Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 1 – “Twovix”
The USS Voyager is back in action in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4’s premiere and the legendary starship’s return also sets up its 25th-century status in Star Trek: Picard season 3. The eponymous starship of Star Trek: Voyager, the Intrepid Class vessel designated NCC-74656 under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) was lost in the Delta Quadrant for 7 years. Janeway successfully led her ship and crew home to Earth, and the crew of Voyager became Starfleet icons.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 isn’t the first time the original USS Voyager was seen since the end of Star Trek: Voyager. Star Trek: Picard season 3 visited the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime, which is overseen by Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). Voyager holds an honored spot in the Fleet Museum along with other famous vessels like the USS Enterprise-A, the refitted NX-01 Enterprise, and the USS Enterprise-D Geordi personally restored into fighting shape. But there are nearly 20 years between the end of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard season 3 that Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4’s premiere just helped fill in.
Voyager’s Return In Star Trek: Lower Decks Sets Up Picard Season 3’s Fleet Museum
The USS Cerritos under the command of Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) was assigned to escort the USS Voyager to Earth in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4’s premiere, “Twovix.” Unfortunately, dual calamities struck both starships. On the Cerritos, a transporter accident created a hybrid being called Tillups who then decided to “Tuvix” Freeman and her crew. But on Voyager, a trio of holographic villains from Star Trek: Voyager mounted a takeover of the ship until Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) saved Voyager and everyone aboard.
Just a few years separate the end of Voyager and Lower Decks season 4 in the Star Trek timeline, and the USS Voyager was in the midst of being converted into a museum when the Cerritos visited. After both crises were resolved, Voyager landed on Earth to welcome visitors to its museum. After this period as a museum ended, the USS Voyager was then brought to the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime. But it was great fun to see Voyager back at warp in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4’s premiere, and riddled with a cavalcade of villains and Easter eggs from Star Trek: Voyager‘s history.
What The Original Voyager’s Return Means For Star Trek: Prodigy’s Voyager-A
Amazingly, three Star Trek series in 2023 have showcased generations of the USS Voyager. Star Trek: Picard season 3 showed Voyager in live-action, Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 begins with Voyager back in flight, and Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 introduces its successor, the USS Voyager-A. Although Prodigy is still searching for a new streaming home before audiences can see season 2, four minutes of footage was screened at STLV: 57-Year Mission that brought back Star Trek: Voyager‘s holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) and revealed the Voyager-A, which is fittingly the new starship commanded by Admiral Janeway.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 was very likely the original Intrepid Class USS Voyager’s last hurrah. The baton is passed to Star Trek: Prodigy and the Lamarr Class Voyager-A, which promises to be equipped with the “latest and greatest” Starfleet technology from its predecessor and beyond. Admiral Janeway plans to lead the Voyager-A into a wormhole to an alternate 25th-century timeline in order to rescue Captain Chakotay (Robet Beltran), who is trapped on the planet Solum. Hopefully, history (and irony) won’t repeat, and Voyager-A won’t get lost in an alternate future like the original USS Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant for 7 years.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.
