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Reason #72151 why I don't tolerate Neelix hate (startrek.website)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Stamets@startrek.website to c/risa@startrek.website

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You know, Robin Williams was the reason that I started doing stand-up comedy? My personal hero. Knowing that he did this for Neelix, especially when he was getting a lot of hate? Robin is a saint. Also just a small thing because I wanted to honor the man...

Reason #72151.

7-21-51.

July 21st, 1951.

Robin Williams birthdate.

Carry on 💙

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[-] Snowcano@startrek.website 48 points 1 year ago

The older I get, the more I appreciate Neelix.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 42 points 1 year ago

Yeah when I was younger he was a bit cringy but now after realizing everything he's gone through and keeps going through? There was no one better suited to be ships Morale Officer.

[-] Hyperreality@kbin.social 68 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The problem, I think, is that people think Neelix is this vapid obnoxiously happy character.

Once you're a bit older or if you've been through shit, you realise he's suffering from severe trauma and mental illness, and that the whole jovial extroversion thing is often a coping mechanism. He's been through a lot, so he doesn't want others to be sad.

Far more complex than you initially think.

As someone with relatives who survived the holocaust, I recognise the type.

[-] Serdan@lemm.ee 55 points 1 year ago

Not too different from Robin Williams

[-] Hyperreality@kbin.social 19 points 1 year ago

Exactly what I was thinking.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 24 points 1 year ago

Exactly. I thought he was exactly that too for a long time until started seeing those cracks under the facade. He's a really deep and, like you say, complex character. I love him. Honestly relate to him a little bit. Didn't go through something as monumentally horrifying as watching my planet burn but I adopted the same defense mechanism. I feel for the dude.

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[-] TQuid@beehaw.org 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Text of the story for people with non-superhuman vision:

'It was about the third season. They finished my makeup around 7. I was going over to Stage 16 where we shot the cave scenes. I walked down the long alley between the stages. As I turned the corner I could see way up the other end of the alley another person walking towards me. It was just sunrise. We got closer and closer. Were about 10 feet from each other, and I realized it's Robin Williams, who was on the lot doing The Birdcage. He sees me and goes, 'Oh my God, Mr Neelix!' Then he does this whole routine about what it's like to be a chef in outer space. The eggs are floating, the pancakes are getting too big!' a Robin Williams shtick. I had a private performance for like a minute and it was really funny. Then he came up, gave me a big hug and said, 'I love your character, sir.’ Such a sweet, sweet man, I'll never forget that.

[-] milkisklim@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You are a kind soul.

[-] Infynis@midwest.social 34 points 1 year ago

I do not enjoy watching Neelix very often, but I understand why the crew liked him so much. He's just so unconditionally kind and always trying to make everyone smile. I bet it was really cool to try all his alien foods too

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 39 points 1 year ago

Thing a lot of people forget is that he's the most traumatized one on board too except for maybe Seven of Nine. Having to abandon his homeworld because a weapon was used on it that coated it in fire. Then when he went back as part of a military rescue team, he had to look for survivors in a place where their flesh was melted into the pavement. Lost not just his planet and family but a huge amount of his species. No family or anyone left and became a drifter scavenger that gnawed on the bones left over by Kazon and others.

The poor man's life is an utter tragedy but he keeps going.

[-] TotallyNotSpez@lemm.ee 21 points 1 year ago

Two of my fav VOY episodes are centered around Neelix. He's one of the best characters on that show. No need to argue with me about it, because deep down we all know I'm right. ^^

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 15 points 1 year ago

Out of curiosity, which ones? I'm torn between Tuvok and Neelix for my favorite character. Hilariously, Tuvix is my least favorite character by a mile. I don't agree with the whole "IT WAS MURDER" thing to begin with but I especially don't care when Tuvix was trying to force himself in a bunch of situations that made everyone else uncomfortable.

[-] TotallyNotSpez@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Jetrel and Mortal Coil, of course. My fav Tuvok episode is probably Meld, but mainly because I loved the plot around Suder and the actor of Suder is great in general. I've got nothing against Tuvok, but I don't really get Vulcans and their logic only attitude. It's why I thought the arc around Tuvix was interesting, but agreed, the character made a lot of folks very uncomfortable. Still, I think they should've used the transporter to "duplicate" Tuvix and devide the copy instantly back to Neelix and Tuvok. ^^

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Oooo good choices. The "You killed my family/committed genocide! Of course fuck your medical expertise" episode and the "The afterlife isn't real?" episode. Fucking STUNNING episodes. I've been rewatching Voyager and Mortal Coil played a couple of days ago. Always utterly captivating. Especially with poor Naomi asking about the forest after Neelix didn't see it. Truly a heartbreaking episode.

Meld is also a fascinating episode. I'm a big fan of Vulcans so that episode was really great to see. A Vulcan revert to a sort of basic level of Vulcan. Their logic only attitude is derived, primarily, from a pants shitting level of fear that they'll repeat the mistakes of the past. Vulcans used to be hyper violent and barbaric but logic helped them realign. The entire species seems to be collectively terrified of sliding back into that so they hold onto logic like a life vest. It's a little tragic to be honest.

Also, I love that duplicator option simply because it might actually make the problem worse. Duplication is extremely hard to pull off but lets say they do. Now you've got two Tuvix. Both of them with the equal level of "I don't want to die." Now you have to make the same question of "Do I kill him?" but with the added level of "Which one do I kill?"

By the way, I hope my bit about the transporter clone isn't coming off as a "Fuck your thoughts!" situation. Just my view and a way to open up a discussion if you wanted one. I don't wanna come across as a dick here but re-reading that I wasn't sure when it came to tone.

[-] TotallyNotSpez@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Glad you liked my picks. :)

Oh, I'm fully aware of the Vulcan "logic only" background, but to me watching them behave and act the way they do, I'd rather watch paint dry. ^^

Regarding the double Tuvix plot: It's why you have to split the copy Tuvix the same second he's being created. Not aware of wtf was going on, Tuvok and Neelix show up again and are like: "Who the hell is that lad?" :D

Edit: Nah, you're grand and I liked your objection. I had to explain further how to avoid that problem in the first place.

Edit 2: I loved Spock's brother Sybok. He had some spice in his jam.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 4 points 1 year ago

Also sorry if that came off as annoying in explaining something you already knew on Vulcans. More meant from the way I understand the character, not trying to overexplain. He says. Overexplaining. Sorry, anxiety and worry this morning are burning bad.

Your picks are indeed stellar. My Tuvok episodes are tied between Meld and Gravity, the one where we see Tuvok as a kid for a hot minute. Then again I just like seeing the explanation from the warp-9-level of sass he usually carries.

I'm just imagining the entire Tuvix duplication/split process causing the rest of the Doctors hair to fall out.

Oh yeah, Sybok was dope. I got way too excited when they name dropped him in Strange New Worlds. NEED MORE!

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[-] Infynis@midwest.social 7 points 1 year ago

I really liked the episode in the orbital lift as well. And I wish Suder had been in more episodes! He was so good!

[-] TotallyNotSpez@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Oh yes, Rise was fricking great, too!

Edit: Thanks a mil, re-watching that episode right now! :D

[-] FrostyCaveman@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Brad Dourif is awesome, I love his character in everything I’ve seen him in. His Babylon 5 episode was crazy good too.

[-] constantokra@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago

Sudor's arc is great. Have you seen Babylon 5? Because Brad Dourif plays a monk in 'passing through Gethsemane' and it's also an excellent performance. Probably my favorite guest character in the series.

[-] TotallyNotSpez@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Yes, Bab5 is one of my favourite shows of all time and Dourif's acting was on point. Same with Walter Koenig in each episode featuring Alfred Bester.

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[-] Mirshe@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Goddamn I love that episode.

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[-] ringwraithfish@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

Adam Savage has a very similar story meeting Robin Williams on the set of Bicentennial Man and getting a essentially a private show from him for a few minutes. Robin Williams was an amazing human being, flaws and all.

[-] RojoSanIchiban@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Not hate, but we can't just ignore Neelix's creepy controlling nature/jealousy over Kes.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 22 points 1 year ago

We completely can when Kes herself has already addressed the problems with Neelix and when he went through an arc where he stopped doing that.

[-] RojoSanIchiban@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Unlike Gowron, I can forgive, but I do not forget.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 3 points 1 year ago

But that's the thing. There's literally nothing to forgive. He didn't do anything wrong.

[-] RojoSanIchiban@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Uh, yeah he did? He was still acting creepy and controlling regardless of his motives.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Edit: I goofed fucking HARD and I apologize for mentioning the age bit.

For like 9 episodes. On top of that, Kes directly addressed it with him and he stopped it. He realized it wasn't cool, backed off and apologized to her and Paris. So... also not seeing the issue.

[-] aaaa@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

For what it's worth, I see zero mentions of her age in the thread, so I think that was an assumption on your part

But I'm in complete agreement about the creepy and controlling comments. He wasn't creepy, he was having anxiety over the relationship, and she addressed it herself, eventually choosing to end that relationship.

[-] Stamets@startrek.website 3 points 1 year ago

You're right on the age. That was completely on me, I fucked up heavily there. I mistook another thread as being this one. I've edited the comment accordingly and apologized.

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[-] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 year ago

Kurn has the opposite problem

[-] RojoSanIchiban@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Big oof. Right in all eight heart chambers.

[-] Nacktmull@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Exactly! Now let´s all hate Wesley together! /s

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this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023

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