Happy birthday to Voyager! The fourth live action Star Trek series premiered nineteen years ago. We had made it a goal to re-watch all of the episodes from the beginning (as we accomplished with TNG) but we are still in season three.

Unhappy with a new treaty, Federation Colonists along the Cardassian border have banded together. Calling themselves “The Maquis,” they continue to fight the Cardassians. Some consider them heroes, but to the governments of the Federation and Cardassia, they are outlaws.

Voyager was the first Star Trek series to really show the tensions between a colonial power (the Federation) and its diverse sub-cultures (e.g., the abandoned Maquis). If you thought DS9 showed isolation and political/war tensions, Voyager took it up a notch.

Also a first, the first Star Trek female captain (Kathryn Janeway). Of note, they had considered many others for the role, including Lynda Carter and Linda Hamilton, but I am glad they picked someone who wasn’t too soft or too hard.

Did they go as far as they could have? No, nor were they able to get a movie made with the cast. However, they gave us many good stories, new friends, and some new enemies to despise; and we don’t mean the executive producers who tried to kill the show.

No matter where you find yourself in life, remember to be The Caretaker of your destiny and you will be closer to your dreams, even if you are far from home.

Laugh Long and Prosper.