After watching all the episodes of TNG, DS9 and VOY over the last few months, I have come to the conclusion that Voyager doesn't come close to the other two series from the 1990s. Actually, Voyager would have had the best potential to become a great series. But unfortunately half of the main characters remained underdeveloped and the central element of the journey home was actually more of a side plot.
TNG is about a crew of explorers who roam the galaxy to discover new civilizations and space phenomena. The focus here is clearly on first contact. The individual episodes are mostly "alien of the week" episodes, although there are also overarching story elements: The Borg, Q, Data's background and his quest to become human. In DS9, however, the focus is on a space station, which, as the name suggests, is stationary. This means the focus of the series is different. The focus is not on space exploration, but rather on an overarching conflict. The threat of the Dominion and the changelings. In addition, the previous war between Cardassia and Bajor plays a central role, giving the characters depth. Because everything basically begins and ends on the station, we also get to know a lot about the main characters there. Quark's restaurant serves as a meeting place. You also see the main characters in their private lives, which gives you as a viewer a much closer connection to them.
Voyager should actually have been conceptually located exactly between these two series. On the one hand, the crew is traveling on a ship and is constantly encountering new species. On the other hand, the crew has been crammed into a very small space for seven years and the interaction between the crew members should have played a key role here. Furthermore, Voyager has a central plot element: the journey home to Earth. A dangerous odyssey through unknown space. And the chance to find new planets, new species, new technology and new allies.
But this is where Voyager fails. The journey home is not the focus of most episodes. As a viewer, you often don't have the feeling that this is actually the motivation of the crew. In addition, this trip leaves hardly any traces on board. Voyager should actually have been packed with alien technology by the end of the voyage. In the ship one should have seen foreign art objects, archaeological evidence of the foreign cultures they encountered. From time to time, strange travelers should have become part of the crew to spice up the plot. Basically, as a viewer, you should have constantly had the feeling that this crew is destined to fly home and that they are doing everything to achieve this. Instead, like TNG, most episodes of Voyager are just "alien of the week" episodes.
Another drawback: While in DS9 the characters were really developed in detail and their storylines were intertwined, in Voyager you get the feeling that half the crew are just extras. Apart from the senior officers, none of the crew was ever seen anyway. And even the main characters mostly remained superficial. Just take Harry Kim, Chakotay, Kess, even Tuvok. While DS9 featured eloquent and absolutely iconic characters like Quark, Garak, Dukat and Weyoun, such central figures are missing in Voyager. And while you felt like you knew the DS9 crew personally after a while because you were able to follow Bashir and O'Brien's friendship up close or saw Dax playing Tongo with Ferengi, you didn't learn much about the Voyager crew's private lives. Paris and Kim's holodeck adventures just aren't the same as the bromance between Miles and Julian.
The series definitely got better when Seven of Nine replaced Kes. However, this wasn't because she was constantly running around in a tight jumpsuit, but because both her connection to the Borg and her cool and rational manner were often central elements in solving problems within the episodes. The optics and visual effects also got better in the end. However, the ending of this series is disappointing. In the seventh season, hardly anything happened and then suddenly they are home. Here you really noticed that the whole series never really focused on the central element of the journey home. Essentially, Voyager should have been like Frodo's journey to Mount Doom. Always with the central goal in mind and on the move, the crew constantly fighting against dangers and new friends and allies appearing on the scene to help.
Although Voyager has some extremely good individual episodes, it unfortunately falls short as a complete work of Star Trek fiction.
TNG is about a crew of explorers who roam the galaxy to discover new civilizations and space phenomena. The focus here is clearly on first contact. The individual episodes are mostly "alien of the week" episodes, although there are also overarching story elements: The Borg, Q, Data's background and his quest to become human. In DS9, however, the focus is on a space station, which, as the name suggests, is stationary. This means the focus of the series is different. The focus is not on space exploration, but rather on an overarching conflict. The threat of the Dominion and the changelings. In addition, the previous war between Cardassia and Bajor plays a central role, giving the characters depth. Because everything basically begins and ends on the station, we also get to know a lot about the main characters there. Quark's restaurant serves as a meeting place. You also see the main characters in their private lives, which gives you as a viewer a much closer connection to them.
Voyager should actually have been conceptually located exactly between these two series. On the one hand, the crew is traveling on a ship and is constantly encountering new species. On the other hand, the crew has been crammed into a very small space for seven years and the interaction between the crew members should have played a key role here. Furthermore, Voyager has a central plot element: the journey home to Earth. A dangerous odyssey through unknown space. And the chance to find new planets, new species, new technology and new allies.
But this is where Voyager fails. The journey home is not the focus of most episodes. As a viewer, you often don't have the feeling that this is actually the motivation of the crew. In addition, this trip leaves hardly any traces on board. Voyager should actually have been packed with alien technology by the end of the voyage. In the ship one should have seen foreign art objects, archaeological evidence of the foreign cultures they encountered. From time to time, strange travelers should have become part of the crew to spice up the plot. Basically, as a viewer, you should have constantly had the feeling that this crew is destined to fly home and that they are doing everything to achieve this. Instead, like TNG, most episodes of Voyager are just "alien of the week" episodes.
Another drawback: While in DS9 the characters were really developed in detail and their storylines were intertwined, in Voyager you get the feeling that half the crew are just extras. Apart from the senior officers, none of the crew was ever seen anyway. And even the main characters mostly remained superficial. Just take Harry Kim, Chakotay, Kess, even Tuvok. While DS9 featured eloquent and absolutely iconic characters like Quark, Garak, Dukat and Weyoun, such central figures are missing in Voyager. And while you felt like you knew the DS9 crew personally after a while because you were able to follow Bashir and O'Brien's friendship up close or saw Dax playing Tongo with Ferengi, you didn't learn much about the Voyager crew's private lives. Paris and Kim's holodeck adventures just aren't the same as the bromance between Miles and Julian.
The series definitely got better when Seven of Nine replaced Kes. However, this wasn't because she was constantly running around in a tight jumpsuit, but because both her connection to the Borg and her cool and rational manner were often central elements in solving problems within the episodes. The optics and visual effects also got better in the end. However, the ending of this series is disappointing. In the seventh season, hardly anything happened and then suddenly they are home. Here you really noticed that the whole series never really focused on the central element of the journey home. Essentially, Voyager should have been like Frodo's journey to Mount Doom. Always with the central goal in mind and on the move, the crew constantly fighting against dangers and new friends and allies appearing on the scene to help.
Although Voyager has some extremely good individual episodes, it unfortunately falls short as a complete work of Star Trek fiction.