10 Times Star Trek Didn't Think It Through

8. Those New Phaser Rifles

Star Trek Voyager Macrocosm Badass Janeway
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The USS Voyager left Deep Space Nine in 2371, equipped with the new compression phaser rifles that were only seen in Star Trek: Voyager. Equinox revealed that at least two classes of ship - the Nova, along with the Intrepid, had been stocked with them.

In 2373, newer rifles were in circulation, first appearing in Star Trek: First Contact, aboard the Enterprise-E. They quickly made an appearance in Deep Space Nine as well, then also...Voyager.

Macrocosm shows Janeway in her now iconic, Ripley/Sarah Connor-inspired, tank-top and pants, armed with one of the newer phaser rifles. Production staffers joked that Voyager must have had these in storage all along, but this seems unlikely. 

In 2371, the Next Generation phaser rifle was standard issue, with Voyager's new compression rifle as the updated tech. Did they leave DS9 with additional updated technology, years before the rest of Starfleet gained access?

Perhaps Star Trek: Prodigy can help explain this one - after all, Ouroboros shows Starfleet struggling with resource sharing. Maybe Voyager really was that lucky ship? 

Bit frustrating to immediately lose it in the Badlands then. 

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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"