By ERIC GRIFFITH / Very few shows have caused me to actively mourn their passing. Most outlive their welcome ("Picket Fences," "Roseanne"), while others die at just the right time ("Seinfeld," "The Larry Sanders Show," even "Homicide").

This past season saw the final episode of the syndicated "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and I continue to brood, knowing that the only place left to boldly go where no one has gone before is on UPN's "Star Trek: Voyager" (Wednesdays at 9 p.m.).

Unfortunately, I’m not convinced the series can handle the job.

"Voyager" has long been hampered by its "Lost in Space" shtick, as the crew of the Federation ship tries to return home after being bounced a quadrant away by an omnipotent being. Returning home is the main hook the show has – and it no longer works.

"Voyager’s" characters have traits or concerns that carry over from episode to episode, but the only cohesive factor throughout is the crew asking, "Are we there yet?"

It's also unfortunate that touring the Delta Quadrant has led to little more than monster/battle-of-the-week scenarios. If "Xena: Warrior Princess" can sustain continuing plots during the course of several self-contained episodes, I'll hold UPN's only success to the same standard.

"Voyager's" fifth season opener, "Equinox Part II," was a continuation of the cliffhanger involving Captain Janeway’s (Kate Mulgrew) pursuit of the USS Equinox's Captain Ransom (guest John Savage), who had been murdering aliens in an effort to get home faster. Equinox, like Voyager, was transported thousands of light years from home. The second episode of the season involved Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) meeting former Borg drone buddies. Space is an awfully small place.

The opener contained the single vilest scene I’ve ever witnessed from a supposedly heroic character (who wasn’t possessed or brainwashed). Janeway, infuriated by her inability to capture Captain Ransom, captures one of his crewmen and attempts to extort information from him by handing him over to a homicidal alien. Only Chakotay (Robert Beltran), Janeway's first officer, saves the man as she crosses the line. The fact that she acknowledges her error in judgment later doesn’t diminish the disturbing nature of this event. She still gets to run the ship. The course of the series has often brought Janeway’s actions into question; this episode should be the nail in her coffin if they do return home to face court martial.

Along with its similarities to "Lost in Space," "Voyager" also draws on the original '60s "Trek," with Janeway as Kirk, Tuvok (Tim Russ) or Chokotay taking turns as Spock and several red shirts. The subordinates simply get more lines, or tighter outfits, as is the case with the show’s most popular character, Seven of Nine. Her wooden performance makes one ache for the subtle albeit dry humor Brent Spiner brought to the character of Data in "The Next Generation." "Voyager’s" saving grace continues to be Robert Picardo’s performance as the holographic, yet perfectly egotistical, Doctor.

"Voyager" tries hard to be what it should – action-packed with great stories and good performances – but seldom hits on all cylinders. There’s no faulting the cast; they recite their techno-jargon lines with just the right amount of seriousness. The idea factory at Paramount continues to do some unique things, but how many times are we going to see the Voyager virtually destroyed and then running like new a week later?

For Trekkies, it’s impossible to look at "Star Trek" outside of the far-reaching tapestry of stories since the '60s: many bad and a few so perfect they make up for the rest with aplomb. The joy of "DS9" was in watching the unfolding events within and without the characters' lives — the war, the weddings, the political intrigue, the religious leaders who were plotting, and the oppressors who became sympathetic. "Voyager’s" place in that grandiose world is peripheral. Bring them home, Paramount. Bring them home.