Given that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be bringing back the Doctor (Robert Picardo) as a main character, I want the show to resurrect a lost storyline from Star Trek: Voyager. The Doctor originally debuted as a member of Voyager's cast of characters in 1995 and quickly became popular with viewers. As a long-time Voyager fan, the Doctor has always been one of my favorite characters, so I was ecstatic to hear that he would be returning for the upcoming Starfleet Academy after his triumphant return to the franchise in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2.
While little is known about Starfleet Academy's main plot, it's hard to not to speculate how the Doctor might play a role, especially given that the show will be set in the 32nd century. As the Doctor is a hologram, it's not inconceivable that he could still be active nearly 1000 years from when he was last seen, but the character's inclusion still raises questions about what version of the Doctor might be around. However the character is involved, I hope Starfleet Academy brings back a scrapped storyline from season 4 as part of his arc.
Starfleet Academy Should Bring Back The Doctor's Lost Voyager Story
A scrapped storyline from season 4 would be perfect for Starfleet Academy
In Voyager season 4, the Doctor was the main character of the episode "Living Witness," which saw a backup program of his reactivated in the 31st century on an alien planet. However, the original storyline for "Living Witness" involved the real Doctor being reactivated in the far future, only to discover that he had inspired a movement among sentient artificial intelligence to be considered real people. The idea was ultimately scrapped and reworked for the episode, but with the Doctor's upcoming role, I think it would be the perfect B-plot for Starfleet Academy.
With the Doctor as a main character, Starfleet Academy could and should include a look at how sentient non-organic life has evolved.
As the second series to explore the 32nd century, Starfleet Academy has the chance to expand the period and provide new perspectives on how things have changed in Star Trek's future. With the Doctor as a main character, Starfleet Academy could and should include a look at how sentient non-organic life has evolved. While Discovery addressed this a little with Zora (Annabelle Wallis), the franchise hasn't explored it much in the far future. In my opinion, the Doctor's return is the perfect opportunity to do this, and "Living Witness's" original storyline would be an excellent way to pull it off.
Why Star Trek: Voyager’s “Living Witness” May Already Be Important To The Doctor In Starfleet Academy
"Living Witness" may be the key to the Doctor appearing in Starfleet Academy
Interestingly, "Living Witness" may already be important to Starfleet Academy's story, depending on what version of the Doctor the show is going to feature. During the episode, the Doctor's backup program was reactivated on a planet in the Delta Quadrant, and that version of the Doctor left the planet at the end of the episode to try and return home. There has already been speculation that the version of the Doctor in Starfleet Academy may be this backup program, given that "Living Witness" was set much closer to the 32nd century than any other Star Trek episodes at the time.
If Starfleet Academy's Doctor is in fact the one from "Living Witness," then in my opinion, it makes even more sense to incorporate the Voyager episode's original premise. Starfleet Academy could feature the backup Doctor's return to Earth, which would be the perfect opportunity for him to learn about the potential impact that his counterpart's legacy may have had on non-organic sentient lifeforms. A show like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy referencing Voyager so directly would also show how much the franchise still cares about Voyager, and continue Star Trek's tradition of interconnectedness even so many years after the show ended.
