Riddles

 DVD, Voyager S6 (Riddles)

Who doesn't like a good riddle? One of the best parts of 'The Hobbit' is the riddle game (I guessed the dates, but I didn't get the 'Sundaes'). The real riddle is why they always want to change Vulcans! Back when this came out it was still a treat to see a Vulcan react emotionally - from the moment Spock cries "Jim!" at the end of 'Amok Time,' or Sybok throws back his head and lets out a hearty guffaw at the start of 'Star Trek V,' getting to see the stoic race behave so out of character has only cemented their... fascination for me as a species. I'm so fed up with them being portrayed as barely keeping their emotions in check in the 'Enterprise' and post-'Enterprise' productions that I could be forgiven for looking down on such a propaganda piece as this episode in which Tuvok unwisely goes on an Away Mission with Neelix (he always seems to come off badly when accompanying his Talaxian colleague: off the top of my head 'Tuvix' and 'Rise' both follow that rule!), and comes out of it losing his adult Vulcan sensibilities. But I can still separate out the wheat from the chaff in Trek terms, and watching 'Voyager' especially is always a help in my quest for Vulcan purity (the Kolinahr of Vulcan episodes, so to speak), featuring, as it does, the best example of the race in Trek history, so rather than be appalled at another seed being sown towards the Time of The Sundering (between how Vulcans were portrayed and how they are portrayed now - what did you think I meant?), I can still enjoy this as the 'rarity' it was at that time of giving us a glimpse of Vulcan's heart, Vulcan's forging a new path through the Fire Plains of feeling.

Neelix and Tuvok were the Spock and McCoy or the Quark and Odo of their series: whenever there was a chance to see them interact you knew it was going to be fun. And this is far from being a Tuvok-centric story, Neelix is at least equally as integral as we see the sweetness and generosity of spirit that has become the hallmarks of this gentle warthog-like creature. He's so very good with children as has been ably demonstrated before with Naomi Wildman and will be amply again with the coming Borg children. That Tuvok takes on very close to a childlike mentality means that Neelix' specific gifts of care and understanding are given full rein. Nothing shows his character more than when the Vulcan, in an uncharacteristic rage borne of frustration, pushes Neelix away, behaving more like an unruly teenager swallowed up by feelings he can't, or won't, control. Though Neelix is hurt and worried, he doesn't slink off alone to nurse his wounds, he ends up wandering into the Mess and discovers Seven in pensive mood, and rather than allow himself to wallow or complain, his resilient good humour shines through as he tries to make himself useful to her, undaunted by her naturally cold demeanour. In turn she assists him in coming to an understanding of Tuvok's condition not merely as tragedy, but a new beginning, reminding him of the Captain helping her not by restoring her to what she'd been in the Collective, but what she could become. It's a very hopeful message for anyone involved in an accident or that has experienced deep changes in their life, not to view it as the end, but a new beginning.

That kind of positive approach is what is at the core of what's missing in today's action-based Trek that cares more for special effects and over the top drama than in these simple feelings (a bit like V'Ger, it can't understand what it's missing, but unlike V'Ger I don't sense it feels it's missing anything, not being that self-aware!). That's far from the only optimistic message or moment in the episode, as every time Neelix works through Tuvok's latest experience in his childlike state, it's there. But more specifically there is that time when Janeway provides a bridge between the two races, the Kesat and their Bigfoot myth-like creatures, the Ba'Neth, a secretive race that prefer to keep themselves and their vessels cloaked in order to seek out new life and see if it's likely to be a threat to them. Okay, so she doesn't actually bridge the races, but she does provide that role between the Ba'Neth and the Kesat representative, Deputy Investigator Naroq, an enthusiast in this particular field of study, looked down on by his fellow Kesat as a bit of a crank it would seem, but a man excited and motivated by the prospect of proving his theories. Thanks to Voyager he succeeds in his goals, discovering these creatures are multipeds with tentacles (great design, you never quite see them fully which only adds to their mystery), and offering to hand over his technology that enables their cloak to be penetrated, in exchange for the details of the weapon that injured Tuvok.

It's a fair exchange and though it doesn't look likely to pave the way for positive relations between species, Naroq having to give up his dream in order to see it for himself, it's as close as Janeway was likely to come in the circumstances, and as always it's the welfare of her crewman that motivates her. If there was something missing from the story I'd have liked to have seen a little more of her concern over Tuvok, perhaps discussing with Chakotay on a practical level what it would be like to have to replace him permanently, but also on a personal one, too, where she displays more regret that this has happened to him. There is the sense of that in moments such as when Tuvok leaves her Ready Room, but it's not lingered on as Neelix is the focus for displaying the concern in the episode. Doing this to the usually dependable, solid Vulcan could also have backfired - I can imagine Tom and Harry having a great laugh about how Tuvok is coming across, but they sensibly and sensitively never show any humorous reactions from the crew such as them thinking they can relax on the job now he's not breathing down their necks, or that they can have some fun with him, none of which would have been professional or appropriate, so they knew what they were doing. I would have thought taking Tuvok around the ship to be seen by the crew during his rehabilitation, or adjustment, might have been unwise as it could lessen their morale to show the Second Officer in such a state, or reduce their respect for him, but I was forgetting what it means to be a Starfleet crew from all the levity and casualness I'm now used to seeing in modern Trek, so of course it wasn't going to be a bad course of action to take.

The closest thing we see to any negative response to Tuvok's condition is on the Bridge when he almost shoots some torpedoes off and some of the background crew look askance - clearly everyone is worried, but it doesn't reflect badly on anyone, it's merely the current state of things and encountering this new Tuvok for the first time. For Neelix it's actually the most positive time for him as he gets to encourage and enjoy his friend for the first time as an equal, relating to him emotionally and having reciprocity, that's the heart of the story, and a lovely chance for the Talaxian to explain his friendship to the Vulcan who would normally maintain a distinct distance for all the respect and appreciation of Neelix he's developed over the years of serving together on the ship. And it is joyful to see this reserved, confident person have to learn ordinary life with the guidance of someone so happy to give - Neelix has always been quick to guilt, though I didn't sense that was his reason for wanting to do something to help his friend at the start. It was amusing when he wants to do what he can, and the Doctor admits that comatose patients can respond to their senses being stimulated, so he wants to provoke a response and the Doc gently says if anyone can, it's him (you can never forget that great, though chilling scene in 'Meld' when Tuvok, in the throes of Suder's emotional explosion, tests himself on the Holodeck with a particularly irritating version of Neelix, eventually losing it and choking him to death!).

Neelix has always had that effect, though we've seen in recent seasons that the influence of people such as Tuvok, and their professionalism and self control has somewhat steadied Neelix' own personality - I think he was a lot more skittish and changeable, heart on sleeve and all that, because he'd had a hard life and was used to dealing with people he didn't trust, and being able to live among honourable people he can has provided a kind of sanctuary. The same for Seven: Voyager has been a nurturing place, perhaps more because Janeway is a woman and has those motherly instincts in her command style, and for the fact they are more like a family or a community than other Starfleet ships since they have no other source, no travelling home or visiting Federation colonies that might remind them of home. Most important of all is that Neelix can give up his new friend for that friend's, and the ship's, good. He would no doubt have loved having such a person to continue sharing with, to enjoy cooking with and talking on the same level, and in a very small way it's a tragic story because he loses the kind of friendship he wants when Tuvok goes back to normal, but there was always a remnant of that time between them even down to the last moment when Neelix would eventually leave the ship and Tuvok performs a little dance step as a parting gift. I wouldn't say they were on the same level as other great conflictual friendships, largely because they were both so distinct in who they were, there wasn't the room for much growth, though there is some, but this view of the pair was one of the best.

Everyone is once again on show, the series still hasn't lost that sense of ensemble that I watch for every week, with the exception of B'Elanna, though that was down to Roxann Dawson directing - I don't know whether it's because it's a known name, but when one of the actors directs I always seem to notice specific shots and inventiveness more, and this was the case again. That shot overhead of the Biobed, swooping down towards it with the vertical lines of the walls around creating this unique image I'm sure had never been done before. I also loved the arrangement of Seven standing in the Mess with the lights off, looking out at the stars, with Neelix at a table in the foreground, very artistically composed. And again, that evocation of mounting tension when Tuvok is sat in the Ready Room with Janeway in front, Naroq behind and Neelix to the side of his face, but all squeezed into the shot to emphasise the enclosing of personal space and the conflict inherent in needing to find the information Tuvok has in his mind (wonder why they never had Vorik or one of the other Vulcans do a mind meld: too dangerous in his condition?), and also the dramatic swoop over the cake he made which is revealed to have the frequency drawn in the icing, suitably definite and precise camerawork. But yet it never takes away from the story, only enhances the acting taking place, and for Tim Russ especially it's terrific. It must be so hard to play a character that is usually emotionless, but who is now unabashed, no barriers between thought and speech, without seeming like you're acting, but I totally believe what has happened to him.

Ethan Philips, similarly, must be highly commended for his work - it may be more in his character, but he has to play off of someone who doesn't usually behave this way, without seeming condescending or ridiculous, but he makes Neelix the most sympathetic person you can imagine. I don't understand people that say they dislike the character, maybe they only remember him from the early episodes when he was so predictably erratic, though I loved the character just as much then, and he's undoubtedly settled down so much in these later seasons that it's a shame when he does get a little lost in the shuffle. At least in this episode both he and Tuvok are allowed full control, making it a second classic of the season. Not that I didn't have any notes on the story that I could have done with clarification on, though they're all technical details: Janeway ends up acting as nurse when Tuvok's first in Sickbay and it made me wonder why more crew haven't been trained up in that role, other than Tom Paris (whom, if I remember, only wanted to do that because Kes was there!), and then I wondered why they couldn't have provided the Doc with an ENH, Emergency Nurse Hologram? Also on the Doctor, you'd think rather than complain about the Vulcan chanting Neelix pipes in, he could deactivate his hearing sensors. He probably could do, but he wants to remind Neelix who's boss in Sickbay, I expect... Finally, while I love that the Deflector gets to be part of the story, I don't see why they couldn't simply rotate through all the frequencies to uncover the cloaked ships?

One terrific fact about the episode I didn't realise until after watching it, was that Mark Moses, who guest stars as Naroq, would go on to play a much more influential figure: he was Henry Archer in the pilot of 'Enterprise,' the Father of Jonathan Archer and creator of the Warp 5 engine which powers the NX-01, a colleague of Zefram Cochrane no less, and someone whom, though he only appeared in that one episode, was mentioned many times and was clearly a strong influence on his son! Practically Trek royalty. Here, he's merely an alien of the week, a genial fellow, though one that pushes his own agenda to track down these mythical creatures which happens to align with the crew's goal to do whatever they can to help Tuvok, but even when there was space for some biting drama, he always pulls back from pushing the Vulcan too hard thanks to Janeway and Neelix' force of personality. Another credit worth noting is that Andre Bormanis gets a 'Story By' credit - he was also the science advisor on Trek in those days. Certainly one of Tuvok's best episodes, and possibly Neelix, too, especially powerful when the former is afraid to effectively return to being an adult, and just wants to stay with Neelix and have fun. As they say in the episode, a good riddle can stimulate the mind (Neelix' way of using words to manipulate Tuvok into having 'fun' on the Flyer), but more than a riddle, a good episode can stimulate the mind and the emotions, and this does both very well, thank you.

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