When Neelix is killed on an away mission, Seven of Nine is able to revive him with Borg technology... but only after 18 hours have passed. The result is a profound crisis of faith for Neelix, who experienced no afterlife during that time.
There are times when I'm convinced that the writers of Star Trek: Voyager really had no clue just how obnoxious they were making the character of Neelix. Then along comes an episode like this to make me certain that they knew. On paper, a story about the death of Neelix sounds like it could easily be "threatening me with a good time," but writer Bryan Fuller seems keenly aware of this and works hard in the opening scenes to portray Neelix as a competent and integral part of the crew. Kim likes his weird coffee. Chakotay needs his expertise. Seven is getting "human lessons" from him. He's acting as godfather to young Naomi Wildman (played here for the one and only time by a different young actress than the one who would permanently take up the role).
It rings false that Neelix, typically the punch line in a Voyager episode, is suddenly portrayed this way. But it is ultimately necessary to set the stage for what's to come. And this story really does need to center on him. A startling number of the characters have already had "near-death experience" episodes. And among the main characters, Chakotay is the only other option for someone with a faith deep enough to be shaken by an experience like this. (The writers reportedly considered Chakotay, but concluded that their story would not comport well with real-world Native American beliefs. Instead, Chakotay becomes an important sounding board for Neelix.)
So Neelix it is. And to be clear, my contempt for the character does not extend to his portrayer, Ethan Phillips, who is quite good in this episode. The figurative "jumper on the ledge" scene, where Chakotay talks him out of suicide, is a legitimately powerful scene for both actors. Throughout the episode, Phillips really makes you appreciate the weight of what Neelix is experiencing: as a survivor of war, the idea of seeing his family again really kept him going, and that has now been taken from him. Phillips also hints at other traumas not voiced directly in dialogue, like the horror of watching one's own death in a holographic simulation.
There are nice moments for other characters too. It's interesting that the Doctor seems horrified by these extreme life-saving measures, rather than embracing them. A conversation about death between Seven and Tuvok touches on some meaningful philosophy. Plus, there are sprinkles of humor as well: the revelation that the Kazon are too unworthy for the Borg to assimilate, Tuvok's monotone reading of Neelix's sing-songy holiday litany, and Janeway trying to teach Seven to "mingle."
Most interesting to me about this episode are the different ways you can read its message about faith. The intent seems to have been to present a story about reconnecting with one's core spiritual beliefs after they're shaken loose. But I think the episode reads (unintentionally) just as well as an indictment against having religion at all. Neelix is left feeling that there's nothing to live for without the promise of what comes after. If he'd had no belief in an afterlife to begin with, he might well instead look at this experience as granting him an "overtime period" in which to do even more with his life.
Other observations:
- I feel like they should have been more explicit that the conditions to revive Neelix were unique to this situation. As it stands, this episode feels like it establishes an ability to resurrect anyone hours after their death, which of course is something the writers won't want to have going forward.
- The Doctor says that Neelix has set a "world record" for coming back after death. What world would that be?
- There are two moments near the end of this episode where characters seem totally oblivious to Neelix's emotional state. When it's Seven, incapable of recognizing Neelix's "goodbye" as a warning sign, it's a subtle and effective scene. When it's Ensign Wildman, blithely walking in on a suicide attempt to seek her daughter's bedtime story, it's jarring that she can't read the room.
- Speaking of Ensign Wildman, an early concept for this episode actually had her as the character dying and then being revived by extreme measures. The concept was akin to Stephen King's Pet Semetary, and would have had young Naomi unsettled by her "zombie mom" that no longer seemed like herself. Unsurprisingly, the writers opted against such a dark angle.
This episode is actually quite good overall. But there's also just only so much I can care about it because it's about Neelix. The writers have simply made him too unlikable for me to invest as deeply as I might have if it had been about, say, almost any main character on Deep Space Nine. If Neelix were not simply beyond character rehabilitation for me, this might be a grade A episode. But I must concede it's still a B+.
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