10 Star Trek Episodes They Should Have Made (It's Never Too Late)
8. The Equinox Five
By now, it's no secret that many Voyager fans felt there wasn't enough friction between the Maquis and Starfleet crews when they became one big blended family. But there was another set of crew members who were in for a tough time when integrating with Voyager's crew. And they sort of just...vanished.
When Janeway crossed warp trails with another Starfleet ship in Equinox, she was forced to put a stop to Captain Ransom's horrific exploitation of nucleogenic lifeforms. Despite the Equinox's destruction, five officers were saved and absorbed into Voyager's crew.
The end of the epic two-parter made their difficult path ahead all too clear. Janeway stripped them of their rank, curbed their privileges and warned them they'd be working under supervision until they earned her trust. She wasn't angry; she was just disappointed.
Who are we kidding? She was both very angry and very disappointed.
It set up a promising journey for at least a couple of these characters; slowly earning Janeway's trust through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, before some suitably dramatic event completed their redemption arc. But...no...apart from a couple of background appearances, the Equinox five all but disappeared.
And it's an almighty shame, because at least one episode in the style of The Next Generation's Lower Decks would have been a fascinating watch. Showcasing a day-in-the-life down the line, maybe some of them have managed to move on, but others are still convinced they hear whispers behind their backs. And it would all end with a make-or-break crisis that would test their mettle and earn their Voyager pips once and for all.