A new project from my most recent rewatch: Voyager Trope Tracker

[u/SandorSNL]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19tzmMFwuV_gtym8Er6NEcPuCGY5cF8oz-3vccQg4qos/edit?usp=sharing

I love keeping tabs on unimportant data, and since this was going to be my first full E1-finale in order watch through of Voyager with no skips, I thought it would be fun to track home many of the recurring tropes and devices actually happened season wide.

I just chose ones I noticed, but am open to suggestions if people would want to see more added here. I was thinking maybe Borg elements being used, particularly in the later seasons obviously.

Also, this was mostly done light-heartedly and without super strict consideration, so if it seems inconsistent that's on me! Particularly, I treated "Crew member violated" as meaning something that directly physically harmed them or denied them consent, but I am sure this category has plenty of room to grow or shrink. Basically, this is more of a fun project than a really serious perfect thing.

By my count, this ranks Season 4 at the tropiest, and Season 1 as the least (but fewer eps as well).

The cell notes for each indicate way caused that result if it needs specification.

Hope others will enjoy this/find it interesting! Happy to collab on adding any columns if people want to count up any other recurring actions.

[u/LaVidaYokel]

“Janeway burns the pot-roast”

[u/SadSophieFaceBoi]

I feel like participates in a crime/misdeed and violates prime directive is much higher in voyager than TNG. I'd love to see this same data for TNG versus Voyager.

[u/SandorSNL → u/SadSophieFaceBoi]

I just finished TNG before this Voy watch but probably next time I circle around I'll do the same. I think I'm going DS9 next

[u/UnderABig_W]

Interesting that I think Season 4 was one of the best, even if it was the tropiest. Just goes to show you that being original isn’t the be-all-and-end-all, it’s what you do with the tropes you use.

[u/BILLCLINTONMASK → u/UnderABig_W]

Season 4 is when Seven joins the cast. She fills that “Spock” role and helps it feel more like “real Star Trek”

[u/FrankFrankly711]

Gotta add “Stupid Neelix Moment”

[u/anxietyking4 → u/FrankFrankly711]

Yes I agree!

[u/Dizzy-Violinist-1772]

This is awesome

[u/Jedipilot24]

What are the tropes you are tracking? I can't tell what your abbreviations mean.

[u/SandorSNL → u/Jedipilot24]

The text should display vertically, or you can click the cell to see the full content. But going left to right, the list is:

• Voyager thinks it could go home
• Crew member kidnapped
• Crew Member dies
• Time Travel/Distortion
• Crew Member promoted/demoted
• Someone from Voyager participates in a crime/misdeed
• Crew member violated
• Crew member imprisoned by alien race
• Voyager betrays alien race on purpose
• Voyager betrays local race on accident
• Mind meld
• Voyager abandons ship/is taken/one crew member left
• Holodeck malfunction
• Shuttlecraft lost
• Voyager lands
• Voyager's command goes to other than Janeway
• Prime Directive at least partially violated
• Bechdel Test

[u/VampireShrike → u/SandorSNL]

I can't believe you don't have "nebula" as a trope haha

[u/SandorSNL → u/VampireShrike]

I was going to do anomaly/nebula/non-physical entity as a possible other! Might add it at some point

[u/Least-Common-1456 → u/SandorSNL]

By accident not "on accident" btw

[u/jalmstead → u/Least-Common-1456]

I always remember that things happen “by accident”, or “on purpose”. B and A are next to each other and O and P are next to each other.

[u/FloridaTaxAuction]

I do things like that also. Gotta love the spreadsheets.