By the time Season 6 of Star Trek: Voyager rolled around, the show had a comfortable groove and was still traveling at warp, rather than impulse, speed. This season would see more of the same types of episodes we had grown accustomed to before the show's creativity would lapse, only slightly, in the seventh and final year. (Let's face it, for whatever reason, the last year of every Star Trek show, save Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has been less than stellar.) Over the seven years, many people in front of and behind the camera made the show live and breathe and did their part to help keep the Trek star shining bright. We can't mention all of them here, but we will be sure to name-check a few where relevant.

"Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy"
Robert Picardo, when given the lead, will always provide excellent entertainment and this episode is a prime example. As the ill-treated EMH, at least in his opinion, we get some of the character's best moments, filled with the same type of pathos we see from the other unemotional or machine-like Trek characters (Spock and Data) who aspire to be more than what their nature intends. Picardo, being a natural comic, singer and actor, proves yet again that no piece of scenery is large enough that he cannot chew it and spit it out with aplomb.

"Barge of the Dead"
Long story short: B'Elanna Torres gets conked on the head, believes she's banished her mother to Klingon hell and tries to save her. The real story here is that the rare pairing of writers Bryan Fuller and Ron Moore provides an interesting twist to this Klingon tale. Sure, these two may have long since moved on to create and/or write other television shows (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me and Battlestar Galactica respectively), but they are responsible for many memorable moments on Star Trek. Fuller, of course, displayed his wit and energy with "Bride of Chaotica!" and Ron Moore is simply at the head of the class, along with Gene Coon, Gene Roddenberry, Dorothy Fontana, Ira Steven Behr and Brannon Braga in the Trek school of writing. You can watch this episode for two reasons: some nifty writing and the usual great set design. Kudos to art department stalwarts such as Richard James, Louise Dorton and Jim Mees.

"One Small Step"
Both a mystery-in-space and a history lesson, "One Small Step" helps puts a human face on the heroic, albeit fictional, astronauts that are destined to fill the exploratory void between now and the actual timeframe of Voyager. This Picardo-directed episode shows us that from the earliest days of space travel it's a dangerous game, complete with a new set of heroes that look death in the eye and carry on regardless. When the Voyager crew studies the history of the command module of a Mars explorer called the Ares IV, they learn more about their current dilemma, which is facing a huge mass of subspace energy. Lieutenant John Kelly, the crewman trapped inside the Ares IV, didn't survive his ordeal, but he certainly provided inspiration for future generations. Here's to the unsung heroes of space exploration!

"Blink of an Eye"
Not to be confused with the third season Star Trek episode "Wink of an Eye," "Blink" is certainly a nod and a wink to its predecessor. The problem for Voyager here is that they encounter a place where a tachyon core has created a space-time differential, which in English means that approximately one second on Voyager translates to one day on the planet. In no time, the ship appears to the people on the planet as a new star. A short time later, the ship is part of the planet's mythology. Engaging in its concept, "Blink of an Eye" highlights yet again what Star Trek is all about: a science fiction concept married to a morality tale that shines a light on the plight of our own existence.

"Survival Instinct"
"Reunited and it feels so good," or so the song goes. When a chance encounter brings Seven of Nine together with some of her old Borg compadres, she gets to relive her past and also decide, once again, the future for these disconnected drones. "Survival Instinct" is both a veiled statement on euthanasia and loyalty, while offering yet another glimpse at the systemized nature of the Borg. The flashback sequences of the Borg quartet, featuring STARTREK.COM favorites Vaughn Armstrong as "Two of Nine" and Bertila Damas as "Three of Nine," is compelling stuff, and Jeri Ryan as Seven is, once again, her usual great self.

"Pathfinder"
This episode kicks off a nice story arc with the comically neurotic Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) back in the fold, only he's based on Earth working on the Pathfinder project that is trying to make contact with Voyager. (This arc, by the way, will carry over right up to the end of the show in Season 7.) The wonderful Richard Herd (Admiral Paris) makes the first of several appearances in this role as Barclay's superior and Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi is always a welcome addition.

"Memorial"
As horrific as war is — in the cost of human lives, the injuries, the destruction and the emotional cost for the survivors — for some reason we never actually learn that violent engagements should be avoided at all costs. Pardon the editorial slant here, but if ever a Star Trek episode should be watched by political leaders it is this one, where people who may never have experienced war (sound familiar?) are forced to participate in it first-hand. This is courtesy of a kind of psychic memorial that makes those who come into close proximity feel as if they have undergone the rigors of an horrific battle that once took place on this planet. In fact, it isn't just the politicians who should watch this episode!

"Live Fast and Prosper"
On a lighter note … "Live Fast and Prosper" provides us with that rare thing in Star Trek, the episode with a more humorous slant. The Original Series had "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action," and Deep Space Nine had "Trials and Tribble-ations," but after that it's pretty slim pickings. The timely "identity theft" theme of this episode plays out well, featuring a group of aliens impersonating our trusty crew and giving them a bad name throughout the Delta Quadrant. Priceless stuff indeed.

"Collective"
If nothing else, this episode, where Voyager adopts a small clique of former Borg juniors, sent fans into a collective frenzy when the question of the youngest Borgster, a baby, is completely dropped as a throughline and never referred to again. But here we have the beginnings of a nice arc featuring the other Borg children that will also carry on into the seventh season. Manu Intiraymi as Icheb is a welcome addition as a part-time cast member.

"Tsunkatse"
Stunt casting? You must be joking. Star Trek would never resort to … okay, maybe this one time. When The Rock — a star in the ascendant who happened to be featured heavily on UPN's other hit at the time, WWF Smackdown! — was cast on Voyager, many fans cried foul. However, his actual part was not that much of a factor (he fought Seven of Nine in a "Gamesters of Triskelion"-style story) and other key Trek vets were on hand for this knockout tale of stolen crew and forced entertainment. Welcome back to the Star Trek fold Jeffrey Combs and J.G. Hertzler. Now-veteran Trek director Mike Vejar helmed this sweeps episode. Despite the cheesy promotional stunt, it was actually a great story between Hertzler's Hirogen character and a trapped but sympathetic Seven of Nine.