Taylor On Janeway's Life In The 'Workforce'

Two days from now, Voyager's final regular two-part episode 'Workforce' will begin airing in the United States. From a new Star Trek Central interview with Voyager staff writer Michael Taylor, it seems that especially Janeway fans will find the episode interesting.

"It`s an episode where most of our crew have been kidnapped, and put to work on a planet where there's a labor shortage," is how Taylor described the basic premise of the episode. "Naturally, they've had their memories wiped. I think what`s most interesting about it is that our characters, especially Janeway, get to live out alternative lives. In a sense of 'What if your life was a bit simpler?' What, if instead of the captain of a starship, you were a hi-tech blue-collar worker?"

For Janeway, this apparently will mean that she'll finally be able to get into a relationship. "One of the things we know about Janeway is that—as a captain—she has very little time for romance, very little opportunities. She can`t really cavort with the crew, she must remain in command. There's an awful lot of pressure on her, that's one of the themes of 'Counterpoint' as well. But here she`s got a simpler life, and she gets into a relationship."

Unfortunately, the pleasure of that simpler life will be rather short-lived for Janeway. "She sees the pleasures in this life and ultimately she has to come to grips with the idea that no, this isn`t her real life, it`s not who she really is," explained Taylor. "For me, and I don't know if we had really had a chance to explore this as deeply as I would have liked, the idea of most interest here is Janeway`s alternative life. How much is the one Janeway like the other? Are they two sides of the same person? What makes a person? Is it just the exigencies, the demands of her life as a captain what made her is she is? Or is she the person that would always be a captain under any circumstances, and does she drive herself? So there`s a sort of wistful feeling to the show, the life unlived, the alternative life, which I think is interesting. I'm not sure if that will come through, I hope it will, but I think more it will just be this fun adventure. And the planet looks plenty cool!"

Though the episode will focus mostly on Janeway, Taylor also said that some of the other characters' alternate lives will also be explored, including that of Tuvok. "We have Tuvok in an odd situation briefly, telling jokes for example, very un-Tuvok like, and not telling them very well because he's not had a lot of practice."

More from Taylor on the seventh season can be expected in a few days, when Part Two of the interview will go up at Star Trek Central. For now, check out Part One, in which Taylor already told interviewer AntonyF about how he originally got on Star Trek, and how he experienced the past few years.

If you want to find out even more detailed information on 'Workforce', be sure to head over to this page on TrekWeb, which contains a very detailed synopsis of all of Part One of the episode. Be warned, of course, that it contains major spoilers.

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