Best Voyager Episode Ever: In the Blink of An Eye

My absolute favorite Star Trek: Voyager episode is "In the Blink of An Eye."

It falls into the category of "soft" science-fiction since the historical, sociological, and political effects of the Voyager's current plot problem are more important than the gadgetry of the current plot problem. 

The plot problem? Voyager gets stuck in a planet's gravitational pull (something like that). The planet  operates at a different space-time, much faster than the rest of the universe. In the one day that Voyager is stuck in orbit, the planet goes through 1,000+ years of history. (An opening line of dialog establishes that 1 second = 1 day.)

Stuck at one of the planet's poles, the Voyager starship becomes woven into the planet's theology and mythology. Opinions of it by the planet's inhabitants change. The older mythology is debunked but then, later, applauded for pinpointing some truths about the "star." Its existence--rather like our moon--gets woven into literature and song. Space travel is revered. The inhabitants' complicated reactions to the "star"--friend or foe or victim?--are alluded to. The fundamental goodness behind the final decision is presented naturally. 

All in all, a wonderful episode.

Several episodes in Star Trek: Voyager delve into the personal, yet manage to make a larger point about evolutionary psychology. "In the Blink of an Eye" delves into history, yet manages to make it personal, an impressive feat.