Star Trek - Voyager, Episode 35: Investigations (1995)

An episode that seems to focus on "morale chief" Neelix (Ethan Phillips) but which, in fact, brings to a conclusion a pair of subplots that have been festering for several shows. Ostensibly, this story is about Neelix's intraship TV show about news of the day. But when Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) transfers off Voyager, Neelix is upset--and he's more upset when, after discovering that a spy has been sending communications to the Kazon, he comes to the conclusion that the spy was Paris. Viewers will know better and may enjoy the cat-and-mouse nature of the scenes involving Neelix and the real spy. On the other hand, the final battle sequence--involving Voyager and the Kazon ship, as well as hand-to-hand grappling between Neelix and the villain--is decidedly lackluster, particularly the fisticuffs with Neelix, who doesn't appear able to punch his way out of a paper bag. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com

Neelix thinks that Paris is the traitor on "Voyager"

"Star Trek: Voyager," Episode 35, "Investigations" (Story byJeff Schnaufer and Ed Bond, Teleplay by Jeri Taylor, Aired March 13, 1996) begins with Neelix (Ethan Phillips) hearing a rumor that someone is leaving "Voyager" to join a Talaxian convoy. It turns out the rumor is true and that Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) is leaving the ship, which stuns most of his crewmates. No sooner is Paris gone but the Talaxian vessel is attacked by the Kazon Nistrim and Paris has been taken hostage by Seska, the former Maqui who was really a Cardassian spy, who tries to persuade him to join her side. Meanwhile, back on "Voyager" Neelix has become suspicious about how the Kazon could have known Paris was aboard the Talaxian vessel and starts to figures out there must be a spy aboard. But instead of suspecting Jonas, the true Kazon spy, Neelix finds evidence that Paris was the traitor.

Of course Paris cannot possibly be the traitor, which means there is more for Neelix to investigate and plans within plans within plans. "Investigations" is a pivotal "Voyager" episode in that it provides a resolution to several sub-plots that Janeway and the crew have been dealing with for most of this second season. Making Neelix the focal point of the episode is basically a diversionary tactic, because he is on the outside of everybody else's machinations. Unfortunately, this means that Neelix has to be front and center during the episode's climax. I understand the impulse to use Neelix in this regard, but it does end up keeping this from being a really great episode. "Investigations" also opens up some new sub-plots, especially when the new rift between Janeway and Chaoktay as "Voyager" continues to make its way across the Delta Quadrant. July 31, 2003

I was wondering about that.....

Well, this episode of Voyager is rather important to watch because it brings resolution to a couple of storylines that have been going on for the previous several episodes. For the past couple of episodes, we have been wondering why Tom Paris has been so obnoxious lately. And we have also been wondering about when in the world the senior crew was going to discover the covert communications between Jonas and the Kazon. This episode wraps both of these storylines up rather well, so I give it four stars.

However, I held back on 5 stars for a couple of reasons. Number one...I kinda thought that the whole "Briefing with Neelix" thing was kinda cheesy. But I'll let it go because after all, the Voyager crew *is* far from home in a stressful situation, so there must be some relaxation of the formal atmosphere! But the other reason I didn't give this episode 5 stars is because the writers seemed to just drop the issue of Janeway and Tuvok's manipulation of Chakotay. Given Chakotay's character and his sensitivity to being "duped", I think that the writers should have written Chakotay as much angrier at this manipulation than he actually appeared to be in the episode.

Oh...one other thing! Note that this episode should be viewed after episode #36 "Lifesigns". Episodes are numbered in order of their production dates...not the order in which they were shown during the actual run of the series! In many cases, it doesn't matter, but in this case, it does! August 2, 2001

King Abdulla of Jordan is in this episode!

This episode has great historical value. In the opening teaser, Prince (now King) Abdulla of Jordan has a non-speaking cameo role as a member of Voyager's crew! This is proof of the reach of Star Trek's vision. A man of such importance in his country today is also such a fan of Star Trek that he arranged to be in one of the episodes (before he became King, of course). April 14, 2001

Great episode!!

In this episode, Neelix discovers that a crewmwmber is secretly sending messages and tactical information to the Kazon, one of Voyager's worst enemies. Through his investigating, he discovers who the traitor is, but will he live to tell the captain who it is? March 9, 2001

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