2y ago

OpticalData's guide to Star Trek: Voyager

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OpticalData's Guide to Voyager

Season 1

Episode	Title	Why should I watch it?	Is it optional?
1 & 2	Caretaker	Included for obvious reasons. This sets up the entire premise of the show.	No
3	Parallax	This is an important episode as it establishes the Starfleet/Maquis command structure that remains for the rest of the series, also good character development for Janeway/Chakotay/Torres.	No
4	Time and Again	If you can get past the ridiculous costumes, it has good character development for Janeway/Paris and introduces Kes' telepathic abilities.	No
5	Phage	Introduces the Vidiians.	No
6	The Cloud	"There's Coffee in that nebula!" and beginning of the deeper Janeway/Chakotay relationship	Yes
7	Eye Of The Needle	Voyager's first glimpse of home... Except not. (NB: The events of this episode are explored further in the 'Dark Matters' book trilogy)	Yes
8	Ex Post Facto	Heavy Paris development, the first time we see him as the 'underdog' in a story	Yes
9	Emanations	Harry Kim development and introduction of Seska	No
10	Prime Factors	More Starfleet-Maquis clashes. Character development for Tuvok, Torres and Carey.	Yes
11	State Of Flux	Beginning of the Seska-Kazon arc and revelation of Seska's past.	No
12	Heroes And Demons	The series' first holodeck episode. Janeway sports a new haircut.	Yes
13	Cathexis	The crew is possessed by a disembodied Chakotay.	Yes
14	Faces	Further development of both the Vidiians and Torres' character.	No
15	Jetrel	Development of Neelix's backstory. This episode is referenced multiple times throughout the rest of the series.	No
16	Learning Curve	Tuvok character development. Starfleet-Maquis clashes.	Yes

Season 2

Episode	Title	Why should I watch it?	Is it optional?
17	The 37's	The first time we get to see Voyager land.	No
18	Initiations	Chakotay gets captured by the Kazon and we see some of their culture.	Yes
19	Projections	Doctor-centric episode with good character development.	Yes
20	Elogium	Examines details of Kes's Ocampan biology which are referenced throughout the rest of the series	No
21	Non Sequitur	Kim gets transported to an alternate reality in which he is home and has everything he wants but decides to return to Voyager.	Yes
22	Twisted	General character development. A solid episode.	Yes
23	Parturition	Paris and Neelix fight over Kes and end up adopting an alien. Resolves the Tom/Neelix bickering and Neelix's jealousy.	No
24	Persistence of Vision	Reveals many characters' backstories, and one of the few times we see the relations of the Voyager crew.	No
25	Tattoo	Chakotay development, focussing on his spiritual beliefs.	Yes
26	Cold Fire	Wraps up questions from Caretaker.	No
27	Maneuvers	Seska outwits the Voyager crew and Chakotay is captured by the Kazon again. Setup for a plot line in Basics.	No
28	Resistance	Janeway character development.	Yes
29	Prototype	Torres character development, solid episode.	Yes
30	Alliances	Gives some back story to the Delta Quadrant.	No
31	Threshold	An infamously bad episode, on the order of "Spock's Brain".	Yes
32	Meld	Tuvok and Suder character development. Important for season resolution.	No
33	Dreadnought	A small insight to Maquis and Cardassian Technology. Janeway nearly sacrifices the ship.	Yes
34	Death Wish	The series' first Q episode. Looks into the issues of being a Q.	No
35	Lifesigns	Backstory about the phage and Vidiians, Doctor character development. Introduction of side characters.	Yes
36	Investigations	Important Paris development. (NB: Features a cameo from King Abdullah II of Jordan)	Yes
37	Deadlock	Deals with the Vidiians, the birth of a Naiomi Wildman, and the death of Kim prime. One of the best 'action' episodes of the franchise. Highlight: Kate Mulgrew acting vs herself.	No
38	Innocence	Tuvok crashes a shuttle and finds children on a planet, but all is not as it appears. Tuvok development.	Yes
39	The Thaw	One of the creepiest episodes of the franchise.	Yes
40	Tuvix	Poses some excellent moral dilemmas. What would you have done?	Yes
41	Resolutions	Sets up the will-they-won't-they element of the Janeway/Chakotay relationship and a chance to see what Voyager would be like with Tuvok in command.	Yes
42 & 43	Basics	Wraps up the Kazon arc.	No

Season 3

Episode	Title	Why should I watch it?	Is it optional?
44	Flashback	Gives Tuvok some back story and develops Tuvok-Janeway relationship. Also features appearances from some TOS cast members.	Yes
45	The Chute	Kim and Paris development. Both go temporarily insane.	Yes
46	The Swarm	Doctor development. Highlight: Picardo vs Picardo	Yes
47	False Profits	Wraps up the TNG episode "The Price". Ferengi.	Yes
48	Remember	Torres has dreams about a major event in an alien society.	Yes
49	Sacred Ground	Good character development for Janeway.	Yes
50 & 51	Future's End	Introduction of The Doctor's mobile emitter that will be used throughout the rest of the series. (NB: Sarah Silverman guest stars)	No
52	Warlord	Showcases the acting abilities of Jennifer Lien (Kes).	Yes
53	The Q and the Grey	Details about the Q continuum. Introduces the recurring Female Q.	No
54	Macrocosm	Voyager is attacked by "macroviruses" in a Die Hard-like premise.	Yes
55	Fair Trade	Neelix stops being a guide and receives some backstory development.	No
56	Alter Ego	Kim and Tuvok development.	Yes
57	Coda	Develops Janeway	No
58	Blood Fever	Introduces a number of elements seen in later episodes and examines the Pon Farr	No
59	Unity	One of the few episodes that develops Chakotay properly.	No
60	Darkling	The Doctor becomes Jekyll & Hyde	Yes
61	Rise	Neelix and Tuvok get stuck in a lift	Yes
62	Favourite Son	Harry Kim almost starts an interstellar war and begins to turn into an alien.	Yes
63	Before and After	Introduces the Krenim. An interesting episode about what could have been.	No
64	Real Life	Character development for The Doctor.	No
65	Distant Origin	A solid episode, good Chakotay development.	Yes
66	Displaced	Development of Torres/Paris relationship. Comedy moments	Yes
67	Worst Case Scenario	Wraps up Seska arc and shows 'what could have been' with the Maquis/Starfleet joint crew.	No
68 & 69	Scorpion	First proper appearance of the Borg and introduces Species 8472 and Seven of Nine.	No

Season 4

Episode	Title	Why should I watch it?	Is it optional?
70	The Gift	Departure of a series regular, wraps up Scorpion.	No
71	Day Of Honour	Important Paris-Torres development.	No
72	Nemesis	Chakotay and Beltran at their finest.	Yes
73	Revulsion	Tuvok gets promoted. A hologram tries to kill Torres.	Yes
74	The Raven	Important Seven backstory, referenced later.	No
75	Scientific Method	Quite a creepy episode if you think about it. Worth it to see Janeway go full crazy.	Yes
76 & 77	Year Of Hell	The best two parter of the series. What Voyager should have been.	No
78	Random Thoughts	Torres gets arrested for thinking a violent thought on a planet where they're a crime. Torres and Tuvok development.	Yes
79	Concerning Flight	Janeway development, end of a Holodeck distraction.	Yes
80	Mortal Coil	One of the few Neelix episodes where Ethan Phillips really gets to act.	No
81	Waking Moments	Chakotay development, excellent episode.	No
82	Message In A Bottle	Doctor development, referenced later in series.	No
83	Hunters	Introduces the Hirogen.	No
84	Prey	Continues Hirogen story, finalizes questions about 8472.	No
86 & 87	The Killing Game	Wraps up Hirogen arc. Jeri Ryan sings.	No
88	Vis à Vis	Tom Paris becomes a victim of body swapping.	Yes
89	The Omega Directive	A solid episode, Seven-Janeway relationship development.	No
90	Unforgettable	Chakotay falls in love with a woman he can't remember. Chakotay development.	Yes
91	Living Witness	Voyager's idea of a mirror universe episode.	No
92	Demon	A good episode, referenced later.	No
93	One	Good Seven development.	Yes
94	Hope and Fear	More Janeway-Seven development, consequences of Scorpion explored.	No