Summary
- Star Trek: Voyager's "Mortal Coil" had an original horror premise featuring a Borg zombie Samantha Wildman.
- Voyager was ultimately forced to scrap the horror idea due to it being too gruesome for Star Trek.
- While still a great Neelix episode, "Mortal Coil" missed a chance for a much more unique premise.
I've always liked Star Trek: Voyager's season 4 episode "Mortal Coil," but now I'm disappointed that its original premise was scrapped. "Mortal Coil" was the 12th episode of Voyager season 4, and featured a poignant storyline centered on Neelix (Ethan Phillips) struggling with his spirituality and questions of the afterlife after he was killed and subsequently revived in a shuttle accident. The episode is a tour-de-force for Neelix, and one of his best in the series, but one my favorite parts has always been Neelix's interactions with recurring character Samantha Wildman (Nacy Hower) and her daughter, Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers).
The Wildmans were important recurring members of Star Trek: Voyager's cast, and were involved in some great episodes throughout the show, including "Mortal Coil." Naomi tended to be the focus of more storylines, offering a unique perspective as the first child born in the Delta Quadrant and sharing some truly wonderful moments with characters like Neelix and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Samantha had much less screen time than her daughter, but if the original premise for "Mortal Coil" had gone forward, the episode would have ended up being a big deal for her.
Star Trek: Voyager’s Neelix Episode “Mortal Coil” Was Originally About A Borg Zombie
The episode's original premise was completely different
In an interview with The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, Voyager producer and writer Brannon Braga revealed that "Mortal Coil" was originally going to focus on Samantha Wildman and have a much darker lean to it. While the episode did end up featuring some heavy themes, Braga's discussion of the initial idea makes it clear that had it not been reworked, "Mortal Coil" would likely have been the closest thing to a horror movie the Star Trek franchise has ever created, an idea that excited me when I first read about it. Read Braga's full quote below:
"We were going to do this Pet Sematary episode where Ensign Wildman goes on a shuttle mission and dies, and Seven of Nine brings her back to life using Borg technology, except that now she's 'zombie mom.' She's not all there. Wildman's more connected with death than life, and her only link to life is through her daughter. She wants to kill her daughter, though, to bring her back to 'life' so she can share that experience with her. Really a creepy, morbid story! I thought, 'This is going to be so much fun to write. There has been nothing on Star Trek remotely like that, ever.' So we broke the story, and everybody was pretty happy about it."
Despite enthusiasm, the idea of Samantha Wildman turning into a Borg zombie and attempting to kill her daughter did not sit well with Voyager producer Rick Berman or Paramount Studios, who thought it was too gruesome for Star Trek. The premise was quickly scrapped and reworked into the episode it became. Some of the original elements, like a dead crew member being brought back by nanoprobes, are still present, but the truly horrific stuff was replaced with a more existential lean. Knowing about the original premise now though, I can't help but be disappointed it didn't pan out.
Star Trek: Voyager's Original “Mortal Coil” Premise Being Cut Is Disappointing
It's still a great Voyager episode
Having "Mortal Coil" be a full-on Star Trek horror episode would have been a great addition to Voyager and a unique premise for the franchise as a whole. While I understand the reservations about featuring a mother wanting to kill her daughter, especially in the 1990s on mainstream television, "Mortal Coil" squandered the chance to do something truly original. The episode's initial premise was hair-raising in some of the best ways, and would also have been a chance for Nancy Hower, a phenomenal actor who didn’t get enough screen time, to shine as Samantha Wildman.
Neelix didn't get many dramatic or heartfelt moments, so allowing him his storyline in "Mortal Coil" was a real win.
That's not to say that "Mortal Coil" didn't end up becoming great. On the contrary, I think the episode is one of the best of season 4 and the best Neelix episode of the series. Neelix didn't get many dramatic or heartfelt moments, so allowing him his storyline in "Mortal Coil" was a real win. Many of Neelix's scenes in the episode have stuck with me for years, and his character development is arguably unmatched anywhere else in the series. However, these things don't preclude the fact that Star Trek: Voyager missed an opportunity to do something much more unique.
