10 Best Star Trek: Voyager Episodes Not About The Main Cast

3. Pathfinder

Star Trek Pathfinder
CBS Media Ventures

While Lt. Reginald Barclay had been introduced to Voyager back in its second season, this is truly his finest hour on the show. He is directly responsible for Starfleet establishing two-way contact with the ship in the Delta Quadrant, with almost the entire runtime of the episode dedicated to his attempts to reach them. Marina Sirtis guest stars as Deanna Troi, with Richard Herd also appearing as Admiral Owen Paris.

While it looks for most of the episode that Reg has regressed in his holo-addiction, he demonstrates that it is really his coping mechanism while attempting to get his tasks done. Things do start to look bad for him when he repeatedly misses appointments and deadlines, all in the name of his work - spending almost all of his time on the holodeck with the Voyager crew.

Things are about to get even worse for him when he breaks into the lab, commandeers the Midas Array, and sends a message before Starfleet can stop him. Thankfully for him, someone picks up on the other end. The ensuing conversation between Starfleet and Voyager is one of the most tear-jerking, emotional moments in the series. Finally, Janeway is able to speak directly to Starfleet, asking them to keep a docking bay open for them.

Barclay and Troi celebrate with champagne, while his cat Neelix pops up to join in.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"