Star TrekThe first female showrunner, writer and producer, Jeri Taylor, made many significant contributions to the franchise, including writing classic episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. Taylor’s Star Trek career began in 1990, when she joined the writing team of TNG during the show’s fourth season. Taylor wrote several notable TNG episodes before becoming co-executive producer of the show’s final season, alongside Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Jeri Taylor passed away on October 23, 2024, at 86 years old.
In his most significant contribution to Star Trek, Jeri Taylor helped develop Star Trek: Voyager and served as executive producer and showrunner. The first Star Trek show centered on a starship captain, Traveler followed the adventures of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) as she led the USS Voyager and her crew through the unexplored Delta Quadrant. Jeri Taylor helped create the character Captain Janeway and ensured that women of Traveler always had a voice. Here are the best Jeri Taylor episodes from Star Trek.
8
“Final Mission”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 Episode 9
In his last episode as a series regular, Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast member Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) accompanies Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) on one final mission before leaving to study at Starfleet Academy. When Picard and Wesley’s space shuttle crash lands on a desert planet, they set out in search of shelter and water. After finding a cave, Picard is seriously injured in a rockslide and Wesley must keep him alive until help arrives.
Jeri Taylor’s story allows Wes to prove why he deserves a place at Starfleet Academy.
Wesley eventually figures out how to deactivate the force field surrounding the fountain in the cave, allowing him to access the water and save Picard’s life. Before long, the Enterprise locates Picard and Wesley in the cave and rescues them. Wesley didn’t always work as a character in TNG’s first episodes, but he is at his best in “Final Mission”. Jeri Taylor’s story allows Wes to prove why he deserves a place at Starfleet Academy without making any of the senior officers seem incompetent.
7
“The Wounded”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 Episode 12
Notable for introducing the Cardassians, “The Wounded” follows Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise as they pursue a Starfleet ship that is attacking Cardassian outposts. Captain Benjamin Maxwell (Bob Gunton) of the USS Phoenix believes the Cardassians are conducting covert military operations. Maxwell orders the destruction of a Cardassian warship and a freighter, killing over 650 Cardassians.
Having previously served under Maxwell during the Cardassian war, boss Miles O’Brien (Colm Meany) eventually convinces his former captain to resign. Yet, Both Maxwell and O’Brien harbor clear resentment towards the Cardassians which, in the case of O’Brien, will be further explored in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Jeri Taylor helped seed the Cardassians themselves as majors Star Trek villains, and “The Wounded” helps establish his cunning and militaristic nature.
6
“Night Terrors”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 Episode 17
In one of Star Trek In the scariest episodes, counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) begins having bizarre dreams just before the Enterprise becomes trapped in a space phenomenon known as Tyken’s Rift. When other crew members start behaving strangely, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) determines that no one on the ship other than Troi is achieving REM sleep. This revelation leads Captain Picard to place Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) – who doesn’t sleep – in command of the Enterprise.
Data and Troi work together and eventually find a way out of the breach when Troi realizes that her dreams contain a message. “Night Terrors” may not be a perfect episode of Star Trek, but has an interesting premise and some genuinely disturbing visuals. In Captains’ records: the unauthorized complete hiking trips, Jeri Taylor noted that this episode was particularly difficult to write and required several rewrites.
5
“The Drum”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 Episode 21
In one of Star Trek In the best courtroom episodes, retired admiral Norah Satie (Jean Simmons) investigates an apparent act of sabotage on the USS Enterprise-D. After an explosion in main engineering, Captain Picard and Admiral Satie work to uncover the truth about the incident. The investigation reveals that a Klingon exchange officer was collaborating with the Romulans, but he insists he knows nothing about the explosion.
Data and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) eventually determine that the explosion was an accident, but Satie continues to search for traitors. Satie becomes trapped in her own paranoia, even taking Picard to trial and questioning him about his time as Borg’s Locutus. Ultimately, Picard denounces Satie’s fanaticism, pointing out how dangerous it can be to continue a trial like this. Patrick Stewart and Jean Simmons deliver powerful performances, elevating an already solid script and making “The Drumhead” an instant classic.
4
“Caretaker”
Star Trek: Voyager, season 1, episodes 1 and 2
Star Trek: Voyager Creators Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor worked on the feature film’s debut episode, “Caretaker,” which set up everything that followed. The story follows Captain Janeway of the USS Voyager as she sets out to locate a missing Maquis ship. A group of rebel freedom fighters, the Maquis have a controversial relationship with Starfleet. One of Janeway’s officers, Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ), was serving undercover aboard the missing Maquis ship.
When Voyager arrives at the last known location of the Maquis spacecraft they are pulled into the Delta Quadrant by a being known as the Caretaker. Janeway locates the Maquis crew and they are eventually integrated into the Voyager crew. The Caretaker soon dies, leaving Voyager stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway then begins the long journey home, with Delta Quadrant natives Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Kes (Jennifer Lien) joining the crew as guides.
3
“Eye of the Needle”
Star Trek: Voyager Season 1, Episode 7
When the USS Voyager investigates a small wormhole, they make contact with a Romulan ship in the Alpha Quadrant. Voyager sends a probe through the wormhole and eventually convinces the Romulans to carry a message to Starfleet. Although the wormhole is too small for Voyager to pass through, Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) discovers a way to transport the crew members through the wormhole.
“Eye of the Needle” remains one of the best episodes of Star Trek: Voyager first seasons.
However, when Romulan captain Telek R’Mor (Vaughn Armstrong) is transported to Voyager as a test, they discover he comes from 20 years ago. The Voyager crew cannot travel to the past for fear of disturbing the timeline, but Telek agrees to deliver his messages within 20 years. With a compelling guest star and a devastating but clever twist, “Eye of the Needle” remains one of the best episodes of Star Trek: Voyager first seasons.
2
“Resolutions”
Star Trek: Voyager, season 2, episode 25
When Captain Janeway and Chakotay (Robert Beltran) contract a deadly virus, they must stay on the planet where they contracted it to stay alive. Janeway orders Tuvok to take command of Voyager and continue the ship’s journey home. While trapped on the planet, Janeway and Chakotay grow closer. Although “Resolutions” suggests that the pair begin a romantic relationship, it never goes beyond that episode.
Meanwhile, the Voyager crew members never stop searching for a cure and end up getting one from the Vidiians. By this point, Janeway and Chakotay had begun to settle into their lives on the planet, but they returned to being colleagues when they returned to Voyager. With a beautifully written story, Allowed “resolutions” Traveler to explore a potential romance between Janeway and Chakotay without interrupting the continuity of the show.
1
“Coda”
Star Trek: Voyager, season 3, episode 15
Traveling back to Voyager in a ship, Janeway and Chakotay land on a nearby planet and soon become trapped in a classic. Star Trek time cycle. When an injured Janeway activates her homing signal, the Vidiians find them and kill them both. Janeway and Chakotay then wake up on the bus and the previous events begin again. After dying at least twice more, Janeway has a vision of her father. Janeway’s father offers to help her transfer to the other world, but she feels something isn’t right.
In the end, Captain Janeway realizes that she is still on the planet’s surface, with Chakotay and the Doctor (Robert Picardo) fighting to save her. Her “father” is actually an incorporeal being who wants to feed on her soul, but Janeway refuses to go with him and is revived by her crewmates. With some genuinely scary moments, “Coda” remains one of the Star Trek: Voyager most memorable episodes, helping to consolidate Jeri Taylor as one of the Star Trek big.