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.
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.
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.
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.
This episode provides examples of:
- Accidental Pervert: The Emergency Medical Hologram has been listening in on various discussions for information he should (as senior medical officer) be routinely be consulted on. Janeway raises a Fascinating Eyebrow and demands to know just how many conversations the Doctor has been listening in on. The Doctor indignantly replies that he's a doctor, not a voyeur.
- Artistic License – Biology: 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.
- The B Grade: 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.
- Call-Back: The Doctor mentions Kes' interest in autopsies.
- Captain Crash: This time Tom Paris loses a shuttle.
- The Cast Show Off: Garrett Wang playing the clarinet.
- Comically Missing the Point: The Doctor tells Kes she should be complimented that Tom and Neelix are squabbling over her.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.Kes: That's not funny!EMH: It's not meant to be. You've always been interested in autopsies.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Neelix takes his jealousy past the point of all reason and outright assaults Tom.
- Deadpan Snarker: 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.
- Death Glare: Neelix and Tom of course, but Kes of all people gives one to the Doctor when he burbles on too much.
- Death World: Planet Hell, an M Class planet in a primordial state.
- Danger Room Cold Open: The episode opens with Tom and Kes apparently in jeopardy during a shuttle mission, when they're actually on the holodeck.
- Egg MacGuffin: Neelix and Paris find a nest of repto-humanoids, one of which hatches, leading them to care for it until the mother returns.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Neelix and Paris become this after a heart-to-heart about Kes.
- Food Slap: 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.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Neelix.
- I'll Kill You!: Shouted by Neelix to Tom Paris.Neelix: I'll kill you!Tom Paris: Too late! I'm betting your hair pasta already did the trick!
- I'm a Doctor, Not a Placeholder: The Doctor: "I'm a doctor, not a voyeur."
- Infinite Supplies: Averted (again). With food supplies down 30%, Voyager has to go off course to a nearby planet so Neelix can find edible plants.
- It's a Long StoryJaneway: (viewing the results of the food fight) Would anyone care to explain?Paris: It might be too long to go into right now, Captain.
- Letting Her Hair Down: For this episode Janeway drops her Prim and Proper Bun for the 'shoulder warmer' hairstyle she'll adopt in later seasons.
- Locked in a Room: 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.
- Love Confessor: Tom confesses his love for Kes to Harry, who isn't thrilled to find out.
- Love Triangle: This episode exists mostly to put an end to this. The Neelix-Kes-Paris triangle is resolved when Paris promises to not let anything happen between him and Kes.
- Made from Real Girl Scouts: 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.
- Meaningful Echo: 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 Love Triangle, the Doctor replies that there may not be anything she can do. "There are some things you can't cure."
- Monster Is a Mommy: The reptiloid pilot of the hostile alien vessel is just protecting its young down on the planet.
- My Sensors Indicate You Want to Tap That: 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.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. It's there for anyone to see. Maybe not in the same diagnostic detail as I see it...
- Oblivious to Love: Kes regarding Tom's infatuation, until the Doctor points it out.
- Proverbial Wisdom: Spoofed when Harry warns Tom off pursuing Kes.Kim: There's an old Chinese expression. Stay out of harm's way.Paris: That's not a Chinese expression!Kim: If it works, use it.
- Songs of Solace: Depressed over his unrequited love for Kes, Tom asks Harry to play something pessimistic. Harry instead plays something sprightly, just to be a troll.
- Suggestive Collision: Kes gets thrown into Tom's arms during his shuttle training exercise on the holodeck, giving Tom a Love Epiphany.
- Stock Footage: Footage of Jem'Hadar fighter ships from the DS9 episode "The Search Part I" is featured in the holodeck training simulation taken by Kes.
- Techno Babble: Lampshaded.Neelix: We lost communication with Voyager thirty seconds ago. You don't have to impress me with your... technobabble!
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Neelix and Tom on the away mission.
- That's an Order!:
- Janeway forbidding Doc from 'eavesdropping'.
- And telling Paris and Neelix to solve whatever problem they have with each other.
- Discussed between Paris and Neelix during their testy shuttle ride.Paris: Can I make a suggestion?
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. - Which ends up happening after they crash and Paris tells Neelix that they're ditching the shuttle.Neelix: Is that a suggestion or an order?
Paris: An order!
Neelix: Yes, sir!
- The TripleParis: I'm in trouble.Kim: What's new?Paris: I think I'm in love!Kim: What's new?Paris: With Kes.Kim: Kes!
- The Un-Smile: 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.
- Weird World, Weird Food: 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.Paris: Cold fowl in a bottle? That's just an expression, isn't it?Neelix: No. It's actually made from the glandular secretions of an adult dunghill bird, found only on Potak III.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: 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.
