Tuvix

"Tuvix" is the 40th episode (24th in the second season) of the science fiction television program Star Trek: Voyager. The episode originally aired on UPN on May 6, 1996, and tells the story of Tuvok and Neelix being merged into a unique third character named Tuvix. The episode was substantially rewritten from its original iteration as a lighthearted story to a more somber tale with serious moral and ethical implications. Tom Wright guest stars as Tuvix to lend more credence to a unique new character that consists of equal parts Tuvok and Neelix. Both director Cliff Bole and Wright himself had reservations about the latter's take on the character, and despite a perceived lack of support, Wright still praised the Voyager cast and crew. Both the story and performances of "Tuvix" were lauded by the production team and critics alike. "Tuvix" was well received by fans and critics, earning generally positive reviews. Researchers and critics found "Tuvix" teeming with technical and philosophical content, including thematic ties to other episodes in the Star Trek canon, real-world logical and metaphysical ramifications, and scientific concessions for the story.

Plot On stardate 49655.2, Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Neelix (Ethan Phillips) are sent to collect botanical samples from a class-M planet. When beamed back aboard Voyager, the two men and the orchids they collected are merged at the molecular level to become a single lifeform which names himself Tuvix (Wright). After ruling out transporter malfunction, the crew discovers that when demolecularized, the genetic material of the alien flowers 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. Kes (Jennifer Lien) reacts poorly to Tuvix as his existence deprives her of both Tuvok and Neelix, her mentor and boyfriend respectively. Her displeasure lessens over the course of the episode, but never completely eases. Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) accepts Tuvix in his role as an excellent chief tactical officer and "an able advisor, who skillfully uses humor to make his points". Tuvix himself, having the combined memories and personalities of his constituents, melds the previously intractable qualities of both and improves upon them, flexing either muscle as the situation requires: "Chief of security or head chef, take your pick!" Two weeks after the accident, the Doctor (Robert Picardo) develops a contemporary equivalent to radiocontrasting, using a custom radioisotope with which he can identify the disparate DNA of the two original crewmen and use the transporter to disentangle them. However, Tuvix denounces the procedure; he argues that he has rights, and to restore the two lost crewmen would require his execution. After discussing the situation with Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), 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. After the Doctor refuses to take Tuvix's life in compliance with the medical precept of doing no harm, Janeway performs the procedure herself and succeeds in restoring both Tuvok and Neelix.

Production Wendy Neuss, Merri D. Howard, Kenneth Biller, Peter Lauritson, and Brannon Braga were all credited as producers on "Tuvix", while Jay Chattaway was credited with the music and Marvin V. Rush was the cinematographer. Daryl Baskin edited the episode to its 46-minute runtime.

Writing

During its development, "Tuvix" was previously known as "Untitled Tuvok/Neelix", "One", and "Symbiogenesis", with the third of these persisting through the episode's development and shooting. The episode and its teleplay were written by Kenneth Biller; the story is credited to Andrew Shepard Price and Mark Gaberman, for which they earned US$7,000 (equivalent to $14,370 in 2025). Though described by Biller as "high-concept", the original story by Price and Gaberman was much more light-hearted and tended towards slapstick. Biller and Braga found the tone of the episode was so akin to a 1960s sitcom, the two of them even wrote a theme song for it: "It's Tuvok, it's Neelix! It's two guys, in-a-fix! It's Tuuuuvix!" Biller re-wrote the episode to focus more on the serious philosophical questions raised by the episode and especially the inevitable separation of Tuvix back into the series regulars. In Biller's original treatment, Tuvix recognized that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few and consented to his fissure. However, after a discussion with executive producer Michael Piller, Biller began to "[poke] at the audience" by throwing up roadblocks to the episode's foregone conclusion; first Tuvix was re-written to object to the procedure, and then the Doctor's refusal was added to force Captain Janeway to put truth to action. Piller later described Biller as "the poet laureate of Star Trek", highlighting his work on "Tuvix" and "Lifesigns" as examples.

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