Mortal Coil (Voyager episode)
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| Star Trek: VOY episode | |
| "Mortal Coil" | |
 Seven attempts to repair Neelix's dead body |
|
| Episode no. | 80 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 180 |
| Airdate | December 17, 1997 |
| Writer(s) | Bryan Fuller |
| Director | Allan Kroeker |
| Guest star(s) | Nancy Hower as Sam Wildman Robin Stapler as Alixia Brooke Stephens as Naomi Wildman |
| Year | 2374 |
| Stardate | 51449.2 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Concerning Flight" |
| Next | "Waking Moments" |
Mortal Coil is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 12th episode of the fourth season.
[edit] Plot summary
Neelix is assigned to collect a sample of proto-matter from a nearby nebula. However, he is struck by an energy discharge from the nebula and killed. As Janeway prepares to conduct a Talaxian burial ceremony, Seven of Nine announces that her Borg nanoprobes can be used to revive Neelix. Although skeptical, Janeway allows her to try the procedure, and Neelix is brought back to life.
Neelix is very distraught over his experience. As he explains to Chakotay, his people believe in an afterlife that centers on "The Great Forest." When a Talaxian dies, his ancestors supposedly meet him by the "guiding tree." Neelix has always taken comfort in believing that all of his family would one day be together again, but now he realizes he did not experience anything like that in death.
As the crew gathers for the annual celebration of Prixin, the Talaxian observance of familial allegiance, Neelix visits Ensign Wildman's daughter, Naomi. He goes through their nightly ritual of putting her to bed, but he is troubled by her request to hear his usual story of the Great Forest. Later, Neelix unleashes his frustration on Seven, arguing that his life is no longer worth living now that his deepest beliefs have been shattered. Suddenly, Neelix cries out in pain; his cells are reverting to a necrotic state. Neelix's tissue is rejecting the Borg nanoprobes, but Seven makes the necessary modification to compensate. Still troubled, Neelix asks Chakotay to help him take a vision quest so he can look inside himself and come to some sort of resolution. As the quest begins, Neelix encounters his beloved sister, Alixia, and members of the crew, who all tell him that the afterlife is a lie, and that he has no reason to live. Neelix comes out of the vision determined to end his life.
After recording his goodbyes to the crew, Neelix tries to beam into the nebula. Chakotay rushes to stop him, but Neelix protests that the vision quest convinced him he'll be better off dead. Chakotay explains that the imagery is not easily interpreted and that it was probably just an expression of his anxiety over his beliefs. Neelix is unconvinced until Ensign Wildman summons him to help put Naomi to bed. He realizes that the crew — who have become his family — needs him, and that is his reason to live.
[edit] Notes
- The title of this episode is derived from the Shakespeare's use of the term "mortal coil" in Hamlet.
- This episode is highly unusual for American television drama, in that it suggests quite strongly that there might not be an afterlife (there doesn't seem to be one for Neelix, at any rate), and goes on to argue that it is possible to lead a full, rich life without religious faith. While the Star Trek franchise is rather secular in general (with the arguable exception of Deep Space Nine), this episode is downright atheistic.
[edit] External links
- "Mortal Coil" article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Episode synopsis at Startrek.com
