In Season Seven, Voyager returns home and like Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation, the third Star Trek spin-off wraps up. The final episode “Endgame” is not as dramatic as the finales for the other shows. I guess it becomes anticlimactic when you have known for 7 years how this was going to end. The f/x are some of the best in Trek TV history, however. This is truly a visually stunning episode. The season is about on par with Season 6. Stories continue to grow stale. Even the Seven of Nine s…ory arc has pretty much run its course by now. Attempts to spice up the character with a romance fell horribly short.
Synopsis
The Federation starship Voyager is looking for a rebel Maquis ship that vanished in the “Badlands”. Capt. Janeway (Mulgrew) is concerned for a Starfleet operative and friend aboard the missing ship. When they find the vessel they are thrown 700,000 light-years away from home. Now the crews of both ships must work together to overcome a 100 year journey back to Federation space.
Audio
Again you are given a choice of the original Dolby Digital 2.0 track, or a newly mastered 5.1 version; as can be expected, the sound is fuller and more dynamic on the 5.1 option. The dialogue is always sharp and well mixed. A distinct improvement over the broadcast versions.
Video
Each episode of Voyager is presented in its original television 1.33:1 full frame format. These transfers are definitely a step up from their cable presentations. Colors are quite vivid and at times spectacular. The opening sequence is a great example – The sun and flares are alive in wonderful contrast to a perfect field of darkness. Blacks are as deep and detailed as I’ve seen on television. As I mentioned, the episode “Endgame” is particularly a visual feast.
Special Features
The color scheme is dark green this time around. The extras are quite comparable to the previous five. Packaging remains the same.
- “Braving The Unknown: Season 7” is a continuation of the same season capsule found on each of the previous sets.
- “Voyager Time Capsule: The Doctor” Old and new interviews with Robert Picardo are quite interesting. Picardo is certainly one of the more animated actors from this show.
- “Coming Home: The Final Episode” is a look at the series finale. I found it a little too heavy on clips. Perhaps this feature is best viewed some time after watching the episode.
- “Real Science with Andre Bormanis” returns to this set. This is still one of the most uninteresting extras in the entire series.
- “The Making of Borg Invasion 4-D” is another promo look at the Vegas attraction. I have to admit it looks like a great time.
Menus are exactly like previous sets. It can still be a little frustrating waiting for the 4 ship views to warp into the screen before you can access the episode you want.
Final Thoughts
And so it ends. Voyager flies off into the sunset, eventually making room for Star Trek Enterprise. Voyager appears to be the most overlooked sibling in the Trek family. It is about as close to Roddenberry’s creation as Rick Berman has gotten. There was tremendous potential and some very sharp and memorable episodes to be found in the series. With season 7 out in stores, it’s time to bring Voyager “Home”.
Special Features List
- Braving the Unknown: Season 7
- Voyager Time Capsule: The Doctor
- Coming Home: The Final Episode
- Real Science with Andre Bormanis
- The Making of Borg Invasion 4-D
- Lost Transmissions from the Delta Quadrant
