As with every Star Trek series and most TV shows, Star Trek: Voyager had its ups and downs, with some episodes considered classics of the entire sci-fi franchise, and others… Well, not so much (I’m looking at you, “Threshold”). However, as for the most discussed episodes of Voyager, at the top of the list, if not in the first place, is the controversial “Tuvix”, in which Tim Russ’s Tuvok and Ethan Phillips’ Neelix were combined into a title. personality. This story was even aired in a recent episode of The Flash, and Russ recently talked about how much he asked about “Tuvix” and also shared his final opinion on the ending.
“Tuvix” appeared when Tim Russ was chatting with The Ready Room host Will Wheaton about (WARNING, SPOILER) his appearance in the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard, Dominion, as a Changeling disguised as Tuvok. As he started, Russ recalled a specific moment that demonstrated how often Star Trek: Voyager fans mentioned Tuvix to him:
I was at the Griffith Observatory quite recently. I was an astronomer for a long, long time, and I was there with an astronomy group at the time, there were telescopes there, and when I was unloading my car with equipment, the guy who was a security guard, sort of managing parking, traffic and the like, was working at the observatory when I left, he said: “You’re a Tuvok from Star Trek. My favorite series was “Tuvix”. That’s what he said, quite unexpectedly. I have been approached, especially in the last two or three years, constantly, everyone asks me about this episode. “Tuvix” is the most, I think, of all our shows, one of the most controversial shows we’ve done in the seven years of Voyager. They ask me about this series, about this episode.
For those who have never seen “Tuvix”, which aired on May 6, 1996 at the end of season 2, the character played by Tom Wright appears when Tuvok and Neelix return to Voyager with the plant. a sample from the M-class planet they were exploring. In the end, the Doctor finds a way to divide the two crew members into separate beings again, but Tuvix argues for his existence and says that the return of Tuvok and Neelix would be equivalent to his execution. Captain Kate Mulgrew Katherine Janeway (who is currently a Star Trek: Prodigy character) eventually decides to perform the procedure herself after Dr. Roberta Picardo refuses to do it. Nearly three decades later, Star Trek fans continue to debate the ethical and moral implications presented in this episode, with some agreeing with what Janeway did and others believing that Tuvix should have stayed alive.
Tim Russ acknowledged the difficult topic presented in “Tuvix” during a conversation with Wil Wheaton, noting that this is one of those “Star Trek” stories where the captain has to make a decision where “there is no payoff” because there are “these scales that are almost perfect.” However, in his opinion, Russ believes that Janeway made the right choice by explaining it this way:
And they keep asking me, “What decision would you make, or do you think it was the right decision?” And I tell them, “Yes. It was the right decision.” I can say this from my point of view… the character is a father, and he has children, and he is going to survive, live and reproduce. The Tuvix character can’t, and it’s just one of a kind, and that’s it. And Neelix’s character is also part of her team, and she is responsible to them. Therefore, she must make this decision. It was an accident, and she had to fix it. And that’s it, and a lot of people sometimes disagree with it. But in this episode, people are very passionate about their decision, and I always tell them, “The very last frame in this whole episode is Kate walking down the hallway as she comes out of the medical bay, and we were brought back.” . She walks out the door and doesn’t say a word, but you can see it on her face. She is absolutely devastated by what she had to do.” And this is a lesson again, because in real life people can face a situation where they have to make a very difficult decision.
There are only two years left until the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager Premiere, and although Tuvix is one of the most controversial stories, it is nevertheless impressive that it is still so passionately discussed by fans. Looking back at Tim Russ, he starred in Voyager throughout its run, and while Star Trek: Picard marked his first on-screen reprise of Tuvok in over two decades, he also voiced the character in some video/computer games. how he played his version from the Mirror Universe in the Deep Space Nine episode “Through the Looking Glass”. Russ also recently starred alongside Cherry Jones in an episode of Poker Face (which Peacock subscribers can watch) and voiced Lucius Fox in the DC animated film Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.
For those who are now interested in watching “Tuvix” for the first time or in watching it again, it can be streamed via a Paramount+ subscription, since “Star Trek: Voyager” is easily available on the platform along with the rest of the “Star Trek” TV shows. Don’t forget to use our TV program for 2023 to find out which shows are currently being broadcast or new seasons will debut/open soon.
