Star Trek: 10 Greatest Filler Episodes

11:59 is a personal favourite, though this writer must admit that in the streaming age, where every dollar counts, it would struggle to make it past the writing stage today. Ancestor's Eve is a cute idea, celebrated by those who have the time to ruminate on the past. When you have ten episodes to build up to, and then avert, the end of the universe - there isn't room for Shannon O'Donnel.

This episode, featuring Kate Mulgrew getting to stretch her acting chops once more, feels like a day off from the normal doings of the USS Voyager, which is part of its strength. Fish-out-of-water episodes are just fun and thankfully haven't been completely erased from Star Trek's current model. Strange New Worlds has offered the most examples in this case from contemporary Trek.

There are absolutely no stakes in this episode. The audience knows that the Millennium Gate was built, so in a way, Shannon can't fail. Yet still, seeing how she succeeds is the fun. There are no Borg, no Species 8472, or countdowns to an explosion - yet there is a simple love story.