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From Memory Alpha episodes' box (emphasis mine).

Star Trek Voyager, "Message in a Bottle":

  • VOY, Episode 4x14
  • Production number: 181
  • 80th of 168 produced in VOY
  • 81st of 168 released in VOY

Star Trek Voyager, "Hunters":

  • VOY, Episode 4x15
  • Production number: 183
  • 82nd of 168 produced in VOY
  • 82nd of 168 released in VOY

What am I missing?

  1. What episode has "Production number: 182" or "81st of 168 produced in VOY"?
  2. Why there's a gap between these two in production number and not in release number?
  3. What is the reason behind producing episodes in different order than air / release order?

Three questions, but most likely related to each other, so IMHO can be answered at once.

3
  • 2
    Dunno about 1, but 2) because they changed the order or removed an episode that they didn't think would/should be aired, and 3) sometimes they move stuff around for the storyline purposes - they might have 5 kazon episodes, so they hire the actor's & get all the props done and record them all back to back, despite intending to spread them out over the course of a season, sometimes they record out of order depending on an actor's availability etc
    – Robotnik
    May 25, 2015 at 7:12
  • 1
    The Wiki (MemoryAlpha that is) itself helps you with 1). You can click on the arrows next to the XYth of ABC produced and get to the next one: Leading you to Production Number: 182 81st of 168, en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Waking_Moments_%28episode%29
    – BMWurm
    May 25, 2015 at 7:20
  • 1
    Not off-topic but possibly better asked on movies-and-TV:SE
    – Valorum
    May 25, 2015 at 7:38

1 Answer 1

6

The episodes are simply out of order. Star Trek: Voyager production no. 182 was "Waking Moments", which aired just before "Message in a Bottle" rather than between "Message in a Bottle" and "Hunters".

Episodes of a television show do not always air according to their production order for various reasons, including productions going behind schedule, maintenance of overall story continuity, and airing more exciting episodes during Nielsen ratings periods (so-called "sweeps weeks") in the US. None of this is unusual.

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