Episode 44
Friday, 9 September 2022
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 1, Episode 11
Stardate: 48658.2
First broadcast on Monday, 10 April 1995
A barely secret conspirator has been selling Federation technology to the Kazon Nistrim in a weird alternative timeline where there are more than seven people on board the ship, where Chakotay has agency and interesting things to do, and where we really feel like we’re stranded tens of thousands of light years from home. Plus, Seska is here!
Episode 72
Friday, 7 July 2023
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 2, Episode 14
Stardate: 49337.4
First broadcast on Monday, 22 January 1996
When a Voyager crewmember is killed in a Kazon attack, and his colleagues are forced to sit through the most butt-clenchingly clichéd eulogy in television history, a few of them declare that it’s time to forge an alliance with the Kazon, which seems unwise. What seems even more unwise is Janeway’s decision to ignore everything that history has taught us about white people, as she forges an alliance with the Trabe, who talk nicely and know which knife and fork to use. It all turns out pretty much how you would expect.
Episode 9
Friday, 31 December 2021
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 3, Episode 4
Stardate: 50252.3
First broadcast on Wednesday, 25 September 1996
When the Doctor’s hard drive starts to fill up with opera, romantic relationships and all the complex glories of being human, he finds himself increasingly unable to fulfil his function as Voyager’s Chief Medical Officer — instead becoming a heartbreaking analogue of your dad suffering from dementia. Also, a bunch of space things happen that we couldn’t possibly care about.
Episode 59
Friday, 20 January 2023
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 3, Episode 18
Stardate: 50693.2
First broadcast on Wednesday, 19 February 1997
Flushed with the success of its previous attempt at Gothic Horror, Star Trek gamely tackles the genre again, as the Doctor’s experiments with the parameters of his program inevitably lead to a high-concept holographic version of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, with all of the creepiness towards women that that implies. Aggressively mediocre.
Episode 41
Friday, 19 August 2022
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 3, Episode 21
Stardate: Unknown (2379–2369)
First broadcast on Wednesday, 9 April 1997
This week, Joe and Nathan find themselves travelling backwards in time to 1997, when they first watched and enjoyed the Star Trek: Voyager episode Before and After, only to find themselves infected with a deadly [tech], which will be going to have activated some time later (or earlier) when they undergo [tech] therapy in the Doctor’s new [tech] treatment [tech]. Meanwhile, Harry has apparently married a toddler or something, which seems upsetting and highly inappropriate.
Episode 64
Friday, 12 May 2023
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 3, Episode 26 / Series 4, Episode 1
Stardate: 50984.3
First broadcast on Wednesday, 21 May 1997
and Wednesday, 3 September 1997
As Voyager approaches the end of its third year, it’s time for its very own version of The Best of Both Worlds. And here it is, complete with a massive encounter with the Borg, clouds of débris, a terrifying new enemy, dissension among the commanding officers, and the unveiling of an entirely new kind of human—Borg hybrid. But because it’s Voyager, there’s also people doing things for no reason and a central conflict disposed of in an unsatisfying way. But (again) because it’s Voyager, there’s some great weird visuals, a cool new holodeck program, and yet another arresting performance from the Queen of Star Trek, Her Royal Highness, Captain Kathryn Janeway.
Episode 19
Friday, 11 March 2022
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 4, Episode 6
Stardate: Unknown (2374)
First broadcast on Wednesday, 8 October 1997
In this week’s meeting of the Jeri Ryan Appreciation Society, we watch the most aggressively average Star Trek episode the Randomiser can find, only to discover that there’s still a lot of fun to be had — hilariously sluggish action scenes, a shockingly low-effort Intransigent Alien Race, and some wonderfully subtle and nuanced performances from Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ and Jeri Ryan.
Episode 21
Friday, 25 March 2022
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 4, Episodes 18–19
Stardate: 51715.2
First broadcast on Wednesday, 4 March 1998
It’s business as usual on Star Trek this week, as the crew of Voyager find themselves in an episode of Secret Army which has been cast, written and directed by latex-headed aliens in Nazi uniforms. Will Voyager’s extensive back catalogue of holodeck programs persuade the Hirogen that there’s more to life than festooning your bulkheads with human skulls? Or will the Captain be forced (reluctantly) to kill Seven of Nine first?
Episode 34
Friday, 24 June 2022
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 5, Episode 10
Stardate: Unknown (2375)
First broadcast on Wednesday, 16 December 1998
This week: a clever script, a complete absence of banter, a frog alien that scores zero on the B’omar Scale, astonishingly good incidental music by Mahler and Tchaikovsky, and two outstanding performances from Mark Harelik and Kate Mulgrew — all working together perfectly to create one of Voyager’s Best Episodes Ever. Enjoy. (You will.)
Episode 78
Friday, 25 August 2023
Star Trek: Voyager
Series 6, Episode 16
Stardate: Unknown (2376)
First broadcast on Wednesday, 16 February 2000
This week a mediocre script fails to be enhanced in any way by mediocre direction and some mediocre performances. But there’s an upside: a Voyager episode with real consequences that will open up unimaginable new vistas of storytelling and character development. Or not, probably.