To The Journey: A Star Trek Voyager Podcast

Samantha and Naomi Wildman. In this episode of To The Journey we continue our character analysis series with our favorite Katarian and her mom. Even though Naomi only had nineteen appearances, she made quite an impact on Voyager. She most definitely won the award for Least Annoying Kid on Star Trek. Tristan enjoyed the many versions of Naomi, Char cringed at her long gestation and horrifying birth...

Five-Episode Marathon. What Voyager episodes would you watch if you had five hours to spare? In this episode of To The Journey we talk about our sentimental favorites and those episodes we just keep coming back to over and over again. Tristan remembers his dad’s feelings about Voyager, Charlynn gets her J/C moments, and Lorrie relives her first Voyager experience. What’s your ideal marathon? 

Species 8472. The baddies of fluidic space, Species 8472 get their share of talk time in this episode of To The Journey. We love the thrill of any alien who can beat the Borg, and these CGI dudes sure could. In the three (or four) episodes they had a part in, they really shone as unstoppable villains. Char loves that they almost convince Chakotay to settle on Random M-Class Planet with his gal Kat...

The Doctor. Some characters stand out more than others in the Trek universe; and Voyager’s Doctor is one of them. In this episode of To The Journey we discuss the reasons why he is so memorable, from his extensive development throughout Voyager's seven-year journey to Robert Picardo's distinctive performance. We also discuss the list of names Doc tried but ultimately dumped. Char’s favorite is Sch...

Voyager’s Funniest Moments. Voyager arguably has some of the funniest, most memorable moments in all of Star Trek. In this episode of To The Journey we talk about our faves—including Jeri Ryan’s amazing comedic talents. We learn that Tristan thinks she almost out-doctors the Doctor in "Body and Soul" and Lorrie thinks she could probably recite the Rules of Acquisition from her performance in "Infi...

Collective Commentary. Adolescent drones is what every starship needs running around, right? In this episode of To The Journey we take on the not-oft remembered episode which introduces us to the Borg kids—"Collective." It starts with the boys playing poker and ends with Seven in new clothes! Needless to say, our discussion takes us to places you'd expect, and a few you wouldn't. We find out that...

The Malon. Our in-depth study of Voyager aliens continues in this episode of To The Journey as we turn our attention to the Malon. That may sound very serious, but in reality we talk about those leaky, bumpy guys and all the havoc they wreak in the Delta Quadrant. Char likes their no-nonsense handling of everyone they meet, Lorrie enjoys the reflection of our own society seen in them, and Tristan...

The Fight Rewrite. Sometimes after watching an episode, don't you just shake your head and think "I could've done better than that!"? So it is with “The Fight.” In this episode of To The Journey we all try our hands at either throwing out the whole thing and starting over, or keeping the least painful parts and turning it into hopefully something better. Char has Chakotay feel the love, Tristan ha...

Kes. Our next character analysis takes us to the lovely underground home of the Ocampa and its gift to Voyager, Kes. In this episode of To The Journey as we explore the pixie’s life from her introduction in “Caretaker” to her departure in “The Gift.” All of us agree we love her spirit and taste for exploration, and that the writers of Voyager should have used her more often. Char loves her dishing...

Star Trek Las Vegas Recap. Sometimes it's okay to spill the beans on what happened in Vegas, and that's just what we do in this episode of To The Journey as Char and Lorrie answer all of Tristan’s questions about their whirlwind adventure in Sin City. We discuss all the Twitter meetups, the celebrity panels, and personal meetings with Trek royalty. STLV was a one-of-a-kind experience and the two l...

Life On Voyager. In this episode of To The Journey we get personal and share what we would have liked to have done if we were living on the ship. We choose a character, a position, and an era in Voyager’s journey. The answers really show our diverse personalities. Lorrie wants to be reincarnated as a purple alien, Char wants to return to her adolescence, and Tristan… well he wants to perform the R...

The Hirogen. Our “Aliens of the DQ” series continues on this episode of To The Journey with a look at the venerable and gigantic (albeit shrinking) Hirogen. The fine species that brought us “The Killing Game”—the holographic equivalent of Nazi-occupied France—gave our valiant crew a good fight during their arc. Char visualized them eating gagh, Tristan imagined them leaving their tiny wives at hom...

Tough Love. Everyone’s getting a good lesson in this week’s episode of To The Journey. We talk about those times when our characters needed a good smack or just a stern talking-to. Char goes for the overdramatic pip removal, Tristan loves a strong left hook, and Lorrie likes when Janeway just takes no excuses. What are your favorite tough love moments?

Neelix. What’s the Delta Quadrant’s answer to Siri and Google Maps? Why Neelix, of course! The king of the leola root is not many a Star Trek fan’s favorite, but we all agree he was a necessity to the Voyager crew. In this episode of To The Journey we take a close look at Janeway’s Sacajawea. Lorrie likes his “ask forgiveness, not permission” attitude, Char liked him when he wore spaghetti, and Tr...

Fury Rewrite. Kes was a sweet, kindhearted, loving little sprite when she left Voyager—and then came the episode “Fury.” We couldn’t let our girl go out like that, so this week we each salvage or totally rewrite the agony we saw onscreen. Char decides Kes needs to go all Al Gore in Ocampa, Tristan hooks her up with “man unknown,” and Lorrie uses the “Bob Newhart” approach. What would you have done...

The Vidiians. From the moment we saw them in “The Phage” to the mention of their cure in “Think Tank,” the Vidiians were an enemy to our intrepid crew. In this episode of To The Journey we tackle one of Voyager’s most horrifying villains, including what made them such a terrifying threat, our impressions of them as a race, and our respect for their survival techniques. Char makes us never look at...

Blood Fever Commentary. It’s time to roll around in the dirt in this episode of To The Journey as we watch and discuss Voyager’s legendary Pon farr episode. Vorik chooses B’Elanna as his mate, and she punishes him for it. Tommy Boy shows his creamy center as he acts like a gentleman towards the woman of his dreams. Tristan does commentary in the style of Arnold Schwarzenegger… doing commentary. Ch...

Seven of Nine. Voyager’s resident Borg is next up on our continuing character analysis. Her introduction radically changed the landscape of the show, bringing the character into the spotlight time and time again. We discover that Char wanted Seven to go grunge, Lorrie enjoyed her “Borgness,” and Tristan still harbors a secret cardboard standup of her in a closet in his parent’s home. Were you able...

Janeway’s Treatment of the Prime Directive. Throughout Voyager’s run, our intrepid captain often faced criticism for behavior which seemed to violate Starfleet General Order 1. In this week’s episode of To The Journey we discuss our varied opinions about Captain Janeway’s decisions. Was she an altruistic savior of the Delta Quadrant or a selfish, stubborn interloper?   Send us your feedback! Twitt...

Episodes for the Non-fan. As the hosts of a Voyager podcast, we all have friends who have never seen any Trek or Voyager at all. What fine episode offerings could entice them to become loyal fans? What we come up with runs the gamut from great SF stories to wonderful character moments. If you opened the yellow candy box of Voyager episodes for your non-Trek friends, what would you recommend?   Sen...

Harry Kim. He’s Voyager’s forever green ensign, frequent victim of misfortune, and the topic for this episode of To The Journey. Charlynn, Tristan, and Lorrie delve into the man, the mystery, the enigma that is our Ops officer. From his constant brushes with death, to his ill-fated captaincy and his troubled romantic life, we talk about what we love and find endearing about this character. Do you...

The Kazon.  The hairstyle-challenged thieves of the Delta Quadrant are on deck for this episode of To The Journey. Were these former slaves of the Trabe really the villains the Voyager producers meant them to be, or were they just misunderstood? Charlynn, Tristan, and Lorrie discuss the culture, failings, and what-ifs of the Kazon. Were they worthy of their LA street gang origins, or were they jus...

Those Bad Guys. They’re the characters we can’t live with, and can’t live without. In this episode of To The Journey Tristan, Charlynn, and Lorrie have a three-round discussion of the characters we love to hate. Our list takes us from “Caretaker” all the way to “Endgame” with plenty of stops in between. We learn that Lorrie finds “Unforgettable“‘s Kellin quite forgettable, Char wishes Seska would’...

What if Voyager never got home? At some point, every Voyager fan has wondered what would have happened if the crew hadn’t gotten home in “Endgame.” In this episode of To The Journey Tristan and Char discuss what might have been had the final installment of the series played out differently—whether that meant returning to Earth several decades later, settling on a planet in the Delta Quadrant, or g...

Strong Character Episodes. Voyager often gets pooh-poohed for poor character development. This week we prove that completely wrong. In this episode of To The Journey, Tristan, Charlynn, and Lorrie discuss episodes that showcase the development of various characters on Voyager. Each choice reflects a facet of the characters, from “Faces” to “One.” We learn that Char loves sad clown Neelix, Lorrie e...