I mean Retrospect is kind of an episode about date rape. Implying something about false memories in assault victims. And it ends on: Maybe the main thing behind the story never happened. The End. Which are the endings that often feel very disappointing to me. And we don’t even learn if it was an illusion. I get why that episode isn’t cherished by people.

I think the pon farr episodes are weird as well. And I don’t think I particularly enjoyed that episode. But at least some of the good guys are trying to do the right thing? And even if the Vulkan gets away unpunished, I don’t think he’s portrayed in a positive way. As far as I remember the crew unanimously thinks sex is unacceptable. Minus the people who are out of their mind. And Tuvok. But he has kind of a weird role with arguing logic in that situation. And the episode ends on a happy end. They’ve averted danger and death for the moment, and nobody had to have sex. And as a viewer I’m glad it turned out they didn’t need to follow through with Tuvok’s “logical” plan, either. That feels a bit more right to me.

But the entire set up of pon farr and biology or tradition just causing violence, is a bit rapey. I guess from a storywriting perspective it’s a bit difficult to bring up that topic in a creative way. But movie or TV is a lot about violence and sex. So I can see how storywriters make it part of stories.

Some Voyager episodes were just a bit weird in my opinion. I think it’s okay if it provokes thought. And less so, if it makes the audience start to confuse right and wrong.