“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!