The Animated Series has a few good episodes and include the sort of thing you simply couldn't do in live action at the time.

No, but...

They brought over a writer from Rick and Morty, so it definitely shows through the first season. It finds its own identity by season 2.

Renamed as "The Slaver Weapon"

Haven't read the story. The episode had an interesting concept, but was just kinda goofy. Might have been cool to see them get more recognition in one of the newer series.

It's a solid Harry/Paris focused episode that also features Janeway using the wide beam setting on a type 3 phaser rifle.

Into it.

McCarthy looks like Kevin Nealon.

47 was right there.

Crazy to think he later became a villain in the later seasons of Heroes.

The slicked back yuppie look worked well for him.

Sounds about right.

Just playing off on that whole cast being a bunch of goofballs on set.

Makes perfect sense.

Having a great cinematographer on board like Marvin Rush, however, is how we get great shots like this...

... from "The Mind's Eye" where the brainwashed sleeper agent Geordi is on his way to assassinate the governor.

Give or take a year from my last rewatch.