7x25 Endgame

Well, it certainly is nice to see the character years after their return. Nice outlook about what the future might hold for them. It's sort of a reverse conclusion: first thing you understand that they make it back (no matter the exactcircumstances and duration of Voyager's considerably longer voyage in the original timeline). Not sure whether that's the most exciting approach to the show's finale but the structure is at least kind of unique. Plus, this structure takes away the satisfying and overwhelmingly emotional feeling of showing their homecoming (remember how emotional Neelix' farewell was although nobody actually liked him?). These emotional and gratifying scenes are replaced by fireworks and a fly-by (from a documentary aired years after their actual return), a rather distinguished cocktail party reunion and scenes of a rather settled life years after the final chapter of Voyager's itinerary that is this show (Plus, that's not even a future that will materialize, so I don't really care). And I don't understand why they depicted Janeway like this. I mean she was disliked by many 'cause she made unwise decisions and often bend Starfleet rules if that was in her favor. I was never that critical about her. I think she's an exemplary leader (only her character remained under-developed but that's the writers' fault) But here she pours more gasoline on the bonfires of her critiques: once again she clandestinely tries to manipulate timelines 'cause she wants to alleviate the pain she feels over the deaths of her fellow crewmen due to her decisions.

Back on Voyager, they try to close the story. But it feels totally isolated from previous episodes. It's like show runners were surprised they were cancelled and they needed to come up with a grand finale. Thus they had to show Icheb and Neelix one last time (and Tom panicking due to the imminent birth of his daughter). Some events hit you totally unprepared though. Like the Seven/ Chakotay story that used to be purely fictional and limited to the holo-deck before. Not very credible (this show was always bad in preparing romantic stories). And cause they wanted them to come home and they don't have much time they resorted to the Borg. Once again, they are the Swiss knife of story telling. No idea how to time travel? No idea how to fast-travel through space? No idea how to open funnels through space and time? No problem! Call the Borg-cavalry with the big guns. They have figured it all out for you. Thus you don't need to care about preparing the finale over the course of 25 episodes. Nor you have to care about the sci part in "sci-fi". From the moment the Borg emerged from the nebula, it's clear that their technology will provide the quick way out.

That first part of the finale is an 8/10 though. Its unusual story structure, its entertainment factor and the simple fact that this is the beginning of the long awaited end of the journey makes this episode special although there's a lot to criticize about how they handled the finale of this show.

PS: I appreciate the fact my beloved little Ocean State got a decently sized ship named after her. Too often my home state is overlooked and inappropriately used as a unit for strange size comparisons.