Yeah, I was going to say Neelix is the Han Solo of Star Trek. Now, I'm going to go hang my head in shame for five minutes for having said that. Harry Mudd has something in common too with Solo, being a smuggler, though Mudd is (or seems) much more unscrupulous.
In a Star Trek reboot, we might see Harry Mudd again, perhaps it will be a younger and perhaps slimmer Mudd, maybe one not as set in his ways or perhaps slightly more sympathetic. Though the character I think is closer to Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard, if anything.
Thanks. I spent two decades trying to scrub that episode from my memory only to have it all come rushing back after reading your post!
I kind of disagree with the idea that 7 of 9 was a breakout character. It seems that most breakout characters are those which the makers of the show didnt know would be so popular, its kind of a fun accident. I feel 7 of 9 was more designed to be a ratings booster. No matter what you think of her character, they got the most popular trek villain and turned it into a hot blonde woman wearing skin-tight clothing, then added in the whole Data/Spock/EMH theme of 'what does it mean to be human' that we all love. 7 of 9, in my opinion, wasnt really a breakout character, she was a ratings booster. I think thats something to be avoided, because it takes away from the other characters.
It was pretty sad that Neelix had the much better sendoff episode with Homestead compared to what the other VOY main characters got in Endgame.
It didn't have a character violate the principles they believe in and change the lives of billions of beings to save one individual.
A character from The Simpsons that was suppose to increase the ratings of "The Itchy and Scratchy Show". Much like Worf and Seven of Nine, Poochie did little to improve the ratings.