Over the last few years, my kids and I have been watching our way through Star Trek Voyager.
Yesterday, we finally got up to the penultimate episode, Renaissance Man. Tonight, we’ll probably watch the finale, Endgame.
Now, I’ve seen it all before, but for them it’s brand new. They don’t know anything about what is going to happen except for what they’ve gleaned by watching Star Trek: Picard. Namely, they know that Seven of Nine and Icheb survive to get to the Alpha Quadrant, and thus, probably, the whole ship does as well.
So I asked them what they hoped would happen in the conclusion.
It’s interesting to do this knowing that the end of the series is already decided, and indeed long-revealed to me (although I don’t remember all the details). So as they are sharing things with me, I know more-or-less if they will be disappointed. It stirs some interesting philosophical and theological questions about the absolute foreknowledge of God.
But that’s probably not the point here.
Anyway, here was there off-the-top-of-their-head wishlist, along with notes on the basis of my limited foreknowledge (limited by my imperfections of memory).
1. Tom & B’Elanna’s Baby
And not just that the baby would but that we’d get some decent screen time with the baby and her parents. Maybe ten minutes or so.
My Limited Foreknowledge: That baby is born in the closing moments, and there is basically no screen time with the baby or Tom and B’Elanna as new parents. But the baby probably appears as a teenager or young adult in the “flash-forward” at the start of the story. I just can’t remember how all that goes. Maybe that will satisfy my kids, but I don’t think so.
2. “I want them to arrive back to earth…”
My Limited Foreknowledge: Yes! The show ends with that moment.
3. An epilogue where we see them return and re-connect with their lives
My Limited Foreknowledge: Well, there’s no epilogue, which was the biggest disappointment for me of the episode. But there is the flash-forward, so you get to see some of that at the start of the story, rather than the end. But that ends up being an alternate timeline, so…well, it’s hard to say, but I think my kids will be disappointed.
4. “I want the grandparents to meet the baby…”
More specifically, my one daughter wants to see them meet her.
My Limited Foreknowledge: Well, that doesn’t happen. I don’t think we see any grandparents with the child in the flash-forward, but I could be wrong.
5. Implied or overtly Chakotay and Janeway get together
My Limited Foreknowledge: Oh boy. My kids are going to be frustrated at the romantic conclusion of these characters, for more reasons than one.
6. Tom reconnects with his father
My Limited Foreknowledge: I don’t think they do face-to-face, unless it’s in the flash-forward, but maybe they do over a screen?
7. Harry interacting with his parents
My Limited Foreknowledge: Not face to face, unless it’s in the flash-forward (which I don’t remember). And I think not on a screen either?
8. Tuvok with his family
My Limited Foreknowledge: Nope. I’m pretty sure not in the flash-forward either, since Tuvok is in a hospital, but maybe I’m wrong.
9. “I don’t want to see the Borg.”
My Limited Foreknowledge: There’s definitely a lot of Borg, but maybe by the time it’s over they will have enjoyed the adventure
10. “I don’t want to see Q.”
My Limited Foreknowledge: Gratefully, there’s no Q, no Q2, no Q’s son, no Q’s girlfriend, no Q’s dog, etc.
11. Icheb and Naomi Wildman–not really interested in any other secondary characters
My Limited Foreknowledge: I’m pretty sure Icheb is on hand, I don’t remember about Naomi.
12. “I want to see Captain Janeway be awesome.”
My Limited Foreknowledge: I’m pretty sure she gets to be awesome in two timelines, so this should be all good.
13. No Kes–my daughter was never a big fan and we already said goodbye to her twice.
My Limited Foreknowledge: No problem here!
14. Neelix just for a minute, like for a phone call
My Limited Foreknowledge: Wow! You guys nailed it!
15. “I want everyone to be happy!”
My Limited Foreknowledge: Well, not at first. But eventually, pretty much yes. Unless one counts Picard.
16. No Kazon, No Seska, No Caretaker
My Limited Foreknowledge: Your wish is my command. Unless the Kazon make a cameo that I’ve forgotten?
17. “I don’t want the main point of the episode to be the villain or some new scheme for getting home.”
My Limited Foreknowledge: Well, the main point is a lot about the Borg and a scheme by Janeway to get her past self home earlier. So…I don’t know, that’s the opposite of this wish, but maybe it’s different enough that it won’t be disappointing.
18. “I’m vaguely concerned that we’re going to skip to the EMH back-up module again.”
My Limited Foreknowledge: This refers to a plot point from the fairly successful episode, Living Witness. My daughter’s concern is that we’re going to skip way ahead and somehow tell the story of the Voyager crew from the point of view the distant future. This of course does not happen in the story, but I wonder if the flash-forward at the start will give her sort of the same vibe.
19. Nobody dying—but if they do let it be not stupid—let it be trying to do something cool and to some extent succeeding
My Limited Foreknowledge: Well, alternate-Janeway does die, and pretty spectacularly. For a more disappointing version of this idea, go watch the finale of Enterprise.
20. “I don’t want Seven of Nine and the Doctor to get together—it’d be a weird direction for the show to take at this point.”
My Limited Foreknowledge: Technically, you got your wish…but you have no idea just how weird Seven of Nine’s love life is about to become!
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