Dude, in the 5th episode of season 1, they encounter an alien species that has been decimated by an infection with a phage (which is a virus that targets bacteria, not animals, but ok). This species’ solution to their problem is to steal organs from other species and graft them into their own bodies. So after two millennia, they have the tech to overcome organ rejection, but can’t figure out how to deal with a virus.
So they steal Neelix’s LUNGS, and he sits in sickbay with no lungs while they have a whole ass conversation about trying a dangerous experimental surgery to give him holographic lungs. They do this, and at the end of the episode, their solution is to transplant one of Kes’s lungs into Neelix, leaving them both with one lung.
The doctor just says, “Don’t worry you’ll get used to it,” and the whole show moves on like none of this ever happened.
Omg. Airing alongside DS9 in the wake of TNG, I can see why I declined to watch this show when it originally aired. The season 1 writing is just so bad. But I’m gonna tough it out this time.
