Neelix feeling his worth to the Voyager has met its end as the ship approaches the Nekrit Expanse hopes to gain a map to further help provide knowledge to those on board and remain useful. This simple desire leads to a confluence of unexpected consequences built on a lie. Good Neelix episode focuses almost exclusively on him and it is a great opportunity for Ethan Phillips to give us his range as an actor, no matter how covered in makeup and prosthetics he might be. The crew needs supplies to help sustain system controls on the Voyager, arriving at a trading space station right before the Expanse. Bahrat (Carlos Carrasco) runs the station, his eyes constantly monitoring the activities for criminality, not knowing that narcotics are moving right under his nose. He demands 20% commission for all major trades because it is his station providing the venue. Neelix encounters an old friend from the past, Wixiban (James Nardini), a trader roughing it, an agent (middle man) helping in the movement of narcotics, seizing upon his friend's insecurities and vulnerabilities. Neelix was once a dealer in contraband, having put that past behind him by the time he reached the Voyager. However, "Wix" did take the blame for a trade that went awry, putting him in prison without giving up Neelix as an accomplice. So Neelix is willing to help him "trade medical supplies" at a part of the station Bahrat has weaknesses detecting, but the recipient doesn't intend on paying, pulling a phaser, with Wix (who took a phaser from the Voyager), having to kill him in self defense. Eventually Wix must satisfy the species who provided the narcotics to deal by convincing Neelix to steal some warp plasma from Voyager.
The plot thickens through a domino effect all stemming from trying to get a map. Janeway's reaction to Neelix's admission, and how she informs him that he will be assigned menial tasks as a result of his misbehavior is an amusing close to the episode; Neelix is shown here that he's part of the crew, not worthless. His sins of the past come to light and yet he's part of a family, a crew that he will indeed remain a vital part of. Carrasco is all sure of himself as the station operations specialist but he's made aware that he doesn't quite have the place as buttoned down as he might think his premature arrest of Chakotay and Paris (they just talked with the murdered Sutok their first day on the station, a mere passing that lasted seconds) prove that he might ought to acquire some help to monitor things. Nardini makes for a perfect underhanded smuggler/mediator/trader of illegal items, using whatever means available to attain the kind of transaction that selfishly benefits him his Wix sees Neelix and his association with the Voyager as the perfect foil to exploit. Neelix's guilt and inability to take from those that trust him unveils a noble character no longer similar to Wix, having found principles and purpose beyond supplying for his own needs. Janeway does challenge him. My favorite scene: Neelix asks Paris about his prison time and the conversation about how lying simply isn't worth it.
The plot thickens through a domino effect all stemming from trying to get a map. Janeway's reaction to Neelix's admission, and how she informs him that he will be assigned menial tasks as a result of his misbehavior is an amusing close to the episode; Neelix is shown here that he's part of the crew, not worthless. His sins of the past come to light and yet he's part of a family, a crew that he will indeed remain a vital part of. Carrasco is all sure of himself as the station operations specialist but he's made aware that he doesn't quite have the place as buttoned down as he might think his premature arrest of Chakotay and Paris (they just talked with the murdered Sutok their first day on the station, a mere passing that lasted seconds) prove that he might ought to acquire some help to monitor things. Nardini makes for a perfect underhanded smuggler/mediator/trader of illegal items, using whatever means available to attain the kind of transaction that selfishly benefits him his Wix sees Neelix and his association with the Voyager as the perfect foil to exploit. Neelix's guilt and inability to take from those that trust him unveils a noble character no longer similar to Wix, having found principles and purpose beyond supplying for his own needs. Janeway does challenge him. My favorite scene: Neelix asks Paris about his prison time and the conversation about how lying simply isn't worth it.