A new video reimagines Star Trek: Voyager's most infamous episode in the style of Star Trek: The Animated Series. Voyager was the fifth television series in the Star Trek franchise, and it ran from 1995 to 2001. As the series introduced Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) as the first female lead in the franchise, Voyager made its mark as one of science fiction's most gender-balanced television programs. The show also has been repeatedly ranked highly among Star Trek live-action series.
Still, while Star Trek: Voyager remains beloved, fans will remember that not every episode from the series was well-received. Perhaps the most infamous episode from Voyager was "Threshold". The episode, which took place in Star Trek: Voyager season 2, attempted to explore the consequences of breaking the transwarp barrier and reaching Warp 10. Instead, it led Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) to evolve into amphibious creatures. The Voyager episode caused an overwhelming number of fans to complain about the bizarre story, and it remains a notorious part of Star Trek's canon today.
Much of the fandom seems to prefer to ignore the episode, but a new animated video recreates Star Trek: Voyager's misstep in glorious fashion. Gazelle Automations posted a video that reimagines the final act of "Threshold" in the style of Star Trek: The Animated Series, complete with the moment Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and Tuvok (Tim Russ) realize Paris and Janeway mated and reproduced as the salamander-like creatures. The new video also adds some small changes to the original episode, including some extra nonhuman crewmembers. Check out the video below:
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While the Voyager story is unchanged in this new animation, fans' comments under the video fully contrast the original's reception. The atmosphere of Star Trek: The Animated Series seems to fit the episode's bizarre ending better than Voyager's did, and the fans noticed. Many commenters appreciate the added details, its more humorous tone, and the video's ability to recreate The Animated Series' style so well. The running joke seems to be that "Threshold" finally makes sense because it was obviously created to give inspiration for this animated version.
"Threshold" will never be a fan favorite, even though this new animated reimagining seems to have redeemed the Voyager storyline for some fans. As the Star Trek franchise continues to grow with new series like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, there are sure to be more episodes that miss the mark and disappoint fans, but this video proves those episodes won't necessarily be worthless. If Star Trek: Voyager's most disliked episode can be redeemed, any moment can become an inspiration for something great.
Source: Gazelle Automations