Chris Snellgrove | Published
Even if you don’t love Star Trek: VoyagerIt’s hard not to smile while watching “37,” the show’s season 2 premiere episode. This is an episode that took everything from Voyager Landing to the Planet to Captain Janeway to rub your elbows with Amelia Earhart, making it one of the franchise’s most memorable adventures. However, this was originally intended to be a season 1 finale, so it was a completely odd adventure, as one major producer fought to make this standalone story a two-part episode.
That idea Star Trek: VoyagerThe season 1 finale may seem strange until you think that the season 2 premiere had only 16 episodes in the first season of this spinoff. Because this was Voyager Broadcast on UPN and the network executives intentionally held several episodes, so the second season of the show could premiere two or three weeks earlier than most other shows. As a result, “The 37’s” began a second season intended to end season one (instead, it ended with “Learning Curve,” a lame episode about Tuvok’s training.
With this Voyager The episode has become a truly memorable season 2 premiere. You can easily see the method originally written as the season finale. Landing a ship on a planet was a big deal… In fact, Jean Roddenberry Star Trek: Original SeriesHowever, the high production costs of doing so led to the invention of transporters. What’s more, Jane Way met Amelia Earhart, and the overall idea of ​​the crew who have come across humans since the 20th century coincided with the vibes of TNG season 1 finale, “The Neutral Zone.”
The network’s decision to make “37” a season 2 premiere rather than a season 1 finale bothered Voyager producers, Jeri Taylor and Brannon Braga. Taylor said the episode “worked better as a season ender than as an opener” and that the plot about the crew uniting, reaffirming their mutual commitment and heading home “was a good way to close out the first season.” Meanwhile, Braga was disappointed that the show didn’t finish season one with this “very high concept, action-adventure episode,” but he was pleased that he was happy. Voyager An episode made for such an explosive season 2 premiere.
Braga wasn’t very happy about the fact that this wasn’t a 2-parter episode. He later said that “The 37s” wanted two, but no one else wanted to end season one with Cliffhanger. As for Braga, I thought this ambitious episode had plenty of crispy narrative material worthy of two hours of storytelling.
Once upon a time, “37” was almost different. It was not only about two people, but it was originally designed as a season 1 finale. But we just have to like this Voyager The episode as a season 2 premiere… Of course, “Learning Curve” was the Lame S1 finale, but “37S” helped prove how good this show was when fired on every cylinder. And frankly, there is nothing You’ll become more clung to the new season of the show than this kind of killer premiere.
