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OpticalData's Guide to Voyager
Season 1
| Episode | Title | Why should I watch it? | Is it optional? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | Caretaker | Included for obvious reasons. This sets up the entire premise of the show. | No |
| 3 | Parallax | This is an important episode as it establishes the Starfleet/Maquis command structure that remains for the rest of the series, also good character development for Janeway/Chakotay/Torres. | No |
| 4 | Time and Again | If you can get past the ridiculous costumes, it has good character development for Janeway/Paris and introduces Kes' telepathic abilities. | No |
| 5 | Phage | Introduces the Vidiians. | No |
| 6 | The Cloud | "There's Coffee in that nebula!" and beginning of the deeper Janeway/Chakotay relationship | Yes |
| 7 | Eye Of The Needle | Voyager's first glimpse of home... Except not. (NB: The events of this episode are explored further in the 'Dark Matters' book trilogy) | Yes |
| 8 | Ex Post Facto | Heavy Paris development, the first time we see him as the 'underdog' in a story | Yes |
| 9 | Emanations | Harry Kim development and introduction of Seska | No |
| 10 | Prime Factors | More Starfleet-Maquis clashes. Character development for Tuvok, Torres and Carey. | Yes |
| 11 | State Of Flux | Beginning of the Seska-Kazon arc and revelation of Seska's past. | No |
| 12 | Heroes And Demons | The series' first holodeck episode. Janeway sports a new haircut. | Yes |
| 13 | Cathexis | The crew is possessed by a disembodied Chakotay. | Yes |
| 14 | Faces | Further development of both the Vidiians and Torres' character. | No |
| 15 | Jetrel | Development of Neelix's backstory. This episode is referenced multiple times throughout the rest of the series. | No |
| 16 | Learning Curve | Tuvok character development. Starfleet-Maquis clashes. | Yes |
Season 2
| Episode | Title | Why should I watch it? | Is it optional? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | The 37's | The first time we get to see Voyager land. | No |
| 18 | Initiations | Chakotay gets captured by the Kazon and we see some of their culture. | Yes |
| 19 | Projections | Doctor-centric episode with good character development. | Yes |
| 20 | Elogium | Examines details of Kes's Ocampan biology which are referenced throughout the rest of the series | No |
| 21 | Non Sequitur | Kim gets transported to an alternate reality in which he is home and has everything he wants but decides to return to Voyager. | Yes |
| 22 | Twisted | General character development. A solid episode. | Yes |
| 23 | Parturition | Paris and Neelix fight over Kes and end up adopting an alien. Resolves the Tom/Neelix bickering and Neelix's jealousy. | No |
| 24 | Persistence of Vision | Reveals many characters' backstories, and one of the few times we see the relations of the Voyager crew. | No |
| 25 | Tattoo | Chakotay development, focussing on his spiritual beliefs. | Yes |
| 26 | Cold Fire | Wraps up questions from Caretaker. | No |
| 27 | Maneuvers | Seska outwits the Voyager crew and Chakotay is captured by the Kazon again. Setup for a plot line in Basics. | No |
| 28 | Resistance | Janeway character development. | Yes |
| 29 | Prototype | Torres character development, solid episode. | Yes |
| 30 | Alliances | Gives some back story to the Delta Quadrant. | No |
| 31 | Threshold | An infamously bad episode, on the order of "Spock's Brain". | Yes |
| 32 | Meld | Tuvok and Suder character development. Important for season resolution. | No |
| 33 | Dreadnought | A small insight to Maquis and Cardassian Technology. Janeway nearly sacrifices the ship. | Yes |
| 34 | Death Wish | The series' first Q episode. Looks into the issues of being a Q. | No |
| 35 | Lifesigns | Backstory about the phage and Vidiians, Doctor character development. Introduction of side characters. | Yes |
| 36 | Investigations | Important Paris development. (NB: Features a cameo from King Abdullah II of Jordan) | Yes |
| 37 | Deadlock | Deals with the Vidiians, the birth of a Naiomi Wildman, and the death of Kim prime. One of the best 'action' episodes of the franchise. Highlight: Kate Mulgrew acting vs herself. | No |
| 38 | Innocence | Tuvok crashes a shuttle and finds children on a planet, but all is not as it appears. Tuvok development. | Yes |
| 39 | The Thaw | One of the creepiest episodes of the franchise. | Yes |
| 40 | Tuvix | Poses some excellent moral dilemmas. What would you have done? | Yes |
| 41 | Resolutions | Sets up the will-they-won't-they element of the Janeway/Chakotay relationship and a chance to see what Voyager would be like with Tuvok in command. | Yes |
| 42 & 43 | Basics | Wraps up the Kazon arc. | No |
Season 3
| Episode | Title | Why should I watch it? | Is it optional? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | Flashback | Gives Tuvok some back story and develops Tuvok-Janeway relationship. Also features appearances from some TOS cast members. | Yes |
| 45 | The Chute | Kim and Paris development. Both go temporarily insane. | Yes |
| 46 | The Swarm | Doctor development. Highlight: Picardo vs Picardo | Yes |
| 47 | False Profits | Wraps up the TNG episode "The Price". Ferengi. | Yes |
| 48 | Remember | Torres has dreams about a major event in an alien society. | Yes |
| 49 | Sacred Ground | Good character development for Janeway. | Yes |
| 50 & 51 | Future's End | Introduction of The Doctor's mobile emitter that will be used throughout the rest of the series. (NB: Sarah Silverman guest stars) | No |
| 52 | Warlord | Showcases the acting abilities of Jennifer Lien (Kes). | Yes |
| 53 | The Q and the Grey | Details about the Q continuum. Introduces the recurring Female Q. | No |
| 54 | Macrocosm | Voyager is attacked by "macroviruses" in a Die Hard-like premise. | Yes |
| 55 | Fair Trade | Neelix stops being a guide and receives some backstory development. | No |
| 56 | Alter Ego | Kim and Tuvok development. | Yes |
| 57 | Coda | Develops Janeway | No |
| 58 | Blood Fever | Introduces a number of elements seen in later episodes and examines the Pon Farr | No |
| 59 | Unity | One of the few episodes that develops Chakotay properly. | No |
| 60 | Darkling | The Doctor becomes Jekyll & Hyde | Yes |
| 61 | Rise | Neelix and Tuvok get stuck in a lift | Yes |
| 62 | Favourite Son | Harry Kim almost starts an interstellar war and begins to turn into an alien. | Yes |
| 63 | Before and After | Introduces the Krenim. An interesting episode about what could have been. | No |
| 64 | Real Life | Character development for The Doctor. | No |
| 65 | Distant Origin | A solid episode, good Chakotay development. | Yes |
| 66 | Displaced | Development of Torres/Paris relationship. Comedy moments | Yes |
| 67 | Worst Case Scenario | Wraps up Seska arc and shows 'what could have been' with the Maquis/Starfleet joint crew. | No |
| 68 & 69 | Scorpion | First proper appearance of the Borg and introduces Species 8472 and Seven of Nine. | No |
Season 4
| Episode | Title | Why should I watch it? | Is it optional? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | The Gift | Departure of a series regular, wraps up Scorpion. | No |
| 71 | Day Of Honour | Important Paris-Torres development. | No |
| 72 | Nemesis | Chakotay and Beltran at their finest. | Yes |
| 73 | Revulsion | Tuvok gets promoted. A hologram tries to kill Torres. | Yes |
| 74 | The Raven | Important Seven backstory, referenced later. | No |
| 75 | Scientific Method | Quite a creepy episode if you think about it. Worth it to see Janeway go full crazy. | Yes |
| 76 & 77 | Year Of Hell | The best two parter of the series. What Voyager should have been. | No |
| 78 | Random Thoughts | Torres gets arrested for thinking a violent thought on a planet where they're a crime. Torres and Tuvok development. | Yes |
| 79 | Concerning Flight | Janeway development, end of a Holodeck distraction. | Yes |
| 80 | Mortal Coil | One of the few Neelix episodes where Ethan Phillips really gets to act. | No |
| 81 | Waking Moments | Chakotay development, excellent episode. | No |
| 82 | Message In A Bottle | Doctor development, referenced later in series. | No |
| 83 | Hunters | Introduces the Hirogen. | No |
| 84 | Prey | Continues Hirogen story, finalizes questions about 8472. | No |
| 86 & 87 | The Killing Game | Wraps up Hirogen arc. Jeri Ryan sings. | No |
| 88 | Vis à Vis | Tom Paris becomes a victim of body swapping. | Yes |
| 89 | The Omega Directive | A solid episode, Seven-Janeway relationship development. | No |
| 90 | Unforgettable | Chakotay falls in love with a woman he can't remember. Chakotay development. | Yes |
| 91 | Living Witness | Voyager's idea of a mirror universe episode. | No |
| 92 | Demon | A good episode, referenced later. | No |
| 93 | One | Good Seven development. | Yes |
| 94 | Hope and Fear | More Janeway-Seven development, consequences of Scorpion explored. | No |