You know, Robin Williams was the reason that I started doing stand-up comedy? My personal hero. Knowing that he did this for Neelix, especially when he was getting a lot of hate? Robin is a saint. Also just a small thing because I wanted to honor the man...
Reason #72151.
7-21-51.
July 21st, 1951.
Robin Williams birthdate.
Carry on 💙
The problem, I think, is that people think Neelix is this vapid obnoxiously happy character.
Once you're a bit older or if you've been through shit, you realise he's suffering from severe trauma and mental illness, and that the whole jovial extroversion thing is often a coping mechanism. He's been through a lot, so he doesn't want others to be sad.
Far more complex than you initially think.
As someone with relatives who survived the holocaust, I recognise the type.
Not too different from Robin Williams
Exactly what I was thinking.
Exactly. I thought he was exactly that too for a long time until started seeing those cracks under the facade. He's a really deep and, like you say, complex character. I love him. Honestly relate to him a little bit. Didn't go through something as monumentally horrifying as watching my planet burn but I adopted the same defense mechanism. I feel for the dude.
Once Upon A Time recontextualised a lot of Neelix' character for me. I still find him exhausting as a character to this day, but he's no longer the badly written comic relief character in my eyes.