Line #30 Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS2E7Parturition


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/voy_parturition108.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Am I...discerning a personal problem here, gentlemen?"\
3	[[LoveTriangle "Frankly, yes, Captain."]]\
4	"Solve it!"'']]
5	Paris is [[DangerRoomColdOpen running Kes through a training simulation]] in the holodeck. When the ship rocks, Kes is thrown into Paris's arms, and they share a sexually charged beat. But they leave the holodeck laughing, and Neelix is revealed to be spying on them from around the corner, back to his jealous ways. He actually has cause to be suspicious this time, because Paris admits to Kim that he's become infatuated with Kes. Paris decides to start avoiding Kes, but his pointed snub of Kes in the mess hall only makes Neelix more suspicious. The jealous Talaxian confronts Paris, and they get into a [[FoodSlap food fight]].
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7	Meanwhile, the crew have discovered a barely habitable planet that might be a solution to their food shortage. The ship's atmosphere prevents transports, so a scouting team will have to pilot down in a shuttle. Janeway selects Paris and Neelix to do the mission, but she's dismayed to find them covered in food when they arrive. Still, she insists that they not let their differences interfere with the mission. Neelix and Paris make the flight in stony formality, but they run into interference and are forced to crash land.
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9	Back on the ship, the crew realize that the shuttle has crashed and make preparations for a rescue. Kes is dismayed that people are fighting over her and asks advice from the Doctor, who says that it will be up to the men to work out for themselves. As Voyager searches for the shuttle, they're attacked by a ship that seems to be trying to protect the planet. They disable the ship's weapons and descend into the atmosphere, with the alien ship following.
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11	On the surface, Paris and Neelix continue to squabble as they struggle to find food and shelter. In a cave, they discover an alien egg that hatches a reptilian humanoid. Realizing that the hatchling is sentient, Neelix insists that they care for it because they may have separated it from its mother. They realize that it needs the vapor of the atmosphere to feed, so they take it out of the cave. However, the hatchling can't get enough vapor. After more arguing, Neelix and Paris decide to use a hypospray to feed it concentrated vapor, revitalizing it.
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13	[[FireForgedFriends Having bonded over recent events]], Neelix apologizes for his behavior. In turn, Paris admits that he's become attracted to Kes but promises that he'll stay away out of respect to Neelix and try to become a better person. With their issues now behind them, Voyager contacts to beam they back to safety. They insist on staying a little longer to ensure that their charge is safe. They detect an adult alien approaching and wait just long enough to make sure that it accepts the hatchling. An adult reptilian lumbers into view, takes the baby, and roars at the pair, so they beam away. Back on the ship, Kes is relieved that the two men have resolved their issues, and they head to the mess hall for a celebratory drink.
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15	-----
16	!!This episode provides examples of:
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18	* AccidentalPervert: The Emergency Medical Hologram has been listening in on various discussions for information [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman he should (as senior medical officer) be routinely be consulted on]]. Janeway raises a FascinatingEyebrow and demands to know just how many conversations the Doctor has been listening in on. The Doctor indignantly replies that [[ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder he's a doctor, not a voyeur]].
19	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: The idea that a mother animal will abandon its offspring if meddled with is an urban legend. Handling a baby animal will not, in of itself, cause the mother to abandon it. Instead, if possible she will simply move it afterwards.
20	* TheBGrade: Neelix isn't encouraged when Tom mentions that he got a B- on Starfleet Academy's survival course. Which his father taught. The old man clearly didn't play favorites.
21	* CallBack: The Doctor mentions [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E6EyeOfTheNeedle Kes' interest in autopsies]].
22	* CaptainCrash: This time Tom Paris loses a shuttle.
23	* TheCastShowOff: Garrett Wang playing the clarinet.
24	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: The Doctor tells Kes she should be complimented that Tom and Neelix are squabbling over her.
25	-->'''EMH:''' 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.
26	-->'''Kes:''' That's not funny!
27	-->'''EMH:''' It's not meant to be. You've always been interested in autopsies.
28	* CrazyJealousGuy: Neelix takes his jealousy past the point of all reason and outright assaults Tom.
29	* DeadpanSnarker: Kes explains that on her homeworld they mate for life and don't have all this jealousy stuff. The Doctor replies that her species' literature must be rather dry.
30	* DeathGlare: Neelix and Tom of course, but ''Kes'' of all people gives one to the Doctor when he burbles on too much.
31	* DeathWorld: Planet Hell, an M Class planet in a primordial state.
32	* DangerRoomColdOpen: The episode opens with Tom and Kes apparently in jeopardy during a shuttle mission, when they're actually on the holodeck.
33	* EggMacGuffin: Neelix and Paris find a nest of repto-humanoids, one of which hatches, leading them to care for it until the mother returns.
34	* FireForgedFriends: Neelix and Paris become this after a heart-to-heart about Kes.
35	* FoodSlap: Neelix dumps the Alfarian hair pasta on Tom Paris' uniform. Tom responds in kind. Captain Janeway picks that moment to call them to her Ready Room for a briefing, so they've no time to clean up the evidence.
36	* GreenEyedMonster: Neelix.
37	* IllKillYou: Shouted by Neelix to Tom Paris.
38	-->'''Neelix:''' I'll kill you!
39	-->'''Tom Paris:''' Too late! I'm betting [[LethalChef your hair pasta already did the trick]]!
40	* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: The Doctor: "I'm a doctor, not a voyeur."
41	* InfiniteSupplies: Averted (again). With food supplies down 30%, Voyager has to go off course to a nearby planet so Neelix can find edible plants.
42	* ItsALongStory
43	-->'''Janeway:''' (viewing the results of the food fight) Would anyone care to explain?
44	-->'''Paris:''' It might be too long to go into right now, Captain.
45	* LettingHerHairDown: For this episode Janeway drops her PrimAndProperBun for the 'shoulder warmer' hairstyle she'll adopt in later seasons.
46	* LockedInARoom: Janeway sends Tom and Neelix on a shuttle mission to force them to settle their differences. Then they're stuck on the same planet. Which isn't big enough for the two of them.
47	* LoveConfessor: Tom confesses his love for Kes to Harry, who isn't thrilled to find out.
48	* LoveTriangle: This episode exists mostly to [[AbortedArc put an end to this.]] The Neelix-Kes-Paris triangle is resolved when Paris promises to not let anything happen between him and Kes.
49	* MadeFromRealGirlScouts: Neelix's Alfarian hair pasta. Unlike Earth's angel-hair pasta, that's not a metaphorical description -- it's actually made from Alfarians' hair follicles. Ewww.
50	* MeaningfulEcho: When the Doctor tries to find out what's bothering Kes, as it's part of his programming, Kes says there's some things he can't cure. When Kes asks what she should do about the LoveTriangle, the Doctor replies that there may not be anything she can do. "There are some things ''you'' can't cure."
51	* MonsterIsAMommy: The [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent reptiloid]] pilot of the hostile alien vessel is just protecting its young down on the planet.
52	* MySensorsIndicateYouWantToTapThat: Kes thinks Neelix is wrong about Tom being attracted to her, but when she shares her frustration over their conflict with the Doctor, he gives her a list of telltale physiological changes he's noticed in Paris when Kes is nearby.
53	-->'''EMH:''' Whenever you walk into the room, his respiration increases, his pupils dilate and the coloration of his ears turns decidedly orange. Until I noticed the pattern, I thought he was suffering from Tanzian flu. [[EveryoneCanSeeIt It's there for anyone to see.]] Maybe not in the same diagnostic detail as I see it...
54	* ObliviousToLove: Kes regarding Tom's infatuation, until the Doctor points it out.
55	* ProverbialWisdom: Spoofed when Harry warns Tom off pursuing Kes.
56	-->'''Kim:''' There's an old Chinese expression. Stay out of harm's way.
57	-->'''Paris:''' That's not a Chinese expression!
58	-->'''Kim:''' [[BoringButPractical If it works, use it.]]
59	* SongsOfSolace: Depressed over his unrequited love for Kes, Tom asks Harry to play something pessimistic. Harry instead plays something sprightly, just to be a troll.
60	* SuggestiveCollision: Kes gets thrown into Tom's arms during his shuttle training exercise on the holodeck, giving Tom a LoveEpiphany.
61	* StockFootage: Footage of Jem'Hadar fighter ships from the [=DS9=] episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E01TheSearchPartI}} The Search Part I]]" is featured in the holodeck training simulation taken by Kes.
62	* TechnoBabble: Lampshaded.
63	-->'''Neelix:''' We lost communication with Voyager thirty seconds ago. You don't have to impress me with your... technobabble!
64	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Neelix and Tom on the away mission.
65	* ThatsAnOrder:
66	** Janeway forbidding Doc from 'eavesdropping'.
67	** And telling Paris and Neelix to solve whatever problem they have with each other.
68	** {{Discussed}} between Paris and Neelix during their testy shuttle ride.
69	---> '''Paris:''' Can I make a suggestion?\
70	'''Neelix:''' You're the commander of this mission. You can make any suggestion you like. And if you make it an order, I'll even have to follow it.
71	** Which ends up happening after they crash and Paris tells Neelix that they're ditching the shuttle.
72	---> '''Neelix:''' Is that a suggestion or an order?\
73	'''Paris:''' ''An order!''\
74	'''Neelix:''' Yes, ''sir''!
75	* TheTriple
76	-->'''Paris:''' I'm in trouble.
77	-->'''Kim:''' What's new?
78	-->'''Paris:''' I think I'm in love!
79	-->'''Kim:''' What's new?
80	-->'''Paris:''' With Kes.
81	-->'''Kim:''' ''[[OhCrap Kes!]]''
82	* TheUnSmile: Harry and Tom when they have to walk over to Kes in the messhall to keep up appearances, all the while watched by a glaring Neelix.
83	* WeirdWorldWeirdFood: Neelix serves the crew Alfarian hair pasta, which is harvested from the hair follicles of an Alfarian during shedding season. After he reconciles with Tom, he suggests they crack open a bottle of Potak cold fowl together. Tom unwisely asks for details.
84	-->'''Paris:''' Cold fowl in a bottle? That's just an expression, isn't it?
85	-->'''Neelix:''' No. It's actually made from the glandular secretions of an adult dunghill bird, found only on Potak III.
86	* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: The Doctor gripes that he isn't being consulted on the away mission, even though his medical knowledge is required. Janeway says that Chakotay will work out some protocols, forbids him from listening in on their conversations, then cuts him off mid-sentence when he protests.
87	----
88	->'''Neelix''': "Try some of my trope pasta."
89	->'''Tom Paris''': "That's just an expression, right?"
90	->'''Neelix''': "Not at all! It's made from tropes! With a little YMMV as seasoning."

Context Recap / StarTrekVoyagerS2E7Parturition