The Pensky Podcast: Endgame (Podcast Finale)

[@Lixo9867]

Sad to see it end but wanted to thank y’all for the journey. Rewatching Star Trek alongside the podcast has been a great time!

[@thepenskyfile]

thanks lixo!

[@1kylecurry]

Congratulations for the 10 years & thank you guys. You made it entertaining going over the good, bad & ugly of the Star Trek franchise...! You have truly gone where no one has gone before...!

[@thepenskyfile]

thanks listener (superior) kyle

[@1kylecurry]

@@thepenskyfile Thank you & still listening to all of your podcast... 👍

[@johncutt8501]

Pleasantly surprised to get one more episode, cheers guys!

[@bk-xk4qh]

I'll miss you guys. Keep us updated on what you do next.

[@thepenskyfile]

will do - thanks!

[@mattrossesq]

Thanks guys for the great ride through the Treks-verse and other things!

[@thepenskyfile]

thanks for always being with us, matt!

[@SicSemperTyrannis-lc8fj]

It’s funny that Voyager killed off the Berman era, Star Trek in general, and your podcast. That’s quite an achievement for one show. It’s a shame that Star Trek really stopped being a franchise with things to say after DS9. Thanks for the decade of great work Wes! Hope you stick around podcasting in some form.

[@thepenskyfile]

much appreciated!

[@SicSemperTyrannis-lc8fj]

@@thepenskyfile It’s crazy that I’ve been listening to you and Clay for 7 years now. I’ll always enjoy listening to you guys shoot the breeze on pop culture.

[@1monki]

In my version of this premise, the crew never returns to the Alpha Quadrant. It's a show about losing one's way and finding it again. So Balana would be my lead character. There would be a mutiny on the ship after Janeway lets her ethics keep them from returning home. With Balana in charge, they trade technology and make friends (a Proto Federation), and the crew focuses on getting home. But the technology they traded falls into the wrong hands, threatening their new friends. At the series midpoint, Balana decides to turn around and try to fix the problems she and the crew caused. She returns command to Janeway. The last half of the series is about them creating this new federation from problems they made in the Delta quadrant. In the final scene, they launch a space probe created from the remains of the voyager ship. It's a federation design, but visibly modified by all the technology of their new home. It's an artifact of this new Federation. And it can carry Janeway's ashes back to earth. The crew have made new lives for themselves in this new Federation. Fans would've hated this show, I think, but it would be more intriguing than what we got.

[@1monki]

Future: Janeway watches as Harry Kim achieves captain's rank and command of the new Voyager. Janeway: "No. This is all wrong. I have to go back and fix this. And this time ensign Kim is going to stay dead!"

[@mccrckn83]

I’m gutted this didn’t end with the funky theme tune the show used to have!

[@hafabee]

I think I've listened to every one of your podcast analysis for Star Trek Deep Space Nine and enjoyed the heck out of it. Thanks for the insights and for the laughs!

[@lightsabermetrics]

I washed my hands of Voyager early in season 5 during its original run, but I tuned in for the final episode. Aside from the Chakotay/Seven "romance" (and I use that term in its loosest sense possible), I felt like absolutely nothing changed for any of the characters in the 2+ years I went without watching the show. From what I know of the behind the scenes stuff of the finale, the production was heavily rushed in order to ramp up production on Enterprise. I'm not even sure the cast got a final party/celebration because attention and resources were being devoted elsewhere. If that's true, it sure showed up in the finished product. They could not wait to end the show and didn't care in the slightest how abrupt it was. It's crazy to me that your podcast actually came to a finite end. When I started listening while you were covering TNG Season 3, I never once really thought we'd get to this point. On one hand it certainly was inevitable, but I never considered just how long it would take to get here. This is all to say that I've enjoyed listening to every episode of your Trek discussions. It was must-listen stuff every Tuesday for me when new podcasts would go live, and I'm gonna miss it. But I wish you guys the absolute best in whatever you plan in life going forward. There's no doubt I'll occasionally go back and re-listen to old podcasts because there's always entertaining stuff in them.

[@1monki]

The series finale answered the fans' biggest narrative question, "How would the Voyager model look surrounded by other Federation Starships." Once that was accomplished there was no story left to explore.

[@thepenskyfile]

it's best left unsaid - clay talked about this one aspect after every voy ep we did, just cut it from the recording.

[@1monki]

@@thepenskyfile it's a great-looking ship that probably reminds Clay of Buffy. I understand why you might want to edit it from the recording.

[@1monki]

Great wrap up guys, thanks

[@SicSemperTyrannis-lc8fj]

Clay’s thoughts on Star Trek: “Time for Buffy!”

[@1monki]

@@SicSemperTyrannis-lc8fj The Crossover we didn't know we needed! Time to make a comic, Clay!

[@craigreiter9859]

Been listening to these fools since 2018 and it was time well spent. All the best to Wes and I hope to see Clay in the Comic Books

[@thepenskyfile]

thanks for all the years of support!

[@reaverofjillsandwiches]

For the longest time, and I'm visually impaired, I never even noticed they slipped into the sphere until I watched a review of this episode a few months back. Honestly I don't hate the episode. It's not great, but then again I don't really love this show so it was fine. And I think we needed one final time of Clay saying "It's fine". But he got the "Brandon" in there so I approve.

[@hat8918]

Listening right now, its been fun! In regards to the "What will people do?" when they get back, there are a few things from prior epiosdes I wanted to see, off the top of my head. Preferably a whole season: (1) Barge of the Dead (Ron Moore) - B'Ellana fully embraces her Klingon heritage, but her mother might be dead. Is she? (2) Lineage - Emotional episode where B'Ellana's history as a child on earth is explored including her father who left because of her mother's culture. Does she reunite? (3) Extreme Risk - B'Ellana and Chakotay deal with all the Maqui dying... Will they be pardoned? (4) In the Flesh - Species 8472 is revealed to have plans to attack the Federation. Will they? (5) Life Line - The Doctor meets his creator in the Alpha Quaderant, and it's revealed that Voyager's EMH is considered obsolete and subject to free labor in mines. What will happen to the Doctor? (6) Equinox - Will there be an investigation into Janeway's behavior? (7) Prophecy - B'Ellana and Tom's child is revealed to fufill a Klingon prophecy. How will the empire react? (8) Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy - Will the Doctor get the opportunity to pursue command positions now that he isn't needed? (9) Relativity and variois other episodes - Will Captain Braxton correct the End Game timeline? (10) Does Kim get promoted?

[@daveknight8410]

Oh i forgot to say thanks have enjoyed your show immensely for a decade. You made even some godawful stuff entertaining, meaning i didn't need to rewatch the crap only the good thanks good luck

[@bmaze35640]

The series finale shows that the writers were burnt out several seasons ago. They couldn’t come up with a good way to wrap up the series. So they brought back two tropes, time travel and the Borg. (Some things never change Picard.) One was bad enough, but both made something really forgettable. The funny thing is that they had the right element to the finale, but the writers were too cowardly to lean into it. It’s the fact that it was about the journey, not the destination. From episode 1, Janeway could have taken the crew back home, but she didn’t because she felt their presence was needed in the Delta Quadrant. That’s why the Caretaker’s array was destroyed instead of using it to send themselves back home. Voyager never realized its calling. If the goal was just to get back home, then why didn’t they just go home and stay out of Delta quadrant issues? Voyager was a missed opportunity. The crew didn’t earn the DS9 sendoff. Voyager did this correcting history story in Timeless, but that story makes sense because all but Chakotay and Kim were the only ones who survived. Janeway’s reasons for correcting history are not clear. The burnout showed in this. And as you say, this episode sums up Voyager. It started strong and ran out of steam. FWIW, I think Season 6 might’ve been the best season, but so many had tuned out by then. Been a fun ride, but all good things… wait… wrong series. I guess that’s the Endgame.

[@bmaze35640]

Apologies that I didn’t update my card too.

[@TyrionLannister83]

If you like DS9 you'd love Babylon 5.

[@hat8918]

In regards to the show ending, I wish you all the best with your future projects! I do wish you all finished the final seasons by filtering IMDB to only 7.5-8 and above episodes. While I disagreed with probably 40- 50% of your episodes, I did always feel like your points were well thought out and honestly, your overall scores were rarely wildly different than what I concluded with. We just criticized different things. Anyways, as a former podcast/youtube host of 4.5 years, I get the grind gets old and I respect y'alld decision. Thanks for the hundreds of hours of Star Trek content!

[@marcneef795]

You skipped a part of the journey to get directly to the end! Very meta! 😅

[@reaverofjillsandwiches]

They literally lose a crew member that was recurring in season 1 like 3 or 4 episodes prior. And I typically hate time travel unless something interesting is done with it.

[@MartianInAHumansBody]

Brannon, did you get my notes? I want to use the name Endgame because nobody else would ever think to use that name for a final event

[@Edax_Royeaux]

So Voyager killed another podcast?

[@SicSemperTyrannis-lc8fj]

There’s a good show somewhere within Voyager’s premise. Somewhere.

[@Mirsset]

I sadly predicted this when they started with Voyager...

[@depstein1014]

​@Mirsset Me too and I was hoping to be proven wrong.

[@hat8918]

The problem is sitting through the first 3 seasons. It takes too long to get through, it has few too decent episodes, and so by the time it improves, you just don't care. I started with Scorpion on my first watch, and it was a significantly better experience. Still prefer the other 90s and TOS shows, but not nearly as bad as described.

[@daveknight8410]

I've always enjoyed your talking shit ( enlightening ).it's creative 🎉

[@albertannationalist]

Hey remember that Victorian holonovel Janeway was doing in the early seasons, the one that they were setting up an elaborate mystery to? You didn't want to know how that ends, did you? It's okay, I'm sure Dallas never bothered to reveal who shot J.R. either.

[@albertannationalist]

Related: while Clay is right that this episode was a bit of a ripoff of All Good Things, the TNG episode revisited the pilot episode and showed the evolution of the show. I guess we should be thankful Voyager didn't try to go back to Caretaker so...hey wait! Wouldn't that have let them solve the mystery of the cloaked ship which tractor beamed out the Caretaker's core? Maybe as part of a time bending plot to help them get home?

[@TyrionLannister83]

You did miss some good episodes. Is there I chance you might do the 5 or 10 best episodes you skiped as a patreon special?

[@mysticmarble94]

😢

[@chellywhovian]

Thank you for a wonderful podcast I have enjoyed your show for a very long time. I will definitely miss listening to you two. I always enjoyed voyager but I do agree they could have done better with the finale. I think janeway was also trying to save Tuvok also, but the show painted it as "she only cares about seven and chakotay but mostly seven " Oh and on the tight outfit for Jeri, they had to have a oxygen tank or that is the rumor I heard on set when she filmed. I think the finale is still better then Enterprise but not by much. mostly because Enterprise had enterprise and Riker act like morons.

[@mattrossesq]

Ahh typos... but on Patreon I said... Apropos name since the cast on Voy is ending. Regardless, the time travel shenanigans seems to be the only way Harry gets promoted. Also it is a bit of a cheat in wrapping up the series although I do like the armored Voyager effect. The docs name... not so much, nor Paris's hairline. I remember seeing the ending originally and thinking it needed one more scene... but oh well. 2 Tom's hairlines out of 5. Podcast as always 5 out of 5.

[@thepenskyfile]

6/5 to you sir

[@Bear-re5xm]

If i could change one thing, i'd have you guys cover the last half of voyager not the first half. S2+S3 is just SO BAD. And its not like the character work ever gets better. theres no "Rocks and Shoals" in Voyager. But like, the Icheb arc near the end was kinda nice.... As crappy as Star Trek became, it was always a blast to listen to you two tear it apart!

[@thepenskyfile]

gracias!

[@alexandercrankshaft]

It's been a long road, I've been here since November 2015. But I know the podcast will be back in ten years, much longer more expensive and boring with Wes in a bad curly black wig. Good luck Wes.

[@thepenskyfile]

godspeed - thanks for listening all these years!

[@iainrocks84]

It was a long way to go for a ham sandwich!

[@thepenskyfile]

it def was

[@bk-xk4qh]

Come back for strange new worlds season 3!

[@misomiso8228]

I think you skipped a few episodes...!

[@thepenskyfile]

whatever happened to neelix?

[@misomiso8228]

@@thepenskyfile Haha!

[@TyrionLannister83]

@@thepenskyfile Tuvok finally snapped and killed him.

[@Jose_Hunters_EWF_Remixes]

The end? Is this a joke? I didn't find any humor in your comment about Amy, whom I claim (non-sarcastically) is the best KZbin podcast wife Perhaps I'm too stupid

[@daveknight8410]

Lower decks very good prodigy okish 😊

[@JonathanJK]

I am biased because I’m writing season 8 (which Wes, you should give a try [I would even pay for your feedback]) but there is a lot of character for our main cast. If you’re left scratching your head as to what the characters *could* do upon return, then listen to the first 3 episodes. I do agree with how lame the show ended, again because it justifies what I’m creating. Again it’s a shame you skipped to the end but I totally get how Clay hasn’t missed much with the skip because nothing leads into Endgame. The idea that Seven and Chakotay could die earlier in the season is also a fantastic idea which would provide so much more emotional resonance in the ending because they would be brought back. Plus Beltran wanted out anyway so why not kill him halfway through season 7 and save some money. But this is what ages the show as modern shows will take this approach.

[@daveknight8410]

Yes DS9 WAS BETTER THEREFORE THE ENDING WAS WAY BETTER