- First female Captain, another first coming off the heels of Deep Space Nine’s inclusion of a non-white male lead to be Captain. Rewatching all the pilots it’s interesting to see the evolution of female crew members span all different levels of their ships from civilian positions, to Yeoman, medical officers (chief or otherwise), security detail, engineering, second in command, etc. and see a woman now in the highest position possible on the ship.
- “‘Ma’am’ is acceptable in a crunch. But I prefer ‘Captain’.” – Janeway meeting Kim and Paris
- Conflict between the Federation and the Maquis, who were former Federation officers who left due to differing opinion on how to treat the Cardassians. Usually conflict arose between the Federation and unaffiliated parties, but this series introduces internal conflict as well. A dissatisfaction will the government/military is a thing as more and more people become aware of the flaws in their leaders. The Federation is no longer completely infallible
- That Janeway’s crew subsequently becomes filled with such rogue figures, also allows for a realistic insight from different angles as to why people would do such things the Maquis do and how Starfleet is filled with imperfect people and learning to work together even when your opinions vastly differ
- Because of the nature of their voyage to these far reaches of space away from the Federation there is the sense that they have truly themselves become the “aliens” where everything is new and fresh to them.
- “Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager.” – Janeway introducing herself to Neelix
- “A very impressive title. I have no idea what it means, but it sounds very impressive.” – Neelix
- Even with the introduction of the Gamma Quadrant in DS9, there was an attachment to the familiar. Here, the crew of the Voayger is all that is familiar.
- Neelix is the “odd” character that Star Trek always features from Spock -> Data -> Odo. It’s his complete unfamiliarity with the starship and the Federation and all their cultures that make him the odd one out. Yet, there in his side of space and thus he becomes the source of information that they learn from rather than the other way around (barring the fact he does learn too).
- “Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager.” – Janeway introducing herself to Neelix
- The isolation of the show also gives a “survival of the fittest” feeling to it that no other Star Trek show has had to deal with and that fits alot with sociological and anthropological studies of community and what it takes to come together as a unit, or to rip each other apart; Like how Janeway and her crew came to join with the Maquis members, but made enemies of the Kazon.
Klaw's Lair 