To The Journey: A Star Trek Voyager Podcast

TTJ 2.0 AMA.   The new hosts of To The Journey get up-close and personal in this AMA "Ask Me Anything" episode of To The Journey. Kay Shaw, Zachary Fruhling, and Suzanne Williamson answer listener-submitted questions about their thoughts on various aspects of Star Trek: Voyager, including episode recommendations for first-time Voyagers and the most underappreciated Voyager episodes.    But Voyager isn't the only topic du jour in this AMA episode of To The Journey. Find out more about the hosts' thoughts on the Star Trek franchise as a whole and about science fiction more broadly, including Star Trek's role to play in promoting progressiveness and equality. Most importantly, find out the explanation behind Kay's ever-cryptic Twitter handle "Choccoweeble."   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  Bring on the Questions! (00:01:42)  Favorite Episodes (00:01:56)  Voyager's Ending (00:04:45)  Progressiveness and Equality (00:06:54)  Favorite Season (00:11:09)  Episodes for First-Time Voyagers (00:13:52)  Other Sci-Fi We Love (00:16:58)  INTERMISSION!! (00:23:20)  Who If Not Chakotay? (00:25:55)  Seven AND Kes? (00:30:37)  Underappreciated Episodes (00:35:11)  DS9 & Voyager Crossovers (00:39:27)  BBC Voyager Launch (00:45:07)  Voyager: Elite Force (00:45:39)  Choccoweeble? (00:47:25)  Guilty Pleasure Episodes (00:49:30)  Character Theme Songs (00:59:53)  Tuvok Unhinged (01:09:30)  Closing (01:12:24)   Hosts  Kay Shaw, Zachary Fruhling, and Suzanne Williamson   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

"Caretaker" and Celebrating 200 Episodes.   In this episode of To The Journey, we're taking it back to the Badlands where it all began! Trek.fm patron and To The Journey associate producer Bruce Lish joins hosts Suzanne Williamson, Zachary Fruhling, and Kay Shaw to discuss Voyager's pilot episode, "Caretaker," and to celebrate To The Journey's 200th episode!   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  Welcoming Bruce Lish (00:01:51)  Dentistry in Star Trek - The Sonicare Shower (00:04:12)  Initial Thoughts on "Caretaker" (00:07:31)  Casting, Character Relationships, and Conflict (00:12:53)  Holoprogram Mods (00:19:52)  What Was Most Successful? Least Successful? (00:21:02)  Gilligan's Island in Space (00:23:41)  The U.S.S. Voyager Filming Model and Going Digital (00:29:15)  Crossovers and Passing the Torch (00:33:27)  The Progenitors Revisited (00:37:17)  Villains and Antagonists (00:41:29)  Loungewear and Leather (00:44:20)  Harry Kim's Enthusiasm (00:49:06)  Unfair Janeway Criticism (00:50:50)  Kazon Cultural Development (01:02:46)  Bruce's Contact Information (01:10:32)  Closing (01:11:32)   Hosts  Suzanne Williamson, Zachary Fruhling, and Kay Shaw   Guest  Bruce Lish   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Top Five Chakotay/B'Elanna Moments.  Robert Beltran and Roxann Dawson may not have had much one-on-one screen time together as Cmdr. Chakotay and Lt. B'Elanna Torres. But the moments they did share on-screen were memorable and helped to establish a strong sibling-like bond between these two former members of the Maquis. From brother-sister banter to tough-love interventions, hosts Zachary Fruhling, Suzanne Williamson, and Kay Shaw compare their top five Chakotay/B'Elanna Moments in Star Trek: Voyager. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) It's a Brother and a Sister Kinda Thing (00:01:40) Chronic Oversleeping (00:04:25) Trying to Kill Your Animal Guide (00:07:15) Over a Hot Cup of Pejuta (00:08:50) The Tattooed Terror (00:11:27) A Little Spiritual Guidance (00:14:11) Tough Love - Doing It the Maquis Way (00:15:30) The Mountains of the Antelope Women (00:19:39) Fake Walking Down the Fake Aisle (00:22:31) Quit Whining and Suck It Up (00:23:23) Highly Qualified Klingon Wins Nobel Prize (00:25:31) She's The Captain (00:27:08) Do We Know Each Other? (00:29:28) You Have Lousy Taste In Women (00:30:13) Bad Dad Jokes (00:31:53) Crazy or Lycanthropy? (00:33:24) Final Thoughts (00:34:48) Closing (00:34:44)  Hosts Zachary Fruhling, Suzanne Williamson, and Kay Shaw  Production Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) 

The Voyager Movie.   Voyager fans have long yearned to see the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Voyager grace the silver screen. In this episode of To The Journey, hosts Kay Shaw, Suzanne Williamson, and Zachary Fruhling take their first assignment together in the writers' room to craft the Voyager feature film that never was, but which might have been and perhaps could one day be. Join the Voyager crew as they journey back into the unknown to explore even stranger new worlds and come together once again as a family, against impossible odds and amid surprising revelations about Voyager's role in the cosmos.   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  Initial Thoughts (00:03:19)  Setting the Scene (00:04:06)  To Borg or Not to Borg? (00:09:56)  Strange New Worlds (00:13:32)  Something Weird Happens (00:17:14)  One Crew (00:20:38)  Sciencing the Science (00:22:43)  Setting Up the Sequel (00:25:53)  Stuff Happens in the Middle (00:27:02)  You Told Them About the Statues? (00:31:29)  In a World.... (00:35:29)  Cosimo's Coffee Substitute (00:38:00)  Nanoprobes (00:40:08)  Role Reversals (00:44:12)  And Jeffrey Combs as.... (00:47:21)  Recap and Final Thoughts (00:49:47)  Closing (00:53:26)   Hosts  Kay Shaw, Suzanne Williamson, and Zachary Fruhling   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Heroes and Demons.   What do the epic hero Beowulf, Dr. Schweitzer, and Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram have in common? They are as one in the first-season Voyager episode "Heroes and Demons"!   In this episode of To The Journey, hosts Suzanne Williamson, Kay Shaw, and Zachary Fruhling go into the weeds, or rather, into the forest, in search of photonic spaghetti monsters, Klingon (Danish) blood mead, and Vulcan literature lessons from Lieutenant Tuvok.   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  Initial Thoughts - For the LOLs (00:01:30)  The Doctor - First Away Mission, First Kiss (00:03:59)  A Warrior's Name - All Hail Schweitzer! (00:06:28)  The Equinox Version (00:09:41)  The Doctor and Freya - A Cold Night in Denmark (00:13:04)  Photonic Spaghetti Monster (00:17:10)  Tricorder Exocomps (00:21:28)  Tuvok and Chakotay on Vulcan Literature (00:23:46)  Klingon Blood Mead (00:28:27)  Harry the Shield Yeoman (00:29:56)  Not a Beowulf Scholar (00:33:11)  French Twist or Combover? (00:35:58)  Counselor Kes (00:38:26)  Dante's Inferno - Virgil and Schweitzer (00:41:19)  Closing (00:44:04)   Hosts  Suzanne Williamson, Kay Shaw, and Zachary Fruhling   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)  

Thirty Days.  Of all the characters in Star Trek: Voyager, perhaps Tom Paris had the greatest degree of character growth during Voyager's run, developing from an immature ex-convict into a responsible Starfleet officer and helmsman, and a loving husband and father. The fifth-season episode "Thirty Days," however, sees Tom Paris once again in trouble with the law, and with Captain Janeway. But this time, the broken and newly demoted Ensign Paris spends his thirty days in the brig because he acted on his principles and his conscience, defying orders from the captain who gave him his second chance only five years before. In this episode of To The Journey, hosts Zachary Fruhling, Kay Shaw, and Suzanne Williamson share their thoughts on Tom's seafaring aspirations and on the inner struggles of Voyager's beloved fly-boy.  Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  The One with That Guy from Sex and the City (00:02:59) I Always Wanted To Be .... (00:04:29) Going Deeper (00:07:39) Tom's Demotion - Yeoman Kim (00:10:19) Captain Proton Saves the Day (00:13:57) The Delaney Sisters - Dimple or No Dimple? (00:15:31) Sailor Talk (00:17:41) Bread and Water - The Everlasting Leola Root (00:19:38) The Walk of Shame (00:24:00) Tom's Letter to His Father (00:24:50) Waterworld II: The Search for Kevin Costner (00:27:43) Environmentalism and Bureaucracy (00:29:39) Voyager / Sex and the City Character Matching (00:32:03) Seven of Nine - Complying with the Collective (00:35:29) Harry and Tom - Following Through and Finishing the Letter (00:36:52) Tiny Tom = Jailbird Joey (00:40:11) Aquarium in the Sky (00:41:46) Closing (00:42:42)  Hosts Zachary Fruhling, Kay Shaw, and Suzanne Williamson  Production Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Jamie Duce (Associate Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Dante Hopkins (Associate Producer) Brian Beliso (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) 

Top Five Doctor/Seven Moments.   The character interaction between The Doctor and Seven of Nine provided some of the most charming, the most amusing, and the sweetest moments in all of Star Trek: Voyager. In this episode of To The Journey, hosts Kay Shaw, Zachary Fruhling, and Suzanne Williamson compare their top five Doctor/Seven moments. From duets to first dates, and from synthehol tolerance to portraiture, Kay, Zachary, and Suzanne share 30,000 gigaquads of research data on the compatibility of a Borg and a hologram.   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  A Former Borg and a Hologram Walk Into a Bar (00:02:03)  You Are My Sunshine (00:04:33)  You've Got Fan Mail (00:10:32)  To Shared Experiences (00:13:28)  'ej HunmtaH 'ej DechtaH 'Iw (00:15:22)  Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls (00:16:40)  We Are As One (00:19:28)  Your Cognitive Algorithms Are Malfunctioning (00:21:10)  Procreating By Transporter Accident (00:22:21)  Survival Is Insufficient (00:23:18)  Have A Pleasant Day (00:25:26)  Irrelevant. I Am Borg (00:27:14)  Catching The Fake Bouquet (00:28:30)  Final Thoughts (00:29:57)  Closing (00:32:14)   Hosts  Kay Shaw, Zachary Fruhling, and Suzanne Williamson   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Jamie Duce (Associate Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Dante Hopkins (Associate Producer) Brian Beliso (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Coda.   It's safe to say that Voyager fans generally have strong feelings about the third-season episode "Coda." Janeway/Chakotay shippers tend to embrace this episode for its tender and impassioned portrayal of the special bond between Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway. And although "Coda" suffers from the Voyager reset-button effect (after an impressive number of Janeway death scenes!), "Coda" reveals the depth of affection that the Voyager crew share for their beloved captain. From old-fashioned resuscitation techniques to the contrasting portrayals of tenderness and suspense, hosts Suzanne Williamson, Zachary Fruhling, and Kay Shaw bare their souls about all things "Coda."   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  Initial Thoughts on Coda (00:01:56)  Janeway Death Scenes (00:04:28)  Chakotay's Talents (00:05:56)  Janeway's Father (00:09:17)  Comparison with Other Star Trek Episodes (00:11:40)  Chakotay's Rose (00:15:12)  Death and Meaning - Watching Your Own Funeral (00:19:29)  Coda Quotables (00:23:38)  Crew Reactions - Tuvok's Log Entry (00:25:01)  Contrasts in Coda (00:29:00)  Coda Trivia (00:31:50)  The Doctor and Euthanasia (00:36:31)  Final Thoughts (00:42:22)   Hosts  Suzanne Williamson, Zachary Fruhling, and Kay Shaw   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Jamie Duce (Associate Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Dante Hopkins (Associate Producer) Brian Beliso (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Prixin Wishlists.   It's holiday season at Trek.fm, and on To The Journey that can mean only one thing—it's Prixin time! In this special holiday episode of To The Journey, hosts Zachary Fruhling, Kay Shaw, and Suzanne Williamson create Prixin wishlists for the Voyager crew. From Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay, down the ranks to Ensign Kim and beyond, find out what each member of the Voyager crew secretly wants for the holidays!   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  Prixin Wishlists (00:02:17)  Captain Janeway (00:03:07)  Chakotay (00:10:00)  Tuvok (00:15:50)  B'Elanna Torres (00:24:24)  The Doctor (00:29.37)  Tom Paris (00:36:45)  Kes (00:42:51)  Harry Kim (00:46:59)  Neelix (00:49:38)  Seska (00:54:44)  Honorable Mentions (00:56:14)  Closing (00:59:59)   Hosts  Zachary Fruhling, Kay Shaw, and Suzanne Williamson   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Jamie Duce (Associate Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Dante Hopkins (Associate Producer) Brian Beliso (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Voyager Continuity.   Voyager is sometimes criticized for not having the same degree of continuity as Deep Space Nine or Enterprise. But in this episode of To The Journey, hosts Kay Shaw, Suzanne Williamson, and Zachary Fruhling discuss various examples of continuity in Voyager, from callbacks to previous episodes to continuity with the rest of the Star Trek universe. Together Kay, Suzanne, and Zachary argue that, despite all-too-frequent use of the dreaded episodic reset button, Voyager has its own unique brand of storytelling continuity that serves the development of Voyager's overall tale.   Chapters  Intro (00:00:00)  The Dreaded Voyager Reset Button (00:02:21)  The Kazon and "Shattered" (00:04:49)  Vidiians and Dr. Pel - Voyager's Reputation in the Delta Quadrant (00:12:03)  Relationships on Voyager - Continuously Going Nowhere (00:14:34)  Q Cubed - Voyager's Continuity with the Expanded Star Trek Universe (00:17:03)  "Year of Hell" - Is Voyager (Dis)-Continuity Dissatisfying? (00:19:24)  Fake Tom and Fake B'Elanna's Wedding - "Demon" and "Course Oblivion" (00:22:59)  The Pathfinder Project, Lieutenant Barclay, and Counselor Troi (00:27:13)  The Equinox Crew - Hamster Wheel Warp Drive? (00:33:13)  Temporal Ankle Bracelet - "Endgame" and Voyager's Overall Story Arc (00:35:24)  Final Thoughts (00:40:06)   Hosts  Kay Shaw, Suzanne Williamson, and Zachary Fruhling   Production  Kay Shaw (Editor) Suzanne Williamson (Producer) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C. Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Kenneth Tripp (Executive Producer) Jamie Duce (Associate Producer) Bruce Lish (Associate Producer) Dante Hopkins (Associate Producer) Brian Beliso (Associate Producer) Joo Kim (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)