Tuvix
My discs finally came into the library!! Also, I am watching this on my new TV, and it is such a difference. I went from a 16-year-old 32 inch box TV to a 42 inch flat screen. I guess I didn’t realize how atrocious the color was on my old TV…
WOW! Love the opening. I have had hints that this was a great episode! The title was well-done. I like the mixture of Neelix and Tuvok! Good costume and makeup design! What a fun combination out of all the characters. Does anyone wish there was a different mixture? I like the combo of the most emotional character and the least emotional character. However, from the opener I was expecting a humorous episode, not a dramatic one! GRRRRR my dumb library disc is skipping through part of the beginning….
While in the medical bay, Tuvix was scanned, but what scan in the Star Trek world takes 20 minutes? Normally, it seems like the Doc scans and heals everyone quickly. I did enjoy the Doc’s rant about how Tuvix had Tuvok’s intellectual superiority and Neelix’s quirks.
It was a good scene when Tuvix went into the mess hall and saw the mad scramble for dinner, which led him to kick everyone out, “on the authority of head chef or head of security; take your pick”! It is kind of weird to hear a highly logical, yet emotional character. In many ways, their personalities are the typical polar opposites, however, the merging acts as a balancing of the yin and yang. It was very strange, but in an enjoyable way!
When Kes went to Janeway to seek advice about Tuvix we get to see Janeway with her hair partially down. I think she looks great that way! Janeway also had a very touching scene when she talks about Mark; it was well-acted (not too sappy, yet distressed).
After Tuvix had been on the ship for a few weeks Kes goes to see him, and tells him that she would like to be his friend...with a hint of something more. At the same instance the Doc calls Tuvix to the med station because he found a way to fix their dilemma. However, Tuvix tells the Doc that he is afraid to die, and he articulates that his death would be an execution if Janeway forces him to die. He argues with Janeway and tells her that that he has the will of two men to live.
Tuvix asks Kes to speak to Janeway on his behalf. When Kes goes to Janeway she tells her that she cannot. She breaks down in tears and tells Janeway that Tuvix does not deserve to die, but that she wants Neelix back. The rest of the crew begins to side-step Tuvix on the bridge, not knowing what status he has of authority until the captain makes her judgment. There is a heart-wrenching moment on the bridge when Janeway orders him to be “healed”. He pleads to everyone on the bridge and screams that they will all regret this at some point but that he ultimately forgives them for his murder. No one (other than the doctor) stands by him or his rights. While you can assume it’s because he was not willing to sacrifice himself for Neelix and Tuvok, it also seems to have the mob pressure element. It’s difficult to stand up in a crowd, especially when under the pressure of a structured hierarchy.
This is quite the moral dilemma. Would you kill a being to save the lives of two others? I bet Janeway is going to feel like shit for the next few days; what a dilemma. Not to nit-pick over her hypocrisy, but she condemned a being begging for his right to live in order to regain her 2 crew members, but she granted Q asylum when she could have gotten home safely AND guaranteed him a supervised release from his prison in the continuum. If these events had happened in a reverse order, would the decision in Tuvix have changed her judgment for Q?
I was quite surprised that this episode was so gloomy and had so many moral issues tied into it. After the opener, I was expecting something funny…I went from being excited about this episode to kind of sad, but I guess that type of emotional swing in a single episode only goes to show that it was a great one.
Least favorite part: I am sad that Tuvix dies. He was a very likeable character, and his death was depressing. I think this was a well-written, produced, and excellently portrayed episode, but ultimately it might be too sad to be in my favorites. I think I will have to mull on it for a day or two to really decide.
Most favorite part: The make-up/costume design for Tuvix was great. I also enjoyed the pick of characters to mix.