Star Trek has never been afraid of getting weird. The franchise has introduced strange aliens, bizarre planets, and enough questionable science to fill several star systems. But then there was the Star Trek: Voyager episode, which is infamous for taking one of the show’s most exciting ideas—breaking the warp speed barrier—and turning it into something nobody could have predicted. Tom Paris finally pushes a shuttle beyond the limits of known warp technology. This episode may not have changed TV history, but it almost changed Star Trek forever.
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The episode has become one of those Star Trek stories that fans like to bring up whenever someone asks about the franchise’s most memorable moments. And there’s very good reasons for doing so. Within the story, there are some extreme character choices, especially once Paris starts changing in ways that would be better suited to a science-fiction horror movie. But any doubt should have been silenced once the episode won an Emmy. That is the part that makes the whole thing even more fascinating.
The TOS Episode“Threshold” Tried to Break the Warp Barrier
The basic idea behind “Threshold” is actually pretty exciting. Tom Paris wants to accomplish something that has been considered impossible before. His goal is to push a shuttle past Warp 10. With the help of Harry Kim and the rest of the Voyager crew, Paris manages to get the experiment off the ground. For a little while, it looks like the episode might deliver exactly the kind of big science-fiction breakthrough Star Trek loves. Paris goes faster and faster, and suddenly the impossible seems within reach.
But things don’t go according to plan—or so well, especially after the fact. Paris returns to Voyager, but something is clearly wrong with him. Before long, his body begins changing, and the episode starts heading in a very different direction. What began as an optimistic science-fiction adventure was shifting into even more uncharted territory. While the crew tries to figure out what happened, Paris becomes increasingly difficult to recognize—physically. This is where “Threshold” earned its reputation. The science gets more extreme, and Paris eventually completely changes as the episode introduces one of the most surprising developments in Star Trek history. Paris is no longer an ordinary human. He has become a salamander-like creature. Yes, really. This is an actual Star Trek: Voyager episode. That might not sound too far-fetched, but consider where this episode started and where it ended up.
The Salamander Twist Made “Threshold” Infamous
The episode’s most memorable and infamous moment arrives when Paris and Captain Janeway undergo the same exact transformation. They both eventually become salamander-like creatures—and then things take an even wilder turn. Not only did the attempt to break Warp 10 somehow biologically de-evolve them into salamanders, the unlikely pair ended up mating and producing three salamander offspring. Yes, you read that right. Captain Janeway and Paris made salamander love babies together. It is the kind of plot development that sounds like a fan joke until someone reminds you that it actually aired on television. Even longtime Star Trek fans have struggled to explain exactly what the episode was trying to accomplish. The story begins with a serious question about physics and ends somewhere that feels like it belongs to an entirely different parody show. The episode’s writer has even expressed his feelings about how he regretted writing it.
And yet, there is an important detail that often gets lost when “Threshold” is discussed. The episode won an Emmy for Outstanding Makeup for a Series. So while fans were busy remembering the weird salamanders, the people working on the episode were being recognized by the Television Academy. That does not suddenly make every part of the story work, but it does make the episode’s legacy a little more complicated. “Threshold” can be strange, divisive, and frequently ridiculous, while still being a technically accomplished piece of television. Believe it or not, the episode has also developed somewhat of a cult favorite reputation for its genuine weirdness. And if you’re a voyager fan, you’ll want to check out the series that explores the crew’s final mission.
That may be the most interesting thing about “Threshold.” It has become one of the easiest Star Trek episodes to make fun of, but it also represents something the franchise has always done well: taking a huge science-fiction idea and seeing just how far it can go. In this case, perhaps it went a little too far. Tom Paris wanted to break the warp barrier. He succeeded. Voyager just had to live with whatever came through the other side. Now, about those salamander love babies…
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