These 9 ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ Episodes Would Be Perfect Source Material for ‘Starfleet Academy’ Season 2

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As a fan, it was really cool to see Starfleet Academy acknowledge Star Trek‘s 60th anniversary with so many nods to the older shows. Voyager seemed to get a lot of love, and I was thrilled to see Robert Picardo’s Doctor play such a big part – it felt like a great way to honor the show he started on! But honestly, the series kept going back to Voyager. A lot of the little Star Trek references in the first season were super quick and easy to miss if you weren’t really paying attention.

While the show often presented new stories, some episodes cleverly revisited classic storylines from the original Star Trek series. A particularly moving example was the Deep Space Nine tribute episode, “Series Acclimation Mil.” Starfleet Academy also did a great job focusing on Voyager, specifically referencing episodes like “Real Life,” “Blink of an Eye,” and “The Omega Directive.” Although not every story revolved around the Doctor, his role at Starfleet Academy made the emphasis on Voyager feel natural. Hopefully, future seasons of Starfleet Academy will continue to explore classic episodes in this way, as there are many more Voyager stories that could be used effectively.

9
“Body and Soul”

Season 7, Episode 7


UPN

This episode is unique in its focus on the Doctor, though not in the way you might expect. While Picard appears, it’s actually Jeri Ryan’s portrayal of the Doctor – specifically, the Doctor inhabiting Seven of Nine’s body – that really makes the episode memorable. To hide from a society that hates artificial life, the Doctor transfers his program into Seven’s Borg implants, leading to some funny moments. A similar concept could appear in Season 2 of Starfleet Academy, perhaps involving the Doctor and SAM swapping bodies – a bit like Freaky Friday, but in space!

8
“Endgame”

Season 7, Episodes 25 & 26


Paramount+

The two-part finale of Star Trek: Voyager in 2001 disappointed many fans. The entire series focused on Captain Janeway and her crew’s long journey home to Earth, and when they finally reached the Alpha Quadrant, the show abruptly ended. While I personally didn’t mind, I can see why others were frustrated. Unlike other Star Trek series that have occasionally revisited characters years later, Star Trek hasn’t addressed what happened to the Voyager crew immediately after the finale, “Endgame.” Perhaps the second season of Starfleet Academy could explore this with a flashback episode centered around something happening to the Doctor in the 32nd century.

7
“Message in a Bottle”

Season 4, Episode 14


UPN

When Voyager discovers a way to contact Starfleet from the distant Delta Quadrant, they realize the only reliable method of sending a message is to transmit the Doctor’s program across the vast distance. This leads to the Doctor encountering a new version of himself, portrayed by Andy Dick. This episode, “Message in a Bottle,” presents two interesting story possibilities for the Starfleet Academy Season 2. We’ve seen Voyager send programs across long distances before, and that could be revisited. However, an episode exploring the advancements in Emergency Medical Hologram technology – and whether they’re still being used – would also be compelling for Starfleet Academy.

6
“Future’s End”

Season 3, Episodes 8 & 9


UPN

This important two-part episode from 1996 is central to the Doctor’s story. It uniquely connects three different time periods in Star Trek: the 20th, 24th, and 29th centuries. While held captive in the 20th century, the episodes show how Picardo’s character receives a mobile emitter, giving him the freedom to move around beyond Voyager’s sickbay. This was a major step forward in his growth as an individual. The emitter was created using technology from a 29th-century ship that crashed in the 20th century, and it was actually built by a scientist from the 1990s named Henry Starling (played by Ed Begley Jr.).

The two-part episode “Future’s End” significantly changed the direction of Doctor Who, and everything afterward would have been very different without it. I’d love to see an exploration of the Doctor’s life in the 29th century, as he actually experienced it. The 29th century shown in “Future’s End” was ultimately erased and replaced with a new version because of Voyager’s actions, but what we glimpsed of it looked really interesting.

5
“Author, Author”

Season 7, Episode 20


UPN

The central plot of “Author, Author” revolves around the Doctor’s holographic novel, Photons Be Free. Though inspired by his experiences on Voyager, the unfinished story quickly gains popularity throughout the ship and even manages to reach the Alpha Quadrant. The novel subtly suggests the beginnings of legal issues surrounding holographic creations, and its success may be linked to the Kasqians’ culture. Hopefully, a potential second season of Starfleet Academy will explore this connection.

4
“Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy”

Season 6, Episode 4


UPN

The Doctor was created to be a physician, and that remains his primary role. However, throughout Voyager, he consistently demonstrated a desire to learn and develop new abilities. A prime example is the episode “Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy,” which explored the possibility of him becoming the Emergency Command Hologram. Though initially just a fun idea for Captain Picardo, the ECH program proved surprisingly effective. It’s logical to assume the Doctor still retains those holographic routines, meaning he could once again serve as the Emergency Command Hologram if the senior officers were incapacitated during a mission. Hopefully, we’ll see this happen!

3
“Distant Origin”

Season 3, Episode 23


UPN

This episode is a bit different from the usual, but still enjoyable. The crew of the Voyager encounters the Voth, a race of reptilian humanoids who evolved from dinosaurs originally found on Earth. While the idea of dinosaurs evolving into a spacefaring race isn’t new to science fiction, this episode presents it in a compelling way. Ultimately, the Voth and Voyager go their separate ways, with the Voth unsure if humans and they share a common origin. However, some Voth believe—and may even have evidence—that Earth is their original homeworld. Considering nearly a thousand years have passed, this could create an interesting future storyline where Starfleet Academy investigates these claims, potentially leading the Voth to return to Earth to explore—or even reclaim—their ancestral home.

2
“Shattered”

Season 7, Episode 11


UPN

The Voyager episode “Shattered,” primarily featuring Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay, is a fan favorite because it cleverly divides the ship across different points in its own timeline. Chakotay must journey through the ship’s past, present, and future to restore it. Both Prodigy and Lower Decks have referenced this episode, demonstrating how versatile and entertaining the idea is. A Starfleet Academy episode inspired by “Shattered” could be a particularly strong tribute, allowing us to see many beloved Star Trek characters as cadets. Given that some fans wished Starfleet Academy was set in a more well-known time period, this type of episode could address those concerns and be a real highlight of the series.

1
“Living Witness”

Season 4, Episode 23


UPN

When the new series Starfleet Academy was announced, set in the 32nd century and featuring Robert Picardo, many Voyager fans immediately wondered if it would connect to the Voyager episode “Living Witness.” The first season of Starfleet Academy didn’t explore that possibility, but “Living Witness” presents a fascinating idea: an alternate version of the Doctor whose experiences began around the fourth season of Voyager. By the time of Starfleet Academy, this version of the Doctor has lived a full life and had many adventures. It’s unclear when, or even if, he’ll return to Earth, but Season 2 of Starfleet Academy seems like the perfect time to finally deliver this long-anticipated Star Trek: Voyager follow-up.

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2026-03-16 17:07