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I started watching this in part out of curiosity because a very wonderful priest that I know is a Trekkie and so also is a brilliant and inspiring theological student who has been seconded to our church (Christ Church Deer Park, Toronto). When I was watching the introductory episode, I had a sinking feeling that maybe it was going to be a rather mechanical space opera, and so I would find it uninteresting. But, aha, from the second episode onwards, I was hooked. I saw the point and understood why those such my priest and the student found it fscinating, as now do I. The episodes I have watched, and I'm only about half way through, have explored many puzzles and characteristics of creation, such as the nature of life and death, the malleability of dimensional space, the flexibile illusion that is time, the sanctity of life, the importance of ritual and, of course, the moral implications of The Prime Directive. So if those matters ever cross your mind, or even if you just like space opera, then you'll enjoy ST:V. In addition, the acting is generally high quality and sometimes VERY good (Kes). The character development seems slightly cartoonish but not too childishly so. Also, there is plenty of humour (The Doctor) to help us past the weightier philosophical and religious considerations. The ONLY annoyance is the portrayal of the Captain herself. I'm so glad that Captain Janeway is a woman but I find her acting to be wooden, as if she is finding it an effort. Also, to me, her voice seems to be as if there's too much helium in her atmosphere. Purists should also note that there is noise in the vacuum of space, that the English language is creation-wide and that breathable, pressurised atmospheres are very common, - but it is worth suspending our disbelief of that for the benefit of enjoying the rest of the content. When I've finished watching this First Season, I'll certainly be looking to buy the Second Season.Read full review
The first season was enjoyable and for the most part nostalgic for veterans of Voyager. That is to say if you've already watched the complete series, as I have. Throughout the series you will watch the growth of the character seeds planted in Season 1, but a few stand out as shadows of what they will eventually become in later seasons, such as Lt. Torres, Lt. Paris, and Capt. Janeway, but especially The Doctor. That's not to take anything away from this very well balanced ensemble cast, which in my opinion was the very best of any Star Trek cast both on network and big screen. Each cast member has an episode that sets up the tone for their role. In this first season they are but a glimpse of what potential still lies ahead for them. Season 1 will take you through the growing pains of the combined two crews, Voyager's and the Maquis. Most notably in the episodes "Parallax", "Prime Factors" and "State of Flux". In the tradition of Star Trek there will be the periodic "guest star" and the always reliable holographic story. Keep in mind, Season 1 is just the beginning of what will be an awesome seven year journey, that will steer you through dramatic plots, characters and emotions. You will find yourself entangled with this crew's plight and inevitably fall in love with them. For newbies, watch Season 1 with an open mind, but do watch it, you won't be disappointed. It is a must-have for all Voyager fans, as will all of the seasons to follow. The DVD set is basic with no difficult menus, quality sound and appearance, with the fifth disk having the bonus material, which was very fun to watch and a must for those interested in the early concept and production stages of the series. I plan on completing the entire DVD library of Star Trek Voyager and suggest you do as well. Like the series, Voyager gets better with age and no better place to start than at the beginning.Read full review
In Voyager, at last, we are given an extraordinary set of circumstances which allow us to both use the Federation ideals and morals and see what happens when context makes them impossible to fully obey. The ship is 70,000 light years from Federation space (about 50 years) and completely cut off from all of it's known allies and "friendly" space. A female captain and a crew cobbled together by a variety of dispirit events creates tension, humor and pathos. In Voyager, we watch complex situations unfold over time and finally see what it looks like when reality hits the Trek universe. This crew, these people create home and family on the ship, knowing they very well never see their own again. They are forced to find the means to resupply, repair and re-arm Voyager without the benefit of any typically known resources. They make situational truces with their enemies when circumstance makes it expedient and then have to turn around and choose a side when necessity dictates that they "get their hands dirty". All of which flies in the face of the Federation's famous Prime Directives. Life on Voyager gets messy. The solution to problems is rarely cut and dried. Everyone aboard (including the captain) makes questionable choices and demonstrates less-than admirable behavior from time-to-time but they learn and they go on............ Something we can all relate to. The characters are compelling and likable. The ship has organic, living components (perhaps part of the inspiration for Moya on Farscape?) and the captain has to serve in a variety of roles including, but not limited to, military chief of staff, general in battle, den-mother, matriarch and occasionally even babysitter. Kate Mulgrew is more than up to the task and I shudder to think of what the show might have been (or not) had Genevieve Bujould (sp?) actually stayed in the part..... In Voyager, life genuinely plays itself out. Good, bad, indifferent it's all there to see. These people aren't the model of selflessness and propriety we usually get in the Trek universe; they are human. With all of the dilemmas, doubts and questionable behavior that comes along with it. Voyager successfully navigates the distance between the "lightness" of the world that is Star Trek and the "darkness" found in Babylon 5. Is it perfect sci-fi?................................. Of course not. But what is? .................. Well, maybe Firefly. But that didn't get 7 seasons. Voyager makes the limited run of Firefly and the ending of Stargate SG1 bearable and really, what more can you ask . Oh, I forgot to add, KICK-ASS bad guys/species and they periodically trash the ship completely (and I mean going so far as to crash it on a planet or blow holes the size of cars in it) all in service of the reality of their surroundings and story-line.Read full review
Contrary to what many Trek nerds would have you believe, Voyager is not the worst Star Trek series, and is not at all a bad show. The acting is superior to that on the beloved The Next Generation (that comment alone will probably have people throwing their Spock ears at their monitors), and I think many of the stories were better. TNG stories always seemed to revolve around spacial anomalies and holodeck malfunctions, which became excruciatingly boring. I wasn't interested in seeing Picard dressed up like Sherlock Holmes and trying to solve a fake mystery, only to be trapped on the holodeck and have the safety mechanisms shut off. As many times as this happened, I would have shut the silly thing down and prohibited its use. Voyager was so great because it truly put its protagonists into a situation that they could not extricate themselves from. For the first time since the original 1960's series, Star Trek characters truly went where nobody had gone before, discovering new races and acquiring knowledge. And they couldn't call on the federation to save them. And no doctor has ever been as good in his role as Robert Picardo. That even includes DeForest Kelly, who was exceptional. Jennifer Lien was also outstanding as Kes, who was very much missed after her departure from the series. Voyager brought back a lot of the adventure that was inherent in the first Star Trek series, and was lost in TNG. Perhaps it didn't live up to its enormous potential, but it was still a very good series that is, unfortunately, far to often the target of hate by TNG purists and people who like to pick at microscopic details.Read full review
Season 1 had its memorable moments. Favorite episodes in order of airing: Caretaker, Ex Post Facto, Prime Factors, State of Flux. ST Voyager's pilot season had a certain charm and freshness to it that made it very likeable. While the absolute winner in terms of quality of acting and stories is ST: DS9, ST Voyager was a beloved addition to the franchise and to my personal collection. Kate Mulgrew made an indelible impression upon a generation of young women, many of whom later credited her with their decisions to pursue careers in science and engineering. The remaining cast all contributed greatly in adding depth and breadth to the series, even when some of the story writing seemed lacking.
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