Season 7

E03S07. Drive: Downtime with Paris, Torres, and Harry Kim. Totally inconsequential, but I like all three of these characters, so I enjoyed it.

E07S07. Body and Soul: Voyager flies through a region of space whose aliens have banned holograms, so the Doctor has to hide in Seven's body. Deeply contrived (they could just turn him off until they leave that area), but the point is to give us another episode featuring Jeri Ryan's acting chops. On that score, it delivers.

E09S07. Flesh and Blood: Holographic rights telemovie. The Hirogen have started producing sentient, self-aware holograms, because they want more challenging prey. The holograms form a resistance movement, led by a psychopathic holographic Bajoran. Robert Picardo is reliable as always, with some decent action, but the Bajoran character was annoying, and I enjoyed seeing him get shot.

E11S07. Lineage: We first learn about B'Elanna's pregnancy with Miral Paris, and B'Elanna gets another character study show when she wants to use gene therapy to remove Miral's Klingon DNA.

E14S07. The Void: This episode is essentially a self-contained summary or mission statement for Voyager as an entire series. If you want to know what Voyager is about, but don't want to watch any other episode, watch this one. This episode's storyline is also a less extreme and violent version of the storyline of the first person shooter computer game, Elite Force. Said game is also well worth playing, if you can get hold of it.

E15-16S07. Workforce. Voyager's crew are kidnapped and their memories altered, after which they are put to work on an alien planet. We're given another strong sense here of the kismet/star-crossed nature of Tom and B'Elanna's relationship.

E19S07. Author, Author: Another "Doctor comedy" episode, this one focusing on the Doctor's holonovel about holographic rights. Some decent comedy here as usual.

E22S07. Homestead: This episode is Neelix's curtain call, although we also see him briefly in Endgame. Not what it could have been, but still decent, and quietly poignant; and I always liked Neelix as a character sufficiently that I enjoyed it. The Baxial is shown leaving Voyager, and Neelix is otherwise given a dignified sendoff.

E24S07. Endgame: Voyager's controversial last episode; although, truthfully, I'm inclined to believe that the only real reason why it is controversial is because it only shows the ship getting home, but doesn't show anything about them being home. Aside from that, however, I liked this episode. I thought Kate Mulgrew's acting was good, and the storyline was unusually clear and easy to understand, for a time travel story. Again, it's probably not what it could have been, but it was decent.

Endgame contains a silent tribute to the generous nature of Neelix' actor Ethan Philips, as well. Philips had to spent five hours to put on the makeup required for him to play Neelix, and in the episode, he appears for less than thirty seconds.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I've realised that season 6 was actually Voyager's weakest, for me. While season 2 had the most episodes which were truly, offensively bad, almost half of season 6 was just bland, mediocre filler that I really didn't care about at all. Seasons 3-5 are by far Voyager's strongest, although seasons 1 and 2 have some episodes which I consider highly watchable, as well.

Season 4

E01S04. Scorpion, Part 2: Species 8472 gradually get beaten. The Borg try and fail to assimilate Voyager, and we get a new regular character, Seven of Nine. The production staff added Seven in an attempt to provide additional Fanservice, despite the fact that I was already more than happy with what had so far been available. Jeri Ryan still proved to be a fine actress, and her character provided the creative basis of most of the rest of the series, thus partly subverting the reason for her introduction.

E02S04. The Gift: Kes leaves, and Janeway continues work on disconnecting Seven from the Borg Collective.

E03S04. Day of Honor: Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres officially shack up. I become jealous of Tom.

E06S04. The Raven: Seven experiences post-traumatic stress disorder regarding her initial assimilation, and we thus learn more about her backstory.

E07S04. Scientific Method: A vintage Janeway moment. She demonstrates to a group of aliens why messing with her generally won't end well for anyone who tries it, as well as proving that her initials' similarity with Kirk's is more than mere coincidence. The rest of this episode is largely disposable, (other than the P/T scenes, of course) but Janeway's scene alone here is worth the price of admission.

E08-09S04. Year of Hell: Voyager's second two-part telemovie. This one was about the Krenim, who seem to be Star Trek's answer to the Time Lords. Voyager goes close to being destroyed, and is only saved as a result of Janeway's signature attitude. Tom also displays extraordinary restraint, by managing to avoid passionately kissing B'Elanna when he is leaning over her in Sickbay. He's a stronger man than I would have been.

E12S04. Mortal Coil: Neelix has a near-death experience, and is badly traumatised about the fact that he doesn't see anything, because one of the only things that has kept him going has been the belief that he would eventually be re-united with his family in the Afterlife, after they were killed by the Metreon Cascade. This episode marks the only time on screen when Chakotay effectively plays the role of "Ship's Shaman", or spiritual leader, which is something he did regularly in fanfic.

E15S04. Hunters: The first full episode of the Hirogen arc. The Hirogen are a low-budget, PG rated version of the Yautja or Predator race from the Predator franchise, and their culture is similarly based on hunting.

E16S04. Prey: The second Hirogen episode. This one has a fantastic sense of atmosphere. Two Hirogen are on a hunt for a member of Species 8472. Janeway wants to prevent them from killing the creature, while Seven hands it back to the Hirogen. This sets up some great dramatic tension between Seven and Janeway.

E18-19S04. The Killing Game: This was the Hirogen telemovie. The Hirogen take over Voyager, and subject the crew to being hunted in holographic simulations from various time periods, most notably WW2. Although not terribly well structured or edited, this does have some good moments, (particularly a fight scene with Janeway). This episode also serves as an example of the sorts of extreme situations which Voyager often found itself in, where the sort of diplomacy favoured in TNG only would have got the crew killed, and they instead had to resort to a simple, balls-to-the-wall fight for pure survival.

E21S04. The Omega Directive: Janeway is reminded of a secret Starfleet directive when the ship detects Omega particles, a substance capable of destroying subspace. Tension also results between her and Seven of Nine, when it is discovered that Omega is the focus of the closest thing the Borg had to a religion. Janeway is under orders to destroy the substance, but Seven has other ideas.

E2304. Living Witness: This episode takes place 700 years in the future, in which a backup copy of the Doctor must correct some aliens' historical record of Voyager's interaction with them in the past. In dramatic terms, this is a great episode, and also has a very humorous "evil" depiction of the Voyager crew, which Kate Mulgrew in particular clearly has fun with.

Season 5

E01S05. Night: Voyager travels through a region of space with no stars. This episode is notable for three main reasons. The first is that it provides a decent character study of Janeway's psychological complexity and moral ambiguity. The second is that it is the first episode to feature Tom's "Captain Proton" holodeck game, which will come up again later. The third is that it introduces the Malon, who get a couple of other episodes as antagonists.

E02S05. Drone: A great Seven/Borg episode, here.

E03S05. Extreme Risk: A B'Elanna episode, in which she has to deal with grief surrounding the deaths of the Maquis. This also gives us the second appearance of the Malon, and the first appearance of the Delta Flyer, a new shuttlecraft designed by Tom.

E06S05. Timeless: The one and only episode in which Harry Kim is given genuine, and significant, development and credibility. One of Voyager's greatest episodes in general terms, and a must-watch.

E07S05. Infinite Regress: A great example of Jeri Ryan's ability as an actor. Seven of Nine begins experiencing multiple personality disorder, after Voyager comes within range of a vinculum; the Borg device which is designed to filter out and repress the personalities of individual Borg drones.

E08S05. Nothing Human: An episode in which the Doctor needs to use research gained from the inhumane medical experiments which the Cardassians performed on the Bajorans during the Occupation, in order to save B'Elanna's life. Some good dramatic tension and acting, here.

E10S05. Counterpoint: Another study of Janeway's moral ambiguity and Machiavellian tendencies.

E13S05. Gravity: The series' main study of Tuvok as a character. If you want to understand Tuvok and know what makes him tick, this is the episode to watch. We get more backstory about him here than anywhere else.

E15-16S05. Dark Frontier: The first Voyager Borg telemovie, and the best of the three in my opinion. While this is a little shallow and formulaic, there is still a fair amount of substance here, and some great action and special effects. The Borg have never looked better, and we get more information about Seven's family, as well. For big boombastic entertainment, look no further.

E17S05. The Disease: Another "Harry Kim Butt Monkey" episode. Bad, but included for people who enjoy watching Harry get used as a punching bag, and/or the butt of various jokes.

E21S05. Juggernaut: More B'Elanna/Roxann Dawson fanservice. Yes please. A little too formulaic/gratuitous in terms of how early make-up makes her look "gritty", and her jacket gets taken off, but on the character side, this episode is also important in establishing that B'Elanna can control her temper and employ classic Trek sensibilities (only using violence as a last resort) when she needs to. Good general atmosphere here as well.

E22S05. Someone to Watch Over Me: Voyager attempts a romantic comedy. Ordinarily I would give this sort of material a pass, but Robert Picardo and Jeri Ryan are likeable enough that it works without descending into nausea. A good quality episode.

E2605-E01S06. Equinox: Another of Voyager's very best episodes. This one has a great TOS vibe atmospherically, and we get another strong example of just how dangerous Janeway can get, when she is sufficiently angry. Solidly recommended.

Season 6

E03S06. Barge of the Dead: Although Voyager gives us probably half a dozen episodes centered on B'Elanna Torres, this one is, for her, what Gravity was for Tuvok. It is her main character study, where we find out more about her backstory, and her internal conflict is really examined and resolved in depth. Well written, well acted, and a winner in general terms.

E04S06. Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy: The first of the major "Doctor comedy" episodes. Very silly, but good fun. Robert Picardo's acting ability, and sincerity in the role won me over.

E10S06. Pathfinder: Excellent acting from Dwight Schultz. Notable also because Voyager now also has live communication with the Alpha Quadrant.

E21S06. Live Fast And Prosper: A trio of con artists impersonate three of Voyager's crew. Comedy, and dumb at times, but also good fun.

E2406. Life Line: The Doctor gets beamed back to the Alpha Quadrant via the tech developed in Pathfinder when he discovers that his creator, Lewis Zimmerman, is terminally ill. Great acting from Robert Picardo as usual, and another cameo from Counsellor Troi, for people who liked her character.

E2606-E0107. Unimatrix Zero: Voyager does The Matrix. Not as bad as that sounds, and worth watching, but the weakest of the three Borg telemovies in my opinion, and yes, that includes Endgame. Cliches, some incoherence, and a major plothole concerning the fact that Janeway, Tuvok, and Torres all willingly allow themselves to be assimilated, and unlike literally anyone else who ever has been, they don't lose eyes or major organs in the process. Some of the tension with the Borg Queen and Tuvok, who starts to get mentally assimilated, is also good.

The Dominion: Olympus Descending

This story started out with lots of promise, then went in a direction I did not like at all.

Firstly, unlike the other five stories in this series, this story is not set primarily on a single planet. But, then, the Dominion isn't a single planet. However, we follow three main threads here: Odo with the Great Link; a Vorta, Vannis, who has errands to run for the Dominion which take her to a few different places within the Gamma Quadrant; Taran'atar, the Jem'Hadar that Odo sent to the Alpha Quadrant. Taran'atar's story is set entirely in the Alpha Quadrant, but is still focussed on the Dominion. Having this story set across all these different locations doesn't feel like a flaw.

The flaws are with the plot itself. For one thing, the Founders have a religion. While they've genetically engineered the Vorta and Jem'Hadar to worship them as gods, they themselves worship a god. That's new. And not only do they have a religion and a god, but this story retcons their origins. There's a very metatextual moment in Chapter 3, when Odo is learning about the Founders' origins from another changeling he has named "Indurane" (Founders don't have names, but Odo is used to individuals having names so he made one up for this Founder): "Odo remembered questioning the changeling leader about whether the Founders had always been able to shapeshift, and her response that, eons ago, their people had been like the solids. Indurane's contentions did not contradict that." It's like the author is trying to convince us readers that he's not breaking the rules. Well, no, this new origin story doesn't contradict the on-screen origin story, but it surely does subvert it and change it beyond recognition. I found this new version of the Founders' origin to be gratuitous and awkward. It's one thing to change the future direction of a species, like the Trill story in this sextet did, but it's another thing to re-write the history we've learned on screen.

Then there's the whole chapter that turns out to be a dream sequence (unfortunately, not the aforementioned chapter with the Founders' new origin story). That felt cheap. Very cheap and gimmicky. After the fact, I understood what the author was trying to do, but it still felt like cheating the reader.

The Ascendants, a species we encountered in 'Rising Son' (Jake's adventures in the Gamma Quadrant) take on a more ominous role in this story and are obviously being set up to become important in future stories.

Finally, the resolution of this story was a game-changer: not only for the Dominion, but for the whole DS9 post-television series. I found it a bit shocking, and I suspect it was intended to be. Whether this massive change is worth it will depend on future books.

Summary: Worlds of Deep Space Nine

Apart from a couple of major plot points, like: the staff changes on Bajor; the new direction on Trill; the shocking changes in the Dominion; this series is not necessary reading. Some of the stories are enjoyable, such as the Cardassian one and the Ferengi one, but they're not needful. They're also not excellent reading material in and of themselves. The only one of this sextet of novellas I would rate "Engage!" is the Dominion story - and that only because of the significant event at the end of the story. Other than that, these are all "Just for fun" or "Meh" stories. Read them if you've got some time to kill.

Andor: Paradigm, by Heather Jarman

This story continues the Andorian-related plot lines from 'Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit' - both the species-wide issue and the personal issue. And, our Ensign Thirishar ch'Thane ("Shar") is dead-centre of both of these issues: he's the one who discovered something on the Yrythny planet which might help the Andorians, and there's a family event involving his family that he was conspicuously not invited to (but ends up attending anyway, due to requirements of the plot). Shar is accompanied on his trip to Andor by Station Counsellor Lieutenant Phillippa Matthias (who was invited to that family event) and Ensign Prynn Tenmei. The story is told through these three characters' viewpoints.

There's some unnecessary adventure and derring-do in this story, which at times felt like action just for the sake of it. I found the family-related plot quite interesting - which was lucky, because it was front and centre of the story. The species-related plot mostly happened in the background, which was a little disappointing; I would have liked to have seen more discussion about the implications of Shar's Yrythny discovery and what it meant for the Andorians.

It was good to be on Andor and see this four-gendered culture up close and personal. We even get a glimpse, through Prynn's eyes, of the indoctrination young Andorians face in order to keep breeding more Andorians and stave off the extinction of the whole species. It's little touches like this, and like meeting the young zhei and talking to "her", which show us the life of Andorians. Although it was a little bit too coincidental that the zhei also just happened to be married to some key plot-drivers - umm... characters - in the story. This felt forced.

Overall, it's an interesting read.

Trill: Unjoined, by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels

This is the third 'Worlds' novella in a row to feature terrorists as a plot point. Even though I'm sure each story's writer(s) could justify their own terrorists for their own reasons, I think a watchful editor could have (should have?) avoided this repetitiveness. By the time you get the third scenario involving a terrorist attack, or the threat of a terrorist attack, it just feels like lazy writing: using the same trick over and over again to excite interest in readers. I'll have to be honest and say that the outcome of the terrorist attack in this story was probably the most interesting and most necessary to the plot.

That's not to say I liked the plot, though - especially the massive changes to the Trill species which occur as a result of this story. I felt cheated and betrayed. The background we learn about the Trill species - humanoids and symbionts - is fascinating. I'm not sure I like the retcon about how they're involved with the antagonists in 'Unity', though. And, the outcome of the story simply changed the Trill species forever (to the same degree as if we learned that Vulcans had given up logic, or if the Klingons turned into a race of artists). It was certainly dramatic, but it felt wrong.

This story was told primarily through the eyes of Lieutenant Ezri Dax and Doctor Julian Bashir - with some random chapters from other Trills' viewpoints. This included two chapters from a totally irrelevant character, two from a relevant character, and one from someone who had a secret... which made for some very awkward writing while we were talked through this person's thought processes while the writers dodged around the secret at the centre of those thought processes.

This was an uneven story: strange points of view, some awkward moments, a lot of fascinating backstory, thoughtful conflict between Bashir and Ezri, and a resolution that changed the Trill species.

Bajor: Fragments and Omens

There were two big flaws with this story.

First, while the previous stories had been told from only two or three characters' points of view, this story has eleven protagonists, seven of whom are the viewpoint character for only one chapter each. At the other extreme, one character is the central voice for seven chapters - a whole third of the novella. This switching between multiple characters' points of view has some benefits, such as being able to follow a particular plot from the surface of Bajor to Deep Space Nine to the Defiant on a deep-space chase. However, it makes for very disjointed reading, jumping from one character to another to another to another...

The other main flaw doesn't become apparent until late in the novella, when I realised that the action plot (the one which starts on Bajor and goes via DS9 to the Defiant) actually had no resolution. I'm not sure if this loose thread will be resolved in a future 'Worlds of Deep Space Nine' novella, or a different novel, or never at all - but it was frustrating to not even have a clear idea of the implications of this unresolved plot. It just petered off into nothing about three-quarters of the way through.

In the meantime, the character whose viewpoint we follow for seven chapters is basically just having a romance with one of our main characters. It's an interesting trick: following the romance from the other character's point of view, rather than from the main character's point of view. It allows us to learn how other people see this main character - which, surprisingly, works quite well.

And, in the background, all these other characters popping in and out of the narrative spotlight are basically just setting the players in place for future stories: a new Liaison Officer on Deep Space Nine between the Bajoran and Starfleet, and a new Bajoran representative on the Federation Council.

This story feels like a prologue, rather than a story in and of itself. I didn't like it.

Ferenginar: Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed

Here's a disclaimer up front: I like the Ferengi. Let me rephrase that: I dislike the Ferengi themselves, but I like episodes about the Ferengi. I know many people disliked the Ferengi episodes of DS9, but I enjoyed them. And, if you disliked the Ferengi episodes of the show, you'll probably dislike this story, because it feels just like a Ferengi episode.

It has almost every Ferengi character we've ever seen - Quark, Rom, Zek, Ishkar, Nog, Brunt (of course: what's a Ferengi episode without Brunt?), Nilva, Gaila - plus a couple of new ones. There's also Maihar'du, and Leeta (she's pregnant with Rom's child!), and even Ro Laren. It has scheming and plotting and sneakiness. It has humour, and lightheartedness, and silly Ferengi being silly Ferengi. It feels just like a Ferengi episode.

That said, not much actually happens. The plot is foiled (of course), and the status quo is maintained. But, it's fun. Just like a Ferengi episode.

I liked it. Just like a Ferengi episode.

Mission Gamma: Twilight, by David R. George III

This is the first of four books in the 'Mission Gamma' series. The set-up of this book involves Commander Vaughn taking the Defiant, along with many of the Deep Space Nine crew, on an exploratory mission in the Gamma Quadrant. The books therefore follow two main threads: the Defiant's exploration; events on Deep Space Nine.

Vaughn takes with him: Ensign ch'Thane as Science Officer, Doctor Bashir as Medical Officer, Lieutenant Nog as Chief Engineer. He also takes Lieutenant Ezri Dax along - as his First Officer. Because Dax has changed the direction of her career in Starfleet following events in 'Avatar', and is now in the Command stream. Finally, and most importantly for this book, Vaughn takes his daughter Ensign Prynn Tenmei as helmsman. Because this book, no matter what else might happen, is Vaughn's and Tenmei's story.

The book opens with Prynn lying dead on the bridge of the Defiant, while Vaughn desperately tries to save the ship from its attackers. Of course, being a main character, Prynn isn't really dead, but Vaughn sincerely believes she is, and that he has killed his daughter just like he killed her mother. This is the issue that this father and daughter have to deal with: their estrangement since Vaughn's actions led to Ruriko Tenmei's death while they were on a Starfleet mission together.

The first few chapters deal with the aftermath of Deep Space Nine's and the Defiant's involvement in the events in the DS9 installment of the 'Star Trek: Gateways' books - 'Demons of Air and Darkness'. It takes a while for the main action of the book to start.

The only characters left on Deep Space Nine seem to be: Colonel Kira (station commander), Lieutenant Ro (Chief of Security), and Quark (still running his bar). Vaughn took everyone else with him.

There's a mysterious summit coming to Deep Space Nine that Kira and Ro have to prepare for. There's an antagonistic Starfleet Admiral who keeps interrogating Kira and pissing her off. Quark has a troublesome dabo girl to deal with. There's also a budding romance between... two very unexpected characters. There's a brief appearance by a character we met earlier in the 'Allegro Ouroboros in D Minor' story in 'Lives of Dax' (but, don't blink, or you'll miss it!). There's even a huge change in things at the end of the book. However, the focus of the book is very much on Vaughn and Prynn, and how the mission they're currently on makes them realise some key things about their relationship.

With so many plot threads, there's a lot of switching between characters: each chapter follows a different character and plot point (I lost count of how many different plot threads are running in this book!). However, the author has a tendency to end chapters on cliffhangers, which means you have to wait a few more chapters to come back to the outcome of that cliffhanger - with the intervening chapters also ending on cliffhangers of their own. It makes for very disjointed reading, but it's not too bad.

I will say that the decision (not by this author, but by the editor of this series) to shift Ezri Dax to Command is both annoying and understandable. Leaving her as the Station Counsellor would make it difficult to involve her in a lot of storylines. However, the character we're reading just doesn't feel like the Ezri we saw in the final season of the TV show.

There's a final event on Deep Space Nine which changes everything. However, because of the strong focus on Vaughn and Prynn in the Gamma Quadrant, and because the plots we've been following on Deep Space Nine have been unrelated to the final reveal, it makes the station-based plots feel like filler, to keep the characters occupied because the reveal has to come at the end of the book and we're not supposed to be able to suspect what it is. I almost feel like I would have preferred this book to do with the station-based personnel what 'Avatar' did with Jake - only revisit their situation once or twice, to remind us they're still around - rather than fill pages with pointless activity by the station-based characters. Oh well. It wouldn't be a Deep Space Nine series without things happening on Deep Space Nine itself.

It's definitely a better book than 'Avatar'. The writing style is much better, and there's more depth to it.

Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit, by Heather Jarman

This is the second of four books in the 'Mission Gamma' series. This book continues the two threads of the Defiant's exploration of the Gamma Quadrant with Commander Vaughn in charge and the events on Deep Space Nine.

For starters, this book feels more equal in its treatment of the separate DS9 and Defiant storylines. I was actually interested in what was happening on-station as well as in the Gamma Quadrant. I found myself turning pages quite quickly and enthusiastically.

The focus of this book is on Shar (Ensign ch'Thane) and Ezri in the Gamma Quadrant, and Kira on Deep Space Nine. And, the Cardassian pictured on the cover of the book with Shar, Ezri, and Kira is not Gul Dukat - it's his cousin on his mother's side, Gul Macet (who was the first Cardassian we ever saw on screen, in the TNG episode 'The Wounded'). We already re-acquainted ourselves with Macet in the Gateways book 'Demons of Air and Darkness'; he's now become a recurring character in the novels. Macet has an unfortunate resemblance to his cousin (because, on-screen, they were played by the same actor), which means most Bajorans have trouble dealing with him because they're continually reminded of their oppressor, Dukat (there are even those who wonder if Dukat didn't really die...).

The on-station drama involves Kira dealing with various Federation officials, including Admiral Akaar who doesn't seem to like her, and Federation Councillor Charivretha zh'Thane (the zhavey of Ensign ch'Thane - equivalent to "mother"). The Cardassians have sent a negotiating team led by Ambassador Natima Lang (who we first met as a political dissident in the episode 'Profit and Loss'), and accompanied by Gul Macet, to negotiate a peace treaty with Bajor. However, the talks aren't going well, and Colonel Kira needs to find out why, leading her to question Bajoran Second Minister Asarem Wadeen's motives in the negotiations.

Meantime, Shar's bondmates (remember that Andorians marry in groups of four) are staying on the station, awaiting Shar's return from the Gamma Quadrant. However, his bondmate Thriss (Shathrissia zh'Cheen) is having emotional issues, which are causing problems on the station, and lead to her seeing the station's new Counsellor, Lieutenant Phillipa Matthias.

Out in the Gamma Quadrant, while Commander Vaughn is off trying to acquire materials to build a new defence for the Defiant, against a new weapon they encountered, Lieutenant Ezri Dax gets herself involved in an internal civil dispute of the Yrythny, and allows herself to be co-opted as a mediator between the two factions. Ensign ch'Thane is aiding Ezri, but is also following his own agenda - he thinks he's found something here which might help his own Andorian people with their population issues.

We spend a lot of time seeing the Yrythny through Ezri's and ch'Thane's dealings with them. However, despite the fact that they have a very different reproduction method to most Alpha Quadrant humanoids - which forms part of the basis of the civil dispute, and is linked to the solution that ch'Thane is looking for - these aliens never feel alien. They talk like Humans and act like Humans. There's nothing alien about them, except the fact of how they reproduce. It's a flaw of the book that the aliens don't feel like aliens.

However, this is one of few flaws of this book. There is another flaw at the end of the book, where some of the climactic events happen "off screen", and all we see are the consequences. I would have liked to have seen Ezri's presentation of her solution to the Yrythny, for example, rather than just read about the Yrythny's reaction to it.

But, overall, it's an easy and engaging read. The plots are evenly balanced between on-station and Gamma Quadrant events. The events are interesting, the characters work. It's an enjoyable read.

Season 6

Season 7

"Season 8"

If you're interested, you can also learn about the Deep Space Nine relaunch novels (affectionately called "Season 8").

Season 7

Season-by-season ratings

Season 5

Season 6

Season 3

Season 4

Bem (2x02)

Production number: 22018

Summary: "Ari bn Bem, an erratic observer from the planet Pandro, secretly watches the crew of the USS Enterprise to determine whether the Federation is ready to open diplomatic relations with his advanced species."

Rating: Engage!

Points of interest:

This episode was written by David Gerrold, writer of 'The Trouble with Tribbles' and 'More Tribbles, More Troubles'.

This is the first on-screen mention of James Kirk's middle name, Tiberius.

Uhura is left in charge of the ship and bosses Scotty around quite nicely.

Nichelle Nichols does a lovely job voicing the overseeing intelligence.

There are some excellent lines in this show, including "I'm only a Vulcan!" from Spock.

The Practical Joker (2x03)

Production number: 22021

Summary: "After passing through a strange space cloud, the Enterprise's computer gains an artificial intelligence that is relentlessly bent on making practical jokes on the crew."

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

We see the first appearance of a holodeck, here called a "recreation room". And we see the first holodeck malfunction.

Lieutenant Arex has the conn at one point during this episode.

Every regular character in this series, including Arex and M'Ress, has lines in this episode. I think it's the only episode where that happens.

Albatross (2x04)

Production number: 22019

Summary: "Following a mission to the planet Dramia, Dr. McCoy is held prisoner, accused of mass genocide caused by a deadly plague committed nineteen years earlier during a previous expedition. When the Enterprise attempts to investigate, it too becomes infected."

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

Not much to say about this episode.

How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth (2x05)

Production number: 22022

Summary: ["The Enterprise encounters a being that once visited the ancient peoples of Earth."](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/How_Sharper_Than_a_Serpent%27s_Tooth_(episode))

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

This show has Trek's first on-screen appearance of a Native American Starfleet officer: Ensign Walking Bear (who has the helm for this episode, replacing Sulu). He was voiced, like so many other guest characters in the animated series, by James Doohan.

William Shatner recorded his lines separately to the rest of the cast because he was working in New York at the time. While the rest of the cast correctly pronounces the alien's name, Kukulkan, as "koo-kool-kahn", Shatner wrongly pronounces it as "koo-kla-kahn" the whole way through.

The Counter-Clock Incident (2x06)

Production number: 22023

Summary: "When the Enterprise enters a negative universe, former captain Robert April saves the ship as the crew age backwards!"

Rating: Engage!

Points of interest:

This is the only on-screen appearance of the "first captain of the USS Enterprise", Robert April. The writer of this episode deliberately created this character based on Gene Roddenberry's original notes for the first 'Star Trek' pilot.

April's wife, Sarah April, describes herself as "the first medical officer aboard a ship equipped with warp drive" (it's strongly implied that she served on the Enterprise with her husband). This implies that either there were no warp-capable ships before the Enterprise, or that they did not have medical officers.

They're going to Babel, a planetoid previously mentioned in 'Journey to Babel'.

The components of the USS Enterprise were built at the San Francisco Navy Yards.

The nova encountered by the Enterprise in this episode, Beta Niobe, was one which they first encountered in 'All Our Yesterdays'.

Uhura refers to someone speaking "the same universal language we speak", but doesn't name that language.

The Magicks of Megas-Tu (1x08)

Production number: 22009

Summary: "While investigating the theory of creation, the Enterprise is caught inside an energy/matter tornado. After emerging from the storm, the crew encounter a world where magic works and science doesn't."

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

This episode shares a few ideas with a movie that would follow 15 years later: the writer who proposed this story started with the idea of the Enterprise meeting God in space (although this was changed to the Devil prior to writing the script); the Enterprise goes to the centre of the galaxy to meet God/Devil, and; the Enterprise learns that God/Devil is merely an alien.

Even for an episode with "magicks" in its title, the science is not strong here. The reason for the Enterprise going to the centre of the galaxy is to find the place where new matter is continually created. Even at the time it was made, this wasn't accurate science.

Although Lieutenant Arex doesn't speak in this episode, there's some nice attention to detail when we see him in stocks along with the other crew members - and his stocks have a third hole for his third arm.

Once Upon a Planet (1x09)

Production number: 22017

Summary: "The Enterprise returns to the shore leave planet where the crew once took shore leave. As with their previous visit, things go wrong when the illusions turn deadly."

Rating: Just for fun

Points of interest:

The crew revisits the "shore leave" planet from the live series episode 'Shore Leave'.

Lieutenants Arex and M'ress are both shown as active members of the bridge crew in this episode. They're not just background.

Listen out for the line "There is no shame in serving others when one does it of his own free will." being said by Lieutenant Uhura. I thought this line, coming from a black character, was a nice subtle statement about the difference between servitude and service.

I found myself admiring the watercolour backgrounds and scenery in this episode - including the opening shot of the Enterprise itself. There certainly are flaws in this series, but the artwork isn't one of them. The animation leaves something to be desired, and the highly repetitive soundtrack is... limited and repetitive. But the backgrounds are worth watching.

Mudd's Passion (1x10)

Production number: 22017

Summary: "Harry Mudd is back, this time swindling miners with a love potion."

Rating: Just for fun

Points of interest:

Harcourt Fenton Mudd is back, after two appearances in the live series. He is voiced by the same actor who plays him in the live series, and this episode was written by the same author who wrote the two previous episodes.

Nurse Chapel is back - and still in love with Spock.

Interestingly, Uhura doesn't appear in this episode, and Nichelle Nichols doesn't voice any other character.

The Terratin Incident (1X11)

Production number: 22015

Summary: "When a strange flash of light paralyzes the entire crew of the Enterprise, they begin to shrink."

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

Not very many.

This is a return of yet another writer from the original series.

The Time Trap (1x12)

Production number: 22010

Summary: "The Enterprise becomes trapped in the Delta Triangle, an area of space where many starships have gone missing. To make matters worse, the ship also has to defend itself from the Klothos, a Klingon vessel captained by Kor."

Rating: Just for fun

Points of interest:

The council of Elysia has a lot of familiar races, from both the live series and the animated series, including: an Orion, a Vulcan, a Klingon, an Andorian, a Phylosian, a Tellarite, a Human, a Gorn, plus some new races. It's almost a "who's who" of Trek races!

Elysia, where the Enterprise and Kothos find themselves, is "more aptly described as a pocket in the garment of time" than as an alternate universe.

Commander Kor, who appeared in the live series (and again in DS9) was not voiced here by the original actor, but by James Doohan.

The Ambergris Element (1x13)

Production number: 22013

Summary: "The crew of the Enterprise explore a submerged culture on a water world."

Rating: Just for fun

Points of interest:

This episode was written by the writer of 'The Lorelei Signal'.

This is the first (and only!) appearance of the aqua-shuttle, and a re-appearance of personal lifebelts (as previously seen in 'Beyond The Farthest Star').

Kirk and Spock get transformed into water-breathers during this episode, which leads Kirk to question whether he can command a ship "from inside an aquarium".

The Slaver Weapon (1x14)

Production number: 22011

Summary: "A group of Kzinti divert the shuttle Copernicus and retrieve a newly discovered Slaver weapon."

Rating: Engage!

Points of interest:

This story was adapted by well-known science fiction author Larry Niven, from his Known Space short story 'The Soft Weapon'. In the original, the three protagonists are a human married couple and a Pierson's Puppeteer. In the adaptation, Sulu and Uhura fill the roles of the human male and female while Spock fills the role of the Puppeteer - a pacifistic herbivore (this is essential to the plot). Apart from these three character replacements, the episode plays out almost identically to the original short story.

This is the only Star Trek episode or movie set in Kirk's time in which Kirk himself does not appear (apart from the pre-Kirk pilot 'The Cage'). McCoy and Scott are also absent. The only ongoing Trek characters who appear in this episode are Spock, Uhura, and Sulu.

There's a continuity clash in this episode, where Sulu reminds the Kzinti that "The Kzinti fought four wars with humankind and lost all of them. The last one was two hundred years ago." Given that this episode is set during Kirk's original five-year mission, which took place in the late 2260s, this places those wars in the mid-2000s - just around the time that the Vulcans made First Contact with Zefram Cochrane. However, it is possible to reconcile these dates with some clever juggling.

There's another appearance of the personal lifebelts - plus the introduction of a "police web" (an immobilising device used in Niven's Known Space universe).

I personally dislike the basis of this episode, because it brings Niven's Known Space into the Star Trek universe. That said, it's commonly acknowledged as a good episode and is worth watching.

The Eye of the Beholder (1x15)

Production number: 22016

Summary: "Beaming down to a planet to search for the crew of a missing ship, the crew is captured by previously unknown aliens."

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

Nothing to say here.

The Jihad (1x16)

Production number: 22014

Summary: "The Vedala, the oldest known space faring race, summon Kirk and Spock to recover the Soul of the Skorr, a stolen religious artifact that has the potential to ignite a holy war across the galaxy."

Rating: Just for fun

Points of interest:

Kirk and Spock work in a small team of six people from four races to achieve a mission: two Humans, one Vulcan, and three others.

The only obvious female in the group was also the only other Human - and she repeatedly and openly made moves on Kirk. That animal magnetism at work! Kirk admits to her, for the only time on screen, that he's had a lot of romantic/sexual liaisons, or "green memories" as she refers to them.

Interesting. I was going to describe how similar this is in format to 'Mission: Impossible' episodes, with each character being selected for a particular ability, all of which will contribute to achieving the mission. Then I did some research and found out that the writer of this episode was also a writer and story editor on the 'Mission: Impossible' series!

The Pirates of Orion (2x01)

Production number: 22020

Summary: "While Spock lies ill, Orion pirates hijack the drug shipment desperately needed to save his life."

Rating: meh

Points of interest:

There's an interesting animation error in the first few minutes: When Spock collapses on the bridge, there's a shot with him lying in the foreground, and Kirk sitting in his captain's chair in the background - with McCoy standing behind Kirk. Both Kirk and McCoy are shocked at Spock's collapse. (It's worth noting that McCoy has no lines in this scene: he's just there.) The next scene is Kirk stabbing a communications button on his chair to get through to Sickbay - but McCoy is standing right behind him!

The Orions (prononced "AW-ree-on", not "oh-RYE-on" like in the live-action shows) are involved, but don't look like the Orions we've seen before.

There is a reference to the Babel Resolutions (from 'Journey to Babel').

Season 3

The 30 good ones

The "30 good episodes" are, in production order:

1. Where No One Has Gone Before
2. The Corbomite Maneuver
3. The Enemy Within
4. The Naked Time
5. Balance of Terror
6. The Galileo Seven
7. Court Martial
8. The Menagerie (Part I)
9. The Menagerie (Part II)
10. The Squire of Gothos
11. Arena
12. Tomorrow is Yesterday
13. A Taste of Armageddon
14. Space Seed
15. Devil in the Dark
16. Errand of Mercy
17. The City on the Edge of Forever
18. Amok Time
19. The Doomsday Machine
20. The Changeling
21. Mirror, Mirror
22. The Trouble with Tribbles
23. Journey to Babel
24. Obsession
25. A Piece of the Action
26. The Ultimate Computer
27. The Enterprise Incident
28. The Tholian Web
29. Day of the Dove
30. All Our Yesterdays