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After proving its long-term potential in season 2,
Star Trek: Voyager served up some of the best episodes in its entire seven-year history. The second-season cliffhanger was intelligently resolved in "Basics, Pt. II," and the fan-favorite "Flashback" placed Tuvok (Tim Russ) aboard the
U.S.S. Excelsior from
Star Trek VI, under the command of Capt. Sulu (
Star Trek alumnus George Takei). It was a brilliant example of interseries plotting, just as "False Profits" was a Ferengi-based sequel to the
NextGen episode "The Price." The two-part time-travel scenario of "Future's End" is a
Voyager highlight, with clear echoes (including dialogue lifted verbatim!) of
Star Trek's classic "The City on the Edge of Forever," featuring delightful guest performances by actress-comedienne Sarah Silverman and Ed Begley Jr. Character-wise, the season belonged to Kes (Jennifer Lien, whose tenure on the series was now near its end), Neelix (Ethan Phillips), and the Doctor (Robert Picardo), who shined (respectively) in "Warlord," "Fair Trade," and the surprisingly touching "Real Life" (the latter directed by "Potsie" himself,
Happy Days veteran Anson Williams). By infecting B'Elanna (Roxanne Dawson) with a fellow officer's "Blood Fever,"
Voyager delved into the turbulent Vulcan ritual of Pon Farr, while the cliffhanger "Scorpion" introduced the relentless, Borg-destroying villains of Species 8472, which would pose a continuing threat in subsequent episodes.
Season 3 had a few clunkers (the guilty pleasure "Macrocosm" puts Janeway in stripped-down "Ripley" mode against invading macro-viruses, and Ensign Kim is an awkward "Favorite Son" to a bevy of babes), but for every misstep there's a strong science-fiction concept, like the highly-evolved Hadrosaurs in "Distant Origin," which doubles as a compelling indictment of institutionalized repression. Overall, this is rock-solid Trek, and the DVD features are equally engaging, albeit growing more perfunctory (especially the season 3 summary) with each full-season release. Don't forget the Easter eggs hidden on the special-features menus, however; they contain some of the set's happiest surprises. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVD
cc"Braving the Unknown: Season Three": Writers and producers Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Jeri Taylor discuss highlights of year three, including "Basics, Part II," the two-parter "Future's End," and "Scorpion"
"Voyager Time Capsule: Neelix": Features a new interview with Ethan Phillips and others discussing the role of Neelix (includes a look at Ethan's current projects, including a role on Enterprise and starring with Armin Shimerman in a production of Hamlet)
"Voyager Time Capsule: Kes": Features a new interview with Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, and Tim Russ in addition to Jennifer Lien discussing her role on the series
"Flashback to 'Flashback'": A special look at the Voyager episode with guest star George Takei, "Sulu" (includes interviews with Takei, Tim Russ, and an exploration of how scenes from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country were re-created for this episode)
"Red Alert! Amazing Visual Effects": Visual effects wizards Dan Curry and Ronald B. Moore provide an inside look at amazing scenes from season three episodes, including "Basics, Part II," "Future's End," "Scorpion" and "Distant Origin"
"Real Science With Andr Bormanis": Bormanis introduces famed astrophysicists who examine the reality of space phenomena as seen on Voyager (includes comments on the Wormhole seen in "False Profits" and the supernova in "The Q and the Grey")
Photo gallery