot points critical to an episode are suddenly negated at the end of the episode, returning all characters to status quo ante. Examples of the reset button include the "Year of Hell" two-parter, "Time and Again", "Living Witness", and "Course: Oblivion". Related to the reset button and factual continuity issues, fans have also objected to the manner by which an episode ends with some life-changing occurrence for a character, only to have that character casually dismiss or not even acknowledge the event's implications in the next episode. However, many don't seem to realize that the episodes are set weeks or months apart, and therefore you couldn't expect to see the same issues every episode. Another example is "Deadlock", where Harry Kim and Naomi Wildman die but are replaced by different versions of themselves who come through a rift in space-time. (The DS9 episode "Visionary" dealt with a similar plot contrivance.) Another episode begins with Commander Chakotay en route in a shuttle to attend a planetary conference, but it was not established how he heard about it if he was in a ship that was just passing through.

During Voyager's run, science-fiction fandom grew increasingly dismissive of Trek in general, with escalating criticisms that the franchise was getting tired. It is debatable whether Voyager was a factor in this situation or a victim of it. Many fans saw the addition of the Seven of Nine character as a condescending attempt to pander to a wider audience by giving the show a sexier edge. Star Trek fans remain sharply divided on Voyager 's contribution to the Trek mythos.

Cast

Main characters

Recurring characters

One-time, cameos or infrequent spots

• Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis)
• William Riker (Jonathan Frakes)
• Quark (Armin Shimerman)
• Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton)
• Ambassador Tomin (Scott Thompson)
• Arridor (Dan Shor)
• Arturis (Ray Wise)
• Boothby (Ray Walston)
• Crewman Chell (Derek McGrath)
• Q2, Son of galactic gadfly Q, (Keegan de Lancie)
• Extra on Episode 36: Investigations (King Abdullah II of Jordan)
• An extraterrestrial gladiator in the episode "Tsunkatse" was portrayed by The Rock.
• Kurros (Jason Alexander) in the 20th episode of season 5 "Think Tank" (Production-number 214)
• Emergency Medical Hologram, Mk. II in the fourteenth episode of the fourth season, "Message in a Bottle" (Andy Dick).
• Crewman Mitchell appeared in the teaser of "Good Shepherd", played by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.
• Tierna (John Gegenhuber) in "Basics, Part I"
• Kelat (John Gegenhuber) in "Alliances" and "Maneuvers"
• Annorax (Kurtwood Smith) in "Year of Hell" parts 1 & 2
• George Takai (Captain Sulu) in "Flashback"

Recurring alien races

See also List of Star Trek races

Alien races listed below have been featured or appeared in more than one episode. This list excludes episodes having plots significantly involving a non-human series regular or recurring character unless aspects of that character's alien heritage are profoundly explored or otherwise relevant.

Relaunch on book

In the wake of a successful series of original novels collectively known as the Deep Space Nine relaunch, featuring stories placed after the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a similar relaunch was planned with regards to Voyager, with novels based upon events occurring following the end of the series. In the relaunch, several characters are reassigned to other posts, some new characters are introduced (such as Kaz, the new Trill ship's doctor), Kathryn Janeway is promoted to Admiral (as she is also seen in the film Star Trek: Nemesis), and Chakotay is promoted to Captain of Voyager. Most of the other characters are promoted two steps in rank (for example, Ensign Harry Kim is promoted directly to full lieutenant, and Tom Paris is promoted from Lieutenant junior grade to Lieutenant Commander) to make up for time spent in the Delta Quadrant where they could not normally receive promotions.

So far, only a few Voyager Relaunch novels have been published, beginning with Homecoming and The Farther Shore in 2003. More novels are planned, both in the Relaunch and also other novels set during the original 7-season run of the show.

In November '04 Pocket books published Spirit Walk Book One, closely followed a month later by Spirit Walk Book Two. The stories are based on the Star Trek Voyager episode "Tattoo"; however, they are set in the Alpha Quadrant, and depict Captain Chakotay being sent on assignment to transport a set of colonists back to the planet of Loran II.

In 2006 Pocket books published three books of "String Theory" series, called Cohesion, Fusion and Evolution. As the "Historian's Note" in the book says: "The story unfolds between the fourth and fifth seasons" and takes place in and near the Monorhan system.

Trivia

• Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Tim Russ (Tuvok), and Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris) are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series.
• Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, TNG stars LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes, and recurring DS9 player Andrew Robinson all have had a hand at directing episodes of the series. Dawson, McNeill, and Burton have also directed episodes of Enterprise. McNeill has since directed in several TV shows including Dawson's Creek, The O.C., Las Vegas, One Tree Hill, Dead Like Me, Summerland, Supernatural, and Desperate Housewives.
• Several famous guest stars have included Sharon Lawrence, Saro Mardikian, Ed Begley, Jr., Andy Dick, Jason Alexander, Michael McKean, Sarah Silverman, John Rhys-Davies, Virginia Madsen, The Rock, Tom Morello, McKenzie Westmore of Passions, TNG stars Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, John de Lancie, and Dwight Schultz, DS9 star Armin Shimerman, and George Takei and Grace Lee Whitney from the original series of the late 1960s.
• Robert Duncan McNeill appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty" as Nick Locarno, a Starfleet cadet expelled for covering up a classmate's death in a banned aerobatic stunt. Locarno was originally planned to return as part of the Voyager cast, but a similar character was created instead - officially because Locarno was felt to be beyond redemption. Unofficially, McNeill was cast as Tom Paris rather than Locarno to avoid paying royalties to the writers of "The First Duty" every time Locarno was in an episode.
• Ethan Phillips appeared as a Ferengi in a Star Trek: Enterprise episode, as a different Ferengi in Ménage à Troi (TNG episode) and as a maitre d' in the film Star Trek: First Contact.
• Tim Russ played the character Devor in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Starship Mine", and also played Tuvok in a mirror universe on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Through The Looking Glass". Also, he appeared as a human on the bridge of the Enterprise-B in the film Star Trek: Generations and as a Klingon named T'kar in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Invasive Procedures". This makes him the actor to have stood beside the most captains in Star Trek history. In addition, he auditioned for the role of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but did not receive it. Russ is the first African American to play a Vulcan, and thus Tuvok is the first black Vulcan seen in the Star Trek universe.
• During the first season, Tuvok has rank insignia of Lt. Commander before he is promoted to that rank during the beginning of the fourth season's "Revulsion".
• King Abdullah II of Jordan, a well-known Star Trek fan, appeared as an extra in the episode "Investigations". Abdullah's role was not given any speaking lines because he is not a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
• The Doctor utters several lines that recall Doctor McCoy's famous "I'm a Doctor, not a ..." quips. In "Phage", he says, "I'm a doctor, not a decorator." In "Gravity", he says, "I'm a doctor, not a battery," and in "Bliss", he says, "I'm a doctor, not a dragon slayer." Perhaps most famously, in Star Trek: First Contact, when asked to halt the approach of the Borg in sickbay, he says, "I'm a doctor, not a doorstop." This would possibly emanate from the Doctor's programming, which, as the doctor mentions several times, includes procedures and personality from Dr. Leonard McCoy, among others. (By the same token, Tom Paris also follows this pattern with the line, "I'm a pilot, not a doctor.")

• Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway) was cast in the series after the original star, Quebecoise film actress Geneviève Bujold, quit after one day of filming citing exhaustion and incompatibility with television filming.
• This was the first program ever to air on the UPN network. The "network" was a loose association of locally owned and operated stations that officially became UPN when the first episode began to air at 8:00 p.m. on January 16,1995.

See also

• List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes

External links

• Star Trek: Voyager at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek: Voyager at IMDb
• Template:Tvtome show
• Star Trek: Voyager at Memory Alpha
• Star Trek: Voyager at TrekCore.com - Includes archive of over 50,000 DVD Screencaps from the show

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