Star Trek: Voyager turned a major corner in its fourth season. The personality of the show was completely redefined with the introduction of Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, the ex-Borg struggling with her humanity, who served in a sense as Janeway's "Spock." The tone of the show also turned distinctly darker as the Borg became a recurring nemesis to Janeway and her crew (though the Borg Queen wouldn't make her Voyager entrance until Season 5). This was also the season in which the lost ship finally made contact with Starfleet, lifting somewhat the sense of isolation from the familiar Star Trek universe. Here we take a look at some of the more notable episodes and moments from Season 4.

"Scorpion, Part II"
As mentioned, this is when we get to meet "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 0-1" and when Jeri Ryan caught the eye of an admiring public. Unmistakably she was there to bring sex appeal to the show, but not in a shallow, easy way — Seven of Nine's story was intricate, her character complex, and her arc of growth an exploration of the human condition. In other words, she wasn't just a babe in a catsuit, but a highly intriguing character, watchable in every sense. In her first episode, she was at the center of a battle of wits between two allies who couldn't trust each other as far as they could spit (if Borg even have saliva), and the once-human drone saw her life change radically as a result of a scheme called "Scorpion."

"The Gift"
Sadly, the arrival of a new character meant the departure of another. The second episode of a season in which Jennifer Lien was listed as a guest star, not a principal, was Kes' swan song. Her psychic abilities had increased to the point where she was ready to transcend this plane of existence, and with a spurt of supernatural ability and a generous spirit, she thrust Voyager 9,500 light-years forward, safely beyond Borg space, 10 years closer to home. (Why she couldn't just as easily have taken it all the way is anyone's guess.) Of course, Kes comes back a couple of years later as less than a happy camper, but that's another story.

"Day of Honor"
This episode with B'Elanna Torres at the center was just cool in a number of ways. For one thing, it was fun to see B'Elanna's modern-woman reactions to the dramatic affectations of ancient Klingon rituals. And after always hearing about "ejecting the warp core," we finally get to see it with our own eyes. And you gotta admit, the manipulative dialog of the weaselly Caatati is pretty memorable. B'Elanna and Tom's predicament of being left floating in space to die was great science fiction. But the coup de grāce was one of the show's finest visual moments — the reflection of Starship Voyager in B'Elanna's helmet, arriving in the nick of time.

"Nemesis"
This episode — whose name was so cool it had to be used for a movie — is one of the most striking moral tales of the series. Worthy of anything Gene Roddenberry could come up with, this story brought home a devastating truth about the human condition: that once prejudice gets into your system, it's really hard to get it out. Also notable was the refreshing twist that for once, the people who look like us are the bad guys, and the "ugly" ones are the good guys. This episode should be required viewing in these times.

"Revulsion"
No, we're not intentionally counting off each episode in a row — it just so happens that all of the first five episodes of the season are on our list as some of the most notable. What stands out about "Revulsion" is the outstandingly manic performance of Leland Orser as the psycho-hologram "Dejaren." This is one of the early episodes dealing with discrimination against "holographic lifeforms," a theme which was a bit overused in later seasons. But here, there's little sympathy for a disgruntled isomorph who turns his feelings of victimization into a killing spree. A nice sci-fi thriller.

"Year of Hell, Part I and Part II"
This epic adventure through the time-space continuum holds an important lesson: We live in an interconnected universe. You cannot harm or destroy one aspect of it without causing repercussions to others, particularly yourself. This intricately devised premise by Joe Menosky and Brannon Braga was a mind-bender, but also an exciting action-adventure. Nothing wrong with making people think about esoteric concepts while they watch their heroes ram their beloved starship into the enemy vessel. One complaint, though: Acknowledging the need for a "reset switch" at the end, it would have been nice if the writers could have found a way for the characters to retain their memory of the experience.

"Mortal Coil"
This was a key episode for Ethan Phillips' "Neelix" and for the deepening of Talaxian culture. Neelix undergoes an existential crisis when he is brought back from death by Borg nanoprobes. By any reasonable interpretation of his people's faith, Neelix's life is no longer worth living. Even seeking solace from Chakotay's spiritual practices affirms that conclusion. But in the end he realizes that living in the moment and having something to offer others does make it all worthwhile. A bit corny, perhaps, but an interesting statement about relying on arcane belief structures.

"Message in a Bottle"
This is easily one of the most popular episodes of the season among fans. It was very Next Generation in its feel, with a cool new tactical starship called the Prometheus, and a situation involving the ever-treacherous Romulans. And what an interesting choice to cast Andy Dick as the "next generation" of the EMH, who can't help but tweak the Doctor's ego. A great entertainment overall. Of course, this was a major turning point in the timeline of Voyager, in that Starfleet finally became aware that Captain Janeway's crew was alive and well. Oh, and it was a nice touch that we saw Starfleet personnel in the DS9-style uniforms. Interesting that nobody aboard Voyager ever thought to say, "Hey, maybe we should update our wardrobe too?"

"Hunters"
Following up from "Message in a Bottle," in the first tentative attempt at communication, Starfleet is finally able to send Voyager letters from home. What was most striking about this development was that the Voyager crew finally learned about the Dominion War. Chakotay and Torres in particular were blown away by the news that the Maquis — including all their friends — were annihilated by the Cardassians and their Gamma Quadrant allies. This episode also introduced the Hirogen, a new species with a unique value system (per the title), who would prove to be a formidable nemesis in situations to come.

"The Omega Directive"
You wouldn't normally think of the Borg as being spiritual creatures, but "Star Trek: First Contact" started to change that notion. Here, we get deeper into what the Borg consider to be an almost mystical imperative which informs their actions and their being. The Omega Molecule represents perfection to them, and despite its obvious dangers, they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. It's the Delta Quadrant's version of the Holy Grail, and a glimpse into the very nature of creation itself, if Seven of Nine's experience is any indication. Some cool sci-fi mythology, unique to the Star Trek universe.

"Living Witness"
Despite an implausible premise (an EMH backup module? ... why hasn't that been mentioned before?), this was a really fun episode. It's Voyager's version of "Mirror, Mirror." We get to see the actors play evil variations on their characters, with costumes and sets re-envisioned from an unsympathetic bias. It also makes a valuable statement about how we interpret history. Truth may win out in the long term (which is an idealistic thesis at best), but rarely is it expedient in the short term. Enough soapbox. Go and enjoy your new DVDs!