]
Can a Neelix episode actually be good??? Believe it or not, yes!
Plot Synopsis:
Returning from a mission in the Delta Flyer, Tuvok and Neelix are suddenly under attack by a xenophobic race. The attack leaves Tuvok with metal impairment which result him losing all emotional control.
Neelix takes it upon himself to help Tuvok recover, but his attempts to make him rediscover himself end in failure. It’s Seven of Nine who points he should be trying to help Tuvok discover what he can be not what was. This works as Tuvok is suddenly indulging in cooking and listening to music.
Tuvok is able to recall the key data which provided a cure. At first he is hesitant since he enjoys who he is now and doesn’t want to go back. He asks Neelix why is for he going back To the way he was when the old him never had fun and hated Neelix. Neelix points out that the ship needs its tactical officer, and Tuvok agrees to be restored to his old self.
What I Liked:
There is some great character moments in this one. First Neelix’s talk with Seven of Nine where she points out how Janeway helped her. Not by forcing her to remember who she was, but helping her to discover who she could be. The second is that scene where Neelix convinces Tuvok to undergo the procedure to restore him. You know Neelix likes it better having a Tuvok he can pal around with, but even he admits it would be selfish for him not want Tuvok back to normal just because he’s nicer this way. That’s what any true friend would do I think. And unlike “Tuvix” Tuvok does go back willingly.
Tim Russ is amazing in this. When he still in the early stages of recovering those scenes could have been so awkward, but he manages to make them work. He also does a great job with the more emotional scenes as well, especially when gets frustrated in sick-bay because he’s “not smart anymore”. And as the happy Tuvok you can still see the character in there, even if he is acting very different. And for once Neelix isn’t annoying, I think it’s because he feels responsible, and as his struggles with how to help Tuvok makes the character look a little more, for lack of a better word, human. He doesn’t always have all the answers. I guess he is a good at some thins. And again that last scene where Neelix talks Tuvok into the procedure is fantastic.
The obvious allegory here is helping people with severe brain trauma recover, and the episode hands that issue very nicely including setbacks and how hard it can be on the loved one’s as well as the patient. This episode is very well written and the writer, Robert Doherty, actually did a few episodes almost off all which are great. One especially that I am bound to get around to one of these days. This episode was also directed by Roxanne Dawson, her first time directing. Which is why B’Elanna doesn’t appear.
\
What I Hated:
The end bugged me a little. Tuvok is back to normal and he makes it clear that he remembers everything that happened. Well, ok it is a little vague just what he remembers. But if he does remember, shouldn’t he be ashamed or embarrassed? I guess you could argue that he chalked it up to it being a medical problem and once he was cured all was good. I just feel like you could have spent another episode with him dealing with things here. Instead it’s nicely resolved in that last scene, and of course never mentioned again. It’s an obvious result of only being an hour long TV series. but Tuvok’s whole recovery seems to happen a lot faster than it should.
And Neelix is annoying in the opening, bothering Tuvok with his stupid riddle. He really should know better at this point. At least when he was annoying Tuvok at the start of “Tuvix” you could argue he didn’t know him well yet. And yes, riddles are the frame of the episode both literally and metaphorically.
So since we need a B story we get an alien who knows all about the xenophobic aliens because he has spent a lifetime trying to prove thy exist. While he provides essential exposition he is also obviously there to fill the episode out and I am not interested in him. At the end he agrees to not say anything to his people in order to help Tuvok. He knows they exist and that’s enough fo him. Yeah it’s nice but still filler. Besides, Voyager will cover the idea of believing in a theory which is hard to prove or get people to accept better in “Distant Origin”
Oh and I normally don’t comment on promo’s but the one for this episode was AWFUL. Not only did it tell you almost nothing, but it lied about what was going on!
\
Fast Forward Moment:
Ironically the battle sequences are pretty boring. It’s just standard stuff and they could have been cut out or replaced with something else.
\
Final Thoughts:Very well written episode, while there were some missed opportunities I think overall it works great!
Plot Synopsis:
Returning from a mission in the Delta Flyer, Tuvok and Neelix are suddenly under attack by a xenophobic race. The attack leaves Tuvok with metal impairment which result him losing all emotional control.
Neelix takes it upon himself to help Tuvok recover, but his attempts to make him rediscover himself end in failure. It’s Seven of Nine who points he should be trying to help Tuvok discover what he can be not what was. This works as Tuvok is suddenly indulging in cooking and listening to music.
Tuvok is able to recall the key data which provided a cure. At first he is hesitant since he enjoys who he is now and doesn’t want to go back. He asks Neelix why is for he going back To the way he was when the old him never had fun and hated Neelix. Neelix points out that the ship needs its tactical officer, and Tuvok agrees to be restored to his old self.
What I Liked:
There is some great character moments in this one. First Neelix’s talk with Seven of Nine where she points out how Janeway helped her. Not by forcing her to remember who she was, but helping her to discover who she could be. The second is that scene where Neelix convinces Tuvok to undergo the procedure to restore him. You know Neelix likes it better having a Tuvok he can pal around with, but even he admits it would be selfish for him not want Tuvok back to normal just because he’s nicer this way. That’s what any true friend would do I think. And unlike “Tuvix” Tuvok does go back willingly.
Tim Russ is amazing in this. When he still in the early stages of recovering those scenes could have been so awkward, but he manages to make them work. He also does a great job with the more emotional scenes as well, especially when gets frustrated in sick-bay because he’s “not smart anymore”. And as the happy Tuvok you can still see the character in there, even if he is acting very different. And for once Neelix isn’t annoying, I think it’s because he feels responsible, and as his struggles with how to help Tuvok makes the character look a little more, for lack of a better word, human. He doesn’t always have all the answers. I guess he is a good at some thins. And again that last scene where Neelix talks Tuvok into the procedure is fantastic.
The obvious allegory here is helping people with severe brain trauma recover, and the episode hands that issue very nicely including setbacks and how hard it can be on the loved one’s as well as the patient. This episode is very well written and the writer, Robert Doherty, actually did a few episodes almost off all which are great. One especially that I am bound to get around to one of these days. This episode was also directed by Roxanne Dawson, her first time directing. Which is why B’Elanna doesn’t appear.
\ What I Hated:
The end bugged me a little. Tuvok is back to normal and he makes it clear that he remembers everything that happened. Well, ok it is a little vague just what he remembers. But if he does remember, shouldn’t he be ashamed or embarrassed? I guess you could argue that he chalked it up to it being a medical problem and once he was cured all was good. I just feel like you could have spent another episode with him dealing with things here. Instead it’s nicely resolved in that last scene, and of course never mentioned again. It’s an obvious result of only being an hour long TV series. but Tuvok’s whole recovery seems to happen a lot faster than it should.
And Neelix is annoying in the opening, bothering Tuvok with his stupid riddle. He really should know better at this point. At least when he was annoying Tuvok at the start of “Tuvix” you could argue he didn’t know him well yet. And yes, riddles are the frame of the episode both literally and metaphorically.
So since we need a B story we get an alien who knows all about the xenophobic aliens because he has spent a lifetime trying to prove thy exist. While he provides essential exposition he is also obviously there to fill the episode out and I am not interested in him. At the end he agrees to not say anything to his people in order to help Tuvok. He knows they exist and that’s enough fo him. Yeah it’s nice but still filler. Besides, Voyager will cover the idea of believing in a theory which is hard to prove or get people to accept better in “Distant Origin”
Oh and I normally don’t comment on promo’s but the one for this episode was AWFUL. Not only did it tell you almost nothing, but it lied about what was going on!
\Fast Forward Moment:
Ironically the battle sequences are pretty boring. It’s just standard stuff and they could have been cut out or replaced with something else.
\Final Thoughts:Very well written episode, while there were some missed opportunities I think overall it works great!
\
No comments:
Post a Comment