Changes: VOY Season 7

Revision as of 21:05, 9 August 2012

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Episodes

Title	Episode	Production number	Stardate	Original airdate
"Unimatrix Zero, Part II"	7x01	247	54014.4	2000-10-04
"Imperfection"	7x02	248	54129.4	2000-10-11
"Drive"	7x03	249	54058.6	2000-10-18
"Repression"	7x04	251	54090.4	2000-10-25
"Critical Care"	7x05	250	Unknown	2000-11-01
"Inside Man"	7x06	252	54208.3	2000-11-08
"Body and Soul"	7x07	255	54238.3	2000-11-15
"Nightingale"	7x08	256	54274.7	2000-11-22
"Flesh and Blood"	7x09/10	253	54315.3–54337.5	2000-11-29
"Shattered"	7x11	257	Unknown	2001-01-17
"Lineage"	7x12	258	54452.6	2001-01-24
"Repentance"	7x13	259	54474.6	2001-01-31
"Prophecy"	7x14	260	54518.2–54529.8	2001-02-07
"The Void"	7x15	261	54553.4–54562.7	2001-02-14
"Workforce"	7x16	262	54584.3–54608.6	2001-02-21
"Workforce, Part II"	7x17	263	54622.4	2001-02-28
"Human Error"	7x18	264	Unknown	2001-03-07
"Q2"	7x19	265	54704.5	2001-04-11
"Author, Author"	7x20	266	54732.3	2001-04-18
"Friendship One"	7x21	267	54775.4	2001-04-25
"Natural Law"	7x22	268	54827.7	2001-05-02
"Homestead"	7x23	269	54868.6	2001-05-09
"Renaissance Man"	7x24	270	54890.7	2001-05-16
"Endgame"	7x25/26	271	54973.4	2001-05-23

Summary

While the story-telling of Voyager's seventh and final year in the Delta Quadrant is comparable to season six, (being populated with single story episodes largely independent of one another), the season as a whole has more of a feeling of continuity than its predecessor.

A multitude of familiar aliens are revisited for a final shout including the Ferengi in "Inside Man", the Hirogen in "Flesh and Blood", the Klingons in "Prophecy", the Hierachy in "The Void" and "Renaissance Man", the Q in "Q2" and the Talaxians in "Homestead". To complement this feeling of continuity, a smattering of episodes revisiting past storylines are also thrown in to the mix, to give the season more of a feeling of completion. Most significant of these occurs in "Shattered" when Voyager encounters a space-time anomaly which fractures the space-time continuum aboard the ship. This leaves Commander Chakotay (and later Janeway) tasked with sealing the fractures and repairing the timeline. With different areas of the ship trapped at varying points in Voyager's journey through the Delta Quadrant, the audience is treated to 45 minutes of pure nostalgia as the Captain and her First Officer jump from time frame to time frame, interacting with their own histories as they go. Back for one last round is Seska and the Kazon, intent on sabotaging Chakotay's attempts to heal the shattered ship. Retrospective continuity is also maintained in "Repression", when a transmission from the Alpha Quadrant pits Starfleet personnel against the former Maquis, giving Janeway one last opportunity to chide Chakotay for reverting to his old mistrust:

"Maybe someone on your crew couldn't put the past behind them."
"My crew?"

- Chakotay and Janeway

"Drive", sees Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres pilot the Delta Flyer II in a "trans-stellar rally" before finally tying the knot, and in "Body and Soul", Jeri Ryan (forced, as Seven of Nine to hide The Doctor's program in her cybernetic implants) attempts, and largely succeeds in mimicking Robert Picardo. The fun continues towards the end of the series as well. In "Q2" John de Lancie returns with his errant son, desperate for the assistance of "Aunt Kathy" which completes the "Q" story arc begun in seasons two and three, and in "Author, Author", the crew get to play in the holodeck alongside adulterated versions of themselves, when the Doctor publishes his first holonovel, to less than stellar reviews. All these episodes are examples of what would be hoped for from a franchise in its final season, sprinkled as the seventh season is in places, with moments of brilliance.

After marrying in "Drive", B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris' relationship, so quintessential to the series from season three onwards bears fruit in the seventh season. Torres discovers that she is pregnant in "Lineage", before contending with a group of Klingons convinced she is carrying the Klingon Messiah in "Prophecy". Ultimately, Torres gives birth at the very moment Voyager bursts into the Alpha Quadrant from inside an exploding Borg sphere in the series finale "Endgame".

From Ethan Phillips's point of view, one of the most pleasingly poignant episodes of the season comes when Neelix makes contact, and ultimately decides to stay, with a small group of Talaxians in "Homestead". In hindsight, this is perhaps the best thing the writers could have done for the character, as Voyager's all-action finale would have undoubtedly featured less of Neelix had he remained on board. The development of the character, and Phillips' portrayal are arguably two of the unsung strengths of the series as a whole, and so the inclusion of an episode towards the end of the series, dedicated to Neelix's decision to stay with the newly-discovered members of his race, allowed closure to his relationship with Tuvok and the character's complete story arc.

And so, in a final "nod" back to the origins of the series, Janeway's decision to destroy the Caretaker's array is used against her by none other than her future self, to persuade her that collapsing a Borg transwarp hub, and risking its destruction before she can use it to return home is folly. The Captain provides the ultimate retort however, by presenting her senior officers with the final say.

"A long time ago, I made a decision that stranded this crew in the Delta Quadrant. I don't regret that decision. But I didn't know all of you then, and Voyager was just a Starship. It's much more than that now. It's become our home. I know I could order you to carry out this plan, and none of you would hesitate for a second. But I'm not going to do that. You know the crewmen that work under you, and you know what your own hearts are telling you. So we're not going to attempt this unless everyone in this room agrees. No one will think less of you if you don't"

- Janeway to her Senior Officers

"... to the journey!"

- Janeway and her senior officers

Background Information

Brannon Braga steps down as showrunner to spend a year of pre-production on Enterprise, and is replaced for Voyager's final season by Kenneth Biller.
After the series, Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral, and made a cameo appearance in Star Trek Nemesis.
Alice Krige reprised her role of the Borg Queen in the Voyager series finale "Endgame" for the first time since starring in Star Trek: First Contact. All other appearances of the Borg Queen were played by Susanna Thompson.

Crew

Ron Mason - Art Director
Dennis Madalone - Stunt Coordinator
Albie Selznick - "Ventu" Choreographer ("Natural Law")

Uncredited

Ian Henrich - Set Medic ("Flesh and Blood")

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 After marrying in {{e|Drive}}, B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris' relationship, so quintessential to the series from [[VOY Season 3|season three]] onwards bears fruit in the seventh season. Torres discovers that she is pregnant in {{e|Lineage}}, before contending with a group of Klingons convinced she is carrying the Klingon Messiah in {{e|Prophecy}}. Ultimately, Torres gives birth at the very moment ''Voyager'' bursts into the Alpha Quadrant from inside an exploding Borg sphere in the series finale {{e|Endgame}}.
-From [[Ethan Phillips]]'s point of view, one of the most pleasingly poignant episodes of the season comes when [[Neelix]] makes contact, and ultimately decides to stay, with a small group of Talaxians in {{e|Homestead}}. In hindsight, this is perhaps the best thing the writers could have done for the character, as ''Voyager''{{'}}s all-action finale would have undoubtedly featured less of Neelix had he remained onboard. The development of the character, and Phillips' portrayal are arguably two of the unsung strengths of the series as a whole,  and so the inclusion of an episode towards the end of the series, dedicated to Neelix's decision to stay with the newly-discovered members of his race, allowed closure to his relationship with [[Tuvok]] and the character's complete story arc.
+From [[Ethan Phillips]]'s point of view, one of the most pleasingly poignant episodes of the season comes when [[Neelix]] makes contact, and ultimately decides to stay, with a small group of Talaxians in {{e|Homestead}}. In hindsight, this is perhaps the best thing the writers could have done for the character, as ''Voyager''{{'}}s all-action finale would have undoubtedly featured less of Neelix had he remained on board. The development of the character, and Phillips' portrayal are arguably two of the unsung strengths of the series as a whole,  and so the inclusion of an episode towards the end of the series, dedicated to Neelix's decision to stay with the newly-discovered members of his race, allowed closure to his relationship with [[Tuvok]] and the character's complete story arc.
 And so, in a final "nod" back to the origins of the series, Janeway's decision to destroy the [[Caretaker's array]] is used against her by none other than her future self, to persuade her that collapsing a [[Borg]] transwarp hub, and risking its destruction before she can use it to return home is folly. The Captain provides the ultimate retort however, by presenting her senior officers with the final say.