10 Star Trek Timelines That Were Erased

Star Trek has often teased the audience with a glimpse into what could be, what was, and what never came to pass. They have it down to an art form, spreading across all of the franchise iterations. While sometimes those timelines were fascinating, there are yet more that would freeze the soul, were they left to seep into our main reality.

There are simply too many possible universes and timelines that could exist out there, so much like DC's decision with their Crisis On Infinite Earths, the producers have erred on the side of caution in Star Trek. A timeline that may seem cool and inviting today may simply vanish from existence tomorrow. When that timeline sees your ship battered day after day by a seemingly unstoppable force, then perhaps not all destruction is an ill, nor loss of memory a sad thing. 

Here are just some of those timelines that have gone to the great recycling bin in the sky, and while some may hope for a restoration worthy of the Bajoran Prophets, there are yet more who we were glad to see the back of. 

With the fourth season of Star Trek: Voyager upping the ante for the show, the writers chose to swing big. Introducing Seven of Nine, and casting Jeri Ryan in the part, was a clear ratings grab that, despite that obvious attempt to appeal to the younger male audience, accidentally delivered one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. 

How, then, to keep the momentum going? Kick seven layers of crap out of the ship, of course! Year Of Hell delivered on some of the promise that the show had to offer. A Starfleet ship, alone in the Delta Quadrant, rapidly running out of resources. It had no safe harbour to lay low (save for a less-than-friendly nebula), and the crew's battered morale was evident in the bulkheads themselves.

This is easily one of the most popular stories in Voyager's seven-year run, though it is all undone at the end of the second episode. Perhaps the writers were nervous, fearing the audience wouldn't be able to handle a season of dark, heavy imagery (clearly, they hadn't even dreamed of Discovery's first season) and opted for the reset. There is much to be grateful for though. This timeline saw Tuvok lose his eyesight and Janeway lose her life, both of which were happily undone by the latter's heroic sacrifice.