Homestead (2)

 DVD, Voyager S7 (Homestead) (2)

I did wonder if this story would have the same power as it used to - it's been a long time since I last watched it, 'Voyager' and its conclusion has always been patchy in my mind and the series didn't always show the qualities that it was capable of, but the exit of the friendly Talaxian, Neelix, remains as sensitive and fitting as ever and is really the kicking off of the end, as late as it was, the decision having been made not to conclude with multiple episodes, bring back all the old faces, or really do anything other than show the unexpectedness of the ship's success or failure in its main mission of returning home, no one knowing until the last moment whether the drive of the series would be satisfied or left hanging. I'd love to know what it would have been like to see this episode without knowing it was Neelix' last - at the time its terrestrial premiere was first broadcast on TV in 2002 I'd been reading Star Trek Monthly for years and had become well used to knowing all about episodes before seeing them, but I can imagine for more casual viewers it would have been quite a shock to see a member of the main cast leave out of the blue, even if you were aware the series was almost at an end, and while Neelix could be something of a divisive character for many, those of us who loved his foibles and flaws, and saw his heroism and usefulness, were very sad to say goodbye, and in some ways for me this was more of a series finale than 'Endgame' which was much more concerned with sweeping action and high-concept drama, much in the way of 'All Good Things...' While the 'DS9' finale, 'What You Leave Behind,' had its share of slam-bang action, it was more notable for the sensitive handling of the characters and the sense of closure - 'Homestead' is more along those lines.

We didn't get to see much of a farewell among the crew in the series finale so perhaps that's one of the main draws for me here, but the atmosphere is also heavy with expectation of the change in Neelix' life: the next chapter of a varied existence that has thrived on moving from place to place, doing odd jobs, fitting in wherever he can. There's also a sadness about the character best summed up when he shows Dexa the Bridge and her son, Brax (brats?), asks where Neelix' station is. It's both rewarding, but also telling when Kim and Chakotay praise him as being multi-talented (the 'most versatile' member of the crew), the series essentially pointing out his mercurial nature: enough to fit any role he was given, and while his friends and crew-mates were well-intentioned, he really didn't have an essential position within the hierarchy of the crew. It makes you realise that despite being welcomed into the family of Voyager, with it also a professional organisation, that's still not quite enough, and Neelix was left with a gap in his life, not helped by the split from Kes and her subsequent exit at the beginning of Season 4. He was resourceful and he always found a new role that needed him, but if you think back to the early seasons his only other major turning point was with 'Fair Trade' when he realised his unique usefulness as guide was at an end when Voyager was leaving the territory he knew - interestingly that was another episode that featured a Talaxian, his friend Wixiban and may have been the last time he ever met a real life member of his species until this episode which once again shows a missing piece in his life that he wasn't able to commune with those that shared his culture, history and the personal things that made him: his home, his people.

Neelix was gregarious and put effort into getting to know others, he was kind, which covered a multitude of ineptitudes or mistakes and made him such a lovable character, but rarely did he get the chance to show his inner vulnerabilities, he was always putting on the brave face, always the strong, optimistic one, even while struggling to restrain his emotions and all this comes out in that one scene where he realises he doesn't really have a strong anchor tying him to Voyager any more. I'm so glad they got Naomi Wildman in the episode (I was surprised to realise this was her final appearance - you could even say it's a bit harsh in the way Neelix learns his job is pretty much done in that quarter as Naomi is so blasé) - he goes to her in his confusion or disquiet to remind himself of his responsibility on a personal level, but finds she's becoming an independent child already whom no longer needs the kind of personal care and attention he'd devoted to her. I say sadly, but this was the only thing really holding him back from embracing a new life and I feel sure that his principles were so strong that if she had still needed him as Godfather, he would have sacrificed all potential happiness and fulfilment in order that she got what she needed from him - he was just that kind of man, the biggest heart in Trek, I think it's fair to say. That understanding allowed him to reach his decision, or at least start him considering going where he was most needed and could fulfil an essential role that tied in with his own personal needs, leaving the place he'd come to call home to expand and develop, which makes it such an affecting story.

For that reason it is the closest we got to goodbyes as Neelix is pleasantly surprised and moved to find the corridors lined with the crew come to salute him off the ship. A terrific scene and I love that Neelix says not a word as if he couldn't trust himself to speak, it's such a powerful moment and nothing need be said, the others do that for him. But even earlier when he's almost sneaking off Voyager to his own ship, head down, body language suggesting a slinking, sheepish exit until he's intercepted by Janeway, it reinforces the impression that he is a bit of a man alone, not constrained by the crew's adherence to the Prime Directive, still holding onto a piece of his old life with the small ship Voyager's kept in its belly the whole trip since the pilot. He doesn't go to anyone, doesn't confide in his friends, just sees a way he can help - all thanks to Tuvok's surprise encouragement that boosts him up and helps him realise he could do more to realise his full potential. Being the self-effacing person he is, it was needed. Now there are some issues with all of this: it's a bit convenient that the Prime Directive is cited since the Talaxians aren't a pre-warp species and are dealing with a similarly warp-capable opponent in the miners so I don't see how it applies at all, I'm sure Voyager has stepped in many times when a greater force was bullying a smaller, it's purely to set up Neelix as the only man who can help the Talaxian colony, in turn giving him the importance required to develop. But again, Neelix is just as bound by the Directive as anyone else under Janeway's command, though it helps to spell out that, for example, while Tuvok might have the skill to lead them in a tactical engagement, Neelix has the understanding of the Talaxians themselves, historically a 'beaten' people.

It's a fudging and it's a grey area, but it sets up a wonderful 'Seven Samurai'/'The Magnificent Seven' (or for that matter the Andy Lau film, 'Battle of Wits'), situation with Neelix as the lone gunslinger coming in to help the surrounded villagers who need leadership to defend themselves, so I don't have a problem with it - when it comes to it Janeway gets fully involved anyway, zipping in aboard the Delta Flyer to take out the last explosive when Neelix was about to make the ultimate sacrifice of himself and his ship, stopping it with his own life, and there was something of the Han Solo manoeuvre at the end of 'Star Wars' in her sudden and unexpected appearance. But we know Janeway's interpretation of when to invoke the Prime Directive or not was one of her most unstable characteristics so again, I don't mind in the context of the story - even though I knew Neelix was going to survive to stay with the colony at the end I still felt the imminence of death when he chooses to put himself in the path of the weapon and he's all the more endearing for his choice. I think the only real problem with the episode is the lack of Samantha Wildman - if you hadn't followed the story you could easily be forgiven for assuming she'd died seasons back since she'd only made three appearances since the end of Season 2, the last in the previous season's 'Fury,' and her absence is keenly felt in such moments as Neelix realising Naomi doesn't need him any more (I could imagine seeing it on her face - reading the situation, pained she can't do anything to help him, while potentially giving him a little nudge towards his convictions to go and help those people), and especially when his friends line the corridor, her absence is surprising.

I can imagine only a select few of the crew were able to see Neelix off, the ship's operations coming first, of course (an excuse for why there are clearly not two hundred people there!), and it's easy to make a case for any absentees being unable to get away from their duties, but in Wildman's case she was so close to him that it makes no sense for her not to be there. I can see she was just one of those elements deemed unnecessary in the time they had, maybe Nancy Hower was unavailable, but either way I do wish they'd made an effort to bring her back. It could have seemed a bit out of the blue since she and the other recurring characters (even the upper tier ones like Naomi and Icheb), hadn't been used consistently, unlike 'DS9' where you had great development and closure for everyone, and even though she hadn't been showing up on a regular basis (something that made the early seasons have so much more of a family or community feel), it would have felt right to see her in a couple of scenes as we can imagine her being around even when we don't see her. But the series had moved on from a lot of the things that made it what it was, as all series' do change over time so I can't judge too harshly, especially as this was such a strong episode to showcase Neelix, whether it be that sense of isolation of a man out of his culture, or someone willing to stand up for others: probably his strongest moment is when he stands in front of Brax when the miners are going to punish him for throwing a rock at their leader, Neelix pushed aside by one of the Cardassian-like aliens only for the Talaxian to use all his training from Voyager (right down to the famous Starfleet double-fisted hammer punch possibly created by Captain Kirk!), take him down and disarm him, the aliens surprised that one of these pacifist aliens would stand up to them.

That's the message of the story, all about violence not being the answer, but also the necessity to be bold and stand up for yourself or your family even if the consequences can be at high cost (as Dexa's husband found out at a previous colony). In this regard Neelix is exemplary, though his own sense of being inferior to the intelligence and skill of his Starfleet friends is what held him back from realising his full potential as someone who is diplomatic (like Janeway), tactical (like Tuvok), with the sense of when to act offensively or not (like Chakotay). It's pleasing to see all these qualities he's learned or unearthed through his time on Voyager and most gratifying for it to be Tuvok who inspires him. It's quite ironic it should be the Vulcan who suggests an emotional attachment to their colony could be an asset in getting them to defend themselves, but then Mr. Vulcan makes a few un-Vulcan moves in this episode: he claims that some of Neelix' tendencies can be annoying, but surely Vulcans are in control of whether they allow annoyance to annoy them. Similarly, he claims Vulcans do not experience fear - is this an example of the old issue of 'Vulcans never lie,' except they do if it's convenient or logical to do so? I like the idea that Vulcans can so bury such things as fear that they essentially don't experience it, one of the things I love most about the race which has sadly been lost in modern depictions (or I should say post-'Voyager' depictions!). More than anything it's his compliment that Neelix is perhaps (still with the typical Vulcan qualification in the sentence, you've got to have that!), the most resourceful individual he'd ever known, and 'more than capable.'

I'd have liked more information on how this group of Talaxians came to be so far from the homeworld since we know Dexa lived there at some point and shares Neelix' preferences about it, but she didn't look that old (difficult to tell alien ages, of course), so they must have made the journey, staying in various places, in a few years - but we know Voyager has travelled thousands of lightyears from that area of space, mainly thanks to bonuses like Kes pushing them along, so it's hard to get the idea of how they could end up so far out. All we hear is that they were a caravan of ships (again, if they were stopping at other planets to build a life why didn't they dismantle the ships there for whatever colony they made, or did they have to reassemble them to move on, like American Indians and their teepees?), and had bad experiences with aliens that have made them suspicious and slow to trust outsiders. It was fun to imagine there could be others out there called Neelix, as Dexa says her Uncle had the same name, but it also brings home a sense of homeliness for him: people that know the significance of names or places and share his experiences. He'd kept a bottle of some Talaxian beverage for fifteen years and opens it for Dexa (symbolic of opening himself up to her, maybe?), which is surprising when you think how close he was to Kes that he never shared it with her - you'd think he'd have cracked it open in 'Caretaker' after saving her to celebrate joining Voyager (perhaps she was too young to drink - she was only a one-year-old then, and Neelix was more going along with Kes who was enthused by Voyager and its mission - he'd have been happy enough to fly off into the sunset with her instead!).

Something else the episode did well was to remind us of history: the state of Neelix' homeworld, Talax, still controlled by their enemies, the Haakonians, was a stark reminder of this race being forced to live nomadic lives if they want to be free, a tragic part of Neelix' existence that rarely, if ever, got spoken about. The Talaxians are a little bit like the Jews in that regard and so this colony mirrors their home situation (so it's interesting the aliens were very Cardassian in style and attitude since that race appeared heavily influenced by the Nazis with the Bajorans as the Jews in that case). Had 'Voyager' returned in some way (and now hopes of ever seeing a revival other than the semi-return of 'Prodigy' are just about extinguished), it would have been fascinating to be able to see the Talaxians return home and live in their promised land in freedom once again, but more than likely if 'Voyager' had made a film it would have been generic action featuring the Borg, I expect! I was surprised the miners weren't furious at Voyager getting involved in helping the Talaxians, but perhaps they realised their mining ships were no match for the plucky Federation starship - may even have been why they agreed to a meeting on Voyager in the first place. They certainly came across badly, but at the same time they weren't entirely devoid of reason, they were more like the Ferengi or the Malon, intent on their own self-interest and the pressure of their society's needs rather than out-and-out villains as the Cardassians tended to be portrayed (I did like the silvery-grey chessboard square design of their makeup though I feel we'd seen it before).

Levar Burton's last role as Director on the series was a good one for him, though he'd be back the following season for 'Enterprise,' this being his third episode of the final season after 'Nightingale' and 'Q2,' 'Homestead' by far the best of the three. I can imagine they didn't have a whole lot of money at this point in the season as they were gearing up for the big finale, but they sold the idea of this asteroid colony very well, presumably that's the age-old cave set, yet that never occurred to me once while watching as it was so well disguised with all kinds of equipment and mechanical structure. The effects were pretty good - the Flyer's crash-landing on the asteroid wasn't nearly as spectacular as Burton's 'Timeless' where Voyager crashed on the ice planet, but it was more than functional, and seeing Neelix' ship one last time was a pleasant reminder of how the series started for him as it's been rare to glimpse it through the series even though they chose to keep it in storage which always seemed a little unlikely considering how little space (and how many shuttlecraft!), they had aboard. But the asteroid field worked well as it always does to see such a variety of shapes to break up the blackness of space and give us a better sense of scale and position when space is usually mostly empty and... spacious!

What I found most entertaining was the idea that First Contact Day (celebrating the 315th anniversary here), is an invention of Neelix! At least that was the impression I was left with when Tuvok says the ceremony was entirely an invention of Neelix, though it would be just as easy to say he was referring to the need for a Vulcan to say the first words spoken by a Vulcan to humans at first contact. But I just like the idea the whole thing was Neelix' to boost morale for the wayward ship - it's also such a nice way of connecting this series, so far from home and all they held dear, to the wider Trek universe by referencing the key history of Zefram Cochrane and First Contact with the Vulcans, the former of which dated back to 'TOS,' the latter depicted in the most recent film but one ('Insurrection' taking the title of most recent, released during Season 5). It was always a good, strong link to bring in, ramped up even further with 'Enterprise' (where they actually brought Cochrane himself in briefly), and much, much later, 'Lower Decks' (a ridiculous, but amusing First Contact theme park complete with holo-Cochrane), a character running through the entirety of Trek like a name through a stick of rock that helps to bind the Universe together (until it was so badly messed around with in recent productions - couldn't miss a swipe, could I?). It was also a chance to show Mr. Neelix at his best: as morale officer, the host of a party, and an excuse to get the main cast together since most of them don't actually have meaningful scenes with Neelix, so at least they're in the same room.

Perhaps we are missing scenes shared with Neelix between such people as Seven or Tom Paris who loomed large in his life aboard the ship, but then they needed to emphasise the loneliness of being away from his own kind in order for the story to fit. Ethan Phillips always (well, after the first two or three seasons), played his character with a hint of sadness or pain behind the eyes, I don't know whether this was planned or just a reaction to the difficult makeup he had to endure for so long, but it added so much depth to the character and the mark of a great episode is that it can make you look again and reappraise a character and a performance and this one certainly does that: it brings out so much of what made Neelix a terrific character, and even those who felt he was the Jar Jar Binks of Trek (another hated character I love!), must surely buy into this finale for him as both fitting finale and showcase for Phillips. It's only sad he wasn't given more of this calibre in the latter seasons, too often relegated to minor appearances as if they, like the Captain, could never quite find a definitive role for him. It's really very moving that Janeway makes it so easy for Neelix to leave - she immediately cottons on to his drift about joining the colony and even holds open the door that it's a position she wants him to hold as Ambassador to the Delta Quadrant. It's just words in terms of making him feel he's not abandoning his duties, because when you think about it, had the series and mission continued for more seasons, Neelix would have left a gaping hole in the Mess Hall and in the lives of so many of his shipmates that it would have been painful not to have this cheery, upbeat, heart-on-his-sleeve jack-of-all-trades, master of fun along any more and it's only thanks to the series ending we can take it.

It wouldn't be Neelix' final appearance, he'd stay in comm-range as long as possible, but for the character as a regular member of the crew, it was over. The episode benefits from some Trek guest stars to shore it up even further: I recognised Julianne Christie's voice as Dexa, but it wasn't until the end I made the connection with Xyrillian Ah'Len, in 'Enterprise' (when Brax asks what a Holodeck is Dexa should have turned round and said 'we invented it, dear'!), which she'd have performed the following season, though no other Trek roles to her name. I loved how real she played Dexa, you can tell she's pained by living without her husband and sees in Neelix many of the good qualities he exhibits, but she's not overt about anything, she's very restrained, appreciating his help, disappointed in him when he can't help them, there's so much subtext which you don't get in modern Trek when everything is so on the nose and simplistic because people act so unguardedly and don't restrain themselves. There are also some returning faces from past 'Voyager' with Christian R. Conrad as 'Miner' (one of), most recognisable as villain Henry Starling's henchman, Dunbar, in the 'Future's End' two-parter, and John Kenton Shull as Nocona, leader of the miners, who dated back to Season 3's 'Basics, Part II' as the Hanon medicine man, but had most recently portrayed a Klingon in previous season's 'Barge of The Dead,' (among other Trek roles in 'TNG' and 'DS9'). Lastly, Rob LaBelle completed his trilogy of 'Voyager' roles (and his only ones in Trek), with Oxilon, the Talaxian leader - he'd played another Talaxian in Season 1's 'Faces' and another role in 'False Profits,' though more recognisable to me for a recurring role on 'Smallville.' A nice cadre of Trek names with which to usher Neelix out of the series. Three cheers for Neelix, perhaps the most underrated character (and maybe actor, too), in Trek history: hurrah!

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