How would I have spiced up Star Trek: Voyager

I would have wanted Kim to be kicked out (there were many opportunities), for Kes to stay, and then become the most awesome BFFs with Seven of Nine.

Ronald D. Moore should not have been induced to leave Voyager.

If I had the wisdom that I lacked when I was younger, which was during the show's run — and if I were something like an exec or executive consultant like Gene Roddenberry was — I would in addition have spiced the show up this way:

• Neelix should have by accident succumbed to his own food;
• Chakotay should have left (=died in an accident, or kidnapped, or joined his genetic ancestors);
• Janeway would have become more and more homesick and then deranged, at which point the crew would remove her from command. Tuvok would then have made an awesome acting captain and make good decisions on advice from Kes and other crew.

But that would have made him the second black captain, since Sisko was already captain on Deep Space Nine. This arrangement would maybe have looked superfluous back then, but perhaps in the longer run this would have made a positive effect towards 2014 and 2015. (OTOH, there was an African-American President in the "Deep Impact" feature, and another one played by Dennis Haysbert in "24".)

And since this was the first Trek show with a female captain, it was bound to end in success.

I think Kes, in turn, would have eventually become a non-commissioned officer of Starfleet and an accomplished doctor and scientist. Maybe eventually captain of USS Voyager by the end of the show.

Yea, I really have a soft spot for Kes and Jennifer Lien.

And so, because of the absence of Kim and Chakotay, I would have introduced the first regular gay character on Star Trek and had the first gay kiss happen there to make tv history again, and pre-empt Dawson's Creek.