Tuvok

Tuvok
Species Vulcan
Affiliation
Posting
  • USS Excelsior NCC-2000 as Junior Science Officer
  • USS Voyager as Tactical Officer and Chief of Security
  • USS Titan as Tactical Officer
Rank
  • Ensign
  • Lieutenant
  • Lieutenant Commander
  • Commander
Partner T'Pel
Portrayed by Tim Russ
First appearance "Caretaker, Part I" (Voy)

Tuvok /ˈtuːvɒk/ is one of the main characters on the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok is a member of the fictional Vulcan species who serves as the ship's Chief of Security and Chief Tactical Officer. Tim Russ portrayed Tuvok throughout the show's run, from 1995 to 2001.

Overview

In the episode "Unimatrix Zero", the Tuvok character states that he was born on stardate 38774 (equivalent to the year 2264) on Vulcanis, a lunar colony belonging to the Vulcan people.

As a teenager, portrayed in flashback sequences during "Gravity" by LeRoy D. Brazile, Tuvok is revealed to have fallen in love with Jara, daughter to a diplomat of the alien species called Terrelians. When Jara did not return his affections, Tuvok's jealousy caused him to be expelled from school and resulted in his parents sending him to the Vulcan master (Joseph Ruskin) to learn emotional control.

Tuvok attended Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. Upon graduation, he was commissioned an ensign at age 29, serving as a junior science officer on the USS Excelsior, under Captain Hikaru Sulu (seen in the episode "Flashback") .

During his early service with Starfleet, Tuvok became increasingly uncomfortable associating with non-Vulcans, and he resigned his Starfleet commission in 2298 to pursue his people's Kolinahr regimen of true non-emotion. He went into pon farr six years later, leading to his marriage to T'Pel, and began a family.

Fifty years later, after much self-examination, Tuvok rejoined Starfleet as a training instructor at Starfleet Academy. His return to Starfleet was marked by a maturity and a reconsideration of the benefits service provided. After a few years teaching cadets, Tuvok was briefly assigned to the USS Billings with Kathryn Janeway, until both Janeway and Tuvok were assigned to the USS Wyoming and then the Intrepid-class starship USS Voyager, as Captain (Janeway) and Security & Tactical Officer (Tuvok).

In 2371, Tuvok was assigned to infiltrate the Maquis organization aboard Chakotay's vessel. In the last season, episode four, Repression, introduced the premise that during the infiltration mission, Tuvok's identity was uncovered by a Maquis counter-intelligence agent, Teero Anaydis (Keith Szarabajka), who used Tuvok as a laboratory specimen for mind-control experiments. Although Tuvok was conscious throughout the experiments, Teero wiped his memory when he had finished, ensuring that Tuvok was unable to remember any details. Following the ordeal, Tuvok was released back among the Maquis. This "time-bomb" was activated by a message hidden in a letter from Tuvok's son that caused the events seven years later in the Voyager timeline.

During an incident involving the Maquis ship and the USS Voyager, both vessels were unwillingly transported to the Delta Quadrant by the enigmatic Caretaker. When the Maquis ship was destroyed by crashing into a Kazon ship to save the USS Voyager, Tuvok was transported off the ship with a handful of other survivors, and resumed his duties as Security and Tactical Officer.

At that time, Voyager also picked up two Delta Quadrant natives, Neelix, a Talaxian, and his partner Kes, from Ocampa. Tuvok recognized Kes' psionic abilities and helped her develop them. Tuvok learned to tolerate Neelix's overly friendly and emotional behavior. Later, a transporter accident fused Tuvok and Neelix together into a new humanoid appropriately named "Tuvix". They were eventually restored to their individual forms under the orders of Captain Janeway, using a procedure devised by the EMH and chief engineer B'Elanna Torres. Tuvok still had issues with Neelix after the experience and many of them are raised again in the episode "Riddles". The two eventually became friends, though it was more apparent from Neelix's end.

At the opening of the fourth season episode "Revulsion", relatively dated 2374, Tuvok was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. Before this in most of the 1st season he is frequently referred to as "lieutenant", even though he wears lieutenant commander rank insignia.

It is learned during "Endgame", the final episode of the series, that Tuvok suffers from a degenerative neurological disease, which can only be cured by undergoing a mind-meld with a family member. In 2377, he was still well enough to perform his duties. However, in his elderly years, in an alternate timeline, the disease finally ravaged Tuvok's mind as he was not able to return to the Alpha Quadrant in time for a cure. This left him confined to a mental hospital. However, to save Tuvok among others, Captain Janeway's future-self changed history, by finding a way to return the Voyager crew to the Alpha Quadrant back in 2378, the time before his disease worsened. (In the novelization of "Endgame", Tuvok's eldest son Sek arrives aboard Voyager and performs the required mind meld, curing Tuvok.)

After Voyager

In the non-canon Star Trek: Titan novel series, Tuvok joins William Riker on the USS Titan as tactical officer, leaving Voyager. His wife joins him. In 2008 Tim Russ brought back Tuvok in the fan film project, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men joining a cast of several Star Trek actors from various series'. In 2015 Tim Russ again reprised the role of Tuvok in the Fan Series, Star Trek: Renegades as head of Section 31 alongside Walter Koenig portraying the character of Pavel Chekov.

Personality

A full Vulcan, Tuvok has a complex personality, with internal conflict. Despite his undergoing the Kolinahr, there is a fair amount of evidence to suggest that he never entirely gained emotional control, and he feels bitterness over his Vulcan heritage. He is also shown to exhibit subdued moments of annoyance, self-doubt, sarcasm and even anger (mostly directed towards Neelix, whose gregarious personality is often at odds with Tuvok's Vulcan stoicism).

Despite this internal conflict, he is shown on numerous occasions to be capable of great nobility and altruism.

Relationships

T'Pel is the wife of Tuvok. They married in 2304. They have three sons and one daughter named Asil. T'Pel is featured in the Voyager episodes "Persistence of Vision" and "Bliss", both times when Tuvok is hallucinating, and a holographic version of her is featured in "Body and Soul". She is played by actress Marva Hicks.

Mirror Universe

The Mirror Tuvok appears in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine third season episode "Through the Looking Glass" as a member of the Terran Rebellion. He is the only Voyager character whose Mirror counterpart appears onscreen.

See also

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