Anyone here who likes Neelix?

[Sybok Was Wrong]

I felt badly for Ethan Phillips, insofar that the makeup/prosthetics/costumes for Neelix were embarrassing. They virtually negated whatever quality acting performance he gave. I really don't know how Jennifer Lien could bear to kiss him. She probably pressured the producers to not put her through it anymore.

Google "Neelix" images. It's awful.

When Neelix was sensitive and humble, or having problems, he was actually quite likeable and I had empathy for him and rooted for him.

When he would toot his own horn as "morale officer", or do his inane gossip T.V. show, or boast of his cooking, or put in any leadership role--he was cringe worthy. If they had toned down the buffoonery it would have helped.


The concept of a Delta Quadrant passenger was a solid idea tho.

Voyager was great.

 

[TheGoodStuff]

I like Neelix and I have always felt that many Trek fans simply don't 'get him'. He isn't the action hero, he isn't the calm and collected one, he isn't the brainy one and he isn't the 'different' one...he is the normal one.

Seriously, Neelix is you. He gets scared when the stars vanish, he doesn't want to die in a fiery explosion, he gets jealous when another guy is obviously chasing his girl, he puffs up his chest and tries to make himself appear to be more than what he is...

He is you. He reacts exactly how countless people would react in the extraordinary situations he finds himself in. [Perhaps this is why people don't like him?] People like Picard, Kirk, Spock, Sisko, Geordi...they are all exceptionally gifted, abnormal people. Neelix is far more simple in who he is.

My final point I would like to make, that I think legions of haters miss, is that I think he is quite possibly the bravest character in all of Trek.

Yes, seriously I just said that.

Sure, he isn't punching bad-guys in the face and talking A.I's to death. But if you actually analyse what Neelix does and experiences in his life it is no less significant:

1. His entire family is killed. He has a picture of them on his bedside table.
2. He loses his g/f Kes. [not easy to lose a partner in most cases but Kes leaves completely etc]
3. He is on a ship of highly trained people. He isn't. He KNOWS he isn't that helpful and he keeps trying to find some niche which can be of use and never quits trying to find it, which in turn leads to...
4. He inadvertantly becomes a counsellor figure. He is actually akin to Guinan. He becomes the chef [!]. He scrapes together whatever meals he can and builds comradeship amongst the crew as they rib him for his poor cooking. Does he bitch? Does he whine? No, he plays it up and allows them to laugh at his concotions. Who does B'ellana come to for banana pancakes and some advice? Neelix.
5. So his family has died, his G/F has left him and he is stuck on an alien vessel feeling entirely out of place...then one of his friends dies leaving an infant daughter. What does he do? Becomes the father and cares for the child. He immediately cares for the girl, from tucking her in at night to helping with her schooling. He immediately accepts responsibility.

That was just a general run-through on my views on him. I seriously don't know how people can read my 1-5 there and claim 'hate' towards the character. Whether they intended it or not, he is an incredibly gutsy guy who seems expert at putting others first and standing by his friends.

I really can't help but admire Neelix and how he deals with such tradgedy in his life with a smile and a silly joke. [I am often curious about what he is like off-screen, in his alone time. Perhaps there is a deeper sadness/sorrow/loneliness from him than we ever see]. I always feel sad and moved at his final episode in which I feel Janeway plays the part of the writers in trying to explain what he was supposed to be and why he is a good character. I truly do find some of the hate directed towards him quite distasteful at times.

 

[fallout777]

I like him, he is a neat part of show.

 

[Drone]

I felt badly for Ethan Phillips, insofar that the makeup/prosthetics/costumes for Neelix were embarrassing. They virtually negated whatever quality acting performance he gave. I really don't know how Jennifer Lien could bear to kiss him. She probably pressured the producers to not put her through it anymore.

Google "Neelix" images. It's awful.

When Neelix was sensitive and humble, or having problems, he was actually quite likeable and I had empathy for him and rooted for him.

When he would toot his own horn as "morale officer", or do his inane gossip T.V. show, or boast of his cooking, or put in any leadership role--he was cringe worthy. If they had toned down the buffoonery it would have helped..

I think what I might suggest, is not separating the behaviors or roles that he played during the entire run of the show. We certainly didn't know it at the beginning, but as things are revealed, they're pretty much all integrated as part of a rather logical and thoroughly plausible whole. I went into some detail on my thoughts of his character some posts ago and won't take the time to repeat the argument, but just look below and you'll see an exemplary and truly perceptive portrait of what made him as special a character as he was, if you can only be open enough to give the sum total the proper consideration it deserves!!

I like Neelix and I have always felt that many Trek fans simply don't 'get him'. He isn't the action hero, he isn't the calm and collected one, he isn't the brainy one and he isn't the 'different' one...he is the normal one.

Seriously, Neelix is you. He gets scared when the stars vanish, he doesn't want to die in a fiery explosion, he gets jealous when another guy is obviously chasing his girl, he puffs up his chest and tries to make himself appear to be more than what he is...

He is you. He reacts exactly how countless people would react in the extraordinary situations he finds himself in. [Perhaps this is why people don't like him?] People like Picard, Kirk, Spock, Sisko, Geordi...they are all exceptionally gifted, abnormal people. Neelix is far more simple in who he is.

My final point I would like to make, that I think legions of haters miss, is that I think he is quite possibly the bravest character in all of Trek.

Yes, seriously I just said that.

Sure, he isn't punching bad-guys in the face and talking A.I's to death. But if you actually analyse what Neelix does and experiences in his life it is no less significant:

1. His entire family is killed. He has a picture of them on his bedside table.
2. He loses his g/f Kes. [not easy to lose a partner in most cases but Kes leaves completely etc]
3. He is on a ship of highly trained people. He isn't. He KNOWS he isn't that helpful and he keeps trying to find some niche which can be of use and never quits trying to find it, which in turn leads to...
4. He inadvertantly becomes a counsellor figure. He is actually akin to Guinan. He becomes the chef [!]. He scrapes together whatever meals he can and builds comradeship amongst the crew as they rib him for his poor cooking. Does he bitch? Does he whine? No, he plays it up and allows them to laugh at his concotions. Who does B'ellana come to for banana pancakes and some advice? Neelix.
5. So his family has died, his G/F has left him and he is stuck on an alien vessel feeling entirely out of place...then one of his friends dies leaving an infant daughter. What does he do? Becomes the father and cares for the child. He immediately cares for the girl, from tucking her in at night to helping with her schooling. He immediately accepts responsibility.

That was just a general run-through on my views on him. I seriously don't know how people can read my 1-5 there and claim 'hate' towards the character. Whether they intended it or not, he is an incredibly gutsy guy who seems expert at putting others first and standing by his friends.

I really can't help but admire Neelix and how he deals with such tradgedy in his life with a smile and a silly joke. [I am often curious about what he is like off-screen, in his alone time. Perhaps there is a deeper sadness/sorrow/loneliness from him than we ever see]. I always feel sad and moved at his final episode in which I feel Janeway plays the part of the writers in trying to explain what he was supposed to be and why he is a good character. I truly do find some of the hate directed towards him quite distasteful at times.

I have nothing much more to say than, magnificent!!! I don't recall encountering such a feelingly and richly observant rendering of this character, or only rarely, any others in Trek, as you present here. Bravo!!!

I do feel constrained to point out one point that is awry, although you may have meant it figuratively. Samantha didn't die, but as many have pointed out, she may as well have, given her basic disappearance. Perhaps that was the meaning you were suggesting in making the comment.

 

[TheGoodStuff]

I have nothing much more to say than, magnificent!!! I don't recall encountering such a feelingly and richly observant rendering of this character, or only rarely, any others in Trek, as you present here. Bravo!!!

I do feel constrained to point out one point that is awry, although you may have meant it figuratively. Samantha didn't die, but as many have pointed out, she may as well have, given her basic disappearance. Perhaps that was the meaning you were suggesting in making the comment.

Thank you for your kind words! And you are entirely right, I always think that Samantha dies due to her vanishing in the show.

 

[meow point1]

I'm a big FAN!

 

[Thomas Eugene]

When I first saw Voyager, I found him a bit too much at first but then he grew on me. Now I can't think of him in any other way than one of the most integral characters of Voyager.
But then again, I think everyone is equally important on that show. At least it would be difficult to imagine this series without any of them (this includes Kes).
Anyway here's a desktop wallpaper with Neelix I made a while ago:

 

[Who1]

Once the jealousy aspects got tamped down I didn't really mind Neelix, he's just... cheesy. But you can give a lot of leeway to an alien character. What has always been more offensive to me is a bland human character. The last two spinoffs were littered with them.

 

[Kilana2]

I hate that jealousy stuff, too. But I like his interactions with Tuvok. They are hilarious..... ehm

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

On paper, Neelix was a fine idea for a character. In practice, however, it was a total misfire. Ethan Phillips did the best with what was given him. Which was a truckload of makeup and not much else.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I didn't have a problem with Neelix; he was a different kind of character and he was a gourmet. That's not too bad when a crew is way far away from home, and he had an insight on cultures in the Delta Quadrant which was also handy. The moments I liked were with him and Tuvok, the chemistry was fair. They showed a special friendship which was decent.

 

[Tracy Trek]

I've said this before in at least one other post in another thread, to me Voyager had a sense of family that I didn't always see in the other shows. And Neelix was part of that family. One of the quirkier members perhaps.
I was a bit disappointed that he didn't stay with them until the very end.

 

[maneth]

I like him, and I don't. It's odd really, but he certainly improves once Kes leaves.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I thought the writers were not comfortable with Neelix and Kes' relationship and were desperate to get Paris shagging a beautiful woman; quite disrespectful to relationships but what did I expect from Voyager. Neelix was too ugly to have a relationship. Give the romance to that Will Riker wannabe who pilots the ship.

 

[Leviathan]

I love Talaxians, but I couldnt eat a whole one.

 

[stardream]

I thought the writers were not comfortable with Neelix and Kes' relationship and were desperate to get Paris shagging a beautiful woman; quite disrespectful to relationships but what did I expect from Voyager. Neelix was too ugly to have a relationship. Give the romance to that Will Riker wannabe who pilots the ship.

I thought part of that whole arc was to show the audience that Paris was despite his reputation...a good guy.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Paris is a good guy like the rest of the crew, my critique was how it was handled through the writing.

 

[Tracy Trek]

I thought the writers were not comfortable with Neelix and Kes' relationship and were desperate to get Paris shagging a beautiful woman; quite disrespectful to relationships but what did I expect from Voyager. Neelix was too ugly to have a relationship. Give the romance to that Will Riker wannabe who pilots the ship.

But they never explored that possibility except for an alternate reality in Before and After.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Every time I see this thread I keep reading it as "anyone here who likes Netflix"

I find him a little grating at times, but at least that makes him more noticeable than the likes of Chakotay or Kim, with considerably more development than either. He is by no means more annoying than the EMH though. I can see what they were trying to do with him, though personally I'd have gone along a different root, less cutesy more Han Solo-ey.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Neelix will forever be responsible for LEOLA ROOT in my Star Trek vocabulary. Every time I see ginger, I reminds me of that alien vegetable. He was a necessary character for the crews' morale and he was great with the Naomi and be an Ambassador for Voyager. He's the character I miss from that show.