Elogium

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Neelix is jealous of the time Kes has been spending with Tom Paris. When the ship comes into proximity of an energy-draining amoeba-like creatures, Kes undergoes the Elogium, the Ocampan biological process of conception which only happens once in their short lives. There's fears that something's wrong, since Kes is far younger than the average age Ocampans normally give birth. Neelix and Kes must decide if they want to conceive, and Voyager has to find a way to escape the creatures' grasps without harming them. At first reluctant, Neelix agrees to impregnate Kes, but during a foot massage from the Doctor (part of the process) she backs out from the whole thing. Around the same time, the crew finds a way to leave the creatures in peace. As for Kes being able to conceive again, don't worry, this was a false Elogium, so they might be able to conceive again!

Neelix and Kes have a weird relationship —there, I said it. Sometimes, it's depicted as paternal, and other times, yikes— which is it? But putting that aside, I actually think this silly romantic plot is a decent episode. The philosophical themes of romance and parenthood are brought to light with incredible discussions amongst the crew; I especially like Tuvok's take on fatherhood. There's silly moments, too, like in the teaser, when Chakotay catches two of the crew making out in the turbolift. Tuvok has the best line in the episode when he says that the ship lost its sex appeal when they've solved their creature problem.

Altogether, the cast did a fantastic job with this script, and it was an absolute pleasure to see Chakotay and Janeway chemistry, so palpable in this episode that it deserves a place on the periodic table. The only problem I have with this episode is when Janeway doesn't hug Ensign Wildman at the end when she reveals her pregnancy to her.

This was originally posted on Dec 29, 2020. Transported to neocities on Dec 1, 2025.