To be fair, there were several episodes that were almost worth watching. None that made the cut, though.
Black Vulcan I don't mind.
Chakotay was a generic Native American of no particular tribe... because they hired a native culture consultant who was a total fraud.
Was Torres a super warrior Klingon? Above average, I suppose...
Anyhow, I think the Tuvix episode is a great example of why Voyager fails. The episode should have been about the moral choice of that situation. Instead, it's mostly about Tuvix as a person, and we have almost no discussion of the morality - Janeway just says "I have two lives to think about here", and that's that. There's some attempt at the drama of this innocent and unique person being murdered, but no real argument. BTW, she actually has three people to consider - Neelix, Tuvok, and Tuvix.
It's the same with the Borg alliance plot.
Borg: Janeway, we need you to help us develop a biological weapon, to help us do genocide on species 8472, in a war which we, the Borg, totally started.
Janeway: I don't know, I don't really trust you.
Borg: We'll promise you safe passage through our space, so that your crew of ~150 can get home ~10 years sooner.
They forgot they were making a sci-fi and it simply became a weak drama set in space. In TNG you have a similar episode to Tuvix in the episode where Data's status as property is put to trial. They actually made compelling and emotionally moving arguments for both sides of the equation and you walk away from the episode a bigger person for having contemplated a new philosophical quandary that we might not have to face in our lifetimes. That's what sci-fi is supposed to do: force us to consider new ideas. You take that away and all you're left with is a shitty fucking space drama.
i watched all of Voyager up into season 4.
To be fair, there were several episodes that were almost worth watching. None that made the cut, though.
Black Vulcan I don't mind. Chakotay was a generic Native American of no particular tribe... because they hired a native culture consultant who was a total fraud. Was Torres a super warrior Klingon? Above average, I suppose...
Anyhow, I think the Tuvix episode is a great example of why Voyager fails. The episode should have been about the moral choice of that situation. Instead, it's mostly about Tuvix as a person, and we have almost no discussion of the morality - Janeway just says "I have two lives to think about here", and that's that. There's some attempt at the drama of this innocent and unique person being murdered, but no real argument. BTW, she actually has three people to consider - Neelix, Tuvok, and Tuvix.
It's the same with the Borg alliance plot.
Borg: Janeway, we need you to help us develop a biological weapon, to help us do genocide on species 8472, in a war which we, the Borg, totally started.
Janeway: I don't know, I don't really trust you.
Borg: We'll promise you safe passage through our space, so that your crew of ~150 can get home ~10 years sooner.
Janeway: Genocide it is!
They forgot they were making a sci-fi and it simply became a weak drama set in space. In TNG you have a similar episode to Tuvix in the episode where Data's status as property is put to trial. They actually made compelling and emotionally moving arguments for both sides of the equation and you walk away from the episode a bigger person for having contemplated a new philosophical quandary that we might not have to face in our lifetimes. That's what sci-fi is supposed to do: force us to consider new ideas. You take that away and all you're left with is a shitty fucking space drama.