As with each Star Trek collection, and actually most TV reveals, Star Trek: Voyager had its ups and downs, with some episodes being thought of classics for your complete sci-fi franchise, and others… effectively, not a lot (I’m taking a look at you, “Threshold”). Nonetheless, so far as essentially the most mentioned Voyager episodes, rating close to the highest of the checklist, if not within the #1 spot, is the controversial “Tuvix,” which noticed Tim Russ’ Tuvok and Ethan Phillips’ Neelix being merged into the title character. This story was even channeled in a current episode of The Flash, and Russ just lately talked about simply how a lot he’s requested about “Tuvix,” in addition to shared his definitive tackle the ending.
“Tuvix” got here up whereas Tim Russ was chatting with The Prepared Room host Will Wheaton about (SPOILER ALERT) his look within the newest Star Trek: Picard episode, “Dominion,” as a Changeling disguised as Tuvok. Beginning off, Russ recalled a particular second that exemplified simply how usually Star Trek: Voyager followers have introduced up “Tuvix” to him:
I used to be only in the near past up at Griffith Observatory. I have been an astronomer for an extended, very long time, and I used to be up there with the astronomy group on the time, the telescopes up there, and as I used to be simply unloading my automobile with the gear, the man that was safety, kind of managing the parking and the site visitors and stuff like that, was working for observatory, as I strolling away he mentioned, ‘You are Tuvok on Star Trek. My favourite episode was ‘Tuvix.’ Simply out of the blue, that is what he mentioned. I’ve been approached, particularly within the final two or three years, constantly, everybody asks me about that episode. ‘Tuvix’ is essentially the most, I believe out of all of our reveals, some of the controversial reveals we have completed in seven years of Voyager. They ask me about that present, that episode.
For individuals who’ve by no means seen “Tuvix,” which aired on Could 6, 1996 in the direction of the top of Season 2, the character, performed by Tom Wright, comes into existence when Tuvok and Neelix are beamed again as much as Voyager whereas carrying a plant pattern from a class-M planet they have been exploring. Finally The Physician discovers a approach to separate the 2 crew members again into separate beings, however Tuvix argues for his existence and says that bringing Tuvok and Neelix again could be the equal of executing him. Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Kathryn Janeway (who’s at present a personality on Star Trek: Prodigy) finally decides to hold out the process herself after Robert Picardo’s Physician refuses to take action. Almost three a long time later, Star Trek followers proceed to debate the moral and ethical implications introduced within the episode, with some agreeing with what Janeway did, and others believing Tuvix ought to have remained alive.
Tim Russ acknowledged the troublesome subject material introduced in “Tuvix” throughout his dialog with Wil Wheaton, noting that that is a kind of Star Trek tales the place the captain has to decide the place “there’s no successful” as a result of there are “these scales which can be virtually good.” In his opinion although, Russ believes Janeway made the best name, explaining:
They usually ask me on a regular basis, ‘Which determination would you make, or do you suppose was was the best determination?’ And I inform them, ‘Yeah. It was the best determination.’ I can say it from my perspective… the character is a father and he has kids, and he’s going to go on and survive and reside and and reproduce. The Tuvix character can’t, and it is solely certainly one of a species, and that is it. And Neelix’s character can be a part of her crew, and he or she has duty to them. So she has to make that call. This was an accident, and he or she has to rectify it. And that is it, and lots of people, typically they do not agree with that. However that episode, individuals are very keen about having made that call, and I at all times inform them, I mentioned, ‘The final shot in that whole episode is Kate strolling down the corridor when she leaves the medical bay and we have been returned. She walks out the door and he or she does not say a phrase, however you’ll be able to see it on her face. She’s completely devastated, by what she needed to do.’ And that once more is a lesson, as a result of in individuals’s actual lives, they could be confronted with that state of affairs the place they must make a really troublesome determination.
We’re solely two years away from the thirtieth anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager’s premiere, and although “Tuvix” is certainly one of its most controversial tales, it’s nonetheless spectacular that it’s nonetheless mentioned so passionately inside the fanbase. Wanting again to Tim Russ, he starred in Voyager for the whole lot of its run, and whereas Star Trek: Picard marked his first time reprising Tuvok on display screen in over 20 years, he has voiced the character in some video/pc video games, in addition to performed the Mirror Universe model of him within the Deep House 9 episode “Via the Wanting Glass.” Russ has additionally just lately starred reverse Cherry Jones in an episode of Poker Face (which Peacock subscribers can watch) and voiced Lucius Fox within the animated DC film Batman: The Doom That Got here to Gotham.
For these now taken with watching “Tuvix” for the primary time or viewing it once more, it may be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription, as Star Trek: Voyager is well accessible on the platform with the remainder of the Star Trek TV reveals. Don’t overlook to make use of our 2023 TV schedule to see what reveals are at present airing or will debut/kick off new seasons quickly.
