“Tuvix” is the title of the40th episode & 24th in the second season of the science fiction television program Star Trek: Voyager. It is also the character name of the guest star of the episode. The episode originally aired on May 6, 1996, and tells the story of Tuvok and Neelix being merged into a unique third character named Tuvix. Lieutenant Tuvok and Neelix are sent to collect botanical samples from a class-M planet. When beamed back aboard Voyager, the two men and the Orchidaceae they collected are merged at the molecular level to become a single lifeform which names himself Tuvix (played by Tom Wright). After ruling out transporter malfunction, the crew discovers that when demolecularized, the genetic material of the alien orchids acted as a symbiogenetic catalyst and is the culprit for the combination of the two crewmembers. Unfortunately, the process cannot be reversed, and Tuvix is accepted as a member of the crew with the rank of lieutenant, functioning as chief tactical officer in Tuvok’s stead.

Despite initial apprehension, over the course of the next 2 weeks Tuvix becomes an important part of the crew, filling in as chef when he was not on bridge duty and improving upon Neelix’s cooking. He tries to get close to Kes, who doesn’t mind him as a friend as she understand that he has the wisdom & logic of her mentor Tuvox and the feelings for her that Neelix has. But she misses the two of them and wants Neelix back. Two weeks in, the Doctor is able to device a procedure to use the transporter to disentangle them and bring back Tuvok & Neelix – but Tuvix puts a spanner in the works when he declares that he does not want to die! After discussing the situation with Commander Chakotay, Kes, and Tuvix himself, Janeway ultimately decides to proceed with the separation, acting in absentia to protect the rights of the two constituent men. Tuvix makes a final emotive plea for support from the crew, but finds no supporters.

The doctor, as a physician even if he is a hologram cannot do the procedure as he too has taken the vow, of doing no harm, hence Captain Janeway performs the procedure herself and succeeds in restoring both Tuvok and Neelix. After welcoming the two men back, she walks away – and her face gives away the emotional turmoil and depth of what she had to do! She did it not because she liked it, but because she had to. The ship and the crew needed both Tuvok and Neelix back and as much as she didn’t like ending the existence of Tuvix, it just has to be done. But it is not murder, it is not an execution and it is not a killing.

Initially – during my first watch on cable and a couple of rewatches – I didn’t like the actor who played Tuvix. Over the years it has become one of my fav episodes of the show. But despite the tragic choice, it’s not a murder and it’s not too controversial a decision. Infact, it was the only decision that could be made. Janeway had to act and that was her only choice. It doesn’t mean that she had to like it! The captain had to steel herself and get what was needed to be done. Sometimes the hard choice is better left to the right leader!

Star Trek : Voyager turned 30 years old as the double episode pilot Caretaker was aired back in January 16, 1995. Since the pilot aired, we have had 172 (syndicated) episodes over the show’s seven seasons, ending with another double episode in Endgame which aired as the 171 and 172 in the overall series on May 23, 2001. Pictured here are the original cast members clockwise : Ethan Phillips as Neelix, Gareth Wang as Ensign Harry Kim, Jennier Lien as Kes, Robert Duncan McNeil as Lt. Tom Paris, Robert Picardo as the ships EMH The Doctor, Roxann Dawson as Lt. B’Elanna Torres, Tim Russ as Lt. Commander Tuvok, Kate Mugrew as Captain Katheryn Janeway and Robert Beltran as Command Chakotay. Missing from the cast pic is ofcourse Jeri Ryan who portrayed 7 of 9 from the 4th season onwards.

The fifth series in the Star Trek franchise, it served as the fourth live action series after Star Trek: The Original Series. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager as it attempts to return home to the Alpha Quadrant after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant on the far side of the galaxy. After Janeway destroys the Caretaker’s array, stranding her ship 70,000 light years from home, in order to keep it from falling into the hands of the villainous Kazons, she recruits the Maquis members to join the crew as they try to make their way back to Federation space and Earth. After the initial distrust and classes, the crew becomes more or less like a family.

Voyager was the first Star Trek series to use computer-generated imagery (CGI), rather than models, for exterior space shots. Voyager was the only show in the Roddenberry/Berman era not to open with a scene featuring the Captain. The series was restricted by union rules to only use locations within a radius of 37 miles from Paramount studios which was why Vasquez Rocks was a popular filming location.  In an incredibly rare example of Star Trek successfully navigating something across all 3 of its 90s shows, the seeds of the Maquis were planted purely for the benefit of a show that hadn’t even made it to TV yet. despite their prominence on Deep Space Nine, and originally being mentioned both on that show and The Next Generation before Voyager had even premiered, they were written and conceived entirely for the upcoming adventures in the Delta Quadrant. The show is comfort food for Trek fans and is beloved as such.