Neelix - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

stripe · 27th October 2000, 08:31 AM

I would like to share this interesting review done by a friend of mine who posts regularly on

http://www.treknation.com

By Caillan Davenport
Posted on October 24, 2000
[Note: This article was published in cooperation with Voyager Extreme.]

"Good Morning, Voyagers. I want to tell you about a friend of mine. I first met this man over five years ago when I rented "Caretaker" from the video store, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t like him much. He seemed a little too high pitched, a little too like a hedgehog. A lot of people had questions about him, or more importantly, the people who wrote his lines. He’d proven that he was a complete and utter fool, that the writers only wanted him as comic relief, and that he and his girlfriend would be the first to get shoved out the airlock when there weren’t enough lines to go around."

I refer, of course, to Neelix, Voyager’s resident Talaxian and pronounced object of viewer hatred. I don’t think I’ve found a character description as damning as "God of Annoyance," as one website describes him, not to mention the infamous "Neelix Must Die!" page.

When I tried to visit this page recently, however, I found that the site had disappeared off its server. Could this be a symbol that a growing number of viewers have actually come to accept, and even like Neelix? In fact, I would say that Neelix is without a doubt one of the most interesting characters on "Voyager," and not because of his cooking.

It’s a real pity that for the majority of the first and second seasons Neelix was written primarily as comic relief - a character we all loved to hate, if only for his idiocy. His jealous reactions to Paris’s friendship with Kes did much to strain viewer tolerance, and his lame jokes didn’t inspire much confidence either. However, an interesting dichotomy began to emerge in Neelix’s character; he was simultaneously comic relief and an outlet for many of Voyager’s most powerful morality tales.

"Jetrel," airing at the end of the first season, was the first attempt to turn Neelix into a ‘serious’ character, and for the most part it was a successful episode, even if a little heavy-handed in places. A strong Hiroshima allegory, it presented Ethan Phillips with a chance to prove that Neelix was more than just an annoyance. However, it may have proved too much for some viewers, because after all the previous episodes where Neelix was presented as a bumbling fool, his status as a serious character was a little hard to accept.

Nevertheless, the writing staff continued to turn out the annual serious Neelix episode, and they’ve been some of the best Voyager stories. Episodes like "Mortal Coil," "Fair Trade," and "Riddles" show a very different side of Neelix to that presented in "Partuition" and "Rise!". The trend has shown that many of the less desirable Neelix moments took place in the first two seasons, but since then he has grown and matured as a character.

Particularly relevant in this regard is "Fair Trade," a seminal episode in Neelix’s development. For once, he was shown to have grown beyond his original purpose as a guide. Since then he has become the unofficial Ambassador, and god-father to Naomi Wildman. It is perhaps the latter responsibility that has seen the most character growth for Neelix. Especially, it has shown that the character has matured beyond what we all originally perceived him to be: an annoying fool. Despite the fact that this "new Neelix" has an unfortunate tendency to preach in places, particularly in "Once Upon a Time", it also shows a significant growth of confidence on the part of the writing staff. Neelix is no longer portrayed as "other" to the crew anymore; he has become a part of the crew.

In between these few key episodes, however, Neelix seems to fall back into conventionality mode, serving dinner and making cracks about his leola root. On the one hand, it shows that he is a fully-rounded character, with different facets and foibles, but the characterisation needs to be a little more consistent for it to succeed. Having Neelix so profound one week and happily serving out the latest culinary disaster the next doesn’t always do wonders for character continuity.

Once question remains - where can the character grow from here? Probably contrary to popular opinion, I’d like to see a Neelix love story, something a little better handled than his relationship with Kes. A more mature approach to his character on a regular basis by the writing staff is in order, and I think that a strong Neelix love story could really nail the character. No corny one-liners like in "Random Thoughts", no whisker-tugging and leola root stew, no elogium, just a relationship that could finally let us see who Neelix is, and what makes the character. I don’t think anyone can deny that he has been like a chameleon to us - a man who confessed to hiding to avoid conscription, a man with a shady past, but do we really know Neelix? I can’t say that we do, but there is a strong basis to know more about him - "Mortal Coil" in particular delved deeper into the character, but it needs to be taken a step further. An episode, or series of episodes, in which Neelix develops a serious relationship could be just what is needed to drive all those other character insights home. I want to know what drives this man; I have an idea, but I think there is still strong potential for exploration.

Given the material, Ethan Phillips is a strong performer and thankfully every appearance is no longer as groan-worthy as the notorious "hair pasta" scene in "Partuition". However, Neelix has been overlooked on many occasions by both the writing staff and the fans. If anything, he’s had more "serious" episodes than many of the other cast members, but the character is still reduced to slapstick on too many occasions. It’s not that he shouldn’t be jovial and have a sense of humour - it’s that it often demeans and degrades the integrity of the character. "Riddles" began to show us the caring personality that is Neelix at the core, his past experiences show that he is a complex character, and Ethan Phillips is more that up to the challenge. We just need to see it up there on the screen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caillan Davenport is moderator of the TrekBBS General Sci-Fi forum and is editor of the J-Team newsletter.
Starting in a couple of weeks, you will be able to find his 'A Briefing With Caillan' column series in our columns section. These columns are published in cooperation with Voyager Extreme.

Thank you Caillan

Dave · 24th January 2002, 11:06 AM

As an independent trader, Neelix had considerable experience dealing with many cultures in the Delta Quadrant. This knowledge made him a valuable asset to the Voyager crew, although Neelix quickly found other ways, including his service as the ships cook, to make himself indispensable. It is unknown when Nelix was born, but it was before his family was killed when the terrible metreon cascade killed everyone on Rinax in 2356. At the time, Neelix may have been already considered an adult, since he was living away from his family on planet Talax.

Lonewolf89 · 26th January 2002, 11:36 PM

Neelix may have been a bit annoying, but he was interesting.

Neo · 26th January 2002, 11:50 PM

NO.... IMHO Neelix was one of the most annoying charcters on Voyager... he served no purpose and was just in the way

Dave · 27th January 2002, 10:05 PM

The writers definitely missed the point of Neelix. Instead of having a character who knew all the Delta Quadrant ruses, someone who was 'a little bit this, a little bit that' (to quote 'Fast Show'), a wide boy, a dodgy character, even with criminal tendencies; instead they decided to make him a comic foil, only they forgot to make him funny!

ray gower · 27th January 2002, 11:04 PM

Neelix had other uses that were well hidden.

He was the one character aboard the ship who couldn't build a starship from a box of stembolts, a polaron field emitter and a tri-corder. An average intelligence!

He was also one of three that ever showed himself in anyway human.

ray gower · 24th March 2002, 01:36 PM

I have the following as a character description for Neelix, that could perhaps use extending:-

One of the few aliens that looks as though he may actually be alien! Certainly different to every body else Voyager meets.
Seemingly impossibly cheerful.
Has shown some genuine emotions.
Genuinely average intelligence.
Apparently average cook, but accepted because nobody wants to do the job?
Wild dress sense!

Neo · 27th March 2002, 11:52 AM

my own review of neelix

ANNOYING......

ray gower · 27th March 2002, 12:07 PM

Is there anybody on Voyager you did like?

Neo · 5th April 2002, 01:12 AM

Yes most of them... except Neelix & Miss Wildman

Legolas · 5th April 2002, 11:00 AM

I never thought Neelix as that bad really - when he came on the ship with Kes I was like..'no way' but he has grown on me. but thats the way with hating things - unless its a really deep rooted hate then u learn to love something (kylie minogue springs to mind for me:dead

So Neo - lets lock you on a chair and play you episodes with Naomi and Neelix in over and over and over...then we'll se if either u learn to like them or have turned into a jibbering idiot from too much kiddie exposure.

:flash:

27th October 2000, 08:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
stripe Sovs Favorite Moderator Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Australia, New South Wales Posts: 1,533	I would like to share this interesting review done by a friend of mine who posts regularly on http://www.treknation.com By Caillan Davenport Posted on October 24, 2000 [Note: This article was published in cooperation with Voyager Extreme.] "Good Morning, Voyagers. I want to tell you about a friend of mine. I first met this man over five years ago when I rented "Caretaker" from the video store, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t like him much. He seemed a little too high pitched, a little too like a hedgehog. A lot of people had questions about him, or more importantly, the people who wrote his lines. He’d proven that he was a complete and utter fool, that the writers only wanted him as comic relief, and that he and his girlfriend would be the first to get shoved out the airlock when there weren’t enough lines to go around." I refer, of course, to Neelix, Voyager’s resident Talaxian and pronounced object of viewer hatred. I don’t think I’ve found a character description as damning as "God of Annoyance," as one website describes him, not to mention the infamous "Neelix Must Die!" page. When I tried to visit this page recently, however, I found that the site had disappeared off its server. Could this be a symbol that a growing number of viewers have actually come to accept, and even like Neelix? In fact, I would say that Neelix is without a doubt one of the most interesting characters on "Voyager," and not because of his cooking. It’s a real pity that for the majority of the first and second seasons Neelix was written primarily as comic relief - a character we all loved to hate, if only for his idiocy. His jealous reactions to Paris’s friendship with Kes did much to strain viewer tolerance, and his lame jokes didn’t inspire much confidence either. However, an interesting dichotomy began to emerge in Neelix’s character; he was simultaneously comic relief and an outlet for many of Voyager’s most powerful morality tales. "Jetrel," airing at the end of the first season, was the first attempt to turn Neelix into a ‘serious’ character, and for the most part it was a successful episode, even if a little heavy-handed in places. A strong Hiroshima allegory, it presented Ethan Phillips with a chance to prove that Neelix was more than just an annoyance. However, it may have proved too much for some viewers, because after all the previous episodes where Neelix was presented as a bumbling fool, his status as a serious character was a little hard to accept. Nevertheless, the writing staff continued to turn out the annual serious Neelix episode, and they’ve been some of the best Voyager stories. Episodes like "Mortal Coil," "Fair Trade," and "Riddles" show a very different side of Neelix to that presented in "Partuition" and "Rise!". The trend has shown that many of the less desirable Neelix moments took place in the first two seasons, but since then he has grown and matured as a character. Particularly relevant in this regard is "Fair Trade," a seminal episode in Neelix’s development. For once, he was shown to have grown beyond his original purpose as a guide. Since then he has become the unofficial Ambassador, and god-father to Naomi Wildman. It is perhaps the latter responsibility that has seen the most character growth for Neelix. Especially, it has shown that the character has matured beyond what we all originally perceived him to be: an annoying fool. Despite the fact that this "new Neelix" has an unfortunate tendency to preach in places, particularly in "Once Upon a Time", it also shows a significant growth of confidence on the part of the writing staff. Neelix is no longer portrayed as "other" to the crew anymore; he has become a part of the crew. In between these few key episodes, however, Neelix seems to fall back into conventionality mode, serving dinner and making cracks about his leola root. On the one hand, it shows that he is a fully-rounded character, with different facets and foibles, but the characterisation needs to be a little more consistent for it to succeed. Having Neelix so profound one week and happily serving out the latest culinary disaster the next doesn’t always do wonders for character continuity. Once question remains - where can the character grow from here? Probably contrary to popular opinion, I’d like to see a Neelix love story, something a little better handled than his relationship with Kes. A more mature approach to his character on a regular basis by the writing staff is in order, and I think that a strong Neelix love story could really nail the character. No corny one-liners like in "Random Thoughts", no whisker-tugging and leola root stew, no elogium, just a relationship that could finally let us see who Neelix is, and what makes the character. I don’t think anyone can deny that he has been like a chameleon to us - a man who confessed to hiding to avoid conscription, a man with a shady past, but do we really know Neelix? I can’t say that we do, but there is a strong basis to know more about him - "Mortal Coil" in particular delved deeper into the character, but it needs to be taken a step further. An episode, or series of episodes, in which Neelix develops a serious relationship could be just what is needed to drive all those other character insights home. I want to know what drives this man; I have an idea, but I think there is still strong potential for exploration. Given the material, Ethan Phillips is a strong performer and thankfully every appearance is no longer as groan-worthy as the notorious "hair pasta" scene in "Partuition". However, Neelix has been overlooked on many occasions by both the writing staff and the fans. If anything, he’s had more "serious" episodes than many of the other cast members, but the character is still reduced to slapstick on too many occasions. It’s not that he shouldn’t be jovial and have a sense of humour - it’s that it often demeans and degrades the integrity of the character. "Riddles" began to show us the caring personality that is Neelix at the core, his past experiences show that he is a complex character, and Ethan Phillips is more that up to the challenge. We just need to see it up there on the screen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caillan Davenport is moderator of the TrekBBS General Sci-Fi forum and is editor of the J-Team newsletter. Starting in a couple of weeks, you will be able to find his 'A Briefing With Caillan' column series in our columns section. These columns are published in cooperation with Voyager Extreme. Thank you Caillan

24th January 2002, 11:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dave Wherever I Am, I'm There Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greater London Posts: 11,443	As an independent trader, Neelix had considerable experience dealing with many cultures in the Delta Quadrant. This knowledge made him a valuable asset to the Voyager crew, although Neelix quickly found other ways, including his service as the ships cook, to make himself indispensable. It is unknown when Nelix was born, but it was before his family was killed when the terrible metreon cascade killed everyone on Rinax in 2356. At the time, Neelix may have been already considered an adult, since he was living away from his family on planet Talax.

26th January 2002, 11:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
Lonewolf89 Fear is the mind killer. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Flatplanet Cafe Posts: 1,608	Neelix may have been a bit annoying, but he was interesting.

26th January 2002, 11:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
Neo Red Pixie Boot Wearer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West UK Posts: 4,596	NO.... IMHO Neelix was one of the most annoying charcters on Voyager... he served no purpose and was just in the way

27th January 2002, 10:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
Dave Wherever I Am, I'm There Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greater London Posts: 11,443	The writers definitely missed the point of Neelix. Instead of having a character who knew all the Delta Quadrant ruses, someone who was 'a little bit this, a little bit that' (to quote 'Fast Show'), a wide boy, a dodgy character, even with criminal tendencies; instead they decided to make him a comic foil, only they forgot to make him funny!

27th January 2002, 11:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
ray gower Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Gwynedd Posts: 3,592	Neelix had other uses that were well hidden. He was the one character aboard the ship who couldn't build a starship from a box of stembolts, a polaron field emitter and a tri-corder. An average intelligence! He was also one of three that ever showed himself in anyway human.

24th March 2002, 01:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
ray gower Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Gwynedd Posts: 3,592	I have the following as a character description for Neelix, that could perhaps use extending:- One of the few aliens that looks as though he may actually be alien! Certainly different to every body else Voyager meets. Seemingly impossibly cheerful. Has shown some genuine emotions. Genuinely average intelligence. Apparently average cook, but accepted because nobody wants to do the job? Wild dress sense!

27th March 2002, 11:52 AM	#8 (permalink)
Neo Red Pixie Boot Wearer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West UK Posts: 4,596	my own review of neelix ANNOYING......

27th March 2002, 12:07 PM	#9 (permalink)
ray gower Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Gwynedd Posts: 3,592	Is there anybody on Voyager you did like?

5th April 2002, 01:12 AM	#10 (permalink)
Neo Red Pixie Boot Wearer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West UK Posts: 4,596	Yes most of them... except Neelix & Miss Wildman

5th April 2002, 11:00 AM	#11 (permalink)
Legolas something more magical Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: In a giant Oak tree in a forest not too far away... Posts: 3,970	I never thought Neelix as that bad really - when he came on the ship with Kes I was like..'no way' but he has grown on me. but thats the way with hating things - unless its a really deep rooted hate then u learn to love something (kylie minogue springs to mind for me:dead So Neo - lets lock you on a chair and play you episodes with Naomi and Neelix in over and over and over...then we'll se if either u learn to like them or have turned into a jibbering idiot from too much kiddie exposure. :flash: