Star Trek Brings Voyager Back to the Stars & Ignites an Epic Picard Crossover!
Voyager's triumphant return in Star Trek: Lower Decks paves the way for an exciting Picard Season 3 and unveils intriguing possibilities for Prodigy's Voyager-A Get ready for intergalactic adventures like never before!
Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 1 - "Twovix"
Summary
The USS Voyager's return in Star Trek: Lower Decks establishes its position in Star Trek: Picard season 3 and its inclusion in the Fleet Museum. In the first episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, the USS Cerritos accompanies the USS Voyager, but both vessels encounter distinct crises.
The original USS Voyager makes a comeback in Lower Decks, marking the transition to the USS Voyager-A, which will appear in season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy.
In the premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, the USS Voyager returns to action, setting the stage for its role in the 25th-century in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Known as the eponymous starship of Star Trek: Voyager, this Intrepid Class vessel, commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and identified as NCC-74656, was lost in the Delta Quadrant for 7 years. Janeway successfully guided her ship and crew back to Earth, making the crew of Voyager iconic figures in Starfleet.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 brings back the original USS Voyager, marking its second appearance since the conclusion of Star Trek: Voyager. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, viewers visit the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime, which is under the supervision of Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). Within the Fleet Museum, Voyager holds a distinguished position alongside renowned spacecrafts such as the USS Enterprise-A, the revamped NX-01 Enterprise, and Geordi's personally refurbished USS Enterprise-D. With nearly two decades between the finale of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard season 3, the premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 helps to bridge this gap.
Voyager's Return In Star Trek: Lower Decks Sets Up Picard Season 3's Fleet Museum
In the season 4 premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks titled "Twovix," Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) commanded the USS Cerritos, which had been assigned to accompany the USS Voyager back to Earth. Unfortunately, both starships faced simultaneous disasters. On the Cerritos, a transporter accident resulted in the creation of a hybrid entity named Tillups, who then chose to merge Captain Freeman and her crew, similar to the "Tuvix" incident. Meanwhile, on Voyager, a group of holographic villains from Star Trek: Voyager launched a takeover attempt, but it was thwarted by Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), who managed to save Voyager and all its occupants.
Just a few years separate the end of Voyager and Lower Decks season 4 in the Star Trek timeline, and the USS Voyager was undergoing conversion into a museum while the Cerritos visited. Following the resolution of both crises, Voyager made a landing on Earth to welcome visitors to its museum. Once the museum phase concluded, the USS Voyager was transported to the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime. However, the sight of Voyager back at warp in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4's premiere, teeming with a multitude of villains and Easter eggs from Star Trek: Voyager's history, added an exhilarating touch.
What The Original Voyager’s Return Means For Star Trek: Prodigy’s Voyager-A
In an astonishing turn of events, three separate Star Trek series set to air in 2023 will feature various iterations of the USS Voyager. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, fans will witness the Voyager in a live-action format, while Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 will have the Voyager take flight once again. Furthermore, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 will introduce the USS Voyager-A, the successor to the original Voyager. Though Prodigy is currently in search of a new streaming platform for its second season, attendees at STLV: 57-Year Mission were treated to a special preview, showcasing four minutes of footage that reunited Star Trek: Voyager's beloved holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) and unveiled the Voyager-A, which fittingly serves as the new starship commanded by Admiral Janeway.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 likely marks the final chapter of the original USS Voyager's journey in the Intrepid Class. However, the spotlight now shifts to Star Trek: Prodigy and the Voyager-A, a new Lamarr Class vessel that boasts advanced Starfleet technology. Admiral Janeway plans to guide the Voyager-A through a wormhole into an alternate 25th-century timeline to rescue Captain Chakotay, who is stranded on the planet Solum. Let's hope that history doesn't repeat itself, and Voyager-A doesn't become lost in a different future, similar to the original USS Voyager's 7-year odyssey in the Delta Quadrant. Don't miss Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, streaming on Paramount+ every Thursday.
