10 Most Forgettable Star Trek: Voyager Episodes

When it comes to Muse, it would seem that the writers took a risk that ultimately didn't quite land as successfully as they had hoped.

In this season 6 episode, B'Elanna crash lands the Delta Flyer on a pre-warp planet. She is discovered by a local playwright who believes she is an "Eternal" and uses her logs and experiences to inspire his writings.

The main risk this episode took was to forgo a discernible conflict for Voyager's crew and focus on a more thought-provoking, metaphorical plot in the form of Greek style theatre. The irony, of course, being that the entire purpose of Muse is to provide a meta commentary on the lazy nature of writers relying too heavily on big twists and adrenaline-fuelled set pieces, rather than the deeper truth and purpose of storytelling.

While it is a commendable effort and, to the more analytical of viewers, a truly ingenious feat of meta storytelling - a message delivered with regards to a fictional play within a fictional television series about the nature of fiction - to the more casual viewers, it simply didn't appeal.

Star Trek has never shied away from lacing its episodes with allegorical plot threads but this particular commentary lacked the usual conflict or high stakes that make other examples far more memorable.

It is also worth considering the previous episode, Live Fast and Prosper, also centred around the idea of Voyager crew members being "played" by someone else. By comparison, though, Muse went for a more strait laced approach, whereas Live Fast and Prosper had a more comical tone to the impersonations. Although they are significantly different stories, airing one directly after the other, despite these similar themes, means that the comedic episode will likely be better remembered over the cerebral one.