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Star Trek: Voyager

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Star Trek: Voyager is the fifth Star Trek series. It was created by Rick Berman , Michael Piller , and Jeri Taylor , and ran on UPN , as the network's first ever series, for seven seasons in the USA , from 1995 to 2001 . In some areas without local access to UPN, it was offered to independent stations through Paramount Pictures , for its first six seasons. The series is best known for its familial crew, science fiction based plots, engaging action sequences, and light humor. The writers often noted that many episodes had underlying themes and messages or were metaphors for current social issues. This is the first Star Trek series to feature a female captain in a leading role. However, Kathryn Janeway herself is not the first female captain to be seen within Star Trek as a whole. Additionally, the show gained in popularity for its storylines which frequently featured the Borg . Voyager follows the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation and ran alongside Star Trek: Deep Space Nine during its first five seasons.

• Main Title Theme  file info (composed by Jerry Goldsmith )
• 1 Series summary
• 2 Distinguishing Voyager
• 3 Reception
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 5 Executive producers
• 6 Opening credits
• 7.1 Season 1
• 7.2 Season 2
• 7.3 Season 3
• 7.4 Season 4
• 7.5 Season 5
• 7.6 Season 6
• 7.7 Season 7
• 8 Related topics
• 9 Syndication
• 11 External links

Series summary [ ]

Launched in the year 2371 , the Intrepid -class Federation starship USS Voyager was a ship built to return to Starfleet 's founding principle of scientific exploration. It was fitting that the ship's captain , Kathryn Janeway , rose up through the science ranks rather than command. On the ship's first mission while departing the space station Deep Space 9 , which required it to find and capture a Maquis vessel that disappeared into the treacherous Badlands , the crew of Voyager , as well as that of the Maquis ship it was pursuing, were swept clear across the galaxy and deep into the Delta Quadrant . This was the doing of a powerful alien being known as the Caretaker . The seventy thousand light year transit cost the lives of over a dozen crew members. Captain Janeway was forced to destroy the massive alien array that housed the remains of the Caretaker. In doing so, she saved an alien race, the Ocampa , but stranded Voyager and the crew in the Delta Quadrant.

United in a common purpose, the surviving Maquis rebels joined with Janeway's Starfleet-trained crew on Voyager . Though a journey back to the Alpha Quadrant would have taken more than seventy years through unknown and treacherous territory , the crew of Voyager was well served by Janeway's skilled leadership and their own steadfast determination. Ultimately, Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant in seven years.

The crew's journey home was eventful. Voyager made first contact with over four hundred completely new species in the Delta Quadrant, discovered links to Earth 's early space exploration history , utilized and even pioneered new technologies, all the while engaging in countless other adventures. (" Distant Origin ")

The crew encountered species ranging from the violent and ruthless Kazon , the Phage -afflicted Vidiians , the colorful Talaxians and the ephemeral Ocampa . The crew's other encounters included run-ins with the temporal sophistication of the Krenim , the predatory Hirogen , the toxic Malon and the scheming Hierarchy . The crew picked up passengers along the way, including the wily but extremely resourceful Talaxian Neelix (who served, at times, as Voyager 's ambassador , morale officer , and even head chef ), along with the Ocampan telepath Kes (who, as a parting gift to the crew, used her powers of telekinesis to thrust Voyager 9,500 light years closer to the Alpha Quadrant).

Most memorable, however, were Voyager 's repeated clashes with the dreaded Borg . While each encounter posed grave danger, Voyager was able to prevail every time. At one point, Janeway actually negotiated a temporary peace with the Borg when they perceived a common threat in a mysterious alien species from fluidic space . (" Scorpion ") At other times, she was able to liberate drones from the Borg Collective , including Seven of Nine (who became a permanent member of the crew), Mezoti , Azan , Rebi , and Icheb . Other instances pitted Voyager against not only the Borg, but also against the nightmarish Borg Queen herself.

Several years after Voyager 's disappearance into the Delta Quadrant, Starfleet Command learned of the starship's fate. Subsequently, the Pathfinder Project was created, a Starfleet Communications project that attempted to communicate with Voyager through the MIDAS array , via a micro-wormhole and the Hirogen communications network . Thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of Lieutenant Reginald Barclay , the communications technology improved to a level whereby contact could be made on a regular basis. In 2377 , the crew was able to receive monthly data streams from Earth that included letters from the crew's families, tactical upgrades, and news about the Alpha Quadrant.

By the end of the year, Voyager made a triumphant return to the Alpha Quadrant, under the guidance of Starfleet and the Pathfinder Project, by utilizing and then destroying a Borg transwarp hub , and after a turbulent trip, a celebration was held in honor of Voyager 's return back home.

Distinguishing Voyager [ ]

Despite the general prosperity of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Paramount pressured Rick Berman for yet another Star Trek television series. Although it was decided very early on that the new series would be set aboard a starship once again, it was important for the writers to vary the series from Star Trek: The Next Generation in other ways. Berman stated, " When Voyager came around and we knew we were going to place the next series back on a starship we wanted to do it in a way that was not going to be that redundant when it came to The Next Generation . So we had a certain amount of conflict on the ship because of the Maquis. We had a different dynamic because we were not speaking every day to Starfleet and because we had a female captain. Those were the major differences that set this show apart from the others… It had the core belief of what Star Trek was all about, both in terms of the excitement and the action and in terms of the provocative elements of ideas that Star Trek has always been known to present to the audience. " ( Star Trek: Voyager Companion  (p. ? ))

The series' premise of being lost in deep space was itself a variation on a theme explored in The Next Generation . Michael Piller explained, " We remembered the episodes, many episodes, where Q would show up and throw one of our ships or one of our people off to a strange part of the universe. And we'd have to figure out why we were there, how we were going to get back, and ultimately – by the end of an episode – we'd get back home. But […] we started to talk about what would happen if we didn't get home. That appealed to us a great deal […] You have to understand that Rick, Jeri and I had no interest in simply putting a bunch of people on another ship and sending them out to explore the universe. We wanted to bring something new to the Gene Roddenberry universe. The fans would have been the first people to criticize us if we had not brought something new to it. But everything new, everything was… a challenge, in the early stages of development of Voyager." ("Braving the Unknown: Season 1", VOY Season 1 DVD special features)

Jeri Taylor concurred that Voyager had to be different from its predecessors. She stated, " We felt a need to create an avenue for new and fresh storytelling. We are forced into creating a new universe. We have to come up with new aliens, we have to come up with new situations. " Taylor also recalled, " We knew we were taking some risks. We decided, in a very calculated way, to cut our ties with everything that was familiar. This is a dangerous thing to do. There is no more Starfleet, there are no more admirals to tell us what we can and cannot do, there are no Romulans, there are no Klingons, there are no Ferengi, no Cardassians. All those wonderful array of villains that the audience has come to love and hate at the same time will no longer be there. This is a tricky thing to do. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season 1", VOY Season 1 DVD special features)

Differentiating the new series from what had gone before hardened the challenge of inventing the series' main characters. Jeri Taylor recounted, " It took a long, long time, it took us weeks and weeks and weeks, even to come up with a cast of characters, because we found that so many wonderful characters had already been done and we didn't want to exactly repeat ourselves. We'd come up with an idea then say, 'No, that's too much like Data ,' or, 'That's too much like Odo ,' or, 'That's too much like Worf .' So to try to find the right balance of characters, in terms of gender and alien species and that kind of thing, really took a long time. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season 1", VOY Season 1 DVD special features)

↑ John Van Citters listed "VGR" as the series' official abbreviation when announcing the "DSC" abbreviation for Star Trek: Discovery . [1] MA , among other venues, will continue to use the abbreviation VOY for Voyager , for historical reasons.

Reception [ ]

During its seven-year run, Star Trek: Voyager was nominated for 34 Emmy Awards , mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup. It won seven, including "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music" for Jerry Goldsmith 's theme.

Main cast [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay
• Roxann Biggs-Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
• Jennifer Lien as Kes ( 1995 - 1997 )
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine ( 1997 - 2001 )
• Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

Executive producers [ ]

• Rick Berman – Executive Producer
• Michael Piller – Executive Producer (1995-1996)
• Jeri Taylor – Executive Producer (1995-1998)
• Brannon Braga – Executive Producer (1998-2000)
• Kenneth Biller – Executive Producer (2000-2001)

Opening credits [ ]

The opening credits for Star Trek: Voyager contained imagery of USS Voyager passing near various spatial phenomena.

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

Season 1 , 15 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

Season 2 , 26 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

Season 3 , 26 episodes:

Season 4 [ ]

Season 4 , 26 episodes:

Season 5 [ ]

Season 5 , 25 episodes:

Season 6 [ ]

Season 6 , 26 episodes:

Season 7 [ ]

Season 7 , 24 episodes:

Related topics [ ]

• VOY directors
• VOY performers
• VOY recurring characters
• VOY studio models
• VOY writers
• Recurring characters
• Character crossover appearances
• Undeveloped VOY episodes
• Paramount Stage 8
• Paramount Stage 9
• Paramount Stage 16

Syndication [ ]

With five seasons, Voyager reached syndication in some markets airing in a daily strip on weekdays in most markets or as a weekly strip on weekends in selected markets, with the first cycle of episodes from the first five seasons began airing on 13 September 1999 , with the second cycle of episodes covering the 25 episodes of Season 6 and the final episode of Season 5 beginning on 13 November 2000 and the final cycle of episodes covering episodes of the final season and the final episode of Season 6 beginning on 25 October 2001 . Voyager was broadcast in syndication for four years until 12 September 2003 , with some stations continuing to carry Voyager after leaving syndication.

• Star Trek: Voyager novels
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• Star Trek: Voyager comics (Marvel)
• Star Trek: Voyager soundtracks
• Star Trek: Voyager on VHS
• Star Trek: Voyager on LaserDisc
• Star Trek: Voyager on DVD

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Voyager at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: Voyager at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: Voyager at the Internet Movie Database
• Star Trek: Voyager at TV IV
• Star Trek: Voyager at StarTrek.com
• 3 Ancient humanoid

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Star Trek: Voyager

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home. Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home. Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

• Rick Berman
• Michael Piller
• Jeri Taylor
• Kate Mulgrew
• Robert Beltran
• Roxann Dawson
• 427 User reviews
• 26 Critic reviews
• 33 wins & 84 nominations total

Episodes 168

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• Capt. Kathryn Janeway …

• Cmdr. Chakotay …

• Lt. B'Elanna Torres …

• Lt. Tom Paris …

• The Doctor …

• Lt. Tuvok …

• Ensign Harry Kim …

• Lt. Ayala …

• Voyager Computer …

• Seven of Nine …

• William McKenzie …

• Naomi Wildman

• Ensign Brooks

• Science Division Officer …
• Jeri Taylor (showrunner)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Stellar Photos From the "Star Trek" TV Universe

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Did you know

• Trivia When auditioning for the part of the holographic doctor, Robert Picardo was asked to say the line "Somebody forgot to turn off my program." He did so, then ad-libbed "I'm a doctor, not a light bulb" and got the part.
• Goofs There is speculation that the way the Ocampa are shown to have offspring is an impossible situation, as a species where the female can only have offspring at one event in her life would half in population every generation, even if every single member had offspring. While Ocampa females can only become pregnant once in their lifetime, if was never stated how many children could be born at one time. Kes mentions having an uncle, implying that multiple births from one pregnancy are possible.

Seven of Nine : Fun will now commence.

• Alternate versions Several episodes, such as the show's debut and finale, were originally aired as 2-hour TV-movies. For syndication, these episodes were reedited into two-part episodes to fit one-hour timeslots.
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (1999)

User reviews 427

• Jul 7, 2003
• How many seasons does Star Trek: Voyager have? Powered by Alexa
• Why do the Nacelles of the Voyager pivot before going to warp?
• Is it true there is a costume error in the first season?
• How many of Voyager's shuttles were destroyed throughout the course of the show?
• January 16, 1995 (United States)
• United States
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• Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
• Star Trek: VOY
• Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant - 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA
• Paramount Television
• United Paramount Network (UPN)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 44 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Den of Geek

Which Star Trek Opening Sequence Is The Best?

A totally unbiased opinion...

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The discussion of which  Star Trek series is the best  Star Trek series is a contentious debate. Even when I am the only one in the discussion, I have a hard time coming to a firm conclusion. ( The Next Generation …  No!   Deep Space Nine … Forget it. I can’t decide.) 

This is when I turn my mind to a much easier debate: which  Star Trek series has the best opening sequence. Sure, it’s still a tough, emotionally-complex question, but the stakes are much lower. 

Just like in the discussion of favorite  Star Trek TV series, we all have different things we prioritize and look for in our opening sequences. Are you a sucker for the song? Do you look for an intro that best reflects the values and interests of the series it represents? Or do you shamelessly just pick the opening sequence for your favorite of the TV shows? 

Whatever your criteria (and you know you have a biased one), one thing is certain: All of these  Star Trek opening sequences are pretty great…

6. Star Trek: The Animated Series

Confession? I find the opening sequence for  The Animated Series pretty adorable. The way the animated Enterprise moves horizontally across the screen as if its mom is in the front row telling it what to do? So cute.

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However, when it comes down to it,  The Animated Series opening is really just a re-tread of  The Original Series opening. This makes sense, given the timing of the show and the fact that it shared so many of the same cast. But it’s nothing to captain’s-log home about.

5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Sorry,  Deep Space Nine. You know I love you, but your opening sequence is just, well, fine. Sure, you have a great first five seconds as we follow a rogue comet through the blackness of space only to come upon a little space station on on its own in the middle of space-nowhere. Then, you lose your momentum a little with shot after shot of the stationary space station doing what it does best: just sort of floating there.

Don’t feel too bad,  Deep Space Nine . Between you and me, you can stand to lose this opening intro contest — because, unlike some of the other series ranked higher on this list, you are in the running to be the best series of  Star Trek when it comes to narrative. And, really, isn’t that the contest you would rather win?

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation

As someone who both grew up on  Star Trek: The Next Generation and who loves Patrick Stewart’s voice, it pains me to rank  The Next Generation ‘sopening sequence so low on this list. Hearing this theme song still wakes a giddy childish inside of me.  However,  it just doesn’t have the ambition to beat out most of the inspired  Star Trek openings.

The Next Generation   opening sequence has some good moves: Stewart’s killer delivery of “The final frontier…” spiel as if it were a Shakespearian monologue. Some shots of some beautiful space wonders. The Enterprise zipping past the screen in-between cast members, just like in The Original Series’ introduction. It’s all good, it’s just not going to make me sign up to the trip to Mars or anything.

3. Star Trek: The Original Series

How could we not put the intro from  The Original Series near the top of this list? After all, it was the opening that started it all — that influenced and shaped so many of the  Star Trek opening sequences that would come after it.

The Original Series’ intro is very much of its time — with the “ahhAHH!”s and the limited special effects — but it also has always had something slightly exciting, fast-paced, and imaginative about it. (Probably the starship doing its damndest to get you pumped up by repeatedly zipping across the screen.) If a TV’s opening sequence is a promise of what’s to come, then Star Trek ‘s promise was to never stop moving forward — both in terms of action and in terms of ideas. To never stop exploring and pushing the limits of what was possible in science fiction TV, and society, of the time.

2. Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise may be the quasi-black sheep of the Star Trek universe, but it’s not the fault of its opening sequence, which is is imaginative, inspiring, and filled with optimism. Sure, it has a cheesy pop song as its ballad, but it somehow works when accompanied with images from humanity’s exploration through the years.

It may be a controversial choice to put  Enterprise ‘s theme at the top of this list, but I think it’s well-deserved.  Enterprise might not have always struck narrative gold in comparison to some of the better-considered  Star Trek series, but it wasn’t afraid to take chances and try to do its own thing — as was demonstrated by the opening sequence that, unlike all of the other post-Original Series series, didn’t mimick the space-journey design.

By giving us images of real-life explorations from our past and present,  Enterprise made us believe that a future like the one Star Trek imagines is a possible, tangible outcome of our world in a way that none of the previous Star Trek sequences attempted. For that, this opening sequence will always hold a special place in my Star Trek -loving heart.

1. Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager could have snagged an impressive spot on this list based on its theme song alone. You hear the opening notes of the Jerry Goldsmith classic, you  are  hooked — and it only builds from there.

Though  Voyager didn’t always succeed in its storytelling execution, it had a great premise: a ship lost on the other side of the galaxy, trying to find its way home. And the opening sequence reflected that beautifully (emphasis on the  beautiful ). Sure, Voyager’s mission was daunting and, sometimes, disheartening, but the crew/family of this ship never stopped appreciating the beauty of the galaxy — they never stopped exploring. The opening sequence gets that, and it makes for a magical introduction into each episode, and into the larger  Star Trek universe.

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Your move,  Star Trek: Discovery …

Bonus: Enterprise’s “Mirror Darkly” Opening

Special bonus! This  Enterprise  opening was created specifically for the “In A Mirror, Darkly” episode, which saw mirror-universe versions of Captain Archer and his crew (a la  The Original Series episode “Mirror, Mirror”).

Rather than focusing on images of exploration over human history, the “mirror darkly” sequence instead highlighted militaristic themes. The result is a fun, twisted version of the  Enterprise theme song that  immediately  got you in the mood for this episode, as well as a reminder why  Star Trek is such a great narrative universe — because, unlike so many of the other franchises that have come and gone over the years,  Star Trek values exploration over domination. 

Do you agree with our ranking? Sound off in the comments below…

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Kayti Burt | @kaytiburt

Kayti is a pop culture writer, editor, and full-time nerd who comes from a working class background. A member of the Television Critics Association, she specializes…

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Published Feb 23, 2024

Star Trek: The Cruise's 2025 Voyage to Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager

Kate Mulgrew and many more across the Star Trek universe will join the world's most immersive Star Trek experience!

StarTrek.com

Star Trek: The Cruise announces it will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager next year during the 8th annual voyage of the world’s most immersive Star Trek experience. Booking is Now Open !

Sailing from February 23 – March 2, 2025 from Miami to Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Belize City, the cruise will bring Voyager crew members Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Robert Picardo, Roxann Dawson, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Ethan Phillips, and Robert Beltran together, with additional stars from Voyager and the extended franchise also joining the cruise, including Jonathan Frakes, John de Lancie, Denise Crosby, Robert O'Reilly, Jonathan del Arco, Robin Curtis, Nana Visitor, Max Grodénchik, Chase Masterson, Casey Biggs, J.G. Hertzler, Connor Trinneer, Linda Park, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and so much more.

The ultimate Star Trek event for fans, Star Trek: The Cruise VIII will take place aboard Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and feature Star Trek -themed shows, events, activities, and parties every day and night, along with extraordinary performances by iconic actors and opportunities to interact with them like nowhere else in the universe.

"We’ve been planning our Voyager celebration for quite some time and are thrilled to share the news with Star Trek fans," says Chris Hearing, Partner and Executive Director of Theme Cruises at Entertainment Cruise Productions. "It will be a truly special experience for our guests to see so many of Voyager ’s crew members on Star Trek: The Cruise VIII."

Under license by Paramount Consumer Products, Star Trek: The Cruise ’s weeklong Caribbean voyage offers unprecedented engagement with favorite Star Trek celebrities – more than any other event in the show’s universe – in addition to the following immersive Star Trek experiences:

• One-of-a-kind nightly shows presented by Star Trek actors
• Star-studded panel discussions
• Star Trek movies and episodes at the pool deck
• Costume parties and cosplay competitions
• More than a dozen bars, restaurants, clubs and lounges will get a Federation Refit to create the ultimate Star Trek un-conventional voyage

Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas offers guests luxury accommodations, gourmet dining, multiple pools and whirlpools, a FlowRider surf simulator, spa and fitness center, rock climbing wall, mini golf green and so much more.

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Screen Rant

Ds9’s sisko was better for avoiding 1 tragic star trek captain trope.

The majority of Star Trek captains share the same tragedy in their pasts, but Sisko bucked this trend in DS9, making the character better as a result.

• Captain Sisko's unique portrayal as a family man sets him apart from other Star Trek captains, adding emotional depth to the show.
• The presence of Sisko's father Joseph in DS9 provides positive representation of fatherhood, contrasting with other Star Trek series.
• Joseph Sisko's character is a unique addition to the Star Trek canon as the only living father of a lead character in the series.

Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Broooks) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine avoided a tragic trope that affected his fellow Star Trek captains, making the character and the show better as a result. DS9 's Sisko was a unique figure in the Star Trek TV shows of the 1990s, as he juggled his duties as a Starfleet captain with those of being a father, a husband, and a religious icon. This marked Sisko out as different from Captains Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) each of whom placed their commitment to Starfleet above all else .

Unlike Picard and Janeway, Captain Sisko was a family man, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's cast of characters included various members of his wider family. Captain Sisko's father, Joseph (Brock Peters) grounded him, and imparted various pearls of wisdom over jambalaya at Sisko's Creole Kitchen. Unfortunately for Picard and Janeway, and other Star Trek captains that followed, they weren't able to seek advice from their own fathers as they had died years before they took command of their respective starships .

Captain Sisko's 10 Best Star Trek DS9 Episodes

Sisko & star trek: ds9 was better because his father was still alive.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager , alien intelligences use the images of Picard and Janeway's fathers for their own ends. Q (John de Lancie) technically conjured up the image of Maurice Picard twice, deliberately in TNG 's "Tapestry", and accidentally in Star Trek: Picard . Both times that Maurice appeared in Star Trek were attempts to get Jean-Luc to confront his issues with his father and his traumatic upbringing . Meanwhile, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) blames the career disappointments of his late father on the Vulcans in Star Trek: Enterprise , creating a prejudice that could often be quite ugly.

By contrast, the portrayal of fatherhood in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is much more positive, thanks to the introduction of Sisko's father in season 4. While Captain Sisko had talked of Joseph in the past tense in earlier DS9 episodes like "Paradise", season 4 confirmed that Joseph was very much alive. Watching the three generations of Sisko men interact was always a joy, and it gave DS9 an emotional reality that was missing from other Star Trek shows of the time. Without Joseph, the revelations about Sarah (Deborah Lacey) and the birth of Captain Sisko in DS9 season 7 wouldn't have had the same impact .

Brock Peters had previously played Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

DS9’s Joseph Sisko Is A Unique Star Trek Character

Joseph Sisko holds the distinction of being the only father of a Star Trek lead character to both be alive, and part of the recurring cast . Picard, Janeway, Archer, the Kelvin Timeline's Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) all lost their fathers years before their respective TV shows and movies began. It was later revealed that George Kirk, the father of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was still alive during Star Trek: The Original Series , but he never appeared on-screen . Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Joseph Sisko is, therefore, a unique character in the wider canon.

Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 19, "Q2" revealed that George Kirk was still alive when Captain Kirk took command of the USS Enterprise.

Interestingly, Joseph Sisko and Maurice Picard are the only fathers to Star Trek captains who weren't serving Starfleet officers themselves. Joseph pursued a career as a professional chef, and ran Sisko's Creole Kitchen in New Orleans for decades, teaching his children to cook. Maurice oversaw the production and distributon of Chateau Picard Wine , a business he wanted Jean-Luc to inherit. This means that, despite their differences in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot, Sisko and Picard do have something in common; their respective family's links to the food and drink industries.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

Did Star Trek: Voyager really have the best pilot?

S tar Trek: Voyager is a great show, spoiler alert on that one. We've given plenty of love to Voyager over the years and for a lot of reasons. Kathryne Janeway is one of the best-written captains, the scenario that Voyager is in highlights the strengths of the crew and the depth of their humanity. The entire ship is just beautiful from top to bottom and they even found a way to move off of the instant gratification of food replicators.

So much of what the show did was brilliant, but if I'm being honest, I always felt the pilot was less great than it could've been. There were certainly moments in it that added to it, for sure. Like docking at Deep Space Nine and watching Quark of all people make Harry Kim sweat before being saved by Tom Paris. It was awesome.

Yet, the time they spent on the Caretaker's Array I felt was long, and at times boring. I never really thought about Voyager's pilot being good or bad, not until Giant Freaking Robot bestowed the moniker of "best pilot" on it while proclaiming that Deep Space Nine was the worst pilot in franchise history.

I didn't see any of that coming, so consider me "shooked". Their arguments as to why one is perceived as bad and one is seen as good are in dispute, Deep Space Nine's pilot is very "slow". It focuses more on the emotional toll that Benjamin Sisko has had to deal with for the last few years, and his hatred for Jean-Luc Picard. It's a powerful episode, but not "fun".

Voyager's is very "fun". From the reveal that one of the Maquis was actually a member of Janeway's crew, to the introduction of Neelix and the whole issue they had with the Kazon. It was a lot of fun for the most part, but I still wouldn't say it was the "best".

For me specifically, though, I wouldn't say Star Trek pilots should be seen as "good" or "bad' as they're all important but are also all looking for their legs. They're not great. You don't want to start any person's fandom off by showing them the pilot. You show them "In the Pale Moonlight" or "Scorpion" first, then you go back.

Though, for my money, I would say of the golden era of Trek, Enterprise's pilot was my favorite, and of the Nu Trek era, I would say Strange New Worlds is the best. In fact, I would argue that Strange New Worlds is arguably the best pilot in the franchise's history; if I believed in that sort of thing.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Did Star Trek: Voyager really have the best pilot? .

GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Star Trek Blu-Ray Box Sets Receive Steep Discounts, Come With Free Comic Books

By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings.

By Darryn Bonthuys on April 12, 2024 at 7:08AM PDT

With decades of stories, series, and movies under its belt, it's never a bad time to check out the Star Trek franchise. Especially when you can build a sizable collection thanks to these Amazon deals! Whether you're interested in the original series starring William Shatner as James T. Kirk or you want to explore more recent shows like the Picard spin-off, there's plenty to look at here. As an added bonus, spending $25 or more on these deals will earn you three free Star Trek digital comics to read.

• Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection -- $76 ($ 126 )
• Star Trek: The Original Series: The Complete Series - Steelbook Blu-ray -- $45 ($ 70 )
• Star Trek: Picard - The Complete Series -- $48 ($ 70 )
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Series -- $111 ($ 161 )
• Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Series -- $58 ($ 91 )
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series -- $60 ($ 112 )
• Star Trek: Voyager: The Complete Series (DVD) -- $63 ($ 112 )

Kicking things off is Star Trek: The Original Series . This fancy steelbook collection contains almost 69 hours of Star Trek episodes featuring Shatner and the rest of his crew--Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, George Takei, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, and James Doohan--as they explored the cosmos, and it's still a charming showcase of classic sci-fi.

The original TV series was followed by several movies. The quality might drastically differ between films, but overall, these are still some fantastic pieces of cinema with more highs than lows. They've all been bundled together into a sharp six-movie bundle on Blu-ray , remastered in 4K, and stacked with an impressive amount of extra behind-the-scenes content. From The Wrath of Khan to The Voyage Home, this is a must-have for Star Trek fans.

Moving forward, the '80s and '90s saw a Star Trek renaissance with the release of shows like The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager . Each Star Trek show ran for multiple seasons and took the franchise in bold new directions under the command of their respective captains. Star Trek: Enterprise is the black sheep of the family, as this series chronicled the voyages of the first Enterprise starship across four seasons. It's not as bad as it's made out to be, and if you can ignore the wildly out-of-place country and western opening theme for each episode, it's a surprising prequel series with plenty of enjoyable stories to tell.

Lastly, you can catch up with Jean-Luc Picard in his self-titled spin-off series . Set many years after Star Trek: The Next Generation, this show follows the former Starfleet admiral as he foils plots threatening the stability of the galaxy, explores a dark future timeline thanks to the machinations of Q, and crosses paths with an old foe in the final season. Like other recent Star Trek series, Picard is a high-budget sci-fi show full of surprise cameos and top-notch special effects.

Amazon also has deals on several other Star Trek shows , like the delightfully funny Lower Decks, TNG movies, and Discovery.

In case you were wondering about Grabthar's Hammer, the phrase comes from Galaxy Quest , the 1999 parody flick with a star-studded cast that has achieved cult status over the years.

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Can Any Modern Star Trek Series Reach 100 Episodes? Alex Kurtzman Shares His Thoughts

The head of Star Trek spoke at length about it.

Star Trek: Discovery is taking its final bow after five seasons, ending the longest-running series of the modern era. Thankfully, we know we can expect more upcoming Trek shows as well as a few surprises in the future , but even so, Voyager will hold onto the accolade of being the last show in the franchise to exceed 100 episodes. So, now the question becomes: Will a Star Trek series ever hit that milestone again? CinemaBlend talked about it with top brass Alex Kurtzman to get some answers. 

I had a chance to speak to Kurtzman ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on the 2024 TV schedule , and I asked if a day would ever come when a modern entry in the franchise could hit 100 episodes. It feels like a tall order, considering current seasons of current shows are only about ten episodes in length, but Kurtzman talked about another obstacle while giving his thoughts on the matter:  

I don't know, it's very hard. I mean, the fact that [Discovery went to] go on five seasons is sort of a miracle. I think most people watch two seasons of a streaming show, and they check out, you know, and that's not specific to Trek. I just think that's the watch pattern for television in the streaming world. It's hard to know.

Streaming has permanently changed the television landscape. There are more options to watch shows both new and old than there ever were before. As such, it's hard to keep audiences glued to their Paramount+ subscription when competitors are churning out other exciting new shows. As he said, the fact that Star Trek: Discovery received five seasons before the cancellation was a big feat, especially when considering the fact that some of streaming's most popular shows, like Stranger Things , will end with Season 5 . 

While Alex Kurtzman likely has the details of what is in store for Star Trek 's future, including the news on that rumored Jean-Luc Picard movie , he doesn't know what the future holds. He did offer his best guess at what the chances are of any current or upcoming Trek show hitting a hundred episodes and why he's happy with the way things currently are: 

My guess would be that it would be unlikely. But in some ways, I think what's lovely about that is– it's funny you can talk to old writers of old Trek series, and they're like, ‘Man, there's a bunch of filler episodes in there. We are just trying to get to 22 a season,’ you know, and, and we all know which of those episodes were [filler], we know the ones that were truly stellar from the ones that felt like they were kind of spinning their wheels. And so I think what ten episodes a season forces you to do is really make sure that every story counts as much as it possibly can. And I like that, you know, I like that. I like what that affords us now.

I certainly can understand Alex Kurtzman's perspective, and I agree that some Star Trek filler episodes from the past were absolute stinkers. Then again, one has to wonder if The Next Generation had only ten episodes if we would have seen some of its more WTF moments unfold , or Tim Russ talking about   Voyager 's "Tuvix" episode . There's a trade-off for the big-budget adventures, and a large part of it is the show needing to stay on task with the main story with the limited episodes it has. 

Of course, Star Trek has still found ways to include side stories in this new era, with Strange New Worlds focusing on character-driven serialization amongst daily adventures the crew faces. It's working well enough that Discovery reportedly mimicked the style in its final season , and it may just be the new normal for the franchise going forward. Who knows, it may even get the series, which is currently in production for Season 3, to a hundred episodes, which would be fantastic. Then again, in an age where there's no sign of Trek slowing down, do we need that? 

Fans may ponder this question as they tune in for new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on Thursdays over on Paramount+. Those who aren't caught up need to do so, because this final season has been amazing thus far. 

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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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How Star Trek's Most Underrated Villains Wreaked Havoc From Deep Space 9 to Picard

Star Trek enemies like the Borg and Klingons have been a thorn on the Federation's side, but only one underrated villain has caused the most damage.

• The Dominion is a powerful alien empire in Star Trek that challenged the Federation like never before.
• While the Klingons, Romulans, and Borg evolved over time, the Dominion remained a second-tier villain.
• Star Trek: Picard's third season saw the Dominion return strong, with a complex plot and characters.

Star Trek has always featured compelling villainous aliens, many of whom have arcs and collective journeys as rich as any individual character. The Klingons, for instance, have gone from the Federation's greatest foes to fierce allies and antiheroes. The Romulan Empire similarly underwent rapid disintegration in the late 24th century and re-unified with their genetic cousins, the Vulcans, in later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery . Even the Borg changed over the course of the franchise, as individuals like Seven of Nine escaped the Collective and threats like Species 8472 proved more than they could handle. That dedication to their organic development has helped make them truly memorable foes, not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture as a whole.

One villainous species tends to get a little lost in the shuffle, however. The Dominion -- a powerful alien empire controlled by shape-shifting Changelings -- proved to be one of the deadliest foes the Federation ever faced. They launched a war against the Alpha Quadrant during the final seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, forcing Starfleet to join forces with traditional enemies like the Romulans in the face of the common threat. Despite that, the Dominion itself is often relegated to second-tier villain status. Star Trek: Picard's triumphant third season successfully returned them to the spotlight, and reminded fans how terrifying they could be as antagonists.

The Dominion Were Designed as an Existential Threat

The complete history of the klingons in star trek's next generation era.

Deep Space Nine cemented a big transition for the franchise, moving away from Gene Roddenberry's beliefs in an absolute utopia. A Federation devoid of conflict was no place to tell compelling stories, which The Original Series solved by presenting solely external threats in its planet-of-the-week format. Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully broke out of that mold, though its early seasons were plagued by problems caused by the infamous "Roddenberry Box" forbidding intrapersonal conflicts among the crew. The incursion of the Borg in Season 3, Episode 26, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" definitively broke the Box, with Will Riker taking command of the Enterprise amid constant head-butting from his de facto Number One, Elizabeth Shelby.

As The Next Generation continued to explore the story potential of protagonists with differing opinions, Deep Space Nine fully committed to the dark side of the 24th century. Set aboard a rickety former mining station near the planet Bajor, it looked for drama within the limits of the Federation's power, and how characters like Captain Benjamin Sisko have to sometimes make compromises for the greater good. The Dominion proved to be the perfect fulcrum for that as a technologically advanced fascist theocracy, ruled by the Changelings who condition their subjects to worship them as gods. Besides their technological advantages, the Dominion's military forces are truly terrifying.

The ground troops are genetically engineered constructs known as the Jem'Hadar; they are bred to be soldiers and physically dependent upon a chemical called ketracel white to ensure their absolute loyalty. Their commanders, administrators and tactical advisors are a species known as Vorta, who are preternaturally cunning and built to influence foes with honeyed words before unleashing the Dominion's full forces on them. Worst of all were the Changelings themselves, who could perfectly imitate anyone they wished and who would abduct key personnel and replace them with duplicates to sow distrust and discord. On top of all that, they had a vast empire of slave labor at their command, and with the Bajoran wormhole providing a conduit to the Alpha Quadrant, they potentially had the ability to overrun the Federation in a manner of days.

The Dominion Pushed the Moral Limits of The Federation

The complete history of vulcans in the federation era of star trek.

The Dominion were designed the way they were in order to push the Starfleet characters -- specifically Sisko -- into making compromised choices for the sake of survival . That included below-the-belt tactics such as mining the entrance to the wormhole to prevent any ships from getting through, and Section 31's use of biological warfare to infect the Changeling collective with a fatal virus. The most telling moment came with Season 6, Episode 19, " In the Pale Moonlight ," in which Sisko has a hand in forgery, duplicity and murder in order to bring the Romulans into the war.

It is perhaps Star Trek's darkest moment, and a canny exploration of the franchise's famous adage, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Sisko's efforts bore fruit, and the united Alpha Quadrant was finally able to push the Dominion and its allies to the point of capitulation at the end of Season 7. But the cost was terrible, with millions dead and vast regions of the Alpha Quadrant devastated by war . The Dominion retreated back to the other side of the wormhole, and Odo -- a wayward Changeling who helped convince his people to halt the fighting -- returned to the collective to help end their distrust of "the solids."

As antagonists, they worked incredibly well, thanks in part to a slow build-up that left their origins and motives in the dark until they were well into their infiltration of the Alpha Quadrant. They provided the ideal crucible to test the Federation's principles under fire. While Roddenberry's bright future survived, it emerged with scars that never quite healed. Not even the Borg could top the Dominion as foes, and fans have even gamed out a hypothetical conflict between the Dominion and the Borg, with more or less even odds on which species will prevail.

Despite that, their footprint in the franchise is much smaller than other major antagonists. They returned to the Gamma Quadrant after the war, and essentially vanished with the series finale of Deep Space Nine. With its sister series Star Trek: Voyager focusing on the Borg , and the follow-up Star Trek: Enterprise taking place centuries before the opening of the wormhole, there was no convenient way to resurrect them. The franchise simply moved on, and the Dominion was left collecting dust on the shelves.

Picard Gives The Dominion the Comeback They Deserve

How deep space nine elevated the ferengi from jokes to serious characters.

The latter-day Star Trek renaissance provided an opportunity to do something special with the Dominion. Picard Season 3 depicted a dying, vengeance-obsessed Borg queen pairing up with a radical faction of Changelings to take another run at destroying the Earth. They replace key Starfleet members and sabotage the transporters aboard most of its starships by infecting those who use it with a subtle hormone that allows the Borg Queen to take control of them remotely. The complex plot sees Picard and the reunited crew of the Enterprise-D work to uncover the truth before the sinister coalition springs its trap.

Beyond the cleverness of the plot and its borderline horror-movie premise, Amanda Plummer's Changeling Vadic cements herself as an instant fan favorite. She and her cohorts were captured and experimented on during the Dominion War, rendering them traumatized and filled with hate. Plummer always excels in eccentric roles, which feels like a being who hasn't quite mastered the art of humanoid emotional expression. She's manic, mercurial, and extremely bad at hiding the depths of her hatred.

While Vadic meets her just fate before seeing her plans come to fruition, her presence lingers in the series' final few episodes, to the point of outclassing the Borg Queen herself. She also gives a face to the Changelings, who were usually by definition disguised as someone else. Their representative (known only as "female Changeling") was presumptuous and cold, which forms a stark contrast with Vadic's onscreen villain. It demonstrates the effects of their defeat on the Dominion's self-styled god-rulers.

Picard helps the Dominion demonstrate a viable arc over time, in the same manner as the Klingons, the Romulans and the Borg. Fans can see how the loss has affected them as individuals, as well as the political fallout from it all. Vadic belongs to a splinter group rather than the bulk of the collective. It gives them the depth and sense of continuity they need to rightfully join the ranks of elite Star Trek villains . With Picard opening the door to further appearances, and with other antagonists suffering from decades of overuse, an extended return could help define the future of the franchise.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard are both streaming in their entirety on Paramount+.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.