Star Trek: Voyager - Season 6 [1996]

Amazon.co.uk Review

In their sixth season trying to return to the Alpha Quadrant, the crew of Voyager continues to find signs that they may be close to home. They ran across another Federation starship in the season 5 cliffhanger, "Equinox," which is concluded in action-packed fashion. Then they benefit from a brief communications link to home thanks to the ongoing efforts of The Next Generation's Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz), occasionally assisted by Counsellor Troi (Marina Sirtis). "One Small Step" sets Voyager on the trail of NASA's first manned mission to Mars (one of the bonus features details Robert Picardo's post-Trek work with NASA).

In other episodes, Torres (Roxann Biggs-Dawson) tests the limits of Klingon honor ("Barge of the Dead"), Tuvok (Tim Russ) stretches his emotions ("Riddles), Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Kim (Garrett Wang) embark on a new holdeck program, wrestling superstar the Rock makes a gimmicky guest appearance ("Tsunakatse"), a former crew member returns ("Fury"), and the crew discovers a group of abandoned Borg children ("Collective"). The two most interesting characters continue to be the Doctor (Picardo) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). The former stretches out numerous times ("Tinker, Tailor, Doctor, Spy," "Virtuoso," "Life Line"), and we learn more about Seven's Borg past in "Survival Instinct" and the season closer, in which Seven discovers that during regeneration she can enter a dream world called Unimatrix Zero. There she meets a number of mutated Borg who can exist in this world in their pre-assimilation state and who also present an idea for destroying the collective from within. The Borg Queen, however, discovers the plan and ends the season in a nightmarish cliffhanger that recalls the great Next Gen episode "The Best of Both Worlds." --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Favourite Season.......2005-09-25

This sixth season of Voyager is my favorite of the seven, as it moves above and beyond the typical storytelling style that has burdened the series in earlier seasons.
While there are a few less 'action' based episodes, there are plenty of situations where the characters really shine. The two that grew the most this season are without a doubt The Doctor and Seven of Nine.
The Doctor has a trilogy of great episodes. In 'Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy', he has uncontrollable daydreams. 'Virtuoso' sees him become a popular performer to a race who is new to music. In 'Life Line', he has a chance to meet and treat his creator, who is not exactly happy to see him.
Seven of Nine has much to contend with from her past as a Borg drone. In 'Survival Instinct', she recalls a time when she and several drones were severed from the collective for several hours. She must also deal with her growing human emotions; specifically her maternal instincts when she encounters Borg children in 'Collective', and the parents of one of these children in 'Child's Play'.
There are several more episodes that are truly exceptional.
'Equinox Part II' concludes the crews conflict with a rogue Starfleet vessel.
'Barge of the Dead' is a very powerful inner struggle for B'Elana as she is forced to face her Klingon heritage.
'Riddles' is a chance to see Tuvok outside of his usual Vulcan mannerisms.
'One Small Step' gives us an insight into Star Trek history when Voyager encounters the wreckage of an early Mars probe.
'Pathfinder' chronicles the efforts of TNG's Reg Barclay as he tries to make contact with Voyager from Earth.
'Fair Haven' introduces us to a charming Irish village created on the holodeck.
'Blink of an Eye' is a facinating story where Voyager observes a planet where time moves much quicker and they observe the evolution of an entire civilisation in a matter of days.
'Tsunkatse' is a chance to see Seven of Nine placed into personal combat as she is forced to fight in a violent television show.
In 'Good Shepherd', we meet three mis-fits in the crew, and Captain Janeway decides to take them under her wing to help them adjust.
In 'Live Fast and Prosper', the crew discover that con artists have impersonated them to steal from other species.
'Muse' is a clever take on theatre when B'Elana crash lands on a world during a Shakespereian time period.
'Fury' deals with the return of Kes in a fit of revenge.
'The Haunting of Deck Twelve' involes the invasion of a sinister non-coporial alien entity that takes control of the ship.
Lastly, 'Unimatrix Zero Part I' sees Voyager face the Borg once again as they discover a small number of drones who can return to an individule state during regeneration.

To conclude, a very worthwhile season. The seventh season also carries on the trends of this season, albeit with a rather rushed conclusion to the series. Still a strong season however. If you didn't like Voyager early on, give this season a try and you may be surprised.

DVD Review:

DVD Review List

DVD Review