Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long.

[Quinton O'Connor]

Great episode. Only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the first big start of Neelix's "rah, Kes is mine!" crap regarding Tom. I don't really care for his possessiveness. But whatever, otherwise solid.

Um, one question though, and forgive me if this has been asked to death but apart from a few episodes here and there I haven't really watched VOY since it ended.

The doom and gloom of Neelix having to remain stationary and in the ship's sickbay for the rest of his life seems a bit odd. Shouldn't he know where nearby Talaxians are located? Wouldn't they be able to help him if found? And it's no big spoiler that there are Talaxian interactions not too much further down the line either as I recall. So... er. Wha?

 

[Anwar]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

That's assuming any of them would've been willing to give him spare lungs.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

That's assuming any of them would've been willing to give him spare lungs.

A fair point of course. But I'd imagine a super-snazzy ship like Voyager could offer something enticing enough to make a lung trade worthwhile. If nothing else, a plot contrivance is always useful.

 

[Shatnertage]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Well, if you can't solve the problem in 40 minutes it can never be solved. This is Trek, after all.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Fair enough!

 

[Goldenbird]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Did anyone notice that the vidians had weapons as well as extracting organs from people but modified them so they would be suitable to use on vidians? At least I think thats what they said on the show. I always thought it was funny that the Voyager crew managed to get hold of one of these weapons and you never saw it again. Its not like it could help save lives or anything!

 

[exodus]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

That's assuming any of them would've been willing to give him spare lungs.

A fair point of course. But I'd imagine a super-snazzy ship like Voyager could offer something enticing enough to make a lung trade worthwhile. If nothing else, a plot contrivance is always useful.

Can you really put a price tag on one of your body parts?
The Federation doesn't use money, so what could you possibly find to trade that's worth the price of a lung?
Besides a living relatives, most folks to give up their organs until they're dead.

Only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the first big start of Neelix's "rah, Kes is mine!" crap regarding Tom. I don't really care for his possessiveness. But whatever, otherwise solid.

This never bothered me about him.
Neelix was a animal/man, so it doesn't surprise me he'd be territorial like animals are.

He also has no real friends or family, even the crew of Voyager are still strangers to him. Kes represents EVERYTHING too him. She is his entire world. He's terrified of being alone again and is desperate to keep her. Too be alone again is a fate worse that death from his POV.

Neelix is very similar to Odo.
To be surrounded by those that care but to still feel alone, too not know thyself.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Insightful post, exodus.

I must say, I've certainly never made the comparison between Odo and Neelix.

 

[RAMA]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Great episode. Only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the first big start of Neelix's "rah, Kes is mine!" crap regarding Tom. I don't really care for his possessiveness. But whatever, otherwise solid.

Understood, but remember Neelix had nothiing of any value in his ship...Kes was the only thing he treasured, so perhaps some leeway can be afforded him.

 

[Qew]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Did anyone notice that the vidians had weapons as well as extracting organs from people but modified them so they would be suitable to use on vidians? At least I think thats what they said on the show. I always thought it was funny that the Voyager crew managed to get hold of one of these weapons and you never saw it again. Its not like it could help save lives or anything!

Yeah considering how well they are normally able to usually understand alien technology...

 

[Goldenbird]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Yeah considering how well they are normally able to usually understand alien technology...

Its probably in Voyagers Junk drawer along with the miracle medicine that returned Janeway and Paris to their human forms again after being lizards.

 

[exodus]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Insightful post, exodus.

I must say, I've certainly never made the comparison between Odo and Neelix.

I try.

I find it a common theme in Trek:
All the "aliens" that can't past for human:
Spock
Worf
Data
Odo
Quark
Neelix
EMH
B'Elanna
All of them accepted because they're different but still outcasts among the humans because they ARE different and unaware how they fit in...or even if they fit in. This is why Neelix is a bumbling fool. He's trying to find out where he fits in, in a group to that is alien too HIM.

Besides, you gave me great insight on nuBSG when I was watching it. So consider it favor returned.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Yeah, quite true. Realizing that will probably help me deal with his writing moments I'm less fond of as I run through VOY again.

I'm glad to hear I helped you with nuBSG and only wish I could remember doing so! Maybe I'm getting old already!

 

[Daggin]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

One scene that sticks out for me are Kath's statements-strongly and firmly worded-to the Vidiians in the transporter room...which result in one of the pair offering to help Neelix, faced with an inner regret, for what he and his race had been doing for so long. Nice work by Kate.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

That was definitely one of Kate Mulgrew's biggest breakthrough moments early on. I felt as much raw emotion from her in that scene as I typically did in many of Stewart's and Brooks' finest moments -- that is to say plenty. That she pulled it off so early into the series is a testament to her chops as an actress.

 

[Timo]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

...it was funny that the Voyager crew managed to get hold of one of these weapons...

Wait, what? Did they get to keep the weapon they found on the asteroid?

I'd have thought they would have given it back as a gesture of goodwill when they were negotiating for Neelix' life.

Agreed that the "rest of his life" angle appeared contrived. But this was among the very first episodes, and nothing for most of the first season indicated that there would be other Talaxians around - indeed, "Caretaker" had suggested that Neelix was doing something quite exceptional in coming after Kes in Kazon territory.

It wouldn't be until "Jetrel" that the writers would consider writing other Talaxians into the story, and that was done somewhat oddly to begin with: our heroes stumble to the close neighborhood of Talaxia and Neelix never tells them this is the case, until Jetrel comes in his spacecraft and asks for them to do a short side trip (days at most!) to Neelix' former home.

Even at the conclusion of that story, we might have been left thinking that there weren't many Talaxians around, that the war would have caused a diaspora that made the finding of donors next to impossible. (In terms of in-universe rationalizations, for all we know, there indeed had been such a diaspora, and Neelix himself was convinced he'd never meet another Talaxian again, as he didn't know that things had gotten better in the meantime.)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[starlitegirl]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

This never bothered me about him.
Neelix was a animal/man, so it doesn't surprise me he'd be territorial like animals are.

Hedgehog! That was brilliant! Funniest moment of Living Witness.

 

[exodus]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

This never bothered me about him.
Neelix was a animal/man, so it doesn't surprise me he'd be territorial like animals are.

Hedgehog! That was brilliant! Funniest moment of Living Witness.

I'm a fan of Q's "Bar Rodent!" myself.

 

[starlitegirl]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

This never bothered me about him.
Neelix was a animal/man, so it doesn't surprise me he'd be territorial like animals are.

Hedgehog! That was brilliant! Funniest moment of Living Witness.

I'm a fan of Q's "Bar Rodent!" myself.

Damn! I never noticed that one! Which ep?

 

[exodus]

Re: Watched "The Phage" again for the first time in who knows how long

Hedgehog! That was brilliant! Funniest moment of Living Witness.

I'm a fan of Q's "Bar Rodent!" myself.

Damn! I never noticed that one! Which ep?

I'm pretty sure it's "The Q and the Grey".