Starting Voyager

I remember the first time I started Voyager. My parents had been divorced nearly four years and, the summer before, I had taken up residence (for the first time) with my single dad. I suddenly found myself living in the house where my parents announced their split. I lived in the room they had shared as mine had been converted into storage for computer stuff and art supplies (see the kind of family I come from?) I didn't think much about this at the time. I was too distracted by the fact that I had my very first personal television. It was a used, 13-inch model with foil-covered rabbit ears and shiny knobs. It made a distinct, blooping electric sound when you turned it off and on and took a good forty-five seconds to "warm up."

It was on this very TV that I sat at the edge of my bed, probably eating pizza rolls (or potted meat or some other bachelor chow) wrapped up in my old Little Mermaid blanket watching the premier of Voyager.

It. Was. Magical.

I've seen all of Voyager a lot. They re-ran it over and over on cable when I was in college and as soon as Trek went to Netflix I just had to get me some Janeway. I love Voyager but, after so much DS9 and such a frought ending with that crew, I have to confess I was a little apprehensive about jumping back into the bouncy, rompy adventures of Voyager.

But, oh, how wrong I was.

From the cold open of "Caretaker," I was instantly pulled back in. Seeing those characters, introduced one by one, was like meeting up with old friends. The blinking lights of the bridge and LCARS flashing behind them reminded me how great it was to be back on a ship, traveling through space. By the end, as Janeway made her big speech about continuing their mission to seek out new life, I was in tears. TEARS.

I loved DS9. I love it now more than I ever have. But, man, it felt really good to be hopeful again. Star Trek hopeful.