10 Best Star Trek: Voyager Episodes Not About The Main Cast
6. 11:59
11:59 is an oddity in this list as its main star is of course Kate Mulgrew. However, she isn't playing her usual character for the bulk of the episode. Captain Janeway takes a backseat, with Shannon O'Donnel instead leading much of the action. The episode is a story told by Janeway to Neelix about her famous ancestor, one who helped build the Millenium Gate on Earth.
O'Donnel is driving through town when her car breaks down, only to be rescued from the cold by Henry Janeway, a local bookstore owner. Their story is a classic odd-couple who beat the odds, though initially, it looks like Captain Janeway's version of history may be completely false. O'Donnel, in truth, wasn't part of the building of the Gate - but she did help to convince Henry that selling up, and reopening his store on new premises was an option.
It's a relatively simple episode, probably most remembered for its contemporary setting. However, there is something compelling about O'Donnel's attempts to get through to Henry. Janeway's son, Jason, is excellent as well as the young man who clearly sides with Shannon, yet by a sense of honour refuses to say anything against his father.
it is a low-stakes episode, it's charming, and even though she is a main cast member, Kate Mulgrew completely embodies O'Donnel to the point that she could easily have been a guest star of the week.