To The Journey: A Star Trek Voyager Podcast

Non-renewable Resources.

One of the many issues facing Voyager was the replacement of needed items without the luxury of going to a Starbase. In this week’s episode of To The Journey, Charlynn, Tristan, and Lorrie discuss replicator rations, leola root, and the on-again off-again difficulty of finding deuterium. Neelix’s new job as laundress is revealed, as well as Tristan’s need to see corn growing in the aeroponics bay.

Threshold.

Like a Janeway hairstyle change or a Harry Kim near-death experience, some things are inevitable. So it is with Voyager discussion and Brannon Braga’s hot mess called “Threshold.” Yes, we had to tackle the episode everyone loves to hate sooner or later—and there’s no time like the present. In this episode of To The Journey hosts Tristan Riddell, Charlynn Schmiedt, and Lorrie Sears mix together Robert Duncan McNeill’s performance, great character moments by the doctor, and the genius that is Neelix. With all these ingredients, who needs lizard babies? 

Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy Commentary.

2013 is a new year, so Tristan, Charlynn, and Lorrie kick it off with something new: an episode commentary of “Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy”. Follow along on Netflix or with your DVD as we discuss the ins and outs of the Doctor’s daydreaming experiment.

Commander Chakotay.

You love him or you hate him, but it’s hard to feel lukewarm. Everybody has an opinion on the XO of the Voyager, and Tristan, Lorrie, and Char are no different. This week they delve deep into what the writers did well and what they missed out on. Can Chakotay handle an episode all on his own or does he end up like a beloved doctor from another series? Listen to find out and also to see what we think of vegetarians.

Alpha-Quadrant Aliens in the Delta Quadrant.

We saw quite a few familiar faces from the Alpha Quadrant in the Delta Quadrant. This week, Tristan, Charlynn, and Lorrie discuss the Klingons, Ferengi, and others who showed up in the most unexpected places. We learn about things we’re glad were not displayed on those “Ferengi-fetish” necklaces, Tristan’s love of WWE, and why the Boslic were everywhere. 

Underrated Voyager Episodes.

Sometimes, an episode just doesn’t get the love it deserves. This week, Tristan and Char tackle this problem and discuss three of their favorite underrated episodes, while also taking on Lorrie’s choices as well, since she was stuck in sickbay. We learn that Tristan is a sucker for character stories, Lorrie likes the episode where Janeway shoots germ-creatures with her big bulging biceps, and Char’s favorite part of “Tattoo” is where we see Chakotay’s bare behind. Oh, and the monkey is discussed as well. 

Children on Voyager.

It was brought up early in the series that having children aboard Voyager may be necessary if it really did take 70 years to get home. For a ship ill-equipped to raise children, this was a challenge that Janeway and Co. had to face with the arrival of Naomi Wildman. Later on, we got the Borg kids and the birth of Miral in the series finale. Tristan, Char, and Lorrie discuss children aboard Voyager, whether we should have seen or heard about more kids being born on the ship, and sexy onscreen Q mating. 

Holodeck Programs.

They’ve been around since TNG, but Voyager arguably used them the most. When the crew needed some R&R from the daily rigors of life in the Delta Quadrant, we saw them hanging out in Sandrine’s, the tropical resort program, Fair Haven, and more. Tristan, Lorrie, and Char discuss all of these popular hangouts, and we learn that Tristan would buy a Flotter doll if he could.

Captain Janeway.

Whether it was negotiating with Romulans in the middle of the night or putting Kazon bullies in their place, Captain Janeway did it all with her “compassionate badass” command style. In this week’s episode of To The Journey, hosts Charlynn Schmiedt, Tristan Riddell, and Lorrie Sears talk in-depth about Voyager’s captain, including first impressions of Kathryn Janeway, Jeri Taylor’s novel Mosaic, and favorite Janeway moments. And, of course, we talk about Captain Janeway’s addiction to coffee. 

The Maquis.

When the Caretaker’s array forced together Starfleet and Maquis crews, the potential for conflict was established in a way not really tested before in Star Trek. And while the first few episodes explored the tense relationship aboard the close quarters of a small Intrepid Class ship, the dramatic promise was quickly lost on the writers. In this week’s episode of To The Journey, hosts Charlynn Schmiedt, Tristan Riddell, and Lorrie Sears explore the Maquis, including the build-up and the declawing, the need for continuity when exploring this concept, and how the relationship between Chakotay and Janeway influenced the course of Maquis-Starfleet relations. Plus we find out what Tristan would do if he had a monkey.