Star Trek: Voyager's Most Famous Episode Is Still Tearing Fans Apart Today

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The "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Tuvix" (May 6, 1996) was, for many years, mocked as one of the worst episodes in the series. The premise is risible: A transporter malfunction accidentally merges the stern, logical Tuvok (Tim Russ) with the jolly hobbit-like Neelix (Ethan Philips) to form Tuvix (Tom Wright), a being that shares the personalities of both. There had been plenty of fantastical, silly, and even stupid stories on "Star Trek" before, but this seemed to go one step beyond. It felt like a fully realized TV production of an idle doodle one might make in the margins of their notebook during 10th grade history — or, at the very least, a question one might ask after a giant bong rip. Tuvok and Neelix are the opposite. What if they were the same guy? Cosmic.

But years later, after "Voyager" was off the air, new questions began to arise about "Tuvix," exploring the actual meaning of the episode. The character of Tuvix, you see, found that he liked being a composite being, and began to develop memories and experiences all his own. As far as Tuvix was concerned, Tuvok and Neelix were both dead, unfortunate "parents" who died in "childbirth." Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) was faced with a brand-new member of her crew. 

But she also faced a moral quandary. While Tuvix was a conscious being with his own agency, Janeway required both Tuvok and Neelix on her crew for the U.S.S. Voyager to function the way she liked. She and the engineers on the Voyager eventually discovered a way to re-separate Tuvok and Neelix and bring them back to life. To do so, though, she would have to eliminate Tuvix, effectively executing him. 

Janeway executed him. Tuvok and Neelix were restored. To this day, fans object to her decision. As recently as 2020, Mulgrew has addressed the issue on her social media accounts.

Recall that creating new conscious beings by accident is common on "Star Trek." On "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the crew accidentally created a fully conscious holographic version of Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes stories. They also accidentally gave life to robots called exocomps, accidentally cloned William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and even found that a network of alien nodes were giving the Enterprise itself a rudimentary consciousness. In all these cases, though, Starfleet officers were careful to respect and explore the new lives they were creating, trying to pointedly observe their rights as living beings. 

Janeway didn't give Tuvix the same consideration. When she found she could restore her old friends back to life, she ordered Tuvix onto the transporter pad, an act she knew would kill him. It was wrong. Janeway was wrong. Indeed, Tuvix screamed at Janeway, pointing out that executing him was a wicked act. He begged for his life. Janeway still ordered him to be executed. It was one of several times when Janeway flexed her authoritarian impulses to commit unethical acts. 

I am not alone in this view. As covered by the website Daily Star Trek News, writer Manu Saadia (author of "Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek") once engaged in an online discussion with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez back in November of 2020. Perhaps to be playful, Saadia asked the Representative what she thought of the whole Tuvix situation, thinking it would be a good topic for an upcoming Twitch stream. Keep in mind, this was from an episode of sci-fi TV that was 24 years old. He wrote: "We need to talk about justice for Tuvix, I understand it's a very niche issue, but it matters in so far as it raises the delicate and dare I say, eminently *political* question of whether ends justify means." 

Surprisingly, not only did Ocasio-Cortez respond, but Mulgrew got involved. 

As one might predict, Ocasio-Cortez hadn't seen "Tuvix," but she did pause to note that a discussion could be had. As it so happens, Kate Mulgrew was also on the same Twitter thread, and she leapt in to defend Janeway's decision, writing: 

"Willing to hear the crew's thoughts, as always. However, shouldn't Tuvok and Neelix should have the biggest say? Oh wait, they couldn't! I stand by my decision to restore them to their lives. Rewatch and report back, AOC..." 

As far as Tuvix was concerned, Tuvok and Neelix were dead. The fact that they could be restored was immaterial to Tuvix ... and to many viewers as well. Ocasio-Cortez may not have been familiar with the episode, but she was well-versed enough in "Star Trek: Voyager" to at least respond to Mulgrew, writing: 

"One thing I learned watching Janeway growing up is how leadership means being responsible for working through dilemmas with no clear answers. All the easy decisions are made before it gets to the top. Janeway leads with focus on her mission: to get her crew home. Thank you, Kate!"

It would be interesting to hear what Ocasio-Cortez thought of "Tuvix" once she watched it. Regardless, this remains a hot-button issue for Trekkies, as many — not just Saadia and myself — object to Janeway's decision. Tuvix should have lived. "Star Trek" respected life, but that respect was dismissed in this episode. Then again, others feel the way Mulgrew did, feeling that Tuvix should have died. It will forever remain controversial.