Episode 15: Jetrel

So this is the episode in which Neelix meets Robert Oppenheimer.  No, it's not a terrible interplanetary chat show it's actually a not bad episode of Voyager.  Two in fifteen episodes.  What are the odds?*

The story starts off in the holodeck pool bar where it appears the rules have changed again and you don't even need to hit the ball anymore, but never mind that, a war criminal has come to talk to Neelix.  You see Jetrel was to blame for that weapon that destroyed Neelix's colony lo those many years ago.  Yeagh, me neither.

Neelix wasn't actually annoying in this episode mainly because he was being played as an actual person and not the comic relief.  I wish I could hope this is the way of things to come but alas I know differently.  There was even a brief chat between Neelix and Kes about there relationship for those of us who keep forgetting.

James Sloyan who played Jetrel (and many other Star Trek characters) and excellent as usual was good at making you feel pity for this man who spent the last fifteen years of his life atoning for his mistake.

Now the ending.  It implies that Neelix forgiveness is just something he said because Jetrel was on his death bed to ease him on his way.  But is this even something he'd do?  Sure he's learned a lot about Jetrel (and himself) but I'm not entirely convinced of this.

*Never tell me the odds.