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   Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 05-Feb-2026 22:44:51 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

   I've been watching #StarTrek #Voyager with my son. Last night we came to the #Tuvix episode. Here's my hot take, 30 years after the episode aired.

   Janeway's decision to kill Tuvix to restore Neelix and Tuvok is unsatisfying because it is out of step with the character.

   Janeway's central dilemma is that she puts Star Fleet principles above everything, including her deep desire to get her crew home. A central part of the drama of the show is when she wrestles with these conflicting priorities

   That isn't to say that she *couldn't* make the opposide and be in character, but to ring true she has to acknowledge that she is committing a wrong for her crew. Here that doesn't happen.

   They could "fix" it by having Janeway refusing to kill Tuvix, and grieve. Tuvix sacrifices himself when he sees Kes' grief.

   This would be the "easy way out", but one of the rules of old Star Trek is that doing the right thing ends up with good consequences.

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 05-Feb-2026 22:52:54 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Alternatively (and somewhat less satisfying): keep the big choice, but have Neelix and Tuvok look aghast at Janeway when they are restored. (After all, they both remember Janeway looking them in the eye and killing them just moments ago.) Add a brief apotheosis in which Janeway experiences grief for her actions. Reveal her to know that she has done something wrong and sense that she has lost something of what she values: she's damaged her relationship with the crew.

     This could also be very satisfying. We've established that Janeway is a very moral person and having her sacrifice her morality to get the crew home is a good story. It's "dark" and doesn't fit the tone of the show, but it would at least address the character issue.