Fine Cast Will Take `Voyager’ On A Good Ride

In the fourth installment of Gene Roddenberry’s visionary Star Trek series, “Star Trek: Voyager” beamed into the homes of millions across the nation last month (FOX, Sat. 6 pm).

The scenario for this show had to be totally different from what we have seen before so “Voyager” wouldn’t become a reproduction of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

So, in order to take away all of the luxuries and comforts that “normal space” provides, the creators, Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor, simply took the ship away.

They accomplished this by thrusting over 70,000 light years away from Federation Space and in doing so provide the opportunity for all new alien life forms and story lines to be brought into existences.

In the pilot episode, “Caretaker,” the ship must seek out the life form that brought them to the remote part of the galaxy. In doing so, the crew discovers that they were brought to the Delta Quadrant by a dying life form seeking out a mate to produce an offspring.

Although the “Voyager” crew discover a way home, they don’t take the opportunity so they can carry out the last wish of the dying species.

In following a great Trek tradition, “Voyager” sports a strong cast of relatively unknown and talented actors. At the helm of the latest production is Kate Mulgrew portraying Captain Katherine Janeway.

This red-headed hero is, to say the least, a formidable presence in the masculine world of captains. Capt. Janeway is able to defy the rules of Starfleet Command and stand up to intimidating creatures in one moment, then let her feminine side shine through when the circumstances permit.

There is no doubt that “Star Trek: Voyager” will fly high for many years to come at the hands of the talented cast and crew. As Jean-Luc Picard said in the pilot episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Let’s see what’s out there.”

I look forward to “Voyager” showing me for years to come.

Grade: A