A passing reference to Star Trek: Voyager‘s Talaxian people in Star Trek: Discovery reveals what happened to Neelix (Ethan Phillips) after he left the USS Voyager. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, “Labyrinths”, written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins, and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) travels to the Eternal Gallery and Archive, the largest collection of historical and cultural artifacts in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. By the end of Discovery season 5, episode 8, Burnham secures the final clue to the location of the Progenitors’ treasure by navigating her own mindscape.
With Captain Burnham stuck inside her own mind, and a Breen Dreadnought laying waste to the Eternal Gallery and Archive, it’s up to Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) to try finding the final clue first. Scanning through library records, Book doesn’t find the clue but does find a nod to Star Trek: Voyager character Neelix, and the Talaxian people. The Talaxians haven’t been seen since Voyager ended, so this brief reference provides a welcome update on both Neelix and his people.
Attempting to speed up the search for the final Progenitors’ clue, Commander Rayner suggests scanning the reading list of Betazoid scientist Dr. Marina Derex for hints. Accessing the records, Book concedes that she “just loved learning new things” and the books had no bearing on the location of the final clue. One of the books that Book references is A Comprehensive Guide to Talaxian Hair Styles. While this is clearly a throwaway nod to Star Trek: Voyager‘s Neelix, the presence of the book in the Eternal Gallery and Archive does suggest what happened to him and the Talaxians.
The book confirms that the Talaxians made it far beyond the Delta Quadrant after Star Trek: Voyager ended, and that they submitted items to the Eternal Gallery and Archive. In Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 23, Neelix left the USS Voyager to live in a Talaxian colony located on an asteroid. However, he maintained regular contact with the crew as their ambassador to the Delta Quadrant. As Starfleet introduced proto and quantum slipstream drives in the late 24th century, it would make it far easier for Neelix and other Talaxians to hitch a ride and make the trip to the Alpha Quadrant.
There have been a few Talaxian references in the modern franchise from Star Trek: Discovery‘s Talaxian book, to the references to Neelix in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 1, “Twovix”. Neelix also briefly appeared in one of the non-canon Star Trek animated shorts, Very Short Treks episode 4, “Holograms All The Way Down”. However, aside from this, there haven’t been Talaxians on-screen in any of the modern Star Trek shows. The obvious home for a Neelix or Talaxian cameo is in Star Trek: Prodigy, which returns to Netflix later in 2024.
Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 will see Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the crew of the USS Voyager-A travel to an alternate future to save Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran). Robert Picardo is reprising the role of the Doctor for Prodigy season 2, and other cameos have been promised. This feels like an ideal opportunity to bring back the Talaxians, and provide an update on what Neelix has been up to. While Prodigy viewers may meet an alternate future version of Neelix instead, it will still build on Star Trek: Voyager‘s Talaxians in a more substantial way than Star Trek: Discovery‘s affectionate nod.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 continues Thursdays on Paramount+.