Star Trek Icons Finally Settle Voyager’s Most Divisive Moment — Nearly 30 Years Later
Case closed, fallout begins: authorities end the probe, but the reckoning is just getting started.
Nearly 30 years after Star Trek: Voyager kicked off one of Trek's thorniest debates, two of the folks at the center of it finally weighed in. Short version: Captain Janeway made the right call. Long version: keep reading.
A quick refresher on the Tuvix mess
In the 1996 episode 'Tuvix,' a transporter accident mashed Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Neelix (Ethan Phillips) into a single person. He called himself Tuvix. He had Tuvok's logic, Neelix's warmth, and his own desire to live. The problem: restoring Tuvok and Neelix meant ending Tuvix. Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) ultimately forced the separation. Fans have argued ever since whether that was a mercy, a necessity, or straight-up murder.
Janeway and Tuvok, on Janeway's decision
At the Trek to New Jersey convention, Kate Mulgrew did not waffle. As reported by TrekMovie.com, she framed it as a captain's call she would make again.
"Janeway did the only thing she could do... Was she going to keep Tuvix over those two guys? I loved those two guys. Easy choice. Had to make it look tough. But easy, easy."
On a separate panel, Tim Russ backed her up. He pointed to the actual job description: the captain is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the crew. He also flagged that final shot of the episode, where Janeway walks the corridor after the sickbay doors close — her face tells you exactly how much that decision cost her, even if she believed it was the only option. So, yeah, from the two people closest to it on screen: debate settled. At least for them.
Voyager basics, and what Mulgrew did next
Voyager ran for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2001, created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor. Mulgrew later brought Janeway back in the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. She admits she hesitated at first — the character never really left her, and reopening that door is a big commitment — but friends and advisors nudged her toward the upside: introducing Trek's ideas to kids. She ultimately agreed, convinced that younger viewers might actually be the quickest to latch onto the show's big-picture philosophy.
Where to watch Voyager now
Star Trek: Voyager is streaming on Netflix. Plans start at £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.