The fifth season of Voyager continued to limp its slow way home from the Delta Quadrant.
There doesn't seem to be any point in giving "star" ratings to individual episodes, they were all
worth two stars, or at best a weak three, a notch above most tv science fiction, but far weaker than
Deep Space Nine. My favorite episode was "Think Tank," by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and
Joe Menosky. Also a must see for fans of old movie serials was "Bride of Chaotica," by Bryan
Fuller and Michael Taylor, a dead-on send up of the Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials,
deserving of a special award for costumes and set design that exactly mimic the cheesy look of the
original, filmed in black and white. The aliens in 30s suits and hats are perfect. But far too
many Voyager episodes this season were holodeck fantasies, alternate realities, or time travel
stories that unhappen. The only memorable supporting character is Naomi Wildman. Most of the
shows had several writers. Brannon Braga wrote or co-wrote eleven of the twenty-six episodes.
Michael Taylor wrote or co-wrote nine. Joe Menoski wrote or co-wrote eight. Rick Berman only
appears in the credits as a writer on three episodes, but he almost certainly had a large impact in
guiding Voyager. The good news is that the best of the DS9 writers will be writing for Voyager
next season.
Night by Brannon Braga
Voyager travels through a huge void.
Drone, by Bryan Fuller
The Doctor's mobile emitter fuses with Seven of Nine's nanoprobes
to create a Superborg.
Extreme Risk, by Michael Taylor and Kenneth Biller
Torres deliberately engages in risky
behavior.
In the Flesh, by Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky
Species 8472 builds an exact replica of
Starfleet Headquarters.
Once Upon a Time, by Nicholas Sagan
Naomi Wildman plays in a children's holoadventure
that proves that live action children's television is just as bad in the 24th and a half century as it is
today.
Timeless, by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Joe Menosky
Future versions of Chakotay and
Kim work to make this episode unhappen.
Infinite Regress, by Robert J. Doherty and Jimmy Diggs
Seven of Nine develops multiple
personalities, including a Klingon and a Ferengi.
Nothing Human, by Jeri Taylor
A Cardassian holodoctor presents The Doctor with a moral
dilemma, in this well written episode.
Thirty Days, by Scott Miller and Kenneth Biller
Voyager discovers a planet composed
entirely of water.
Counterpoint, by Michael Taylor
Voyager tries to save telepaths from the ships of the
Devore Imperium, where telepathy is illegal.
Latent Image, by Eileen Conners and Joe Menosky
The Doctor discovers that his memory
has been tampered with.
Bride of Chaotica, by Brian Fuller and Michael Taylor
Arachnia, Queen of the Spider
People, helps Captain Proton save Voyager from aliens from the Fifth Dimension.
Gravity, by Jimmy Diggs, Brian Fuller, and Nicholas Sagan
Tuvok, Paris, and The Doctor
crash on a dangerous planet, where Tuvok passes up a chance for love. Not a logical move, since
his next Pon Far is at most two years away.
Bliss, by Bill Prady and Robert J. Doherty
Voyager encounters a space captain hunting a
great white space whale. Well, not exactly, but close enough. The space whale deludes the crew
of Voyager into thinking they are going home.
Dark Frontier, Part One of Two, by Terry Windell, Brannon Braga, and Joe Menosky
The
Borg Queen takes an interest in Seven of Nine.
Dark Frontier, Part Two of Two, by Terry Windell, Brannon Braga, and Joe Menosky
The Disease, by Kenneth Billar and Michael Taylor
Harry Kim disobeys orders and makes
love to an alien woman on a generation starship.
Course -- Oblivion, by Brian Fuller and Nicholas Sagan
Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres
marry -- but all is not as it seems.
The Fight, by Michael Taylor and Joe Menoski
Chakotay challenges the Delta Quadrant's
boxing champion, Kid Chaos, to a match. Wouldn't aliens from the Alpha Quadrant divide up the
galaxy differently from the Federation, and think of their own quadrant as the Alpha Quadrant?
Think Tank, by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Michael Taylor
Some interesting aliens
offer to help Voyager out of a jam, but their price is Seven of Nine.
Juggernaut, by Brian Fuller and Nicholas Sagan
Lt. Torres leads an away team onto a
radiation drenched Malon freighter.
Someone to Watch Over Me, by Brannon Braga, Nicholas Sagan, and Kenneth Biller
The
Doctor teaches Seven of Nine how to dance, in one of the better, character driven episodes.
11.59, by Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky
The story of what really happened to Janeway's
remote ancestor, Shannon O'Donnel on New Year's Eve, 1999.
Reletivity, by Nicholas Sagan, Brian Fuller, and Michael Taylor
An entertaining time travel
episode that visits various moments in Voyager's history, including the day Voyager left space
dock.
Warhead, by Brannon Braga, Michael Taylor, and Kenneth Biller
In an episode reminiscent
of the film Dark Star, but not as funny, Voyager beams aboard a sentient bomb determined to
explode.
Equinox, Part One of Two, by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Joe Menosky
In the season
cliffhanger, a Federation ship trapped in the Delta Quadrant ignores the Prime Directive.
