The Doctor (Robert Picardo) managed to pull off a huge accomplishment in Star Trek: Voyager season 4, and I wish he got more credit for it. As a long-time Star Trek fan, there are things I love about every member of Voyager's cast of characters, but for me, the Doctor stands out above the rest. Robert Picardo and Voyager's creative team managed to create a character that is both hilarious and heartwarming, and some of Voyager's best episodes featured the Doctor as their main character.
The Doctor's arc throughout each of Voyager's seven seasons is also truly inspiring. Beginning the show as a blank slate, he created a life for himself and a place on the crew that was impressive given his initial limitations as an Emergency Medical Hologram. Likewise, the Doctor was involved in some of the show's most important moments, including one huge victory in season 4 that he pulled off almost single-handedly. While this victory was celebrated at the time, the Doctor's credit for it now often goes to Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) instead of to whom it deserves.
The Doctor made contact with Starfleet two full seasons before Barclay was introduced
While Barclay established verbal communication with the USS Voyager in season 6, it was the Doctor who, in season 4, risked everything to let Starfleet know that Voyager's crew was even still alive. Voyager season 4, episode 14, "Message in a Bottle," featured the Doctor traveling to the Alpha Quadrant through a Hirogen relay network to inform Starfleet of the ship's status, a mission in which he succeeded after a battle with some Romulans. Without the Doctor, Starfleet would have continued to think that the entire crew was dead, killed in action during their original mission in the Badlands.
"Message in a Bottle" was also the first appearance of the Hirogen on the show, a species who would go on to be one of Voyager 's most formidable enemies in seasons 4-7.
I understand why Barclay often gets the credit for connecting Voyager to Starfleet. The season 6 episode where Barclay finally establishes a comm link with Voyager, "Pathfinder," is an emotional rollercoaster, especially the final scene where Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the bridge crew speak to Admiral Owen Paris (Richard Herd) before the link is severed. However, while Barclay's victory was incredible, it would never have occurred without the Doctor's initial contact with Starfleet. In fact, if it weren't for the Doctor, Barclay would never have gotten a job helping Voyager at all.
Barclay’s Star Trek: Voyager Role Was Important, But Wouldn’t Be Possible Without The Doctor
Barclay would never have been involved with Voyager without the Doctor
The Doctor deserves much more credit for putting Voyager and Starfleet in contact and making it possible for characters like Barclay to even be part of the team working to get the ship home. By the time Barclay appeared on Voyager, the Doctor's accomplishment in "Message in a Bottle" was old news, another reason why he didn't get the credit he deserved. Despite this, it's still sad to me that Voyager's crew was shown celebrating Barclay's victory when the same appreciation wasn't shown to the Doctor in season 4.
Barclay's role in ultimately getting Voyager home was also undoubtedly important, but I'll always maintain that credit should be equally shared with the Doctor.
Barclay was certainly a fun guest star addition to Voyager seasons 6 and 7, and made it possible for other characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation, like Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), to appear on the show. Barclay's role in ultimately getting Voyager home was also undoubtedly important, but I'll always maintain that credit should be equally shared with the Doctor. The Doctor was often an under-appreciated character, so his sidelining in this case isn't too surprising, but it is disappointing that Star Trek: Voyager shifted the praise for his victory in later seasons.
