Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Fair Trade (1997) User Reviews

A tangled web you weave.

[thevacinstaller · 8/10 · 20 July 2021]

A good episode about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. This reminds me of some flintstone episodes where Fred would have an angel and devil on opposing shoulders providing him with opposing viewpoints of what course he should take.

One aspects of Voyager that I have grown to appreciate is the quality of Neelix's performance. I'm not sure how to describe him but I will give it a shot: cook, juggler, bed time story reader, journalist, cheerleader, and comic relief, commentary on possessive boyfriends, testing Tuvok's emotion repression ability. Suffice to say --- he actually has a lot going on.

I enjoyed the journey of Neelix wrestling with his decision and taking the initiative to solve a problem that he created at risk to his own life. That's a very starfleet thing to do.

I have love for the space cheetah. We even get a great Janeway 'mom' speech. I LOVE disciplinarian Janeway moments.

Star Trek: Voyager - Fair Trade

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 19 January 2017]

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.

Ethan Phillips makes the best of an annoying plot

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 10 January 2023]

Neelix has a crisis of purpose when Voyager leaves the region of space that he knows.

This is a reasonably good character episode for Neelix with a strong performance from Ethan Phillips.

Neelix is a notoriously badly received character within the Star Trek franchise and your attitude towards him is likely to shape your enjoyment of the episode. Yes, there are moments when he annoys, particularly in the early scenes where he acts quite needy around various members of the Voyager crew who are trying to get things done. Personally, I think the premise is a good one and fits with Voyager's entry into the Nekrit Expanse.

When the plot's theme becomes a take on TNG's 'The First Duty', with Neelix telling the lie that spins out of control and Janeway's disappointment having nowhere near the impact of Picard's with Wesley Crusher, I think we are in less plausible territory. What works well with a wet-behind-the-ears Starfleet cadet, feels somewhat forced when it's a middle aged man looking for a map.

That being said, the story unfolds in a decent number of character interactions in suitably atmospheric settings, with good production design, makeup, and a great display of acting range from Ethan Phillips. He is supported well by James Nardini.

For me it's a 6.5/10, but I round upwards.

Narc

[Bolesroor · 6/10 · 2 February 2011]

Neelix, who has certainly been helpful this season by expanding his duties on the ship, suddenly becomes convinced that he's no longer needed on Voyager. Insert question mark here.

Neelix's fear emerges in spite of the fact that in just the last episode Janeway commends him on his diplomatic skills and names him the ship's unofficial Ambassador. He's also ship's Cook, morale officer and hosts a daily talk show for the crew. Does this sound like a man who has no place on the ship? But the plot demands that Neelix be desperate to prove his usefulness, so he embarks on a scheme to obtain a map which leads to his trading drugs and being asked to steal plasma from Voyager's warp engine. Naturally...

This is a decent episode but it is fairly obvious that no one on the ship is safe from being killed off, fired or recast. Many of the episodes this season bring each character to the brink of death or disaster several times over. It looks like they're trying to bring each character to their breaking point, to test their fictional relevance, and it's this kind of uncertainty and doubt that make the show very difficult to watch at times.

Can't we have an episode in which a character isn't threatened with death or catastrophe? Just one? Neelix eventually finds his emotional core and manages to escape punishment for his wrong-doing by nailing even bigger criminals... what luck! He turns state's evidence and rats to the space station administrator. A stern lecture from Janeway puts the period at the end of this one, but I'm not sure it was worth the trip in.

GRADE: B

Yes...He Is Annoying

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 24 August 2018]

First of all, Neelix has no off switch. He is constantly bringing his tired bromides to the busy crew. He is kind and all that and there is really no place for him to go, but he never knows when to stop. This episode begins with his recognizing that his role on the ship is minimal. In his effort to find value, he commits a near treasonous act, getting unwittingly involved with intergalactic drug smugglers. Like so many first efforts the web gets bigger and tighter, until he is in way over his head. He tries to find a solution and it gets even more difficult.

Neelix, you insecure little man....

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 18 February 2015]

odd see Vorik for first time Neelix worried his usefulness is over on ship

Despite being on Voyager for a long time, Mr. Neelix is apparently very insecure and worried that now that the ship is about to enter into space about which he's totally unfamiliar, they'll no longer want him*. So he decides that the proper course of action is to make himself invaluable by learning some important skills needed on the ship. This proves to be a waste of time (after all he IS Neelix) and so his plan is to buy a map of the upcoming portion of space where the ship is headed....but it ends up leading to LOTS of complications when Neelix relies on an old friend to help him get the map.

This episode is odd because Mr. Vorik, the Vulcan, is seen for the first time. So you are expected to believe that after three seasons you just haven't seen him before. Yeah, right. Despite this, the episode is interesting and is worth seeing.

*I never liked Neelix very much. Aside from him killing a traitorous crewman, he mostly is just rather annoying. It's just my opinion.

Neelix gets in trouble

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 19 August 2010]

As the episode opens Neelix is keen to take on new responsibilities on Voyager, asking both Tuvok and B'Elanna if he can assist them. He is summoned to the bridge when Voyager encounters a strange phenomena, he says it is the 'Nekrit Expanse'. Before entering the expanse they think it would be wise to stock up on needed supplies so go to a nearby space station. While trying to acquire a map of the Expanse Neelix meets Wicks, an old friend, who claims he can get one along with other needed supplies. He says he is trading medical supplies for the items but it soon becomes clear that he is actually dealing drugs. The deal goes wrong and the man they were trading with ends up dead. Chakotay and Paris are arrested as they were seen talking to him earlier; Neelix can't see his friends gaoled so decides to tell the truth and attempt to keep his freedom by offering to help entrap the main drug suppliers operating on the station.

This was a good episode where it looked as if Neelix was genuinely concerned about his position on Voyager because they would soon be entering space he had no knowledge of. Unlike many Neelix centred episodes it wasn't intended to be funny, in fact one was left feeling rather sorry for him as he got into trouble while trying to do the right thing.