Meld

Tuvok mind melds with a Betazoid who killed another crew member.

This is a strong psychological episode with great character moments.

The story is a good character study of the Betazoid Suder and Tuvok's experiences trying to understand his motivation for killing people. It contains good themes about the individual desire for violent behaviour and it's connection to capital punishment.

Brad Douriff, Tim Russ and Katie Mulgrew are all excellent, particularly Douriff who is very creepy with Betazoid eyes and in his performance.

There is some good cinematography that makes various scenes dark and shadowy to great effect.

This is a very interesting exposition of the Vulcanian ability to meld.

In TNG "Sarek", we learned that this is much more than a one-way operation, from Spock to Van Gelder or Spock to Horta. When Spock was melding with the Horta, he became the Horta, including that creatures' concern for her children. As he became Simon Van Gelder and his fear of the Neural Neutralizer.

Consequently when Picard was melding with Sarek, of course it had the desired effect of granting Sarek emotional control in the face of his "Bandai Syndrome"... But it also had the undesired effect of distributing personal information from Sarek into Picards brain. Too much information, in fact. But, which had a mutually beneficial effect.

However, when it comes to Suder and Tuvok, I don't think Tuvix' motivation for melding with Suder was honest or valid.

For one thing, Tuvok was seeking the answer to the question, "what motivated Suder to perform a particular heinous act?" A question that does not really have an answer.

I think most human beings and even holograms programmed by human beings understand this without much trouble.

But Vulcananians? Especially Vulcanians who have participated in the Emotion-Purging process of Kohlinahr, will obviously not get it, ever.

Tuvix does not give valid reasons for his desire to participate in this Meld. If all he was searching for was a reason, a motivation. It was a frivolous use of his brain powers.

It is, it was in fact, cheating.

Because by all human definitions, there will never be a reason for that activity given.

And as Sudor is not actually a human being, being a full blooded Betazoid, like Luwaxana, daughter of the fifth house, holder of the sacred chalice of Riix, he would also not have the same kind of reasoning given by a human being. As Betazoids are receptive to much higher doses of emotion than Humans or Vulcanians are.

Suder was the one who tried to discourage Tuvix from this activity. But in the end, the promise of gaining personal control over certain demons appealed to Suder. Even though Suder was concerned that Tuvix would probably not be able to tolerate what he was going to deposit, in return for that personal control.

So it was Suder who made out like a bandit with this deal, he benefitted the most.

Fortunately Tuvox had the wisdom to stick himself behind a force field before bad things started to happen, very bad things.

Tuvox had one other incident in season 4 where he had a brain explosion of violent imagery, on the planet of telepath's that were stealing random violent thoughts from non-telepathic visitors. (The planet where Be'tor was a police woman).

It was fun to watch Tuvok lose all personal control and dignity...

RELEASE THE FORCE FIELD!!

At the very end of the episode, Suder has become a new, different person: he calls the Bridge to tell them what had happened... And he gently picks up Tuvok. That action This was a very different Lon Suder, and by the time "The Basics" 1 & 2 roll out, Suder finally knows what he can do, "for the ship".

A murder has happened on the Voyager. Lt Tuvok together with the doctor can quickly solve the case and present the murderer who also confesses his crime. Everything seems to be fine. But Tuvok is unsatisfied with the motivation of this murderer. He is obviously mentally ill and killed for no deeper reason. But in Tuvok's logic there has to be a clear motivation which goes beyond acting on instinct. He mind melds with him to get a glimpse into his thoughts.

After the mind meld Tuvok changes. Suddenly dark and evil feelings emerge which show us a different side of Tuvok. His suppressed side. His primal instincts. The first time he is in rage, condescending, hateful and wants revenge by executing the murderer.

This episode teaches us that Vulcans, too, are empathic and illogical beings but have learned to suppress this dark and bright sides of themselves. But still those feelings and thoughts are buried deep beneath the surface of logic and self-control. And when they emerge a Vulcan in the end is just like a human: Guided by emotions and instinct.

Especially the acting by Tim Russ, this is certainly one of those episodes where you are impressed.

Tuvok's curiousity about the motiveless crime is interesting. More curiousity than confusion. In fact, that he couldnt help but keep going down that slope at the beginning is what has the episode lingering for me.

There are some dark ideas in this one. It may not be one of those action packed, much happens episodes, being simple, but star trek should explore things, be intellectual, and i am not surprised it has scored well here.

Ive watched the series through many times since a young teenager. It means a lot to me, but my takes have shifted somewhat at different points in my life. Episodes i simply came to skip over i have let play out, and on analysing why they dont sit well, i discover others have similar takes. When compared to episodes that are a bit too silly, tell the audience what they should think rather than offering the opportunity to reaffirm or reconsider their stances in life, these explorative episodes, while seeming like not much happens, stays with you far longer. Thats where you can slip in an author message and stance.

In this one, there was a discussion essentially on capital punishment vs prison. His quarters might be bigger than a cell. But it can be argued inmates have tvs, books, three meals a day to an unpicky eater... it does seem milder than it should be for a punishment.

"His three sisters would not agree". Families often don't. I loved that line and the music coming in...

Whats wrong with the brig for long term emprisonment? Besides no privacy? That would be a proper prison cell, for sure.

When I was 10 to 12 years old, before I had read Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius, Leonard Nimoy and Mark Lenard's characterization of Vulcans immediately struck and internal chord. Like my father, they were men of reason, intelligence and dignity. You could disagree with them, but you always had to admire them.

As I grew older, I found that I was a natural Stoic. Vulcan aspirations coincided with my natural inclinations. This is one of the reasons that I found the the portrayal of Vulcans in Star Trek: Enterprise so distasteful.

The portrayal of Klingons as sort of battle loving vikings, but with a code of honor in TNG was fun, but it was at the expense of what resonating with me in TOS, reason and dignity.

So, now, Star Trek: Voyager is the last Star Trek series that I have watched. As it has the creative team for Deep Space 9, occasionally, it approaches high quality TV. Although the best of DS9 is unsurpassed for quality.

So, that brings me to this episode. It could have been mostly a single setting play. It is a bit predictable, the theme being the thin line between our animal nature and our civilized selves and the nature of capital justice in a civilized society. There is no new ground here.

But, oh, what a job by Tim Russ. He is the first Vulcan since TOS to give me the feeling that the future can contain reason and dignity. He is the first Vulcan to give me that zing of admiration, and watching him kindled the same recognition of self that I saw in the original portrayal of Spock. For that alone, this episode earns infinite stars.

Tim Russ captures what it is to be Vulcan like no actor since TOS.