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The Delta Flyers is a weekly Star Trek: Voyager rewatch and recap podcast hosted by Garrett Wang and Robert Duncan McNeill. Each week Garrett and Robert will rewatch an episode of Voyager starting at the very beginning. This week’s episode is Tuvix. Garrett and Robbie recap and discuss the episode, and share their insight as series regulars.

Tuvix:
Following an accident which leads to Tuvok and Neelix becoming a composite being, a doctor must try to work out a way of separating the two identities. Meanwhile, for Janeway there is a frightening decision to be made.

We want to thank everyone who makes this podcast possible, starting with our Executive producers Megan Elise and Rebecca McNeill, and our Post Producer Jessey Miller.

Additionally we could not make this podcast available without our Co- Executive Producers: Stephanie Baker, Philipp Havrilla, Kelton Rochelle, Liz Scott, Sarah A Gubbins, Ann Marie Segal, Jason M Okun, Marie Burgoyne, Chris Knapp, Michelle Zamanian, Utopia Science Fiction Magazine, Matthew Gravens, Brian Barrow, Rich Gross, Mary Jac Greer, Megan Hurwitt, James Zugg, Mike Gu, Anna Post, Shannyn Bourke, Vikki Williams, Holly Smith, Jesse Noriega, Dominic Burgess, Amber Eason, and Lucas Shuck

And our Producers:
Chris Tribuzio, Jim Guckin, Steph Dawe Holland, James Amey, Katherine Hedrick, Eleanor Lamb, Thomas Melfi, Richard Banaski, Eve England, Father Andrew Kinstetter, Ann Harding, Gregory Kinstetter, Laura Swanson, Luz R, Chloe E, Kathleen Baxter, Katie Johnson, Craig Sweaton, Ryan Hammond, Nathanial Moon, Warren Stine, York Lee, Mike Schaible, Kelley Smelser, AJ Provance, Captain Nancy Stout, Claire Deans, Matthew Cutler, Crystal Komenda, Joshua L Phillips, Barbara Beck, Mary O'Neal, Aithne Loeblich, Captain Jeremiah Brown, Heidi Mclellan, Dat Cao, Robert Deveau, Cody Crockett, Stephen Riegner, Debra Defelice, Oliver Campbell, Robert Hess, Cindy Ring, Andrei Dunca, Daniel Owen, Jason Wang, Gabriel Dominic Girgis, Amber Nighbor, Ming Xie, Mark G Hamilton, and Heather Chappelle

Thank you for your support!

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Comments

Loretta Lane

you two trying to come up with combo names of all the character merges is everything lol

SnazzyO

I DO think this episode hurt Capt Janeway. But it was neither intentional to hurt her nor is it, in my opinion, just. ‘Tuvix’ is still hotly debated. Which makes it a great episode. But in the 1990’s when filmed, there were some who disliked the Captain for tangible and intangible reasons. And ‘Tuvix’ became a trump card for why she was Captain Bligh (see Mutiny on the Bounty) for many of her detractors. To this day, I’ll see Tuvix in memes when talking about choices. I also think the writer leaned in heavily on the moral quandary. I ‘get’ why the Capt had to steel herself to be so unemotional to follow thru with the separation. And for someone who had previously shown such compassion, it was hard to watch. But at the end of the day, I think they painted Tuvix as a little ‘too perfect’ and her as a little ‘too cold’. Kate Mulgrew was right to worry the impact on fan acceptance of her character’s actions. I think her character was sacrificed a bit to show the moral Kobayashi Maru where there was no ‘Deus Ex Machina’ that allowed an out. Thus, I REALLY appreciate Garrett & Robbie’s feeling of tragedy in this episode. It’s a provacative, memorable, risky episode. I think for the bulk of fandom it worked. But there are still many who decry the loss of Tuvix to this day. It was both a hard episode and a meaty topic.

Stefan Au

if it had been Harry and Tuvok in the transporter the result could very well have wreaked Havok xD

Yoga Balakrishnan

OMG, I just watched this podcast episode and Garrett's story about Harry opening a Bar and Grill after leaving Starfleet is similar to a comedy suggestion I had a few months ago about Harry buying a Refuelling Station (Space Gas Station) on the edges of Federation Space because he burnt out of Starfleet.

Dee McGee

I agree. Your argument makes a lot of sense. I also wonder if the memories of Tuvix carried over to Tuvok and Neelix after the separation.

Dee McGee

Robbie opening his heart to love again ♥️ Tom Wright did a review of this episode for Virtual Trek Con. I agree with his conclusion that the decision had to be made. There was no other way around it. Tuvix had to die.

Mark Scheuern

A strange aspect of this. Does anyone aside from Kes and the Doctor voice any opinion at all?

Mark Scheuern

I didn't think of that but a very good point. It's always morning somewhere on the planet.

Rich Gross

It’s very interesting to me to hear about Robbie’s first thoughts about Tom Wright, wondering if he was going to be any good. It’s an interesting psychological thing to observe that we seem to think that the things closer to us aren’t by default as good as the things further away. We seldom visit the “touristy” things close to home and travel around the world more than we take the time to explore and appreciate things near us. It’s a subject not related to Star Trek, really, but something curious to me. I remember when I saw this episode the first time, years ago, having my jaw drop at how amazing the portrayal of Tuvix was. Such a great meld of the Neelix and Tuvok, visually and in performance. EXCELLENT limerick yet again! I’m glad there wasn’t a wrap-up of any sort after the scene in sick bay. Rather than spoon-feed us and tell us how to feel, I love that it was left open. Rebecca!!! Awesome job on the melded comic characters! I recently saw that Tuvix uniform for sale on a screen-used prop auction website. I think the bid at the time was around $3k. It was probably about 3-4 months ago. I don’t think Kes was swooning from the kiss. I think she was in shock. But I do think that later when she says she wants the friendship to grow, she’s leaving open the possibility of a romance. I have an issue with the flat expression shown by Tuvix at the very end. I get that he’s resigned to his fate, but after all that passion it was weird to see not even a hint of any pain, anxiety or desperation. I LOVED Kate’s performance after the restoration of Tuvok and Neelix, though. Such a perfect reaction, saying without words, “Welcome back. We love you and missed you, but this is going to take some time to process.”

Stephanie Baker

This week's podcast discussion reenforces why Tuvix and Janeway's lose-lose situation are discussed almost daily on Star Trek social media.

Jeremy Taylor

Voyager's in a new fix An accidental crew-mix The Captain ends the fun It's two for the price of one Janeway murdered Tuvix

Mathew Sands

Just joined the patreon and what an episode to start on! Loved it and can't wait to go back and listen/watch to more past episodes. Now...if you could please just get some of those Delta Flyer hats back in stock it would be greatly appreciated. :D

Mary Burch

"Practice, Garrett, practice!"

Borgscan

For such a serious Voyager episode, this week's podcast had me laughing a lot and the ending was classic!

Matt

Robbie is crushing it with these limericks!

Chris Knapp

To answer Garrett's question about whether or not I would "chase after" my ex if she had been merged with another, in the off chance that we might be able to rekindle our romance, I would have to say "No". I would think that I would respect her enough to give her the time that she needed to recover and get acclimated. I myself would require a significant amount of time to recover from the shock. I also feel that Tuvix did not give Kes sufficient time to adjust to having both her love and her mentor taken away from her. Three weeks is not enough time to recover from a loss like that. Tuvix should have waited until Kes was ready before expressing his love for her.

Matt

Always, Always watch the entire podcast each week, all the way to end..past the credits!

Mike Gu

Rebecca, LOVE those combo character renditions. Takotay or Chakotom? SO GOOD.

Karen

I LOVE the post-credits scene. You guys should do those for every episode!

Karen

Also, as a clarinetist Garrett, I really appreciate the extra effort you took to get it right. I always watch your hands when you're playing to see if it matches up with the music and you do a great job!

Lisa Minnesma

Very curious. How far in advance are these episodes recorded? Because Robbie and Rebecca got engaged a while ago but it was just announced in the podcast now. Just curious

TheDeltaFlyers

Over the Christmas break, the guys were able to record a few episodes, so they are a bit ahead. What normally happens though is that the episode gets recorded, during that week it is edited, to be released the following Monday.

TheDeltaFlyers

Thank you for your support Mathew, and welcome to our Patreon. The hats have actually been ordered, and will be back in stock soon

GAY Kleven-Lundstrom

This episode will be forever debated if Janeway did the correct thing. Personally it was a no win situation for her. Damn if you do and damn if you didn't. Thanks for the recap.

Stephanie G Williams

Y'all are soooo awesome! It was such a tough episode with a huge moral dilemma that is still debatable to this day, and you managed to express that while still having fun like only y'all can do. The "post scene" was priceless! Love y'all! 😘😊💗

Ericka Birkenstein

I actually love the ambiguity at the end. I think it can be so much more powerful to leave the viewer to struggle with the decisions made - were they the right decisions? Not even Janeway seems to know for sure. If she walked out of there feeling confident, relieved, it would have undermined the complexity of the ethical dilemma. And there wouldn't have been much for the viewer to dwell on, either; consumption without reflection. Which is fine too, but sometimes, as a viewer, a challenge is nice. I'm glad this one wasn't neatly resolved.

kerry shiraki

I dont think this hurt or damaged Janeway as a captain. I think it made her better/stronger. She had to make a very hard decision that ultimately would benefit the crew as a whole, as she realized she needed Tuvox and Neelix as individuals to help the crew get home. As Spock tells us "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

James G. Jones

This episode definitely always reminds me of the Star Trek Enterprise episode "Similitude". The Episode where Tucker is seriously wounded and a clone is produced to be a neurological donor, and clone has to die to save Commander Tucker.

Moonglade

I loved this episode, but it's so affecting and emotional to me, it isn't one I can watch often. I thought Tom Wright did an amazing job portraying the Tuvok and Neelix characteristics, just superb! He did so well, I wanted Tuvix to live. Robbie, my take on Tuvix's uniform pattern is that was to allude to the plant part of the DNA because the orchid was fused in there as well. Do overs for me, which I feel may have added even more emotional impact, would have been when Tuvix is appealing to the Bridge crew to save him, I would have liked Chakotay to speak up for him - which would have added some difference of opinion between Janeway and Chakotay and the consequences of Janeway's actions at the end could have even more impact. Loved the mash-up names and the little cartoon drawings - so funny! Oh, and I loved the surprise Harry & Tom skit at the very end :S

Jason Fenemore

Here's a question for you all... what would Picard have done in the same situation? Sisko? Kirk? Burnham?

G. B.

I just finished watching all seven season Voyager for the first time this past December. I had always been a TNG fan, so when a coworker said “Voyager is better,” I decided to go for it and watch all of them in order, one or two per night until I was done; three months in total. What a fun experience. The entire run was great. So many nights I would say “this was the best yet!” I am happy to say this podcast has been the perfect antidote for what I expected to be Voyager withdrawal. The second half of season 2 included some excellent episodes. Tuvix is one of the best. I thought this episode had just the right balance of sci-fi, lightheartedness, and thought provoking seriousness. The no-win moral predicament showed how the burden of command sat solely with the captain as she and she alone was faced with the decision. The writing in this episode was fantastic. The lone walk down the passageway at the end was the perfect ending for this story. She carried the weight of that decision by herself. I am glad the writers did not try to lighten the story more than was already there.

Karen

I can't say I know the answer to question but I was wondering if any of the other Captains were ever put into a truly no-win situation within the series like this. I'm not as familiar with the other series to know of any instances like this.

Kevin

Several years back nasa was sending a satellite to mars. They had a competition for haikus to be submitted and voted for online. A certain amount of winners were selected to have their haikus loaded onto the satellite. I think about 100 or so. Anyway I submitted a haiku and it goes: little red planet Water once flowed on surface Martian surfers gone. It got a total of zero votes :/

TheDeltaFlyers

Chakotay speaking up for Tuvix would have made that scene rock. I agree with your do-over suggestions. ~~Garrett

Kevin

I just remodulated my Hulu subscription so I could become a commander level patron 🖖

Theo Millett

The whole 2nd half of this podcast i was think about how hot Chakotway would be. Thinking of a Tall, Native-American Woman with high cheekbones. Thinking back on the ending, i think it would have been nice if Tuvix recorded a log entry(or series of entries) which Tuvok and Neelix watch after being seperated. I just imagine Tuvok scoffing at the concept while Neelix sees it as a sign they are more alike than different.

Kris Hansen

Why exactly did Tom have to wait until "morning" to go get more orchid samples? Is the ship not orbiting the planet? Are the orchids only in one tiny spot? And it seemed to make no difference to the plot. What a weird line.

Kris Hansen

Watching Janeway in this episode, it strikes me that Kes is her "daughter" the way that Harry is her "son." I can't see any of Star Trek's male captains showing this kind of guidance to their crews.

Tashicat

it cracks me up that yall are like "yeah i dont think it works that way" in regards to the uniform

Tashicat

what i wonder is, when they get seperated back out, WHERES THE ORCHID that caused it all?

Andrew Kyle

not sure if this is covered but...when you're doing the name game thing. it wouldn't be harry or tom, it would be kim or paris... so chakotay and paris would be charis or PAROTAY (my personal favourite)...

Paul Johnston

I've only just caught up with this episode so apologies if this question is late - but when this episode was advertised in the TV showings and TV guides it was often listed as 'biogenesis' I believe. Its the only time I've ever seen a secondary title for either a Voyager or any other star trek episode I think. I'm sure that episodes went through title changes in development but by release time was no doubt fixed. Id be curious to know from Garett or Robbie if they ever recall the episode going by this title at any point

Sarah Allen

I’ve always wished they’d kept Tuvix around for a few episodes so we could see him building friendships with more of the crew and then the impact when he was separated would have been even greater (though do we want it to be even sadder?!). Agree Tom Wright played that role phenomenally.

Cass

One of my issues with Tuvix is that he supposedly has enough Tuvok and Neelix to pursue Kes and feel friendship with the crew members, then why wouldn’t those parts of him want to return to those two? If Tuvix loved Kes and Tuvok loved T’Pel, then I would think there would be an internal struggle over Tuvix’s advances toward Kes. Also, I felt that Tuvix would still kind of live on in Tuvok and Neelix to some degree, so it wouldn’t be a true death. A nicer end (and not what the writers seemed to want) would have been for Tuvix to come to the decision himself to separate. After showing how great Tuvix is, then have Tuvix discover what’s missing without Tuvok and Neelix as separate entities. Side note: I like the Harry and Tom bit added after the DF credits!

Dead_Alewives

Damn hard episode to watch, even though it's VERY well done. It's just so conflicting for me because I've always leaned towards both sides of the situation - Tuvix is technically a new life form with his own thoughts, however it also sacrifices the lives of Neelix and Tuvok. It was very upsetting to see Tuvix go, but ultimately I do believe it was for the best.

Samantha

Janeway killed him, but she was also the only one who seemed to care. Everyone else got over it immediately. lol

Samantha

Also found it very interesting that it's really Kes that signs his death warrant. I think she was Janeway's deciding factor, which is so interesting coming from a sweet summer child like Kes. The scene where he goes to beg her was so heartbreaking, knowing she had basically already killed him.

ST Fan CB

This is a very good episode of Trek and one of my favorites. On the subject of Harry's non promotion: In the military and the Army specifically, the lowest officer grade of 2LT Lieutenant (Navy and Starfleet is Ensign) the promotion to the next rank is automatic after 24 months and I think was changed some years back to 18 months. There has to be a drastic reason why not to promote that you have to justify and this hardly ever happens. So the fact that Harry was not promoted after 7 some years is not realistic and absolutely ridiculous. During the re-watch, RDM looks like he is coming off a rough night. So Tuvok and Neelix are not winners because they get to live? Give me break.

Rach V

Like a lot of reaction to this one; I noticed that, of the admirals mentioned, the women found Tuvix very creepy. I absolutely agree. He made my skin crawl, I felt physically sick and, despite the amazing performance of that actor, I just really didn't like the character; he really freaked me out and that is why I almost never watch it when I get to it in playbacks. It's the sexual predator element. I think that Kate's performance was spot on. She is in an awful position and she makes the call to bring back Tuvok and Neelix. She feels awful about it and the only way she can get through that is to detach herself from the emotion, to become the stern captain; she is taking the responsibility for all the crew who want their friends back and everyone felt guilty about wanting that. Janeway *has* to remove the emotion to do this action, and I love that, in the end, she can't get out of sickbay fast enough, to take that private moment where the emotion, the guilt, all pours out. But she had to keep it within her in front of the crew. I don't envy her position and no one does, everyone empathises, but she is absolutely on her own as a captain in this moment.

Michael Garner

I always felt like this episode was basically about abortion.

Christina

I always loved this episode. A deep struggle for Janeway and Kes, as well as the rest of the crew. It’s a very unsettling dilemma.