Star Trek: Voyager celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020. We look back at the 25 best episodes of the series.
Fans of Star Trek: Voyager have reason to rejoice this January 2020—not only is fan-favorite Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) returning for Star Trek: Picard, but the show is also celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Voyager was a ground-breaking entry in the Star Trek universe—the first female captain and female-led show in canon. Voyager was also incredibly diverse, with numerous characters of color appearing in prominent roles.
As a lifelong Star Trek fan who grew up loving Spock and Geordi LaForge, Voyager was the show that changed how I saw science-fiction. I saw myself in the characters of Voyager more than I had on any other Star Trek series before or since.
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And despite Voyager breaking ground in terms of its female representation, it took the Trek franchise till 2017 to create another female-led show in Star Trek: Discovery, which has gone on to expand existing canon by introducing queer characters. So, there’s still a lot of work to do.
Star Trek has always been about imagining a universe beyond what we can see with our own two eyes—with its diverse and realistic characters, its focus on the bonds between its crew, and its strong storytelling, Voyager continues to bring fans hope and joy.
It wasn’t easy condensing seven seasons into 25 core episodes, but I have done my best to be partial in my choices.
Without further ado, here are the 25 essential Star Trek: Voyager episodes to celebrate the show’s anniversary.
S1E1: Caretaker
The series opener sets up Voyager incredibly well—Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is sent on a mission to hunt down a rogue Maquis ship captained by Chakotay (Robert Beltran).
But when both the Maquis ship and Voyager are pulled into the Delta Quadrant, Captain Janeway is presented with two options—return home but doom a planet of defenseless aliens, or stay in the Delta Quadrant and face a 75-year journey back to Earth.
In many ways, “Caretaker” is quintessentially Star Trek—there are aliens, space battles, deceptions, and mysteries. But its also about much more than that.
“Caretaker” is about doing the right thing when all the decisions before you are awful—and it makes you wonder what would have happened if Captain Janeway had chosen selfishly, instead of selflessly.
The decisions made in this opening episode have repercussions throughout the series, and we often come back to it, pondering other options.
While the entire crew is affected by the events in “Caretaker”, nobody has to live with their decisions more than Captain Janeway. She makes the best out of a bad situation and cements herself in Star Trek canon as one of the greatest captains in Starfleet.
S1E13: Faces
If you weren’t already obsessed with B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) after “Parallax”, “Faces” would undoubtedly make you a fan.
Three Voyager crew members, including B’Elanna, are captured by Vidians for experimentation—the process splits B’Elanna’s human and Klingon DNA to create two separate beings.
It’s the first time we learn how the warring parts of B’Elanna’s heritage have been tearing her apart—she was bullied by her human peers for being too Klingon, and chastised by her mother for being too human. She never quite fit in anywhere—an aspect that resonates very much with many biracial people.
But “Faces” isn’t just a great B’Elanna episode—it’s an astounding demonstration of Dawson’s acting abilities. She perfectly captures the distinct personalities of the human and Klingon B’Elanna—so much so, that her own family didn’t realize she was playing both roles!
Thanks to “Parallax” and “Faces”, by the end of the first season, B’Elanna was forever cemented as my favorite Star Trek character, a title that she still continues to hold.
S1E14: Jetrel
I’ve never understood the hate towards Neelix (Ethan Phillips). He’s probably the quirkiest character on Voyager, but he also has the biggest heart.
It’s easy to feel kinship to Neelix, even more so than with the rest of the crew—Neelix was the underdog, the one who smiled when he was dying inside, the person everyone could turn to, but who never asked for anything. Neelix was the best.
And if “Jetrel” doesn’t break your heart and make you love Neelix, I don’t know what will. We know little about Neelix until this episode, and then we learn about his terrifying past—how his entire people were destroyed by a nuclear weapon and he was the lone survivor from his family.
“Jetrel” is a sci-fi analogy for the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and it is, expectedly, a tough watch. The fact that Neelix continues to be the heart and soul of Voyager even after we learn about these horrifying events in his life tells us how strong Neelix is.
This episode is guaranteed to make you angry and break your heart, and will definitely make you question how quickly you judge the people around you.
S2E12: Resistance
I debated whether or not to include “Resistance” in this list. It takes place almost entirely on an alien planet where Captain Janeway, Tuvok (Tim Russ), and B’Elanna are looking for a component to power Voyager. The trio gets separated and Captain Janeway ends up being rescued by a man who mistakenly believes she’s his daughter.
For the majority of the episode, Captain Janeway merely wants the man’s help to save her fellow crew members, get their parts, and make it back to Voyager safely. Seems straight-forward enough?
Well, by the end of “Resistance”, you will be ugly-crying and holding your nearest and dearest to your heart because this episode does not turn out like you expect it to.
Not only do you come away with a renewed respect for Tuvok—who may be Vulcan but can teach us humans a thing or two about patience and resolve—but you will absolutely adore the sensitivity and kindness of Captain Janeway, who shows the fans just how well she understands people. Brb, crying again.
S2E25: Resolutions
Another Voyager episode that takes place largely off-ship. “Resolutions” sees Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay confined to a planet because of a disease they have contracted.
While Chakotay makes the most of their new life, Janeway refuses to let go of Voyager and spends her time constantly looking for a cure and a way home. But as more time goes by with no end in sight, the two become more comfortable with their new surroundings and each other.
As we all know, this doesn’t last. How do the top two commanders of Voyager return to their old life? With difficulty.
“Resolutions” is as much about human relationships as it is about counting your blessings—Janeway and Chakotay were always close but this episode brought them closer than ever before.
It’s also super-romantic without there being any actual romance, which makes the episode that much more tragic and memorable. In another life, Janeway/ Chakotay would have been a reality, but sadly not in this one.
S3E3: The Chute
I almost didn’t include “The Chute” in this list, but finally realized that no ‘best of Voyager’ list would be complete without it.
This episode is not for the faint of heart—Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) and Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) are falsely imprisoned for terrorist activities. The prison is a hellhole—prisoners kill each other for food, shoes, a space to sleep, anything.
Tom at least has prison experience, but young Harry? He’s terrified and completely out of his depth. But Harry is also the only person who can possibly free them from the prison. If they can stay alive long enough.
“The Chute” is dark, depressing, and downright terrifying. But it’s also a fantastic display of the friendship between Tom and Harry—they will do anything for each other, and their bond drives many a powerful narrative in Voyager.
Their friendship is particularly noteworthy because Harry is one of Starfleet’s finest and could have had his pick of friends on Voyager. But he chose Tom, a pilot who caused the accidental deaths of his comrades, and ended up being caught on his first mission with the Maquis.
Tom and Harry practically come from two different worlds, but that’s the power of Voyager—the series shows us that underneath it all, we’re all human.
S3E16: Blood Fever
I’m not always a fan of Star Trek romances, but B’Elanna and Tom are something else. Along with Harry Kim, these two start off as great friends but there’s always an undertone of something more.
It all comes to a head in “Blood Fever”, when B’Elanna becomes biochemically unstable after a psychic connection with her Vulcan colleague goes wrong. One way to cure B’Elanna is for her to take a partner—and she’s got her sights on Tom.
This episode is sexy, not because it’s about sex, but because it’s about consent. One would think a playboy character like Tom Paris would jump at the opportunity to be with B’Elanna—especially considering how desperate she is to be with him.
But B’Elanna isn’t in a position to consent, which gives Tom plenty of reason to pause. It’s not for nothing that they say consent is sexy!
Knowing that B’Elanna and Tom eventually do become a couple and stay that way for the rest of Voyager’s run makes this episode that much more extraordinary.
And the subversiveness of this episode isn’t lost on fans—in any other show of the time, the character roles would have been swapped, but Voyager does things differently.
S3E23: Distant Origin
“Distant Origin” is an odd one and I considered leaving it out of my list. But it’s a great Chakotay episode, once again showing audiences how level-headed and empathetic he is.
In the episode, Chakotay teams up with an alien scientist to prove that the alien species actually descended from the dinosaurs on Earth. But the planet’s leaders refuse to believe such a theory, putting the scientist, Chakotay, and all of history, on trial.
Though Star Trek has generally been about positivity and hope, the outcome of ‘Distant Origin’ is anything but.
And it’s also a warning against ignoring our own history—sadly prescient for the world’s current state of affairs, which is a very Star Trek thing to do.
S3E25: Worst Case Scenario
I love “Worst Case Scenario”. Despite its name, it is a very fun episode, with some excellent character moments.
The crew of Voyager finds a training program in their Holodeck about the Maquis organizing a mutiny on this ship. But the program malfunctions (or does it?) trapping Tuvok and Tom in a scenario that becomes increasingly dangerous, and likely even fatal.
Tuvok and Tom don’t get enough screen time together so when they do have episodes together, you know you’re in for a ride—Tom pitting his imaginative authorial skills against Tuvok’s logical and practical-minded approach to finishing the program remains one of Voyager’s most hilarious moments.
This is the kind of episode you watch when you’re looking for a laugh or a pick-me-up. Every second is fantastic. Brb, rewatching right now.
S3E26 & S4E1: Scorpion Parts I & II
If you’ve seen Star Trek: The Next Generation, you know that the Delta Quadrant is where the Borg exist. With Voyager being trapped in the Delta Quadrant, the possibility of them encountering the Borg was always high.
We get a glimpse of what’s to come in “Blood Fever”, but in “Scorpion”, the threat becomes real when Voyager finds themselves entering Borg space. Turns out, the Borg are the least of Voyager’s worries—there’s another species out there, one that even the Borg are terrified of.
“Scorpion” is delightfully eerie, as are all of Voyager’s Borg episodes, and you never really know what’s around the corner for the crew. It’s also the two-parter that introduces the world to Seven of Nine, who will soon become a valuable member of the crew and Captain Janeway’s closest companion.
But what really stands out about “Scorpion” is how it shows that even the toughest among us crack under pressure—Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay always have each other’s backs. However, when facing a devastating threat like the Borg, even they make errors in judgment and let each other down.
By the end of “Scorpion”, you will have a renewed fear of the Borg, greater respect for the crew of Voyager, and a better understanding of how to work as a team.
S4E8 & S4E9: Year of Hell Parts I & II
Another Voyager two-parter that really stands out is “Year of Hell”. If you don’t like watching your favorite crew go through hell—hence the title—this will be a tough watch.
While entering alien space, Voyager is caught in a temporal wave that turns a heretofore non-threatening species into a powerful, bullying race who have decided to use Voyager as their personal chew toy.
With the ship barely functional, some of the crew being badly hurt, and members being captured by enemies, it’s non-stop bad luck for Voyager.
But adversity brings out ingenuity, and ‘Year of Hell’ shows us just how hard-working, determined, and close-knit the crew can be even under the most trying of circumstances.
This episode isn’t easy to watch but it’s got plenty of punch-the-air moments—and definitely one of the favorite Captain Janeway moments late in Part II. No list would be complete without ‘Year of Hell’.
S4E14: Message in a Bottle
For pure fun and unadulterated laughter, you have to watch “Message in a Bottle”. The Doctor (Robert Picardo) is sent via a holo-message to a ship in the Alpha Quadrant. The only problem? The ship has been taken over by Romulans. It’s up to the Doctor and his fellow EMH Mark 2 (Andy Dick) to foil the Romulans’ plans. But they’re doctors, not tacticians!
This episode is laugh-a-minute. The Doctor is his best sarcastic self—a trait the Mark 2 seems to have inherited, as well. Despite also being scared out of their minds, the two EMHs do their best. Can they survive the Romulans, send a message back to Starfleet about Voyager, and return the Doctor to the ship? It’s a tense 40+ minutes to find out.
Entertaining Star Trek at its best, “Message in a Bottle” is absolutely unmissable.
S4E25: One
Interesting fact, “One” was the first complete episode of Voyager I ever watched. I didn’t understand its significance then but once I’d watched the show again from the beginning, I realized how powerful ‘One’ was, and it has been one of my favorite Seven of Nine episodes ever since.
Voyager has to navigate a nebula that will shorten their trip—but to do so, the crew has to go into stasis because they can’t withstand the poisonous effects of the nebula. Seven is the only one who isn’t affected—because of her Borg implants—along with the holographic Doctor.
That sounds like a great plan, except Seven is used to being part of a collective—the loneliness of being the only living, breathing member of the crew starts to play on her mind. Even more so when the Doctor’s program goes offline.
Star Trek thrives when it shows the humanity of characters that don’t always come across as fully human, and it’s something Seven struggles with throughout her arc on Voyager.
In “One”, the show perfectly portrays how human Seven really is, but that her upbringing in the Borg collective is still an important part of her outlook on life—it’s just that the crew of Voyager is now her new collective. Honestly, at the end of this episode, you want to give Seven a big hug—if she’d allow it.
S5E6: Timeless
“Timeless” was a no-brainer for this list—it’s a heavy-hitting, heart-breaking, and incredibly Star Trek kind of episode.
Voyager installs a new kind of Warp engine that should take them directly to the Alpha Quadrant—with a slight hitch. Harry and Chakotay need to take the Delta Flyer and lead the way, sending coordinates back to Voyager. Harry gets one calculation wrong and though the Flyer makes it back, Voyager doesn’t.
If that isn’t already bringing you to tears, the actual episode takes place in the future, where an older Harry and Chakotay find the downed Voyager—the sight of them walking around the frozen corpses of their fallen comrades is chilling.
Garrett Wang absolutely kills it in this episode—bringing to life the survivor’s guilt, anger, and general frustration of a person who realized their dream, only to have lost everyone in the process couldn’t have been easy, but he does it supremely well.
This episode may be sad, but it’s also aspirational—keep pushing, believe in yourself, believe in your team, that’s what “Timeless”, and Star Trek, is all about.
S5E9: Thirty Days
What stands out about Voyager is that nobody is perfect. “Thirty Days” is all about human imperfection.
Tom Paris decides to help out a planet that is coming apart at the seams, even though the planet doesn’t want his help. As a result, he loses his lieutenant rank and ends up in the brig for 30 days. Ouch!
People make mistakes at work, and sometimes its because you really, truly believe you’re doing the right thing. Robert Duncan McNeill beautifully captures Tom’s aspirations, struggles, and his hard-fought belief that he’s justified in his righteousness, even when he isn’t
The important thing to take away from “Thirty Days” is that Captain Janeway loves her crew and she will be lenient with them, but if you break the rules, you’re in trouble.
As much as we love Tom and want the best for him, he kind of deserved the punishment he received in this episode. And, you know what, better to get in trouble for saving good people, than for doing something bad.
S5E12: Bride of Chaotica
“Bride of Chaotica” doesn’t have any aspirational messages for you—it’s just incredibly fun!
When Tom and Harry’s Captain Proton holodeck program gets hijacked by a photon-based race, the crew—and even Captain Janeway—are enlisted to complete the program and make peace with the aliens.
This episode is so entertaining, especially because it puts Captain Janeway in the hilarious position of playing a made-up character in Tom and Harry’s program. Kate Mulgrew looks like she’s having the time of her life playing Queen Arachnia, the intended bride of the evil Chaotica.
Meanwhile, the Doctor takes on the role of President of Earth, and even poor Tuvok is dragged in to assist Tom.
Voyager had plenty of laugh-a-minute episodes and “Bride of Chaotica” is high on that list.
S5E22: Someone to Watch Over Me
A fun-filled episode that is all about the heart is “Someone to Watch Over Me”.
Seven decides to take the next step in her evolution as a human being—dating! She enlists the help of her closest friend, the Doctor, and they decide on a few suitable candidates.
Seven is a great student and learns plenty from the Doctor, but her enthusiasm isn’t matched with her abilities—her dates get sprayed with lobster and end up with wrenched arms from dancing.
And all the while, the Doctor is slowly falling in love with Seven—which makes the ending so poignant and powerful, because Seven decides romance on Voyager isn’t for her.
Like I said, nothing is more Star Trek than the most non-human characters being human, and the Doctor’s sorrow at not being seen by Seven is truly sad. However, the two remain lifelong friends, which is brilliant.
S6E4: Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy
I have no shame in admitting that I have watched “Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy” an embarrassing amount of times. It is hilarious!
The Doctor has some of the best and funniest episodes on Voyager, and this one is definitely up there among the best.
Like Data before him, the Doctor is constantly trying to become more human—his latest endeavor has him adding a subroutine to help him daydream. Except, he does it wrong and ends up daydreaming constantly.
Worse, a nearby alien vessel taps into his daydreams and believes them to be reality—as a result, they believe that Voyager is a threat to them and come to attack.
Hilarity ensues as the Doctor has to be put in charge of the ship, with the Captain and B’Elanna in his ear feeding him instructions.
There are so many great moments from this episode that I’m grinning just remembering them.
S6E6: Riddles
Tuvok is a Vulcan, and they’re always restrained and logical. So, what happens when a Vulcan loses their memories? That’s the premise of “Riddles” but this episode is as much about friendships as anything else.
Anyone who has watched Voyager knows that Tuvok and Neelix have always had a tetchy relationship—not surprising considering their differing personalities.
But despite Tuvok’s often condescending approach to Neelix, the moment he’s hurt in “Riddles”, Neelix is the first person in Sickbay nursing Tuvok back to health.
As a result, the newly-revived but distinctly non-Vulcan Tuvok becomes Neelix’s closest friend. Which makes going back to his former self hard on both of them.
As I’ve mentioned, I don’t get the hate for Neelix—I think he’s an amazing character, and it’s exemplified in this episode.
Tim Russ is amazing as the stony-hearted Tuvok, but absolutely lights up the screen with the cake baking, cheery Tuvok of “Riddles”. This episode is so bittersweet, that it belongs on this list.
S6E10: Pathfinder
Remember Reg Barclay (Dwight Schultz) from Star Trek: TNG? He appears on Voyager, as well!
In “Pathfinder”, the always woeful Reg is obsessed with connecting with Voyager—so much so, that he has a holodeck program of them, where they are all his closest friends. We’ve all been there, Reg.
But sometimes, daydreaming in the holodeck can help—Reg discovers a new way to communicate with Voyager. If only someone in Starfleet would believe his fanciful ideas!
Episodes like “Pathfinder” that give an outside view of Voyager can sometimes be a disaster—but Reg is a character we already know and love, and his feelings about the crew mirror our own, so it works.
And seeing Reg’s hard work and belief finally be rewarded will have you grinning from ear-to-ear.
S6E14: Memorial
“Memorial” was a hard choice for this list—it’s another difficult watch but it’s also relevant to our times.
The crew of Voyager starts reliving memories of a war that resulted in heavy casualties—but they’ve never been to the planet or seen the species they are remembering. There must be a reason why these memories are invading their minds.
Our past impacts our future, and if there is one thing we can see in 2020, it’s that people who ignore the past are most likely to repeat it.
“Memorial” is about preserving those memories, even the ones that are too painful to remember—because forgetting is much worse.
You may have to white-knuckle it through this episode, but the experience will be a rewarding one.
S7E5: Critical Care
Voyager is nothing if not painfully relevant to our current messy world. Case in point, “Critical Care”. The Doctor is abducted by a ship where he is put in charge of caring for patients.
The only problem? The amount of care patients receive depends on their status in society. If that isn’t a critique of the current healthcare system, I don’t know what is.
“Critical Care” is another episode that doesn’t show the best side of the Voyager crew—but again, they do terrible things for the best reasons, and they are chastened by their experience.
Every time I watch “Critical Care”, I wonder at the prescience of the Voyager writers.
S7E8: Nightingale
I feel bad for not including more Harry Kim episodes on this list, but it’s so hard to choose just 25! However, “Nightingale” is a seminal Harry episode that sets up his future beyond Voyager.
An alien medical transport requires assistance returning home. But with their captain having been killed, Harry is volunteered to command their ship. Except, there’s something not quite right with this ship or the crew. Will Harry’s first command go well?
Had Voyager not been lost in the Delta Quadrant, Harry would have definitely risen up the ranks in a quick time. But Voyager has set roles and no room for promotion so Harry stays an Ensign way longer than he should have.
“Nightingale” shows us that despite his self-belief, Harry has some ways to go before being captain—however, the experience does him a world of good, and by the end of the episode, we all know that he is destined for great things once Voyager gets home.
S7E11: Shattered
I was tempted to add in every time-travel episode in Voyager, but had to edit my list because there are a fair few of them in the show.
But “Shattered” remains one of my favorites, making it a no-brainer for this list.
Sections of Voyager become fractured in time, and only Chakotay can pass across timeframes because of a Warp core accident. To save the ship, Chakotay needs to enlist the help of the crew—easier said than done when the crew is from the past and future.
“Shattered” finds a unique way of looking back at where Voyager began and how far it’s come. Chakotay has to team up with Captain Janeway on her first day on the ship, Seven when she’s still a Borg, an angry and vengeful B’Elanna while she’s still a Maquis, among others.
It’s fun to see how the crew were once at loggerheads and unsure of their future, and how they have become one big family that truly cares and depends on each other. Plus, there’s plenty of action and excitement, which makes ‘Shattered’ one of the most memorable Chakotay episodes out there.
S7E25: Endgame
Long before Avengers: Endgame, Voyager fans associated ‘Endgame’ with the finale of the series. A lot happens in this epic two-parter, which is packed with excitement, intrigue, and a plot that nobody saw coming.
Our beloved Captain takes center-stage here, with Kate Mulgrew playing two versions of Kathryn Janeway—Captain Janeway from the present, and Admiral Janeway from the future, who goes back in time to bring Voyager home sooner than in her timeline.
Admiral Janeway’s plan requires extensive modifications to the ship, tangling with the Borg Queen, and throwing part of the Starfleet rulebook out the airlock.
The stakes are high, especially once we learn about the people Admiral Janeway has lost—after seven seasons, any loss would be too much, and you can’t help but hope for the best even when the odds are stacked against the crew.
As series finales go, ‘Endgame’ is out of this world and a fitting end to a highly underrated sci-fi show.
And Now… The Conclusion
Voyager was a close friend when I was a teenager—I was so the Reg Barclay of our century—and I’ve made it my mission in life to share my love of the show with everyone I know. In many ways, the crew of Voyager felt more familiar than the other Trek crews, because they were the underdogs looking at their journey from the ground up.
Distilling seven exhilarating and memorable seasons into 25 episodes was a tough task—not that I minded reliving the show through this article! Voyager wasn’t always perfect (but then again, what is?), but the show has copped a lot of hate because it dared to be different.
It’s great to see people praise the show over two decades later—better late than never, as they say.
Here’s to 25 years of Voyager, and to many more years with our favorite ship and crew.