Star Trek: 10 Moments That Confirm J/C (Janeway & Chakotay)

Coda is a tricky one for J/C fans, but it is not to be skipped over either. The vast majority of the episode does not take place within Voyager's common, established 'reality,' and yet all of it is hyperreal for its main protagonist: Captain Janeway. Moreover, for the audience, the difference between 'real' and 'imagined' was indistinguishable for the largest part, and when it came to Janeway's 'real' feelings for Chakotay in the episode, there was probably no difference at all.

The episode's writer and executive producer Jeri Taylor put it better when she stated in Cinefantastique, vol. 29, no. 6-7, that, "[Coda] was an opportunity to show feelings between Janeway and Chakotay in a safe territory, because it was all inside her head". Quasi-demonic alien presence masquerading as long-dead dad in the brain or no, it is Janeway's perception of her own apparent death that matters here. What she believed and felt for Chakotay, and in a sense vice-versa, was no doubt more real than reality could be. Whereas it might have often seemed like feelings were rather one-sided on the 'C' half of J/C, the fact that Coda is all part of Janeway's imagination highlights that matters are very much mutual.

No one can help but be moved, and transformed into full-on relation-shipper, by (even the imagined) Chakotay's heartbreaking "Breathe, damn it. Breathe!" as he tries to revive his captain while her 'ghost' watches on. The utter and complete anguish in his cry of "No, Kathryn! You can't die" when resuscitation efforts fail was enough to send 1000 souls to Sto'Vo'Kor or elsewhere. Oh, please keep on beating, our J/C hearts!