Steve Shives finally crosses the line

I'm not going to watch that scumbag Shives, but I found Neelix extremely annoying except in the Neelix-centered stories.

In most episodes, the character is a one-dimentional bit part used as comic relief or as a foil for another person.

However, Neelix episodes allow a much deeper view of the character and for the actor to show greater range.

Jetrel, Fair Trade, Rise, and Mortal Coil for example, are all solid episodes. They flesh out Neelix's drives and motivations beyond just being a cook and interstellar party planner. They also tell stories that focus outside of the experiences of a Starfleet officer.

Unfortunately, two things stopped Neelix and others like Harry Kim and Chakotay being portrayed better throughout the rest of the series.

The first is Voyager's very strict episodic format which limited character growth potential.

The second is the disproportionate focus on the Doctor and Seven of Nine in the later seasons.