Ep 5. Once Upon a Time

As the fifth season of Star Trek: Voyager gets underway, the crew of the starship is still stranded in the Delta Quadrant, over 70 years from home. In episode 5, titled "Once Upon a Time," viewers get a glimpse of how some of the crew members ended up on the ship.

The episode begins with Neelix, the Talaxian cook, injured and unconscious in the ship's sickbay. As he recovers, he starts regaining memories of his past, including a time when he crashed on a planet and was rescued by a group of Haakonians. The Haakonians were at war with the Talaxians, but one member of the group, a young girl named Wixiban, befriended Neelix and helped him escape. Neelix is surprised to find out that Wixiban is now part of the Voyager crew.

As Neelix continues to recover, he starts remembering more about his past, including his time as a trader and smuggler. He realizes that he may have some information that could help the crew in their journey home and convinces Captain Janeway to let him go on a mission to retrieve it. While on the mission, Neelix is captured by the Haakonians and brought before Wixiban's father, who wants to execute him for his past crimes.

Meanwhile, back on Voyager, the crew is dealing with a malfunction in the ship's computer systems that sends everyone's personal logs into the holodeck, creating a virtual reality scenario where they must solve a mystery to regain control of the systems. The scenario is a mash-up of different literary genres, including detective fiction, romance, and science fiction.

As the crew works together to solve the mystery and get the computer systems back online, Neelix is facing his own challenges on the Haakonian ship. With the help of Wixiban, he is able to prove his worth and convince her father to spare his life. Neelix is also able to retrieve the information he was seeking, which includes a map of Haakonian space that could be valuable to Voyager.

The episode ends with the crew back on the ship and Neelix returning to his role as cook. While the malfunction in the computer systems caused some briefly awkward situations, it also gave the crew a chance to work together and have some fun. And with the map of Haakonian space in their possession, the crew is one step closer to finding their way home.

Overall, "Once Upon a Time" is an enjoyable episode that explores some of the more lighthearted aspects of the Star Trek universe. The holodeck malfunction subplot is a fun way to showcase different literary genres and give the crew a break from their usual challenges. And Neelix's backstory adds some depth to a character who is often relegated to comic relief. Despite the lack of action, the episode is still engaging and provides some interesting character development.