Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) Tuvix (1996) User Reviews

Wacky hijinks ensue when Neelix and Tuvok are joined to create Tuvix. But with a serious moral dilemma about taking unwilling lives at the expense of saving others.

[crazyhead-935-774583 · 8/10 · 10 May 2014]

The episode started with a ridiculous premise. Neelix and Tuvok are combined in a transporter accident and we are treated to Tuvix. What seems like it will be an annoying abomination, a forgettable, unfunny episode with a typical "and then nothing changes" conclusion.

But the ridiculous premise surprised me and went much further than I thought it would. Tuvix becomes an individual person through the several weeks the episode takes place. I likable one who is friends with most of the crew. So by the time a cure is discovered, Tuvix is a separate person from Neelix and Tuvok with his own will to live.

Which is the lesser of two evils: to accept the deaths of Nelix and Tuvok to allow the life of Tuvix or to save those two lives at the cost of this new one? When did he become an individual with the right to life? Does he have the right to demand two deaths to pay for his life? Does Janeway have the right to save them by taking an unwilling life?

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Do these two lives outweigh the one? Spock would give his life to save many. Though many captains would risk the lives of their entire crew to save a handful of people. Worf saved the life of his wife at the cost of countless war casualties. When Sisko convinced the Romulans to join the war, which would save many of their lives, it cost the execution of some innocent Romulans. Now it's Janeway's turn.

We all know how it will end because it would be stupid for Tuvix to be a main character for the rest of the show. But it's still heart wrenching to see the characters deal with their emotions and make the decision.

If you think the captain made the right decision to sacrifice one unwilling life to save two, they make sure it's hard to go through. They evoke emotions that make sure you don't want it to happen, even if you think it's right. Just as the characters are going through.

If you think she made the wrong choice, you see her struggle to choose, how much this choice hurts, how hard it is to do and to live with. Either way, she will punish herself for her choice. Between the two options, there is no right one. But she has to choose.

I thought this would be silly

[Ar_Pharazon_the_golden · 9/10 · 26 February 2019]

After all, it is called Tuvix, and involves a transporter accident, which stands for "unbearably unscientific craziness". And yes, it is an episode where Tuvoc and Neelix fuse together into a single humanoid, because of alien orchids. An eye-rolling premise - and at first, there is the fear that the episode is about how Tuvoc will through this experience learn to appreciate the annoying organism known as Neelix and vice versa.

But, surprisingly, no. Not even close. The new Tuvix creature just settles in the ship, as the Doctor has trouble "separating the two DNAs in order to restore Tuvoc and Neelix". Mind you, this is the same Doctor who had no trouble turning humans who had turned into salamanders back into humans - but maybe everyone already pretends this never happened. Eventually, though, a solution is found, but Tuvix doesn't want it - he has a mind of his own, and to force the cure would kill him.

I understand the (necessary for a series) resolution may leave some viewers unsettled and unsatisfied - I see some reviews disagreeing vehemently with the morality of the episode. As I see it, within context, there is no clear answer - you can't claim Tuvoc and Neelix are dead when there is a way to restore them. But that doesn't mean Captain Janeway's decision is correct. Again, within context, one might argue that "transporter logs" would allow everyone to remain alive (I thought so anyway). However, whether there is a plot hole, or whether the resolution offered is morally correct or not, is irrelevant here. Episodes like this one need not be judged on plot as much as on presenting a topic - and here, Voyager does so marvellously and in the best tradition of Star Trek. Asking difficult questions is the sign of good science fiction. And Tuvix, unexpectedly profound and helped by a great guest performance from Tom Wright, is just that.

Tom Wright is fantastic as Tuvix

[geoffstrickler · 9/10 · 12 June 2021]

As others have said, the "science" in this episode isn't even plausible, but the story is solid, and Tom Wright manages to capture the essence of both Tuvoc and Neelix, little manerisms, tone of voice, speech patterns, etc. So, if you can set aside the terrible science, and just enjoy the story and performances, it's really quite a good episode.

Why Trek is Stellar

[markbeardslee · 10/10 · 12 September 2008]

This is a tale about a transporter incident in which the disparate bodies and minds of opposing characters Tuvok and Neelix are fused together into a third man whose name, and identity, becomes known as Tuvix.

The fact that the result is truly a third man is the precise moral dilemma that this episode tackles. Should this third man supplant both Neelix and Tuvok? Or should he be removed in order to bring those men back to their own beings? These are tough questions and are typical of the moral dilemmas that the "Star Trek" franchise has always taken on for analysis.

Writers Andrew Shepard Smith and Mark Greenberg create an episode deserving of an award with this "Star Trek: Voyager" morality play which examines some of the deepest and darkest elements of individuality, coexistence and morality. Not just the writers deserve credit for this excellent episode. The fabulous makeup department at Paramount creates an impressive physical juxtaposition of the characters Tuvok and Neelix. Further, veteran actor Tom Wright, with considerable assistance from director Cliff Bole and teleplay writer Kenneth Biller, takes viewers deeper into the characters of Neelix and Tuvok than either Tim Russ as Tuvok or Nathan Phillips as Neelix had yet been able to do. Tuvix becomes a popular man aboard Voyager, with his most memorable quote coming as he is besieged in the mess hall and asked on what authority he orders them all out: "As Chief of Security or as Head Chef, take your pick! Out, out!" Wright's interpretation of the material results in an absolutely stunning character, a true "fusion" of Neelix and Tuvok, and his aggressiveness in the role demonstrates not only his versatility as an actor, but an apparent deep understanding of "Star Trek" ideals.

The ugly underside of this episode is its exploration of the death penalty. Tuvix exists for weeks as B'Ellanna and Kim and the rest of the engineers attempt to find a way to bring back Tuvok and Neelix separately. In the process, Tuvix ingratiates himself to many of the crew, including Neelix's squeeze, Kes. But the separate persons, Tuvok and Neelix, are not forgotten, and it is discovered that the only way for those men to be returned to Voyager is to essentially "execute" Tuvix. The unique "Star Trek: Voyager" mix of ingenious writers (both Greenberg and Smith are winners of daytime Emmy awards for their work on "Jeopardy!"), producers (multiple award-winning "Star Trek" alumni Brannon Braga, Merri D. Howard and Peter Lauritson), director (Cliff Bole) and extraordinary actors all end up examining not just the morality of capital punishment, but its definition. Is Tuvix, as an individual, in being fully halved so as to revive the two individuals, Tuvok and Neelix, an innocent victim of the crew's desire for its familiar colleagues, or is the elimination of Tuvix worth those colleagues' return? Is it an execution? Does Janeway commit capital punishment? If so, why? Why aren't other solutions sought? Why isn't it simply accepted that Tuvok and Neelix are dead, but that they live, and quite illustriously so, within Tuvix? Tough questions, these. And the "Star Trek" franchise is famous for taking them on.

The lovely and the ghastly: these are the domains of Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek." Experience one of its finest incarnations in "Star Trek: Voyager," and keep an eye out for one particularly provocative episode called "Tuvix."

Tom Wright

[deedeebug-69437 · 10/10 · 31 March 2020]

Tom Wright is this episode. I have watched this one countless times and his acting is sublime. One of my all time favorites if the whole Trek world.

Would Make a Great College Lesson!

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 21 August 2018]

Tuvok and Neelix are one because of a transporter malfunction. The new character rising from the merging of their essences is called Tuvix. He becomes an autonomous, highly functioning creature, greater than the sum of his parts. But then a cure is found and he is to be separated. This, however, would result in the death of Tuvix. The conclusion of this episode becomes rather sickening. It would be like a man convicted of murder being found innocent but executed anyway. This gives us a lot to talk about.

It's interesting...

[GreyHunter · 8/10 · 16 December 2019]

The science was ludicrous, even by Star Trek standards. The dilemma was contrived. And yet this episode seems have evoked some fairly extreme (and occasionally enraged) reactions from the reviewers. And that is why I rate this episode an 8. The central philosophical disagreement here hits a nerve. Several nerves, in fact, from issues of individuality vs collectivism, to the death penalty, to the question of sacrifice, to the debate over the will of the governed lending power to that of those who govern.

Pretty much the only thing I have to critique is the reviewing process itself. The fact that you hate/love the ultimate choice should be reason enough to rate this episode highly. You don't have to love the decisions of the characters to recognize that the writing and acting did exactly what they set out to do, and did it well...raise these questions and provoke thought.

The science was still ridiculous, even by Star Trek standards, so I feel comfortable knocking off a couple stars. Tom Wright's acting was superb, though. He sold the character and the issues it raised very well. A lesser performance might not have evoked such strong reactions.

Star Trek: Voyager - Tuvix

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 6 January 2017]

"So at what point, did he become an individual and not a transporter accident?" - Captain Janeway.

"Tuvix" is one of the most troubling episodes I have ever watched within Star Trek. I don't think I will ever forget about it. When Janeway walks away after the separation of Tuvix, Kate Mulgrew's agony and emotional turmoil are so understandable and palpable, few would ever want to be trapped in that position. The Starship Captain has never been an easy role for anyone, and episodes like "Tuvix" are an example of why that is the case. After a transporter accident (a planet flourishes with floral and nutrient life) causes a type of "symbiogenesis" where orchid samples, Tuvok, and Neelix "merge as one", the end result is Tuvix, a hybrid lifeform! Picardi's Doctor attempts to work on the means to separate Tuvix and return Tuvok and Neelix to the Voyager.

The problem that arises is that Tuvix, who has all of Tuvok and Neelix's thoughts and feelings, logic and playful spirit, wants to live as an individual being and not "die" (the separation would essentially kill him). What is Janeway to do? That is not an easy decision to make but Tuvok and Neelix have every right to live as Tuvix…so do you kill Tuvix and bring back the other two? That moral dilemma (some consider what happens to Tuvix to ultimately be murder) at the heart of this episode (Tuvix, when told he may never be split back into Tuvok and Neelix, begins to make a life for himself, developing relationships and friendships, eventually accepted by almost all on the Voyager) doesn't have an easy answer. Regardless of what decision Janeway makes, there's loss. Neelix and Tuvok returning as separate individuals, seemingly unaware of what happened while they were merged, isn't a tragedy but what was lost because of the transport fix that rescued them is. A large part of that is the extraordinary performance by Tom Wright who does incorporate Russ and Phillips' personalities of their characters into Tuvix…you literally see both of them within a combination and yet Tuvix is still his own being. When Tuvix is begging for his life to those on the Bridge, it is gut-wrenching. So when Janeway walks away as Tuvok and Neelix show signs of exhilaration and relief, that aching and heartbreak on her face hits right at the gut.

For me, one of my favorite scenes of the entire series occurs in this episode: Janeway and Kes have a discussion on those missing in their lives, for the Captain the loss of Mark and for Kes the loss of Neelix. I like seeing the vulnerable side of Janeway, this reflection on what getting lost in a different quadrant has done to her and the crew. She fights away tears and her embattled struggle to maintain her composure while hoping to console Kes is evident. Mulgrew really delivers a powerhouse in this episode…one of her finest hours.

Despite a grueling, thought-provoking premise and highly controversial subject matter, the opening sequence with Tuvok and Neelix on the planet, surveying the grounds looking for specimens is a hoot. Neelix wants Tuvok to enjoy the experience of the rich landscape they occupy while his Vulcan logic doesn't permit such jovial excitement.

This has been considered one of the most debatable and conflicting episodes of all of Star Trek. I think it certainly provokes a response one way or the other. Kes' dealing with this brand new lifeform who has feelings for her (he is Neelix, in a sense), and understanding that Tuvok has a family all his own is an intriguing development that further conveys the complexities of the plot.

Voyager finds its own identity

[brooklynbenik · 10/10 · 2 May 2020]

When I was watching, I was expecting it to end one of two ways: 1. Tuvix starts getting delayed cell degradation that forces them to have to split him up. 2. Janeway decides to allow Tuvix to live and he chooses to split up because of his courageousness. To my delight, they didn't do that. That would have been too TNG. Kes has the very human (for lack of a better word) response when she told Janeway she wanted her to kill Tuvix so she could have her boyfriend back even if she knew it was immoral. This would have been a forgettable episode if Janeway just morphed into Picard and started preaching about the individual's rights. When Janeway decided to murder Tuvix, we start to see the effects the Delta Quadrant has had on her and it continues her controlled descent into insanity. No other Trek would dare have this ending. Voyager has a tendency to be darker (like the Chute and Deadlock) than other Star Trek shows in moments when you least expect it. Listening to Tuvix beg for his life, and knowing there is literally nothing he could have done differently... it gave me chills. This episode may not be Star Trek as Gene Roddenberry would have seen it, but it was uniquely Voyager. And that's why I hold up this episode as one of the best in the series.

The ultimate in irony....and Janeway gets to play god!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 15 February 2015]

Although you never hear Tuvok say aloud that he hates Neelix, his body language throughout the series clearly indicates that he can't stand the guy. As for Neelix, it's as if he goes out of his way to annoy Tuvok--so this episode is awfully ironic as well as funny.

When the show begins, Neelix and Tuvok are on a planet and when they beam back, their DNA is scrambled and instead of one begin, they are now one! It's a hybrid that now calls itself Mr. Tuvix--and he's certainly like both of them. And, in my opinion, he's the best of both. The Doctor and other Voyager staff are stumped about how to change them back and repeated experiments fail. It looks like everyone will just have to get used to the new and much improved Tuvix! However, when a way to separate them finally is developed weeks later, Tuvix wants nothing to do with this--he wants to live. And, oddly, Janeway decides to play god and force a separation.

This is a good episode, though I do wish they'd just had Tuvix remain as he was! Interesting and worth seeing.

Tuvok+Neelix=Tuvix

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 29 July 2010]

After a transporter malfunction Tuvok and Neelix find themselves merged into one being that has characteristics of both of them the new being, dubbed Tuvix even wears a uniform that combines the designs of the clothes Tuvok and Neelix were wearing at the time. Tuvix's arrival is most difficult for Kes who has lost both the man she loves and her closest confidante; it is made worse by the fact that he still has Neelix's feelings for her. It becomes clear that the accident wasn't due to a malfunction but due to the reproductive system of a flower they were transporting with them at the time of the accident. It appears that separating Tuvok and Neelix again may be impossible but after a few weeks a solution is found which causes a moral dilemma for the captain; does she force Tuvix to sacrifice himself to bring back the two lost crewmen or does she accept that they are lost to let Tuvix live.

This was a really good episode even though it wasn't packed with action. I think they were right to get a different actor to play Tuvix rather than using Tim Russ or Ethan Phillips, Tom Wright, did a good job in the role, Jennifer Lien also puts in a fine performance as Kes as she has difficulty dealing with the fact that Tuvix is both the two people closest to her and neither of them. Even though Tuvix only existed for one episode there was sadness when he is forced to cease to exist so that Tuvok and Neelix can return in a scene where the Captain can barely look him in the face having decided what to do.

A transporter mishap converges two into one.

[sherry54 · 16 April 2006]

Tuvok and Neelix, are on an away mission collecting plant life for the crew. Meanwhile the Voyager is experiencing some transporter malfunctions not knowing, that when used, it would materialize some unexpected results. Tuvok and Neelix, two separate beings have become one, Tuvix! Over time the crew have become used to the 'new' crew member, all but one,Kes. She misses her Neelix and finds the 'newer' version unsettling. Weeks pass and still they remain as one. Eventually the crew finds a way to separate the two conjoined souls. Kes wants her Neelix, and Tuvix wants to live. Tuvix does not deserve to die, but neither does Neelix and Tuvok. It is a hard choice that needs to be made.

I love the ideas of this episode. I disagree with Janeway's decision

[brianjohnson-20043 · 7/10 · 24 February 2021]

This episode can be viewed as one that addresses the topic of whether or not we should be able to operate on one body without its content. It's sort-of like that philosophical puzzle of whether or not it would be acceptable to kill one person against their will to use that person's body to save 2 or 5 or 100 other lives. I think we generally conclude that the answer should be no for that question regardless of that quantity. But because we can make exceptions and adopt inconsistencies, when it comes to abortion there are a lot of people who say that the pregnant woman shouldn't be allowed to make decisions which could harm the other life or embryo within her body.

I understand that there seems like there is or should-be a difference. Many people get a sense that an individual's destiny is to give birth once pregnant. Especially if there has yet to be an obvious health complication. In this episode the viewer gets the feeling that there is a destiny for Neelix and Tuvoc to both continue their lives even it means ending the life of a Tuvix hybrid which is created in a transportation accident. I understand that inclination to have two lives over one, and obviously the actors who played Tuvoc and Neelix would much prefer to return for future episodes. That continuity is likely why the writers thought the story should end thr way it did. But I don't think they did quite enough justice to the bigger ethical implication of normalizing a standard where someone's body can be used and abused without its consent.

I think it would have been a better story decision if Tuvix had dealt with some health issues or something like that to where he could have consented to having his body eliminated for the sake of recreating Tuvoc and Neelix if the writers felt a need to not eliminate those two characters and actors from the Voyager experience for the fans. The faces episode from season 1 did IMO a better job of resolving a somewhat similar type of problem for the of continuity. Overall it's still a nice Trek episode. And that's why I still give it a 7/10. I especially like how they reference and use those 2 plants which can meld to form a new species as a vehicle for creating this storyline. It could have just been a mysterious teleported accident. But instead they actually created a scientific explanation for how this sort of accident could actually happen and mimic something real in nature if teleportation was ever actually was ever able to work.

Perhaps the most amoral Trek episode of all-time

[superstition2 · 5/10 · 26 February 2014]

I am giving this a 5 out of 10 because the concept was good and the Tuvix character was very interesting with good acting.

However, Janeway and her crew decided to murder Tuvix. They were never brought to justice either. It's a very sick episode.

This is another example of a fake moral dilemma that was solved in a completely amoral way. I mean fake because there was only one possible moral solution: let Tuvix live -- don't murder him!

All of the rationalizations fail utterly. That no one seems to even see this is even more troubling.

The episode where a Q commits suicide is also a mess, but for a different reason, by the way. In that episode, there was also a solution that didn't involve Janeway deciding someone should die. The solution was for Q to selectively forget his experiences which would have solved his problem. But, I guess the Voyager writers liked to kill people needlessly.

I would also like to strenuously counter the euphemistic and absurdly inaccurate "death penalty" framing. There is no penalty for existing. Being born, however strangely, is not a crime!

We're not talking about penalties. We're talking about cold-blooded murder.

It may be inconvenient and emotionally unfortunate for Janeway and others to lose the separated Tuvok and Neelix, but that in no way can possibly justify murdering someone.

Plus, the transporter was used to duplicate Riker so the intelligent and moral thing to do would have been to try to duplicate Tuvix and then separate the duplicate. Even that is murder technically, but it is vastly less serious -- particularly if the duplicate were to be immediately rendered unconscious so no new experiences were gathered to make the duplicate a separate person.

The transporter is also a fountain of youth, but that's another Trek problem that's outside of the scope of this review.

Judge Janeway.

[thevacinstaller · 9/10 · 7 April 2020]

Whether you love the ending or you can't stand it you have to admit that this trek episode proves the viewer with a lot to consider.

That's what trek's about. Making you think and hopefully challenging your beliefs and opinions and possibly even changing your mind.

For Janeway the solution to this issue is a matter of Arithmetic. It's a very Vulcan way to go about this messy decision and likely provides Janeway with a means to shield her conscious from the act of killing a sentient being.

When star trek is failing I feel apathy towards the episode. If a star trek episode can make me feel emotion and engage me intellectually then it is a success. It took a lot of audacity to write an episode with an ending like this.

Provocative, unsettling, and even disturbing... but unforgettable as well

[fire-child · 8/10 · 12 July 2020]

Who you are will influence greatly what your take on this show's outcome is, but what can't be argued is: you won't be neutral.

When Neelix and Tuvok are combined into one being in a transporter accident, the questions around separating them back bring individual rights versus plural rights, and group cohesion and group needs, into the spotlight in a way which few other episodes of even Trek have ever done. And generally never quite to the same potential heights.

You might argue that Janeway could be seen as violating the Prime Directive in this show. You'd have a point too. Watch and see, and make your own judgement.

The primary complaints I had of this episode is that it is only one episode - exploring more fully ramifications of this could have done with being at least a two parter, not just one. That nobody seems to grieve in Tuvix's 'death' at the end is disturbing really, and might have been part of that second part - along with different crew reactions to Janeway's decision, and the reactions of Tuvok and Neelix themselves.

But... the other is that the character Tuvix could have been such a fine addition to Voyager's crew, with such a wonderful, nuanced performance by Tom Wright indicating he could have played a great part. It would really have been something if two main characters were killed off, to be replaced, and the aftermath of this being explored with Tuvix and others periodically on the rest of the show. It would have been a really brave and original move in Trek and TV history as well - so the wasting of that incredible potential pulls it down as well a few stars.

Could then have been better executed I feel - but still an important thinking episode of Trek, regardless.

An excellent episode as good as a book.

[smiledaydream · 10/10 · 30 January 2021]

An excellent episode as good as a book. The situation is as contrived as usual but I will set that aside. The character is amazing. What follows in terms of dialogue, acting, and depth makes this a perfect example of the best of Star Trek.

My Favorite Trek

[CharoleaWood · 10/10 · 19 April 2023]

One of the things that I find missing in these reviews is praise for Kate Mulgrew's performance as Janeway --- the end you can see it all over her face, "I've committed murder."

It's her command decision to make and she takes on the moral dilemma of it so sparing the crew the responsibility of it, she does it because she loves her crew.

It seems to me that this decision would be the toughest one of her career and you can see she's killed a part of herself in order to achieve it.

Tom Wright as Tuvix is also superb, of course, and Jennifer Lien as Kes is brilliant as usual.

5/5, an astonishing episode.

Tuvok Swallows Neelix

[Bolesroor · 7/10 · 2 February 2011]

Was there ever such a loathsome-looking creature as our new buddy Tuvix? The spawn of Neelix and Tuvok melding in a transporter accident, Tuvix wanders the ship like his spit don't stink, taking over both Tactical AND Cooking duties as well as hitting on Kes.

I'm not sure the exact odds that the transporter could combine two people and not produce a lifeless, four-eared genetic puddle, but if it could split Kirk in two based on different elements of his personality I suppose anything is possible. Yet another dark hypothetical is explored here, and we're treated to another overuse of the Doctor...his medi-babble to explain the event is downright infuriating. (If I hear him say "neural peptides" one more time I might implode.)

In spite of Tuvix' inspired moral plea that he be allowed to stay "alive," he is eventually de-materialized back into two separate people, and we are once again back where we started from. Odd and unsettling... even for Star Trek.

GRADE: C+

Thought provoking episode

[IfyOgwude2 · 9/10 · 16 February 2022]

I loved this episode. I understand that the ending is a bit sad....but it's realistic in the sense that the right thing to do doesn't always feel right. Tuvix did deserve to live....but you cannot trade 2 lives for the life of one. Tuvok and Neelix never intended to create Tuvix. To sacrifice them just to avoid making a difficult decision, would have been insane.

So while consider it murder, I see it as a wrong made right.

But that's what makes this episode beautiful...it's thought provoking.

I felt for Tuvok (being combined with Neelix)

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 4 November 2022]

Tuvok and Neelix are involved in a transporter accident that splices them together into a single life form.

This an okay episode that gives a silly idea a reasonable amount of substance.

The sci-fi premise of Tuvix sounds fun and would likely have been brilliant in the 60s, but at this point in Star Trek, outrageous sci-fi concepts felt slightly outdated. Thankfully it has Janeway's dilemma to give it a serious edge. This is the best aspect of the story for me and whatever you feel about pro-life/pro-choice, this is a difficult decision for her character to be burdened with and I admire that writers for going there. Sadly, they spend too much time on the build up to it, the technobabble is unconvincing, and they do not get the appropriate response out of me.

Where I struggle is the characterisation of Tuvix. The writers do their best to force the audience into a belief that Tuvok and Neelix are better off when combined, especially Tuvok and his cold, arrogant logic. I guess this is to make the prospect of Tuvix's abortion more emotive. For me he feels like flawed combination of the two characters that leans heavily on the persona of Neelix, with a few mentions of logic and attempted impressions of Tim Russ thrown in by Tom Wright.

I never fully accepted this character as anything other than a gimmick of the week and when Janeaway is presented by that dilemma, it feels like the real driving force behind it (as opposed to the serious issue it addresses) is to return two main characters back to normal. In fact, if I had to try to empathise with any character it would be Tuvok for having to suffer being combined with Neelix and agree wholeheartedly with Janeway's final decision. (That shouldn't be the case)

Additionally I have always struggled with the Neelix/Kes relationship and having this as one emotional driver of the plot does not work for me.

The biggest positives for me are the performances. Katie Mulgrew is excellent throughout. Jennifer Lien is solid. Tom Wright makes the best of difficult material.

Fusion confusion

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 9/10 · 2 December 2012]

I found the enigmatic and unique character of Tuvix utterly fascinating, having the calm logic of Tuvok but also the friendly and pleasant nature of Neelix. He retains the Vulcan's height and skin tone, but has the facial features of the Talaxian. The actor was no stranger to enduring heavy makeup for a role, I just loved him as the hitchhiker who could not die in Creepshow 2! He plays it like he's neither of the characters, yet somehow also both at the same time. There's a sense of both personalities. How can a person be two other persons and yet still be a different person? No idea! But the guy pulled it off brilliantly. His manner is almost childlike, he was a kind of newborn after all. I thought Tom Wright was simply excellent in the complex and rather demanding role put to him. I say demanding, because this particular guest star called for something much deeper than the usual alien trader or foe that slips in and out of the episode and never crosses the mind again. But to me, when you think of this episode you really remember Tuvix. Here was somebody who was wearing their uniform, and in the significant amount of time that passes within the story, becomes friend to some of the crew. Wright stated that he had felt a little tension from some of the regular cast members. I think that may have just been the natural reaction to the kind of character he was playing. It probably even helped his performance. I could have accepted Tuvix as a permanent member of the crew-the actor to me just does that great a job with the limited time available to him of conveying this poor unfortunate being who should never have been who ingratiates himself so very well into the crew! But there is also an air of wrongness and awkwardness about Tuvix. He's genuinely charming and competent, yet somehow never doesn't quite seem like a stranger and intruder. He never truly belongs. In any case, such a thought- provoking and challenging role must have been a daunting task for any actor, and Tom Wright did an amazing job. It's pretty much his performance alone that makes this episode a great and memorable one. I think if they had chosen someone wrong for the part, things could have turned out plain ridiculous. Fortunately that was not the case ::: Just what is the damn moral dilemma supposed to be? Tuvok and Neelix were there first, they didn't have a say in what happened to them, they had more of a right to exist than Tuvix. It's not as if they volunteered and then later on everyone changes their minds. I like the subtle little touches that are sneaked in that make you see Tuvix in a bit of a negative light, and not feel too bad when he is disposed of. Such as the way he throws himself at Kes even though she is clearly creeped out by him being anywhere near her. His slightly self-centred nature, the way he tries to convince Kes to put in a good word for him, and simply how much of a fuss he makes during the climactic scene. Not that you can blame him for wanting to live, but he's not even real! It's like, in Threshold, Janeway and Paris were transformed into salamanders, made sweet salamander love, and had cute little salamander babies! Was it "wrong" to restore them to humanity? Need every single decision on the show be so black and white, couldn't a mistake or two be made along the way? Sometimes there isn't a correct choice. Tuvix couldn't really be considered a real person because everything he was came from Tuvok and Neelix. He was never really born, and doesn't really die, just returns to where he came from, and lives on in their minds-like he said they would in his. The door swings both ways. One life isn't taken, two are restored. That said, the final scene that leads up to the diffusion is quite unpleasant. What I find most moving about it is the way he forgives them. The emotions are running high, and it's not until the reappearance of Tuvok and Neelix that all the tension disappears. And for what it's worth, you can clearly see how deeply disturbed Janeway is and probably would be for some time. Great story! To me the morality thing's a bit overrated but it's a real standout episode of the early seasons, and all in all a most excellent show.

Moral decisions dictated by the Writers' Guide

[ragingrei · 7/10 · 13 August 2021]

In this episode, there are two accidents and a murder.

I don't think this episode would have ended the way it did if not for the requirement to reset the plot as much as possible by the end of each episode.

It was definitely interesting, and I can see why the writers were desperate to tell this story, but I don't think a TV serial with a strict canon is the right medium for it if you want the Captain to stay true to her principles.

Disappointing, Dark and Disturbing

[Elmer_Cat · 3/10 · 23 October 2011]

When this episode began, I was quite intrigued by the notion of the two, very different characters of Tuvok and Neelix being merged into one. I anticipated the humor of Neelix facing off with the logic and discipline of Tuvok. However, instead of playing on these differences, the character of Tuvix, pulled both of them into a dark and disturbing place.

The first hint of this was in Kes' reaction; instead of seeing that Neelix still existed within him, she was revolted by Tuvix. Although the merged character possessed some of the talents of both men, he lacked their honor and genuine "goodness". If Tuvix really had the feelings of Neelix; including his dedication to Kes; his top priority would have been to get Neelix back for her, whatever the cost! Mr. Tuvok's Vulcan instincts would have insisted that the benefits to the majority would outweigh the interests of a single individual. Instead, we find that Tuvix is cowardly and self-centered. How appalling!

Making Katherine Hepburn (er... I mean Janeway) go through this "death penalty" scene is just adding more insult to the injury of these characters. She's not taking a life for heaven's sake, she's saving two of her crew members! Portraying the restoration of Tuvoc and Neelix as if there could be any other choice for the Captain is just bizarre! For the Doctor to oppose the procedure was also completely out of character for him.

As we all know, Star Trek is all about the characters. Following so closely to episodes, "Investigations" (2.20), where Neelix's bravery and loyalty is showcased; and, "Innocence" (2.22), where Tuvoc's paternal love is so beautifully and tenderly apparent (whether he admits it to the children or not); the "Tuvix" episode (2.24), is a tragic disappointment.

While nothing could be as bad as the "last episode" of Enterprise, "Tuvix" marks a low point in the Voyager series.

Brilliant concept

[OldMovieRob · 9/10 · 16 February 2021]

A very thought-provoking episode, and so interesting to me is how by the end of the episode you really find yourself liking Tuvix. But Janeway made they call and he was not meant to be. Very fascinating to consdier what would had happened had he been left how he was and remained as the Tuvix character.