Voyager never enjoyed The Next Generation or DS9s consistently top writing. Quality varied wildly in this first 16-episode season, but a likeable ensemble of characters and healthy doses of moral conflict developed interest.
TNG-esque stories fell back on time/spatial anomalies and holodeck misadventures, while season villains the Kazan were wannabe Klingons.
But the humanisation of Robert Picardos holographic doctor is a treat that played out brilliantly throughout the series.