DVD Review | Star Trek: Voyager (Season 1)
Written by: Kage Alan

I can still remember when Paramount launched its new network…mostly because they were premiering their latest addition in the Star Trek franchise; “Voyager.” After the ultra-sweet “Next Generation” and darker “Deep Space Nine,” fans were going to get a taste of what good old fashioned exploration used to be like.  No more Romulans, Cardassians, Klingons, Borg and those damn Holodeck episodes!  Riiiiiight.  That idea went out the door rather quickly.  Still, this latest adventure went off in a bold new direction.

The brand new Intrepid class vessel, USS Voyager, is about to embark on a mission to the Badlands in order to search for a missing comrade.  First, though, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew, “Riddler’s Moon”) is going to need someone who knows the lay of the Maquis rebel land.  Faced with more rehabilitation or prison, Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) agrees to assist them.  Unfortunately, Voyager barely begins to explore enemy territory when the ship is swept away by a mysterious wave and emerges on the other side of the galaxy…75 years away from Federation space (if they traveled at maximum warp).  They’re also not alone.

Banding together with a Maquis crew, the full cast comes together to explore this new area of space, why they were brought there, how they can get home and the enemies they will face in order to do so.  Other characters include the Native American Chakotay (Robert Beltran), half-Klingon B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson), the Vulcan Tuvok (Tim Russ), resident Ensign (for 7 years) Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), holographic doctor (Robert Picardo) and local Delta quadrant guides Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Kes (Jennifer Lien).  They’re journey won’t be an easy one, but it could be worse.  At least they have a holodeck.

“Star Trek: Voyager” offers 13 episodes in its first season (3 or so others were also filmed, but used as the beginning of Season 2 instead) that start off with a bang, then, unfortunately, begin to falter with those damn holodeck episodes we’ve really come to get bored with on Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.  Fortunately, the cast makes this journey worthwhile and tends to push some less-than-stellar stories to the background.  And let me just say now that if we’d been stuck with the studio’s first choice for Janeway, Geneviève Bujold, I don’t think the show would have made it out of its first season.  Kate Mulgrew carried it wonderfully!

Paramount has released the first season of “Star Trek: Voyager” in its original Full Screen ratio.  Video quality is quite solid and audio compliments it well.  Extras include the following: “Braving the Unknown: Season One” (10 ¾ min), “Voyager Time Capsule: Kathryn Janeway” (15 ¼ min), “The First Captain: Bujold” (8 ¾ min), “Cast Reflections: Season One” (8 ¾ min), “On Location With the Kazons” (5 ½ min), “Red Alert: Visual Effects Season One” (10 ½ min), “Launching Voyager on the Web” (6 min), “Real Science with Andre Bormanis (9 min) and a photo gallery.  Hidden featurettes include an interview with Kate Mulgrew about “Caretaker” (1 ¾ min), a minute about Kate’s hair bun in the pilot, 1 ½ min on “Phage” and 1 ½ min with Vaughn Armstrong about his role in “Eye of the Needle.”

If there is a downside to this box set, it’s the price.  Full seasons of the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine cost around $130 or so (full price) and Voyager also carries an MSRP of $129.99.  Why?  We’re only getting a little over half as much as we would any of the other box sets, so why is the price tag the same?  Honestly, it’s the only complaint I’ve heard about it and it’s a legitimate gripe.  Because of this, there seems to be a bit of hesitation to buy into it.  Fortunately, we’re up to full seasons starting with the next one.  So, until then…are you a Voyager?

Film Rating: B
DVD Special Features: A-