Voyager’s 10 Best Season 3 Episodes Made Captain Janeway’s Crew Stronger In The Delta Quadrant

adminMarch 23, 2025

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Star Trek: Voyager is one of those classic shows that improved with every season. By season 3, it is safe to say the fifth Star Trek show had finally come into its own. Season 2’s finale was a two-part episode that bridged the gap between the second and third seasons, and, more importantly, it concluded the ship’s conflict with the controversial Kazon. After the opening episode, the USS Voyager was in a new part of the Delta Quadrant, unburdened by expectations, enemies, or allies. That was the perfect setup for Voyager season 3 to take the series to new heights.

Naturally, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Voyager‘s cast of characters were able to unlock new storylines and interactions in season 3, and the episodes reflect that. In season 3, Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and Captain Janeway forge a stronger working relationship, Neelix (Ethan Phillips) grows into a more well-rounded character, and the Doctor (Robert Picardo) becomes more human than ever before. Across its 26-episode run, Voyager season 3 delved deeper into the inner lives of every member of Voyager’s crew, and in so doing transformed the show into the iconic series it is today.

10

“The Q And The Grey”

Episode 11 Brings Q Back To Voyager

It is always fun to revisit the Q Continuum, and John de Lancie’s second appearance on Voyager is no exception. The Voyager season 2 episode, “Death Wish” established contact between Q and Voyager, and “The Q and the Grey” revealed that Q was so impressed with Captain Janeway’s actions that he saw her as a potential mate. The ultimate reveal that Q mates by touching fingers is a particularly humorous twist in an already fun episode.

John de Lancie as Q in Star Trek: Voyager, TNG, and Picard

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Q’s one of the best-loved of Star Trek’s cosmic beings, and he’s appeared in multiple Trek shows, to wildly differing responses from each Captain.

The only reason “The Q and the Grey” isn’t ranked higher on this list is that it is mostly a fluff episode, and the Confederate costumes worn by some of the Q Continuum didn’t age particularly well. Nevertheless, “The Q and the Grey” is an undeniably fun episode of Star Trek. De Lancie’s take on Q is so delightfully capricious that you cannot fault him for once again failing to zap Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant, and watching him make Captain “Kathy” Janeway his baby’s godmother is undeniably endearing.

9

“Favorite Son”

Episode 20 Gives Ensign Kim The Recognition He Deserves

Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) is, in many ways, like a son to Captain Janeway. She holds him to a higher standard than the rest of the crew and feels outsized guilt that he was stranded in the Delta Quadrant at such a young age. But despite, or perhaps because, of Captain Janeway’s affections, Ensign Kim rarely gets the recognition that he deserves. Indeed, the finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks makes a joke out of the fact that Harry Kim remains an ensign in almost every reality. “Favorite Son,” shows the dark side of giving Kim more recognition.

Custom image of Garrett Wang as Harry Him in Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Lower Decks

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A mostly female alien species claims Ensign Kim as one of their few males, and for a while, it seems like Ensign Kim is finally getting the respect and recognition he has so desperately craved for three seasons. Of course, the aliens only wanted Harry Kim to drain his life essence. On the whole, “Favorite Son” gives Ensign Kim the spotlight to flesh out his character all the more fully. At times, the episode can feel a little goofy, but it’s undeniably instrumental in the young ensign’s character development.

8

“Flashback”

Episode 2 Reveals Tuvok’s Past

Vulcans are a fairly secretive species in The Original Series and The Next Generation. Lt. Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ) was Star Trek‘s first take on a full adult Vulcan in Starfleet, and Voyager season 3 goes deeper into what makes Tuvok special. “Flashback” offers interesting insights into Lt. Commander Tuvok’s backstory, showing his first stint in Starfleet as an ensign on Captain Hikaru Sulu’s (George Takei) ship. At the time, Tuvok had a strong distaste for humanity and Starfleet, and “Flashback” reveals how a species as long-lived as Vulcans can grow and change over a lifetime.

From the first episode of Voyager, Captain Janeway and Tuvok were always close. In “Flashback,” that closeness comes to a head with the most intimate experience a human and a Vulcan can share: a mind meld. The only drawback to an otherwise excellent episode is how “Flashback” resolves. It turns out Tuvok’s flashbacks are caused by a virus, which the Doctor is able to destroy. In other words, the resolution of “Flashback” is less interesting than the episode’s overall plot. Still, “Flashback” is an incredibly revelatory episode about who Tuvok is as a character, and I love it for that.

7

“Blood Fever”

Episode 16 Proved Lt. B’Elanna Torres Needs No Man

The Pon Farr is one of the most iconic inventions of The Original Series, and Voyager‘s take on the Vulcan mating ritual in the Delta quadrant is as tense as it is entertaining. “Blood Fever” combines an excellent mix of a traditionally fun Star Trek concept, Pon Farr, and some very important character development for Lieutenants Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson). When young Vulcan ensign, Vorik (Alexander Enberg), infects Lt. Torres with the Pon Farr, she is forced to confront emotions left brewing under the surface since Voyager season 1.

T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) went through the Pon Farr in the Star Trek: Enterprise season 2 episode, “Bounty.”
Spock (Leonard Nimoy) went through the Pon Farr in Star Trek: The Search for Spock and the TOS season 2 episode “Amok Time”
Tuvok went through the Pon Farr in the Voyager season 7 episode “Body and Soul.”

“Blood Fever” forces Lts. Paris and Torres to confront their feelings for one another, setting up one of Star Trek‘s best romances. But, more importantly, “Blood Fever” fundamentally subverts Lt. Torres’s expected role in the Pon Farr. When Ensign Vorik invokes kal-if-fee, the same Vulcan ritual combat featured in TOS‘s “Amok Time,” Lt. Torres does not stand aside and let the men fight over her. Instead, “Blood Fever” gives Lt. Torres the awesome, empowering, moment of fighting for herself.

6

“The Chute”

Episode 3 Pushed Lt. Paris and Ensign Kim To The Limit

Lt. Tom Paris and Ensign Harry Kim have been friends since Voyager‘s first episode, “Caretaker.” In two seasons of friendship, the pair rarely fought seriously, so the strength of their friendship went untested. “The Chute” pushed Lt. Paris and Ensign Kim to their absolute limits, stranding them in an alien jail without hope of rescue. The clamp placed on their necks brought existing tensions to the surface and forced the pair to confront feelings they might otherwise have left unstated. On the whole, “The Chute” proved just how strong the ties that bind Voyager‘s closest comrades were.

Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris in Star Trek Voyage

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Arguably more impressively, “The Chute” made Neelix into an acutely useful part of the crew. Since Neelix initially joined as a guide – a role that became less and less important the further Voyager got from Talaxian space – and frequently served as comic relief, “The Chute” was one of Neelix’s first chances to be useful in his own right. Neelix’s ship was what allowed Voyager to rescue Lt. Paris and Ensign Kim, and “The Chute” was a fundamental turning point in Neelix’s characterization.

5

“Fair Trade”

Episode 13 Is Where Neelix Starts To Shine

If “The Chute” was a turning point for Neelix’s characterization, then “Fair Trade” was when Neelix finally became who he was meant to be on Voyager. Neelix was a somewhat controversial figure in the early seasons of Voyager – indeed, Lt. Commander Tuvok fantasized about killing Neelix in the season 2 episode, “Meld.”

That “Fair Trade” told a Neelix story without centering Kes was a breath of fresh air in Voyager season 3.

But “Fair Trade” revealed more about Neelix’s past and internal life than anything prior, particularly the parts of his life that were separate from Kes (Jennifer Lien). Since their relationship was one of the most controversial aspects of Voyager‘s early seasons, “Fair Trade” told a Neelix story without centering Kes was a breath of fresh air in Voyager season 3. “Fair Trade” shows Neelix going to extremes to maintain his place on Voyager, making it clear just how much Neelix cares about the Voyager family. Ultimately, “Fair Trade,” affirms that Neelix is more than just a guide.

4

“Worst Case Scenario”

Episode 25 Brings Back Seska And Nearly Kills Lt. Paris and Lt. Commander Tuvok

A fundamental tension in Star Trek: Voyager is the simple fact that, while half the crew are Starfleet officers, the other half of Voyager’s crew are Maquis rebels. When Voyager first got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, there was absolutely no guarantee that those two disparate groups would be able to come together as one crew. “Worst Case Scenario” is Tuvok’s early training exercise for handling a Maquis mutiny. The cold open is realistic enough to build tensions early – it genuinely makes the audience question whether Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) has turned against Captain Janeway.

After “Worst Case Scenario,” the only other time Seska would return to Voyager was in the season 7 episode, “Shattered.”

Once they decide to finish the program as a holonovel, it is wonderful to see Tuvok and Lt. Paris working together. The mature Vulcan officer and the brash human rebel are fundamentally contrasting characters, so their initial conflicts and subsequent teamwork form a compelling arc. And, at a pure entertainment level, it is great to see Seska (Martha Hackett) terrorize Voyager again. “Worst Case Scenario” is the perfect blend of thrilling stakes and pure Star Trek fun.

3

“Darkling”

Episode 18 Shows The Dark Side Of The Doctor’s Quest For Humanity

The Doctor is one of the most interesting characters on Voyager, and seeing his attempts to outgrow his programming is consistently one of the series’ most compelling arcs. The fact that, in “Darkling,” the Doctor’s own attempts to become more human lead to him directly harming the crew is tragic and compelling. It makes sense that the Doctor would think to incorporate the most impressive historical figures he can find into his programming. It also makes sense that it would go wrong.

Custom Star Trek: Voyager image of Jennifer Lien as Kes and Robert Picardo as the Doctor

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The Doctor’s arc throughout Star Trek: Voyager hits a few fascinating milestones, and one of his biggest changes comes from Kes’ exit in season 4.

But what really takes “Darkling” to the next level, making it one of season 3’s best episodes, is its ending. To re-stabilize his program, all the historical figures that the Doctor had integrated into himself had to be deleted, leaving the Doctor no more or less than what he had been before. The final scene of the episode, where Robert Picardo stands alone in sickbay reciting the Hippocratic oath, is one of the best endings in all of Star Trek.

2

“Scorpion Part 1”

Episode 26 Is Voyager’s Horror Movie

“Scorpion” is an iconic 2-part episode that concludes Voyager season 3 and ushers in Voyager season 4. What makes “Scorpion Part 1” such a stand-out episode is that rather than a standard Star Trek exploration episode, “Scorpion Part 1” is basically a horror movie set on Voyager. When Kes has visions of vengeful aliens and piles of Borg corpses, the discordant visuals are haunting. When Ensign Kim is literally consumed by the DNA of species 8472, the scenes where he agonizingly lays helpless in sickbay are horrific.

“Scorpion Part 2” is when Jeri Ryan’s immensely popular Voyager character, Seven of Nine, is first introduced.

The choices Captain Janeway makes to get Voyager home to push her far outside her comfort zone. “Scorpion Part 1” reveals a darkness in Captain Janeway that only really gets explored in later episodes like “Equinox” and “Living Witness.” Commander Chakotay fundamentally disagrees with her actions, and the clash between captain and first officer over what is right tests their characters to their foundations. In the end, “Scorpion Part 1” reaffirms the strength of Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay’s relationship, but it only does so after revealing just how terrible it can be to be stranded in the Delta Quadrant.

1

“Displaced”

Episode 24 Proves Just How Hard Voyager’s Crew Will Fight To Get Home

“Displaced” is the best episode of Voyager season 3. The slow and steady disappearance of Voyager’s crew is deeply unsettling, the twist that this is a hostile takeover is completely surprising, and how the crew works together to escape is excellent. The fact that Lieutenants Torres and Paris have to work together to escape from the Nyrian’s prison directly follows up on their relationship from “Blood Fever.” On the whole, every aspect of “Displaced” is just expertly crafted.

There is nowhere in the Delta Quadrant that Captain Janeway and her crew would accept over Earth.

What gives “Displaced” an edge are the episode’s themes. The crew’s absolute refusal to accept the Nyrian prison, even though it is a paradise, mirrors their refusal to accept life in the Delta Quadrant. There is nowhere in the Delta Quadrant that Captain Janeway and her crew would accept over Earth, and it is inspiring to see them come together in “Displaced.” The plot of “Displaced” perfectly furthers the overarching themes of Star Trek: Voyager, and it makes it not only the best episode of season 3 but one of the best episodes in the entire series.