Jetrel

Voyager Revisited: Jetrel (GI)
Jules -- 27 Jan 2002, 19:16 EST

"Don't either of you find it the slightest bit strange that a man who has made it his life's work to develop a weapon to destroy as many Talaxians as possible should suddenly be concerned with this Talaxian's health?" -- Neelix

Random comments on Jetrel
D -- 28 Jan 2002, 13:36 EST

A good, serious episode; not one to watch often.

The next to last episode of Season 1 (at least as that season was shown in the US) before we really found out about Neelix's background. His decision to join a crew heading for the other side of the Galaxy makes a lot more sense after knowing about the war. His home was lost - the moon was no longer habitable and he had no family left, so why not sign on with people who were trying to get back to their lost homes?

Kes is there for Neelix, says all the right things, but the relationship seems somewhat off. Don't remember if I felt that way when this first sired of if it just seems like that in hindsight.

An episode that deepens into greatness
david g -- 28 Jan 2002, 13:37 EST

First watch, thought this was a boring, obvious episode.

I now consider it one that flirts with greatness. Hey, this time I actually rewatched the ep for this discussion, as opposed to relying on memories or a different re-viewing.

i love the Janeway of this one--compassionate, even grief-stricken in one scene, firm, diplomatic, adventurous in her willingness to try out Jetrel's schemes.

This is the first great use of Neelix. Now, Ethan Phillips was still easing his way into the role. Since Im so deeply fond of Neelix now, I was startled to discover how annoying he could still be, even here. EP still has some of those whiny, campy, Im-going-to-explode! acting tics that unpleasantly characterized his initial depiction of Neelix--notice his huffing and puffing at the end of the teaser.

but EP gets better as the ep develops, and so does the ep. Jetrel is a wonderfully "round" character, by turns pompous, sinister, crazed, and moving.

i find the entire last act superb. That sequence in which Jetrel and Janeway and Tuvok (displaying science know how!) ALMOST reconstitute a vaporized Talaxian is brilliant. it not only constitutes a brilliant use of FX but it also manages to capture the fleetingness of memory and loss. Great stuff.

all in all, this is one of VOY's good history-redemption-empathy-for-the-victimizer-as-well-as-the-victim episodes. and one of the most mature in the VOY canon.

dg

Imaginative, moving, and painful.
Nina -- 28 Jan 2002, 17:30 EST

I hated Jetrel for making Neelix believe, falsely, that he was terminally ill; and I seldom manage to hate a fictional character properly. Which must mean he was both well written and well acted! Loved the daring concept of using transporter technology to reintegrate the fragmented Talaxians - the tension really crackled, in the scene where it almost worked.

This backstory episode made Neelix come to life for me at last. The only faults I have to find with it are that it's rather painful for me to watch (close to the bone, is that the phrase I want?), and that I found my beloved captain sadly naive in her acceptance of Jetrel's good intentions toward Neelix. I'm afraid I'm more cynical than that, and didn't blame Neelix a bit for sharing my own bias.

Yes, a solid episode; but not one to watch often. At least, not for me.