Star Trek
Tuvix – Captain Janeway Had Only One Option And She Did It!
“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!
Take Me To The Final Frontier
If you could step into any movie or book, what would you pick? Why?
No question about it, I don’t even have to think about it. But if anyone asks me that I could step into any book or movie – add television shows to it – and live my life as part of it, it would be and always will be, ever since I became a Trekkie at the age of 19 way back in 1995, STAR TREK! No thinking about it, no humming or hawing, no doubts! Star Trek it is. But which era?
You see Discovery & ugh Section 31 exist. So no I do not want to step into that era. And though I love TOS which is in the 23rd Century, the 24th Century looks more up my alley. I love the TNG/DS9/Voyager aesthetics and the life that humans live in that time period. So that’s where I would want to move my life into. Bring all my family members and friends and their family members. We should all live in a life where there is no poverty, no need for money, no hunger, no famine, no homeless, no accidents like we see now, no wars among humans and basically none of the illnesses that we see in existence now. Most of them have been eradicated and it is rare for someone to suffer and die due to the illness.
Even if I didn’t join Starfleet and explore the galaxy, we can still go out into space. Utopian Earth still will be there and we can always come back to the familiarity and comfort of it after some time spent on other planets or moons. Visit the alien landscapes and see the wonders out there but then come back home. Or hey, if you feel like you found another planet that you want to live on, you can carry one of those spaceships that double up as a home and settle there for a while. Take me there please!
Prompt from Journal Writing Prompts for January 2025 at Rebecca’s Country Notes
Star Trek : Voyager Turns 30 Years Old!
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.
If I Could Just Have My Full Fleet Of Starships
If you could have the full range of something, what would you choose? (e.g. all 108 tombow dual brush pen colours)
Well I can think of several things that I would want a full range of. So many things like a Samsung range – phone, laptop, earbuds, smart tv & tab. However I am poor.
What I would love to get, as a big Trekkie, is to get the entire range of Eaglemoss’s Star Trek starships. I did buy quite a few of them and I love them but, that was when I had a freelance gig for a couple of years and I had some extra cash to spend. So what I did was buy some of the ship models an dvds and a few Funko Pops. Speaking of dvds & Funkos, I would like to get a whole range of them to add to my collection as well.
However since mid 2021 I haven’t been getting those freelance work and it trickled down to zero by early 2022. Hence I haven’t bought any since then as our expenses are crazy in recent years.
Prompt from Journaling Prompts from The Coffee Monterz Co . Com
RIP Teri Garr
Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as âYoung Frankensteinâ and âTootsie,â has died. She was 79. Known for her comedic roles in film and television she received nominations for an Academy Award, and a British Academy Film Award. Garr died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis surrounded by family and friends. She battled other health problems in recent years and underwent an operation in January 2007 to repair an aneurysm.
Garr was raised primarily in North Hollywood, California. She was the third child of a comedic-actor father and a studio costumer mother. In her youth, Garr trained in ballet and other forms of dance. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in television and film in the early 1960s, including appearances as a dancer in six Elvis Presley musicals. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City. She had her big break appearing in an episode of Star Trek, “Assignment Earth”. Garr was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her comedic role as an acting student in Tootsie (1982).
She is known for her roles in Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller The Conversation (1974) and One from the Heart (1982), Mel Brooks’s comedy Young Frankenstein (1974), Steven Spielberg’s science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Martin Scorsese’s black comedy After Hours (1985). She also acted in the comedy films Oh, God! (1977), Mr. Mom (1983), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Michael (1996) and Ghost World (2001). Garr was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her comedic role as an acting student in Tootsie (1982). She is known for her roles in Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller The Conversation (1974) and One from the Heart (1982), Mel Brooks’s comedy Young Frankenstein (1974), Steven Spielberg’s science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Martin Scorsese’s black comedy After Hours (1985). She also acted in the comedy films Oh, God! (1977), Mr. Mom (1983), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Michael (1996) and Ghost World (2001).
In the late 1990s, Garr landed a role as recurring character Phoebe Abbott in Friends, the estranged birth mother of Phoebe Buffay. She retired from acting in 2011. In 2006, Garr published an autobiography, Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood, which details her career and health struggles after her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. In the early 1980s, Garr was in a seven-year relationship with film executive Roger Birnbaum, followe y a 7 year relationship with physician John O’Neil. Garr married building contractor John O’Neil, and that same year, in November, they were present when their adopted daughter Molly O’Neil was born. The couple divorced in 1996.
RIP Patti Yasutake
Patti Yasutake, who was a regular on âBeefâ and played Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on âStar Trek: The Next Generation,â died Aug. 5 in Santa Monica of cancer. She was 70. On Netflixâs âBeef,â Yasutake played Georgeâs mother Fumi Nakai. She is most famous for her âStar Trekâ role as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in the tv series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the movie Star Trek Generations and Star Trek : First Contact.
She started her career working with Mako at East West Players theater company. She also worked with the other companies including Los Angeles Theatre Center, South Coast Repertory, the Westwood Playhouse. Her television acting career began in 1985 with an appearance on the show T. J. Hooker. Yasutakeâs major feature debut came in Ron Howardâs 1986 comedy âGung Ho,â and she went on to star in the TV series adaptation as Umeki, a Japanese wife trying to become more Americanized. Her other TV guest appearances included âThe Closer,â âGreyâs Anatomy,â âBones,â and films including âDrop Dead Gorgeous,â âBlind Spotâ and âThe Road to Galveston.â
More recently, she appeared on Boston Legal. She resided in Hollywood, California. She was married. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in 1988 for her role in The Wash. She also directed for the theater, staging premieres including âDoughballâ at East West Players and âFather, I Must Have Riceâ at the Ensemble Studio Theater, along with a reprise of âTeaâ at the Odyssey Theater. Overall she played Nurse Ogawa in 16 episode of TNG. she auditioned for the part of an unnamed conn officer on The Next Generation but wasn’t cast. After she first appeared as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in the fourth season episode “Future Imperfect” in 1990 she wasn’t convinced to be called back and play this part again. Yasutake was also a contender for the role of Keiko O’Brien, introduced in the same season, but the role was cast with actress Rosalind Chao.
In 2001 she provided additional voices for the video game Star Trek: Armada II. In 1993, Yastutake also portrayed Alyssa Ogawa in a Hallmark television commercial in North America where she is seen questioning the shipboard computer about the features of the USS Enterprise-D “Keepsake” ornament. She has had movie roles in Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot, Dangerous Intentions, Drop Dead Gorgeous and The Coverup. Born in Los Angeles, she was raised in Gardena and Inglewood and graduated UCLA with Honors in Theater. She is survived by siblings Linda Hayashi and Steve Yasutake.
What Are The Events That Led To World War III In Star Trek?
In the Star Trek universe, World War III is a significant historical event that shapes the future of humanity. The details of the conflict are provided through various episodes across different series. Here is a summary of the events leading to World War III in the Star Trek lore:
- Escalation of Tensions:
- By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, geopolitical tensions on Earth had been growing. Nationalistic fervor, economic disparities, and ideological differences contributed to increasing instability.
- Genetic Engineering and the Eugenics Wars:
- In the 1990s, humanity experienced the Eugenics Wars, a series of conflicts involving genetically engineered superhumans, known as Augments. These Augments, such as Khan Noonien Singh, attempted to seize control of the planet. Although Khan and his followers were eventually defeated and exiled, the wars left lasting scars and contributed to distrust of genetic engineering.
- Decline of Global Stability:
- By the early 21st century, the aftermath of the Eugenics Wars and other conflicts led to a significant decline in global stability. Nation-states struggled with economic collapse, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity.
- Outbreak of World War III:
- The actual outbreak of World War III occurred around 2026, sparked by conflicts over resources and ideological differences. It was a devastating global conflict involving multiple factions and the use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The war lasted for several decades, peaking in the 2050s.
- Devastation and Aftermath:
- World War III resulted in the deaths of approximately 600 million people and widespread devastation. Major cities were destroyed, governments collapsed, and much of Earth’s infrastructure was left in ruins. The social, economic, and environmental impacts were catastrophic.
- Post-War Recovery and the Phoenix Launch:
- In the aftermath of the war, humanity faced a long period of recovery. Amidst the ruins, individuals like Zefram Cochrane worked on technological advancements. Cochrane’s successful test of the warp drive on April 5, 2063, attracted the attention of the Vulcans, leading to First Contact and setting humanity on a path toward unity and exploration.
- Formation of a New World Order:
- Following First Contact, humans began to rebuild and reorganize society. The realization that they were not alone in the universe prompted efforts to overcome past divisions. This period of rebuilding eventually led to the formation of the United Earth government and later, the United Federation of Planets.
World War III in the Star Trek universe serves as a pivotal turning point, highlighting the destructive potential of humanity but also its capacity for recovery, cooperation, and progress.
USS Enterprise 1701-C – Captain Rachel Garrett’s Starship
RIP Kenneth Mitchell
Canadian actor Kenneth Mitchell has passed away. Mitchell revealed that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He has used a power wheelchair since October 2019.  By August 2021, Mitchell had lost the use of his voice due to the disease. He is known for his portrayal of 3 different Klingons in Star Trek Discovery – Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik in seasons 1 & 2, as well as the wheelchair ridden human Aurellio, in season 3!
Among his prominent roles, in 2002, Mitchell had a recurring role on the TV series Odyssey 5, which was created by Manny Coto and starred Peter Weller. He played the older son of Weller’s character who was a little estranged from his astronaut father & younger brother. In 2004 he played real life American hockey player Ralph Cox in Miracle and went on to play a main character in the American post-apocalyptic action drama television series Jericho. He went on to have a recurring role in Ghost Whisperer an Switched at birth and starred in the 2013 tv movie Tasmanian Devil on SYFY alongside Mike Dopu Roger Cross, Rekha Sharma & Danica McKellar.
He has been in numerous guest appearance on tv after moving to the Los Angeles area before playing 3 different Klingons in Star Trek Discovery. In Season 1 he played Kol, from the house of Kor, the commanding officer of the Klingon military. He also portrayed Kol-Sha, the father of Kol, in the season 2 episode “Point of Light” and Tenavik, a Klingon monk who is the child of Ash Tyler/Vog an T’rell. In 2019, Mitchell appeared in two flashback scenes as the father of Carol Danvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature Captain Marvel. Mitchell was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”) in August 2018, and has been using a wheelchair since October 2019. he role of Aurellio was subsequently written for him as a hoverchair user, to retain his talent for the show and incorporate his wheelchair use. The USS Mitchell, which featured in Discovery season 4, is named for him.
Mitchell is survived by his wife actress Susan May Pratt, who he married on in 2006, and their two children, a daughter (born 2007) and a son (born 2012).
Star Trek Discovery’s 5th & Final Season Comes Out In Just Over A Month
The 5th and final season of Star Trek Discovery is soon upon us. As per the update from Paramount, the 10 episode season will premier on April 4th and end on May 30th. The most divisive of the Star Trek shows which debuted back in 2017, season 5 follows the crew of the starship Discovery in the 32nd century, more than 900 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, on a galactic adventure to find a mysterious power that has been hidden for centuries and which other dangerous groups are also searching for.
Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham, captain of the Discovery, along with the returning Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, and David Ajala. They are joined by Callum Keith Rennie (yes from Due South, Hard Core Logo & Battlestar Galactica) who plays a new character named Captain Rayner,  war-time Starfleet captain struggling to adjust to peace. He is joined this season by fellow Canadians Eve Harlow as Moll & Elias Toufexis as L’ak – who look like they will be the main villains of the season. Returning in supporting roles are Oded Fehr as Charles Vance, Chelah Horsdal as Laira Rillak, Tara Rosling as T’Rina, David Cronenberg as Kovich & Tig Notaro as Jett Reno.
While I admit that the show deserves credit for the fact that we have had four other shows after it’s early success, I am not sad to see it end. There is way too many problems with the show, the casting the writing and the acting. Special effects is awesome and I must say that I did like the 1st season and the second season – mainly for getting us Pike, Una & young Spock and the spinoff Strange New Worlds. The crying, the whispering, the head titling and Space Jesus and the “feelings” – ugh. I have so many issues with the acting and casting choices of Mary Wiseman an Blu Del Barrio as well as David Adjala but I am so glad that they got rid of Ian Alexander as he was terrible! Hoping that season 5 will be way better.
RIP Gary Graham
American actor Gary Graham, known for a variety of roles in the Star Trek universe, and his lead role on the tv series Alien Nation, has reportedly passed away. He was 73 years old. His ex-wife, actress Susan Lavelle, broke the sad news on her personal Facebook page in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 23, sharing a series of photos that included Gary hugging their daughter, Haylee Graham, he and Lavelle attending the Sixth Annual Television Hall of Fame Awards in 1990, and a press photo from the series Alien Nation, in which he starred as Detective Matthew Sikes.
With a career spanning five decades beginning in the 1970s in television and movies, he is perhaps best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series Alien Nation (1989â1990) and five subsequent Alien Nation television films (1994â1997), as well as his work in the Star Trek franchise, most notably the recurring role of Soval, the Vulcan ambassador to Earth in Star Trek: Enterprise. Born in Long Beach, California. One of his earliest roles was in the 1980 CBS mini series Scruples based on the Judith Krantz novel starring Lindsay Wagner. He was cast as a “hitman” on the television show Moonlighting co-starring opposite Bruce Willis. Graham played more than 38 TV roles and had been in more than 40 movies.
He also guest-starred on Star Trek: Voyager (1995) once, playing Ocampan community leader Tanis in the season 2 episode “Cold Fire”. He played Ragnar in the fan production Star Trek: Of Gods and Men and continued that role in Star Trek: Renegades. In 2015, Graham reprised his role as Ambassador Soval, in the fan film Star Trek: Axanar. As a musician, Graham was in the bands The Gary Graham Garage Band, The Gary Graham Band and The Sons of Kirk.
Star Trek : Lower Decks – Replicate Yourself As A Starfleet Officer In The Animated Show
Do you ever wish you were in Starfleet? Traveling the galaxy, meeting aliens and visiting strange new worlds? Star Trek: Lower Decks is offering you the chance! With Star Trek: Lower Decks Replicate Yourself, you can become a part of the Trek universe by creating an avatar in the Star Trek: Lower Decks style. Joining the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is an honor that would impress even Kahless, so visit the site now and enter the Lower Decks universe.
RIP Nicolas Coster
Nicolas Coster, an Englishâborn American actor, has passed away at the age of 89. Coster was most known for his work in daytime drama and as a character actor on nighttime television series, such as Wonder Woman, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, T. J. Hooker, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Coster was born in London to an American mother and a New Zealand father who was a London theatre critic and marine commander, Coster was raised mostly in California. Coster returned to England to study acting at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Art. He also studied acting with Lee Strasberg in New York City. After his stint on Broadway and the Victoria Theatre in England, Coster appeared in the NBC soap opera Young Doctor Malone. He created the role of Professor Paul Britton on The Secret Storm, a role he played in 1964 and from 1967 to 1968. He played John Eldridge in the primetime serialized drama Our Private World and on As the World Turns.
Coster created the role of Robert Delaney on Somerset in March 1970 and later moved to Another World playing the same character. He played gangster-turned-informant Anthony Makana on One Life to Live, but left that series to create the role of Lionel Lockridge on Santa Barbara. He played kidnapper Steve Andrews on the ABC soap opera All My Children and returned to Another World for its 25th anniversary in 1989. He returned to his role on Santa Barbara in 1990 until the show was canceled in January 1993. He appeared on As the World Turns from 1993â1995.
I first watched him on Santa Barbara back in the early 90s when the show was being telecast on cable tv in India. Back then we had one channel with American and some British shows and my sister and I watched a bunch of the soaps as well. After that I saw him in an episode of Star Trek The Next Generation in which he plays Admiral Haftel and more recently in The Concorde … Airport ’79.
THE USS ENTERPRISE NCC-1701-D IS BACK BABY!
Star Trek Starships : USS Titan NCC-1777
The USS Titan NCC 80102-A : The New Hero Ship On Star Trek Picard Season 3
RIP Annie Wersching
Actress Annie Wersching, best known for her roles in the television shows 24, Bosch, Timeless and more recently in Star Trek : Picard, died of cancer early yesterday. She was 45. Wersching continued to shoot even after her 2020 diagnosis, with prominent roles in Star Trek: Picard as the Borg queen in Season 2, and The Rookie. She also voiced Tess in the popular The Last Of Us video game, which was adapted into a TV series by HBO.
Wersching was born and raised in St. Louis by parents Sandy and Frank. Wersching began her acting career with a guest appearance on the show Star Trek: Enterprise and moved on to guest starring roles on such shows as Charmed, Killer Instinct, Supernatural and Cold Case. From March to November 2007, she played the recurring role of Amelia Joffe on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She has also worked in theaters such as Victory Gardens, Marriott Lincolnshire, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. She went on to star as Renee Walker in Seasons 7 and 8 of 24. After her two-season stint in 24, Wersching guest starred on various shows, including CSI, NCIS, Rizzoli & Isles, Hawaii Five-0, Body of Proof, Dallas, Revolution, Castle, Blue Bloods, The Vampire Diaries and Touch.
She played a great villain in the short lived Timeless before she was part of 3 seasons of the superhero series The Runaways. In December 2012, it was revealed that in the PlayStation 3 exclusive The Last of Us, Wersching was the voice and motion-capture actor of the character Tess. Wersching was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in 2020, though she continued to act afterward. One of her final roles was in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard exactly two decades after she made her screen acting debut in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. She played a Borg Queen in an alternate timeline who is captured. Wersching is survived by her husband and children Freddie, 12; Ozzie, and Archie, 4.