I think the maquis and the federation crew shouldn't have fully integrated until the end of season one. It would have been more impactful if Chakotay showed up on the bridge in uniform during the season finale.
The problem with the Maquis was that easy integration was kind of inevitable. They were basically all Federation citizens a matter of months prior to Caretaker and had split off due to a territorial dispute that was now 70,000 light years away. Which is why in the end most of the "conflict" seemed to be more like the military vs civilian dynamic Stargate occasionally played with than the deeper cultural clash most people wanted. If the writers had really wanted to do a disperate crews coming together story, they should have used Gul Evek's ship instead of the Maquis. Or any other species if they wanted more distance from DS9. The Romulans would have worked well.
What bothers me most about the maquis is that, in the pilot, Tuvok is introduces as spy on the maquis ship and that's never mentioned again. in "learning curve", he is the most star fleet guy imaginable who has not knowledge at all about the maquis. doesn't sound like a good spy to me.
The biggest reason they didn't do that is probably becuase of people thought about tv series back then. they made most of their money from syndication and you couldn't know if the episdoes wouldn't show in the right order, so you just made sure that most of the episodes could be watched random order, just how you did stuff back then
To my knowledge, which I believe is accurate, the reason for the conflict being dropped, wasn't due to the writers, or showrunners, for that matter, at all. The network determined that it wasn't a beneficial course to pursue, even though it had been included in the show bible. So, with a few exceptions, that were really focused on individual Maquis, it went away. Frankly, I've always thought that it would have been increasingly become difficult, if not unsustainable, to maintain such an artifice. They were in a predicament, that far superceded any plangency that continuing crew intra-dynamics would have attempted to seem at all significant. Sure, there was regret and loss, when the fate of nearly all their colleagues was revealed. But, I think that's about as far as the original intention could plausibly been pursued.
"Where Picard demands higher moral accountability, Janeway demands survival. Where Sisko defends and fights, Janeway persists." You're giving me some Friday feels Captain Jessie. That right there is why Janeway is my captain. Nevertheless, she persisted.
The personal stuff at the end really got to me. It reminded me of the saying: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." Hang in there people, you are not alone. let's stick together.
I grew up essentially by myself. I felt hated everywhere I go. Voyager came at the perfect time, when I desperately needed a family. Family was EVERYTHING loyalty was everything to the crew of Voyager. And I needed that. Seven was my first massive crush before I even knew that I was bi. So yeah, Voyager is my favorite Star Trek series. Always has been always will be. Flaws and all.
I've been binge watching Voyager over the past month, and the show feels like wrapping yourself in a soft warm blanket. I'm in my late 30's, and I finally understand why people love Trek so much.
Honestly, Voyager was my favorite of all the post TOS shows. It was the characters that did it for me. The stories were not always great, but I cared about the characters.
One of the reasons I love Voyager is that mental health struggles ARE made visible at several points. We see people struggle with depression, isolation as you mentioned, even suicidality. As a child with a (then) undiagnosed mental health condition, watching Janeway struggle with depression in season 5, watching B'Elanna go numb and start to self-harm, and seeing Neelix attempting suicide were validating in a way the adults in my life simply weren't. These portrayals were FAR from perfect, of course, but they were there. And then I got to see the characters get understanding and support from their crewmates and keep going, keep fighting. I saw them smile again. Voyager has always been a source of hope for me, then and now.
One thing that really resonates with me from Voyager is her absolute loyalty to Tuvok. She’s the kind of person who would do literally anything for her friend.
I've always maintained that Voyager is the most meme-able Trek show. Its flaws and contrivances and silly moments serve this purpose well, along with the characters having just the right personalities and expressions for some really funny jokes. Whether it's The Doctor singing, Seven playing big sister to Naomi Wildman, Neelix cooking and showing his weird rubber feet, Janeway glaring ominously at Tuvix, Tom Paris getting covered in spaghetti, Seska's face popping out of random places and saying "hello Chakotay", or Harry Kim and Tuvok disagreeing on whether they are friends or not, there is such an immense wealth of iconic panels to work with.
If Janeway concentrated on getting home and not working on their star fleet duties she would have easily turned into Captain Random. By stopping and categorizing nebula or making first contact missions the crew would have gone crazy. Janeway's up and down personality could be contributed to PTSD or extreme guilt. But she among the cast is the only one who exhibit that behavior. Voyager is like eating a home cooked meal it fills you up and satisfies.
You've been a real benefit to a trans friend of mine, Jessie Gender. She's a Star Trek fan who is dealing with her family and her unhappiness for a variety of reasons. You gave her a lot of confidence as well as inspired her. You may have honestly saved her life and it's been a huge improvement for her over the past months. She's been binging your stuff repeatedly and I am so happy to have recommended you to her. Never think your stuff here isn't important.
It makes sense in terms of episodes. People rewatching DS9 would be all the eps in a row. Voyager being episodic, it doesn't need to be seen in any kind of order.
Watching videos like this make me feel less isolated. Voyager was my Star Trek, Janeway is my captain. The one I grew up watching as each episode aired. I'm at the exact age where I kinda remember watching the first episode as it aired, and definitely remember watching the last, on the night that it aired...though taped, and somewhat corrupted by our shitty vhs player. We had to be somewhere while it was airing, but watched it as soon as we got home. That's all beside the point. Knowing there are people, and communities that love the things I love, find comfort in them, and talk about them critically is one of my tethers to a world outside this pandemic. Outside the horrors of our government. So thanks for continuing to do this, even while you're struggling.
It just so happened that I restarted Voyager in my ongoing Star Trek rewatch right as the lockdowns started. That experience changed my perspective on the series so much. This video and your work is so appreciated and needed. Thank you ❤️
My favorite Star Trek series has always been voyager. I have often been inspired by the strength and persistence of Janeway and the Voyager crew. Thank you so much for continuing to make content! I love your perspective and I hear you.
Hey Jessie, I know its been a while since I've commented; I've had a lot going on in my own life (including working with an editor on my upcoming book about growing up Autistic which has been greenlit! Yay! :D), but I wanted to comment on this video. Because this video...oh my god this video. More than most you've made recently (and there have been some epic ones!), this one spoke to me. I'm an extroverted introvert - I love my humans, and I need human connection, but humans also exhaust me. So I tend to CHOOSE me time, punctuated with getting to see my friends and loved ones regularly when I want to on my terms. Because of this...I struggled ALOT early on in the pandemic. I felt isolated, and alone. I didn't even see my best friend for two months despite us living in the same city because of COVID worries. We talked every day on the phone, as I did with many of my friends...but it wasn't the same. I live in Canada, and we got a pretty good handle on the virus before long...so thankfully our lockdown didn't last forever and gradually we reopened as it became safe to do so...so my mental health got better. I gave my best friend the biggest hug when I saw him again, standing at the entrance to my building, waiting for me to let him in for a long-awaited coffee hangout. But I know EXACTLY what you're going through...and its fitting that during the worst of that back in March and April? I too took comfort in a rewatch of Star Trek Voyager. It's not a perfect show by FAR...but as you said; in both its flaws and its triumphs, its exactly the show we need right now. It's Star Trek at its most imperfect best, and that's why I've always loved it. I'm sorry you're going through this hard time right now Jessie...and I know its not the same as real human connection (heck, I'm only some random person who comments on your videos and joins your livestreams occasionally)...but I'm happy to do my small part to be part of your online community and give you some kind of human connection. You certainly have done the same for me! Live long and prosper, internet friend! :)
You might not ever see this. I sincerely feel everything you’ve said about isolation. I too, feel like I don’t belong where I live. The connections I have are few where I live. I wish more than anything to connect to not just to loved ones but to find community itself. Where I live this feeling is enhanced by feeling like there is no one to build a community with, so I’ve done similar things as you: commit my self to the work I’m doing and trying to hold onto the connections I have but deep down I know I need and deserve more. Yes, timing does play a huge role due to what is happening in the world but even outside of that there just just isn’t much hope for me to feel like the person I want to be in my current location. Thank you for so succinctly putting into perspective what I have struggled to openly talk about. Not only because there are few people to talk about that with but providing a voice for my similar struggles. You are amazing
This video led me to this thought: Star Trek, at its best, shows us that we don't need to be better than other people. What we need is to be better than our own past selves. Doesn't matter if that past was generations behind us, or only five minutes ago. Only then will we be able to raise each other up to the heights we so desperately dream of being able to reach.
Watched your video for voyager, which was good, but your personal reflection of how you’ve been feeling really got me to sit up and take notice. Thanks for being so open about how you’re feeling, so refreshing. Take care
I'm a photographer and a visual artist, I fall under the Asperger's umbrella and I've tried to find connection with others through a photographic project (well at least until the depression hit me really hard once again) in which I photograph people trying to establish connections through internet and screens. Maybe you can find it interesting. Thank you so much for share your experience, I'm far from home in a Indigenous Reservation and the quarantine has been an enlightening but challenging experience.
I relate to everything you said, Brexit has made me feel like a stranger in my own country doubly so with Covid. I think I will give a Voyager rewatch a try. Your videos are a highlight in my life. Much love and solidarity from the UK.
Star Trek Voyager is my comfort show. I know it's far from perfect in parts *coughTuvixcough*....However, I still come back to this show in different parts of my life whenever I need a little bit of comfort. My mom is part of the reason I love this show so much. We used to watch it a lot together at different points...and in 2020...my mom passed away to COVID. And so it takes on a slightly different meaning today. I feel comforted somewhat watching the Voyager crew come together and help each other...in much the same way Yugi's friends help him get through...they're a family....and that's what is the best part of this show...no it ain't perfect but that's what I love about it. Janeway is definitely my captain...she's an inspiration to me. Just like your videos are Jessie... live long and prosper.
Wow, this was so beautifully done and put together. You are amazing Jessie. I love how you compared this year to Voyager. I've been watching Voyager since college (over 20 years now) and will continue to do so. Voyager has been my "comfort food" and I find myself getting support and encouragement from the various Voyager episodes. I know what you have felt this year, its definitely been tough and I think the isolation has been toughest on those are are single and/or live alone. It was definitely tough from being able to see others and friends to just you being home all by yourself. I totally understand, as that was me this year. Something as simple as a hug, really will make us appreciate them so much more. But like Voyager, we keep on setting a course for "home" and like Voyager, we will reach our destination. Wishing you much continued success in all that you do. Thanks for inspiring others through your work and last by not lease, Keep shining your light. :)
Thank you Jessie. Star Trek may be the algorithm that let me to your channel, but you’re voice rings even deeper than my passionate appreciation for all that Star Trek is. If there is one thing I so firmly believe each of us could bring more of to the world that would actually make it better, it would be true and honest vulnerability. Finding the courage to discuss openly our true feelings and thoughts in reaction to our interactions and experiences is not easy. In many ways our culture, despite so much technology set up to facilitate such things, discourages and makes difficult such a thing. Your courage to not only be genuinely “you” but to do so using the tools that show their true value and potential is deeply inspiring. We are enduring what has turned out to be a very difficult and challenging season in the history of our society. You, Jessie, in your willingness to share in your humanity, all the strengths and weaknesses we all share in, make it bearable and give hope that the future promise Star Trek inspires is not only possible, but still likely even. Thank you- and please know you are recognized, appreciated, and loved for who you are and the good you’ve done for all of us.
i understand...i was born in new york, grew up there, and have lived across the country in various times at various places...right before the pandemic hit, i moved to chicago...since then, chicago has been isolated..and so have i...no job, no friends, no money...my writing is the only thing that keeps me sane...that, and people like you, who i've grown to feel close to...and like voyager's unusual circumstance, this unusual circumstance the world now shares has oddly brought all of us a little closer together...and for those moments when reaching out doesn't seem to have a receiving end, all we can really do is hope...and survive...peace to you always jessie...rocky
Also, on a more aesthetic note, I just want to say that, as my first time viewing your content, you have an awesome voice that is itself comforting, kinda like these shows.
Jessie, I was really moved by the coda to this video. I've been trying to work out what to type without it sounding like its about me and not your horrible experience with anxiety and isolation; because I empathise a lot. So instead, I'll just say that I never knew about this channel before lockdown/ getting furloughed from my job and geeking out on Star Trek RUclips stuff but I am really glad they exist and will keep watching as long as you keep making them.
First about Voyager- I've always maintained that Voyager's biggest flaw was UPN. Whole swaths of the country didn't get UPN, and thus it didn't have the ratings that TNG or DS9 did. Same holds true for Enterprise. Seven of Nine is one of my favorite characters even now. I don't tend to rank very well, but she's in a small pool. She spoke to me as someone who barely functions in society and for whom just keeping up the mask is tough, and her continued story in Picard added to that. It's been a really crappy year, and it's been very hard for most people. I'm constantly scared for my friends and relations living in the dangerous places out there. Just remember, none of us are alone. I have to admit that I've been watching Red Dwarf and Lower Decks a lot. Red Dwarf certainly is a show about dealing with isolation and loneliness (With a little help from a slightly crazy ship's computer, a hologram, a sapient cat, and an android.) I find laughter helps a lot.
Voyager had fairly good ratings. It was UPN's biggest show. DS9 had much lower ratings despite being critically acclaimed. Voyager's biggest flaw was the bad writing.
@@dangerkeith3000 I debated responding, but...this is going to be long and complex. First of all, you have to understand that, according to what little I can reliably find, Voyager and DS9 had about the same ratings; however, DS9's ratings mattered less than Voyager's and here's why. Paramount had been trying since the mid-70's to create a broadcast company. Their plan was to make a Star Trek series the flagship of the network. To do this, they green-lit Star Trek Phase II only to change their minds when Star Wars came out and a movie seemed better. They then tried to go into partnership with another studio with DS9 as the flagship only for that to collapse and DS9 headed to syndication. That story, btw, is fascinating and still kind of fragmentary. They finally got a network off the ground. UPN's flagship was to be Voyager. With this burden, Voyager got a lot more interference from the network execs. They kept pushing for better ratings despite not having the affiliates required to cover the country. They wanted the show aimed at the 'key' demographic- 18 to 24 year old males. They wanted more 'T&A' on the show, especially as the show began to flag and ratings for the whole network were tanking. By 2000, UPN was bleeding out to the tune of $800mil per year. As Voyager was wrapping up, they green-lit another show- Star Trek Enterprise. They continued interfering in the show, and by 2005, they pulled Enterprise off the air and the network collapsed a year later. The network interference resulted in the show's writing and acting suffering as well as the whole thing being pushed in strange directions. In the end, if UPN had not existed and Voyager had gone to syndication, things might have been different, but it didn't. Sorry that this was so long, but you had to understand the background to see why UPN was the problem. You are right, the writing was very uneven, but that wasn't the problem- it was the symptom.
@@artemisiatheta7549 this is such a fascinating comment! I remember UPN fondly, because it housed Voyager and the later seasons of Buffy, but it was a weird network. Even things I liked, like showing episodes of I Dream of Genie, and Bewitched, as well as reruns of black sitcoms, didn't really gel as a whole. I watched A LOT of UPN, it was the channel I always watched in the summer when I was home during daytime television, but I don't think it had a strong identity. 3rd rate cartoons, classic sitcoms, black sitcoms, all the Star Trek, and Buffy....it's great, but cohesive, it's not.
I really needed this right now, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried. I never really considered how Voyager could relate to society's current situation, but now that you point it out it is definitely the kind of thing people, including myself, might benefit from revisiting right now(and it might be why I've been listening to the theme music a lot, I feel like it perfectly captures the spirit of survival despite incredible odds that Voyager embodies so well and it's def brought me a lot of comfort recently). My favorite thing about humanity has always been its ability to come together and survive and Voyager really shows how we can bring that out in ourselves and stay strong even when we are suffering, and how we can draw on our weaknesses and make them our strengths. I hope that even more people can find comfort in it and be inspired, and also maybe give the show a second chance if they had written it off, it def deserves it. Also I'm glad you're doing better and staying safe, and I hope things improve for you and you find a place where you can thrive!
Sorry you're feeling bad, Jessie, I wish I could say it gets easier. When you mentioned the flaws I was immediately thinking of what Steve Shives and Lore Reloaded said in their videos about Voyager, how the writing and events of the characters were never consistent. A great example of what made it great and yet confusing was the reference to Voyager as a science vessel despite Tom telling Harry that it was a warship. As much as Steve has criticized Voyager in several of his videos and claiming it ruined the Borg I can't help but think it was the Borg that got Voyager home like they kicked a hornet's nest that chased them across the Delta Quadrant and back to Earth. Aside from episodes like "One" and "Night" it was inspiring to see how the crew would push themselves forward without separating from each other
Your choice to wear 23rd century "command red" speaks along with your words. To be at sea can be worst feeling, but if you get your sea legs, it brims with possibility. Thank you for your tempered optimism.
For me Stargate has the same emotional connotations as guessing which of your children you like more (I guess, don't have childrens yet 😅). I mean, they are all different, you love them very much, you say you have no favorite but indeed you do 🤣...
it breaks my heart that Stargate is not remotely as popular a franchise as Trek or Wars. I hardly ever meet anybody irl who even knows about the series, at best they vaguely recall the original movie.
@@Michoss9 Never liked the movie. Well, I never liked the back half. Once Spader figures out how to make the gate work, I can happily turn it off. I loved both SG-1 and Atlantis They're like sci-fi comfort food and hold up very well even decades later.
Well done and thank you. Voyager has gotten me through many a tough time too. If they had to constantly struggle for resources, I would resent it. The unity that was forced onto them, worked so well, that the day to day needs to survive, were taken care of, as a matter of course because they did it together and they did it so well, that they were free to devote themselves to truly living, rather than just exisiting. They didn’t sideline their passion and joy in the present, for the POSSIBILITY of being rewarded, AFTER successfully fulfilling a very long term goal, that many wouldn’t even realise. We are here for a good time, not a long time! Janeway’s strength came from accepting what is, focusing on what they had, not lacked, then used it in the best way possible, in enormously challenging circumstances. Way to go!
Someone finally gets what I love about this show .I'm disabled every day is survival the people based on that fact alone this show has a special place in my heart.
Be strong, I feel the same pain as someone that lives in another country, tye isolation was already really bad and my number one priority to change this year. Then the pandemic happened and everything just became much much worse. Having star trek to watch and having awesome people like you making shows like this to distract me and get me into a nicer brighter state of mind really is helping me get through it. THANK YOU very much , I wish only the best for you.
Voyager is a pretty solid comfort show for me too. It’s the first Trek show I remember watching consistently as a kid, cos it was my dad’s favourite and was still airing at the time I was getting into Trek (would’ve been in season 6 or 7 by then). And it was being rerun a lot on Sky One. So it’s cemented in my memory as my entry point into Star Trek I guess, and the first one I’m certain I saw every episode of. Plus me and my brother playing the absolute shit out the Star Trek Voyager Elite Force vídeo game probably didn’t hurt. So I have a lot of good memories attached with the show, and that’s pretty comforting in our very own year of hell. Team “I would follow Janeway into hell” for life
my dad and I watched TOS reruns all the time when i was a kid. when TNG first premiered, he hated it. it would take until the third season before i got him into it. and then DS9 came out. that was OUR show. i miss my dad a lot, but he fell into a certain rabbithole and if he had survived til today, he would probably be a doomcock.
New sub here. As I just recently finished Voyager as the last rewatch of all the different series, this retrospective and evaluation was amazing. I'm so glad you are doing better now. Remember, failure is just an opportunity to try again.
Wow! I have no idea who you are and never watched you before, but I feel like you were talking just for me. I really needed to hear your message. Thank you.
That part about breaking down during the heat wave. I went through almost the exact thing. I'm in Northern California and we're dealing with the dry lightning, heat waves, fires, etc. Everything came to a head when my power went out during the heat wave and the fires. Like you, I couldn't work and couldn't stay comfortable in my own home. I lost it. I fell apart. I wanted to give up. My husband pulled me out if it by reminding me that we don't have to stay here and we can leave the area. We've been planning to move out of California for a while because the cost of living is not equal to the quality of life. That day with the breakdown was the point of no return. It sucks shit that we have to consider leaving our home, the area where we've both lived our entire lives, just for a chance at something better. But it's time. It's hard to come to these realizations. Hearing you say you're ready to leave your home too just made me feel a lot of things. I hate that so many people are being hurt by this garbage fire of a year. When everything around you is so awful it's hard to get a toe hold. Being honest about your feelings is important, so thank you for sharing what you're dealing with and thinking about.
I'm a little late to the commenting party but I have to say that this video was fantastic. Your essay was very well written and provided me with a sense of hope that I've been lacking lately. Sometimes it feels like we're in the darkest timeline and I worry that we will never get to the future Star Trek promised us. Worse yet, I think about the Star Trek timeline and remember that the world had to basically crumble before humanity banded together. I hope we never get WWIII or the eugenics wars or the bell riots, but it feels like that's where we're headed. Hopefully all that pain and suffering leads to a positive ending... anyway, I went down a negative spiral there. Your words and your sentiment was really heart warming and I teared up at the end a little there (why do you have to give me feels?). Thanks for this. Appreciate it!
Voyager was my family’s favorite show for years in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Certainly not the worst Star Trek show. Yes it had its bad episodes, but by and large it was consistently solid and my whole family could watch it. Not many shows exist like that. Yes it was safe, and I’m so thankful for that. My kids have fond memories of us being together every evening and watching Voyager, TNG, and X files. Then came Alias and 24. Great time to have kids.
Jesse, this is my first time on your channel, and I'm so grateful for your time and your story and your message. I'm looking forward to your backlog and to charting a forward course together. Live long and prosper, Brand.
Jessie, what a beautifully stated video about Voyager. And I agree. What were than considered flaws of Voyager closest to its time are today its greatest advantage. Really shows you how perceptions can change in a times where uncomfortable change is occurring so thick and fast.
so glad that you are feeling better! having a best friend is often something taken for granted and is a wonderful thing that should be celebrated. keep the faith, be safe and be good to yourself!
3years later I’m seeing your very touching video. Hoping you have been finding your way. Been binge watching Star Trek and Voyager is my favorite and been Trekkie since TOS days.❤🖖
I'm so sorry you've had such a horrible time of it. I love your videos. You really are an inspiration and such a lovely soul. Whenever you start to feel isolated, just remember somewhere, someone is probably watching a video of yours. Keep your chin up Jessie. With love from the UK
Thank you so much for your insight and especially for your self-disclosure toward the end. I identify with your feelings of isolation. I can't drive (medical reasons) so I've always tried to live in urban areas with good public transportation. Even so I often feel very lonely. The pandemic lock-down, of course, has made it worse. Peace, and all goodness as you work through this.
I'm glad you're doing better. It's funny, the reasons you like Voyager, especially now, are what drive me crazy about it. I found my entertainment has fallen into two categories: escapism and dealing with lasting consequences through hell. TNG falls into the first category. But Deep Space 9, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica fall into the latter category. I found a profound relevance in BSG, at it is comforting to see characters who are, arguably worse off then we are, struggle, make mistakes, suffer, but still stick together. There's a comfort in seeing Tigh and Kara at each other's throats, but still continue to work together, and, at times, have a begrudging respect for each other. I'm in season 3 now of this rewatch and seeing things like Kara and Adams, Kara and Lee, Adama and Roslin fight, betray each other, and worse, but still find redemption is amazingly poignant. Likewise seeing choices have repercussions on B5, but still struggle on becoming better is equally gratifying. Londo especially shows how even consumed by darkness, we can still rise to the occasion, even with the last but of energy and free will we have. G'Kar suffered perhaps the most and it made him kinder, gentler, and more noble. With respect to your video, I don't get that catharsis from Voyager. I don't want issues swept under the carpet (forgive my crude expression), because that's not life. I want to know our struggles have real consequences and that it is through that suffering, with ramifications from the personal to the galactic, we can grow. A quote keeps popping into my head and it's the Doctor confronting Clara over her betrayal and her believe that he hates her because of it. He assures her that he cares for her so much, he's not going to let a little thing like betrayal bother him. The show earned that moment because we saw the Doctor give up on people who failed to live up to his standards. But never someone he cared about (maybe before 9, but I doubt it.) Voyager lets its characters off the hook to easily too often to earn a moment like that for me. And while I do want to escape sometimes, other times I want to see people suffer more than I am and emerge from it changed for the better. To do that, some characters can't have that happen. Not everyone on BSG or B5 gets that redemption, so it matters when a character does. When things are too easy, especially when I'm not like for pure escapism, I emerge more depressed about our world, where things aren't so simple. At best it annoys me and at worst it angers me that we can't hot a reset button or forget a folly, we have to live with it.
It goes without saying that Voyager has a really special place in my heart. If it were real and this was a few hundred years in the future I would hope I would end up serving aboard my favorite lost starship. But I hear ya, Jessie. I'm a 63 year old man working from home and feeling really isolated. Being my age, isolation is something that happens even with the pandemic taken out of the equation but, having COVID around shuts a few more of the doors that were open before. Since March, when this all started, "Year In Hell" has been on my mind a lot and has been one of the stories I go back to for strength. Your video reminded me of how much Voyager is dear to me and how I'm glad it's readily available. Thanks for the video, Jessie! You always do really great work!!
I've always been a Voyager fan; it was my favourite when I was growing up; around the time TNG was finishing and DS9 and VOY were kicking off. And I still love it today, despite all the flaws it has, most of which are well known. I think the reason it's so well watched these days is in part due to one of the heaviest criticsms; it's episodic nature. Quite rightly people criticise VOY for having the weekly Big Reset Button and minimal season-wide character arcs, which in large part was due to budget and time (For example, the external footage of the ship had to be recycled because there wasn't the budget for 'update' shots, even when they switched to full CGI), BUT, that heavily episodic nature, fairly static characters and Big Reset Button means that anyone who knows the basic premise can literally pick an episode from anywhere in the run and watch without needing to go through any required watching. I still enjoy ST:Voyager, for all it's failings due to background issues, I like the characters, the concept and the USS Voyager is still my favourite ship in all of Trek (Fight me! xD).
I hear you and feel you. That's why I identify with 7of9. All from that one episode of 7of9 being isolated while the other crew were asleep. "I am 7of9. I am alone. I will adapt." I am naturally a loner introvert. Yet mainly I am a loner on purpose. I have cut out so many people in my life. My last victim was my half brother and since my father died a year ago all of the half siblings. On my mother's side I have only one cousin left that I consider family. Everyone else is dead (literally) and I do think of leaving and joining them quite often. I don't because I have my 2 children who are grown now so actually it's just me. It does get very hard being alone and yes I have a bad habit of drinking (in moderation but still daily) to help self medicate myself. I fear that this world will get worst before it gets better. I fear the damage that Trump has inflicted will continue whether he remains in office or not. I fear we are doomed. But in order for change the old ways must end and our old ways in America will not die without a fight. Star Trek for me has been my only constant in life. If I die old then my only instructions from my kids is to draw on my eye brows, put a turban on my head, and make sure Star Trek (TNG) is playing non-stop as I drift off into space. Just know that there are people out here in the dark supporting you and living life right along side of you. And one way or another we will LIVE LONG and Damnit We Will PROSPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
I relate very deeply to your comment. Very similar situation though my kids are still growing up. They are pretty independent now.and since my spouse passed away I been pretty alone too. I love the camaraderie and family feel of trek and helps me, at least for a bit forget my situation.
not an official trekkie, but i was born in 1990 and grew up watching deep space nine and voyager. those shows sewed the seeds for my astronomy major in college. every few years i rewatch voyager!
I love that you used The Outer Wilds as the backing track. That game helped me reconnect with some dear friends and survive when I got a very similar low
I went into this video ready to give my own commentary on Voyager: it had its flaws, no surprise given that the writers didn't even know that an ensign is supposed to make lieutenant... but after watching your commentary on the pandemic, and my own experiences (which included seriously considering suicide on at least one occasion), it's not a time for that. Maybe Voyager fell short of its potential in places... but it did seem to be the Trek show I ended up watching the most as well. Maybe the show was what it needed to be, if not what it could have been. Thank you for your insights, as well as your willingness to share your own stories of the pandemic.
Dear Jessie, Thank you so much for this important and wonderful video, especially your personal remarks at the end. I feel currently in a very similar way and I know I shouldn’t write this openly online. As strange as it sounds, the characters in DS9 and Voyager have been for me during my childhood and youth in rural Europe during the 1990s the closest thing to a wholesome family that I ever had. My own family was highly disfunctional with an abusives mother and an absent father who never took my side in anything. Although I now have my own chosen family and experience a lot of love, sometimes when I am down and lost, I am returning to those fictional foster families to find a glimpse of comfort and family. Greetings from Geneva in Switzerland, Dana.
Your points on isolation and persistence are outstanding. That must be why it's so popular right now. Also, it's episodic, no long arcs. [Because they keep wiping the slate clean, feh] So you can watch it for comfort and then watch some other stuff. If only the ship didn't look plastic in every shot.
We love you, Jesse; know that you're never alone as long as we're here with you....just this morning, I found out that I lost an old friend to Covid; I'm getting the support of pepole that care, so I'm passing it on to you.
I LOVED this video. Feeling a lot of those same feelings you're feeling right now. Isolation, depression, and anxiety all creating a never ending vortex. Thank you for being vulnerable and always 100% you. Also, I heard that Outer Wilds soundtrack in there! Great choice ☺️☺️☺️
Although I can admit to myself that Voyager is not the best Star Trek series out there, it is by far my favourite. 3 of the characters come in my top 5 across every series, and most of them get into my top 10. Voyager was the first Star Trek series I ever saw, and I still remember the moment when I saw my very first episode when I was 7. It was the episode 'One', which was was recording on VHS for my dad because he was out. Voyager was the series that got me interested, not just in other Trek series, but many other Sci-fi shows. It was those evenings, watching new episodes each week with my dad that made us so close, and for that Voyager has a very special place in my heart. There are a lot of things wrong with the show that could and should have been done better, but despite that, it makes me feel good inside, and if I'm feeling sad or depressed, Voyager lifts my spirits more than any other Trek series.
I feel like they had an opportunity to make a mini federation in season 2. They had opportunity to unite the Kazon and the their old slavers but they dissolved into a “do not interfere” episode. Voyager was just so many missed opportunity.
"And your heart beats so slow through the rain and fallen snow across the fields of mourning to a light that's in the distance. Oh don't sorrow, no don't weep for tonight, at last I am coming home I am coming home."
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
Your review of Voyager is spot on. I was a JLP fan boy and was sad when TNG was done. Then came Voyager. Kate Mulgrew was such a force and the story of being so far from home resonated with me during my college years. It was perfect but family never is but we love them in spite of/because of their flaws. DS9 gets a lot of love (and I love it too) but it too has lots of flaws. Thank you so much for taking such care to create this great review post and for sharing your story.
Because of that renegade cut video I started my 3rd binge of voyager and I'm currently on season 4, I had forgotten how good the earlier seasons (1 - 3) are in certain places. I'm loving it. It was my first trek and it's my favourite trek...
I feel you. Since I completed my MA degree, I haven't been working in my field. I've worked different jobs, but the word "rudderless" has dogged me for several years.
Voyager shows that it's logically possible for an insane leader to actually succeed and only kill three quarters of those under their command. The original idea for The Year of Hell (by far Voyager's best episode) was going to be a full season, involving characters going off and trying to find new allies, numerous time resets, etc. but it was slapped down by Rick Berman of all people (I say "of all people" because he was what really made TNG shine).
I had no idea people didn't like voyager. Now enterprise i understand. I love how u keep it real!! Im.so glad you share with us. I feel your pain. Life is scary. Sometimes overwhelming! Im so glad i found this channel.
What a video, thank you so much for this! I would say that right now I am fairly happy with the spot I am in in my life, but it is by no means perfect and I too feel isolated and alone regularly. Hearing you go through it as well and talking about coping with those feelings is very nice as it makes me feel less alone, even if we all live across the globe. Stay strong in there, I hope you find happiness! Even if it's tough, you gotta stay on that course, just like Janeway stays on course!
I never really watched Voyager. I've seen a few episodes here and there. But this video is making me want to give it a shot. Maybe it might help me find some hope in this tough situation.
I do loads of crying this year. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for showing all the good stuff in Voyager. Sometimes I forget, why I still like the show very much. Probably have seen it as often as DS9. LLAP.
Many of us are struggling emotionally right now, it's a tough time. Don't give up. I believe we'll all come out of this stronger...at least, I have to hope so.
I'm a massive Voyager fan, it's my favorite Trek by far and I must admit, this video has given me a new appreciation for the show. All the points you made were wonderful and appreciate how you talked about the flaws while focusing on the positives. On another note, I recently discovered your channel and am really loving it so far. I recently came out as trans but I'm only out to my parents, sister, and a few friends on the internet so it's still hard at school and at home. Your videos have helped me because I can think about Star Trek while also being hopeful and excited that one day I can get further in my transition and be who I am. So thanks :)
Such an important message these days. I hope everyone over in the US is doing alright - I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now. Fingers crossed things get better soon... In a crisis, my own favourite way of coping is to distract myself with an even bigger crisis but one that's not mine, so I can feel more prepared. My 2020 "comfort" has therefore, oddly, been Babylon 5 (including Crusade). But there was one time when Voyager was so important to me: when I moved out last year. Suddenly being alone in a new country, barely speaking the language, all around strangers... Something about it was so much like Voyager. My room, like the ship, quickly became familiar, but everything outside was new and scary. Janeway's speeches kind of always gave me hope I could make it through. Picard's speeches are about morality. Sisko's speeches are about justice. Janeway's are about hope.
That isolation sounds terrible, I hope it gets better! I guess We’re all going through it to varying degrees. Your points about Voyager are really good; it’s the show I grew up waiting for every week and remains one of my favorites. It’s very comforting but also inspiring. Good video, LLAP 🖖🏻😎🖖🏻
I think the maquis and the federation crew shouldn't have fully integrated until the end of season one. It would have been more impactful if Chakotay showed up on the bridge in uniform during the season finale.
Voyager had to let everyone know up front that there is no dramatic premise it wouldn't squander.
The problem with the Maquis was that easy integration was kind of inevitable. They were basically all Federation citizens a matter of months prior to Caretaker and had split off due to a territorial dispute that was now 70,000 light years away. Which is why in the end most of the "conflict" seemed to be more like the military vs civilian dynamic Stargate occasionally played with than the deeper cultural clash most people wanted. If the writers had really wanted to do a disperate crews coming together story, they should have used Gul Evek's ship instead of the Maquis. Or any other species if they wanted more distance from DS9. The Romulans would have worked well.
What bothers me most about the maquis is that, in the pilot, Tuvok is introduces as spy on the maquis ship and that's never mentioned again. in "learning curve", he is the most star fleet guy imaginable who has not knowledge at all about the maquis. doesn't sound like a good spy to me.
The biggest reason they didn't do that is probably becuase of people thought about tv series back then. they made most of their money from syndication and you couldn't know if the episdoes wouldn't show in the right order, so you just made sure that most of the episodes could be watched random order, just how you did stuff back then
To my knowledge, which I believe is accurate, the reason for the conflict being dropped, wasn't due to the writers, or showrunners, for that matter, at all. The network determined that it wasn't a beneficial course to pursue, even though it had been included in the show bible. So, with a few exceptions, that were really focused on individual Maquis, it went away.
Frankly, I've always thought that it would have been increasingly become difficult, if not unsustainable, to maintain such an artifice. They were in a predicament, that far superceded any plangency that continuing crew intra-dynamics would have attempted to seem at all significant. Sure, there was regret and loss, when the fate of nearly all their colleagues was revealed. But, I think that's about as far as the original intention could plausibly been pursued.
"Where Picard demands higher moral accountability, Janeway demands survival. Where Sisko defends and fights, Janeway persists."
You're giving me some Friday feels Captain Jessie. That right there is why Janeway is my captain.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
So, Janeway is Gandalf?!?
Turns out that the real worst Star Trek ever made was the friends we made along the way.
And by that I mean Star Trek Nemesis.
The personal stuff at the end really got to me. It reminded me of the saying: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." Hang in there people, you are not alone. let's stick together.
I grew up essentially by myself. I felt hated everywhere I go. Voyager came at the perfect time, when I desperately needed a family. Family was EVERYTHING loyalty was everything to the crew of Voyager. And I needed that. Seven was my first massive crush before I even knew that I was bi. So yeah, Voyager is my favorite Star Trek series. Always has been always will be. Flaws and all.
lol i think seven was lots of young boys first crush haha she is stunning
Steve Adams yes
You might be intrested in our upcoming sci-fi project featuring Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager) ruclips.net/video/VqI2rm1UpMY/видео.html
I've been binge watching Voyager over the past month, and the show feels like wrapping yourself in a soft warm blanket.
I'm in my late 30's, and I finally understand why people love Trek so much.
Honestly, Voyager was my favorite of all the post TOS shows. It was the characters that did it for me. The stories were not always great, but I cared about the characters.
Mine also
The same here : for "Entreprise", I really didn't care for the protagonists at all.
In the words of my favorite show: "Remember: Your flaws are beautiful!"
Entrapta? is that you?
@@wellingtonsmith4998 Hordak? :D
One of the reasons I love Voyager is that mental health struggles ARE made visible at several points. We see people struggle with depression, isolation as you mentioned, even suicidality. As a child with a (then) undiagnosed mental health condition, watching Janeway struggle with depression in season 5, watching B'Elanna go numb and start to self-harm, and seeing Neelix attempting suicide were validating in a way the adults in my life simply weren't. These portrayals were FAR from perfect, of course, but they were there. And then I got to see the characters get understanding and support from their crewmates and keep going, keep fighting. I saw them smile again. Voyager has always been a source of hope for me, then and now.
Like Voyager, I feel it could take us 70 years to get back to normal.
Like Voyager, I'm sure it'll happen much sooner. But we'll still have to work for it.
@@DrTssha Like the mirror universe, there's no guarantee that the good guys win. We may be on the final decline here. Just (pessimistically) sayin'.
Unless our future selves come back and sacrifice themselves to get us out of it faster
@@Seetiyan I think we might be IN the mirror universe…
One thing that really resonates with me from Voyager is her absolute loyalty to Tuvok. She’s the kind of person who would do literally anything for her friend.
"This ends right now...Our course is locked in, only my authorization can release it." This is my favorite Janeway scene.
I've always maintained that Voyager is the most meme-able Trek show. Its flaws and contrivances and silly moments serve this purpose well, along with the characters having just the right personalities and expressions for some really funny jokes.
Whether it's The Doctor singing, Seven playing big sister to Naomi Wildman, Neelix cooking and showing his weird rubber feet, Janeway glaring ominously at Tuvix, Tom Paris getting covered in spaghetti, Seska's face popping out of random places and saying "hello Chakotay", or Harry Kim and Tuvok disagreeing on whether they are friends or not, there is such an immense wealth of iconic panels to work with.
If Janeway concentrated on getting home and not working on their star fleet duties she would have easily turned into Captain Random. By stopping and categorizing nebula or making first contact missions the crew would have gone crazy. Janeway's up and down personality could be contributed to PTSD or extreme guilt. But she among the cast is the only one who exhibit that behavior. Voyager is like eating a home cooked meal it fills you up and satisfies.
As well as potentially finding technology that could have helped them get back faster.
You've been a real benefit to a trans friend of mine, Jessie Gender. She's a Star Trek fan who is dealing with her family and her unhappiness for a variety of reasons. You gave her a lot of confidence as well as inspired her. You may have honestly saved her life and it's been a huge improvement for her over the past months. She's been binging your stuff repeatedly and I am so happy to have recommended you to her.
Never think your stuff here isn't important.
It makes sense in terms of episodes. People rewatching DS9 would be all the eps in a row. Voyager being episodic, it doesn't need to be seen in any kind of order.
@@ericmatias2799 DS9 can be very heavy where Voyager is more ...comfort food.
@@trekjudas DS9 isn't really designed to "cuddle" the viewer, in many instances, where TNG or VOY may be able to do that.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs Interesting comment. I quite agree...
@@ericmatias2799 yes at the start first fue seasons where crap got alot better when the dominion came in
Ds9 had plenty of stand alone episodes, they just were usually not as engaging as the tension filled series arc episodes.
Watching videos like this make me feel less isolated. Voyager was my Star Trek, Janeway is my captain. The one I grew up watching as each episode aired. I'm at the exact age where I kinda remember watching the first episode as it aired, and definitely remember watching the last, on the night that it aired...though taped, and somewhat corrupted by our shitty vhs player. We had to be somewhere while it was airing, but watched it as soon as we got home. That's all beside the point. Knowing there are people, and communities that love the things I love, find comfort in them, and talk about them critically is one of my tethers to a world outside this pandemic. Outside the horrors of our government. So thanks for continuing to do this, even while you're struggling.
Really sorry to hear that you’re having such a hard time I sincerely hope things get better for you
It just so happened that I restarted Voyager in my ongoing Star Trek rewatch right as the lockdowns started. That experience changed my perspective on the series so much. This video and your work is so appreciated and needed. Thank you ❤️
My favorite Star Trek series has always been voyager. I have often been inspired by the strength and persistence of Janeway and the Voyager crew. Thank you so much for continuing to make content! I love your perspective and I hear you.
Hey Jessie,
I know its been a while since I've commented; I've had a lot going on in my own life (including working with an editor on my upcoming book about growing up Autistic which has been greenlit! Yay! :D), but I wanted to comment on this video. Because this video...oh my god this video. More than most you've made recently (and there have been some epic ones!), this one spoke to me. I'm an extroverted introvert - I love my humans, and I need human connection, but humans also exhaust me. So I tend to CHOOSE me time, punctuated with getting to see my friends and loved ones regularly when I want to on my terms. Because of this...I struggled ALOT early on in the pandemic. I felt isolated, and alone. I didn't even see my best friend for two months despite us living in the same city because of COVID worries. We talked every day on the phone, as I did with many of my friends...but it wasn't the same. I live in Canada, and we got a pretty good handle on the virus before long...so thankfully our lockdown didn't last forever and gradually we reopened as it became safe to do so...so my mental health got better. I gave my best friend the biggest hug when I saw him again, standing at the entrance to my building, waiting for me to let him in for a long-awaited coffee hangout. But I know EXACTLY what you're going through...and its fitting that during the worst of that back in March and April? I too took comfort in a rewatch of Star Trek Voyager. It's not a perfect show by FAR...but as you said; in both its flaws and its triumphs, its exactly the show we need right now. It's Star Trek at its most imperfect best, and that's why I've always loved it. I'm sorry you're going through this hard time right now Jessie...and I know its not the same as real human connection (heck, I'm only some random person who comments on your videos and joins your livestreams occasionally)...but I'm happy to do my small part to be part of your online community and give you some kind of human connection. You certainly have done the same for me! Live long and prosper, internet friend! :)
You might not ever see this. I sincerely feel everything you’ve said about isolation. I too, feel like I don’t belong where I live. The connections I have are few where I live. I wish more than anything to connect to not just to loved ones but to find community itself. Where I live this feeling is enhanced by feeling like there is no one to build a community with, so I’ve done similar things as you: commit my self to the work I’m doing and trying to hold onto the connections I have but deep down I know I need and deserve more. Yes, timing does play a huge role due to what is happening in the world but even outside of that there just just isn’t much hope for me to feel like the person I want to be in my current location. Thank you for so succinctly putting into perspective what I have struggled to openly talk about. Not only because there are few people to talk about that with but providing a voice for my similar struggles. You are amazing
This video led me to this thought: Star Trek, at its best, shows us that we don't need to be better than other people. What we need is to be better than our own past selves. Doesn't matter if that past was generations behind us, or only five minutes ago. Only then will we be able to raise each other up to the heights we so desperately dream of being able to reach.
Watched your video for voyager, which was good, but your personal reflection of how you’ve been feeling really got me to sit up and take notice. Thanks for being so open about how you’re feeling, so refreshing. Take care
PEPPERONI!
I go back to John Waters’ “good bad taste” quote. It’s why I love Enterprise, and it’s why I love the “bad episodes” of Voyager.
I'm a photographer and a visual artist, I fall under the Asperger's umbrella and I've tried to find connection with others through a photographic project (well at least until the depression hit me really hard once again) in which I photograph people trying to establish connections through internet and screens. Maybe you can find it interesting. Thank you so much for share your experience, I'm far from home in a Indigenous Reservation and the quarantine has been an enlightening but challenging experience.
I relate to everything you said, Brexit has made me feel like a stranger in my own country doubly so with Covid. I think I will give a Voyager rewatch a try. Your videos are a highlight in my life.
Much love and solidarity from the UK.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Star Trek Voyager is my comfort show. I know it's far from perfect in parts *coughTuvixcough*....However, I still come back to this show in different parts of my life whenever I need a little bit of comfort. My mom is part of the reason I love this show so much. We used to watch it a lot together at different points...and in 2020...my mom passed away to COVID. And so it takes on a slightly different meaning today.
I feel comforted somewhat watching the Voyager crew come together and help each other...in much the same way Yugi's friends help him get through...they're a family....and that's what is the best part of this show...no it ain't perfect but that's what I love about it. Janeway is definitely my captain...she's an inspiration to me. Just like your videos are Jessie... live long and prosper.
Powerful. Thank you for sharing your struggles and vulnerability. You know you're not alone, and now so do I.
Wow, this was so beautifully done and put together. You are amazing Jessie. I love how you compared this year to Voyager. I've been watching Voyager since college (over 20 years now) and will continue to do so. Voyager has been my "comfort food" and I find myself getting support and encouragement from the various Voyager episodes. I know what you have felt this year, its definitely been tough and I think the isolation has been toughest on those are are single and/or live alone. It was definitely tough from being able to see others and friends to just you being home all by yourself. I totally understand, as that was me this year. Something as simple as a hug, really will make us appreciate them so much more. But like Voyager, we keep on setting a course for "home" and like Voyager, we will reach our destination. Wishing you much continued success in all that you do. Thanks for inspiring others through your work and last by not lease, Keep shining your light. :)
Thank you Jessie. Star Trek may be the algorithm that let me to your channel, but you’re voice rings even deeper than my passionate appreciation for all that Star Trek is. If there is one thing I so firmly believe each of us could bring more of to the world that would actually make it better, it would be true and honest vulnerability. Finding the courage to discuss openly our true feelings and thoughts in reaction to our interactions and experiences is not easy. In many ways our culture, despite so much technology set up to facilitate such things, discourages and makes difficult such a thing. Your courage to not only be genuinely “you” but to do so using the tools that show their true value and potential is deeply inspiring. We are enduring what has turned out to be a very difficult and challenging season in the history of our society. You, Jessie, in your willingness to share in your humanity, all the strengths and weaknesses we all share in, make it bearable and give hope that the future promise Star Trek inspires is not only possible, but still likely even. Thank you- and please know you are recognized, appreciated, and loved for who you are and the good you’ve done for all of us.
i understand...i was born in new york, grew up there, and have lived across the country in various times at various places...right before the pandemic hit, i moved to chicago...since then, chicago has been isolated..and so have i...no job, no friends, no money...my writing is the only thing that keeps me sane...that, and people like you, who i've grown to feel close to...and like voyager's unusual circumstance, this unusual circumstance the world now shares has oddly brought all of us a little closer together...and for those moments when reaching out doesn't seem to have a receiving end, all we can really do is hope...and survive...peace to you always jessie...rocky
Also, on a more aesthetic note, I just want to say that, as my first time viewing your content, you have an awesome voice that is itself comforting, kinda like these shows.
Jessie, I was really moved by the coda to this video. I've been trying to work out what to type without it sounding like its about me and not your horrible experience with anxiety and isolation; because I empathise a lot. So instead, I'll just say that I never knew about this channel before lockdown/ getting furloughed from my job and geeking out on Star Trek RUclips stuff but I am really glad they exist and will keep watching as long as you keep making them.
Your videos always make me feel less isolated. Thank you Jessie and I hope you can find peace in the changes to come in your life. ❤️
First about Voyager- I've always maintained that Voyager's biggest flaw was UPN. Whole swaths of the country didn't get UPN, and thus it didn't have the ratings that TNG or DS9 did. Same holds true for Enterprise.
Seven of Nine is one of my favorite characters even now. I don't tend to rank very well, but she's in a small pool. She spoke to me as someone who barely functions in society and for whom just keeping up the mask is tough, and her continued story in Picard added to that.
It's been a really crappy year, and it's been very hard for most people. I'm constantly scared for my friends and relations living in the dangerous places out there. Just remember, none of us are alone.
I have to admit that I've been watching Red Dwarf and Lower Decks a lot. Red Dwarf certainly is a show about dealing with isolation and loneliness (With a little help from a slightly crazy ship's computer, a hologram, a sapient cat, and an android.) I find laughter helps a lot.
Voyager had fairly good ratings. It was UPN's biggest show. DS9 had much lower ratings despite being critically acclaimed. Voyager's biggest flaw was the bad writing.
@@dangerkeith3000 I debated responding, but...this is going to be long and complex. First of all, you have to understand that, according to what little I can reliably find, Voyager and DS9 had about the same ratings; however, DS9's ratings mattered less than Voyager's and here's why.
Paramount had been trying since the mid-70's to create a broadcast company. Their plan was to make a Star Trek series the flagship of the network. To do this, they green-lit Star Trek Phase II only to change their minds when Star Wars came out and a movie seemed better. They then tried to go into partnership with another studio with DS9 as the flagship only for that to collapse and DS9 headed to syndication. That story, btw, is fascinating and still kind of fragmentary.
They finally got a network off the ground. UPN's flagship was to be Voyager. With this burden, Voyager got a lot more interference from the network execs. They kept pushing for better ratings despite not having the affiliates required to cover the country. They wanted the show aimed at the 'key' demographic- 18 to 24 year old males. They wanted more 'T&A' on the show, especially as the show began to flag and ratings for the whole network were tanking.
By 2000, UPN was bleeding out to the tune of $800mil per year. As Voyager was wrapping up, they green-lit another show- Star Trek Enterprise. They continued interfering in the show, and by 2005, they pulled Enterprise off the air and the network collapsed a year later.
The network interference resulted in the show's writing and acting suffering as well as the whole thing being pushed in strange directions. In the end, if UPN had not existed and Voyager had gone to syndication, things might have been different, but it didn't. Sorry that this was so long, but you had to understand the background to see why UPN was the problem. You are right, the writing was very uneven, but that wasn't the problem- it was the symptom.
@@artemisiatheta7549 this is such a fascinating comment! I remember UPN fondly, because it housed Voyager and the later seasons of Buffy, but it was a weird network. Even things I liked, like showing episodes of I Dream of Genie, and Bewitched, as well as reruns of black sitcoms, didn't really gel as a whole. I watched A LOT of UPN, it was the channel I always watched in the summer when I was home during daytime television, but I don't think it had a strong identity. 3rd rate cartoons, classic sitcoms, black sitcoms, all the Star Trek, and Buffy....it's great, but cohesive, it's not.
Thankyou Jessie, you made cry. I don't know what to do and it hurts.
I'm glad your there.
Luv.M.
I really needed this right now, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried. I never really considered how Voyager could relate to society's current situation, but now that you point it out it is definitely the kind of thing people, including myself, might benefit from revisiting right now(and it might be why I've been listening to the theme music a lot, I feel like it perfectly captures the spirit of survival despite incredible odds that Voyager embodies so well and it's def brought me a lot of comfort recently). My favorite thing about humanity has always been its ability to come together and survive and Voyager really shows how we can bring that out in ourselves and stay strong even when we are suffering, and how we can draw on our weaknesses and make them our strengths. I hope that even more people can find comfort in it and be inspired, and also maybe give the show a second chance if they had written it off, it def deserves it.
Also I'm glad you're doing better and staying safe, and I hope things improve for you and you find a place where you can thrive!
This analysis was perfect! I've been watching Voyager as my comfort show for the past month. It's been a wonderful refuge.
Sorry you're feeling bad, Jessie, I wish I could say it gets easier.
When you mentioned the flaws I was immediately thinking of what Steve Shives and Lore Reloaded said in their videos about Voyager, how the writing and events of the characters were never consistent. A great example of what made it great and yet confusing was the reference to Voyager as a science vessel despite Tom telling Harry that it was a warship. As much as Steve has criticized Voyager in several of his videos and claiming it ruined the Borg I can't help but think it was the Borg that got Voyager home like they kicked a hornet's nest that chased them across the Delta Quadrant and back to Earth. Aside from episodes like "One" and "Night" it was inspiring to see how the crew would push themselves forward without separating from each other
Your choice to wear 23rd century "command red" speaks along with your words. To be at sea can be worst feeling, but if you get your sea legs, it brims with possibility. Thank you for your tempered optimism.
Stargate: SG1 ist my comfort-nostalgia show as well ^_^
For me Stargate has the same emotional connotations as guessing which of your children you like more (I guess, don't have childrens yet 😅). I mean, they are all different, you love them very much, you say you have no favorite but indeed you do 🤣...
SG1 is thematically similar to Star Trek but using the USA in the 90s as the setting, plus a heaping scoop of Xena.
it breaks my heart that Stargate is not remotely as popular a franchise as Trek or Wars. I hardly ever meet anybody irl who even knows about the series, at best they vaguely recall the original movie.
@@Michoss9 Never liked the movie. Well, I never liked the back half. Once Spader figures out how to make the gate work, I can happily turn it off.
I loved both SG-1 and Atlantis They're like sci-fi comfort food and hold up very well even decades later.
I would love to have you review SG1 seasons at a time. I love all 3 Gate Series....💖
Well done and thank you. Voyager has gotten me through many a tough time too. If they had to constantly struggle for resources, I would resent it. The unity that was forced onto them, worked so well, that the day to day needs to survive, were taken care of, as a matter of course because they did it together and they did it so well, that they were free to devote themselves to truly living, rather than just exisiting. They didn’t sideline their passion and joy in the present, for the POSSIBILITY of being rewarded, AFTER successfully fulfilling a very long term goal, that many wouldn’t even realise. We are here for a good time, not a long time! Janeway’s strength came from accepting what is, focusing on what they had, not lacked, then used it in the best way possible, in enormously challenging circumstances. Way to go!
Someone finally gets what I love about this show .I'm disabled every day is survival the people based on that fact alone this show has a special place in my heart.
Be strong, I feel the same pain as someone that lives in another country, tye isolation was already really bad and my number one priority to change this year. Then the pandemic happened and everything just became much much worse. Having star trek to watch and having awesome people like you making shows like this to distract me and get me into a nicer brighter state of mind really is helping me get through it. THANK YOU very much , I wish only the best for you.
Voyager is a pretty solid comfort show for me too. It’s the first Trek show I remember watching consistently as a kid, cos it was my dad’s favourite and was still airing at the time I was getting into Trek (would’ve been in season 6 or 7 by then). And it was being rerun a lot on Sky One. So it’s cemented in my memory as my entry point into Star Trek I guess, and the first one I’m certain I saw every episode of. Plus me and my brother playing the absolute shit out the Star Trek Voyager Elite Force vídeo game probably didn’t hurt. So I have a lot of good memories attached with the show, and that’s pretty comforting in our very own year of hell.
Team “I would follow Janeway into hell” for life
my dad and I watched TOS reruns all the time when i was a kid. when TNG first premiered, he hated it. it would take until the third season before i got him into it. and then DS9 came out. that was OUR show. i miss my dad a lot, but he fell into a certain rabbithole and if he had survived til today, he would probably be a doomcock.
New sub here. As I just recently finished Voyager as the last rewatch of all the different series, this retrospective and evaluation was amazing. I'm so glad you are doing better now. Remember, failure is just an opportunity to try again.
Wow! I have no idea who you are and never watched you before, but I feel like you were talking just for me. I really needed to hear your message. Thank you.
That part about breaking down during the heat wave. I went through almost the exact thing. I'm in Northern California and we're dealing with the dry lightning, heat waves, fires, etc. Everything came to a head when my power went out during the heat wave and the fires. Like you, I couldn't work and couldn't stay comfortable in my own home. I lost it. I fell apart. I wanted to give up. My husband pulled me out if it by reminding me that we don't have to stay here and we can leave the area. We've been planning to move out of California for a while because the cost of living is not equal to the quality of life. That day with the breakdown was the point of no return. It sucks shit that we have to consider leaving our home, the area where we've both lived our entire lives, just for a chance at something better. But it's time.
It's hard to come to these realizations. Hearing you say you're ready to leave your home too just made me feel a lot of things. I hate that so many people are being hurt by this garbage fire of a year. When everything around you is so awful it's hard to get a toe hold. Being honest about your feelings is important, so thank you for sharing what you're dealing with and thinking about.
This was the first video of yours that I've watched but it's awesome ☺️ ... You're not alone, your experience really resonated with me...
I'm a little late to the commenting party but I have to say that this video was fantastic. Your essay was very well written and provided me with a sense of hope that I've been lacking lately. Sometimes it feels like we're in the darkest timeline and I worry that we will never get to the future Star Trek promised us. Worse yet, I think about the Star Trek timeline and remember that the world had to basically crumble before humanity banded together. I hope we never get WWIII or the eugenics wars or the bell riots, but it feels like that's where we're headed. Hopefully all that pain and suffering leads to a positive ending... anyway, I went down a negative spiral there. Your words and your sentiment was really heart warming and I teared up at the end a little there (why do you have to give me feels?). Thanks for this. Appreciate it!
Voyager was my family’s favorite show for years in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Certainly not the worst Star Trek show. Yes it had its bad episodes, but by and large it was consistently solid and my whole family could watch it. Not many shows exist like that. Yes it was safe, and I’m so thankful for that. My kids have fond memories of us being together every evening and watching Voyager, TNG, and X files. Then came Alias and 24. Great time to have kids.
Your vids have been a big comfort for me these past few weeks. I hope I can carry myself with half as much confidence as you do someday. ❤
Jesse, this is my first time on your channel, and I'm so grateful for your time and your story and your message. I'm looking forward to your backlog and to charting a forward course together. Live long and prosper, Brand.
Welcome! Its great to meet you! I hope you enjoy the other videos
Jessie, what a beautifully stated video about Voyager. And I agree. What were than considered flaws of Voyager closest to its time are today its greatest advantage. Really shows you how perceptions can change in a times where uncomfortable change is occurring so thick and fast.
And I am sorry you feel alone Jessie. Sending all the love and hugs online. Wish there was something more I could do.
group hugs for Jessie 🤗
so glad that you are feeling better! having a best friend is often something taken for granted and is a wonderful thing that should be celebrated. keep the faith, be safe and be good to yourself!
3years later I’m seeing your very touching video.
Hoping you have been finding your way. Been binge watching Star Trek and Voyager is my favorite and been Trekkie since TOS days.❤🖖
I'm so sorry you've had such a horrible time of it. I love your videos. You really are an inspiration and such a lovely soul. Whenever you start to feel isolated, just remember somewhere, someone is probably watching a video of yours. Keep your chin up Jessie. With love from the UK
Thank you so much for your insight and especially for your self-disclosure toward the end. I identify with your feelings of isolation. I can't drive (medical reasons) so I've always tried to live in urban areas with good public transportation. Even so I often feel very lonely. The pandemic lock-down, of course, has made it worse.
Peace, and all goodness as you work through this.
I'm glad you're doing better.
It's funny, the reasons you like Voyager, especially now, are what drive me crazy about it.
I found my entertainment has fallen into two categories: escapism and dealing with lasting consequences through hell.
TNG falls into the first category. But Deep Space 9, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica fall into the latter category. I found a profound relevance in BSG, at it is comforting to see characters who are, arguably worse off then we are, struggle, make mistakes, suffer, but still stick together.
There's a comfort in seeing Tigh and Kara at each other's throats, but still continue to work together, and, at times, have a begrudging respect for each other. I'm in season 3 now of this rewatch and seeing things like Kara and Adams, Kara and Lee, Adama and Roslin fight, betray each other, and worse, but still find redemption is amazingly poignant.
Likewise seeing choices have repercussions on B5, but still struggle on becoming better is equally gratifying. Londo especially shows how even consumed by darkness, we can still rise to the occasion, even with the last but of energy and free will we have. G'Kar suffered perhaps the most and it made him kinder, gentler, and more noble.
With respect to your video, I don't get that catharsis from Voyager. I don't want issues swept under the carpet (forgive my crude expression), because that's not life. I want to know our struggles have real consequences and that it is through that suffering, with ramifications from the personal to the galactic, we can grow.
A quote keeps popping into my head and it's the Doctor confronting Clara over her betrayal and her believe that he hates her because of it. He assures her that he cares for her so much, he's not going to let a little thing like betrayal bother him. The show earned that moment because we saw the Doctor give up on people who failed to live up to his standards. But never someone he cared about (maybe before 9, but I doubt it.)
Voyager lets its characters off the hook to easily too often to earn a moment like that for me. And while I do want to escape sometimes, other times I want to see people suffer more than I am and emerge from it changed for the better. To do that, some characters can't have that happen. Not everyone on BSG or B5 gets that redemption, so it matters when a character does.
When things are too easy, especially when I'm not like for pure escapism, I emerge more depressed about our world, where things aren't so simple. At best it annoys me and at worst it angers me that we can't hot a reset button or forget a folly, we have to live with it.
It goes without saying that Voyager has a really special place in my heart. If it were real and this was a few hundred years in the future I would hope I would end up serving aboard my favorite lost starship. But I hear ya, Jessie. I'm a 63 year old man working from home and feeling really isolated. Being my age, isolation is something that happens even with the pandemic taken out of the equation but, having COVID around shuts a few more of the doors that were open before. Since March, when this all started, "Year In Hell" has been on my mind a lot and has been one of the stories I go back to for strength. Your video reminded me of how much Voyager is dear to me and how I'm glad it's readily available. Thanks for the video, Jessie! You always do really great work!!
Thank you for sharing, we are now living in our own version of a Star Trek dimension. You are not alone, we are with you.
I've always been a Voyager fan; it was my favourite when I was growing up; around the time TNG was finishing and DS9 and VOY were kicking off. And I still love it today, despite all the flaws it has, most of which are well known.
I think the reason it's so well watched these days is in part due to one of the heaviest criticsms; it's episodic nature.
Quite rightly people criticise VOY for having the weekly Big Reset Button and minimal season-wide character arcs, which in large part was due to budget and time (For example, the external footage of the ship had to be recycled because there wasn't the budget for 'update' shots, even when they switched to full CGI), BUT, that heavily episodic nature, fairly static characters and Big Reset Button means that anyone who knows the basic premise can literally pick an episode from anywhere in the run and watch without needing to go through any required watching.
I still enjoy ST:Voyager, for all it's failings due to background issues, I like the characters, the concept and the USS Voyager is still my favourite ship in all of Trek (Fight me! xD).
I hear you and feel you. That's why I identify with 7of9. All from that one episode of 7of9 being isolated while the other crew were asleep. "I am 7of9. I am alone. I will adapt." I am naturally a loner introvert. Yet mainly I am a loner on purpose. I have cut out so many people in my life. My last victim was my half brother and since my father died a year ago all of the half siblings. On my mother's side I have only one cousin left that I consider family. Everyone else is dead (literally) and I do think of leaving and joining them quite often. I don't because I have my 2 children who are grown now so actually it's just me. It does get very hard being alone and yes I have a bad habit of drinking (in moderation but still daily) to help self medicate myself. I fear that this world will get worst before it gets better. I fear the damage that Trump has inflicted will continue whether he remains in office or not. I fear we are doomed. But in order for change the old ways must end and our old ways in America will not die without a fight. Star Trek for me has been my only constant in life. If I die old then my only instructions from my kids is to draw on my eye brows, put a turban on my head, and make sure Star Trek (TNG) is playing non-stop as I drift off into space. Just know that there are people out here in the dark supporting you and living life right along side of you. And one way or another we will LIVE LONG and Damnit We Will PROSPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
I relate very deeply to your comment. Very similar situation though my kids are still growing up. They are pretty independent now.and since my spouse passed away I been pretty alone too. I love the camaraderie and family feel of trek and helps me, at least for a bit forget my situation.
not an official trekkie, but i was born in 1990 and grew up watching deep space nine and voyager. those shows sewed the seeds for my astronomy major in college. every few years i rewatch voyager!
New to you’re channel. I’m so glad I came across it. Feel like something I needed. Thank you for the videos
I love that you used The Outer Wilds as the backing track.
That game helped me reconnect with some dear friends and survive when I got a very similar low
I went into this video ready to give my own commentary on Voyager: it had its flaws, no surprise given that the writers didn't even know that an ensign is supposed to make lieutenant... but after watching your commentary on the pandemic, and my own experiences (which included seriously considering suicide on at least one occasion), it's not a time for that. Maybe Voyager fell short of its potential in places... but it did seem to be the Trek show I ended up watching the most as well. Maybe the show was what it needed to be, if not what it could have been.
Thank you for your insights, as well as your willingness to share your own stories of the pandemic.
Watching this in 2024 and crying. These words were so touching💜
Dear Jessie, Thank you so much for this important and wonderful video, especially your personal remarks at the end. I feel currently in a very similar way and I know I shouldn’t write this openly online. As strange as it sounds, the characters in DS9 and Voyager have been for me during my childhood and youth in rural Europe during the 1990s the closest thing to a wholesome family that I ever had. My own family was highly disfunctional with an abusives mother and an absent father who never took my side in anything. Although I now have my own chosen family and experience a lot of love, sometimes when I am down and lost, I am returning to those fictional foster families to find a glimpse of comfort and family. Greetings from Geneva in Switzerland, Dana.
Star Trek Voyager - the most enjoyable rewatch of any of the Treks.
Your points on isolation and persistence are outstanding. That must be why it's so popular right now. Also, it's episodic, no long arcs. [Because they keep wiping the slate clean, feh] So you can watch it for comfort and then watch some other stuff.
If only the ship didn't look plastic in every shot.
We love you, Jesse; know that you're never alone as long as we're here with you....just this morning, I found out that I lost an old friend to Covid; I'm getting the support of pepole that care, so I'm passing it on to you.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ sending you love too
I’m in la too. I've thought really highly of you and the thoughts you put out. You are not alone.
Your story is mine. You inspire me. I am in lockdown since March in an assistant living facility. Peace I am 61 so the future....
I LOVED this video. Feeling a lot of those same feelings you're feeling right now. Isolation, depression, and anxiety all creating a never ending vortex. Thank you for being vulnerable and always 100% you.
Also, I heard that Outer Wilds soundtrack in there! Great choice ☺️☺️☺️
I've been rewatching Voyager in the last couple of months. Now I know why.
Thank you so much for this video.
We're with you
Thank you for sharing all the personal story at the end. Your fans are in your corner Jessie.
Although I can admit to myself that Voyager is not the best Star Trek series out there, it is by far my favourite. 3 of the characters come in my top 5 across every series, and most of them get into my top 10. Voyager was the first Star Trek series I ever saw, and I still remember the moment when I saw my very first episode when I was 7. It was the episode 'One', which was was recording on VHS for my dad because he was out. Voyager was the series that got me interested, not just in other Trek series, but many other Sci-fi shows. It was those evenings, watching new episodes each week with my dad that made us so close, and for that Voyager has a very special place in my heart. There are a lot of things wrong with the show that could and should have been done better, but despite that, it makes me feel good inside, and if I'm feeling sad or depressed, Voyager lifts my spirits more than any other Trek series.
I feel like they had an opportunity to make a mini federation in season 2. They had opportunity to unite the Kazon and the their old slavers but they dissolved into a “do not interfere” episode. Voyager was just so many missed opportunity.
That and they couldve stayed in contact with that Amelia Earhart planet too
Missed opportunities was Voyager in a nutshell.
It was just a horrible show and the worst of the franchise.
"And your heart beats so slow
through the rain and fallen snow
across the fields of mourning
to a light that's in the distance.
Oh don't sorrow, no don't weep
for tonight, at last
I am coming home
I am coming home."
"You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
Your review of Voyager is spot on. I was a JLP fan boy and was sad when TNG was done. Then came Voyager. Kate Mulgrew was such a force and the story of being so far from home resonated with me during my college years. It was perfect but family never is but we love them in spite of/because of their flaws. DS9 gets a lot of love (and I love it too) but it too has lots of flaws. Thank you so much for taking such care to create this great review post and for sharing your story.
My heart goes out to you in these trying times. Best wishes for any changes in your situation you feel are necessary. 💜
I'm one of those that re watch voyager alot, along side Ds9, I loved your perspective and discussion 💙
Because of that renegade cut video I started my 3rd binge of voyager and I'm currently on season 4, I had forgotten how good the earlier seasons (1 - 3) are in certain places. I'm loving it. It was my first trek and it's my favourite trek...
I feel you. Since I completed my MA degree, I haven't been working in my field. I've worked different jobs, but the word "rudderless" has dogged me for several years.
Voyager shows that it's logically possible for an insane leader to actually succeed and only kill three quarters of those under their command.
The original idea for The Year of Hell (by far Voyager's best episode) was going to be a full season, involving characters going off and trying to find new allies, numerous time resets, etc. but it was slapped down by Rick Berman of all people (I say "of all people" because he was what really made TNG shine).
I had no idea people didn't like voyager. Now enterprise i understand. I love how u keep it real!! Im.so glad you share with us. I feel your pain. Life is scary. Sometimes overwhelming! Im so glad i found this channel.
What a video, thank you so much for this! I would say that right now I am fairly happy with the spot I am in in my life, but it is by no means perfect and I too feel isolated and alone regularly. Hearing you go through it as well and talking about coping with those feelings is very nice as it makes me feel less alone, even if we all live across the globe. Stay strong in there, I hope you find happiness! Even if it's tough, you gotta stay on that course, just like Janeway stays on course!
I never really watched Voyager. I've seen a few episodes here and there. But this video is making me want to give it a shot. Maybe it might help me find some hope in this tough situation.
I love how you used Chaotica's music theme!
Episode 200 of SG-1 is like a top 10 episode ever of TV I have seen.
I do loads of crying this year.
Thanks for sharing. And thanks for showing all the good stuff in Voyager.
Sometimes I forget, why I still like the show very much. Probably have seen it as often as DS9.
LLAP.
Many of us are struggling emotionally right now, it's a tough time. Don't give up. I believe we'll all come out of this stronger...at least, I have to hope so.
I'm a massive Voyager fan, it's my favorite Trek by far and I must admit, this video has given me a new appreciation for the show. All the points you made were wonderful and appreciate how you talked about the flaws while focusing on the positives.
On another note, I recently discovered your channel and am really loving it so far. I recently came out as trans but I'm only out to my parents, sister, and a few friends on the internet so it's still hard at school and at home. Your videos have helped me because I can think about Star Trek while also being hopeful and excited that one day I can get further in my transition and be who I am. So thanks :)
that time janeway almost killed everyone to get replicator fuel was the second worst coffee related breakdown i've ever seen on television
Such an important message these days. I hope everyone over in the US is doing alright - I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now. Fingers crossed things get better soon...
In a crisis, my own favourite way of coping is to distract myself with an even bigger crisis but one that's not mine, so I can feel more prepared. My 2020 "comfort" has therefore, oddly, been Babylon 5 (including Crusade).
But there was one time when Voyager was so important to me: when I moved out last year. Suddenly being alone in a new country, barely speaking the language, all around strangers... Something about it was so much like Voyager. My room, like the ship, quickly became familiar, but everything outside was new and scary.
Janeway's speeches kind of always gave me hope I could make it through. Picard's speeches are about morality. Sisko's speeches are about justice. Janeway's are about hope.
Glad that you’re feeling better. You’ve made me reconsider reaching out to some single friends just to check in and say hello 🙂
Take care of yourself.
That isolation sounds terrible, I hope it gets better! I guess We’re all going through it to varying degrees. Your points about Voyager are really good; it’s the show I grew up waiting for every week and remains one of my favorites. It’s very comforting but also inspiring. Good video, LLAP 🖖🏻😎🖖🏻