Star Trek Voyager: Kathryn Janeway reminds you the 3 things every captain should do
By Chad Porto
Str Trek: Voyager had a lot of great Kathryn Janeway moments, but this may take the cake.
It’s odd to say that a highly popular, series-defining show like Star Trek: Voyager, one of only four live-action shows at the time of its debut within the Star Trek universe, was underrated but it’s true. The show didn’t get the love it deserved and its captain, Kathryn Janeway, was often mocked or joked about, which is no way to treat an officer.
The truth is, she, much like most of the other captains up through Enterprise, always had a bit of nobility about them. They weren’t the “every-man” type that so many main characters are painted out to be. They shouldn’t be, they should be ideals to strive to. People to look up to. They should be special.
This is why this scene from Star Trek: Voyager‘s fifth season (episodes 15th and 16th) entitled the Dark Frontier resonated so much. It starts with Tuvok asking Captain Janeway if she’d be up for a meeting with a crew member. Janeway attempts to have Commander Chakotay handle the manner until she sees young Naomi Wildman hiding behind Tuvok.
Seven of Nine had been abducted by the Borg and the ship and crew were looking for her whereabouts. Naomi, who had grown close with Seven, was hoping to offer suggestions to the captain on ways to find her. This causes Janeway to do her best to asway Naomi of her fears by telling her the three things every captain must do.
The three rules of being a Starfleet Captain.
In an attempt to calm down Naomi Wildman, Captain Janeway tells her that every captain must follow three rules. First, tuck in your shirt. The second, always go down with your ship. The last one, leave no one man behind.
The first is obvious, as you want to exude confidence. A well-dressed person gives off the impression they have their life in order.
The second is a long-standing ritual that the captain must go down with the ship/shouldn’t leave until everyone else off first. It’s the commitment the captain makes not to the vessel but to the crew.
The third is also pretty obvious and it follows in the same mindset of the second ideal; the crew is the most important thing. Something Janeway routinely demonstrated.
It’s one of Janeway’s best moments and even Screen Rant put it on her 10 Best Quotes list.
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