Mortal Coil

[Captain Kathryn]

Rewatching Season 4 and am on Mortal Coil now. It bothers me a bit that even though they successfully use the nanoprobe method to revive Neelix (which Seven says Borg can bring drones back even after 72 hours after death or something) that they NEVER use it again to revive other dead crewmembers. They suffer crew deaths after this episode, yet this procedure is not used.

Now we all know the real reason why... Neelix is a main character, others are not. But still it always bothers me that it's never brought up again or used again.

 

[Melakon]

That happened on all the series though. Some breakthrough happens in one episode, then everyone gets mass amnesia about it.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I know... but I think of it everytime they fear death in any of the episodes post-Mortal Coil.

Oh no you're gonna die! Wait, no... Seven's nanites can bring you back, it's okay.

But they seem to forget.

You would think information like bringing someone back to life after that long would stick around.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

Although... Neelix did nearly commit suicide post-treatment which would be cause to not use the procedure in the future, I suppose.

 

[Catarina]

It's worth a shot so I say it was writer amnesia.

That always bothered me too. Great episode even though it was neelix centered. Chilling before I decided to be spiritual.

Don't get me started on assimilation- lite in a certain ep two partner and yet there's no future cool character development from there.

 

[Catarina]

Speaking of crew deaths...they tended to lose poignancy after awhile. Mind the token dead guy!

 

[Melakon]

Great episode even though it was neelix centered.

That's one thing I like about it though. Neelix is less of a comic relief character in it, and Ethan Phillips gets some real meaty scenes to chew on.

 

[Catarina]

I poorly articulated that. I see it as you do. What I meant by that was during first airing I was surprised how well it turned out. We usually see jealous and or comic relief as you said but now...wow he has depth and you want to get to know him. A great episode for Ethan Phillips.

 

[Melakon]

Looking at the time stamp on your post last night, if you're in the midwest (as I used to be), it must have been near midnight at the time. So an understandable reason for a mistake.

Also, since it looks like you're new, you can edit a post for about 24 hours I think, so you could have avoided the double post. No need now, I'd think, but remember for in the future. As long as that Edit button is visible, you can change it.

 

[Lynx]

I don't like this episode. For many reasons, I find it among the 5 worst episodes.

 

[Catarina]

I don't like this episode. For many reasons, I find it among the 5 worst episodes.

Really? Would you mind sharing your pov on what some of those reasons are? I am just curious.

 

[Taylirious]

For me it is one of my favorites. It gives more depth to Neelix. I like it as a Seven EP too. They have used Borg nano probes to vanquish an enemy, raise the dead, rehabilitate a criminal...etc and Seven gains more from these experiences.

 

[Lynx]

I don't like this episode. For many reasons, I find it among the 5 worst episodes.

Really? Would you mind sharing your pov on what some of those reasons are? I am just curious.

We all know that Neelix suffered a great loss when his family was killed during the war between Haakonia and Talax. He missed them and his hope wasthat he would see them in the afterlife.

Well, in this episode, Neelix's faith and hope is totally destroyed, replaced with a lot of blahablaha. I think that is cruel.

Not to mention that it was another example of Braga sneaking in his personal beliefs in a Star Trek episode.

I also found the episode depressing and boring.

 

[Catarina]

Fair enough. I am glad I asked because I forgot my initial feelings on this. Sometimes nostalgia overrides my sensibility (for a lack of a better word) I can understand this feeling you have. Now that you mention it I am sure I felt that and may again should I watch it again.

 

[Lord Manitou]

I thought her Borg nano-probes worked mostly with the blood but didn't directly heal with tissue. Her nano-probes could not heal large open wounds. In Neelix case it was necrosis where his tissue didn't receive fresh blood.

 

[Garren]

Great episode even though it was neelix centered.

That's one thing I like about it though. Neelix is less of a comic relief character in it, and Ethan Phillips gets some real meaty scenes to chew on.

Neelix is a wonderful character. He can be charming and emotionally powerful and sincere. I enjoyed his relationship with Kes with the realistic bouts of jealousy. And the episode Jetrel was incredible.

This episode, Mortal Coil, was no exception. It was dark and depressing like Lynx said but I enjoyed it a lot. I felt bad for Neelix and to see him on the edge of suicide was wrenching.

 

[Drone]

Neelix is a wonderful character. He can be charming and emotionally powerful and sincere. I enjoyed his relationship with Kes with the realistic bouts of jealousy. And the episode Jetrel was incredible.

This episode, Mortal Coil, was no exception. It was dark and depressing like Lynx said but I enjoyed it a lot. I felt bad for Neelix and to see him on the edge of suicide was wrenching.

Succinctly put, sir!!!! It's always gratifying to find folks who view him in the totality of what Ethan Phillips feelingly presented and in the context of the character's backstory. Encountering the one-note Jar Jar type commentary is tiresome and, thankfully in these friendly confines, much less prevalent than elsewhere.

 

[Destructor]

Rewatching Season 4 and am on Mortal Coil now. It bothers me a bit that even though they successfully use the nanoprobe method to revive Neelix (which Seven says Borg can bring drones back even after 72 hours after death or something) that they NEVER use it again to revive other dead crewmembers. They suffer crew deaths after this episode, yet this procedure is not used.

Who, specifically, are you referring to, though? Or to put it another way, between this episode and the finale, did the following:

1. Died.
2. Was bought back to sickbay within 72 horus of their death).
3. Died in such a way that they could be revivied with nanoprobes (didn't suffer GBH).

Let's see:

The Killing Game: Doctor mentions one fatality, but they weren't in a position to revive crewmembers.
One: Apparently there was one, but the nature of their death is not described- maybe they were blown into space, or physically annihilated?
Latent Image: Ahni Jetal died of a 1.5 years earlier, prior to Seven's arrival.
Equinox: One casualty, again the state of the body is unknown.
Friendship One: Joe Carey killed on the planet- his body was not retrieved in time to be revived.

So really, well, for starters people don't often die on Voyager, and for another thing when they do it's not usually clear that they can be revived. In reality the nanoprobes are no more or less magic than the variety of healing techniques they often use on Star Trek.

 

[Catarina]

So really, well, for starters people don't often die on Voyager, and for another thing when they do it's not usually clear that they can be revived. In reality the nanoprobes are no more or less magic than the variety of healing techniques they often use on Star Trek.

I was about to argue the "people don't often die on voyager." It's trivial but then you brought up a point about being vague about whom would be a candidate for revival. Seven wasn't specific enough was she? I don't remember. It isn't t my most frequently watched.

 

[Destructor]

So really, well, for starters people don't often die on Voyager, and for another thing when they do it's not usually clear that they can be revived. In reality the nanoprobes are no more or less magic than the variety of healing techniques they often use on Star Trek.

I was about to argue the "people don't often die on voyager." It's trivial but then you brought up a point about being vague about whom would be a candidate for revival. Seven wasn't specific enough was she? I don't remember. It isn't t my most frequently watched.

Well, I listed all the people who died between 'Mortal Coil' and the finale. You can argue that people died offscreen or were presumed dead, but those are the people who canonically died- four, over four seasons. Not exactly TOS' 'one redshirt per episode' tally.

Seven was fairly specific:

SEVEN: Neelix is dead?
JANEWAY: I'm afraid so.
SEVEN: His neural pathways, are they intact?
EMH: Yes, but there's no metabolic activity.
SEVEN: How long has he been dead?
JANEWAY: Seven, I understand...
SEVEN: How long?
CHAKOTAY: It's been eighteen hours.
SEVEN: Then it's not too late to reactivate him.
PARIS: What are you saying? You can bring Neelix back to life?
SEVEN: That's precisely what I'm saying. The Borg have assimilated species with far greater medical knowledge than your own. We are capable of reactivating drones as much as seventy three hours after what you would call death.
CHAKOTAY: Neelix wasn't a Borg drone.
SEVEN: We will adapt.
EMH: What does this procedure involve?
SEVEN: Nanoprobes are used to reverse cellular necrosis, while the cerebral cortex is stimulated with a neuroelectric isopulse.
EMH: But there's nothing left to stimulate. His brain functions are gone.
SEVEN: By your narrow definition, perhaps, but not by mine. You will extract seventy micrograms of nanoprobes from my bloodstream. I will modify them to match his Talaxian physiology. His function in this crew is diverse. If you wish to salvage him we must proceed immediately.
PARIS: I say we let her try.
JANEWAY: Hold on a minute, Tom, please. No one's ever been resuscitated after being dead for eighteen hours. If this procedure does work, what are the chances that Neelix would come out of it unaffected?
EMH: She's right. The damage to his cerebral cortex was severe.
SEVEN: The nanoprobes will compensate for any cellular degradation

So we need someone who can be given medical attention, by Seven, within 18 hours of death, who has intact neural pathways. Before we get annoyed that Voyager now has this technology, does anyone fit that bill?