Tweak one thing - VOY

[McAvoy]

I want to start a thing where we talk about if there is one minor thing you could tweak about a series, what would it be. It can't change how the series is handled during its run. But if you could change something about the series that is small, let's hear it.

With Voyager how we know it happened, this one has to be different. You cannot tweak to show Voyager have damage over the course of the series or have the Maquis be ever present and potentially threatening to take over. Not that. Think a bit smaller.

For me I have Neelix be more consistent in his behavior, specifically being shady. But useful shady with a good heart. Instead of being a morale officer, really give Tuvok a concern about Neelix in how he does things. Like show Voyager being Starfleet and Neelix how to do things without the constraints of Starfleet. Likewise have Janeway handwring how Neelix does things but because he isn't Starfleet and kinda employed by her it is OK to bend the rules.

[AlexMcpherson79]

Actually, I think they should really have been allowed to lean into the premise of the show more.
Episode by episode, yes after big battles, at first (season 1) the ship is 'fully repaired' before the start of the next episode, exception being for the episode after caretaker, but in season 2, soon the repair work is finishing at the start, into the start of the next episode, then by mid-point of season 3, the damage from one crisis isn't even fixed before the end of the next one.

However, once Seven comes aboard and is part of the crew, It start's heading back to 'fixed by/around the next episode', until, with specific, few exceptions, in season 5 onward it's always fixed before next episode. By then, They've got the hang of negotiating for resources they can't for one reason or another, replicate. Seven has expanded their cultural database and helped plan, on one hand, a more efficient route through space, whilst at the same token helping point out areas that even the borg avoid, and why, with the void being one where Janeway decided to take a chance anyway. Or whatever. One of these diversions being for resources, with 'friendly-ish' species who would be open to trade. Speaking of trade, pre-season 3 Janeway would be totally against sharing of technology, case in point, Replicators to the Kazon. but afterward, she encounters a LOT more species whom seem able to handle any influx of technology (excepting the malon who actively dont want clean non-polluting tech) and so loosens the purse strings, so to speak. The Hirogen would of course, be one case were she may have even already considered the trade of holographic tech to BEFORE The Killing Game... and actually refer to MANY encounters throughout following that (up to a certain two-parter) where they meet Hirogen who actually thank them and give the occasional help/warning. Like, "Voyager, be warned, the area ahead has several Borg ships in the area." or "You know, there is this little wormhole a few light years away, the other end's only a hundred light years away, but it's in the direction you're heading anyway...."

Season 1-3 Maquis Characters, should have been shown being far more reluctant, and slowly coming around in part, but chafing in others, because they simply, most of them, don't have the training to understand the 'Starfleet' way, or the Prime Directive, etc etc... but by season 4 onward, become as per actual show, kind of a non-issue.


Neelix not be annoying?


The Shuttlecraft actually be consistent in being either a Type 8 or 9, and actually refer to them properly. and no accidental use of the Type 6. and grumbles from Torres everytime one gets blown up about how she/the engineering crew doesn't have the free time to build a new one any time soon, or they'll need to stop by somewhere with x materials to mine for their onboard industrial replicator to fabricate new frames and parts for rebuilding them.

[Griffin]

Not retcon Neelix into being a paedophile.

[McAvoy]

Actually, I think they should really have been allowed to lean into the premise of the show more.
Episode by episode, yes after big battles, at first (season 1) the ship is 'fully repaired' before the start of the next episode, exception being for the episode after caretaker, but in season 2, soon the repair work is finishing at the start, into the start of the next episode, then by mid-point of season 3, the damage from one crisis isn't even fixed before the end of the next one.

However, once Seven comes aboard and is part of the crew, It start's heading back to 'fixed by/around the next episode', until, with specific, few exceptions, in season 5 onward it's always fixed before next episode. By then, They've got the hang of negotiating for resources they can't for one reason or another, replicate. Seven has expanded their cultural database and helped plan, on one hand, a more efficient route through space, whilst at the same token helping point out areas that even the borg avoid, and why, with the void being one where Janeway decided to take a chance anyway. Or whatever. One of these diversions being for resources, with 'friendly-ish' species who would be open to trade. Speaking of trade, pre-season 3 Janeway would be totally against sharing of technology, case in point, Replicators to the Kazon. but afterward, she encounters a LOT more species whom seem able to handle any influx of technology (excepting the malon who actively dont want clean non-polluting tech) and so loosens the purse strings, so to speak. The Hirogen would of course, be one case were she may have even already considered the trade of holographic tech to BEFORE The Killing Game... and actually refer to MANY encounters throughout following that (up to a certain two-parter) where they meet Hirogen who actually thank them and give the occasional help/warning. Like, "Voyager, be warned, the area ahead has several Borg ships in the area." or "You know, there is this little wormhole a few light years away, the other end's only a hundred light years away, but it's in the direction you're heading anyway...."

Season 1-3 Maquis Characters, should have been shown being far more reluctant, and slowly coming around in part, but chafing in others, because they simply, most of them, don't have the training to understand the 'Starfleet' way, or the Prime Directive, etc etc... but by season 4 onward, become as per actual show, kind of a non-issue.


Neelix not be annoying?


The Shuttlecraft actually be consistent in being either a Type 8 or 9, and actually refer to them properly. and no accidental use of the Type 6. and grumbles from Torres everytime one gets blown up about how she/the engineering crew doesn't have the free time to build a new one any time soon, or they'll need to stop by somewhere with x materials to mine for their onboard industrial replicator to fabricate new frames and parts for rebuilding them.

Kinda wanted to avoid the whole thing with Voyager following its premise and not be TNG Lite.

I would tweak the Borg to be more menacing like they were in TNG. A Force of Nature. Godzilla of Space. Instead of confronting them head on, Voyager has to find new and unique ways of avoiding them.

Paris, Belanna and Kim maybe getting promotions too. Like Paris is LT Commander before he got bumped down to LT Jr Grade for his actions on World World. Belanna is a LT Commander by the end of the series. Kim is a full LT.

Figuring out Chakotay too would help.

[Tinadrin Chelnor]

Actually, I think they should really have been allowed to lean into the premise of the show more.
Episode by episode, yes after big battles, at first (season 1) the ship is 'fully repaired' before the start of the next episode, exception being for the episode after caretaker, but in season 2, soon the repair work is finishing at the start, into the start of the next episode, then by mid-point of season 3, the damage from one crisis isn't even fixed before the end of the next one.

However, once Seven comes aboard and is part of the crew, It start's heading back to 'fixed by/around the next episode', until, with specific, few exceptions, in season 5 onward it's always fixed before next episode. By then, They've got the hang of negotiating for resources they can't for one reason or another, replicate. Seven has expanded their cultural database and helped plan, on one hand, a more efficient route through space, whilst at the same token helping point out areas that even the borg avoid, and why, with the void being one where Janeway decided to take a chance anyway. Or whatever. One of these diversions being for resources, with 'friendly-ish' species who would be open to trade. Speaking of trade, pre-season 3 Janeway would be totally against sharing of technology, case in point, Replicators to the Kazon. but afterward, she encounters a LOT more species whom seem able to handle any influx of technology (excepting the malon who actively dont want clean non-polluting tech) and so loosens the purse strings, so to speak. The Hirogen would of course, be one case were she may have even already considered the trade of holographic tech to BEFORE The Killing Game... and actually refer to MANY encounters throughout following that (up to a certain two-parter) where they meet Hirogen who actually thank them and give the occasional help/warning. Like, "Voyager, be warned, the area ahead has several Borg ships in the area." or "You know, there is this little wormhole a few light years away, the other end's only a hundred light years away, but it's in the direction you're heading anyway...."

Season 1-3 Maquis Characters, should have been shown being far more reluctant, and slowly coming around in part, but chafing in others, because they simply, most of them, don't have the training to understand the 'Starfleet' way, or the Prime Directive, etc etc... but by season 4 onward, become as per actual show, kind of a non-issue.


Neelix not be annoying?


The Shuttlecraft actually be consistent in being either a Type 8 or 9, and actually refer to them properly. and no accidental use of the Type 6. and grumbles from Torres everytime one gets blown up about how she/the engineering crew doesn't have the free time to build a new one any time soon, or they'll need to stop by somewhere with x materials to mine for their onboard industrial replicator to fabricate new frames and parts for rebuilding them.

This.

I would have liked for the Borg to be more of a threat. Perhaps have Voyager have to skirt round them more, and buy/trade technologies to fight them if it were necessary to do so.

Kim should have been promoted, at least once.

[McAvoy]

I remember reading somewhere Kim wasn't promoted due to the writers and producers intentionally doing that on purpose due to how the actor annoyed them.

The biggest thing I can think of is making Janeway consistent. If we wi have a reset button on each episode, might as well make her into a Picard. Give her limits to what the character will do and will not do.

[Tinadrin Chelnor]

It would have been far more interesting without the reset button, regarding starship endurance and damage. It seems a bit redundant to me to have the whole journey alone across the quadrant, 70,000 light-years from any support, but don't worry because the universe will fix the ship when the need arises.

At least they stopped for supplies and maintenance a couple of times over the period.

It would have been good to see/here them mention having to either build or obtain new torpedoes as well.

I recently saw the shoot with the original Janeway, and I am so glad we got Mulgrew over her, but yes it would have been preferable to have a consistent Janeway.

[Coalition]

One idea would have been the Malon Captain trading for the antimatter cleaning technology, but keeping the tech to himself. This way he makes more money for himself, since he doesn't have to find weird places to dump the waste.

Later on, Janeway tries to trade the to the Malon homeworld, but they refuse since it will affect their whole economy. But Voyager can still perform antimatter cleaning, trading their own engineering capability for resources. Janeway could still trade some of the technology, reducing the costs of antimatter cleaning in the process.

(By antimatter cleaning, I mean reducing/removing the radiation effects of antimatter reactions on various materials, plus reducing/removing the technical waste from antimatter production)

[McAvoy]

It would have been far more interesting without the reset button, regarding starship endurance and damage. It seems a bit redundant to me to have the whole journey alone across the quadrant, 70,000 light-years from any support, but don't worry because the universe will fix the ship when the need arises.

At least they stopped for supplies and maintenance a couple of times over the period.

It would have been good to see/here them mention having to either build or obtain new torpedoes as well.

I recently saw the shoot with the original Janeway, and I am so glad we got Mulgrew over her, but yes it would have been preferable to have a consistent Janeway.

We pretty much discussed this death once we saw what Voyager could have been once NuBSG was on.

Basically show an increasing damaged and battered Voyager through the seasons. Show that Voyager is being repaired with alien tech. Hell have one of the nacelles being replaced with an elin one. Have some of the hull plating being green would have been interesting. It would have of course needed someone who was keeping track of all of this in case of flashbacks.

Same goes for the interior. Show the bridge being slowly broken down. Show that some parts of the ship has no life support.

Show the crew being slowly but surely being worn down on a ship that may not even make it. Janeway herself being more erratic and perhaps have Chakotay taking up a lot of the slack. Which would contrast in the early seasons when Janeway didn't fully trust him.

Which brings us to the Maquis. First two or three seasons make it a big deal. Some if not most of the Maquis were not former Starfleet and show that they have issues with how Starfleet is running things. Make it a full mutiny two parter with Chakotay taking Janeway's side with a lead up suggesting he was on the Maquis side.

It would also lead to an interesting Equinox two parter too since by that point maybe make Janeway finally break down for that just like she did. Or extend it for a few more episodes. Two broken Starfleet ships with broken down captains and crew. But Janeway hasn't gotten to that point yet that Braxton does. Maybe during this time it was when Voyager received significant damage that stays with her for the rest of the season. Like when we see Voyager and that damage that it wasn't aliens or the Borg that did it, but a Starfleet vessel.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

One small thing? Tuvix takes the hyopspray and injects himself with the thing that'll enable him to be separated into Neelix and Tuvok, then explain that it's not fair to the families and friends of either individual that he's combined like this.

[McAvoy]

One small thing? Tuvix takes the hyopspray and injects himself with the thing that'll enable him to be separated into Neelix and Tuvok, then explain that it's not fair to the families and friends of either individual that he's combined like this.

Tuvix to me is part of the Neelix problem. Neelix by that point was more of a cook than a guide and generally useless. So you create this new character who is charming (especially through the actor) who is well liked by the crew and fans and have Janeway more or less murder him.

The episode did Janeway no favors and contributed to her erratic character. It could have been written I think better to show Janeway faltering even when they marched Tuvix to his death.

Maybe it could have been written better if Tuvix was actually a combo of Tuvok and Kim. Tuvim. Then it would be a better scenerio when you got a young but talented Kim merged with Tuvok. But he can't be at the same place at the same time.