I know Neelix can be irritating, but he got two of the darkest stories on ST:V. "Jetrel" where Neelix confronts the architect of Talaxian genocide, and "Mortal Coil" where Neelix dies and discovers there's no afterlife were pretty dark and intense for Trek.
Mortal Coil should’ve been on this list, honestly. Nothing darker than the fact of our own mortality, discovering that your most cherished beliefs are probably a load of BS and the sense of meaninglessness that accompanies the horror of your own transience. Maybe they didn’t include it because it directly confronted religious belief and they just wanted to stay away from that topic, but that episode is truly sad and disturbing. Neelix almost kills himself by beaming himself into space. The way the story resolves with Neelix realizing that his life does have meaning and that meaning was enough was really beautiful too. “Monsters in the replicator? Who on this ship can handle that?”
@@jonathanfraser6738 That was the episode that sprang to mind when I clicked this list, and I was surprised it didn't make it. The questions of identity and the right to life when it comes at the cost of others' were pretty heavy.
"One" was pretty dark, Seven slowly losing her mind as she experiences isolation for the first time while trying to keep the ship running through a dangerous nebula
Or when the drone, One, allows himself to die to prevent the Borg from seeking him out and, in turn, finding Voyager. That was dark aaaaaaand I cry when he says "I WILL NOT." every time.
Be'Lanna's depression is probably the most realistic I've seen on a TV show (in comparison to my own). She's not sad or angry or hurt, she's numb. The need to feel something drives her to be reckless and careless. She can't stand the emptiness inside her and any feeling at all is better than what she's going through.
exactly the best portait of an unsolved PTSD and severe depression, people hurt themself to feel something or feel so guilty they think they deserve to suffer this much. But wont to die they just want to feel anything.
It wasn't so much that The Doctor couldn't save both the victims in "Latent Image" and give a happy ending, it was more that he was closer to Harry on a personal level and recognized that he'd let that inform who he chose to save, which is what drove him crazy.
@@daveryder9617 Nemesis was pretty dark as well. Poor Chokatay was being brainwashed to hate another species the entire episode. The program they were using was even having him make friends with soldiers, old men, women and children then having to watch them get murdered by said species.
What about “Nothing Human” (Season 5, Episode 8), when a hologram of a notorious Cardassian exobiologist helps The Doctor remove an injured, non-humanoid alien that has attached itself to Lt. Torres, despite her refusal to allow him to treat her (due to the unethical methods he used)?
I didn't really get that episode. It was implied that Cardassian doctor had never been actually convicted of any crimes so why would the hologram version of him have been programmed to be evil? And why punish a hologram for the crimes that the person he's designed after committed?
@@blankb.2277 I don't think it was about punishing the hologram, it was about Belanna not wanting to receive medical treatment when the knowledge that made the treatment possible was derived from war crimes. It was exploring real world issues involving the use of medical research from the holocaust, etc.
@@kevingooley8510 I get that, but I think they missed the mark. A recurring theme in Voyager is talking about “Hologram racism” that the doctor faces, but here the main characters are treating a reflection of light like a monster because he looks like someone who committed a crime according to 2 people.
I was a kid when I first saw this episode and always thought how long had we been watching this other Voyager before this? This blew my mind back then!!
This episode confused the hell out of me armt first then it made sense. But did this episode comeout before or after real tom and blana got together as a couple.
The Q episode where he wants to commit suicide. It's a really funny episode, but the premise dealing with suicide and if society should accept this or not is really dark.
Sort of agree. I wouldn't say it's dark but the subject matter especially at the time of airing was very taboo. If not dark it's definitely one of Voyager's most thought provoking episodes and a great piece of writing and character drama.
Extreme Risk is still one of the few episodes in television that directly address self-harm. I really appreciate how it distinguishes that self-harm doesn't mean being suicidal but its about coping with depression. It's a key distinction that I feel Voyager really nailed.
I loved how Tuvix stopped the chaos of too many cooks/crewmen in the kitchen. Tuvix: All right, everybody out! Lt. Hogan: On whose authority? Tuvix: Chief of Security or Head Chef. Take your pick. Out, out, out! Come, come, out.
There's another one or two that deal with the afterlife beliefs of crew members "Barge of the Dead" (forgive the incorrect episode title...) I think is one (as with all Klingon-centric episodes, quite dark in tone), and there's another (already mentioned - "Mortal Coil" where Neelix finds the afterlife he's always expected not to be what he expected.....I suppose a dark episode but more philosophical.
"Due to some bad news". Massive understatement. Her character was a soldier fighting the cardassians before getting stuck in the delta quadrant. When you serve and fight with people like that they become family. And she had been told that literally all of them were dead. Anyone who has served in war, should be able to sympathize here. The guilt of not dying with them, the guilt of just plain not dying, the anger that you can't punish those responsible, it all piles up and eventually you just go numb. Add on the idea that once you've seen stuff like that the volume just gets turned down on everything else and it can be hard to feel alive. it's one of my favorite episodes because it's something I've seen in myself and many of the men I served with. She's not trying to hurt herself she's trying to feel alive. I've got friends who have gotten themselves killed looking to recapture that thrill. Fuck God knows I've probably been close myself. The cavalier attitude about her own life's comes from the guilt and feeling that she doesn't really deserve to be here anyway so if she dies, big deal. Ahead of its time by many years
The use of the phrase bad news is an understatement. It is like when we called the Atlantic ocean the pond. He knows it was enormous news. He’s using minimization for humorous effect
Also, to add to your list, “The Thaw”, “The Chute” (Harry nearly murders an insane Tom cause a brain chip is forcing them to go nuts in a prison), “Remember” , and “Nemesis”.
@@SubjectDelta9 learning from a lesson doesn't remove the trauma it creates. Sometimes it makes it worse, because using knowledge learned from trauma reinforces the trauma.
"Living Witness" shows the darkness of history being misrepresented leading to a needless future of hatred and judgement. "Tuvix" is the darkest and cruelest decisions Janeway made in the entire 7 years, not withstanding Admiral Janeway only caring to change history for her closest crew mates in Endgame completely letting others remain dead and preventing the births of numerous children. But that's Janeway for ya.
say what you will about Admiral Janeway but I still remember the tears that streamed down my cheek when the Voyager crew finally made it back to the Alpha quadrant in one piece
Perhaps so. But I didn't think Tuvix was that dark of an episode. Janeway really did the only reasonable thing by separating them. In fact she should have shown a little more stomach and taken Neelix's lungs back from the Vidiian in season 1 (not that I really wanted Neelix to survive).
The death of 2 people for the birth of one new being, to the effective death of said sentient being to restore the lives of the 2 former living by way or reserving an industrial accident doesn't sound plausible let alone reasonable. Indeed, Tuvix shouldn't have even existed, but since he did, was self aware, and seeking to preserve his own life, what overriding right does Janeway have to end his existence? Tuvix and Neelix have no say in this, since either they are considered dead, or Tuvix spoke on their behalf as an amalgamation of both lives. It's "playing god" at best, and murder at worst. Thankfully, this is only fiction.
Some of these entries aren't THAT dark. You reference the episode where the Doctor essentially has split personality syndrome but that's not on the list, or his episode where he isn't sure if he's a hologram or human? You comment about Seven being forced to face issues of her humanity in Tsunkatse but you don't have Dark Frontier on the list where she literally is faced with her past and is semi-complicit again in many people being assimilated by the Borg? No Night?! Where Janeway is having a personal crisis and has secluded herself in her quarters whilst the crew develop Cabin Fever?
Yeah I agree, it's like they pick the lighter side of "dark" (equal to decaf coffee) as not to depres or "trigger" their view? But the thing that hold up with Trek vs their more popular sibling is that the episodes are timelines when looked back afterwards in a different lens. DS9 is the darkest of the franchise because of its war & religious nature (more the war part). That said as a Veteran & just growing up in poverty in the U.S. nothing about DS9 made it "must watch" for me. Those are on the nose dark moments that maybe non military people will like but Veterans won't.
@@danielland3767 I don't think this is a case of not wanting to trigger their viewers, I just think it's a badly thought out list. By the way I think you are missing out on DS9 if you haven't seen it. If you're a veteran I think you'd find some of DS9 quite interesting. The episode "It's Only a Paper Moon" in particular directly tackles combat PTSD and life changing injuries that can come from combat, it received a lot of praise from ex-service personnel and advocacy groups.
@@shepja87 no I've seen DS9 before service days & it never interests me. I'm more of a Trek person for technology & science theory then anything else ( it's why I still want a USS Prometheus show if we are going to move away from Enterprise ships). But the war nature & broken down station never appealed to for that reason. I get some episodes are highly acclaimed for accurately portraying things but as far as tech wise it suck. Yes the plot of the show was better, better character development etc. But honestly even then & now I don't truly care. The best stuff out of DS9 is Defiant & that's it for me
I actually like it...lol. but I think it's to reassure us what video we are watching because....well some people wouldn't see it as dark or even normal
What about “Fury”? Seeing sweet Kes return in a rage several seasons after her initial departure was disturbing. And in some ways mirrored how the actress Jennifer Lien’s life and mental health unravelled after she was dropped from the show. Dark, and very sad.
this episode has so much flaws , i often asked ... why she travels in Shuttle when she abple to push Voyager for 3000 light Years and needs Voyager after being - cured
Really, no Tuvix? Dragging someone away to die while they plead with a room full of people to save them is pretty messed up. Also Chakotay getting brainwashed into fighting someone else's war in Nemesis was pretty rough. And I think Janeway losing herself in Night, locking herself away, not being able to face the crew she condemned to this journey should have made it on the list.
"the Darkling" is on my list when the doctor's personality goes awol when he tries to combine "the best" personalities of people like Einstein and Da Vinci (etc) and the outcome is something worse than Jekyll and Hyde.
The episode extreme risk was what made me go and get help when I was extremely depressed after I washed out of the military. That is why it is one of my favorite Star Trek episodes ever
I hope you got the help you needed. When I first saw this, my father watched it with me. He'd always said star trek was a rubbishy, wishy washy liberal fantasy. Until we watched this one.
Gosh... there is indeed lots of dark episodes and all of these are indeed so. MacroVirus was the one that was the darkest and frightening for me. Scared the heck out of me... kept me awake... By far, B'Elanna is by far the most interesting character across the entire array of episodes/seasons... Roxanne Dawson just did this so well. Huge 5 Stars for her actressing for that character. .It just occurred to me that Lt. Worf was the same way for me with TNG....
Yeah but most people don't pull the lever. Generally humans feel inaction is less culpable than action. Janeway pulled the lever. And boy do we judge her for it.
Oh! You definitely missed two of the absolute darkest ones.... The one where the DNA of both Neelix and Tuvok become fused. This creates a new individual who is a combination of both. At first, this hybrid of both in one body is eager for this ordeal to be reversed. But it cannot be done immediately. A good deal of time passes before the Captain can give him the good news that they are ready to reverse the process. However, so much time has passed that the hybrid has become his own entity. With his own emotions and his own characteristics. Basically his own life. When given the "good news," he tells the captain not to go ahead with the procedure because he doesn't want to die. But Neelix and Tuvok obviously would want to return to their lives. As long as the hybrid (who now has his own name) exists, that means they do not exist. A gut-wrenching decision for the captain. Ultimately she decides to reverse the procedure. Thus, putting an end to the life of the hybrid. Essentially killing him so that Neelix and Tuvok may live again. In another episode, Torres is dying. Unable to help, the doctor eventually comes across medical files of an alien doctor. He creates a hologram of that doctor, and the two start working together to save her life. The alien doctor's research is simply amazing.... but it soon becomes clear how he achieved all of his advanced knowledge. Someone on Voyager recognizes the accurate holographic projection of the alien doctor, and informs the crew that the alien doctor is one of the biggest and most horrendous war criminals his people ever knew! The real version of the doctor conducted horrific experiments of obscene torture. Beyond unethical, on an entire race of people. That's how he was able to gather such advanced research that could be used to save Torres' life. Captain Janeway must now make a decision. Use the research, save Torres. But in doing so, she is actively supporting the obscene and unethical medical practices of not just a doctor, but a monster as well. Basically admitting that the ends justify the means. Or, she can ignore/erase all the data compiled. In doing so, she takes a stand against such evil medical practices. But then Torres would die. Everyone living now who could be saved with the existing research would also die. And, they would die needlessly. Plus, what about all those victims? Erase the research data, and it's as if they were tortured, brutalized and ultimately died for nothing. Captain Janeway makes one of the most controversial decisions of the series. She lets the Voyager's holographic doctor use the research to save Torres. But then has all of it deleted. So no other lives down the road can be saved if they end up needing the research. And, it's not just the copies Voyager has of the research. It's *ALL* of the research. Including the original files. Deleted forever.
See and I found this episode a waste. Those people were tortured and killed by a maniacal doctor. By erasing all that was learned, they were all tortured and killed in vain, for nothing. At least by keeping and using the data, their deaths can be somewhat redeemed.
It's reminiscent of the infamous unit 731 during WW2, whose research went towards a lot of modern medicine Not only that, those behind the unit were given pardons as well as top jobs in the medical industry
My first thought was Tuvix. I thought it would be number one. Surprising it wasn't on the list. Granted I forgot about a lot if these and they were all good examples.
@@TheGr00salug I agree with on both. It was just on a day or 2 ago on the Heroes and Icons channel in my cable system. All 5 original Trek series 6 days a week. Geek paradise🖖
A correction about the episode Lineage. Torres wasn't changing her daughter's DNA because of childhood bullying, it was because her father abandoned her and she didn't want Tom doing the same.
@1:00 starring ST fan Leland Orser. He played different characters in 3 ST series: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. He was in Alien Resurrection also.
While TNG approaches Moral/Personal issues in a more subtle manner, Voyager is more blunt and direct in delivering the blow. I love both shows for their messages and deliverance. When each episode is properly observed, perceived and understood in its own context, it can be profoundly healing and enlightening.
Tuvix is in perfect alignment to the old saying: The needs of the many, outweighs the need of a few, or the one. Nothing really dark, except that its just brutal and calculated.
Really? The only really dark episode I can think of is the one where O'Brien thinks he's been in prison for 20 years and tries to kill himself. But maybe that's just because as someone with depression that one stuck with me.
I would make it so the holodeck's safety protocols couldn't be turned off without the approval of the Captain, the chief engineer, AND the ship's doctor. Honestly, I can't really come up with a viable scenario where turning them off would somehow be necessary. I also think, considering what we've all gone through in the past year, the Vidiians design should have taken into account their precarious medical nature. They showed too much skin, for one thing. They should have been all covered-up, almost like mummies, or Tusken Raiders from Star Wars. Bandages, floor-length smocks, face-masks and goggles...maybe backpack-like devices with medical equipment such as respirators and advanced dialysis machines. They could have had a creepy reveal of their phage-ravaged bodies and faces at the right moment. And finally...yeah, these were all pretty good choices, but I kept waiting for Tuvix...
What about the episode "Night"? There was an intruder and although he turned out to be peaceful he did attack. It was an emergency situation so Seven had to quickly turn off the safety protocol in order to use a hologram weapon to stun the intruder.
"Prototype" - I loved how The Orville utilised the idea of a new robot species, the Kaylon, turning on their organic creators in full detail, something that only "Prototype" hinted at!
Interesting, I just reached season 4 again for my 6th or 7th run through the series. I am surprised that Jetrel isn’t on here. It deals with genocide and how science can be twisted to cause incredible suffering.
Awesome line up of memories of really good and scary and creepy episodes. I think that being in the Delta Quadrant had everything to do with the way they handled so many diverse issues, situations and problems. I
Another dark point in Latent Image is the fact that Janeway even deleted those memories. A biological doctor may struggle through the same dilemma and would be given proper care. For the doctor, they take the easy route.
Watching this has shown me that much like when I rewatched DS9 and Enterprise I found episodes I never saw. I imagine if I watch TNG and Voyager again I'll find more episodes I never watched before.
The Thaw! That one scene with Harry on the table. The clown with the medical instrument. His build up about Harry seeing horrible thing that a young person should never see. Then just, “Fear, Fear, Fear, Fear”. Each time more and more intimidating. Scaring Harry almost to death. Truly Dark!
These were all great episodes and moments. But, I have another one. There's a scene in the Season 2 episode, "Cold Fire" where Kes is testing her latent psychic powers. Tuvok guides her by getting her to mentally boil a cup of coffee. But her powers go out of control and instead she starts boiling Tuvok's blood instead. The cut to his face bulging and green blood oozing out everywhere gave me nightmares soon after seeing it!
Great video. Makes you realise how good Voyager was. It's darker episodes were the series and the franchise at its best. I do think you oversimplified the stories of Prototype and Latent Image. I would have included Resistance. A brilliant episode. Joel Grey's performance is one of my favourites from a guest actor.
@@lauranolastnamegiven3385 He did, but I think it's worth noting the initial episode, as well as affect it had on Tuvok after the mind meld - Definitely dark enough for the list imo at least.
I am a huge Star Trek fan but as a woman the episode "Retrospect" absolutely saddened and disgusted me. It reaffirmed (no pun intended) how futile it is for women to come forward about being physically and sexually assaulted for fear of not being taken seriously. Seven of Nine entered the series as a damaged but strong and powerful woman.Her entire character arc in the show was about overcoming the repeated physical and mental violation she indured for years at the hands of the Borg. She showed that you can find yourself again, you can have and deserve happiness and love again after suffering intense trauma. Even the physical transformation from alien back to human demonstrates this beautifully. She will forever live with tangible reminders of her assault. She literally wears one on her face. How she handled this process with determination and grace was an inspiration to myself and many other people. In the episode heinously named "Retrospect", all of the above mentioned trials and travails were negated and minimized. The people she loved doubted her and for reasons unknown believed the word of a man that they had never met prior to this episode. Her friends continued to shame her and fill her with self doubt. These people she trusted made her question her own memories. The writers never really explained where those memories came from or why they should be doubted. When ever I come across any mention of this episode I always wonder how many girls and women did not come forward after being assaulted because of seeing this. If one of the strongest and most intelligent women of the entire Star Trek franchise was not believed and is humiliated by friends, coworkers and loved ones, how could any normal woman expect anything different?
That episode about the sentient warhead, or the reprogrammed cardassian weapon that ended up in the delta quadrant with Voyager are another pair of contenders.
A pretty solid list to be sure. Fights to the death, Sentient Life Awareness, Organ Harvesting, Genetic Manipulation and Class Warfare in Health Care are among the next great protest movements.
GOOD AFTERNOON Marcus, I think there are many great episodes of Voyager and you have pick 12 good ones. I like that Star Trek make you think and see the different challenges that it being. In space exploration and the encountering of alien life forms humanoid or not is dangerous. thanks for sharing your list with us fans.
I would have thought "Deadlock" might have made an appearance on here. That one always felt quite dark to me and always leaves me in tears no matter how many times I see it.
Good list but I would have also included: "Coda" where Janeway dies over and over, The Killing Game Scientific Research, Equinox and the crew trapping and killing the aliens to power the ship and Crell Moset in "Nothing Human" and the dilemma on whether or not to use the Crell Moset hologram and his medical expertise after they found out the cruel practises the real Crell Moset used when doing his medical research on Bajor. Also "One" is a dark episode about what being isolated and alone for long periods can do to your mental state, especially if you thrive on social interaction. Seven had to look after the ship with the doctor while everyone else was in stasis so they could travel through the nebula so they wouldn't die of radiation exposure. Throughout the episode her mental state deteriorated as time went on. The alien ship contacted Voyager and she communicated with the alien and while at first Seven and the doctor argued about things, it got worse for her after the doctor went offline. She also had visions of seeing the Borg and when she had to make the tough decision of turning off some of the stasis units so the ship would have enough power to make it out of the nebula, she saw visions of the main crew telling her that they knew she wouldn't make it, she'd kill everyone and that she never cared about them.
OMFG, The point of "Revulsion" isn't to beware of technology's advancement, it was a metaphor for oppression & classism (and racism as it intersects}. Which was the point of a lot of The Doctor's focus plot points. How the crew treats The Doctor as part of the ship {you know, "the staff"} but over time treats him better because they get to know him. Not everyone grows to treat him respectfully, but the majority do. And even then, those that do often don't treat other Photonics as individuals because they are "just programs" and "not like us". In this specific instance, Dejaren was oppressed and abused by the crew of his vessel, and for such a long time, as he became traumatized and twisted, which causes him to finally snap and kill his oppressors - the only organics he has ever known, which therefore makes him believe ALL organics are like this. This wasn't a story of "let the tech be self aware, and it might kill us" "Prototype" is about blindly following orders of war, hating for no reason other than you are programmed to hate. Again, not about Technology killing us. FFS, look at the BS with the insurrection in the US recently. People are fed lie after lie, programming them to blind hatred for people they don't even know... In the show, the robots kill The Builders, both Pralor and the Cravic, when The Builders want to end the war, because they are literally programmed to continue until victory, until the other side is extinct isn't enough, the other side's robots need to die too, no matter what. People come back from war, they can't just shut down the hatred they have been programmed to build up in order to kill the "other side". Seriously, y'all need to look further than the surface of these episodes. I don't know if it is even worth watching the rest of the list when you can't even get right the meaning in the first two.
you missed two that I would have totally included, one of them is Dreadnought, in which the Kardashian warhead that the Maquis reprogrammed was also brought to the Delta quadrant mistakenly targets a populated planet and attempts to kill Be'lanna when she tries to stop it. The other one that I think should've been number one is equinox, because when a Starfleet crew turns genocidal just to get home faster and deletes their doctors morality subroutines, that's pretty dark, but when they also decide to turn against a fellow Starfleet crew who has maintained there morals and principles, that makes it even worse.
10:11 Retrospect was actually an allegory of how you shouldn't believe women when they are assaulted and should be more concerned about the accused - it really doesn't stand up to modern sensibilities, particularly as behind the scenes Jeri Ryan herself was escaping an abusive coercive relationship that involved unwanted sexual abuse. So yes, it's the most dark episode voyager has ever done, with the possible exception of Tuvix where Janeway murders the crewmember who we just watched integrate with the crew just because she wants Tuvok and Neelix back and nobody objects or feels bad about it.
The one where the Doctor had to pick which one to save...couldn't they (as a last resort) put the other one into a pattern buffer in the transporter until the Doctor had time to fix them? Heck, you'd think they'd have some kind of suspended animation/hibernation technology.
Only if they had a Montgomery Scott holo on file. The pattern enhancers for the transporters are not designed to hold the pattern of an object for more than a few seconds with less than 30 seconds being the basic limit. Scott survived decades in an annular confinement beam loop after crashing into a Dyson Sphere... but that was almost literally a miracle. The heisenberg compensators get around the uncertainty principle by assuming all possible positions and velocities are equal and suspending the causation that would collapse those functions. In a very small time, the up to 30 seconds mentioned earlier, the number of possible positions for every particle in the target patter becomes too great and the pattern degrades, resulting in.... A messy transporter pad for some poor guy on lower decks to deal with.
@@AnonEyeMouse Ah...but what about a series of on-going transports? If someone had only 1 minute of life left (for example), sending them in and out of teleportation every 30 seconds (or let's say every 28 seconds) could buy them 29 minutes, right? Also, you'd think knowing about Scotty's survival would cause scientists to experiment and develop the potential of pattern buffer containment for things exactly like 'emergency survival'. Eh...I just like passing around theories and ideas! XD
I'm surprised one was not only left off the list, but not even mentioned as of 199 comments. I'm referring to season 4 episode 4, called "Nemesis". Chakotay crashes on a planet in the middle of a viscous guerrilla war. I won't say more, because although by the end you figure out the dark, horrible, manipulative twist..., it's still a gut punch. Especially the second to last and the last scene.
@@Macro105 Not at all sir. I also was like "what!?" When the ambassador showed up wanting to rescue Chakotay. It's one of the reasons I rate the episode so highly. Voyager on average was a sub par star trek show with a badly implemented main premise. But many individual episodes, like this one were outstanding.
Critical Care is one of my top Voyager, and indeed Star Trek episodes ever. The Doctor's agony at doing what he did to resolve it was almost as good as in Latent Image. But Bob is a magician, give him such a delicate and emotional scene and he's a master. I don't think you can talk darkness in Voyager though and not talk about Equinox, especially given that in a way, it talks very realistically about how even the best of us can make the choice to do horrifying things when the circumstances are right, like Ransom did. And then that meanwhile, people like Max just commit wholesale to it and figure on taking their chances. Like, yikes.
This right here is one of the many reasons why the Abrams Start Trek films are cheap knockoffs of real Trek. Star Trek isn't supposed to just be about explosions and fancy special effects. Some of the absolute best episodes are the ones that try and make you think
Tuvix should be number 1 on this list IMO. My favourite and surely the darkest episode of Voyager. It still haunts me. It's not just Janeway coldly murdering a member of her own crew who did nothing wrong and begged for his life but the fact that nobody on this enlightened crew defended him, except the holographic doctor. That's far darker than a fair few of these.
She did NOT do it coldly - notice the look on her face after she does it in the last shot. Probably disgust - definitely unhappy. Not a single other crew mate said she should let Tuvix live after he begged and she asked them if she save him and not a single person said, yes. They wrote this episode so Kate Mulgrew would have to go thru the ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ choice
@@batgurrl That was only because Voyager was obsessed with hitting the reset button on every episode and shied away from meaningful continuity wherever possible. Tuvix was an interesting character and a braver decision would've been to write a way to keep him around for future storylines.
Agreed. The Thaw is probably the one episode I will go back and rewatch. The ending gives me chills every time. Michael McKean was amazing and so was Kate Mulgrew. And Tuvix has some flaws, but the ending is a gut-punch. And probably one of the darkest moments of Janeway's career.
Great list! made me want to watch these Voyager episodes (and I never liked Voyager as much as I like DS9, which btw. would be worth at least a 20 darkest DS9 moments video)
ok, Latent Image is far more impactful then you say. you talk about it being decision making without a happy ending. but that's not what the doctor is struggling with. The truth is, the doctor had to choose between a friend, and someone he didn't know well. He had to make a split second choice on who to save... and chose to save harry... leaving him to wonder, did he do it because he liked harry more? was it based on a personal bias? and how could he come to terms with saving a friend over someone else, he's supposed to be an impartial and logical doctor.
Hello! Tuvix! There was nothing darker than the ending of that episode. In fact, I think people purposefully overlook it because their brains can't process exactly how dark it really is.
Truth is Voyager had a slew of darker episodes that deserved to be on this list. Easily 20 or more were just insane & made this show stand out & be noticed.
It's seems very clear there needs to be a part 2 because there are sooo many more Excellent examples in the comments. I would like to add living witness to that list which tackles the ramifications of war, racism, class division. It has stood the test of time in a way the could be reflected in the last year we've had.
I know Neelix can be irritating, but he got two of the darkest stories on ST:V. "Jetrel" where Neelix confronts the architect of Talaxian genocide, and "Mortal Coil" where Neelix dies and discovers there's no afterlife were pretty dark and intense for Trek.
both great Neelix episodes
Tuvi is pretty dark.Should Janeway try to keep neeli-by destroying a hybrid who combines 2 crew members
Mortal Coil should’ve been on this list, honestly. Nothing darker than the fact of our own mortality, discovering that your most cherished beliefs are probably a load of BS and the sense of meaninglessness that accompanies the horror of your own transience. Maybe they didn’t include it because it directly confronted religious belief and they just wanted to stay away from that topic, but that episode is truly sad and disturbing. Neelix almost kills himself by beaming himself into space. The way the story resolves with Neelix realizing that his life does have meaning and that meaning was enough was really beautiful too. “Monsters in the replicator? Who on this ship can handle that?”
@@jonathanfraser6738 That was the episode that sprang to mind when I clicked this list, and I was surprised it didn't make it. The questions of identity and the right to life when it comes at the cost of others' were pretty heavy.
JETREL was my favorite neelix episode.
I think the way that Tuvix was dealt with was pretty dark...
Yeah, that was a shockingly dark episode.
Was expecting that to be #1
But the actors who play Tuvok and Neelix had contracts😇
@@gpl4908 - Yeah, they probably would have kept the Tuvix character if Tuvok or Neelix wanted a raise.
@@TodaysDante 🤣🤣🤣
"One" was pretty dark, Seven slowly losing her mind as she experiences isolation for the first time while trying to keep the ship running through a dangerous nebula
That one was pretty fucked up. Reminds me of The Shining
Or when the drone, One, allows himself to die to prevent the Borg from seeking him out and, in turn, finding Voyager.
That was dark aaaaaaand I cry when he says "I WILL NOT."
every time.
Thats one of my favourite episodes. Jeri Ryan proves shes not just a sex object but can give a great performance as well.
They repeated this with the Enterprise episode Doctor's Orders which was also creepy.
Be'Lanna's depression is probably the most realistic I've seen on a TV show (in comparison to my own). She's not sad or angry or hurt, she's numb. The need to feel something drives her to be reckless and careless. She can't stand the emptiness inside her and any feeling at all is better than what she's going through.
exactly the best portait of an unsolved PTSD and severe depression, people hurt themself to feel something or feel so guilty they think they deserve to suffer this much. But wont to die they just want to feel anything.
B'Elanna*
Sorry. Otherwise, your post is solid.
It wasn't so much that The Doctor couldn't save both the victims in "Latent Image" and give a happy ending, it was more that he was closer to Harry on a personal level and recognized that he'd let that inform who he chose to save, which is what drove him crazy.
"Latent Image" was an incredible episode for Robert Picardo... He was amazing.
the reference to dante's la vita nuova in the solution of the episode is beautiful.
In that book which is my memory, On the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, Appear the words, 'Here begins a new life'
Good list, though I'd argue that "Equinox" ought to have been on here.
That one and the one with Tuvix were both missed...they should have done a 'Top 15' list!
Yes I was surprised that the one with Ganeway committing murder wasn't on here.
Absolutely! Also Scorpion.
@@daveryder9617 Nemesis was pretty dark as well. Poor Chokatay was being brainwashed to hate another species the entire episode. The program they were using was even having him make friends with soldiers, old men, women and children then having to watch them get murdered by said species.
you are right , Tuvix & Equinox top 2
What about “Nothing Human” (Season 5, Episode 8), when a hologram of a notorious Cardassian exobiologist helps The Doctor remove an injured, non-humanoid alien that has attached itself to Lt. Torres, despite her refusal to allow him to treat her (due to the unethical methods he used)?
The Cardassian Doctor was basically the Star Trek version of a Nazi Concentration Camp doctor, like Josef Mengele
@@weldonwin I think that's what they were going for too
I didn't really get that episode. It was implied that Cardassian doctor had never been actually convicted of any crimes so why would the hologram version of him have been programmed to be evil? And why punish a hologram for the crimes that the person he's designed after committed?
@@blankb.2277 I don't think it was about punishing the hologram, it was about Belanna not wanting to receive medical treatment when the knowledge that made the treatment possible was derived from war crimes. It was exploring real world issues involving the use of medical research from the holocaust, etc.
@@kevingooley8510 I get that, but I think they missed the mark. A recurring theme in Voyager is talking about “Hologram racism” that the doctor faces, but here the main characters are treating a reflection of light like a monster because he looks like someone who committed a crime according to 2 people.
Course: oblivion will always be the saddest Star Trek Voyager ever for me.
And easily a contender for the saddest episode from all star trek.
Me, too. I held out hope. When the real Voyager arrives and concludes whatever ship the distress signal came from is no longer there, my heart sank
I was a kid when I first saw this episode and always thought how long had we been watching this other Voyager before this? This blew my mind back then!!
@@ManBearPig20oh10 Exactly! Very well done episode.
This episode confused the hell out of me armt first then it made sense. But did this episode comeout before or after real tom and blana got together as a couple.
The Q episode where he wants to commit suicide. It's a really funny episode, but the premise dealing with suicide and if society should accept this or not is really dark.
If you like that check out an ancient movie called “The End”-very funny.
You are right it was dark and the first time we saw Q on Voyager
Sort of agree. I wouldn't say it's dark but the subject matter especially at the time of airing was very taboo. If not dark it's definitely one of Voyager's most thought provoking episodes and a great piece of writing and character drama.
It's method of presentation hides the darkness of the episode enough to keep it off the list here I feel.
One of my favorites
Extreme Risk is still one of the few episodes in television that directly address self-harm. I really appreciate how it distinguishes that self-harm doesn't mean being suicidal but its about coping with depression. It's a key distinction that I feel Voyager really nailed.
Let's take a moment to remember Tuvix, nice Tuvix, sweet Tuvix
gone but not forgotten
That episode should have been on the list.
Ah, the brutal, merciless, needless murder....
I loved how Tuvix stopped the chaos of too many cooks/crewmen in the kitchen.
Tuvix: All right, everybody out!
Lt. Hogan: On whose authority?
Tuvix: Chief of Security or Head Chef. Take your pick. Out, out, out! Come, come, out.
A memorable Character and Episode.
What about when Neelix was going to kill himself in "Mortal Coil"?
Dark but Neelix is far from a beloved character
Likely because already seen something similar in TNG with Worf after becoming paralysed.
Oh this a very Heary Episode, triggers hard feelings when you suffer from Depression and PTSB
@@batgurrl the serious episode with neelix are some of the best ones in the show
There's another one or two that deal with the afterlife beliefs of crew members "Barge of the Dead" (forgive the incorrect episode title...) I think is one (as with all Klingon-centric episodes, quite dark in tone), and there's another (already mentioned - "Mortal Coil" where Neelix finds the afterlife he's always expected not to be what he expected.....I suppose a dark episode but more philosophical.
"Due to some bad news". Massive understatement. Her character was a soldier fighting the cardassians before getting stuck in the delta quadrant. When you serve and fight with people like that they become family. And she had been told that literally all of them were dead. Anyone who has served in war, should be able to sympathize here. The guilt of not dying with them, the guilt of just plain not dying, the anger that you can't punish those responsible, it all piles up and eventually you just go numb. Add on the idea that once you've seen stuff like that the volume just gets turned down on everything else and it can be hard to feel alive. it's one of my favorite episodes because it's something I've seen in myself and many of the men I served with. She's not trying to hurt herself she's trying to feel alive. I've got friends who have gotten themselves killed looking to recapture that thrill. Fuck God knows I've probably been close myself. The cavalier attitude about her own life's comes from the guilt and feeling that she doesn't really deserve to be here anyway so if she dies, big deal. Ahead of its time by many years
The use of the phrase bad news is an understatement. It is like when we called the Atlantic ocean the pond. He knows it was enormous news. He’s using minimization for humorous effect
You missed the Tuvix episode, "Fear" and "Friendship One" as well as all "year of Hell". Need pt2.
Also, to add to your list, “The Thaw”, “The Chute” (Harry nearly murders an insane Tom cause a brain chip is forcing them to go nuts in a prison), “Remember” , and “Nemesis”.
@@josephraffurty9293 lol! I called "The Thaw" "fear". But I meant that. With creepy heart attack - clown
While binging this show I often thought that just about everyone of the crew should have had severe PTSD. They have been through so much things.
There is the big lesson. Learn from it, let go and move on. That's what make us stronger.
@@SubjectDelta9 learning from a lesson doesn't remove the trauma it creates. Sometimes it makes it worse, because using knowledge learned from trauma reinforces the trauma.
"Living Witness" shows the darkness of history being misrepresented leading to a needless future of hatred and judgement. "Tuvix" is the darkest and cruelest decisions Janeway made in the entire 7 years, not withstanding Admiral Janeway only caring to change history for her closest crew mates in Endgame completely letting others remain dead and preventing the births of numerous children. But that's Janeway for ya.
say what you will about Admiral Janeway but I still remember the tears that streamed down my cheek when the Voyager crew finally made it back to the Alpha quadrant in one piece
"MORTAL COIL" where Neelix actually died for 19 hours, was revived, and then wanted only to die again was certainly pretty dark in my opinion.
Year of hell, Equinox, and Tuvix were pretty dark in my opinion.
Perhaps so. But I didn't think Tuvix was that dark of an episode. Janeway really did the only reasonable thing by separating them.
In fact she should have shown a little more stomach and taken Neelix's lungs back from the Vidiian in season 1 (not that I really wanted Neelix to survive).
The death of 2 people for the birth of one new being, to the effective death of said sentient being to restore the lives of the 2 former living by way or reserving an industrial accident doesn't sound plausible let alone reasonable.
Indeed, Tuvix shouldn't have even existed, but since he did, was self aware, and seeking to preserve his own life, what overriding right does Janeway have to end his existence?
Tuvix and Neelix have no say in this, since either they are considered dead, or Tuvix spoke on their behalf as an amalgamation of both lives.
It's "playing god" at best, and murder at worst. Thankfully, this is only fiction.
It's so weird hearing a British person say "the Doctor" and not talking about Doctor Who... ;)
If they were talking about THAT Doctor, the phrase "idiot with a screwdriver" would be said constantly.
Some of these entries aren't THAT dark. You reference the episode where the Doctor essentially has split personality syndrome but that's not on the list, or his episode where he isn't sure if he's a hologram or human? You comment about Seven being forced to face issues of her humanity in Tsunkatse but you don't have Dark Frontier on the list where she literally is faced with her past and is semi-complicit again in many people being assimilated by the Borg? No Night?! Where Janeway is having a personal crisis and has secluded herself in her quarters whilst the crew develop Cabin Fever?
Yeah I agree, it's like they pick the lighter side of "dark" (equal to decaf coffee) as not to depres or "trigger" their view?
But the thing that hold up with Trek vs their more popular sibling is that the episodes are timelines when looked back afterwards in a different lens.
DS9 is the darkest of the franchise because of its war & religious nature (more the war part).
That said as a Veteran & just growing up in poverty in the U.S. nothing about DS9 made it "must watch" for me.
Those are on the nose dark moments that maybe non military people will like but Veterans won't.
@@danielland3767 I don't think this is a case of not wanting to trigger their viewers, I just think it's a badly thought out list.
By the way I think you are missing out on DS9 if you haven't seen it. If you're a veteran I think you'd find some of DS9 quite interesting. The episode "It's Only a Paper Moon" in particular directly tackles combat PTSD and life changing injuries that can come from combat, it received a lot of praise from ex-service personnel and advocacy groups.
@@shepja87 no I've seen DS9 before service days & it never interests me.
I'm more of a Trek person for technology & science theory then anything else ( it's why I still want a USS Prometheus show if we are going to move away from Enterprise ships).
But the war nature & broken down station never appealed to for that reason.
I get some episodes are highly acclaimed for accurately portraying things but as far as tech wise it suck.
Yes the plot of the show was better, better character development etc.
But honestly even then & now I don't truly care. The best stuff out of DS9 is Defiant & that's it for me
Can't think of anything darker than Durst. Or that psycho clown.
Yes The Thaw was disturbing and Michael McKean did a fantastic job as the clown
Yes they were trapped in a vr world in there mind or in some sort of matrix yes yes I remember that
It showed just how hard Janeway could be. . . . competitive with a Romulan and a match for a Klingon.
@@thefelonattorney fear is a man’s best friend
The clown was creepy. I bet that gave some little kids nightmares. 😂
Was it necessary to say "dark" at the end of every entry? We know it's dark, that's the point of the whole video.
"Dark"
Bronzy always does irritating things like this, I think he thinks he is being funny or deep or something
I kinda liked it? A few times he didn't say it, and I would say 'dark' for him, lol.
Yup, it's irritating... It sounded like he was making fun, where he might not have been
I actually like it...lol. but I think it's to reassure us what video we are watching because....well some people wouldn't see it as dark or even normal
There's Resistance with Tuvok getting tortured and Janeway's "dad" getting killed, and how about Real Life, and Doc's daughter dying?
What about “Fury”? Seeing sweet Kes return in a rage several seasons after her initial departure was disturbing. And in some ways mirrored how the actress Jennifer Lien’s life and mental health unravelled after she was dropped from the show. Dark, and very sad.
I liked Kes
this episode has so much flaws , i often asked ... why she travels in Shuttle when she abple to push Voyager for 3000 light Years and needs Voyager after being - cured
Really, no Tuvix? Dragging someone away to die while they plead with a room full of people to save them is pretty messed up. Also Chakotay getting brainwashed into fighting someone else's war in Nemesis was pretty rough. And I think Janeway losing herself in Night, locking herself away, not being able to face the crew she condemned to this journey should have made it on the list.
how about the sentient holograms created by the hirogen only to be hunted?
"the Darkling" is on my list when the doctor's personality goes awol when he tries to combine "the best" personalities of people like Einstein and Da Vinci (etc) and the outcome is something worse than Jekyll and Hyde.
The episode extreme risk was what made me go and get help when I was extremely depressed after I washed out of the military. That is why it is one of my favorite Star Trek episodes ever
I hope you got the help you needed. When I first saw this, my father watched it with me. He'd always said star trek was a rubbishy, wishy washy liberal fantasy. Until we watched this one.
This is amazing! Voyager is so underrated. Thank you.
I have been hooked on star trek since I was 14, 54 years and counting...
The ending of "Real Life". Darkest of all, because its so real.
That's down to the writer - B'elanna Torres that is. ;).
True. As real as it can get.
Gosh... there is indeed lots of dark episodes and all of these are indeed so. MacroVirus was the one that was the darkest and frightening for me. Scared the heck out of me... kept me awake... By far, B'Elanna is by far the most interesting character across the entire array of episodes/seasons... Roxanne Dawson just did this so well. Huge 5 Stars for her actressing for that character. .It just occurred to me that Lt. Worf was the same way for me with TNG....
Tuvix was basically an episode about the trolly problem.
Yeah but most people don't pull the lever. Generally humans feel inaction is less culpable than action. Janeway pulled the lever. And boy do we judge her for it.
The episode where voyager fires on Tom Paris in that ocean planet episode, was pretty dark.
Oh! You definitely missed two of the absolute darkest ones.... The one where the DNA of both Neelix and Tuvok become fused. This creates a new individual who is a combination of both. At first, this hybrid of both in one body is eager for this ordeal to be reversed. But it cannot be done immediately. A good deal of time passes before the Captain can give him the good news that they are ready to reverse the process. However, so much time has passed that the hybrid has become his own entity. With his own emotions and his own characteristics. Basically his own life. When given the "good news," he tells the captain not to go ahead with the procedure because he doesn't want to die.
But Neelix and Tuvok obviously would want to return to their lives. As long as the hybrid (who now has his own name) exists, that means they do not exist. A gut-wrenching decision for the captain. Ultimately she decides to reverse the procedure. Thus, putting an end to the life of the hybrid. Essentially killing him so that Neelix and Tuvok may live again.
In another episode, Torres is dying. Unable to help, the doctor eventually comes across medical files of an alien doctor. He creates a hologram of that doctor, and the two start working together to save her life. The alien doctor's research is simply amazing.... but it soon becomes clear how he achieved all of his advanced knowledge. Someone on Voyager recognizes the accurate holographic projection of the alien doctor, and informs the crew that the alien doctor is one of the biggest and most horrendous war criminals his people ever knew! The real version of the doctor conducted horrific experiments of obscene torture. Beyond unethical, on an entire race of people. That's how he was able to gather such advanced research that could be used to save Torres' life. Captain Janeway must now make a decision.
Use the research, save Torres. But in doing so, she is actively supporting the obscene and unethical medical practices of not just a doctor, but a monster as well. Basically admitting that the ends justify the means. Or, she can ignore/erase all the data compiled. In doing so, she takes a stand against such evil medical practices. But then Torres would die. Everyone living now who could be saved with the existing research would also die. And, they would die needlessly. Plus, what about all those victims? Erase the research data, and it's as if they were tortured, brutalized and ultimately died for nothing.
Captain Janeway makes one of the most controversial decisions of the series. She lets the Voyager's holographic doctor use the research to save Torres. But then has all of it deleted. So no other lives down the road can be saved if they end up needing the research. And, it's not just the copies Voyager has of the research. It's *ALL* of the research. Including the original files. Deleted forever.
See and I found this episode a waste. Those people were tortured and killed by a maniacal doctor. By erasing all that was learned, they were all tortured and killed in vain, for nothing. At least by keeping and using the data, their deaths can be somewhat redeemed.
It's reminiscent of the infamous unit 731 during WW2, whose research went towards a lot of modern medicine
Not only that, those behind the unit were given pardons as well as top jobs in the medical industry
We’re is Tuvix?
Course: Oblivion is a dark and depressing entire episode.
My favorite Star Trek series to rewatch despite the annoying Neelix
I knew someone was going to mention Tuvix, it was literally the first episode that came to mind.
My first thought was Tuvix. I thought it would be number one. Surprising it wasn't on the list. Granted I forgot about a lot if these and they were all good examples.
@@julius-stark thank you and me too.
They should have had HMs or just made it 13 episodes
This list is incomplete without Tuvix. An inexcusable oversight and sadly typical of this channel. Dumb.
@@TheGr00salug I agree with on both. It was just on a day or 2 ago on the Heroes and Icons channel in my cable system. All 5 original Trek series 6 days a week. Geek paradise🖖
A correction about the episode Lineage. Torres wasn't changing her daughter's DNA because of childhood bullying, it was because her father abandoned her and she didn't want Tom doing the same.
Tuvix was the darkest in my opinion because his death wasn't the result of a misunderstanding or a conflict but straight up murder.
@1:00 starring ST fan Leland Orser. He played different characters in 3 ST series: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. He was in Alien Resurrection also.
Where was Tuvix. Definitely a dark one.
While TNG approaches Moral/Personal issues in a more subtle manner, Voyager is more blunt and direct in delivering the blow. I love both shows for their messages and deliverance. When each episode is properly observed, perceived and understood in its own context, it can be profoundly healing and enlightening.
Voyager has touched on a lot of dark topics, which is one of the reasons i like it so much.
That clown did a number on me back in the day.
I'm sure he gave a lot of kids nightmares. 😂
Brilliant! I would have also included the episode “Tuvix” where Janeway has to end the life of one person to bring back Tuvok and Nelix.
Tuvix is in perfect alignment to the old saying: The needs of the many, outweighs the need of a few, or the one. Nothing really dark, except that its just brutal and calculated.
I still consider DS9 to be much darker of a series.
Really? The only really dark episode I can think of is the one where O'Brien thinks he's been in prison for 20 years and tries to kill himself. But maybe that's just because as someone with depression that one stuck with me.
Agreed. For the Uniform, Duet, Siege of AR-558, In the Pale Moonlight, Nor the Battle to the Strong, The Blight, Things Past, friggin HARD TIME!
@@coeusdarksoul2855 Exactly. For the Uniform is nasty. I mean you dont get much darker than wiping out planets
DS9 is a darker series, but Bannon Braga wrote some wonderfully dark episodes of Voyager and TNG.
@@jazzygeofferz Can we have these writers back plz? .. I mean if they arent already writing for these new trash shows lol
"Nemesis" is Beltran's best episode in the whole series and holy shit it was dark. Just contextually, and also straight up referencing MK Ultra.
I would make it so the holodeck's safety protocols couldn't be turned off without the approval of the Captain, the chief engineer, AND the ship's doctor. Honestly, I can't really come up with a viable scenario where turning them off would somehow be necessary.
I also think, considering what we've all gone through in the past year, the Vidiians design should have taken into account their precarious medical nature. They showed too much skin, for one thing. They should have been all covered-up, almost like mummies, or Tusken Raiders from Star Wars. Bandages, floor-length smocks, face-masks and goggles...maybe backpack-like devices with medical equipment such as respirators and advanced dialysis machines. They could have had a creepy reveal of their phage-ravaged bodies and faces at the right moment.
And finally...yeah, these were all pretty good choices, but I kept waiting for Tuvix...
What about the episode "Night"? There was an intruder and although he turned out to be peaceful he did attack. It was an emergency situation so Seven had to quickly turn off the safety protocol in order to use a hologram weapon to stun the intruder.
"Prototype" - I loved how The Orville utilised the idea of a new robot species, the Kaylon, turning on their organic creators in full detail, something that only "Prototype" hinted at!
Interesting, I just reached season 4 again for my 6th or 7th run through the series.
I am surprised that Jetrel isn’t on here. It deals with genocide and how science can be twisted to cause incredible suffering.
Great list thanks Marcus and Trekculture!!! Love Voyager!!!
How was number 1 not the episode where Neelix died for a considerable amount of time before Seven of Nine brought him back to life with Borg tech?
Awesome line up of memories of really good and scary and creepy episodes. I think that being in the Delta Quadrant had everything to do with the way they handled so many diverse issues, situations and problems. I
Another dark point in Latent Image is the fact that Janeway even deleted those memories. A biological doctor may struggle through the same dilemma and would be given proper care. For the doctor, they take the easy route.
Watching this has shown me that much like when I rewatched DS9 and Enterprise I found episodes I never saw. I imagine if I watch TNG and Voyager again I'll find more episodes I never watched before.
The Thaw! That one scene with Harry on the table. The clown with the medical instrument. His build up about Harry seeing horrible thing that a young person should never see. Then just, “Fear, Fear, Fear, Fear”. Each time more and more intimidating. Scaring Harry almost to death. Truly Dark!
I really enjoyed that. I was really ready to add some, but you got every single one that I thought was out right dark
These were all great episodes and moments. But, I have another one. There's a scene in the Season 2 episode, "Cold Fire" where Kes is testing her latent psychic powers. Tuvok guides her by getting her to mentally boil a cup of coffee. But her powers go out of control and instead she starts boiling Tuvok's blood instead. The cut to his face bulging and green blood oozing out everywhere gave me nightmares soon after seeing it!
Same here still one of most creepy scenes until today
Great video. Makes you realise how good Voyager was. It's darker episodes were the series and the franchise at its best. I do think you oversimplified the stories of Prototype and Latent Image. I would have included Resistance. A brilliant episode. Joel Grey's performance is one of my favourites from a guest actor.
What about Lon Suder?
Suder got a heroic redemption, though
@@lauranolastnamegiven3385 He did, but I think it's worth noting the initial episode, as well as affect it had on Tuvok after the mind meld - Definitely dark enough for the list imo at least.
@@Raziel657 well, the narrator did say he had to narrow down the list, perhaps that one just didn't make the cut? maybe he'll make a 'part 2'
I wouldve added tuvix and his fight for his right to live to the list
Belana owned this list with several entries... she's one tortured, demented soul... as I thought of while binge-watching the series...
That made watching Barge of the Dead all the more satisfying. B'Elanna finally accepted herself, and the hug with Janeway was poignant.
I am a huge Star Trek fan but as a woman the episode "Retrospect" absolutely saddened and disgusted me. It reaffirmed (no pun intended) how futile it is for women to come forward about being physically and sexually assaulted for fear of not being taken seriously.
Seven of Nine entered the series as a damaged but strong and powerful woman.Her entire character arc in the show was about overcoming the repeated physical and mental violation she indured for years at the hands of the Borg. She showed that you can find yourself again, you can have and deserve happiness and love again after suffering intense trauma. Even the physical transformation from alien back to human demonstrates this beautifully. She will forever live with tangible reminders of her assault. She literally wears one on her face. How she handled this process with determination and grace was an inspiration to myself and many other people.
In the episode heinously named "Retrospect", all of the above mentioned trials and travails were negated and minimized. The people she loved doubted her and for reasons unknown believed the word of a man that they had never met prior to this episode. Her friends continued to shame her and fill her with self doubt. These people she trusted made her question her own memories. The writers never really explained where those memories came from or why they should be doubted.
When ever I come across any mention of this episode I always wonder how many girls and women did not come forward after being assaulted because of seeing this. If one of the strongest and most intelligent women of the entire Star Trek franchise was not believed and is humiliated by friends, coworkers and loved ones, how could any normal woman expect anything different?
That episode about the sentient warhead, or the reprogrammed cardassian weapon that ended up in the delta quadrant with Voyager are another pair of contenders.
Reminded me in so many Parts of Dark Star
A pretty solid list to be sure. Fights to the death, Sentient Life Awareness, Organ Harvesting, Genetic Manipulation and Class Warfare in Health Care are among the next great protest movements.
I'm in two minds about whether you should have included Tuvix or not!
GOOD AFTERNOON Marcus, I think there are many great episodes of Voyager and you have pick 12 good ones. I like that Star Trek make you think and see the different challenges that it being. In space exploration and the encountering of alien life forms humanoid or not is dangerous. thanks for sharing your list with us fans.
How about Icheb's parents using him as a child soldier / suicide bomber in their fight against the Borg? (Twice).
I'm always happy when you do a video. You're my favorite what culture person.
I would have thought "Deadlock" might have made an appearance on here. That one always felt quite dark to me and always leaves me in tears no matter how many times I see it.
What about Tuvix? I thought that was pretty dark
Voyager is my favorite Trek!! Janeway's speech given to the Vidians at the end of the episode made me love her even more!
"The Haunting of Deck 12" was pretty dark, because they had to shut down main power.
O... M... G!😉
I thought for sure you would have mentioned the "Tuvix" episode. That was undoubtably the toughest episode for me to watch.
Good list but I would have also included: "Coda" where Janeway dies over and over, The Killing Game Scientific Research, Equinox and the crew trapping and killing the aliens to power the ship and Crell Moset in "Nothing Human" and the dilemma on whether or not to use the Crell Moset hologram and his medical expertise after they found out the cruel practises the real Crell Moset used when doing his medical research on Bajor.
Also "One" is a dark episode about what being isolated and alone for long periods can do to your mental state, especially if you thrive on social interaction. Seven had to look after the ship with the doctor while everyone else was in stasis so they could travel through the nebula so they wouldn't die of radiation exposure. Throughout the episode her mental state deteriorated as time went on. The alien ship contacted Voyager and she communicated with the alien and while at first Seven and the doctor argued about things, it got worse for her after the doctor went offline. She also had visions of seeing the Borg and when she had to make the tough decision of turning off some of the stasis units so the ship would have enough power to make it out of the nebula, she saw visions of the main crew telling her that they knew she wouldn't make it, she'd kill everyone and that she never cared about them.
Bruh- I just started watching voyager- and suddenly u post a vid about it- is this Star Trek magic?? 😯
its google spying on you, they own youtube
@@rogerr.8507 O.o
OMFG, The point of "Revulsion" isn't to beware of technology's advancement, it was a metaphor for oppression & classism (and racism as it intersects}. Which was the point of a lot of The Doctor's focus plot points. How the crew treats The Doctor as part of the ship {you know, "the staff"} but over time treats him better because they get to know him. Not everyone grows to treat him respectfully, but the majority do. And even then, those that do often don't treat other Photonics as individuals because they are "just programs" and "not like us". In this specific instance, Dejaren was oppressed and abused by the crew of his vessel, and for such a long time, as he became traumatized and twisted, which causes him to finally snap and kill his oppressors - the only organics he has ever known, which therefore makes him believe ALL organics are like this. This wasn't a story of "let the tech be self aware, and it might kill us"
"Prototype" is about blindly following orders of war, hating for no reason other than you are programmed to hate. Again, not about Technology killing us. FFS, look at the BS with the insurrection in the US recently. People are fed lie after lie, programming them to blind hatred for people they don't even know... In the show, the robots kill The Builders, both Pralor and the Cravic, when The Builders want to end the war, because they are literally programmed to continue until victory, until the other side is extinct isn't enough, the other side's robots need to die too, no matter what. People come back from war, they can't just shut down the hatred they have been programmed to build up in order to kill the "other side".
Seriously, y'all need to look further than the surface of these episodes. I don't know if it is even worth watching the rest of the list when you can't even get right the meaning in the first two.
you missed two that I would have totally included, one of them is Dreadnought, in which the Kardashian warhead that the Maquis reprogrammed was also brought to the Delta quadrant mistakenly targets a populated planet and attempts to kill Be'lanna when she tries to stop it. The other one that I think should've been number one is equinox, because when a Starfleet crew turns genocidal just to get home faster and deletes their doctors morality subroutines, that's pretty dark, but when they also decide to turn against a fellow Starfleet crew who has maintained there morals and principles, that makes it even worse.
"We could make less mistakes!" How ironic.
It's "fewer wrongs!" haha
Tuvix? No Tuvix? Pretty dark stuff there...
10:11 Retrospect was actually an allegory of how you shouldn't believe women when they are assaulted and should be more concerned about the accused - it really doesn't stand up to modern sensibilities, particularly as behind the scenes Jeri Ryan herself was escaping an abusive coercive relationship that involved unwanted sexual abuse. So yes, it's the most dark episode voyager has ever done, with the possible exception of Tuvix where Janeway murders the crewmember who we just watched integrate with the crew just because she wants Tuvok and Neelix back and nobody objects or feels bad about it.
The one where the Doctor had to pick which one to save...couldn't they (as a last resort) put the other one into a pattern buffer in the transporter until the Doctor had time to fix them? Heck, you'd think they'd have some kind of suspended animation/hibernation technology.
Only if they had a Montgomery Scott holo on file. The pattern enhancers for the transporters are not designed to hold the pattern of an object for more than a few seconds with less than 30 seconds being the basic limit. Scott survived decades in an annular confinement beam loop after crashing into a Dyson Sphere... but that was almost literally a miracle. The heisenberg compensators get around the uncertainty principle by assuming all possible positions and velocities are equal and suspending the causation that would collapse those functions. In a very small time, the up to 30 seconds mentioned earlier, the number of possible positions for every particle in the target patter becomes too great and the pattern degrades, resulting in.... A messy transporter pad for some poor guy on lower decks to deal with.
@@AnonEyeMouse Ah...but what about a series of on-going transports? If someone had only 1 minute of life left (for example), sending them in and out of teleportation every 30 seconds (or let's say every 28 seconds) could buy them 29 minutes, right?
Also, you'd think knowing about Scotty's survival would cause scientists to experiment and develop the potential of pattern buffer containment for things exactly like 'emergency survival'.
Eh...I just like passing around theories and ideas! XD
These are the reasons why i love Voyager
Its very underrated
I'm surprised one was not only left off the list, but not even mentioned as of 199 comments.
I'm referring to season 4 episode 4, called "Nemesis". Chakotay crashes on a planet in the middle of a viscous guerrilla war. I won't say more, because although by the end you figure out the dark, horrible, manipulative twist..., it's still a gut punch. Especially the second to last and the last scene.
Dude That scene when "those people" beam aboard and I'm like "oh shit wait"
@@Macro105
Dude! Totally!
@@wambutu7679 cant tell if sarcasm
@@Macro105
Not at all sir. I also was like "what!?" When the ambassador showed up wanting to rescue Chakotay. It's one of the reasons I rate the episode so highly.
Voyager on average was a sub par star trek show with a badly implemented main premise. But many individual episodes, like this one were outstanding.
Critical Care is one of my top Voyager, and indeed Star Trek episodes ever. The Doctor's agony at doing what he did to resolve it was almost as good as in Latent Image. But Bob is a magician, give him such a delicate and emotional scene and he's a master.
I don't think you can talk darkness in Voyager though and not talk about Equinox, especially given that in a way, it talks very realistically about how even the best of us can make the choice to do horrifying things when the circumstances are right, like Ransom did. And then that meanwhile, people like Max just commit wholesale to it and figure on taking their chances. Like, yikes.
The Equinox affair was so dark for Voyager it became a sensitive topic with the crew.
so nothing about Lon Suder's psychopathic tendancies and Tuvok mindmelding with him and adopting those traits?
This right here is one of the many reasons why the Abrams Start Trek films are cheap knockoffs of real Trek. Star Trek isn't supposed to just be about explosions and fancy special effects. Some of the absolute best episodes are the ones that try and make you think
Tuvix should be number 1 on this list IMO. My favourite and surely the darkest episode of Voyager. It still haunts me. It's not just Janeway coldly murdering a member of her own crew who did nothing wrong and begged for his life but the fact that nobody on this enlightened crew defended him, except the holographic doctor. That's far darker than a fair few of these.
She did NOT do it coldly - notice the look on her face after she does it in the last shot. Probably disgust - definitely unhappy.
Not a single other crew mate said she should let Tuvix live after he begged and she asked them if she save him and not a single person said, yes. They wrote this episode so Kate Mulgrew would have to go thru the ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ choice
@@batgurrl She was as cold as ice,
she was willing sacrifice
our Tuvix.
@@upkaarbharadia maybe he was yours
He was written to die in the end. Period
@@batgurrl That was only because Voyager was obsessed with hitting the reset button on every episode and shied away from meaningful continuity wherever possible. Tuvix was an interesting character and a braver decision would've been to write a way to keep him around for future storylines.
Growing up, it was episodes like these that helped teach me what it was to be a good person.
Awesome list!
Include:
1. Macrocosm
2. Swarm
3. Unity
4. Unimartix Zero
5. Equinox
6. the episode where Tom and Harry were sent to prison
The Thaw... all of it. And Tuvix
Agreed. The Thaw is probably the one episode I will go back and rewatch. The ending gives me chills every time. Michael McKean was amazing and so was Kate Mulgrew.
And Tuvix has some flaws, but the ending is a gut-punch. And probably one of the darkest moments of Janeway's career.
"Juggernaut" is also pretty dark... with the Malon and their dubious business in space. ^^
Great list! made me want to watch these Voyager episodes (and I never liked Voyager as much as I like DS9, which btw. would be worth at least a 20 darkest DS9 moments video)
This was a great video, please do this for Enterprise or DS9
This brought back memories. Amazing show!
ok, Latent Image is far more impactful then you say. you talk about it being decision making without a happy ending. but that's not what the doctor is struggling with. The truth is, the doctor had to choose between a friend, and someone he didn't know well. He had to make a split second choice on who to save... and chose to save harry... leaving him to wonder, did he do it because he liked harry more? was it based on a personal bias? and how could he come to terms with saving a friend over someone else, he's supposed to be an impartial and logical doctor.
Hello! Tuvix! There was nothing darker than the ending of that episode. In fact, I think people purposefully overlook it because their brains can't process exactly how dark it really is.
Truth is Voyager had a slew of darker episodes that deserved to be on this list. Easily 20 or more were just insane & made this show stand out & be noticed.
It's seems very clear there needs to be a part 2 because there are sooo many more Excellent examples in the comments. I would like to add living witness to that list which tackles the ramifications of war, racism, class division. It has stood the test of time in a way the could be reflected in the last year we've had.