Boldly Reimagined: Star Trek: Voyager Transcends the Worst TOS Episode

Summary

Voyager improved on a previously disliked Star Trek episode by making the organ-stealing alien concept more complex and compelling.

The Vidiians, with their tragic past and deplorable tactics, emerged as formidable adversaries on Voyager, contributing to some outstanding episodes. Regrettably, due to the show's storyline, Voyager had no choice but to bid farewell to the Vidiians as they continued their voyage towards the Alpha Quadrant.

Star Trek: Voyager enhanced the storyline of one of the Star Trek: The Original Series's weakest episodes. When it premiered in 1995, Voyager aimed to establish itself as a distinct part of the Star Trek franchise. One way it accomplished this was by taking place in the Delta Quadrant, an unexplored region of the galaxy. Consequently, the crew of the USS Voyager encountered peculiar alien species in nearly every episode. Among the most unsettling species in season 1 were the Vidiians.

The Vidiians were first introduced in "Phage," the fourth episode of Voyager's first season, and swiftly became one of the franchise's most terrifying species. Once a race of explorers, the Vidiians suffered 2,000 years ago from a devastating illness known as the Phage. This disease aggressively attacked their bodies, causing rapid tissue deterioration. To survive, the Vidiians resorted to harvesting organs from other species, often extracting them from living beings and grafting them onto their own bodies. Although their actions were driven by survival, their methods were deeply disturbing. Interestingly, the Vidiians were not the first extraterrestrial organ thieves to appear in the Star Trek franchise.

Star Trek: Voyager Is A Big Improvement Over TOS' Worst Episode

In contrast to the universally disliked Star Trek: TOS episode "Spock's Brain," the Voyager episode "Phage" improved upon its concept by introducing more intricate elements. While "Spock's Brain" featured the Eymorgs stealing Spock's brain to control their computer-run society, the execution fell flat, leaving much to be desired. However, "Phage" took the idea of organ-stealing aliens and delved deeper into the moral dilemma faced by the Vidiians. Captain Janeway, in particular, grappled with this ethical question, resulting in a genuinely compelling storyline. Furthermore, "Phage" portrayed the Vidiians' organ harvesting practices as genuinely horrifying, in stark contrast to the lighter tone of "Spock's Brain." Despite the difficult subject matter, "Phage" managed to strike a balance by incorporating comic relief through the character Neelix, who lost his lungs to the Vidiians.

Why The Vidiians Are One Of Voyager’s Best Villains

Despite Voyager's difficulties in creating noteworthy Star Trek antagonists throughout its seven-year tenure, the Vidiians emerged as one of its finest. Their tragic past intertwined with the Phage rendered them strangely sympathetic, despite their morally reprehensible tactics in combating the disease. This intricate characterization elevated them as compelling adversaries, ultimately delivering some truly exceptional episodes during Voyager's initial three seasons. Regrettably, the show's premise compelled them to leave the Vidiians behind as they forged ahead on their voyage to the Alpha Quadrant.