Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Pathfinder (1999) User Reviews

Some awkwardness at the start but it gets soooo good

[beanslegit · 8/10 · 18 February 2021]

Barclay from TNG is trying to contact voyager using his theory of micro singularities to form 2 way instantaneous audio. The episode gets going after the scenes with him and Troy (also from TNG) so I advise to keep going. She's acting as a councillor and friend to him to get him to open up as he recounts the main events of the episode after the fact.

Now we all who have seen TNG know what Barclay is like, a physics genius but somewhere on the spectrum and not able to maintain social relationships well. If he annoys you he annoys you, maybe skip to about half way through and you'll get all the really good stuff.

The end though.......

This one literally had me choking up at the end, lump in throat and tears in eyes. Shows don't do that to me often :') Admiral Paris is a great character I hope I see more of him but kinda doubt it lol

Voyager hasn't been forgotten by Star Fleet

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 6 April 2010]

Unusually this episode is not predominantly set on Voyager or indeed the Delta Quadrant; it is set back on Earth where Lt. Reg Barclay is talking to Counsellor Troi about how has been relieved of his position in the Pathfinder Project, This is a research project aimed at contacting Voyager. In a series of flash backs we see how Reg has been using a holographic version of Voyager where he interacts with the crew, sometimes concerning work but frequently using them as surrogate friends who all think he is a great guy rather than the shy and bumbling character he is in the real world. While he might be bumbling he has an idea which he believes will allow a brief two way conversation with Voyager, unfortunately he has a record of unsuccessful ideas and is suspended after going over his commanders head to tell Admiral Paris of his ideas. Despite being taken off the project he breaks into the lab and tries to make contact with Voyager. When caught he retreats into the holosuite Voyager trying to buy time until the real Voyager can reply to his message.

This was a decent episode with Dwight Schultz doing well as the bumbling Barclay. The things that stood out for me were the little details; for example his holographic version Voyager the details aren't quite right; he has the former Maquis crew wearing Maquis rather than Star Fleet uniforms. It was also nice to see Marina Sirtis reprising her "Next Generation" role as Counsellor Troi.

Very good as long as you don't dislike Barclay

[bgaiv · 8/10 · 7 March 2022]

You don't have to love Barclay for this to be good. It's helpful if you've seen his TNG episodes, particularly his holodeck addiction.

This episode plays with that history and arguably depicts him relapsing into his addiction. That alone makes it compelling because it's a type of depth Trek or this era rarely reached into.

The climax is very good and I was extremely impressed with the remarkably restrained first contact. They could have very easily gone way over the top here and I bet they were heavily tempted to.

Howlin Mad "Broccoli"

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 14 June 2013]

Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schulz) was a groundbreaking character in Star Trek: The Next Generation- Simply by being Neurotic. It showed us that People in the 24th Century can be as interesting as people in the 20th and 21st Centuries. It is Broccoli's multiplex infirmities that brought Next Generation to level Human Ground, in that he was probably the most realistic Human Character of that whole show- and his insecurities mix with his imagination to reveal a complex person. And in true "Broccoli" Style, Schulz slams a home run in this Voyager Episode. But there can be no Barclay episode without Counsellor Troi, and her ability to set Barclay back on his feet.

This is Broccoli at his best, his eccentricities are what made him the best Diagnostician on the Enterprise D, and that same eccentricity serves him here, in his new Job.

The last we saw him, he had Helped Dr. Zimmerman develop the Emergency Medical Hologram. I am assuming he did that "job" after the Enterprise D was blown to Smithereens and before he was assigned to the Enterprise E for "First Contact" (Confusing, Innit?). But he is now one of a Team working on a project called "Pathfinder"- Which is as team of Starfleet engineers trying to Track Voyager's Movements through the Delta Quadrant.

But Reginald is not your typical Engineer, and he has developed a new unhealthy attachment to Holographic Representation of Voyager's Crew. What I like about Barclay's Holo-Voyager are the differences to the Real Voyager- For example, Maquis Crewmen are still wearing Civvies, not Starfleet Uniforms. This is to show that although Voyager has been able to send a few messages through, Starfleet really does not know that much about Voyager's Delta Quadrant History, or it's current Command Structure. It is Barclay's Neurosis that cause him to think of a way they can successfully set up a 2-way dialog with Voyager.

Reginald's Boss - Although not really being a Bean Counter or Pencil Pusher, is not as receptive as Geordi LaForge was to Barclay's ideas. He is just, well, "Normal", but more importantly, he is not used to Barclay's non-sequitor approach to solving problems. So he suppresses Barclay, which sends Barclay into more of a depressive and anxious state. How someone can be Depressed, Anxious AND hypertensive is a new mix for the Medical Journals. So Reginald's Boss, not knowing Reg, exacerbates the situation by no fault of his own - He just hasn't learned how Reg operates, and in his attempts at forcing Reg into his Jell-O Mold of Normalcy, pushes Reg fully into new "Hollow Pursuits".

But one thing we know about Reg is that he won't give up. In a way, Voyager's crew helps him solve his current conundrum, it's just that they are Holograms. But one thing Reg is good at is designing Holo Programs- He has created a fully interactive Voyager Crew which acts in fairly close approximation to how they would act - Despite the fact that Barclay is everyone's "buddy". But this is just how the Holos are designed to act.

After creating a nice sinkhole for himself, Reginald has a Tete-a-Tete with Deanna Troi, who takes leave from the Enterprise E to stay and help him.

True to Form, this does Reg little good - He breaks Starfleet Protocol and performs his experiment without permission, resulting in a new Hollow "Pursuit" as Starfleet Security Pursues him through the Holographic Decks of Voyager. But he uses these stolen moments to aim his "Micro Wormhole" to the right spot where Voyager will detect his Transmission- Because Starfleet was not looking for Voyager in the right area, Barclay finds the right spot at the last minute.

We finally get to meet "Admiral Owen Paris" (Richard Herd) - Tom's father.

This episode had me cringing, face palming, and sweating as Barclay's situation just kept getting worse and worse, and the resolution of this episode in contrast to this, gave me a large measure of Hope. I don't know why it would affect me like that, after all, isn't Voyager in itself a form of Holodeck fantasy? It is for that reason I was uplifted. This episode deals with exactly that - How a fantasy can bridge the gap to reality and grant real hope to a person- This happens to the characters we care about in this episode, and it happens to us as it was Broadcast from the TV to our Eyes and Ears.

And all it took was a Neurotic Character acting Neurotically. Dwight really outdid "Howlin Mad" Barclay here, this was one of his best performances as that character.

Startrek

[doome-61941 · 10/10 · 6 May 2021]

So emotional I cried in this episode Especially when Admiral Paris talked to his son it was heartwarming moment.

Straw man villain prevents this from being a truly great episode

[Hughmanity · 8/10 · 15 February 2021]

A TNG flashback with Reginald Barclay and Deanna Troi back in their doctor-patient roles while Reg tries to open communications with Voyager. It's a fun episode with Reg' neurosis battling the buttoned up culture of Starfleet.

The 'villain' in this episode is Reg' boss Commander Harkins, who for reasons unknown seems hell-bent on preventing Reg from attempting his plan to contact Voyager. There are no reasons given for his obstruction, and it's all too obvious that the only real reason is to provide plot drama.

So they set up the straw man villain and knock him down, but along the way there is a lot of fun with Troi's counseling sessions and Reg's re-creation of the Voyager crew in hologram form (and they all think Reg is a super swell guy of course), a chase scene through holo-Voyager, and ultimately a feel good ending that provides a big continuity point in this mostly episodic series.

This could have easily been a 9 or 10 rating from me, if only the writers had tried a bit harder to come up with some real reasons or, well, any reasons, for browbeating Reg into forgetting about Voyager.

Best Episode I have ever seen for the series!

[brdavid-429-96270 · 10/10 · 13 December 2021]

If you have kept with my reviews I tend to not tow the line with the rest. That is, episodes others say are the best, I cannot stand, and certain episodes people hate (The Thaw, for example) I love.

This one is the best I have ever seen, and I have seen them all up to now. This episode embodies everything that made me love Star Trek TNG, and Deep Space Nine. It uses an old character in a very appropriate way and even brings back his faults in a great way.

The resolution is excellent and I would watch this episode over and over again. If only the whole series had this kind of writing.

Play it again, Barclay

[tomsly-40015 · 8/10 · 19 January 2024]

Lieutenant Barclay is back and makes his second appearance on Voyager. Although even the writers seem to have forgotten that Barclay was previously seen in the episode "Projections." At the end of this episode, the doctor answers the question of whether anyone knows Barclay only by saying that he has read his patient file. In the said episode, however, he encountered Barclay on the holodeck when he himself was trapped in it due to a malfunction. Barclay tried to convince him that he was the real Dr. Zimmerman and was actually stuck in a simulation on Jupiter Station due to an accident.

In any case, this episode is refreshingly different than previous Voyager episodes. At the center is Barclay, a Star Trek character who is not part of the lineup for this series. We also see Deanna Troi again. The type of narrative is also different. Troi visits Barclay, who is obsessed with Voyager (he even named his cat "Neelix") and the idea to establish contact but has been relieved of duty by his superior because he got too involved in this project and also spent too many hours on the holodeck in a simulation of Voyager. We now see, on the one hand, flashbacks of these events up to the present time and, on the other hand, the events in the now that follow afterwards. Barclay disobeys his superior's orders and attempts to prove his theory of a communication channel through an artificially created wormhole. And although Barclay isn't exactly the most socially competent officer, he is still an engineering genius that should not be underestimated. He manages to make brief contact with Voyager and thereby rehabilitates himself with his superiors.

I still think that Barclay would have fit well into this series after his stay on the Enterprise. His very introversive nature but also his ideas for solving technical problems could have been an interesting plot element. He could have made a very congenial duo in engineering with the cold and gruff Torres. He would also have been the perfect candidate for all the episodes in which crew members were possessed by aliens.

I also don't know why some Star Trek fans have an aversion to Barclay. Basically, he embodies the spirit of Star Trek like no other. Although he is not the type of officer who is always in the spotlight and is basically just a normal and simple person, he is still an expert in his field. He always tries to solve problems through technology, following the vision of Star Trek that the future can be made a better place through technology and knowledge.

I See Barclay in Me

[CharoleaWood · 10/10 · 24 June 2023]

What a superb character and I'm grateful to the writers and Schultz for displaying the complexities and stupidities of society through him.

The truth about Barclay is that none of his outbursts are more childish or out of line than any of Captain Picard's.

But society is not a place where ideas are equally weighed, reason takes a back seat to popularity --- who you are takes precedence over what you say or how you say it.

It's rather like what Ezri Dax says about Klingon honor --- we see soldiers kamikazeing themselves even though they know Gowron is dishonorable and essentially a child.

But Gowron is at the top, and we under the top must obey without reason.

And so this sickness infects society --- the pretense of reason, the pretense of honor --- and kills people.

Therefore the Barclays and Ezris of the world are needed to counterbalance society's own insanity, disobedience is critical to wellbeing.

Barclay is a true hero.

Kinda annoying, and then emotionally moving

[skinnybert · 7/10 · 23 December 2019]

When this episode first aired, I imagine some viewers were checking their TV guides to check which Star Trek program they had tuned into, because you don't watch "Voyager" expecting to see Lt. Barclay open a door to greet Deanna Troi ... revisiting ST:TNG through two of that show's most annoying characters.

Surprisingly, Troi is not annoying at all ... which evidently inspired Dwight Shultz to double down on Barclay's irritating qualities. This makes for some tough going, because (like most Barclay episodes) the story focuses entirely on him and his neurotic self -- but even more so since he's telling it.

The good news is the often-overlooked Richard Herd as Admiral Paris, who yanks this episode up out of 'irritating' and thrusts it into 'genuinely moving'. We'll just have to accept his remarkable resemblance to Karl Malden -- nothing to be done about looks, and the talent is the man's own. Here's an actor who equals Patrick Stewart for serious scenes; they must have realized it on set as well, since they brought him back for a few more episodes after this.

The result is an OK first half (Barclay/Troi) and a genuinely strong second half (Paris), although I sorta feel for the regular cast -- "Voyager" is their show, but they're largely reduced to being background/support characters for Shultz. It must be said, though, that he's very good at playing the neurotic-but-brilliant Lt Barclay.

Ultimately, a definitely-recommended episode,but not where I'd start someone on watching "Voyager"

Hurray for Barclay, Boo! for Bad Plot Motivations

[William_E_Hunter · 7/10 · 14 February 2020]

It's always great to see stuttering, socially awkward Reg Barclay in an episode.

Unfortunately, the forced character motivations hamstring the episode and keep it from becoming a really quality Voyager outing. Barclay has become obsessed with Voyager's plight (perhaps because they are stranded alone in the Delta quadrant, and he is stranded alone inside his hopelessly cringey social ineptness). He has developed a theoretical method of creating a singularity and using it to establish 2-way communications with Voyager. But his commanding officer, who otherwise seems patient and rational, refuses to allow Barclay to test this theory, or even to recommend it to higher-ups in Starfleet.

The burning question when watching this episode is then: WHY? Why wouldn't they let Barclay try? By all accounts throughout the story, there is absolutely no ramifications to trying... except to reach the stranded Voyager and finally establish full comms with them. One, of course, knows why this stubbornness exists.... to create drama as artificial as Barclay's wormhole! To make him struggle and finally prevail.... over nothing, really.

This really makes what is a watershed moment in the show a, well, a hollow pursuit.

Lieutenant Broccoli hits the holodeck again

[Eradan · 5/10 · 19 September 2021]

I'm rating this episode as a '5' only because of it's significance to the larger arc of the show. In and of itself, I found it literally annoying for the following three reasons...

1. Marina Sirtis couldn't even be bothered to get back in character as Deanna Troi. For most of the ep, she lapses back into her native, UK English accent which is fine but that's NOT Deanna Troi's accent.

2. More seriously, all holodeck episodes on any of the Trek series or movies are ridiculous because the holodeck technology is impossible. It violates the Laws of Physics in so many ways, I could be here all night listing them. If the Federation actually had a technology like this, they'd be almost as godlike as the beings of the Q Continuum.

3. Finally the Reginald Barclay character is really irritating to watch or listen to. Dwight Schultz is a good actor but the character he created in Barclay has a nails on the blackboard effect on me. I simply cant stand him.

Tenacious Barclay.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 11 February 2023]

I am a big barclay fan --- I think I scored 2 of his episodes in TNG 9 out of 10's. Shultz just gives a very memorable performance in his star trek roles.

It does seem a bit convenient that our man Barclay just happens to be on the case to communicate with Voyager --- but hey --- it works, he definitely seems like a theoretical mastermind.

I noticed a nice change in how Barclay has been treated since TNG. Back in the day he was avoided and even ridiculed for being so weird but his commander seems to genuinely care about him and his well being. If I was the commander I would certainly assume that Barclay has relapsed with his holo-addiction based on his actions.

It's good to see Troi again ---- I always felt she didn't get a fair shake on TNG --- I enjoy her counseling moments but that might elevated for me because I really do need some serious counseling to work out some major problems.

This next comment is not fair but it is true. There is thing known as type casting ---- Tom Paris dad was in an episode of Seinfeld as George's Boss and all I can picture is the actor playing a scene from Seinfeld with a failing memory when I see him on screen.

We even get a scene of Janeway being emotional but trying to maintain her dignity. It was a nice scene.

Great one for Reg fans

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 17 July 2020]

Back on Earth we see Reg Barclay trying to establish contact with Voyager and encountering resistance from the Starfleet chain of command.

Barclay and Deanna Troi are the main focus as he fights to get his idea recognised and suffers multiple set backs that require the emotional support of his Betazoid friend.

The plot is a little bit frustrating, but when we get to the conclusion there is a particularly uplifting feel-good moment that's worth all the effort to reach.

Dwight Schultz is as howlingly mad as ever playing a man who either might be losing sanity or on his way to greatness. It's nice to see Marina Sirtis but it does feel a bit like she's there to hook the TNG fans.

An interesting perspective on Voyager's predicament from the other side of the galaxy with one word of warning; see my review's title.

Wait, I am lost..

[perezboba · 4/10 · 26 October 2022]

Can someone please explain to me why is Barclay cat called Nelix? Wasn't Nelix picked up on the Delta Quadrant? How does Barclay knows about him? And, ok, he is annoying and slightly stubborn, but why oh why don't them allow him to test the micro-worm hole? What could happen? It seems the only downside would he that it didn't work. But it seemed to work. And then, did he got fired or not? Why call Diana? Why didn't the opened another worm hole now that they know how? This chapter makes no sense. I mean, I don't know, maybe they explained all this during the chapter, but I just couldn't get over the cats name.... how? Why?

He Makes Me Nervous

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 11 September 2018]

Barkley is a connection to TNG and is pretty much the same sad figure he always was. But he has technical competence and he knows how to get communications with Voyager. He is such a weird figure with some really dicey sexuality issues, and so when we see him sidling up to his holographic women, it gives one the creeps. I don't enjoy having characters from past series show up in newer series. I have to say it was sort of boring with a "hopeful" but predictable ending.

A few years have passed and Barkley is still a creepy kinda guy!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 March 2015]

Back when he was a semi-regular on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Lt. Barkley was a creepy guy who was filled with doubts and spent all his free time in a holo suite living out a life of confidence, sexual appeal and competence. Outside it, he was a schmuck who stuttered a lot and avoided relationships. Normal, he wasn't. Now with this episode of "Star Trek: Voyager", he's pretty much the same pathetic and creepy guy. However, instead of having his way with the women of Enterprise, he sees himself as a stud living on Voyager. If you think about it, this is even sicker and creepier, as he's never even been on Voyager nor has he met these folks!

Part of Barkley's fascination with Voyager is his insistence that he can somehow reach out to the ship and contact them...and perhaps one day help bring them back to Earth. No one believes him, as they just see him as a creepy guy to be avoided. Can Barkley rise to the occasion and help Voyager even though he's a bazillion light-years away from the Delta Quadrant?

I am not a huge fan of the Barkley character. Had he evolved and become more competent and less a skeezy guy who annoys holo women, I would have enjoyed this one a lot more. Still, it was moderately interesting.

Good episode let down by poor acting.

[soolym · 6/10 · 24 November 2021]

The character Barcley gives some more humanity to the star trek universe, being as flawed as he is. Unfortunately this requires some acting chops and they're sadly lacking. This has always been a problem with ST, a few good actors being used to carry the show more often than not. Get past the overacting and this is an entertaining episode reminding the viewer that there is a world Voyager is attempting to return to.