I just really hate the reset at the end. It seems Tuvok came out completely unaffected from the experience. No, that little joke didn't count.
I know that Star Trek wasn't big on following such issues, but usually there was atleast some pretense of an impact.
This episode just moves on.
^ Agreed
Praetorian, though reinforcing Neelix's emotionalism - his personal antithesis if not nemesis - was a big step for Tuvie. I like how Tuvok was written and performed with that emotional sensitivity of others.
That said, the Tuvok of Riddles may have seemed friendly and harmless, but physiologically he was still a Vulcan. His lowered inhibitions would inevitably unleash powerful Vulcan instinctual emotions and Tuvok's logic would be ill-equipped to manage it.
Vulcans are not humans - logic was necessary for their race to keep from destroying itself. The significance of Surak's teachings for the very survival of the Vulcan species are well-established across the canon.
Riddles Tuvok was a dangerous threat that no one seemed to acknowledge, least of all the EMH, whose job it was to recognize that fact. He might have at least compelled Tuvok to wear a cortical monitor before discharging him into Neelix's supervision.
I just thought the episode glossed over the species characteristics and assumed Tuvok to be perfectly human, and so 'fixed.' Very enlighteneded. Until the day he pulls a Lon Suder or Vorik thing.
Still, loved the epi, fantastic job on everyone's part. Yet another instance demonstrating that Neelix's 'function on this crew is diverse.' I don't think any other character could have provided 'counterpoint' to Tuvok's condition as well as Neelix - Tuvok's antithesis. I much prefer this epi to Tuvix. Much less creepy.
(BTW in Tuvix I thought Janes did - if not the right thing - the better thing).
