"Endgame", like most series finales, is an episode entirely for the fans..and yet in the last few minutes, the writers fail to give the fans a pleasing little coda that would make us all well up with tears. In a way it makes sense: the premise of the series is that the crew wants to get home and so it ends the moment they get home. But it still would have been nice to see Janeway gather everyone together for one rousing little moment.
You should watch this episode when you're in a forgiving mood: the Chakotay / Seven of Nine romance comes more or less out of left field. Certainly the writers have hinted at it in two previous episodes (Human Error and Natural Law); now all of the sudden the two are having their "third" date. It's a little sloppy, like the rushed ending.
The major plot problem, sadly, is pointed out by the Borg Queen in her final moments, which feels like it was the character getting revenge for being killed. She remarks that once her Borg cube has killed Janeway, then the future Janeway will never exist and hence everything she's accomplished will be erased. But the same thing is accomplished if the Borg Queen lets the younger Janeway get home: for of course, this means that she won't have any reason to go back in time to change her past. It's not that I care the writers chose to ignore the paradox of time travel: it's just funny that they would so blatantly call our attention to it.
In a way this episode was quintessential Voyager: goofy, slightly illogical, and yet nonetheless engaging and fun. There were good episodes and bad ones, but on average they hit more balls then they missed. They also did much for the advancement of hologram rights: I mean, this episode shows the Doctor has married a human. This in itself boggles the mind and practically begs for a spin off series: I mean just think what you could do with their children.
You should watch this episode when you're in a forgiving mood: the Chakotay / Seven of Nine romance comes more or less out of left field. Certainly the writers have hinted at it in two previous episodes (Human Error and Natural Law); now all of the sudden the two are having their "third" date. It's a little sloppy, like the rushed ending.
The major plot problem, sadly, is pointed out by the Borg Queen in her final moments, which feels like it was the character getting revenge for being killed. She remarks that once her Borg cube has killed Janeway, then the future Janeway will never exist and hence everything she's accomplished will be erased. But the same thing is accomplished if the Borg Queen lets the younger Janeway get home: for of course, this means that she won't have any reason to go back in time to change her past. It's not that I care the writers chose to ignore the paradox of time travel: it's just funny that they would so blatantly call our attention to it.
In a way this episode was quintessential Voyager: goofy, slightly illogical, and yet nonetheless engaging and fun. There were good episodes and bad ones, but on average they hit more balls then they missed. They also did much for the advancement of hologram rights: I mean, this episode shows the Doctor has married a human. This in itself boggles the mind and practically begs for a spin off series: I mean just think what you could do with their children.