It's my own personal prejudice showing - I'm a sci-fi kinda guy and all those sort of stuff makes me think of fantasy novels (which I have always detested).
Characters going new places / characters going nowhere
- Thread starter Thrawn
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It's my own personal prejudice showing - I'm a sci-fi kinda guy and all those sort of stuff makes me think of fantasy novels (which I have always detested).
While I'm biased, I've always thought that all of Neelix's best scenes were those he had with Tuvok (though, converserly, a lot of Tuvok's best scenes are those he had with Neelix). For my money, the highpoint of "Homestead" was actually Tuvok's little two-step at the end.
I think, if anything, Phillips toned down the sleaze factor that might otherwise have been present in the character. This was, after all, a possessive, self-interested junk dealer, and in the early episodes come off as having the manner of something like a used car salesman. After they sorted out his character flaws over the first two seasons, though, he really was "Flanderized" as Turbo so nicely put it, really something of an ambulant stuffed animal. Heh, Chakotay and Neelix - Mr. Chuckles and Mr. Cuddles.
Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
Personally, I thought Neelix was far more interesting in "Jetrel," where we got to see the pain and barely repressed anger and despair that his overly friendly persona was an attempt to cover up. Phillips played that beautifully, and I wish we saw more of that Neelix, or at least got more reminders that his demeanor was very much a facade to help him deal with the tremendous losses he'd suffered.
That was the Neelix I was writing in The Mirror-Scaled Serpent, FWIW....
That was the Neelix I was writing in The Mirror-Scaled Serpent, FWIW....
Yeah, I was shocked by how good he acted that episode.
And I guess that means I'll have to read that now, too
I think that was definitely one of the best Voyager episodes and probably the best Neelix one.
As it is usually the case with Voyager characters, also Neelix had a lot of potential in the Voyager series. There were moments when that character could really shine but the negatives spoiled Neelix in my opinion.
I hated the ridiculous, unjustified and immature jealousy he showed and his possessive protectiveness of Kes! I also disliked his overprotectiveness towards Naomi. Having a young daughter myself I would never treat her like a fragile flower that has to be protected from the world around her. For example I understood Naomi`s anger very well when Neelix kept the truth from her when her mother was in danger. Also his role as ambassador and moral officer could have been used much better.
Neelix has potential and I think in the right hands he could become the interesting character he should have been from the beginning.
I found his reatcions to be perfectly in line with someone who had lost all his family under tragic circumstances. Overprotective to fault. I believe his treatment of Naomi was because he was replacing his feelings of not being able to protect his sister, into protecting her.
He lost so much that was so important to him in his life, particularly his sister. So it made sense to me that he didn't want to loose the women in his life again or to keep them from harm. With Kess and being over jealous, and with Naomi in keeping her from dnager, or bad things happening in her life.
I understand where he is coming from, too, at least to some point. Nevertheless, the way he was written was unfortunate because I have little patience and certainly no sympathy when it is about jealousy and possessiveness.
Jetrel was outstanding as was the episode in which he thought he had died.
I wish they had made more out of him. But I guess that's what it means to
be a co-star and not the "whole" star of the show. Some characters look well
when concided but then you realise there isn't that much interesting thing
about him/her (reminds me of a friend of mine).
I wish they had made more out of him. But I guess that's what it means to
be a co-star and not the "whole" star of the show. Some characters look well
when concided but then you realise there isn't that much interesting thing
about him/her (reminds me of a friend of mine).
I suppose it's common knowledge by now but when Robert Picardo first auditioned for Voyager it was with the intent to play Neelix, not the Doctor. I've often wondered how profoundly different Neelix would have been had he been fleshed out by Picardo.
I'll believe it when I see it. Geordi is one of the few TNG characters that has gotten the short end of the character development stick, along with Dr. Crusher on the TV show, but in Trek lit as of late, Crusher has been given more of a spot light, Death in Winter and her marriage to Picard. She's become more integral to the ongoing adventures of the ship than ever. The spotlight has yet to shine on him.
So far, Geordi's only gotten that line you recalled, and maybe some flirting with the Aventine engineer-but flirting doesn't equate with successfully having a relationship, which is something I think should've happened for this character years ago. Almost every character had multiple romances throughout the course of TNG and some even in the novels, but Geordi had a couple maybes-ex. Aquiel- and a lot of frustration.
I would really like to see more done with Geordi. Starting a family would be cool, bringing his family-father and sister- back into a story would be cool too. I liked the idea of a Captain LaForge from the VOY "Timeless" episode and would like to see more opportunities open up for him to show some command skills. Are they still doing the Corps of Engineers books? If so, why not move the character over there where he might get some development instead of letting him wither on the vine in the post-NEM novels.
Other undeveloped characters:
-Benjamin Sisko (DS9): If they keep him on the sidelines too long, there will be no creative need or reason to bring him back into the DS9 relaunch. I hope the writers find something interesting for him to do soon.
-Travis, Hoshi, Phlox, Reed (ENT): The focus on Archer-Trip-T'Pol has left little time for the other ENT crewmembers. And then when M & M bring in their own characters, like the female officer D.O? then there's even less time for character development. But to be fair, they did a great job with Travis in Last Full Measure, but nothing since then. Hopefully the Romulan War will spread the character development wealth around.
Did he? I just finished that one a few nights ago, and felt that he and Sato were essentially sidelined the entire book. Something did happen in KM that could lead to development in the future, in in KM itself? No, I don't see it.
Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
So that's why you have to create something interesting for them! Not everything has to be based on stuff seen in the series. I find it a little boring that the only character development people can think up for Geordi is to give him a girlfriend.
Have him take interest in a cause, give him a life-altering disease (aside from being blind), give him some post-traumatic stress after a critical event (although this will likely be something we'll see enough of with other characters post-Destiny), bring back B4 and have Geordi be his mentor figure. I personally think ditching B4 is one of the biggest balls dropped in the new TNG books. There was plenty interesting could have been done with him without him just being a dumb comedic version of Data.
Definitely one of Neelix's great episodes. I thought Mortal Coil was another excellent performance showing his very pained inner self.
Well, I can concede that point. I thought his... reactions... to Archer represented a significant development for the character.
This all sounds very interesting, and certainly makes me agree even more with Geordi being tragically undeveloped of late.So that's why you have to create something interesting for them! Not everything has to be based on stuff seen in the series. I find it a little boring that the only character development people can think up for Geordi is to give him a girlfriend.
How so?
His family was killed, but I don't recall them ever showing him learning about it or if he did, the writers didn't explore his reaction.
Edit: That was a pretty good sized spoiler, so I coded it for ya. -LS
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I agree completely. I'm quite interested to see what happens with that in Romulan War.
Have you read Destiny? I might have agreed with you before that, but I thought at least Picard went through some serious changes in Destiny.
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