The Doctor from Voyager Created Stellar Star Trek Episodes with Just One Remark

Summary

The Doctor's early line about programming himself set up two of his greatest episodes, where he created a holographic family and joined a resistance movement.

Throughout his time on Star Trek: Voyager, the Doctor embarked on a captivating journey to embrace his human side. This constant striving to become more human, along with his remarkable ability to explore his own humanity and expand his program, solidified the Doctor as one of the most beloved characters in Voyager, joining the ranks of other iconic characters in previous Star Trek endeavors.

Star Trek: Voyager's Doctor (Robert Picardo) set the stage for two of his most remarkable episodes with a single line. While the character of the Doctor eventually grew to be a fan favorite on Voyager, he started off as a completely different person. This transformation was primarily due to the Doctor being a hologram who had to learn how to be human throughout the show's seven seasons. Initially, his personality wasn't fully developed, and he lacked the freedoms that he gained as his program expanded. However, the earliest glimpses of the Doctor's eventual evolution could be seen in his early appearances on the show.

An example of this can be found in a line from the Doctor during Voyager's first season, episode 5, "The Cloud." In this particular episode, Voyager's resident Klingon B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) sought the Doctor's expertise regarding an organic sample from a nebula that the crew had encountered. However, their conversation took an unexpected turn when they discussed the Doctor potentially modifying his own program to alter his introductory line, "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." When B'Elanna suggested that the Doctor should have control over his own program, he responded with the intriguing question, "Hmm... a hologram that programs himself. What would I do with that ability? Create a family? Raise an army?"

Voyager’s Doctor’s Season 1 Line Perfectly Set Up 2 Of His Greatest Episodes

The Doctor's season 1 line turned out to be significant, leading to the creation of two of his greatest episodes. In season 3, episode 22, "Real Life," the Doctor decided to delve deeper into humanity by creating a holographic family. However, it was only when B'Elanna suggested modifying the program to capture a more realistic portrayal of a wife and children's behavior that the episode took on its poignant exploration of the joys and challenges of family life. This marked a crucial step in the Doctor's path towards embracing his human side.

In terms of assembling an army, the Doctor, though not initially involved in the conflict, eventually became part of a holographic resistance movement in season 7, episodes 9 and 10, "Flesh and Blood, Parts I and II." After Captain Janeway shared holodeck technology with the Hirogen, the previously programmed holograms, who were used as prey in their hunts, became self-aware and fought back against their captors. Learning about the situation, the Doctor empathized with the holograms' cause and briefly left his ship to join the battle. In doing so, the Doctor fulfilled the two possibilities he mentioned earlier about what a freed hologram like himself could accomplish.

How The Doctor Became One Of Voyager’s Best Characters

Programming himself was a contributing factor to the Doctor's exceptional portrayal on Voyager. His newfound freedom to explore his own humanity allowed for the creation of captivating storylines, resulting in some of the show's most entertaining episodes. Previous Star Trek characters like Data from The Next Generation (portrayed by Brent Spiner) also gained popularity for similar reasons, making the Doctor a perfect fit for Voyager's cast. With suggestions from Robert Picardo, such as incorporating singing into his program, the character experienced tremendous growth and reached unprecedented heights.