Let's fix Voyager

[Captain Seafort]

Don't forget though, that the Mothership collided with the array. We have no idea how extensive the damage was.

No, we don't, so the obvious course of action is to try and activate the return mechanism. If it doesn't work it doesn't work - there's no harm in trying, whereas there is great harm in not trying.

[stitch626]

Don't forget though, that the Mothership collided with the array. We have no idea how extensive the damage was.

No, we don't, so the obvious course of action is to try and activate the return mechanism. If it doesn't work it doesn't work - there's no harm in trying, whereas there is great harm in not trying.

True.

It would have been a simple change to make it so that after the crash, they tried to go back and the array didn't work... sigh. I hate writers.

[Mark]

Don't forget though, that the Mothership collided with the array. We have no idea how extensive the damage was.

No, we don't, so the obvious course of action is to try and activate the return mechanism. If it doesn't work it doesn't work - there's no harm in trying, whereas there is great harm in not trying.

True.

It would have been a simple change to make it so that after the crash, they tried to go back and the array didn't work... sigh. I hate writers.

And much less controversial.

[Praeothmin]

Ok, time to toss my two sense into the mix here.

The USS Voyager was one of the most technologically advanced ships in Starfleet. Regardless if the enemy Captain was lying or not, Voyagers long range sensors would have picked up the inbound ships in plenty of time to fall back on plan B.

IIRC, part of Voyagers problem at the time was it was trying to defend the array, which limited it's mobility, which is what made it vulnerable to the "motherships" weapons. The Kazon raiders were no match for Voyager, and she could have successfully engaged another wave if need be. The mothership was taken out of the fight by the Maquis Raider, so they had some breathing space.

So, to some it up.

Plan A....hold off or drive off the Kazon until Tuvok gets the Caretakers array working again, go home, and destroy it with timed explosives.

Plan B....if you detect a threat incoming that is greater than what the ship can handle before you can escape back home, THEN you can blow it and start the LONG trip home.

Yes, she could have engaged another wave of Raiders, but no other "mothership".
And again, while Voyager's sensors would certainly have detected the ships approaching, they had no clue as to their top speeds, so if you stay and then try to run, you may end up in a fight you can't win against ships you can't outrun...

I guess I'm just very cautious (some could say scared ) and I understand this decision from Janeway as a cautious move.
I won't defend all her decisions, but this one to me wasn't that bad...

[Mark]

Don't take this the wrong way. I can except that rational for YOU (talking about it now, or if YOU were in command of Voyager that day), but from what we've seen of Janeway throughout the rest of the show, "cautious" is one of the few things I wouldn't call her.

[Praeothmin]

Don't take this the wrong way. I can except that rational for YOU (talking about it now, or if YOU were in command of Voyager that day), but from what we've seen of Janeway throughout the rest of the show, "cautious" is one of the few things I wouldn't call her.

You're right, it doesn't really fit with what we've seen her do later on, but what if all her reckless decisions came from this single incident, in which she felt she had been too cautious and wanted to make up for it?
A lot of people do that after a decision where they feel they erred either on the side of caution or were too reckless.
We see them acting in the complete opposite direction when similar events present themselves...

And I guess I am trying to find a rational explanation for the premise of a show that brought us 7 of 9...

[Mark]

Don't take this the wrong way. I can except that rational for YOU (talking about it now, or if YOU were in command of Voyager that day), but from what we've seen of Janeway throughout the rest of the show, "cautious" is one of the few things I wouldn't call her.

You're right, it doesn't really fit with what we've seen her do later on, but what if all her reckless decisions came from this single incident, in which she felt she had been too cautious and wanted to make up for it?
A lot of people do that after a decision where they feel they erred either on the side of caution or were too reckless.
We see them acting in the complete opposite direction when similar events present themselves...

And I guess I am trying to find a rational explanation for the premise of a show that brought us 7 of 9...

Now, THAT is an interesting point you've got, and totally fits with Janeway's character IMO.

[Graham Kennedy]

The writers wanted Janeway to face the dilemma; they wanted a choice where she COULD get home, but only at the expense of handing the Caretaker's technology to the Kazon. But the execution was poor. I'm thinking and I'm not sure how it could be done any better... maybe have the Kazon board the array and start to power up the wave machine thingie... to get rid of Voyager by sending it back. So Janeway blows the array up rather than be returned leaving the Kazon in charge?

I've said before, with the Maquis I'd have played it very cagey. The Maquis would want to take over Voyager. Chakotay would play both sides against the other; he'd be a totally self serving character, playing up to whomever would build his own position. For instance, have one plotline where he orders a small group of Maquis to try and seize control... whilst saying to the other Maquis that their plan is too much too soon and they should play a longer game... and then betrays them to Janeway so they are all caught and left behind. Result is that Chakotay is now trusted all the more by the Starfleet officers and the remaining Maquis as being on their side. I'd have him playing games like this and getting away with it, with the audience never quite sure which way he will jump in the end. Only after two or three years does it slowly become clear that he's developed genuine loyalty to the ship and crew.

[McAvoy]

I like that idea. But even if he were to be the good guy trying to keep the 'bad' Maquis and the 'good' Maquis under control would have been better than what we got. I mean if you replaced the Maquis crew with a Starfleet one, it wouldn't have changed a single thing. The whole Maquis thing was probably the most underused aspect of any of the Trek series.

You could have had early in the couple of seasons of Janeway having to deal with unruly Maquis and have entire episode on whether or not to abandon those unruly Maquis on some random planet or put them in the brig for the rest of the journey. Story arcs for some minor characters such a ring leader for those Maquis and a couple of them. Have a couple seeing the good and some seeing the bad.

Hell, they could have picked up additional crew along the way too.

[eagle_GT]

I think I would have played Janeway as being too well connected for her own good. Basically that she was being groomed to be an admiral from the time she entered starfleet. She was given assignments hand picked to allow her to advance easily, always had someone looking over her shoulder to keep her from making any big mistakes, and to fix any small mistakes. Due to this, she became more skilled at politics than command decisions. Being stranded far from home is in a way exciting because she can finally make her own mark, but it is scary because there is no one there to fix things if she messes up. And being stranded in space with a relatively small crew means that she can't play the political games that she is used to playing.

Chakotey would be an enigma for a while. You wouldn't know if he was the good guy that is playing both sides to keep people from getting hurt and to give everyone a chance to make it home, or if he was the bad guy that is waiting for the right time to strike. As an experienced commander, Janeway would lean on him for advice. He would take on the role of a starfleet officer, but the marquis would treat him as their leader and he would be involved both in the plans to overthrow the ship and the plans to peacefully integrate the marquis into the crew. Eventually (probably end of season 1) some of the marquis would make a plan to strike and he would have to decide which side he was on, his concience would lead him to support starfleet, but he would have to decide how to deal with his former crew.

I would have had the first several episodes, after being stranded, deal a lot with the crew and officer shortages on the starfleet side. The marquis would be POWs, confined to an area of the ship, but Chakotey would have a lot of contact with Janeway and Tuvok under some sort of gentleman's agreement. Janeway and Tuvok would spend a lot of their time trying to figure out how to staff the ship with a smaller than optimal crew component. Tuvok's plans would be to only staff the essentials to fly, repair, and fight. Janeway, being a scientist, would insist that the science stations be manned because this is a prime opportunity to explore and research an unknown area. Eventually, Tuvok would begrudgingly admit that the only logical way to do so would be to incorporate the marquis into the crew. The next several episodes would deal with the problems of incorporating the marquis into a starfleet crew. Who is assigned as an officer, differences in starfleet rules and marquis, conflict between the crews, ect... I would have things gradually get better, but it would take most of the first season for them to become one crew. I would also add crew members along and along from alien planets.

I would have left out the frequent reset button episodes, temporal police, and most of the conflict with the borg. I would have had voyager aquire new technologies to help her home, and find other ways to shorten the voyage, like worm holes that saved a couple of years travel, or some other sort of technologically advanced race ferry voyager across their territory. I would have had Voyager get closer and closer, but still be 15-20 years away by the beginning of the last season, then manage to reach Federation space in the next to the last episode and have the last episode as them being greeted home, recieving promotions, recieving pardons, and being treated as heroes.

[SolkaTruesilver]

1) More conflict with the Maquis crewmembers. that one is a given, it's the biggest wrecked opportunity of Voyager
2) Take out Kazon, take in the Borg. Have the Borg be the big ennemy, but not extremely aggressive all the time. This is THEIR territory, but they kinda act like technological/biological raider. They let the races under their care to evolve, develop, and they raid them from time to time to keep up with their technological progression. They make care not to annihilate them, except if they have the potential to become a real threat.

have the Borg be the specie that harass the Caretaker. Periodically checking up on it, testing its defenses.. watching until it's array will be available for assimilation. Then, once the array is destroyed, the Borg takes no further interest in Voyager, since it's already known Federation Technology.

That way, you end up with the Borg as the "real" big bad in the background, but you can afford to meet multiple species who are all shitscared of them, and they aren't all on the verge of absolute destruction (except maybe... you know, special episodes)

3) Make a count of surviving crewmen. Make it personal for Janeway. I know it's President Roslin's thing, but I think it is so appropriate to have a count of the surviving crewmen in your office, we are cruelly remembered that they aren't in a nice cruise across the galaxy. This is a survival mission.

4) Less "We find a possibility to go home right away, but we fail!" and more "We find a possibility to increase speed, to cut 5 years of our journey, etc...". That way, it's not a Foregone Conclusion. Give the "free ticket for home" pass once or twice, as season-ending cliffhangers.

5) Damage the ship. repair it. damage it. Repair it. This one is like the crew count. We have to be remembered how horrible is their journey, and what they have to suffer.

6) Tuvok. I don't know what, but there is definetly something missing there. Maybe he was actually a romulan agent? I don't know, but maybe you can help...?

[kostmayer]

6) Tuvok. I don't know what, but there is definetly something missing there. Maybe he was actually a romulan agent? I don't know, but maybe you can help...?

A Romulan agent posing as a Federation agent posing as a Maquis?

[SolkaTruesilver]

6) Tuvok. I don't know what, but there is definetly something missing there. Maybe he was actually a romulan agent? I don't know, but maybe you can help...?

A Romulan agent posing as a Federation agent posing as a Maquis?

Yes. That same agent became "native" and adopted Vulcan culture over time. He was the one responsible for sabotaging the Excelsior's mission to save Kirk.

He turned his back on Romulus a long time ago, and kept everything hidden. But that's still a dark aspect of his past.

You know what? that would actually fit the current Tuvok.

[McAvoy]

Sounds good to me.

Another thing too, either get rid of Neelix or make him less annoying.

Kes, she needs a longer life span of let's say 20 years old. No one baby per mother bullshit. Hell make them fuck like rabbits. Make them humanoid versions of tribbles.

Seriously, Kes needed a better more well thought out backstory.

Also promotions galore. Kim should be at least a full Lt. by then end of Season 7. Paris maybe a Lt. Commander?

[SolkaTruesilver]

Sounds good to me.

Another thing too, either get rid of Neelix or make him less annoying.

Make him a real scoundrel. A guy that knows the area, and would be able to make deals for Voyager regarding repairs and supplies.