I was thinking today how much I wish they had gone in a really different direction with Neelix. He really grates on my nerves most of the time. So I though it would be fun to make up a new character to replace him. What if instead Kes's boyfriend had been a Kazon? Maybe they were sneaking around to see each other when she was captured and the Kazon - call him Nikon - betrayed the other Kazon to rescue her. I'd get someone young, buff and hot who'd make a more popular match with Kes. He'd need to be more well rounded, but at first he'd be an aggresive primitive. He'd have served a similar purpose to Neelix in the early seasons with knowledge and contacts in the Delta Quadrant. His betrayal of the other Kazons would set up Voyager's bad relationship with the Kazons and make the whole thing personal to them. Besides serving as an advisor to Janeway he'd serve as a security officer. It's hard to justify that he'd be suitable for chief of security, but maybe over time he'd earn the position and we'd just pretend that none of the surviving security crew members had much experience. I picture him being played by Keith Hamilton Cobb who was Tyr on Andromeda. On a side note, I'd get rid of Tuvok and have instead promoted Seska to a series regular, keeping her somehow even after she was revealed to be a Cardassian. This would be a huge story that would develop over time. At first she'd spend a few episodes in the brig and slowly over time win Janeway's trust to be allowed out, and to work on the ship, but in a role of reduced responsibility. She'd still be a dark character, but would work with Voyager because she wants to get home too. Her friendships would be rocky and most of the characters wouldn't trust her ever. I really love the actor and character and think she'd have added a lot of excitement and drama to the series. Voyager could've done with more Seska and less Tuvok, Neelix and Kim.
How about a "Mother-Like" character, like on the Nostromo, but more independant and interactive? Helpful and "crewmember-like", but equally capable of being scolding and sarcastice and grating and amusing. Voiced by a very special voice, of course. hmmm...yeah, that has potential.
Majel Barret was already doing the computer voice anyways, that's a role she'd have been fun in. I actually had a different character in mind to replace Tuvok, and was thinking of a older female Vulcan who could serve as a sort of maternal figure. Of course, Janeway was already filling that role with the younger crew members anyways, and I do really like Janeway's maternal relationship with Kes and Seven.
Captain Neelix, Space Junkman! This Talaxian tough guy takes no lip off pesky invaders from the other side of the galaxy, single-handedly taking over their ship as the captain's most trusted advisor, whom he tricks into doing his bidding! Vidiians are a breath away from meeting their doom when they come face to face with this hellacious hedgehog who eats Kazons for breakfast! Thrill to exciting adventures every week, as Captain Neelix and his beautiful but chaste slave Kes discover unclaimed riches while searching crashed and derelict ships that faced his targeting skills! Captain Neelix! Right here, every week on UPN!
I am reaching for my remote and the kids are in bed!!! A Cold One and some snacks and I am tuning in! Wonderful!!! "...pesky invaders...hellacious hedgehog..." I'm dyin' here!
I'd take the route the actual writers did - nab a character from TNG and change the name to avoid paying royalties. Patrick Stewart as Captain Robert Michael Frenchington. Lots of tension as Voyager's two captains don't get along!
I wouldn't have deleted any of the main characters but I would have added one of my favorites who should have had a more prominent place among the Star Trek characters: Commander Keiran MacDuff. Imagine that the guy we saw on the Enterprise in the TNG episode "Conundrum" was an impostor, a copy of the real Commander MacDuff. Then imagine that MacDuff would have been the first officer instead of Cavid and would have survived. Voyager is dragged into the Delta Quadrant and Chakotay and the Maquis plus Kes and Neelix joins the crew, just as in the real Star Trek Universe. To achieve a good integration of the Maquis and because Janeway not being to happy with MacDuff and rather have Chakotay as First Officer, she goes ahead with that. However, we would have Mac Duff as a sort of controversial character, sometimes questioning the orders of the captain but also being a good action character too. That would have given the already great original crew a little edge without ruining too much of the original premise.
Lt. Erasmus Kerry He's his own man, a maverick who plays by his own rules. He expects results and if he doesn't get them, it's his ass on the line He's also close friends with Lt. Joe Carey When Carey died, he thought.......that could have been me
Ensign Kem. He would replace Ensign Kim. Played by the same actor. But he's a Cardassian. The first Cardassian in Starfleet.
Neelix. Refugee from a destroyed world, on the run from the Kazon sect he stole from. At the end of his rope, he happens upon the USS Voyager. He plots to gain their trust and steal from them to pay back the Kazon, but when he gets on board he realizes he can be safe on Voyager. He shows everybody a lovable boisterous, somewhat annoying personality because he knows that's what they like, and he offers to be their guide in the delta quadrant in exchange for staying on the ship. When he's alone with his girlfriend his views on the Federation are similar to Quark's. They pass out of areas of the galaxy Neelix knows about very early, but he never lets on. He puts on a show for them to act like he's an expert on every civilization they come across. Since it's Bermantrek I suppose he gradually is influenced by them and actually becomes fond of them and even interested in helping people.
That's a really funny and interesting point. I think at some point though the writers forgot that Neelix wasn't really the person he was pretending to be.
I like the idea of a Kazon who joins the ship with Kes, especially a hot, buff young stud--would definitely make the romance with Kes far less creepy. I'd have kept Tuvok though, I could see there being some interesting work between 'Nikon' and him--maybe with the Vulcan sharing some of his discipline and mastery over emotions with the primitive Kazon. Later in the series, they could kill off Chakotay, promote Tuvok up to XO and he could then nominate their resident Kazon to take over as Security Chief. Totally agree about Seska. Her leaving the ship made no sense to me. Keeping her onboard, where a quarter of the crew hate Cardassians and were lied to and betrayed by her would provide lots of story fodder. With her slowly proving herself a member of the crew, so that when Kim is killed as well she could be made Ops Manager.
I don't see how the way Seska was established she could have ever been trustworthy without completely changing her character. Maybe she would have stuck with Voyager for her own self interest, but in an episode like False Profits she would have just taken a shuttle and made it back home. Maybe if she were not established to be a Cardassian spy infiltrating the Maquis. After what she did in Investigations it would not have been believable for her to actually be morally won over.