Robert Duncan McNeill never liked Tom Paris’ attraction to Kes

As a seasoned Star Trek enthusiast who’s witnessed the cosmic dance of characters spanning generations, I can’t help but reflect on the peculiar love triangle that unfolded between Kes, Neelix, and Paris in Voyager. It was an intriguing plot twist, to say the least, yet it felt more like a misguided attempt at drama than a natural progression of their relationships.

At the start of Star Trek: Voyager, Kes, portrayed by Jennifer Lien as an Ocampan character, was involved with Neelix, played by Ethan Phillips, who was a Talaxian. Their relationship was unusual due to their age gap and contrasting personalities, but it became even more peculiar when the writers chose to have Lt. Tom Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill, develop feelings for Kes, leading to tension between him and Neelix.

Regardless of the cause, the authors chose to construct an ambiguous romantic connection between Paris and Kes, as there was no evident chemistry between them. Even Duncan McNeill expressed disapproval towards this pairing, stating in The Official Star Trek Voyager Magazine’s issue 11 that he felt “the Kes scenario wasn’t fitting.” He found it uncomfortable to portray Paris pursuing someone who was already committed in a relationship.

I never thought the Kes thing was right. It made Paris look really bad, flirting with Kes. Luckily, they really cleared it up and dropped it so Neelix and Paris could become the odd couple.

Looking back, Neelix and Kes’ bond didn’t survive either, eventually drifting apart as friends. Strangely enough, Kes returned under strange circumstances, seemingly agitated due to rumors that Captain Janeway had dismissed her from Voyager. To me, this sudden change suggested the writers were struggling with Kes’ character development, and there were countless intriguing directions they could have taken instead.

Thankfully, they didn’t prolong Paris and Kes’s relationship, which was essentially two actors attempting to force chemistry and romantic tension that wasn’t naturally there. Lien deserved better storylines, and while we can only speculate about any behind-the-scenes struggles, it’s hopeful that her character could have been developed more effectively.

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2024-09-12 19:23