In retrospect, Star Trek: Voyager was a series that deserved more credit than it received during its lifetime. Maybe this perception existed because it followed two great shows, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and expectations were understandably high. Today Voyager, in our humble opinion, can sit comfortably betwixt its two noble forerunners.

That said, the final season of Voyager was noticeably different in overall quality from the previous six. Any alterations to the final season could perhaps be attributed to changes at the top level. In order to spend more time developing Enterprise — what would become the next Star Trek series — executive producer Brannon Braga turned over show runner duties to veteran Voyager scribe and director Ken Biller. For whatever reason, call it the final season jinx if you will, we find it harder, only slightly, to pick the cream of the crop.

The beauty of the shiny disc we call the DVD is that we can, once again, go back to any point in the show's history and review it for ourselves and see first hand to make sure our memories aren't shaded by a particular rose tint. Below you will find a completely unbiased list of our faves. If you disagree (perish the thought!) make sure you visit your favorites and rate them yourself!

"Drive"
This episode gets an honorable mention for one simple reason: it's one of the few episodes in the Trek canon that deals with a race and one that isn't just against time itself. No, this is a bona fide race with other ships! With every conceivable topic covered in the (by this point) nearly 600 episodes, it's amazing that something so, um, human, could pass by with so little coverage. Tom Paris's Delta Flyer finally gets a look in as a racing machine, Paris and Torres tie the knot, and the Flyer flies off with a "Just Married" banner on it. Very nice.

"Critical Care"
Whatever one's politics, one thing most of us tend to agree on is that all people should be given reasonable and fair access to medical treatment. "Critical Care" is classic Trek in that its message is fairly obvious: healthcare systems, in particular HMOs, can be a Byzantine, even Kafkaesque, affair. By setting these complications in an alien world, a fairly obvious statement can be made about the inherent injustices. Within the confines of this story, it is the Doctor who is drawn into a foreign world and ends up exposing the malpractice of their system.

"Body and Soul"
An overriding theme in Season 7 is the nature of holographic beings (a.k.a. photonics) and their persecution. Due to a lack of understanding and fear, the very basis of most forms of racism, they are unfairly attacked, confiscated or destroyed. (This theme continues in the two-parter "Flesh and Blood.") Here we see how the Doctor would react were he given actual human senses, following an upload to Seven of Nine's cybernetic implants. As a hologram, he had existed only as a digital being with no real access to feeling through the senses. "Body and Soul" gives Jeri Ryan great opportunity to inhabit the spirit of the inimitable Robert Picardo.

"Q2"
Since the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation, fans had been treated to the occasional appearances of one John de Lancie as the nearly omnipotent being Q. De Lancie clearly relished the role and made his character one of the most popular and anticipated of all recurring characters. In "Q2" we see him for the last time (to date), along with his real-life son Keegan, who avails himself admirably playing Q the Younger, a.k.a the eponymous Q2.

"Homestead"
Although a familiar theme in Star Trek — settlers whose existence and/or livelihood is being threatened — "Homestead" provides us with a poignant send off for Neelix, one of the show's regular characters. Now, we know that Neelix may not have been everyone's cup of tea, but actor Ethan Phillips provided a unique life and vitality to this sometimes awkward character, qualities that few other actors could have provided. Once again, LeVar Burton adds the deft touch needed for this character's swan song.

"Author, Author"
More photonic hijinks as the Doctor pens the holonovel "Photons Be Free," a thinly-veiled autobiographical piece that describes ill treatment at the hands of various organic crewmembers. The details, of course, have been changed, but it can't stop the crew from wondering if the Doctor feels that he has been mistreated. It's a work of fiction, with valuable lessons, is the Doctor's defense, but the overall tone of the piece could be taken wrong. Continuing in the theme of photonic rights, "Author, Author" provides a sometimes humorous take on the futuristic publishing world.

"Flesh and Blood, Parts I & II"
While we're on the subject ... The Delta Quadrant, it turns out, is not such a nice place to be if you happen to be of the photonic persuasion. Beside photonic rights, the other theme revisited here is the good ol' Prime Directive. Janeway, three years ago, had provided the Hirogen with holo-technology so they could hunt prey realistically, but in a simulated environment. Of course, providing an alien race with a piece of technology, no matter how seemingly innocuous it may be, is always a bad, bad idea. Holograms adapt, advance and get reprogrammed to provide a more formidable prey, but they also gain things like feelings. The lesson here is that technology will advance to its highest level, given the chance.

"Lineage"
Once again a timely and challenging episode as advancements in genetic engineering heat up. Here, Torres learns she is pregnant, but has reservations when she learns the child will have temperament issues, not to mention will be marked as a Klingon by her pronounced forehead ridges. All this sends B'Elanna reflecting on an unhappy childhood where she was teased, and how she and her father became estranged. Torres concocts an elaborate scheme to get the Doctor to do some genetic alterations to make the child look more human, but Paris, naturally, takes offense. In the end she sees the error of her ways, but the ability to make unnatural changes still exist and pose bigger questions for future generations dealing with similar issues.

"Endgame"
We'll try to be kind here: In theory, this should have been a better finale than it turned out. There were some handy little plot devices that turned up, questionable motives by otherwise wise characters were invoked, and some downright funny hairstyles were on display. But the overall disappointment was this: After seven years in the Delta Quadrant the crew — and the audience! — deserved some closure. The ending was brief, unemotional and not at all satisfying. On the plus side, the special effects rocked and the acting, as ever, was superb. Still, a do over wouldn't hurt!