EEEEE I am so happy you are happy with Voyager! This is why Janeway's mine, and I love your conceptualization of her as a queen--these are clearly, thoroughly, and devotedly Her People. It's squee-making.
Voyager is one of those rare shows with a big cast where everybody gets a fairly coherent arc (it helps that they get seven full seasons--though, as giandujakiss mentions above, we shan't speak of the last few episodes), so while characters change (OMG the Chakotay/B'Elanna stuff in season one I did not even REMEMBER and it weirded me out SO MUCH on the rewatch, because they are obviously meant to be siblings and BFFs), they don't become unrecognizable. Plus, as has been mentioned, the main cast includes three women, three characters of color, a grab-bag of aliens and an artificial life form that was never supposed to become an independent being.
As for the Prime Directive needing a postcolonialist overhaul, I do agree with you, and I feel like Voyager walks right up to that line and sort of side-eyes it. Not sure it goes over it, or if it does, does it with any consistency. Because of the nature of their situation, Janeway HAS to violate the Prime Directive, and often her persons-first conscience drives her to it even in cases where her people aren't directly involved. Not to mention there's the entire half of the crew who aren't technically Federation but Maquis.
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Voyager is one of those rare shows with a big cast where everybody gets a fairly coherent arc (it helps that they get seven full seasons--though, as giandujakiss mentions above, we shan't speak of the last few episodes), so while characters change (OMG the Chakotay/B'Elanna stuff in season one I did not even REMEMBER and it weirded me out SO MUCH on the rewatch, because they are obviously meant to be siblings and BFFs), they don't become unrecognizable. Plus, as has been mentioned, the main cast includes three women, three characters of color, a grab-bag of aliens and an artificial life form that was never supposed to become an independent being.
As for the Prime Directive needing a postcolonialist overhaul, I do agree with you, and I feel like Voyager walks right up to that line and sort of side-eyes it. Not sure it goes over it, or if it does, does it with any consistency. Because of the nature of their situation, Janeway HAS to violate the Prime Directive, and often her persons-first conscience drives her to it even in cases where her people aren't directly involved. Not to mention there's the entire half of the crew who aren't technically Federation but Maquis.
ANYWAY. Voyager FTW. Hope you keep enjoying!