Frequently Asked Questions

Why another review site?

Because this site presents one thing no other site presents: my opinion.

That's quite an ego you have there.

That's not a question, but I'll answer it anyway. My opinion is just that, my opinion. That it's mine doesn't make it important, but that doesn't make it unimportant either. Enough people who feel the same are the difference between whether or not a show stays on the air.

So, what makes your opinion so special?

Nothing makes it special. However, I do try to balance my opinion among a number of things, not just whether or not I like something.

Such as?

Such as the quality of the storytelling or the performances. Such as the gaps of logic, the missed opportunities, what's interesting and what sucks.

So, you're just one more person out there offering his opinion. Why should I read it?

My hope is that you'll read it for the same reason you'll read anything on the web: to be entertained or educated. Just because it's my opinion doesn't mean that you shouldn't get some benefit from reading it.

So, you provide behind the scenes stuff to educate us?

No, although I might mention something like that if I know of it and it's relevant. I'm talking more about the science. Voyager threw out science terms left, right, and center, and most of it was just nonsense. By looking at just what's wrong, you may just learn what's right. But this isn't specifically an educational website, it just crops up from time to time.

Why do you do this if you hate Voyager?

I don't hate Voyager, I hate bad storytelling. Let me make it clear: I want to like Voyager. I want to be pumping my fist in the air or having my jaw hang open in shock, the way The Original Series, Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine have (you'll notice I'm not opinionated about them). I do this because I hope to maybe find a few good bits amongst the crap.

Okay, but Star Trek - old news. Why bother with something so out of date?

Because Star Trek Voyager and Enterprise both represent opportunities tossed aside; in many aspects, the worst aspects of television. Star Trek is a pop culture phenomenon, with probably the most devoted audience of any television program for its size. The original series was praised for pushing boundaries, taking chances, and TNG helped bring it back into public mindset again. These shows could have been great, but they weren't - they were par to subpar most days.

Let me share with you a dialogue, in fact, from a TNG episode that ironically speaks to this. This is from Ron Moore's Tapestry, and is spoken by Q after Picard had corrected the mistake that had eventually led to his death, but sees that without it, he would be a low-ranking nobody without ambition:

That Picard never had a brush with death... never came face to face with his own mortality... never realized how fragile life is... how important each moment can be... so his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career, with no plan or agenda... going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves... (beat) He didn't lead the Away Team on Milika Three to save that ambassador... he didn't take charge of the Stargazer's Bridge when its Captain was killed... and no one ever offered him a command. (beat) He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone.

And that's what Voyager did: played it safe for seven years. And when Enterprise came out, it was more of the same. They had a safe position: UPN needed damn near anything on the air, they had popularity, they had a built-in audience. And yet they never took chances, never really pushed the envelope. Deep Space Nine, sure, had its share of flaws, some of the same ones for these shows: technobabble, bad science, soap opera romances, etc. But DS9 tried, you could see it. Voyager and Enterprise were set in environments that both offered the most opportunity to experiment, and all we got were retreads of the same things. So Voyager and Enterprise represent a problem with television, and that's why I continue with them.

Are you sexist?

No. I don't have contempt for Janeway because she's a woman, I have contempt based on her actions. If you don't swallow it, feel free to see what I think of Archer on Enterprise (aka, Captain Duchess). When your leader is mad, I won't be silent, no matter what gender they are.

But you like 7 of 9. Admit it, it's because she's eye candy, right?

No. I've said many times (despite jokes I might have made) that I would have preferred she spent some time in the Borg suit. The transition to catsuit undermined her character, and the character is what I really find fascinating - the combination victim/victimizer.

Why do you call Neelix "shithead?" Isn't that a rather unimaginative name?

The nickname just kind of grew out of a spontaneous remark made during Once Upon A Time. It's not clever, I admit, but it is wholly accurate.

Why are some of the reviews kind of half-ass? Why are others just one sentence?

This site started back in 1998 as basically a hobby. Because of technical constraints, the reviews were done in a fairly simple format. Those early reviews are what I think of as mini-reviews, and most were written back when the episodes were being originally run. Once the series was released on DVD, I decided to go back and really do the series properly, with in depth examinations, viewed both in context and from looking back over the entire series. So the mini-reviews remain until they are redone with a regular review.

The other reviews are micro-reviews, which weren't given a mini-review at the time. As you can see, there's not much commentary on them yet (but give me time... mwahahahaha!!!).

Who are Kneebler and Silvermoose?

Evil Kneebler and Silvermoose are two of my cohorts with the same general opinion of Voyager, though sometimes with their own particular perspectives. Kneebler is an IT expert who also is a skilled artist. Silvermoose is a former security officer for a government base (really, I got interviewed by the FBI and everthing) and now owns and runs his own ferrier business. As you can see, the three of us have different backgrounds to the entire affair.

Why doesn't every episode have a best moment?

Because many times an episode is just bland.

Why do you number the episodes starting with 801 when the official website doesn't?

Because the official website used to! They changed it some time ago. I kept it for two reasons: it's easier to keep it, and to serve as a reminder of how they really saw this - a continuation of Next Generation. You can really see it, given how most of the stories could have just as easily been done on the Enterprise.

When are you going to do episode XXXX?

All new reviews are being done in order, so it will be some time before, say, Season Seven.

Season 1