How did Janeway ever get a command?

[Mikey]

Don't make fun - I used to be able to play a nice tune on the bellerophone.

[Graham Kennedy]

Janeway always seemed very pally and connected with the Admiralty. For instance she had Admiral Patterson wandering around Voyager with her when the ship launched, all very pally - he actually ordered her to hug him for Pete's sake.

I generally assumed that a good deal of influence with people like that compensated for her more bizzare command traits.

And besides, let's not forget a lot of her major screw ups came about because of the position she was in - stranded, no supervision from above, etc. She was probably a lot more in control of herself when she was just another captain in one big happy fleet.

[Sonic Glitch]

Well, we've only ever seen Voyager herself, so we can probably assume that they're either low in numbers or simply deployed in far-flung parts of the UFP.

USS Bellerphone in Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

Don't know bout that, but I know there was a Bellerophon

dangit! I thought something looked odd there...

[Captain Seafort]

Janeway always seemed very pally and connected with the Admiralty. For instance she had Admiral Patterson wandering around Voyager with her when the ship launched, all very pally - he actually ordered her to hug him for Pete's sake.

He was probably her godfather or something. Given that her father was an Admiral, and that she was promoted well beyond her competence and psychological suitability, I think it's reasonable to conclude that she was probably considered a surrogate niece by more admirals than most officers saw in their careers.

And besides, let's not forget a lot of her major screw ups came about because of the position she was in - stranded, no supervision from above, etc. She was probably a lot more in control of herself when she was just another captain

Voyager's situation probably gave her more opportunities than usual to demonstrate her incompetence, but I can't see her hiding it very well even under normal circumstances. Indeed, she already had a track record of fuckups, such as the occasion mentioned above when Tuvok gave her a bollocking in front of a panel of flag officers.

one big happy fleet.

Channelling Khan are you Graham?

[Graham Kennedy]

He was probably her godfather or something.

Sugardaddy....

Given that her father was an Admiral, and that she was promoted well beyond her competence and psychological suitability, I think it's reasonable to conclude that she was probably considered a surrogate niece by more admirals than most officers saw in their careers.

"Yeah, she's my... um.... niece, that's it. Just family, you know?"

Voyager's situation probably gave her more opportunities than usual to demonstrate her incompetence, but I can't see her hiding it very well even under normal circumstances. Indeed, she already had a track record of fuckups, such as the occasion mentioned above when Tuvok gave her a bollocking in front of a panel of flag officers.

But a lot of what she did came from the specific situation she was in. For example her PD violations were almost always aimed at getting Voyager closer to home. Her tendency to assume ultimate medical authority whenever somebody got anything worse than a cold was because she didn't have replacement crew on tap. And while she was lax on tactical stuff in her early days, she was pretty gung ho as a Captain later in her career, so at least she can learn. Plus her sciency background is probably the kind of thing the TNG-era starfleet loved in its captains.

No, safe in the Alpha Quadrant I can see Janeway being an okay if not exactly stellar captain, with a fast tracked career because of her position as Admiral's easy lay - um, "protege".

one big happy fleet.

Channelling Khan are you Graham?

If you're going to quote, quote the best!

[Aaron]

Wasn't she a brand new Captain?

[Sanehouse]

We spend countless enjoyable hours bashing Janeway's command decisions and it only recently occured to me, how the HELL did she ever make Captain with a mindset like that? Didn't somebody notice she was nuts when she served her time as a 2nd officer, or more noticbaly as a 1st officer? Didn't the Captain she served under note little things like "Commander Janeway has the tendency to make illogical choices which result in a higher than usual away team casualty rating."

How did she manage to get a ship of her own?

I didn't think that Janeway was doing too bad. In the entire time she was in the Delta Quadrant, I think she only lost as many crew as the Enterprise-D lost every time it was attacked by the Borg.

[Picard]

She is guerilla fighter, her diplomatic abilities are essentially zero, but she has that tendency to pull of crazy stunts in battle.

[Deepcrush]

She is guerilla fighter, her diplomatic abilities are essentially zero, but she has that tendency to pull of crazy stunts in battle.

That and she got lucky that her ship was pretty damn advanced against most of the races she came across.

[Picard]

I like thinking about what would happen if USS Voyager was Sovereign class starship... half of Delta quadrant would be in civil war.

[Deepcrush]

I like thinking about what would happen if USS Voyager was Sovereign class starship... half of Delta quadrant would be in civil war.

I'd hate to think what she would have done with a Sov under her command.

[Graham Kennedy]

I like thinking about what would happen if USS Voyager was Sovereign class starship... half of Delta quadrant would be in civil war.

Well in Caretaker she would have stomped the Kazon in about ten seconds flat, and then used the array to go home. No Voyager series.

[Captain Seafort]

The problem with that theory is that, while it took quite a bit longer than ten seconds, she did stomp the Kazon. And then failed to consider that most fantastically advanced piece of technology known as "the timer".

[Picard]

Naturally, beacouse "if plot asks that you forget everything useful so you must forget it".

[Mikey]

Naturally, beacouse "if plot asks that you forget everything useful so you must forget it".

Whether we must needs blame the character or the writers, the blame still exists.