Okay, so I've been posting these comments on LJ as I watched each disc, but I decided to wait until I'd watched the whole season to move these "reviews" here.
(Comments about the "original" Janeway at the end.)
Caretaker:
First things first - Neelix did not annoy me, surprise, surprise. I remember that he annoyed me, but perhaps he didn't annoy me from the very first, or maybe this is just another of those little ways in which my opinion has changed. Perhaps.
PS - The Doctor didn't annoy me either. However, unlike Neelix I remember that I didn't dislike the Doctor from the first moment he appeared - I think by the end of season one he was starting to annoy, but I didn't hate him at first. So, I'm wondering if this may also be the case with Neelix, but because I ended up disliking him so badly I just remember hating him from the moment I saw him.
Incidentally, Caretaker wasn't near as cringeworthy as I was expecting. In fact, I found it to be a fairly decent episode.
And it was nice to see where my VOY shipping first come from. Yes, certain events in Caretaker started my shipping. However, I know those who read this journal are perfectly aware that Janeway/Paris is my OTP here, but I'd forgotten that I didn't start shipping J/P from the very first episode.
Torres/Kim got me first, because there are just too many moments where (for me) Torres and Kim seem to really and deeply connect: then and still now. And to my surprise (I'd honestly forgotten or was placing the next couples interaction later one in the series) this is what started me shipping Chakotay/Paris, not that I found them to really and deeply connect, but there was some very large sparkage between them and it is yummy!
Strange that neither of those become my OTP, because usually my OTP tends to be the ship (ships) that I sailed longest. But in this case I do remember Janeway and Paris really sparking for me later on. I just can't remember when it starts - I think it may be when they share a game of pool, but it might have happened before that.
And, sadly, Torres/Kim kinda just faded away for me at some point. I know I ended up shipping Torres/Seven, but my love for T/K started fading before Seven joined the cast. Now I can't remember when T/K lost its shine, but I am wondering if I'll remember the point when it happened, or if T/K was one ship that just slowly faded and then died out for me. I do know I started shipping Janeway/Paris before they (the PTB) started laying heavy handed hints for Janeway/Chakotay, because if I hadn't I might have jumped on J/C instead of J/P.
Torres/Kim could have started its fade when I started seeing hints (I remember there being some) for Chakotay/Torres. But that didn't happen until season two or three, I believe. And by that point, C/T found itself totally overshadowed by my J/C/P love.
Anyway...
Parallax (the third episode) - Oh, hello, long-lost cringe. The only parts of this episode I really liked and found watchable was the Janeway/Chakotay/Torres (totally NOT shippy) stuff. And then not even all of that was free of cringe - Janeway and Torres girlpower bonding was plenty cringeworthy at moments. The contention between Janeway and Chakotay (on the other hand) was truly wonderful.
Now I have already watched Time and Again (the fourth episode), but I didn't watch it at the same time as I watched the others.
And hello, annoying Neelix. Yep, good ol' Neelix IS going to annoy me this time around as well. To be honest, I'm a bit thankful about that, because I was finding it hard to believe that my opinion of the character would have changed so much. So, while he didn't annoy from the start, he started to annoy very close to the start. However, this IS the episode where Kes really started growing on me. I also believe this is the episode where I started feeling the beginnings of Janeway/Paris love.
To be honest, all the above is rather strange considering that I did not love the episode Time and Again very much at all. Part of that, but not all, is because of the stupidly large reset button that was employed first during this episode. We go through all this growth and stuff only to have it cancelled out. So, hello VOY that I remember.
PS - I should mention that at this point I really do (and did) like the Doctor. Like I said, though, I remember that I didn't hate the Doc from the moment I saw him, but I fully expect to start finding him annoying before season one is over.
Disc Two:
Phage - I did NOT remember the Vidiians being introduced season one. Shoddy memory, has to be, because the episode was surprisingly good. But, seriously, I didn't think the Vidiians were introduced until sometime in season two. So, it was a surprise to me to see them this early.
*le sigh* With both "Phage" and "The Cloud" I liked Neelix, I expecially liked him in The Cloud. So, now I'm starting to really wonder where in the world my extreme Neelix-hate come from. Maybe... Okay, so I remember that I started out not hating the Doctor, as well, but I do honestly remember hating Neelix for a long long time. Maybe he truly didn't start annoying me (like the Doctor) until later on in the shows run, but because I grew to hate him so badly I remember disliking him longer than I actually did.
Or (damn it all) am I just going to actually like Neelix this time around?!
I must admit that Eye of the Needle is a good solid episode - a little slow in a few places, but still a good episode. Nice use of the Romulans and wormholes. And I didn't actually cringe once while watching this one.
*sigh* There was some great (And I do mean GREAT!) Torres/Kim bonding, even better than in Caretaker, I think. I may never be able to understand why Paramount didn't sail the T/K ship, I mean early on this was the ship they seem set to do. I wonder what, if anything, changed their minds.
Actually, to be honest, Ex Post Facto wasn't a bad (or cringe-worthy) episode either. I thought I'd remembered this one making me cringe in a few places, but if it did before, this time it did not. It also didn't have those slowish moments that plagued Eye of the Needle, but somehow I still enjoyed Eye of the Needle more.
I was also pretty certain this was where I started to truly ship Janeway/Paris (I mentioned that Time and Again made me think about it, briefly, but I didn't start actively shipping them there), but now I don't believe it was, because nothing jumped out at me as overtly shippy with them here. However, while there might be some shippy stuff to be found between them during this episode, I'm sure first time around it wouldn't have been enough to drag me onboard the ship.
Now I'm starting to wonder if there was actually a specific episode where I started shipping Janeway/Paris or if this was a ship that just gradually built up for me instead of having a specific episode smack me over the head.
I was already shipping Janeway/Paris BEFORE Threshold, that much I am sure of!
Because I have noticed that in some of these early episodes Janeway can seem unusually interested in and concerned about Tom Paris. So my shipping could have been a gradual thing based on more subtle stuff instead of having it come upon me as suddenly as T/K or C/P did.
Doctor and Neelix Watch!
Still not disliking them, at least not consistantly - Neelix HAD one moment (from the first disc) where he bugged me, but that is IT! But then The Cloud came along and had me damn near cheering for him. IT'S A WORLD GONE MAD, I tell you!
Disc Three:
Emanations
And the Torres/Kim beat goes on. Aside from that I was kinda bored with the episode. It was certainly an interesting idea to play with and I admit the writers handled it surprisingly well. But the episode was slow and draggy.
So I only give it four out of five stars. It doesn't really deserve four, but the content was handled so well that I couldn't bring myself to give it less.
Prime Factors
I actually remembered this one more clearly than most - most of season one has apparently fallen out of memory (save Caretaker, Time and Again, and bits and pieces of the rest), but I remembered most of this episode.
I also remember being really suspicious of Gath originally. I don't know if they made him good ol' Gath behave suspiciously on purpose or if I'm just overly paranoid. But I think it was on purpose, because even though I knew the ending this time, I still found myself thinking that Janeway shouldn't have trusted him at all.
*sigh* Apparently, I was also opened up to the possibility of Janeway/Tuvok before I was Janeway/Paris, because I remember this episode and the subtext between J/Tu here being amazing. And, yes, it was still amazing this time around. I think if this show was aring today I might have become more of a Janway/Tuvok shipper than a Janeway/Paris one. But at the time I knew Tuvok was married, and so I tended to only dip my toes into J/Tu.
There was also more good Torres/Kim moments. But in this case, those were completely overshadowed by Janeway/Tuvok. Of course, T/K has the advantage (so far) of being more consistant. LOL I just know if this show were airing today, I'd be rabidly shipping Torres/Kim, Chakotay/Paris, and Janeway/Tuvok. *coughs* Anyway...
This one gets five out of five stars - though I do think Janeway was WAY too harsh on B'Elanna Torres here. She gets totally dressed down, while Tuvok gets what amounts to a slap on the wrist.
State of Flux
I admit that I only remember bits and pieces from this episode. By the time I finished I remembered everything, but going in I was starting to wonder if I'd even seen this episode.
*sigh* However, I remember (back in the day) thinking Seska was an all right character right up until this episode. By the time she left, I was glad she was gone, and honestly hoping we wouldn't see/hear from her again. On the other hand, it might have been more interesting to have a Cardassian on VOY - if they hadn't screwed said Cardissian up with the rabid crush on Chakotay. But I suppose they didn't want to go there since they had Garak on DS9.
Anyway, the Kazon really come into their own here. Admittedly, I found them annoying, but that is because I remember the Kazon being rammed down my throat by this show later on. In this episode they were actually all right.
There was also some GREAT Chakotay/Tuvok interactions. Seriously, I don't mean shippy, I just mean the interactions were awesome. Though, of course, if I wanted, I could twist them shippy, but I don't really think they were.
Three out of Five stars, would be four, but the Seska crush was just bad.
Doctor and Neelix Watch!
Not really in the previous three episodes enough to really bother me, yes even Neelixs' food thing in State of Flux was actually kinda cute. GRR-ARG! But outside of that they weren't really shown enough to bother or dazzle me.
Heroes and Demons
Well, when this episode first started my thought was "Bring on the Cheese!" That is actually why I delayed watching it, because I remember kinda loathing it originally. But the truth is that while there was some cheese, the entire episode was not made of cheese.
This was a pretty good episode for the Doctor. However, it was a little slow and cheesy in places, so it only gets three out of five stars.
PS - Even Captain Janeway knows Torres and Kim got sometin going on. Okay, maybe not, but she did believe Kim would totally be willing to give up his free time to help Torres out.
In closing - When the sam hell did I start shipping Janeway/Paris? I was certain this happened during season one, but I'm no longer certain that is the case. There's been some J/P moments, but the ones we've had so far would NOT have made me a shipper originally, certainly not the somewhat rabid one I become. And I remember there being lots and lots of J/P subtext, but maybe it didn't really get going until season two.
PS - You know, I've noticed that these discs don't have ANY special features and I'm wondering why Paramount is still (to THIS day) trying to get away with charging a hundred bucks a season for these bare bones DVDs - the special features disc better be made of awesome! Awesome, I tell you!
Disc Four:
Cathexis
Ah, I was sure Janeway's holonovel stuff was introduced in season one. Of course, I also thought I started shipping Janeway/Paris in season one and that has turned out not to be the case. So, I was beginning to think maybe the holonovel (crap) stuff didn't happen in season one either.
You know, sadly, I think this holonovel subplot was a good idea - at least in theory. It was the sitting they chose which made the whole thing deadly dull. Maybe if they'd had Janeway "playing" something different it would have worked better. In fact, I'm sure of it. However, the holonovel did seem very much Janeway, so I'm not sure something more interesting would have fit her.
Other than that there wasn't anything about this episode that I actually remembered.
*sigh* You know, I am starting to believe it is the interactions between Neelix and Kes which made me really dislike Neelix, because so far those are the only times I find myself getting truly annoyed with Neelix.
Well, not the only times, but I'll get to those momentarily.
Overall this episode wasn't bad, wasn't one of Voyagers best, but it wasn't one of the worst either.
Faces
I remember this episode. *grins* Awesome episode all around, and awesome for B'Elanna - it was truly a pleasure to see this episode again.
Now back to Neelix and characters they have him interact with that annoy me. Neelix and Tuvok interacting is a bit annoying, and I know this will get worse for me.
Somebody really thought Tuvok/Neelix (non-shippy, or maybe it was shippy, but not for me!) interaction was da BOMB! Because I remember at least two more episodes of heavy (annoying) T/N interaction.
You know, this might be the episode where someone (of the PTB) got the idea for the Paris/Torres ship. And even me (the Anti-Shipper) must admit that they had some really good interaction here. Though I can't say their interaction was overly shippy and clearly it took three years for the PTB to run with P/T. But I must admit that some of the interaction here is on the level with earlier Torres/Kim interaction.
The problem is, that Tom isn't acting with the whole B'Elanna in this episode. He's interacting with the human part of B'Elanna. Here's the thing, Tom and the human B'Elanna might would have made an awesome coupling, where as Tom and the whole B'Elanna did not.
*coughs*
Anyway, because they failed to have some good interaction between Tom and a whole B'Elanna I can't really call the stuff here good foreshadowing for the later Paris/Torres "romance," because while they did share and connect here, they weren't connecting completely because B'Elanna herself was incomplete.
Jetrel
ARG! Despite a few bumps in the road, I am afraid that I am going to end up liking Neelix this time around. As I've already said, so far the only time he seems to really bother me is in his interactions with Kes and Tuvok, and even then not every interaction he has with those two are annoying.
Ah, I spoke too soon - fifteen minutes in and we have annoyance. And not because he's interacting with Kes or Tuvok, and not off the charts, but it was still there!
Then it was gone. *sigh* This was a very good episode for Neelix. *cries* I am going to end up liking, or at least not hating Neelix this time, aren't I? GRR-ARG!
Learning Curve
Boy, Janeway's holodeck stuff is really boring - I caught myself fastforwarding even though I had told myself I was going to watch every bit of every episode. I couldn't bring myself to rewind.
*sigh* The rest of the teaser isn't much better. Granted it does what it needs to do in sitting up the rest of the episode, but it is oh-so-boring.
On the other hand, when I thought this might truly be the start of tensions between Maquis and Starfleet I was probably on the edge of my seat. Yes, I did love the idea that certain Maquis crewmembers having trouble fitting in. That is a plot-line that should have played out for more than one episode, or just being the elephant in the room that would crop-up every so often.
And, honestly, having Tuvok be the one trying to train the Maquis crewmembers was one of Janeways more bone-headed ideas. Now that isn't to say that I thought the idea behind her decision was bogus. She did have a point, it wasn't Chakotay or other the other Maquis in power that needed to earn their respect. But the fact is Tuvok was probably the worst choice she could have made, despite his teaching history. Again, though, because of that history I can almost understand why Janeway chose him. However, I do think she should have pointed out that the cadets he taught in Starfleet wanted to be there, the Maquis he was teaching did not, so he would need to be a bit more flexable.
The truly sad thing is that I really thought it was Janeway that opened his eyes to this fact instead of Neelix. Seriously, I kept waiting for Janeway and Tuvok to have that talk. So imagine my surprise when I realized it wasn't Janeway who had the chat with him.
And, of course, it turned out alright in the end. But that is part of the problem. This should have lead to even more tensions instead of ending all hearts and flowers, because Tuvok was just a bad choice for instilling Starfleet ideals in folks that didn't want to be in Starfleet.
There was a also a bit of Torres/Kim interaction that made me smile, though nothing truly shippy in and of itself. Actually, some (I say SOME) of the training itself made me smile. But moving on...
I'd like to know who the hell decided that Tuvok and Neelix needed to interact more. Although honesty forces me to admit their interactions in this episode weren't all bad - just not as funny nor engaging as I suspect the PTB meant it to be.
Disc Five:
Not worth the price of admission. Of course, since I didn't pay, I was not as disappointed as I would have been if I'd paid.
And the disc is worth seeing. There was plenty of good stuff, but I'll talk about the two Janeway's, and there are differences. For one, I think Genevieve Bujold as Janeway would have been better able to sell me on the rigid adherence to Starfleet protocals and ideals. Kate Mulgrew as Janeway just never seemed quite right when she was being so rigid about the rules. But I think there are other benefits to having Mulgrew instead of Bujold.
For example, a great many people shipped Janeway, and I just don't think Bujold's Janeway would have been as shippable. Nor am I sure that I would have bought Bujold's Janeway securing the help of Tom Paris. In other words, I can by Mulgrew's Janeway as something of a maverick, but not Bujold's.
However, I want it noted that I am NOT bashing nor dissing Bujold, because I truly do believe she could have played Janeway (as originally written) better than Mulgrew did. It just seems to me that Mulgrew's Janeway didn't really come into her own until the PTB backed off and let Mulgrew insert more of herself in the role. Whereas I think Bujold could have played the "as written" Janeway better, or at least some things would have seemed more natural (and believable) with Bujold's Janeway than they did with Mulgrew's.
Of course, I enjoyed shipping Janeway, so I am glad (in the end) Mulgrew got the role. Because I doubt very seriously (given the snippets I saw) that I would have been near the Janeway shipper I was with Bujold in the role that I ended up being with Mulgrew in the role.
Final Note: I may not be doing this for every episode of season two. It's just that I know I went though the whole review/comments thing when I watched this series originally, and while it is fun to compare and contrast my now thoughts with my original thoughts - there are a few times where I simply cannot recall my original thoughts all that well.