Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) The Haunting of Deck Twelve (2000) User Reviews

Better than I expected.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 March 2015]

When this episode begins, Neelix is telling the children a ghost story. Now considering it has Neelix AND kids, it seemed to have two strikes against it--yet it turns out to be a pretty good show.

The story Neelix ends up telling isn't really a story at all--it's what's been happening on the ship. But he phrases it like a story and the kids relax. It turns out that the ship is experiencing lots of random electronic problems. However, after a while, it is obvious they aren't random at all--and soon IMPORTANT systems begin malfunctioning. How the Captain deals with all this is surprisingly intelligent and the episode, to me, is quite creative. It manages to combine Kids, Neelix and a ship-bound episode into a decent show and the ghost story style really helps.

A Campfire Ghost Story - Voyager Style

[calibanplayer · 8/10 · 29 April 2007]

This episode unfolds primarily from Neelix's talking to the Borg Children while Voyager has to shutdown main power for a couple hours. It's a new twist on the old Campfire Ghost story.

The director uses some unique angles for the scenes that are supposed to take place during Neelix's story, and there are some cool effects shots.

We also get to see crewman Tal Celes, who we first met 5 episodes earlier in "Good Shepherd".

This episode was probably done as a budget saver with the season finale coming up the following week. The Borg Children have some funny lines, but some fine action and acting from the cast keep this episode from skewing too far into the Nickelodeon realm.

Neelix tells a ghost story

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 27 April 2010]

As Voyager enters a nebular the main power system is switched off and for three hours the ship is cast into darkness as the only lights working are torches. With their regeneration chambers shut down Neelix is given the job of keeping the Borg children's minds off being stuck in the dark. To pass the time he tells them the equivalent of a ghost story; this story is set shortly before the children came aboard and is shown as a flashback although it isn't clear if he is telling a story or relaying facts about what why they are entering the nebula.

He tells them how Voyager had entered the nebular before in order to harvest fuel materials, unfortunately it harvested something else; a life form living in the nebula that enters Voyager's systems. At first it isn't spotted; when it causes problems with the ship's systems they are initially thought to be random malfunctions. As it takes over more systems the crew realise it what it is it is late to do anything about it. Janeway is forced to deal with the entity and try to take it back to the Nebula.

This was a fairly exciting episode although since it is told after the event there is no real sense of danger. The end was nicely ambiguous suggesting the story Neelix told may have been true after all.

The Haunting of Deck Twelve

[Milk_Tray_Guy · 7/10 · 18 August 2023]

Interesting variation on the traditional 'haunted house' tale - in this case a 'haunted starship'. With a power outage plunging Voyager into darkness, Neelix is given the job of entertaining a group of Borg children recently taken on board. To do this he decides to tell a ghost story. The sceptical-at-first youngsters are soon drawn in, hanging on his every word (despite trying to put on a brave front!).

The writers do a good job of transposing a ghost story to the sci-fi world of Star Trek; several haunted house tropes are woven-in, in such a way that they don't feel out of place - there are even one or two creepy moments. Neelix is a character I could never take to, but here he's kept to tolerable levels. The rest of the regular cast do their usual fine job. Is the ghost real? That would be telling! A welcome change from the norm. 7/10.

Treehouse of horror

[tomsly-40015 · 7/10 · 27 January 2024]

Since Kes left Voyager and Neelix is no longer the jealous jerk of the first seasons and he also no longer wears that ridiculous chef's hat, he has become much more bearable and profound. His warm-hearted and empathetic nature towards the crew comes through much better and is not constantly overshadowed by mistrust and a lack of self-confidence.

In this episode, Neelix tells the Borg children how an alien creature has crippled half of Voyager and Janeway is now trying to find a new home for this creature. The scenery has something of campfire romanticism - when scary stories are told in the darkness by the light of the fire. Through flashbacks and constant interruptions and questions from the children about the events, including their own interpretations, the plot develops step by step. You almost have the feeling of being there and listening to Neelix's story. The whole thing has something of a sci-fi mystery horror about it.

However, I wonder why Janeway and the senior officers are keeping such a secret about the stowaway. Voyager has encountered strange beings countless times and has had one or two uninvited guests on the bridge. It would have made more sense to inform the crew about what happened on the ship and that they are looking for a new home for an alien energetic, non-corporeal life form that has temporarily made itself comfortable on deck 12. After all, they are explorers and first contact is one of their goals.

Good, atmospheric ghost story that outstays it's welcome towards the end

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 29 July 2020]

Voyager powers down for a while and in the resulting darkness Neelix tells the Borg children a ghost story.

I realise the above description doesn't sound good, but it honestly isn't as bad as it could have been. The concept is good and the story scenes are quite exciting and well put together.

Neelix, who (undeservedly) is a regular object of ridicule by fans, looks creepy in the light as he talks, adding to the atmosphere. The Borg children react well and it feels plausible.

The main problem I found with the concept was my inability to invest in what is actually a pretty good story told by Neelix. You know that if it's true, everything will work out okay in the end and if it's not true you don't really care. Also, it gets annoying when Janeway starts talking to the ship and from then on made me wish it would hurry up and finish.

Very good idea for an episode, but didn't quite hold me.

Around the campfire. This one is fun.

[smiledaydream · 9/10 · 26 April 2021]

Around the campfire. This one is fun. This is told in a classic ghost story fashion. It's fun because you like the characters and you like the crew and you don't know how it's going to end and what is happening. It was very enjoyable. As improbable as it is, the crew appears to be alive. This better not turn out to be another version of Lost.

Master Storytelling

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 14 September 2018]

I won't go into all the science (as if I could), but suffice it to say that in order to send an alien life form back to a nebula, Voyager must plunge everything into darkness. The Borg kids come out of regeneration and Neelix has been given the task of looking out for them. They are incredibly smart, so his task is quite hard. When they immediately become bored, Neelix tells them he will confide in them the story of what happened to Voyager before they came on board. He launches into wild tale of a gaseous life form taking over the ship and pushing the crew to their very limits. We are aware that this may or may not be a story. We ourselves may have been left in the dark. The story is exciting and shows what a gift our imaginations are. Neelix is so annoying and those kids are hard to take at times, but this worked really well.

How could it be worse -completely terrible !

[daveiulee · 1/10 · 5 March 2024]

This is a not watchable episode. What was this supposed to be? A crappy Friday the 13th ripoff?

Trying to scare the Borg kids makes zero sense - not sure they have emotions? After trying to scare the Borg kids, it really does not close their content. Neilix is a complete clump in the episode- why is he on this show?

Seems like the writers really run out of ideas. How did this get produced. What was the goal? This was not a Halloween episode. Maybe that would work for a few viewers?

I hope never to see this episode again.

This is the worst Star Trek episode ever.

I do not understand the high scores. I completely do not understand??