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A trip to "Planet Hell" proves therapeutic for Tom Paris and Neelix.

Summary

Teaser

Kes has started to train on operating a shuttle, and Tom Paris is instructing her in a shuttle simulation. It's going well, and Kes is jokingly berating Paris for putting her through a scenario involving clogged plasma injectors, calling his training challenge a 'dirty trick.' During their discussion, though, another problem in the scenario causes the simulated shuttle to throw Kes off her feet and right into Paris' arms. Paris hesitates before releasing her; creating a brief, awkward moment. However, they leave the simulation joking and laughing, while Neelix is revealed to be hiding around a corner from the holodeck, watching the pair depart.

Meanwhile, Chakotay reports to Captain Janeway in her ready room that there is a Class M planet a day away. It shows high amino acid and protein readings, indicating healthy plant life that can replenish their decreasing reserves, however, a long range sensor scan can't confirm plant life due to EM interference. Without any other probable prospects to help their growing food-crisis, Janeway decides to take the risk and go to "Planet Hell”; the nickname given by stellar cartography.

Act One

"I'm in a pessimistic mood. Play something pessimistic. Practice, Harry, practice

"I'm in a pessimistic mood. Play something pessimistic. Practice, Harry, practice."

After the shuttle simulation, Paris goes to Harry Kim's quarters, interrupting Kim's clarinet practice. Encouraging him to keep playing, Paris tries to hang out, but Kim sees something is wrong. Paris confides that he has fallen in love with Kes, to the shock of Kim; who cautions him that he needs to tread lightly.

Meanwhile, Kes is shown having a romantic, candle-lit dinner with Neelix. As she recounts the shuttle simulation earlier in the day, Neelix becomes more and more agitated. Despite efforts to hide his jealousy, Neelix's bad mood is picked up on by Kes and the dinner become tense.

"What do you want to do?""Very simple… we just won't sit with

"What do you want to do?"
"Very simple… we just won't sit with her."

The USS Voyager arrives at the planet, and it's confirmed that it can support humanoid life. The Doctor calls in, having eavesdropped on the communication between Janeway and Chakotay on the bridge. After berating them for not including their Chief medical officer in their conversations, he proactively says he has a dermal osmotic sealant that will help with the skin irritation caused by the trigemic vapor they are detecting. Janeway thanks him, but asks him not to eavesdrop any more. After she cuts his protest off, B'Elanna Torres says they won't be able to transport to the surface, so they'll need to take a shuttle down.

Tom and Neelix in an embarrassing moment before Captain Janeway

Tom and Neelix in an embarrassing moment before Captain Janeway

Paris and Kim arrive in the mess hall. Paris was hoping to avoid Kes but, unfortunately, she is there, eating alone. Under the pretense of discussing bridge subjects, they sit by themselves, but Kim is soon called away. Paris stays where he is, but Kes knows what's happening and leaves. Then, Neelix confronts Paris and they get in a brawl, during which Paris' and Kim's Alfarian hair pastas end up on himself and Neelix. Janeway then calls both of them to her ready room, forcing them to display the hair pasta stains to her. She informs them they'll be flying down to retrieve food sources. Neither like the idea of going on a mission together, to the point Paris suggests Ensign Baytart go instead. Janeway realises the two are in the middle of a personal conflict, but gives them short shrift and orders them to solve it.

Act Two

During a senior staff meeting in the briefing room, Torres says she has no more luck with the transporter, and Kim says there may be windows in the EM disturbances to beam supplies, but they are not very predictable at the moment. Paris and Neelix are uncomfortable and it shows to Kes as they leave. Paris completely ignores her, and Neelix won't discuss it until after he gets back.

Kes goes back to sickbay frustrated, and noticeably so to The Doctor. His programming forces him to ask about it, and Kes eventually explains what happened. The Doctor notes to her Paris' obvious affection toward her, something she assumed was platonic. Kes isn't sure what to do, as at home these situations never occurred. He recommends she may not be able to do anything.

Paris and Neelix reluctantly start their mission, and the tension is palpable and thinly-veiled. Soon, it drops as the EM interference causes the shuttle to go down. Tuvok sees the shuttle has entered a deep descent, and Janeway now knows the shuttle is in trouble. It's up to Torres to work out the transporter issues.

Act Three

The shuttle has crashed on the surface, but Paris and Neelix survived with no discernable injuries. Paris knows that Voyager is trying to find them, but it may take days for a rescue team to arrive. The high levels of trigemic vapors cause Paris and Neelix to search for food and a cave in which to shelter, all the while continuing to argue. After sealing themselves in, they heat up some rocks with a phaser and Neelix proceeds to bicker some more when they hear noises.

Orbiting around the planet, the crew attempts to search for the crashed shuttle, but are attacked by an alien ship. The ship positions itself between the planet and Voyager, apparently protecting something.

Paris and Neelix discover a footprint and a nest of eggs. One of the eggs hatches, revealing a reptohumanoid creature. The two are amazed.

Act Four

Torres suggests they take the Voyager through the next opening in the EM interference so as to get a better transporter lock on Paris and Neelix. Kim is left to get a better prediction of that window while Janeway tasks Tuvok with getting around the alien ship. Tuvok proposes taking advantage of a slight phase retraction in their shield configuration with a covariant phaser pulse, disabling their weapons systems with minimal damage to the ship. Janeway agrees and sets the crew in motion.

Neelix and Paris discover that the species is sentient, and Paris intends to leave before its mother comes. Neelix insists they are now responsible for its care, as they have probably cut it off from its mother. The baby needs food, and it is getting weaker. Paris eventually relents, and they observe the infant. It's shivering, so Neelix picks it up in his jacket. After rejecting the field rations, they find out that the vapors contain the nutrients the infant needs. They'll need to go outside.

Meanwhile, Voyager disables the weapons of the alien ship, and descends into the planet's atmosphere. The other ship follows.

Act Five

Paris and Neelix take the infant outside, but it's seemingly too weak to take in enough vapor. Neelix panics and insists they use the cordrazine in their bag, but Paris disagrees, not knowing its body chemistry. He then gets the idea to fill the hypospray with the vapor, concentrating it. He applies it directly to its mouth, and it finally recovers. The two congratulate each other, and Neelix starts to apologize to Paris, admitting he hears other crewmembers talking about Paris and it influenced his behavior. Paris admits he is attracted to Kes, but respects Neelix enough to stay away and, further, he wants a better reputation for himself, and wants to change. The two become cordial now, and soon after, Paris is able to contact the ship.

Janeway wants to immediately beam them out, but Neelix insists they wait until they're sure the infant is all right. They detect an adult of the species coming close, and Paris and Neelix plead to wait the maximum amount of time in case the adult rejects the baby. She agrees to wait a minute, and, sure enough, they see the adult arrive and accept the baby. With a loud roar of protest at their presence, Paris calls for the beam-out.

When Neelix and Paris are beamed back aboard Voyager, they are greeted by Kes. She is both relieved to find them alive and shocked to find that Neelix and Paris have apparently resolved their fight over her. Furthermore, Neelix leads the pair to the mess hall in order to open a bottle of Potak cold fowl that he had been saving for a special occasion.

Memorable quotes

"We lost communication with Voyager thirty seconds ago. You don't have to impress me with your technobabble."

- Neelix, to Paris


"Captain, I don't know what we'll find when we get to the surface, flora or fauna, friend or foe."

- Chakotay


"Set a course for Planet Hell, Commander."

- Janeway, to Chakotay


"Clogging someone's plasma injectors is a dirty trick!"
"Ah, yes well, I'm famous for my dirty tricks, you know?"

- Kes and Tom Paris


"Oh, a guy just can't win…"

- Tom Paris


"You subclass genus!"
"I beg your pardon?"

- Neelix and Tom Paris


"I'm going to kill you!"
"Too late! I'm betting your hair pasta already did the trick!"

- Neelix and Tom Paris


"Oh Harry, I'm in trouble."
"What's new?"
"I think I'm in love."
"What's new?"
"With Kes."
"Kes?!"

- Tom Paris and Harry Kim


"Play something."

- Paris, to Kim indicating Kim's clarinet


"Play something different."

- Paris, to Kim after he plays a melody from the first movement of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major, KV622.


"You should consider it a high compliment. Throughout history, men have fought over the love of a woman. Why, I can quote you autopsy reports from duels as far back as 1538."
"That's not funny."
"It's not meant to be. You've always been interested in autopsies."

- The Doctor and Kes


"Are all Talaxians so jealous?"
"I wouldn't know. I've only met one."

- Kes and The Doctor, regarding Neelix's jealousy


"I'd say it's becoming more and more evident we chose the wrong cave."

- Neelix, to Tom Paris after spotting footprints


"On my homeworld, it's so much simpler. You choose a mate for life; there's no distrust, no jealousy, no envy, no betrayal…"
"Hm. Your homeworld must have very dry literature."

- Kes and The Doctor


"There is an old Chinese expression: 'Stay out of harm's way'."
"That's not a Chinese expression."
"If it works, use it."

- Kim and Paris


"The moment we came in here, it became our responsibility."
"And you expect to take care of this thing until what? It graduates from high school? College?"

- Neelix and Paris


"You know, if you skip lunch, the result might be a lower blood sugar level, which could… I'm sorry. It's in my program. I see something wrong, I must attempt to diagnose it."

- The Doctor


"I am a doctor… not a voyeur."

- The Doctor


"Lock onto us Voyager. If you hear muffled screams, consider that a request for a beam-out.'"

- Paris

Background information

Script, story, and title

Cast and characters

Actors Ethan Phillips and Robert Duncan McNeill with Jonathan Frakes

Actors Ethan Phillips and Robert Duncan McNeill with Jonathan Frakes

Production

Jonathan Frakes with the reptohumanoid puppet

Jonathan Frakes with the reptohumanoid puppet

Reused footage

Continuity

Reception

Video and DVD releases

CIC Video released the four season 1 "hold-over" episodes in their production order, as part of the first season release. This is the third episode in the second season release. From this point, releases follow the normal broadcast order.

Links and references

Starring

Also starring

Co-star

Uncredited co-stars

Stunt doubles

Puppeteers

Stand-ins

References

1538; 2369; ability; aft; aftershave; Alfarian; Alfarian hair pasta; Alpha Quadrant; amino acid; analysis; autopsy report; Baytart, Pablo; black pepper; body chemistry; brain; bridge operations; cave; Chinese; clarinet; Clarinet Concerto; class M; cold-blooded; computer simulation; cordrazine; covariant phaser pulse; creature; data analysis; dealer; Delta Quadrant; dermal osmotic sealant; deuterium flow; driver coil; duel; dunghill bird; driver coil; Earth; electromagnetic disturbance; emergency medical holographic channel; epidermis; evasive maneuvers (aka evasive action); expression; eye dropper; fall; family reunion; Felaran rose; field coil; flight instructor; flight record; flush; footprint; garnesite; genus; glandular secretion; godmother; "good afternoon"; hair follicle; Hatchling; hatching; high school; holodeck; humanoid; hypoglycemia; inertial dampers; itch; jacket; Jem'Hadar fighter (hologram); junk dealer; kilometer; Kim, Mary; lap; leola root broth; lime; mess hall; Milky Way Galaxy; Molière comedy; Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus; nest; niece; Ocampa; Ocampa (planet); orange; Palliantyne pea; Paris, Owen; Emergency Medical program; pattern; phase retraction; Planetary Geosciences Division; photon torpedoes; pilot; "Planet Hell"; plant; plasma injector; playing favorites; Potak III; Potak cold fowl; protein; pupil; quote; ram; red alert; replicator ration; reptilian species; Reptohumanoid; Reptohumanoid vessel; result; search and rescue operation; sentient (sentient lifeform); shedding season; skeletal system; Starfleet; Starfleet Academy; Talaxian; Tanzian flu; technobabble; transport; transporter; transporter range; trigemic density; trigemic vapor; turbolift; Type 8 shuttlecraft (unnamed, hologram); uncle; voyeur; weapon systems; welt; west

Other references

Duty Roster – Planetary Geosciences Division: Bernard, Alan; Bernard, David; Bosché, Mary Ellen; Braga, Brannon; Brownfield, Dick; Chamberlin, Mandy; Chess, Joe; Chronister, Richard; Conley, Tom; Dean, Doug; Fleck, Jerry; Fukai, Arlene; Genovese, Cosmo; Gocke, Bill; Jacobson, Phil; Johnson, Ralph; Kunz, Carol; Longo, Joe; McKnight, Scott; Mees, Jim; Moore, Tom; Nesterowicz, John; Peets, Bill; Russo, Charles; Ramirez, Maricella; Rowe, Rick; Sepulveda, Fernando; Sims, Alan; Simmons, Adele; Smothers, Waverly; Sordal, Bob; Stimson, Mark; Stradling, Michael; Thompson, Kim; Thoms, Bill; Thorpe, Jim; Vescio, Elaina; Ward, Lazard; Wiltz, Murphy; Wright, Edmond; Yacobian, Brad

External links